Linux Info Please

I am an old XP user with two PC Laptops. I would like to use one to study, learn, and experiment with Linux. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

I'm an XP user on a laptop as well. I've used Get Linux to download and experiment with dozens of Linux Distros. My personal favorite is Simply Mepis because of how well it works with my current onboard devices. I'm not pulling my hair out trying to find Linux compatible device drivers.

Some people on the MG Forums prefer Puppy Linux and still others go with some form of Ubuntu. It will all depend on what you really want to end up doing with Linux.

 

If I can learn and use it, I would use it in place of my old XP that will soon not be supported by MS. :>)

 

Most of the Linux Distros come as Live CDs/DVDs. You can "Try before you buy" so to speak (all Linux Distros are FREE). If you find a Distro that you're satisfied with, you can then install it on your computer in place of WXP. But, until then, use the live option which will operate from RAM and won't touch your XP installation while you're experimenting.

 

trudat...good advice! and you're smart to be already thinking about the end-of-life WinXP before it actually gets here. Linux is perfect for forward-thinkers!

i'm a huge linux fan, but the problem with linux is there are TOO MANY choices, especially for newbies! when i first started, i wanted to make sure i got a "good" distro, but soon learned that it all boils down to hardware compatibility and personal preferences. up until then, i had a bad case of paralysis by analyis. RPM vs Deb vs tarballs; KDE vs Gnome vs XFCE vs LXDE vs Unity vs Cinammon vs Mate vs......; full fledged desktop environment vs basic window manager; will my hardware be recognized; large community with extensive knowledge base vs smaller community with individual mentors; it just went on and on and on...

if you can answer a few questions, perhaps we can suggest some good options for you to start with.

- what laptop are you thinking of installing on...make, model, & RAM?
- do you want your desktop to resemble Windows, or are you adaptable?
- what do you anticipate using your laptop for? web surfing & email only? writing letters & creating spreadsheets? managing music/video collections? programming? gaming? something else?
- do you have any current Windows programs that you consider irreplaceable? if so, what?
- are you able to troubleshoot most of your own issues, or is Major Geeks your goto solution for tech support?

Pretty much everything I recommend will be Ubuntu-flavored or a derivative of Ubuntu, as that is what I know and am familiar with. Based on your input above, I'll be able to pinpoint some distros that I think will fit your hardware and usage preferences. There are literally HUNDREDS, if not THOUSANDS of linux distros...I'm certain we can find one you like, if not love!

 

A great way to try out Linux is first to install EasyBCD in your Windows system. Just store an ISO of any or several Linux distros on a flash drive and add it/them to your EasyBCD boot menu by pointing EasyBCD at each. When you reboot you will have the choice of booting your Windows system or any of the Linux systems you have loaded the ISO of. If the distro you are using stores your configuration details for the next boot, as Puppy does, you won't have the boring and time wasting task of reconfiguring it each time you boot, which is the downside of using Linux live CDs.

 

Of course, the other thing about this is that XP won't stop working when support stops, it's just that MS won't be putting out any further updates, so ppl who are happy with XP can continue to use it indefinitely. Also, in my experience anyway, although many Windows users do at some time have a dabble with Linux, very few indeed convert to it permanently. I think it's the lack of familiarity that turns so many off.

 

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I've never installed EasyBCD to try any distro. (Currently 9 computers in the house).
I download an ISO to my XP computer.
I put in at least a 4GB USB stick and head here: http://www.linuxliveusb.com/
I install the LiLi on the stick, after I've downloaded it and then point the stick to the ISO I want to "write" to the stick.

I have about 7 or 8 USB sticks with different distros on them. Put one in the laptop, boot from the USB stick and you can try it out.

 

Based on your responses, pretty much anything will do. However, your hardware specs are a little on the "weak" side, but that was expected from the age of that machine. Your 1.5GB of RAM is a little light, but certainly sufficient to run a linux distro. In fact, choose the right one and linux will run FASTER than WinXP ever did on that machine! Your graphics chip and wireless also appear to be supported by linux, if the Dell site can be relied on for a "standard" configuration. The Celeron M processor is also light, with a single core running at 1.6GHz.

Based on your hardware specs, I would recommend you check out "low fat" desktops with LXDE and XFCE environments, as they are considered lightweight and will run better on your machine. Your machine may be able to run Gnome, KDE, Mate, or Cinammon desktops, but I don't know how "smooth" they'll run on such aged specs.

Lubuntu would be a recommendation for you. Ubuntu core with lightweight LXDE desktop and applications. Downloand 32-bit version here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Lubuntu/GetLubuntu

Another recommendation would be Zorin 7 Lite. Zorin is almost a dead-ringer for Windows appearance, but is based on Ubuntu. Download 32-bit version here: http://zorin-os.com/lite.html

And my personal favorite would probably be LXLE (Lubunutu eXtra Life Extension). Again, Ubuntu core with lightweight LXDE desktop and apps. LXLE can also mimic Windows, Gnome2, Mac, or Unity desktops by selecting your preferred "paradigm" at login. Download 32-bit version here: http://www.lxle.net/download

Download all 3 and try them before installing (as suggested previouisly). Hopefully, one of them will jump out and grab your attention. When that happens, let us know and we'll post a link for linux installation.

Lastly, do you have an iPod? If so, will you want to sync music/vids with the iPod? If so, you will want to install Rhythmbox or Banshee from the repositories, as none of the above distros default to a music player with iPod support (that I'm aware of). It's an easy fix, but you need to be aware that you must make a choice: either sync your iPod with iTunes on Windows OR sync your iPod with a music player on Linux. You can't switch back and forth...it just doesn't work that way. Everything else you intend to use Linux for is no big deal, just standard stuff.

Start downloading and enjoy your newfound freedom of choice! Good luck!

 

Then I recommend you try it as it's a heck more straightforward than the palaver you describe. With EasyBCD all your Linux ISOs are available on your boot menu. Anyway your method requires the comp to be able to boot to USB, which not all older boxes can. EasyBCD doesn't require that capability.

 

I do not want a boot menu. I went through the dual/triple boot and no longer have a taste for that on any of the computers (one still has 3 OSes on it but that will be pulled off the network next year).
I wish to try the distros, see if I like it and then do an install without having winsows on the computer, which I believe the OP wishes once support for XO ends in April of 2014.

 

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