Linux

[native pepper]

Linux has come a long way from the early days.
Spent the last 20 years of my working life using UNIX servers as the data base server and they were very reliable but it was all script base and even though it never fell over like windows to do any changes such as installing software etc took ages.
UNIX server just kept working where as I had to reboot the Windows servers every weekend or they would fall over with pipe lockup about Tuesday as one of my bosses found out after I left. He said I was not needed as the system ran on its own. When I handed in my resignation he said that it would save them money and did not like it when I told him that I did not expect him to get through the next week. System locked up on Tuesday as I left on Friday so no Windows server reboot. 2 days production at nearly $1 mill a day plus they could not meet their orders etc. I refused to go in so they had to wait till someone flew down from Brisbane to reboot the computer. Revenge is sweet at times.
Have considered Linux as where I am staying at the moment he uses Linux on his radio server and all the software etc is here but to me computers are just for basic use don't want to play anymore.

Linux sure has come a long way, remember playing with red hat linux near the end of last century and it was almost impossible for me to work it as it was a command line distro, so dropped linux and returned to windows. Then about 12 years ago noticed a Ubuntu cd on a pc magazine with a gui, bought it and haven't looked back since. Tried heaps of distro's and settled on Mint for my computing, still try out others to see where things are at and have found some really cool distro's which are dedicated to specific hobbies, science or other areas. Ubuntu studio is one, giving you the best multimedia experience around and scientific linux if great for geeks, I use it to find out about new science and technology. Then if you want to really get into the back room of your own or other computers, Kali is the current master of computing sleuthing and security.

What I love about linux is more and more, as new releases of distro's come out, all you have to do is upgrade to the newest version and can still continue working whilst it does it. If your computer can't handle the new update, it will tell you and revert to the original release, but also install all the new updates.

This decision by microsoft, emulating apple, may push lots to look into linux a bit more. Then they won't be forced to buy new equipment when microsoft decides they won't support your system any more, which is happening more and more.

http://bgr.com/2017/07/20/windows-10-cr ... +Report%29

"Windows 10 will make old computers obsolete"

[Janette]

I've been using Linux for about 15 years and love it. I also use Mint Cinnamon. NP I appreciate your assessment of the distros. I'm always learning.

[El Gringo]

Well, I've tried twice now to install Mint, both times all seemed to go as it should, but on restart I don't get the boot menu (GRUB?).
Yes I want to dual boot at this time.
I have in the past installed various distros of Linux, mostly without issues.
I came close to ditching Windows last time, but I still wanted to use my CAD and wasn't confident it would be stable in WINE. After all I know how unstable I get with wine applied...

So what's different this time?
I'm installing it to a solid state hard drive and it is a UEFI capable lappy, though I have disabled that as I'm running Windows 7.
I can't see that anything else might affect the install.
I googled it and found some suggestions on formatting the new partitions differently, so I will try that, but so far it's more frustrating than I expected...

Hmmm, might have another go later tonight.

Cheers,

[native pepper]

Have you shrunk your windows partition first Bernie, if not it may make it easier and that can be done with partition magic, or from the install menu. UEFI may over ride the linux boot loader, its a Microsoft configuration and nit a manufacturers. Microsft is getting desperate with trying to control computing and stop people using other systems.

During the install process, you should get asked whether you want to put grub beside win boot manager, erase the disc and put just linux on or something else. Have to admit, it has become harder to put linux along side win and with dual booting seems microsoft is going all out to stop it happening.

You have to remember, you are actually dealing with last century msdos partitioning, which is restricted to 4 partitions, so check to make sure your windows has no more than 3 partitions, or it won't work.

Here's a couple of links which may help, if not tell me what your computer is and and will see if I can help.

https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... nt-install

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=229214

https://community.linuxmint.com/tutoria ... 191#linfse

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to ... -mint-18-1

https://www.lifewire.com/dual-boot-wind ... nt-2202090

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=225102

posting.php?mode=reply&f=42&t=5183

The last 2 may be best to look at first, or you could download supergrub, put it on a usb stick and fix your boot loader with that. Of course you could just have linux and run win7 in a virtual box, much more stable and reliable than wine.

[El Gringo]

Have you shrunk your windows partition first Bernie, if not it may make it easier and that can be done with partition magic, or from the install menu. UEFI may over ride the linux boot loader, its a Microsoft configuration and nit a manufacturers. Microsft is getting desperate with trying to control computing and stop people using other systems.

During the install process, you should get asked whether you want to put grub beside win boot manager, erase the disc and put just linux on or something else. Have to admit, it has become harder to put linux along side win and with dual booting seems microsoft is going all out to stop it happening.

You have to remember, you are actually dealing with last century msdos partitioning, which is restricted to 4 partitions, so check to make sure your windows has no more than 3 partitions, or it won't work.

The last 2 may be best to look at first, or you could download supergrub, put it on a usb stick and fix your boot loader with that. Of course you could just have linux and run win7 in a virtual box, much more stable and reliable than wine.

Thanx NP,
The first time I tried to install I resized partitions first, giving about 200g free space.
2nd time i just left the drive alone and let Mint resize and add partitions as it thought best.
On neither occasion was there any option to install grub at all.
Windows of course installs with 2 partitions, 1 hidden for system and restore and just the rest of the disk for windows, I haven't changed this, so before Linux just 2 partitions. I've done it before the same way and it's been OK.

I can't see how UEFI can be affecting it as Windows 7 doesn't support it either and has to be disabled in the BIOS.

Anyway, will check out the links later, thanx for that.

[native pepper]

I've been using Linux for about 15 years and love it. I also use Mint Cinnamon. NP I appreciate your assessment of the distros. I'm always learning.

G'day Janette, missed your post. Do you use your system for any specific interest, or just normal computing, always interested in what others are doing with linux and what they use it for. The variety of distro's and software available is so massive you can miss some interesting innovations and software, unless you keep your eyes on things and what others are doing.

[Janette]

I've been using Linux for about 15 years and love it. I also use Mint Cinnamon. NP I appreciate your assessment of the distros. I'm always learning.

G'day Janette, missed your post. Do you use your system for any specific interest, or just normal computing, always interested in what others are doing with linux and what they use it for. The variety of distro's and software available is so massive you can miss some interesting innovations and software, unless you keep your eyes on things and what others are doing.

Hi NP,
I use it for everything, the only thing I use Windows for is to update my GPS. I think Ubuntu is easier to dual boot than the Mint install but I prefer the inclusions with Mint and the desktop. I have dual booted with mint but had to install reinstall Grub. I didn't realise the UEFI caused so many problems. I really consider myself a learner still after 15 years. I have no working background in IT only a few TAFE courses and a fascination.

[native pepper]

A couple of people now have told me ubuntu is easier to dual boot than mint, have had the same problems with any distro dual booting Win 10. It either works straight away, or you get problems. Think it can depend on what hardware you have.

Brand names seem the have the most trouble in my experience and Asus seems to be one that handles it easily, have made up 2 computers, one with Intel and one with AMD chips. But they aren't dual boot boxes, loaded Mint and Kali without problems. Have 2 Asus laptops, only had to disable UEFI on the new one, but the other is much older and didn't have it. Also have a 2001 compaq laptop running puppy, which runs our home security system, amazing it sill runs so smoothly and with a fully up to date puppy linux.

I have trouble with VB on Asus, but not on my home made systems, again think that has something to do with the push by microsoft to lock everyone into windows and not allow any other system to compete. That's why I believe brand names give so much trouble and now microsoft is not supporting any hardware older than 2 years old so the blogs are saying, which means in the not to distant future, many people will be wondering why their win10 system, no longer works properly.

Do a lot of multimedia stuff, particularly music, but also a lot of photography and video, especially promotional video. The cost of what is needed to do that using windows, runs into thousands of dollars and then you still have to pay for new releases upgrades and support. But still don't have state pf the art programs, just ones years old, or buggy. With Linux, you get the same quality as what comes from the big production and movie companies, all free and it makes life so much better for all.

Started off computing in 1981, with a Tandy radio shack. Had a muso mate that was doing a degree in computing and set up it up. It was amazing to be able to play with it, download weather patterns from the satellites using a peripheral we made from a kit and then moved on to thermal printing. We used tape recorders for storage and when microbee brought out their 4meg computer, things improved. From there went all the way with microbee to a 64, but along side a commodore 64, it was crap. Then windows came out and things changed dramatically, yet DOS was still required to operate them. Brought my first laptop in 1989 like my mobile, it was a big heavy brick that had a very short life on battery and stuck with Windows until had a go at red hat in 1998, but that was a failure as there was no GUI and had no idea of the command line as it was not like dos. When Ubuntu came out, that was the catalyst for change and haven't looked back since. Now understand terminal work and can get round and do lots of things that way, have a large list of commands I've accumulated and it makes it a lot easier when installing 3rd party programs.

What GPS are you using that can only be updated with Win, should be able to work out a way of doing it in mint. Have found ways for everything and programs which do what microsoft does, much better and free. Keep on the road to freedom, as you already know, it's the only way to get a really exciting computing experience with out the traps and ongoing cost of proprietary junk.

[El Gringo]

Well, after 4 tries I finally got Mint up and running.
I wasn't really expecting any problems installing it as I have done it in the past, but I think this particular Toshiba P70 laptop has a few foibles...
Each time I installed it, it seemed to go correctly, but it wouldn't show a boot menu so that I could get into Linux at all.
So I did some research and tried quite a few things from the terminal window, but nothing seemed to work, still no boot menu.
Eventually I came across a Ubuntu boot repair program and gave it a try, (https://askubuntu.com/questions/226061/ ... -live-disc) fixed it straight up, so now Grub menu appears and i can choose Mint or Windows.
I think the issue is that The lappy was using the 2nd HDD to store the boot loader, maybe because my primary HDD is a SSD.

Anyway, now to try it out and see if i'm ready to change over, looks promising so far.

Cheers,

[native pepper]

Good to hear Bernie, look forward to your conclusions.