Legacy technology

[prisonchaplain]

I have two computers with Windows XP operating systems.  One is about 8 years old, has a few files, including oldest daughter's itunes songs.  The other is one I just bought as a 3rd desktop, and is meant mainly for word processing and non-sensitive internet surfing.  So, what to do about the pending withdrawal of support from microsoft?

 

1.  Take my chance and avoid any financial transactions on the XP computers.

2.  Put on a 2nd Linux-based operating system (Ubuntu).  It's open-source, and supposedly malware/virus producers don't waste time on this not-so-common platform.

3.  Bite the financial bullet and pay for upgrade to Windows 7.

4.  Bite an even bigger bullet and get new computers.

[jerome1232]

Totally unbiased open source advocate here voting for option number 2 . But on an old XP machine I wouldn't recommend Ubuntu. Perhaps Lubuntu or Xubuntu. These are both Ubuntu under the hood but use a lighter desktop environment (think of that as the look and feel of the operating system) to run better on low spec machines. Lubuntu uses LXDE, Xubuntu uses XFCE, and Ubuntu uses Unity. They all have vastly different looks and different suites of default applications. The learning curve of learning a new operating system is admittedly steep and will probably be frustrating at first, Ubuntu has a dang good community at their forums for helping with that transition.

Xubuntu: http://xubuntu.org/    (I would recomend the most)
Lubuntu: http://lubuntu.net/     (Super light, but not as purty as Xubuntu)

[Lakumi]

I use ubuntu, best decision I've ever made

[prisonchaplain]

What would be the best way to install X/Ubuntu type operating systems.  Should I do a DBAN, and then install by disk?  If I try to download, would the XP eat up memory, or should I let it lie dormant, but available, just in case?

[Lakumi]

What would be the best way to install X/Ubuntu type operating systems.  Should I do a DBAN, and then install by disk?  If I try to download, would the XP eat up memory, or should I let it lie dormant, but available, just in case?

 

oh I had my tech savy friend do all that, I just comprehend basic upkeep. There are enough linux lovers out there to give you more advice then you could ever use.

[jerome1232]

What would be the best way to install X/Ubuntu type operating systems.  Should I do a DBAN, and then install by disk?  If I try to download, would the XP eat up memory, or should I let it lie dormant, but available, just in case?

Pop the cd in and click continue several times! Unless you have really limited disk space I would keep XP around just in case. It's been awhile since I've seen Ubuntu's installer but it should pick up the XP install and offer to do a side by side, or dual boot installation. Psychocat has great guides for new comers, here is her guide to installing: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installing The process shouldn't defer at all other than how the window looks between the versions I have mentioned.

For stable installs that don't change, go with the LTS (Long Term Support) release, 12.04 is the newest LTS release (that's the year followed by month of release, 2012 04) LTS releases are supported for 3 years, a new one is released every 2 years, so 14.04 is due out anytime now and it will be a LTS release. The newest non-LTS-release is 13.10, a new version is released every 6 months, one in april one in october. I tend to stick with LTS releases, and sometimes update to the april release because I get tempted by shiny new features and such.

 

[prisonchaplain]

I installed Ubuntu, since I already had a disk.  Looks nice.  However, nothing opens.  The cursor moves, but none of the programs will actually engage.  Thoughts?

[Just_A_Guy]

You know, up until a few years ago, I just took it for granted that you ran Windows and then you got a separate antivirus program. Then along comes Wimdows Security Center and they claim it\'s a one-stop shop for security and that I don\'t need antivirus software. Then they quit supporting Windows Security Center for XP and tell me I\'ve got to upgrade.

Stupid question: why can\'t I just install third-party antivirus software and carry on with Windows XP?

[The Folk Prophet]

1 until breakage, then 2, 3 or 4 depending on finances.

 

Why fix what isn't broken? :)

[The Folk Prophet]

You know, up until a few years ago, I just took it for granted that you ran Windows and then you got a separate antivirus program. Then along comes Wimdows Security Center and they claim it\'s a one-stop shop for security and that I don\'t need antivirus software. Then they quit supporting Windows Security Center for XP and tell me I\'ve got to upgrade.

Stupid question: why can\'t I just install third-party antivirus software and carry on with Windows XP?

 

The bolded above is a bald-faced lie. Or is it bold-faced lie? Whatever. It's a lie.

[Mahone]

I installed Ubuntu, since I already had a disk.  Looks nice.  However, nothing opens.  The cursor moves, but none of the programs will actually engage.  Thoughts?

 

Are you trying to open an application, or install an application?

 

 

You know, up until a few years ago, I just took it for granted that you ran Windows and then you got a separate antivirus program. Then along comes Wimdows Security Center and they claim it\'s a one-stop shop for security and that I don\'t need antivirus software. Then they quit supporting Windows Security Center for XP and tell me I\'ve got to upgrade.

Stupid question: why can\'t I just install third-party antivirus software and carry on with Windows XP?

 

Because the operating system is no longer supported by Microsoft, and therefore no longer receiving bug fixes or updates.

 

Anti-virus applications, regardless of how up-to-date they are, run inside this vulnerable operating system. It's like placing secret service agents inside the white house. The agents can provide a certain level of protection to the occupants inside the whitehouse from other occupants inside the whitehouse, but they will be useless if the whole building is blown up by a missile. The building itself needs protection, not just the occupants.

 

The bolded above is a bald-faced lie. Or is it bold-faced lie? Whatever. It's a lie.

 

Not necessarily - personally, I'd say its more than adequent for home users, as long as its combined with OS updates, a firewall (hardware or software) and a a sensible user.

 

1 until breakage, then 2, 3 or 4 depending on finances.

 

Why fix what isn't broken? :)

 

The same reason as the analogy above.

[prisonchaplain]

Are you trying to open an application, or install an application?

 

 

Open, I believe.  The Ubuntu installation instructions asked if I wanted to include some software packages, such as Firefox, LibreOffice, and a couple of others.  I tried opening the by double-clicking the icons.  I also tried right-clicking "open" from the drop down menu on highlighted icons.  They would flicker, but not open/engage.

[jerome1232]

Open, I believe.  The Ubuntu installation instructions asked if I wanted to include some software packages, such as Firefox, LibreOffice, and a couple of others.  I tried opening the by double-clicking the icons.  I also tried right-clicking "open" from the drop down menu on highlighted icons.  They would flicker, but not open/engage.

Did you install regular Ubuntu or one of it's derivatives.

What were the specs on this machine exactly? (namely cpu, and ram info)

[prisonchaplain]

I installed the Ubuntu 12.04.   All I know is that the cpu is an older Emachine that had Windows XP on it.  Perhaps I need to put Xubuntu on it instead?  I'll check the RAM.  I believe the partition that was created by default (for both XP and Ubuntu) was an 80s/70s split.

[The Folk Prophet]

Not necessarily - personally, I'd say its more than adequent for home users, as long as its combined with OS updates, a firewall (hardware or software) and a a sensible user.

 

With a sensible user a virus checker is hardly necessary at all. In which case I agree. But it looks like you're going the Ubuntu route.

 

Without sensible use (applicable to most of us), I stand by my bald-faced lie statement. :)

[jerome1232]

I installed the Ubuntu 12.04.   All I know is that the cpu is an older Emachine that had Windows XP on it.  Perhaps I need to put Xubuntu on it instead?  I'll check the RAM.  I believe the partition that was created by default (for both XP and Ubuntu) was an 80s/70s split.

 

If the ram is under 1 gB, then yes, Ubuntu is much too fat for it, Xubuntu or Lubuntu would be the ticket. I'm kinda thinking your machine doesn't have enough ram and it's swapping forever trying to shove programs into ram and that's why it appears that they are not opening. Without know your computers stats it's hard to say though.

You can press ctrl+alt+F1 to get to a tty (a pure cli or command line interface) login and type

free -m

to get a readout of your ram status in mB's

 

 

edit: hindsight, ctrl+alt+F7 get's you back out of the tty.

[skippy740]

You know, up until a few years ago, I just took it for granted that you ran Windows and then you got a separate antivirus program. Then along comes Wimdows Security Center and they claim it\'s a one-stop shop for security and that I don\'t need antivirus software. Then they quit supporting Windows Security Center for XP and tell me I\'ve got to upgrade.

Stupid question: why can\'t I just install third-party antivirus software and carry on with Windows XP?

 

According to these guys... you can do exactly that:

 

[jerome1232]

According to these guys... you can do exactly that:

 

It would be like using a bottle with holes drilled into it, and relying on paper to stuff into the holes as they are found and saying the bottle holds water just fine.

It's a bad analogy because really the holes are there to begin with, the water just keeps finding new ones, you have to keep plugging them with something that's not well suited to hole plugging and generally you can't plug it until the hole is found.

[prisonchaplain]

I just ordered a Linux LUBUNTU disk ($2.52 delivered--ebay).  When I know....you'll know.

[skippy740]

I've been using Windows 7 practically since it came out.

 

I may get myself a Microsoft Surface Pro 2 tablet in a couple of months... which would be my only reason to "upgrade" to Windows 8.1... but at least I'd have a touch interface on it.  (My daughter will need a computer for 6th grade, and my little 11.6" i3 8GB supercharged netbook would be a great fit for her.)

[jerome1232]

I just ordered a Linux LUBUNTU disk ($2.52 delivered--ebay).  When I know....you'll know.

Are you aware you can simply download the ISO file and burn it to disk for free (other than the cost of having internet and a cd/dvd-r to burn it with)

[prisonchaplain]

I tried downloading it, and, being a non-tech person, quickly got frustrated.  My disk arrived today, and installed fine.  They sent the 64-bit, but it works.  I was talking to a fellow at work, and he said that Ubuntu is really "fat" and inefficient.  So, for those converting to linux from XP, I'll definitely suggest Lubuntu or Xubuntu.

[jerome1232]

I tried to warn you it wasn't gunna go onto an XP era machine  

Happy computing.

 

Most software you'll ever need can be found within Ubuntu's repositories, (X/L/Whatever-ubuntu all share the same repositories and have access to the same set of software) just open the Software Center to search and browse it. Google is a good ally when trying to figure out what it is you need. Search for (just an example) "Linux alternative to Microsoft Office" to find good software suggestions.