I was however sold on the siren song of Windows 7 from using it on my laptop. Windows 7 is nice OS. Nothing to complain about, almost. Just some niggling stuff. Windows 7 complains about the lack of virus protection and I need to buy third party software to have virus protection. Yes, there is free anti virus, but that is not the point. Two included text editors without spell checking? File encryption built in, but turned off unless you have the most expensive version of Windows 7?

These shortcomings are not big things by themselves. They are greed driven things. They are small items that should either be included in Windows 7 when purchased as is. I am all for making a profit. If companies did not make a profit, none of us would have work to do for our money. Like it or not we need to work. But come on, having to pay some serious dollars for the privilege of having file encryption, and a spell checker? That goes beyond making a profit.

I tried hard to enjoy Windows 7. I like it on my laptop for the most part, but my laptop is only used occasionally, I use my desktop a lot more often. As much as I would like to use the space a desktop takes up for something else, a laptop without adding more hardware, does not a desktop make.

After a week it became apparent that life with Windows was only a more polished version of previous life with Windows. Nothing changed really since I left Windows behind some years back. Virus checking, defragment hard drives, wondering how downloads and web sites were giving away presents I did not want. My virus checker confirmed nothing really had changed in the Windows World except the cost of Virus Checking went way up.

I had enough, and it was time to go back to Linux. I tried my favorites, but seeing my desktop is recently off the shelf and 64 bit, my favorite Linux versions did not fit well with one piece or another of my desktop computer. After trying six or seven of my old standby Linux flavors, I went back to my Linux beginnings. Every 32 bit Linux distribution installation was generally happy after install except my LAN and Wireless card which would fail to work after a few minutes.

My first experience with Linux was an off the shelf computer store purchase for $42.00. For my $42.00 plus tax, I had a three Cd set and a Magazine. I had purchased Suse Linux 8.2 for my hard earned money. I never looked back from Linux, even though Suse 8.2 never made my favorites list.

Back then, as now Suse was/is a little confusing to install. Back then because I had no clue, this time around with Open Suse 11.4 because I had a empty one terabyte hard rive, and only wanted to use part of it for Linux OS.

I eventually came to terms with what the install process actually wanted rather than how I thought it should be done. and my Open Suse installation went smoothly. Almost anyone should be able to install Open Suse Linux. It may be daunting for a new user, or perhaps perplexing as it was for me, trying to install Open Suse on an empty hard drive, but there is a wealth of information on the Open Suse web site to ease anyone through the process.

My perspective has changed over the years. When I installed Suse 8.2 I did not appreciate how rigid the structure seemed to be. The mousing was to precise, I could not install any old program I wanted, and I had to learn how to do things the Suse way. Now some years and scores of Linux distributions later, I am typing this in LibreOffice running on Open Suse, Funny how all those original faults I thought I had with Suse Linux, I have now come to value.

There is not a lot to say about Open Suse, that has not been said already. It is a well made, well contained distribution, and if you have been a distro hopper like myself, you will appreciate the precision and care taken with Open Suse. I installed the KDE Desktop, but Gnome, LXDE, and perhaps other desktops are available.

There were a few things I wanted to change. Minor personal nits contained within KDE itself. I have never been a big KDE desktop fan. It is alright, but it is not my first choice for a desktop. I appreciate K3B, a few games, and the wallet, but after that I am indifferent to what KDE has to offer.

After I did not locate what I wanted in the repositories I did what I should have done in the first place. I went to the Open Suse home page and started looking for answers there. Of course everything I wanted to change, was there as other Open Suse users also want something different than the stock DVD. Within thirty minutes, I made all the changes I wanted.

I mentioned I am typing this post in LibreOffice Writer, and it is as snappy and more powerful than any text editor I may use. I have not used the other parts of LibreOffice, so I will leave them to others to write about.

There are numerous reviews about Open Suse, and the newest release is currently getting ready to replace the version I downloaded a few weeks ago. I understand from what I read, there is an upgrade path available for those that want it. I back up what is important to me, and now that I understand the Open Suse way of doing a Linux installation and upgrade or reinstall, either method will be painless.

Open Suse is one of the most popular Linux Distributions in the world. The days of needing everything about your hardware to do an installation have gone the way of my first Linux, Suse 8.2. If you have not found a Linux distribution that reaches and grabs you, you may want to give Open Suse a try. I am happy I decided to give Open Suse a visit.

Following my warnings and comments are written instructions for installing PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06.

I am posting these notes for a friend to print, who until recently had never seen and only heard of something called Linux. He wants to install PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 after trying out PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 as a live CD, and ensuring everything works correctly. His Windows OS is corrupted and can not be salvaged. In short his old computer is a paper weight, and he has nothing to lose by trying to install PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 on his old computer.

I wrote these instructions out as I completed an install on my laptop. Following these instructions will erase everything on your single hard drive, and if all goes well, install PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 as the only operating system.

The only certainty, or guarantee my notes comes with is you can read the rest of the post. Trying to follow my notes may destroy your computer. Following my instructions may turn your computer into a non working paperweight, a recyclable object.

Important Key words: Erases Hard Drive, No Windows, No other Linux, No files, No Pictures, No Programs, No Important Files, Nothing On the Hard Drive Except PCLinuxOS.

These instructions assume (think about that word) you have an older off the shelf Vanilla PC or Laptop with nothing unique added to it. These instructions also assume you have hard wired internet access.

If you ruin your computer by following these instructions, lose your operating system, your files or data, I am not responsible.

If any of the above does not make sense stop reading here, and find help from a close by knowledgeable Linux user who can help you install Linux to your computer. These instructions are for a friend who has decided to try to install PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 on his personal computer. Follow them at your own risk.

These instructions are not associated in any manner with the fine website PCLinuxOS, its software, or any of its related websites or activites. On PCLinuxOS website are installation instructions that have been verified and used thousands of times. I recommend you go there and follow them.

Once again, I am posting this for a friend who until recently had never seen and only heard of something called Linux. He wants to install PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 after trying out PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 as a Live CD, and ensuring everything works correctly. His Windows OS is corrupted and can not be salvaged. He has no programs or files on his computer which he still wants. In short his old computer is a paper weight, and he has nothing to lose by trying to install PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 on his old computer.

If you are unsure about doing an install, please read everything over from the top.

You need to think if you choose to follow the notes below. Following my notes are from an install on one computer only, and have not been tested on any other computer. If something is not how I typed it out, there is no one to help you.

These instructions are only for installing PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 as the only operating system, erasing everything on the hard drive in the process. These notes may or may not be complete.

Before you start the Install you will need: 

1. Password for the Admin (Root); 2. One User Name and Password for each person who will be using the computer including Root who will generally use the computer as a normal user unless doing administrative tasks.

1.  Insert Cd and boot off of the Live PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06 Cd.

2.  When PCLinuxOS menu comes up, arrow key down to the last option, Install PCLinuxOS and press.

3.  It will take some time while PCLinuxOS boots from the Cd. Eventually you will be asked to choose your keyboard layout.

Click on.

4.  A graphic with “PCLinuxOS” Installation Wizard will appear. Click on.

5.  A screen with, “Here is the content of your disk drive”, will appear. There should be four choices for installing “PCLinuxOS”, you want to click in the third radio button which reads, “Erase and use entire disk”. You only want this option because Windows is no longer usable. If this is not true, press cancel on the bottom left.

6.  Once you have clicked in the radio button which is followed by “Erase and use entire disk”, press the Next button.

7.  A screen will come up warning you that “PCLinuxOS” is going to install to your whole hard drive. This will erase everything on your hard drive from your selection the on last screen. Press “next” to continue.

8.  A new graphic with “Installing PCLinuxOS to your computer”, will appear with a bar below the graphic showing your the install progress. This portion will take anywhere from ten minutes to many minutes depending on the speed of your computer.

9.  When the install is almost completed, a screen will appear with the word *Bootloader on the top left. Below *Bootloader is *Main Options” with the sentence “Delay before booting default image” followed by the number 10. Click where the ten is and change the number to a 3.

10. Click.

11. The next screen will start with the letters, “Here are the entries…”. Click onon the bottom right.

11. A sentence, “Bootloader install in progress”, will appear. Be patient it will seem like nothing is happening. This step may a few minutes to complete. All you will see is an empty screen.

12. When the previous step completes, a screen with the sentence, “Please click finish, restart your computer, and remove the LiveCD media when prompted”. Press, the “Finish” button.

13. PCLinuxOS will shutdown and a screen will appear saying, “Restarting the system”. Once it is done the screen will turn black and an instruction, “Please pressonce the LiveCD is removed.” Your CD tray should pop open. Remove the CD and press.

14. The system will reboot again and the PCLinuxOS Splash screen will appear. There will be two options and the top option will be grayed, press.  This is the end of the physical install, now the setup portion will begin.

Setting up the system

1.  The system will start to reboot. The first screen to appear will ask for time zone, slide the slide up and choose Denver. Click on next.

2.  The computer is most likely set to local time which is the top option. Below is NTP Server, click in the box, Automatic time synchronization…. Click on the triangle to the left of North America. Click on, “All Servers”, then click on.

3.  Enter Roots password, twice and click on. Do nothing with “Authentication method”

4.  Enter the first User name using no capitol letters and no spaces. Press thekey. Enter the user’s password, press tab and enter it a second time. If they match, press “Next”.

5.  This screen is the Logon screen. Click on the user listed, enter the password, and press.

6. If you are using a wired internet connection, your internet should be connected.

Software update and install

7.  Click on the ‘Start’ button which is a Round button with “PC” in it. Highlight “Software Center” and then click on “Update Package Sources List”.

8.  If your Internet is connected click ‘Ok’. Two more screens will appear, click ‘OK’ for each one. The next screen will have the word “Repo: at the beginning. Linux is timing the software servers speed. This process may take a few minutes to complete.

Once it is complete, a new screen with, “Select you preferred repo…” will appear. Highlight the top entry and click ‘OK’.

Click okay for the next screen too. Two more screens will appear, click ‘OK’ and the click “Yes”.

You will be asked for the Root password, enter the Root password and click, ‘OK’.

9.  A new screen called ‘Synaptic’ will appear, this is the screen where you will download software from and add and remove programs through.

Click, ‘OK’ on the next screen.

10. On the top right of Synaptic is a red arrow and the word ‘Reload’ Click on ‘Reload’. Synaptic will update it data base from 14 different repositories. This will take a few seconds to complete. If Synaptic gives an error and says it could not retrieve all repositories, wait a few minutes and try again. This error happens rarely.

If there is no error, Synaptic will appear again.

11. Click on ‘Mark All Upgrades” which is next to ‘Reload’. Click on, ‘Mark’ on the screen that shows up.

12. Going to the top of Synaptic, there is a green arrow and the word, ‘Apply’. Click on Apply. A screen will appear asking you if you want to: ‘Apply the following changes?’ Click, ‘Apply’

Synaptic will now download and install all program updates. This may take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour or more. If Synaptic reports any errors, it will ask if you “want to continue anyway?”. Click on no, and try later. If all goes well a screen will appear where all you need to do is click on ‘OK’

13. On the bottom left of Synaptic, there is a button named,”Sections”. Click on this button.

the left side of Synaptic will change to labels containing software that are part of that section. You can go through here and select software you want to install. Here is an example.

A. Go down to the section labeled, “Games/Other” and click on it. and click on the label,

B. On the right side of Synaptic games will be listed. Go down until you see, ‘gnome-games’. Click on box with a star in it in front of ‘gnome-games’.

Click on, ‘Mark for Installation’ and click again on the box that appears with ‘Mark’ on the bottom right of the box.

C. Repeat using the same steps you used with the choice called ‘gnome-games-extra-data’ which is below ‘gnome-games’.

D. The Green Arrow and Apply button are no longer grayed out and are waiting to be clicked on.

Synaptic will now download and install some more games. This may take anywhere from a few minutes to longer. If Synaptic reports any errors, it will ask if you “want to continue anyway?”. Click on no, and try later. If all goes well a screen will appear where all you need to do is click on ‘OK’

This is the process you will follow to add more programs or games.

When you exit this time only you will be asked if you want to remove the repository speed test files, click ok.

Adding more users:

1. Click on the icon on the bottom left with the screwdriver and wrench in it next to the Start (PC) button.

2. Enter Root password

3. You are now in the PCLinuxOS Control Center

4. Click on System in the middle of the choices on the left.

5. On the bottom left click on the icon, ‘Manage users on system’

6. Click on, ‘Add User’

7.  Enter User name using no capitol letters and no spaces. Press thekey. Enter the user’s password, press tab and enter it a second time. If they match, press “Ok”. Continue for all users.

8. When done click on the X on the top right.

Setting up the Firewall

1. With the internet connection on, do a one click on the icon Firewall Setup, wait a few seconds and enter Roots password.

There will be three screens, read and if you agree press, ‘OK’ on each one using the default settings. Click, ‘Ok’ all the way through the Shorewall needs to be installed screen. There will be a delay while it downloads and installs  the Shorewall program. Click ‘OK on last time.

Office Software

1. If you want a free Office Suite type software installed, click on LibreOffice Manager icon and follow instructions. This is a pretty slow install and will take up to an hour.

Localization Icon

This icon can be deleted, unless you want PCLinuxOS in a language other than English.

Firefox has links all set up to bring you to PCLinuxOS website, where there are free monthly PCLinuxOS magazines, manuals, and forums. Do not delete the links until you are comfortable using PCLinuxOS.

I downloaded Mepis 11, a few weeks ago intending to install it on some faster laptops. Before I started the download I double checked the minimum requirements to ensure Mepis 11 would be a good fit. Here are the minimum requirements from the Mepis website for Mepis 11:

“For Mepis 11.0 we [recommend] at least the following:
•    Intel Pentium or equivalent including Xeon, AMD or AMD64 processor
•    A bootable DVD drive
•    4 GB available hard drive space
•    512 MB RAM”

I thought these were loose and generous requirements, and I had this little voice in the back of mind wondering if maybe Mepis stretched the requirements just a little? After all Mepis uses KDE Desktop which is not known for light resource use. Add that to the KDE-Centric programs that every KDE user loves to use, and I wondered once again if perhaps Mepis had not gotten around to updating their minimum requirements for a few or more releases.

I have my old Sony laptop with a Mobile Celeron processor, and 512 Megs of ram. I decided I would call Mepis on their minimum requirements. When I went to download Mepis, I was sure my hunch was correct. Mepis is not a small download. The Mepis 32 bit iso which I needed was 1.3 gigs on the mirror download index. I am used to distributions that load on a CD. Mepis was going to need a DVD. Fortunately my laptop has a DVD player. I was going to be able to call Mepis on their update miss after all.

The download was fast, and painless, as was making the DVD iso. Now came the test. I use and external mouse on my laptop which uses some of the memory. Mepis is a live DV, meaning you can try it by running off the DVD without making changes to your computer. If it works, and you like it, you can install it.

Everything was still painfully slow, as in thirty or more seconds to do anything, but Mepis was running, sort of. I decided I would complete an install to the hard drive just to see how badly Mepis would perform. One of the great things about Mepis installs, is Mepis has always gone out of their way, from very early Mepis releases ensuring the install process is as clear, and easy as possible. That has not changed over the years and releases. Mepis is still one of the easiest Linux Distributions to install. Except on my struggling laptop.

I booted off the DVD to run Mepis in Live mode. It was slow going, but eventually everything loaded and the DVD ground to a halt. It was very painful with the mouse attached. Nothing wanted to work and the DVD spun forever, it seemed just trying to move the curser. I called it quits and set the DVD aside. Then a few minutes later I removed my external mouse, and rebooted the Mepis DVD.

This time my old laptop booted Mepis, but when I hit the install icon everything spun and nothing seemed to happen. I stopped this attempt, and started a second thinking the DVD errored out. On the second install I was called away to attend another matter for a few minutes. When I came back, I was greeted by the install screen.

As I mentioned earlier, installing Mepis is as easy as it gets. Mepis holds your hand during the process as well as any software is able to. The install time for my old laptop was a little long, but that was no fault of Mepis, but rather my laptops very limited memory (512 megs). Eventually the install announced it was completed. I removed the DVD and rebooted.

Once Mepis was on the hard drive it was a totally different Mepis. Keeping in mind Mepis is running in limited memory on an old, slow, memory constrained laptop it runs surprisingly well. Not at the speed of VectorLinux, or Puppy, but considering my old hardware and the KDE Desktop, it moves right along. I have been happy enough with Mepis that it has lasted over two months on my laptop. For me and my distro hopping ways, that is a long time for any Linux to hang around.

I don’t mind the KDE desktop, and I love some KDE programs, but in general KDE is a heavy weight desktop suited for newer computers, except when Mepis sets it up. Mepis will happily chugs along in 512 megs of ram, and not much more than a Pentium cpu. Mepis will surely fly on a newer computer, laptop or not.

I recommend Mepis as a good solid all around Linux Distribution for any computer meeting those minimum requirements. Be aware that on older and slower hardware like mine, Mepis is not a speed demon with only the minimum requirements met, but neither does it crash or hang.

KDE and Windows desktops have a lot in common, and most of KDE setup is well thought out, and easy to modify to the way you like it. The Debian repositories which Mepis uses have everything almost any program for any user needs available for download and install. If like me, you are running older hardware, you may wish to be selective about what you want to do. If cpu speed and memory is not an issue, Mepis should suit you well and will be as fast as almost any Linux distribution.

Mepis Home Page

Official Mepis Community Forums

AntiX, a very light Mepis for very old computers

The best part of the trading is the new ‘old’ laptop sent me down the Linux trail. Because it is an older laptop, the Linux distro it can reasonably run is a little more restricted. A lighter desktop is fine with me as I have come to appreciate function over form.

Why have any processor gobbling cycle time to fill a desktop with monitors and gadgets is not the best use of resources imo. I prefer a less resource hungry desktop for the most part. I am guessing I am an average user, and once I load up a web browser, the web browser looks and acts the same under a lean Linux Distro as it does running in big name distributions.

Lubuntu, PCLinuxOS LXDE, Puppy Linux, Salix OS, Zenwalk, and VectorLinux, all found there way to my download directory. These distributions are known to be both fast and light; any or all of these distros and their close cousins are a good fit for older hardware.

I found a whopping 486 megabytes of usable ram and a sixty gigabyte hard drive on my ‘new’ laptop. I left Windows XP on half the hard drive and formatted the other half to have some fun with.

What I found is Puppy Linux is the very powerful in terms of doing things. Puppy crams an awful lot of system tools into one small package. I use Puppy often to recover files from broken or virus infested Windows computers. Puppy works flawlessly every time I slide the cd in a computer. I have yet to find a situation where Puppy Linux can’t do whatever I need it to do.

Doing whatever I need Puppy Linux to do includes installing Grub if it is over written or otherwise made inoperable. Puppy Linux is small, needing less than one gigabyte of hard drive space if you choose to install Puppy Linux to a hard drive. If you want to load a spreadsheet off of a Windows Hard drive, Puppy Linux can do it with the included spreadsheet. Same for text or document editing. Puppy Linux is one very impressive lightweight Linux Distribution.

Lubuntu and PCLinuxOS with LXDE desktop are practically twins, with PCLinuxOS edging out Lubuntu with some additional bling installed by default. Adding the same few programs to Lubuntu levels the playing field. I thought PCLinuxOS was a tad snappier, but I am fond of PCLinuxOS, so my observations may be skewed. Either distribution has all the software anyone wanting to use the LXDE desktop is likely to want or need. They both are fast, easy on resources, and accept my desktop tinkering with ease.

Salix OS walks a very close walk to Slackware, and as such Salix OS is a very solid distribution. Salix OS like all Slack distros is not the queen of eye candy distros, not that the others are either. The repository is full of software and Salix OS will meet the needs of anyone wanting a fast, solid, light weight distro with Slackware compatibility.

VectorLinux is also sports a LXDE desktop. VectorLinux is the prettiest to look at right from install. VL is fast, and comes with a large amount of programs installed. I think VectorLinux edges out Puppy when it comes to how many programs can be placed on one CD. VectorLinux uses Lilo for the boot loader. For whatever reason, Lilo and I do not think alike.

I installed grub a few times, overwriting Lilo, and VectorLinux refused to load, presenting me with a kernel panic error, except in one attempt when everything loaded and worked as it should. I am sure I caused the problems, though I could not manage to find what I was doing wrong.

I wanted VectorLinux to work for me, as VectorLinux is an easy to manage, slice and dice distribution. VectorLinux has been reported as something not quite Linux by writers more adept than myself. For my needs and abilities VectorLinux has never been a disappointment or led me to a dead end. I downloaded VectorLinux 7, Alpha 4, and it gives a choice of either Lilo or Grub for a boot loader. I hope the final version does the same. Lilo is great of you dual boot, if you want more, you have to make it happen.

Zenwalk is another favorite distro of mine. Though Zenwalk has also been accused of deviating from the straight and narrow of ‘real’ Linux, I find it easy to use. Zenwalk has more than enough packages in the repository to keep most users happy. If there is any downside to Zenwalk, it is Zenwalk walks a pretty close path to Slackware, and Slackware is not intended to be exciting in its looks. Zenwalk improves Slackware’s looks a lot in the looks department, and is a very good choice.

When it came to memory usage, Puppy and VectorLinux reported the most free ram when checked. With the exception of Zenwalk which uses XFCE desktop and needs more memory, all the distros left me with more than enough ram to do everything I would want to do. Zenwalk used a little over half my available ram, which I am sure would still allow me to do everything I would want to do. Zenwalk with XFCE is a quick nimble desktop and distro.

The Linux winner for my desktop was arrived at in an unlikely manner. Puppy garned a slice of my hard drive because it is such an amazing little distro and such a small foot print. As much as I wanted VectorLinux on my laptop, I could not get VectorLinux to multi boot with more than Windows.

What tipped the scales is I made arrangements to recover files and remove virus infection from a Desktop running Windows. The desktop was reduced to unusable by virus and other Windows ailments. While I was removing viruses, the owner thought the Linux desktop was pretty, and noticed his computer was suddenly as fast or faster as it was when new.

He asked if I could install ‘That Linux thing’ for him on his Desktop. I explained the options for install, and he chose to delete Windows completely and learn how to use Linux. I installed PCLinuxOS LXDE on his desktop, installed Gnome Games, and a few other programs. I spent about thirty minutes explaining how Linux works and what he needed to do to keep it running and install programs.

The next day he called me asking how to use a specific program. I had never used that program, and that is what decided the Linux would be on my Laptop for the near future. I installed PCLinuxOS LXDE myself, installed the program and called him back with a solution. Puppy was already on my hard drive by this time.

No matter whether you are using Windows, Linux or dual booting your computer, first and formost backup your important information to some type of removable media, ie, usb drive, cd, dvd, etc. If you accomplish this step and nothing else, at least then if your system crashes, you have your important files.

The Windows portion below was written for Computers using Windows XP. If you are using Vista or Windows 7, the process is very similar and you should be able to accomplish the steps below. Fair warning, if you are using Windows set aside time when you are not using the computer but will be around it. These steps may take a few hours, and you can not do anything else with your computer while they are running.

Windows TLC

These steps should be completed weekly if Windows is used daily and online. If Windows is used less often, the frequency may be reduced proportionately.

1. Do a complete virus scan on all hard drives and usb drives. Run any anti spyware programs you may be using.

2.  Check and clean out your internet settings. Ensure your firewall is on, Browser settings at least to medium, accept third party cookies is off at a minimum. It is a good idea to remove cookies, and flush cache if you have he option.

3. Defragment the hard drive. Using your mouse click on: Start: All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter -> Defragment. Do a complete hard drive defragmentation. The purpose for this is a Defragment completely erases any cookies, etc, that were removed in an earlier step by overwriting the empty space were they did reside.

The Linux portion below was written with PCLinuxOS in mind. If you use any Linux with Synaptic the process is almost if not identical.

Linux TLC

Linux by its nature requires less care than Windows because it is extremely difficult to infect Linux with viruses, spyware, or malware.  One caveat is infected Window files will sit nicely in a Linux folder waiting to be opened up in Windows. For these reasons the frequency of TLC for Linux is less frequent and consists of fewer steps. Once you click apply, you can ignore the Laptop until you see a window appear with information and waiting a button press.

1. On either the bottom tab, or in the menu system click on: Synaptic Software Manager-> Enter password.

2. Click ‘Reload’ button [Top Left] (Wait for downloading to finish, usually about twenty seconds))

3.Click ‘Mark All Upgrades’ button (This will mark all files the Computer needs)

4. Click Apply.

This will begin the downloading of files, and updating. After downloading and updating is complete, Synaptic provides a summary page of the process.

If a window states all files could not be downloaded and do you want to continue, click ‘Cancel’ and try again later in the day or the next day. This window means some needed files could not be downloaded for various reasons. All other downloaded files will remain in a folder until the remaining files can be downloaded, then the upgrade will take place. This step is very important, never click continue if al files could not be downloaded.

If all files were downloaded and installed which is the norm, a summary window will be present. You may either read the process and/or close the Window. Occasionally the Window will tell you need to reboot for changes to take effect if a new kernel is installed. If so please reboot at the first opportunity.

Windows and Linux part 1

Windows and Linux Part 2

You should never log in as Administrator or use your computer logged in as Administrator in Windows or Linux for everyday computing. Administrator account is all powerful and is meant to be used only for making important changes to your computer. Examples of important Administrator functions are defragging the hard drive in Windows, installing updates, and setting up internet access.

For day to day computer usage please use the Guest account in Windows and your user account in Linux. The best reason to use Guest account is due to the following scenario which is a common reaction among average computer users.

When logged in as Administrator in Windows (and Linux, but it does not apply the same way) on the internet, a pop up window opens stating you just won a prize, etc, most people click ‘Okay’ or ‘Click Here’ to close this window.

Because the Administrator account is the account being used, it is possible that clicking ‘Okay’ may install a virus. This can conceivably  happen because the Administrator is the highest level user and the popup now has Administrator’s permission to do whatever it wants.

Using the Guest account is a smarter and safer method. I use the Guest account for most of what I do in Windows when I use Windows. The Guest account does not have the same permissions as the Administrator which makes it safer for the computer. By using the ‘Guest’ account you are minimizing the damage that can be done to the Windows Operating system.

Using Linux is a little different. There are individual user accounts that each user should use, and only one Administrator  account. If you are in the guest account and going to do something only the Administrator can do, you will be asked for the password. This generally will not happen.

If someone wants to use a computer using Windows, have them use the Guest Account. If you let them use the Administrator Account, they can make changes and/or add and remove programs or files from the computer. If a virus infection happens, it may not be possible to undo the virus, and that is not good.

Firewalls

In Linux there is a basic Firewall installed protecting the computer from most common intrusions. The firewall can be customized and upgraded if you choose. In Windows the installed Firewall does not offer this level of protection. The Linux Firewall can also be modified to block certain websites and selected search words. There are stronger Firewalls for Windows, but usually they must be paid for.

Windows Virus Protection

On most of the computers there is very basic anti-virus software installed by Windows. It is important to increase the virus protection WIndows has with at least free and preferably commercial anti-virus software. No virus protection is completely safe. The best protection for your computer is a user that thinks.

If You Have Problems

If anyone installs copied or stolen software on the computer, the computer will get viruses or worse, and the Windows Operating System will eventually quit working. There is no easy way to fix a broken Windows computer and make it work again. Reinstalling Windows is usually the only choice, and is at least a six hour process if all goes well. Reinstalling Windows can take sixteen or more hours to do on a slow connection. I would rather spend my time on more enjoyable tasks.

Windows and Linux on Your Computer

As you have now installed Linux your computer, you will have seen a menu on the screen for a few seconds. This is the boot menu allowing you to choose between Linux and Windows operating systems. If you did not choose an option, by default you didn’t end up in Windows, but at the logon screen in Linux. Your computer is now two computers. You have a normal Windows computer you are used to using, and the default Linux computer.

Linux is an operating system like Windows, only Linux is better in many areas. Linux [generally speaking] does not get viruses, malware, or spyware like Windows. Linux will not slow down as Windows can from all the junk various Web Sites install or place on your computer.

Instead of a ‘My Documents’ folder Linux uses a file folder named ‘Home’. Inside the Home folder there is a folder with your user name and in that folder are (usually) more folders already created where you can store your files, or you can create folders of your own.

If you have other other users of your computer and you want to, in Linux, each person can have their own ‘Home Folder’ for their own files and settings. Each person only has their folders and settings and Linux looks they way they want it to. Users can also place files in a shared folder where any other person can see, open, and work with them.

In Linux you can burn CD’s, DVD’s, listen to music, watch movies, im, chat, and everything else you can think of doing. Software for doing these tasks is [generally] already installed.

You may have Open Office Org, which for general use is compatible with Microsoft Office. There might be minor changes with complex spreadsheets, or highly formatted word documents in Open Office Org, I am not an expert on it. I do my typing in a program like Notepad, so my documents are easily transferred from one computer to another without having multiple word processing programs installed.

With Linux, there are thousands of programs available for use and almost every program you want is free within limits. Because Linux does not easily get viruses and spyware, you don’t have worry about viruses like you do in Windows. You can even use Linux to scan for Viruses on the Windows part of your computer if you wish.

Linux program names are different from windows, some are not as polished, some are way better than their WIndows counterparts, though they all do the same things and more. Internet Standards and Microsoft Office Standards change very slowly, so everything one does in Windows is done in Linux too.

Internet

When using the internet it is best always use Firefox, or another Web Browser. Never use Internet Explorer unless it is absolutely required. Do let anyone else use Internet Explorer unless they have no choice. It is safest for your computer to use Linux and Firefox when on the Internet. Also follow these good habits when browsing the web:

A. If you are on the internet, and a popup tells you need to check something on your computer, click on the red X on the top corner of the pop up window.

B. If a popup asks you if you want to add a toolbar, or search bar, click on the red X on the top right of the pop up window. Never add toolbars or anything that claims to speed up your computer, improve file searches, or speed up downloads. Even if they have no malware or spyware in them, they will slow down your computer. Your computer is already as fast as it is going to get.

C. If a popup asks you to do anything else, click on the red X on the top right of the pop up window.

D. Popup windows from may say you have won something, or a friend is trying to find you, or you have been selected to get a free computer. These popups are trouble for your computer. Always click on the red X on the top right of the pop up window.

E. Never click on the words: ‘Okay’ or ‘Close’ in a popup window. Sometimes it does not mean Okay or Close, but means install a virus. All the programmer of the popup has to do is change the meaning of the ‘Okay or Close’ button to install a virus if the button is clicked on.

F. You should not use file sharing programs in Windows or Linux. File Sharing Programs use your computer whenever it is connected to the internet, slowing down your computer. Many of the files you get through file sharing programs have viruses embedded in them. File sharing types of programs use your computer as a mini server, partially taking control of your computer to both manage and send files to others, even when you are not using the program itself. You agreed to share your processor power on install.

If you do use file sharing programs, you are very likely to get a virus and eventually you won’t be able to use your Windows computer. Your Linux computer will should work as well as it did when you first turned it on because it does not have these issues with the big exception you are sharing your computer with the world as  a mini server.

Programs on Your Linux computer

The Linux distribution on your computer was chosen because it is almost like Windows. It is lightweight and suitable for older Computers too. When you use Linux you will find most programs do the same things Windows programs do, and more.

I put a number of games in the games section so there are lots of games to play. mostly they are educational in one sense or other. There are the other menu options too, same as Windows. Remember If you get on the internet using Linux, you can not get viruses, or otherwise harm your computer.

I tried three of the top five distributions and my new Laptop remained mute even though all the outputs from various posted references appeared to show all was as it should be. The biggest discrepancy I could find was a rev difference between two Alsa files in one distribution that possibly may have been the cause of no sound problem per the web comments I found. Due to the fact, that three popular Linux distros had the same problem, I decided it was a not the reason for no sound.

Having thought about what was happening and remembering this happening in the past, I decided I might know what the problem was. In the not too distant past, it was not uncommon for Linux to not be able to use the latest and questionably greatest components. Sometimes, if you were an average user, you had to wait until someone with more knowledge than yourself bought the same hardware and either wrote or updated a driver to use it.

Such is the case with Intel High Definition Audio on my  Sony model vpceb23fm Laptop with an i3 processor, and other similar Laptop or Desktop mother boards using “Intel High Definition Audio” using driver: ‘snd_hda_intel’.

The fix in this case is Ubuntu Linux with help from Ubuntu Backports. I installed Ubuntu 10.04 64 bit, enabled Backports and installed the latest version of Alsa from the backports. After a frustrating week of wondering how long it will take for sound to happen, I have sound.

My hunch appears to have been right, only the software is already available, though it has not made it to the mainstream distributions quite yet. Fwiw, I read about upgrading Alsa directly from Alsa.org and doing a manual install, but the process seemed a little more complex than simply going through the few steps to do a manual install. I chose what for me was the simpler route first, and it turns out it works for my needs.

The Laptops are baseline Laptops, built on the low end of the low end. They were perfect for their function, but no where else. This meant that the cheapest parts available were used in their creation. To their benefit they were less than two years old, so I knew they could run any distribution of Linux and that would be the end of their usability problems.

I tried Ubuntu first, as I thought Ubuntu would install on any computer and be the easiest  distribution to maintain. Ubuntu installed flawlessly as always. Upon connecting to the wireless network I ran into a show stopping problem. To get the wireless working, I needed to be connected to the internet to download the correct drivers. The show stopper was the only internet connection available was wireless.

I scrapped my plans of using Ubuntu and thought Zenwalk would carry the day. Zenwalk had the same wireless problem Ubuntu did. No matter what work arounds I put in place, the wireless card would not work.

I have mentioned PCLinuxOS in my other Linux posts because it is a good solid distribution, and works well with any computer I have installed it on. I downloaded the latest PCLinuxOS iso using Gnome desktop, and copied it to CD. It booted up and ran as it always does, perfectly. The real test was the wireless connection. I set up the wireless, and the network was waiting as it should be. The biggest hurdle was solved.

I proceeded to install PCLinuxOS on all the laptops, and for the most part they all work identically with the exception of two. One of the Laptops occasionally drops the wireless in Windows, and another occasionally drops it in Linux. I do not think that is a fault of the operating systems, but rather the nature of the network itself.

If you read some of what various Linux Guru’s write, they will tell you Linux is Linux. It is the Kernel that makes Linux unique and everything else is programming to support the Kernel functions. While there is no doubt this is true, it is PCLinuxOS going the extra step to include an older wireless driver in the right rev that made it possible for those Laptops to use Linux, and enjoy a solid eight month uptime as of this writing.

Windows is a truly fine operating system in its own right. If Windows were not the most popular operating system in its class, those laptops would have been running perfectly, and I would be looking for other volunteering opportunities.

Unfortunately, Windows is not always the best operating system for the job, especially when leaving laptops open for use by the general public. Due to Windows viruses, malware, and other malicious programs out there trying to infect every computer that is powered on and used, Windows in an open environment needs a lot of help in the form of virus protection.

The only PCLinuxOS, and Linux in general issue I had was access to the settings. Casual users really have no idea of what most programs on any given computer do, they like to click on different programs and see what they all do. My oversight led to a lot of people clicking on settings and making changes to the Laptops. Most changes did not add to the Laptop’s functionality of course. Of course the curious casual user does not know how to undo the changes they made.

A short post in the PCLinuxOS forum after doing my own search for a fix garnered a quick response instructing me to download the PCLinuxOS version of parental controls. A few quick downloads, and all important settings were only available to root which is the Linux version of Windows Administrator. The eight laptops at the first community center are now so trouble free, I have been asked to help a second community center with ten laptops in various states of usability. Care to guess what Linux distribution they will be using?

PCLinuxOS is available in all the major desktop flavors starting with KDE, to include Open Box and Enlightenment, , plus a Gnome Zen Mini desktop iso so you can create exactly what you want. My first Laptop install was PCLinuxOS using the Gnome desktop.

I use Gnome desktop myself, but it was not well received by the user community as it was foreign to go to the top of the screen to access the menu. My second choice was PCLinuxOS with the XFCE desktop, my other favorite desktop. That too was to different to be comfortably used by those casual users who were my target audience. I put on PCLinuxOS with the LXDE desktop and it was an instant success, or maybe instant no thinking required desktop.

From my perspective, PCLinuxOS with LXDE is perfect as it does not have the overhead of many additional programs, making it simpler to use and maintain. For the casual users who are my user group, it was almost like Windows. Enough like Windows, the Kids who use the laptops were not aware they were not using Windows.

The adults on the other hand, noticed the difference in menus and knew something was different. After explaining that common programs are common programs and do the same things whether being done on Linux or Windows, they bit their lips and decided to give Linux a try knowing Windows was there if they wanted to use it instead. Eight months later, and Windows rarely gets booted up any longer.

One small issue I had from not playing kids games myself was I was told some of the games on the websites most of the kids went to were not working. I asked the what the sites were, went to them myself, and found that all the sites with the exception of one required Java.  One lone website would not accept a connection from a Linux based computer. I have my own thoughts about why, and I do not think the kids are missing much from not going to one website.

The largest obstacle to overcome other than encouraging the users to try Linux is Grub. For a fix, I cut the wait time down to five seconds, which seems to be the solution. Most people turn on the computer and wait for it to boot up not paying attention to the process. I set the root password, and then created a Guest account with no password. The biggest task an user has to do is click on the Guest icon, which is something they are familiar with in Windows.

To date all users have followed the rules of the computer room, and have not tried to access any sites the Community Center does not approve of. If someone starts to access sites that are not allowed, the parental controls will come into play, allowing me to block specific websites and keywords.

If you have read all this way to find out specifics about PCLinuxOS, I do not want you to leave disappointed. PCLinuxOS has all the bells and whistles you could want unless your computing needs are out there on a tangent somewhere. PCLinuxOS at the time of this post is ranked number five, on Distrowatch.com top one-hundred.

PCLinuxOS is a very robust, yet simple to set up and use distribution. Yet it is difficult to outgrow because it is so problem free and adaptable to your needs, such as a small community distribution.

The biggest win for me is the work that goes into PCLinuxOS to ensure it will install and run on almost every reasonable computer a home user is likely to own. If you are not sure it is usable on your PC, they even have a hardware compatibility section on their website. Finally unlike a few other major distributions where you install the latest and greatest, and then six months later go through major upgrade pains, PCLinuxOS is a rolling distribution. What this means is you update monthly, you are assured that your system is up to date with the latest and greatest updates and changes.

The PCLinuxOS Forum is top notch, and I have never asked a question that no one could answer. Unlike larger forums, do not expect an answer within thirty seconds, and forty different answers a day later. PCLinuxOS runs on donations, and along with a few dollars sent their way, use the forums and share your knowledge with other as you can. This will help keep PCLinuxOS the excellent distribution it is.

I almost forgot the Magazine! A really dedicated and knowledgable group of folks put out a Monthly PCLinuxOS Magazine to help users such as myself get the most out of Linux in general, and PCLinuxOS in particular. The articles are comprehensive, yet easy to follow, many with step by step instructions which make following along and making changes to your own computer a breeze!

When you buy a Mac, you must be willing to make a trade off. You are trading easy access to thousands of programs for a rock solid, good looking, easy to use Operating System including life without virus, and little maintenance. The downside is an obvious lack of software outside of mainstream usage. As long as you are a general user, life is good, all the software you may wish to use is available, an it all works very well.

Make an excursion out of the main stream of computing, and the choices of software for your Mac becomes one, and if it is your lucky day, two or three software choices. Whether by design or default, with the advent of intel processor based Macs, a whole new world opened for Mac users. Suddenly, Macs had the ability to boot and run more than one operating system.

Windows was the big win in operating systems gaining a foothold on Intel Macs. Linux was only only one or two steps behind in the port. Apple either chose to, or felt obligated to make it easier, and provided an Apple based means to make it easier to put Windows on your Mac. Why one would want to run Windows on a Mac is another topic. For myself, after deliberating for some time, I decided the one or two Windows programs I would use were not worth all the things I do not enjoy about Windows.

I do like Linux though! Linux was the driving force behind my buying a Mac in the first place. Linux using a graphical desktop was always a love hate relationship. Linux had a few good choices in desktops, but when it came down to the program level, the program interfaces were a hodgepodge of what the programmer wanted. Each program had their own menu system, and ways of working. I went to Mac because while the scope of software was smaller, the consistency across programs was very integrated.

In the interim, Linux has caught up in the interface usability department. Most common programs have been absorbed by the desktop, and programs that were not are more likely to have an interface that is for the most part intuitive and usable.

I decided to install Linux on my Mac and dual boot Mac style. If you want to try it out, here is a quick explanation of what you need to do. It is written n a high level, so if you are not comfortable with tinkering with your software, you may want to pass on this article and find a more in depth explanation of the process. I can’t stress enough this is not a tried and true how to, only general overview. There are links below you should read before attempting this on your Mac.

I downloaded and installed a program named rEFIt, and had one Linux iso cd before starting. I can not suggest strongly enough to make a backup before starting. I used Rsync which is simple and works well. You can boot off your Rsync back up, and Rsync does not care if the hard drives are not the same size which is important as the Mac portion of your hard drive will shrink to make space for Linux. Once you install rEFIt and create a partition for Linux to reside on, the Linux install is the same as a Linux install on a Windows based computer.

Booting into Linux is a little round about due to the way a Mac boots up. There is a difference between the way a computer made for Windows and an Intel Mac boot up. Mac uses a system called EFI which sort of convolutes the boot process when dual booting on a Mac. Instead of using Grub as a boot loader, you need rEFIt, as Grub is pretty helpless as a boot loader on a Mac based hard drive and will likely cause you to run off your Rsync backup while you pull your hair out patching up your hard drive to do a reinstall.

The first task needing tending was downloading and installing rEFIt. rEFIt is a slick dynamic and versatile boot manager made for Macs and other computers using EFI.

The next task was to make a partition available for Linux to use. Using Bootcamp Assistant makes the process simple, with an exception. There is a minimum size and a maximum size for the Linux partition and the partition is named Windows. Boot Camp Assistant use is pretty straight forward as long as you ignore the syntax, and create a windows partition and stop before the actual Windows install portion.

Once my partition was created and I slid my Linux cd into my Mac, I did a shutdown. rEFIt needs a complete shutdown to activate itself and start working. If it does not work the first startup, it will on a second. The boot up sequence will seemed like it was hanging, but giving it a few more seconds and rEFIt does its magic. You will notice how dynamic rEFIt is once it becomes your boot manager. You will see an icon where you can select your Linux cd to boot from.

From here on the Linux installation is what it is depending on your distribution of choice. I took care not to install to my Mac partition by mistake, and installed to the Windows partition. I used Ubuntu, and manually created my partitions as I did not like the choices Ubuntu used. One important item was the Grub install. I installed Grub to the Windows (Linux) partition.

The boot up process is a little convoluted but it works. rEFIt will run, showing you your options. You may choose Mac, the Penguin, or a few maintenance type icon choices. Pick the Penguin and you are sent to Grub. On my Mac at least, the only real choice in Grub is choosing Linux. This can be edited out, but it is not a problem to leave it as is either. Once I choose Linux, my Mac becomes a Linux Machine.

It is important you get down to the nuts and bolts level of what goes on to complete the install. Here are a some links for you to read and understand if and before you start the process on your Mac:

• MacBook1,1 and Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx)
• PowerPCFAQ

If what you have read sounds hazy, and the links make little sense for you, you might look into one of the virtual machine software programs and use them. Virtual machine software runs other Operating Systems inside a program running on a Mac, and not as a separate Operating System. If this sounds like a better option for you, here is a link for a program called a Virtual Box.

One final disclaimer, as with any major changes to your computer, Mac or not, do your home work and verify that what you read and think you understand is correct. This is a high level overview, and probably wrong in important areas, as I wrote it from memory, and we all know how bad memory is. If you have read the links, and you are uncomfortable,  let this slide by as something others have done to their Mac’s, but you won’t do with your Mac.