change to linux since xp will not be supported any longer?

Hi There!
Since Microsoft will no longer be supporting XP starting at the beginning of April someone suggested that I might want to switch that computer over to Linux if I want to connect to the internet (at any time in the future). It is an old desktop pc but still works great and I only use it from time to time - actually I have only used it lately to get the updates; but I want to be able to use it in case of an emergency and I cannot use my laptop running Vista Home Premium.

Since MS will not be supporting XP any longer and everyone else (all other programs) will be stopping their support as well in the near future should I install Linux on that PC and if so which version would be best to use and the easiest to learn - especially since the next month or so may be a bit hectic with getting my parents settled into their new surroundings and I really will not have lots of time to spend learning a whole new system. Also what about my office program - should I replace that as well with something like open office.

It is a Dell with 2GB RAM, 160 GB hard drive (with lots of room on it) - can't recall the rest of the specifics right now but if they are needed I will gladly turn that one on and let you know.

Thanks So Very Much!

 

You would find converting to Linux quite time consuming - it is no simple matter. As you only need the system as a backup just make sure you have good security on it and keep it on XP, until April 15 anyway. My advice anyway.

 

Make an image after you install the final Windows patches/updates in April.

Disconnect it from the internet and only connect it if you need it in an emergency.
If it starts acting weird, restore the image. That's way faster than trying to clean it up.

 

I have a P4, 2GB, 2.8Ghz, 75 GB HD XP rig and went similar through deliberations recently. The upshot - if you have $70, consider Windows 7 Home Premium. I installed it and it is running fine - no whiplash, but surprisingly snappy.

First - dl & run the W7 upgrade advisor, it will check capacities and possible hardware/ driver issues:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/upgrade-advisor

If good-to-go, purchase a legitimate W7 install disc from here (or elsewhere, this is the cheapest I could find):

http://www.productquest.net/windows-7-home-premium-oem-branded.html

Once installed go through this list of possible mods and tweak to your satisfaction:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html

You have plenty of HD space so you may want to keep XP and format another partition to install 7 and have dual-boot capabilities until you're satisfied you can ditch XP.

Be sure to use the Easy Transfer tool which collects important user files from XP, stores them offshore, then brings them back once W7 is installed. Saves a lot of manual labor.

Have to wait a while for MS to update after install, otherwise very straight-forward. I am very chuffed, this was a $1200 rig in its day (HP Pavilion zd8000), happy to be able to keep it going.

 

As far as I know (which isn't much) I don't think Microsoft not supporting XP means that you won't be able to go online anymore. I'm quite sure your computer will be able to continue working exactly as it is. the only difference is that Microsoft will no longer release updates, so there will be limitations to what you can do in the future using XP, and some software/products/plugins might not be compatible as they continue to update beyond XP. But you should still be able to go online and do everything you can do now.

That being said, I honestly think Linux is going to become much more popular in the near future, especially with Microsoft digging it's own grave with Win8. There are now many many Linux distributions available, and they are all becoming increasingly user-friendly and well supported!

One thing you could consider is running Linux from a flash-drive or CD, there are some small, bootable linux distributions that will allow you to do this, and you would still be able to access most of the data stored on your PC. The benefit of doing this is that you don't have to change anything on your computer itself.

I'd have to agree with Doofus, that upgrading to Win7 is the easiest option. Win7, with a few tweaks, isn't much different from XP. The only problem is the cost (but then again, you could always obtain it through... other means... the internet is an incredible place after all)

If you're interested in trying out Linux, you can't go wrong with Ubuntu. It's the most popular Linux distribution, it runs out of the box, it's pretty simple to use and set up. There is definitely a lot to learn, since it's a different operating system and all, but you won't have to learn it all at once. Ubuntu makes it pretty straightforward, and there's a huge internet community with loads of documentation and advice for newbies!

 

Thanks for the input. I am not so much concerned about the MS updates as I am that the anti-virus program, firewall and malware programs will no longer be offering updates in the near future.

I didn't even consider that the computer would not be able to connect to the internet (just want to make sure I am safe should I use that pc and connect to the internet).

I have a slightly older HP machine that was updated to Windows XP some time ago and I will be donating that one.

The Dell is a Dimension 4400 which originally only had 1GB of RAM that I upgraded to 2GB, it has a Pentium 4 CPU 1.60GHz 1.59 GHz and the 2GB of Ram (as per the System Properties General Tab) with the larger hard drive that I installed a few years ago.

I don't know that I would want to upgrade to windows 7 since the pc is pretty slow - at least compared to the Vista Home Premium that is on my laptop. But I will check out the upgrade advisor.

Once I get my parents settled in a month or so I would have the time to devote to converting to Linux - or I may check out running Linux from a flash or cd before actually switching the computer to a different operating system.

Will have to download and run that windows upgrade advisor and see what it says. Either way, I guess I could format a partition on the hard drive (never done that before - but will check into that if need be) and run the new operating system from the new partition.

Lots to consider. Well, off to see about the upgrade advisor and look into the possibility of running Linux from a CD or Flash drive as well. Thanks for the suggestions.

Lisa

 

You should. Third party applications fare poorly protecting against 0-days.

Its not that it won't be able to, its that you won't want it on the Internet.

 

What antivirus program do you use? Many 3rd party antivirus softwares should continue supporting XP for at least a year or two, according to this site AVG, Avast, Panda, Comodo, McAfee and many others says they will continue supporting XP for 2 years at least, so this should keep you pretty safe. Just because Microsoft will stop updating MSE doesn't mean you'll be dead in the water! (In fact, I'd say if you ONLY use Microsoft Security Essentials without a 3rd party antivirus you'd be more at risk)
Additionally, chrome and firefox have both confirmed that they will continue to support XP until late 2015. Check out this link: Securing Windows XP After end of Support.

This is a very good point, and it reminds me of why I didn't want to upgrade to Win7 when I got my last computer. Each successive distribution of Windows is increasingly heavy on resources, unfortunately. I think Windows operating systems are notoriously bulky. With 2GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive, I think it will be a little tight, and quite slow. I run Win7 with 8GB of RAM (I've done 4GB too, but the difference is noticeable), and try to leave 100GB for the OS alone (including program files). It's kind of hard to believe. Since you won't be installing many big programs and you probably won't be running anything that's too hard on resources, you would be able to get by running Win7, but I don't think it'd be worth it.

I think your best bet is to stick with XP, get a good antivirus and web browser that will continue supporting you (if you don't already), and back up your system regularly. (and think about Linux when you have the chance!!) Good luck!

 

I did run the windows compatibility tool and the dell is not going to work since Virtualization Technology is not supported. The SMC EZ Card 10/100 Fast Ethernet PCI Network Adapter would need to be updated but since the Virtualization Technology is not supported I couldn't upgrade to 7 anyway.

I have avast for my anit-virus and comodo for the firewall.

I guess that if I want to do anything in the future it will be to switch to a Linux system at some time in the future.

I do run the scans and backup the old pc if I do happen to do anything on it and I backup my laptop every month - I use acronis true image for my backups and I keep them on seperate external hard drives as well.

thanks for the suggestions.

Lisa

 

I thought that I would try running the ubuntu from the cd on that pc as see how that goes. However, when I downloaded the live iso it is 751MB in size and the cd discs are only 700MB in size. All of the information I found for burning the .iso file said nothing about needing a larger CD-R and I didn't even know that they made them any larger than 700MB. Did I download the wrong thing?
I went to http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop to get the .iso file and that does give information to burn to a DVD. I then did some more searching and found out that the newest version is in fact too large for the cd-r's and that I am going to need a DVD to burn the disc.
So I was thinking that instead I would get the usb drive version of the software and try that instead (since I have a few 4gb and larger flash drives and I would have to go out and get some dvd's to burn the disc).

The thing is that I found a couple of different things that I need to do in order to install if from the USB and I am not positive of what I am doing.

I would appear that I need to download and install a usb installer. I did find the installer at http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/ but down below that download there are some other things that I am not sure if I need to download as well and does all of this get installed on that flash drive?

I am thinking that I only need to download the usb installer at http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/ and then follow the steps on http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows. Do I then use the .iso I just downloaded or should I be using the drop down box and selecting something else?

Any help would be so very much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

You point the pendrive installer to the ISO residing on your computer. It will "burn" the ISO to the stick. Be patient because it takes a while to "burn" a DVD size file onto a USB stick.
Also in step 4, allow some space for a persistence file. That way, when you have FF loaded with your bookmarks, it remembers them every time you boot from the stick.

 

Thanks for getting back to me. I just did as suggested and I slid that bar all the way over to the other side on step 4 for the persistence file. I put it onto an 8GB flash drive (since that happens to be the smallest one I have right now. Thanks Again,

Will try it as soon as I have plenty of time when I know that my parents are settled and I won't keep getting phone calls and have to run out in the middle of something (hopefully in about a week or so)

Thanks Again!

Lisa

 

I use Ubuntu, to do financial stuff, run off a CD. I have a Firefox anti-script program to run XP, and some other popular anti-malware Comodo might miss. For ebay or buying online, I will run the CD. I could not get a burn on a pen-drive. But I did do a CD it took about 5-6 hours I think.
So, I may use XP to go online, but Amazon and Ebay may be off limit in a few months/year. I guess you can also go to "ShieldsUp" to make sure your XP is not allowing 'pings' or whatever.

If doing something financial, I would use the Ubuntu at the very least.

But, you can get a Win7 PC or laptop for around $150.00 or even less on ebay.

 

Unfortunately not all financial institutions are up to speed (understatement since 95% of the ATM machines run XP) and require you to run Windows or iOS to access the site. Sad!

 

Not only Windows, but old browsers.


Wells Fargo requires IE9 to use their check scanner service online.

 

Sad, but true. I use Firefox (on an Ubuntu OS) and have installed the User Agent Switcher extension for just such purposes. It works for me. I imagine Chrome/Chromium has something similar.

 

Not quite the same in this case. They have to download a dll using activeX to work. So you are forced to use IE9 no matter what.

 

Bummer...so much for "net neutrality"!

 

IMHO it is worth a try. You can install Linux under 2 hours including download. Within a day you have your drivers and are up and running with word processing, spreadsheets, surfing the net and watching movies. I have spent more time repairing some Windows installs than that.

Gaming takes MUCH longer unless you stick to games with a Linux version.

 

Recently I installed the Mint 15 Linux distribution from http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/ on to a USB pen drive, I followed the steps on the page on the site and everything went smoothly...until I tried to install it on top of itself from the pen drive and it wouldn't let me !! It booted up ok. I think it occupied less than 2GB on the pen drive. To do this though you need to be able set your boot device to USB, which older (very old ?) computers cannot do. If you are pushed for space on a CD could you use a DVD ?

Dumb_Question
23.March.2014

 

It depends on your machine. If your optical drive can burn DVDs, you can certainly burn a LiveCD ISO image to a DVD. If your machine cannot burn DVDs (older drives may be "read only"; even older drives may be "CD only) you are stuck with USB booting. If your machine is old enough that it does not support booting from an external USB device, you can try PLoP:

http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanagers.html

Follow the links for documentation and for download. Basically, you boot from the PLoP CD, which then looks for a bootable image on a USB device. This is a very clever and handy tool for those who want to try a distro too large for a LiveCD, but don't have a DVD burner or capability to boot from USB.

FWIW, there's a lot of good advice in this thread. I disagree with some of the statements to the effect that "linux isn't worth the trouble", as that statement pre-supposes to know YOUR level of expertise, HOW you use your computer, WHAT you want to use it for, WHAT programs you prefer, etc... This statement may be true for the person who says that, but it may not apply to you.

However, I will WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree that "linux isn't worth the trouble for SOME people, and SOME programs." If you're a gamer, linux probably isn't for you, although Valve and SteamOS is rapidly re-defining that equation. If you require a specific Windows program, for which there is no viable linux alternative, then linux probably isn't for you.

But I believe that EVERYONE should have the option to try it, to find out for themselves, and to make their own decision as to whether it's worth the trouble. IMO, linux is a viable alternative for at least half of "regular" windows users who just want to browse the internet, send/receive e-mail, read/write documents/spreadsheets/presentations, listen to music, watch movies, and other basic tasks. If this is what you want to do AND your machine hardware supports it, linux is definitely an option for you. Whether you like it or not is a different matter.

Most of us (myself included) learned to use computers with Windows on it, and when something changes it feels "strange" to us (think of a Mac or Windows 8). Most of the world drives on the left side of the road, but here in America we drive on the right...which one is "weird"? It depends on who you ask and what side of the road THEY drive on, right?! And right here in USA, this Pennsylvania boy used to date a girl from the mountains of Tennessee; her southern accent had such a thick drawl that I couldn't understand her very well at first (she was HAWT, so I toughed it out), but SHE said that MY ACCENT was the difficult one to understand!

Point being, if you're interested in Linux, you should certainly give it a try. It costs NOTHING but your time and effort to find out. You MAY find yourself freed from the shackles of proprietary vendor lock-ins and endless software upgrade fees. Or you may find that linux is not for you, as others have found out for themselves. There is nothing wrong with either one. Use what works for YOU and YOUR CRITERIA........THAT is what matters!

 

Well I did install the ubuntu onto a flash drive --- but then I remembered that I have a dvd unit connected to the tv and the one we had gotten (years ago) was a model that would allow us to "tape" different shows like one use to be able to do with a VCR. So I got one of the Verbatin DVD-RW discs and burned the .iso to that (using my laptop). I did check the dell site for the specifications for the Dimension 4400 and it states there that it has 2 optical drives (dvd 4x, cd 52x) but I only have the one tray.

However I do have an external dvd unit attached to it via usb so that really wouldn't have been an issue - it was just easier to use the laptop since that is the unit I was on when I downloaded the .iso. I know that the HP unit that I am getting rid of came with 2 drives and one of those is for DVD's (and that one is older than this Dell) but the Dell does not have the DVD drive in it.

Anyway, now that it is on a DVD I will probably try running the Ubuntu from the dvd and see how things go (sometime next week when I have more time to devote to it)
I did try running Puppy Linux from a CD once but was not able to get my internet connection at that time and just figured I would wait.

Now I have to see if the optical drive will read the DVD - will wait till at least next week when I know that I have lots of time to devote to working on it.

Thanks Again

 

My old Dell will not boot from a mem-stick, so I will try that link you posted, because I WANT to SAVE programs to run youtube, I am thinking I can store these on the mem-stick, and just search for them, or just run Ubuntu from the drive.

What about making backup ISO image of the disc incase you need to restore? How to do that?

 

Ok, Im not sure what file to burn to disc so it will read Ubuntu off the Memory-Stick?

 

http://www.plop.at/en/ploplinux/download.html

I believe you're looking for the 82MB LiveCD *.iso file. Just download, then burn to CD with IMGBurn, or some other image burner. You must burn the IMAGE, then boot from the cd.

Follow along with this tutorial:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/16822/boot-from-a-usb-drive-even-if-your-bios-wont-let-you/

 

Well, the ubuntu live cd that I had downloaded was from http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop and that .iso is over 700MB so it won't fit onto a cd so I had to use a dvd to burn the .iso file. I hadn't tried the 82MB LiveCD *.iso file that you suggested. Will download that and burn that to a cd. I do have IMGBurn (which is what I used to burn the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS live cd) since I wasn't sure if the old Dell would boot from the usb drive and it does read the dvd's - just won't burn them.

I think that just in case it doesn't read the dvd when I do go to use it I will burn that 82MB LiveCD that you suggested as well.

The reason I needed the DVD instead of the CD was as of the 12.10 version the .iso will not fit onto a CD anymore (they are no longer smaller than the 700MB) (as per http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/09/its-official-the-ubuntu-livecd-is-dead and I then came to realize the size was too large after trying to do so with a cd)

Out of curiosity - what are the other items that are on that page with the 82MB LiveCD *.iso? I noticed that there are actually a couple of different files there are are 82MB and state LiveCD. There is also a link/download for Network Boot. I am curious as to which one it is I should be downloading as well as if I should be downloading that Network Boot. I did burn Puppy Linux version 5.2.8 to a cd and tried running that but could not get my internet connection to work with that (that was back in December or January - I think).

Thanks!

 

Ok, thanks. This system sounds a bit redundant, using a CD to then run off a Mem-stick, LOL, well, well see if its a snail on my snail computer!

 

Here is the link "how to burn PLoP boot manager to cd:
http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/plpbt.bin.html

You want option #2. Download the binary and extract it to reveal the *.iso file. Use IMGBurn to burn the ISO to CD, then use the CD to boot from USB (follow previous post on how to boot from USB).

You are the exact computer user that PLoP is designed for. You want to try a LiveCD ISO that is too large for a CD, so must be burned to DVD or USB stick; however, your machine will not burn DVDs, and will not boot from USB.

Boot from the PLoP CD, choose USB from your boot devices, and boot from the LiveUSB stick you previously created.

As an aside, it is smart to test a LiveCD to ensure everything works & is supported (i.e. wi-fi, graphics, etc...) before you install. If the LiveCD doesn't work, or is buggy, it's probably not a good choice for your machine as a new user. But once you find one you're happy with, it would be smart to plug into the ethernet for the installation. Without getting into a big discussion, it's just a good idea.

 

Using infrarecorder to burn ISO to CD. But it won't -get this error:
-Make sure that you are root
-enable DWA and check your (oops lost it...)

Not sure what all this means??

 

Just to be clear, this technique is ONLY for systems that cannot burn/boot DVDS or boot from USB devices.

If the distro you are interested in will fit on a CD, just burn the LiveCD and boot from your CD drive! PLoP is just a workaround for those computers that can't boot from DVD or USB. To use PLoP as a boot method for a LiveCD would indeed be redundant! :-D

 

Warning the DMA speed has been skipped'- ??

"looks like 'driveopts=burnfree does not work for this drive?

I have burned an Ubuntu disc or 2 on this setup, so????

 

Okay, I know that my Dell Dimension 4400 will boot from a CD or DVD.

I did try using the puppy linux 5.2.8 a couple months ago and I was just having an issue with getting it to connect to the internet.

I just posted to the forum at puppy to see how to connect to the internet and it was suggested that I temporarily disable my encryption to get a connection and that it’s likely that I will be able to connect once I have temporally disabled encryption. "If you can it will confirm that your hardware is supported. If so you will most likely find that you either forgot the password or entered it with the wrong case either upper or lower.
It is unlikely that you will need to convert your password to hex or change your encryption type. I mention it as a last resort if after re-enabling encryption you find you cannot connect to the wireless router." Oddly enough it never asked me for a password when I did try using in back in January when I downloaded and burned that .iso to a disc

They also said that Lucid 5.2.8 is not the current version of Puppy Linux and there are no updates for it. Slacko 5.7 is the most recent version of Puppy Linux. The non PAE (a.k.a. Physical Address Extension for RAM up to 64GB) is suitable for computers with minimum 512MB and maximum 4GB RAM. But if you are comfortable with 5.2.8 you can start with that.

Thought that I would try Ubuntu instead since many folks were suggesting that version of Linux. Will first try using Ubuntu first and see how that goes and if not then maybe I will try disabling the encryption on my router and see if I can get a connection. The wireless adapter does state that it is also for Linux systems so maybe I will need to disable the password to first get an internet connection.

Thanks!

Lisa

 

To Clarify, I wanted to use the CD boot to use the Memory Stick Linux so I could save files to the stick, and run programs for music and youtube. BUT I cant burn the plop image to cd just yet.

I can boot from a linux CD, but it wont run youtube without dling other files to somewhere. I also have it on HD, I may just run that. Friggin crappy old computers!

If I add some more mem, I may just upgrade to win7. M$ friggin may win this battle.

 

I'm not sure what you're trying to do Rocktot?

If you're trying to boot from PLoP to invoke a LiveUSB stick to save files, you must have created "persistence"; and depending on the size of your USB stick, you may not be able to save very many files.

I don't understand what you mean about "run youtube"...do you have a special program for youtube downloads? Is it possible that program is malware of some sort?

I visit youtube in my Firefox browser; I have a Firefox extension called Download Helper; if I see something in Firefox I want to download, I use Download Helper and I've never had an issue.

If you can boot from Linux LiveCD, why not install the Download Helper in the Firefox browser, cruise to YouTube and download whatever you're looking for, saving it to your USB stick with nothing else on it? A LiveUSB image is only going to take up extra space on that stick that could've been used for Youtube/music downloads.

I just don't understand what you're trying to accomplish? I thought you were testing your system for hardware compatibility with Linux distros? Did I misunderstand you? I feel like I'm missing something. I can't help if I don't know what your goal is...

 

Just an update on trying / testing the Dell computer for hardware compatibility ---- I tried using the puppy linux and the ubuntu on my laptop (from the cd and dvd that I burned) and I was able to connect to the internet with no problems at all so I am guessing that either the Dell desktop is not going to be compatible with either of those 2 versions of Linux or I will have to try a different wireless adapter to connect to the router on that Dell in order to use one of those programs. Apparently there are a few different versions/types of Linux programs so maybe I just need to find one that is compatible with the Dell. Thanks Again,

Lisa

 

I did get a reply at the puppy linux forum regarding the fact that I was not able to get an internet connection with the linux 5.2.8 disc that I burned and it was suggested that I might want to try Slacko Puppy 5.7-NO-pae.iso which I downloaded and burned to a disc. With that version I can connect to the internet!

However, I also learned something else about that Dell desktop pc. Even though I can boot to a CD inserted into the cd-rom drive it will not boot from a dvd (which I thought it would do) so using ubuntu on the dell desktop is not going to work --- unless I want try the steps that you had given below

"Here is the link "how to burn PLoP boot manager to cd:
http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/plpbt.bin.html

You want option #2. Download the binary and extract it to reveal the *.iso file. Use IMGBurn to burn the ISO to CD, then use the CD to boot from USB (follow previous post on how to boot from USB).

You are the exact computer user that PLoP is designed for. You want to try a LiveCD ISO that is too large for a CD, so must be burned to DVD or USB stick; however, your machine will not burn DVDs, and will not boot from USB.

Boot from the PLoP CD, choose USB from your boot devices, and boot from the LiveUSB stick you previously created.

As an aside, it is smart to test a LiveCD to ensure everything works & is supported (i.e. wi-fi, graphics, etc...) before you install. If the LiveCD doesn't work, or is buggy, it's probably not a good choice for your machine as a new user. But once you find one you're happy with, it would be smart to plug into the ethernet for the installation. Without getting into a big discussion, it's just a good idea."

I did download the 2nd option and then opened it up but I did not find an .iso file. When I opened/unzipped the file there are a bunch of folders and .bin type files but no .iso file. Guessing I downloaded the wrong thing

Thanks Again!
Lisa

 

Lisa, do you have a DVD drive in the computer?
If so, I found something that worked for your model

Source: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/disk-drives/f/3534/t/19251706.aspx

 

You can use WinBin2iso to convert a bin file to an iso.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

I can run Ubuntu from a CD, but I can't play youtubes or music with it from a CD. At least not from the CD that I have, and this computer does not read DVD. But I have read there are DVD Ubuntu that will run youtubes and music?

So I did get the PLOP ISO burned using a different burn program.

Yes,- I would like to try to use the Plop CD to try to run Ubuntu from the stick, so I can install youtube and music programs on the stick so that they play when I go online. I can't install anything if its just on theCD, although maybe I can install the programs to run music/youtube on the stick, and run off the CD?? :confused

 

Hi There!

Well, as it turns out that darn internal drive will not even read a dvd. It is strictly a cd-rom drive. When I went to the properties for the drive it states LG Electronics CED-8080B CD-RW Drive. This is an older desktop that was given to me a couple years ago and I was getting the information from the Dell site as to what it had in it. I do have an external dvd reader/writer attached via usb to the desktop but not in the tower.

I have been opening up every single folder in the .zip file I downloaded and opened and I did finally find a .iso file in the folder titled pcmcia and the .iso is titled plpbt.iso I also found a .iso file in a folder titled install and that one is named plpbtin.iso and when I just open up the folder where I opened up the .zip file there is a .iso file titled plpbt.iso (same as in the folder titled pcmcia. So I am not sure if it is one of those .iso files I should be burning to a disk or if I should be looking at the WinBin2iso that Earthling suggested.

Thanks Again!

Lisa

 

Don't know if this is of any help but I did read the "1README" notepad file and it states


Plop Boot Manager - written by Elmar Hanlhofer


Get the latest version and read the latest infos at http://www.plop.at


licence.txt Licence informations
doc/readme.txt Instructions english
doc/liesmich.txt Instructions german

plpbt.bin Boot manager binary
plpbt.img Boot manager floppy disk image
plpbt.iso Boot manager cd iso
plpbtrom.bin Boot manager rom file for the bios


Directory install:
==================

plpbtin.img Install with floppy disk image
plpbtin.iso Install with cd
plpinst.com Install program with backup function (runs not in Windows)
plpinstc.com Install program without backup function (runs not in Windows)


Other directories:
==================

doc Documentation
experimental Experimental versions
pcmcia PCMCIA version of the boot manager
Linux Linux related programs
Windows Windows related programs


Programs Linux and Windows:
===========================

plpcfgbt Configure plpbt.bin and plpbtrom.bin
plpbtrom Create rom file for your bios


Windows only:
=============

plpcfgbtGUI Graphical user interface for plpcfgbt
plpbt4win Add/remove the boot manager to the windows boot menu
InstallToBootMenu.bat Automatically adding the boot manager to the windows boot
menu
InstallToMBR.bat Automatically adding the installer to the windows boot
menu to install the boot manager to the mbr



So I am guessing that it is one of those .iso files that I am supposed to burn to a disc so that I can use the ubuntu download that I burned to a dvd.

Lisa

 

You would only use WinBin2iso where the d/loaded disk image is in .bin format. If you already have a .iso file you can just burn it. I'm not close enough to this thread to tell you which .iso you need.

 

What you want to burn is in BOLD below:

 

I think I understand better now. I think you are experiencing 2 issues. YouTube requires Flash, which is a proprietary program that cannot be included in LiveCD for whatever reason. Are your music files in MP3 format? If so, MP3 is a proprietary codec that cannot be included in a LiveCD. Both can and will be installed (if you choose the option) when you choose to install the distro to your hard drive.

But if you're just testing things out to verify everything works on your machine, we CAN install these proprietary softwares to test your system; but you will lose them upon shutdown, requiring installation again everytime you boot from the CD. But if you're just testing, this is perhaps the path of least resistance. Check out this link http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?p=5142461#post5142461 for background, but go to post #6.

This link references Lubuntu, while you have an Ubuntu CD, but the process is the same. With Ubuntu LiveCD booted up, in top left corner there is an Ubuntu logo icon, called the Dash. Click the Dash and search for Terminal, and choose Terminal from the list of found items.

The Terminal should open and you'll see a blank window with something like 'ubuntu@liveCD:~$' in the top left corner. Copy and paste this command into the terminal for Flash:

Code:

sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer

When that is done, copy and paste this command into the terminal for music codecs:

Code:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

You should now be able to watch YouTube videos and play music files, for as long as this LiveCD session is active. If you shut it down, you'll need to repeat this process to watch YouTube and play music.

As an alternative, perhaps Zorin Lite or Zorin (based on Ubuntu, but with the proprietary codecs already included) or Mint (also based on Ubuntu with codecs included) would better suit your needs. Zorin Lite will fit on a CD. However, I think Zorin and Mint will require USB sticks.

Links to Zorin & Zorin Lite (Zorin is Core Tab, Lite is Lite Tab):
http://zorin-os.com/free6.html

Links to Mint (you will want Cinnamon with Multimedia support):
http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

Finally, if you're determined to go with Ubuntu or any other distro that is too large for a CD and requires installation of proprietary software, we can create a LiveUSB with "persistence" to remember and retain your changes, eliminating the need to start from scratch each time you boot.

Start with the Ubuntu LiveCD and the terminal commands. If you're not satisfied with Ubuntu, move on to the alternative suggestions. If you're still not satisfied, we can move on to a LiveUSB with persistence, booted with PLoP if your system doesn't provide for USB booting.

 

Ok, it will play Youtube from the liveCD. But Blogtalk is slow, crashes.

SOOOOOOooooo.

I may upgrade later, I may try to use the hard disc Ubuntu and put all the goodies on disc.

 

I'm not familar with Blogtalk, so I'm reaching in the dark a little. All I could find regarding Blogtalk being buggy on Ubuntu was this:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2150600&p=12673376#post12673376

This thread speculates the buggy issues are graphics card related, which does make sense. Jumping to post #6, the suggestion fix is to copy/paste this into a terminal:

Code:

sudo apt-get install mesa-utils

Unfortunately, the thread was never marked as resolved, so we're guessing. But even so, installing that package won't hurt your LiveCD environment. Give it a shot and hope for the best.

 

Okay, thanks I will do that now. I did try booting directly from the usb / flash stick but it did not work (so I am also guessing that trying to boot from the external DVD drive will not work either.

Will burn that image now using IMGBurn and if I understand correctly, I would put this disc into the CD-Rom Drive and boot the pc from that. Do I plug the flash drive in first as well (that has ubuntu installed onto it)?

Thanks Again for absolutely everything!

Lisa

 

It sounds like you understand correctly (if I understand you correctly?!) ;-) And yes, you should have the flash drive plugged in at boot, so that PLoP can locate the USB drive you want to boot from. Without that flash plugged in, PLoP will throw an error to the effect of "no boot device found".

In all fairness, I have never used PLoP, as I haven't had the occassion. Everything I know is from hearsay that I have learned from others who have used it. I just filed it into my "good to know for future reference" files. Sounds like you've almost got it! <fingers crossed>

 

I think I am going to try Linux Mint instead. I have a DVD burner on the other crappy computer, so I will give it a shot, it has lots of multi-media and is more of a Windows based platform. Ubuntu works but as we all know it can be a p-i-t-a to figure out stuff.

 

While some people swear by Linux, I'm not a big fan of it. My number one issue is that there are too many common devices like printers and wi-fi adapters that won't work with it due to a lack of drivers.

If a PC is still running XP OEM, it's likely at least 7-8 years old. Even a current entry-level desktop or notebook at around $300 will run circles around an old P4 or Pentium M CPU. If you have the funds, there is no crime in buying a new PC even if the old one still works.

As for continuing to use XP after April 8th, it depends what you're using the PC for. While I wouldn't use XP for online banking or shopping with a credit card online, it should still suffice for checking e-mail, watching YouTube and basic word processing. If you have kids, give them the XP machine and buy yourself something newer.

Finally, if you are upgrading to 7 or 8, do not give yourself a false sense of security - both can easily be infected with viruses and malware by downloading/installing "free" stuff from the Internet or clicking strange links in e-mails, even if you have a good anti-virus program installed. As always, use common sense.