Linux Questions

Hi, I just got a netbook recently and I've been reading about Linux from this forum as well as googling and I still don't really understand it. If anyone could answer some of my questions that would be great.

1. Would Linux be better for a college student compared to Windows XP? I wouldn't mind using OpenOffice.

2. I have an iPod Touch and I use Apps. If I can't use iTunes on Linux, will the supporting software that connects my iPod Touch be able to upload Apps? (I'm guessing not since it's not iTunes).

3. I'm currently running Windows XP. I want to try to install and try Linux. Do I just go to Ubuntu, dl the download (Desktop or Netbook version? For the netbook version it says the new Toshiba NB205 netbook is only a tier-3 so there might be problems?), and run it? What does it mean by partitioning the hard drive? Will I have to back up my stuff? Will I be able to run XP or Linux depending on what I want to do?

4. I want to be able to customize my desktop background. Is this hard stuff or will a beginner be able to do it too?

Sorry if these questions sound dumb. I did read the beginner's guide but I felt it was kind of confusing and it didn't really go through the process of installing Ubuntu/Linux. Thanks!

 

Welcome to the other side. LOL I just joined recently too. I can't answer all the questions but I can tell you a bit.

1. This depends. If you are just going to take note, write and surf, maybe photoshop, I would say yes. You can get a lot more, in my opinion, at a lower cost. If your program requires a notebook, then you need to do more research as you could have software issues.

2. No clue, sorry.

3. First make yourself a desktop Ubuntu CD, you can try it live without having any problems on your desktop. I'm not sure if the netbook remix is also live but if it is, get that and try it to see if everything works.

4. Not that hard. One of the many perks of linux is the tutorials that you can find everywhere. There are some pretty cool themes out there.

Will that help? And ps... there are no dumb questions.

 

1. Linux isn't for everyone. Either you'll like it and stick with it or you wont, for all the potential advantages and disadvantages. The biggest negative for using Linux in college/university is when courses require the use of specific software that does not function in Linux. Besides that, with enough time and patience, you can use Linux full time. I've been using it at my University and had no problems connecting to wireless, connecting to the school backup drive shares, connecting to network printers at the library, etc.

2. Not sure either - I installed a program called Virtualbox that allows you to run 'virtual' machines. You can run operating systems within operative systems in a window. I installed Windows this way so if I need to hook my buddies iTouch up I start the Windows virtual machine and use iTunes that way.

3. Partitioning means creating different sections on space on your hard drive. It's like making mini hard drives inside your hard drive. Like cutting different pieces of a pie for different people, you can keep your Windows data in a separate "partition" and make another partition, or "piece", for Linux. I advice making a backup of any important data before partitioning the hard drive/installing Linux. It is generally safe - I've never had a problem, but on the odd chance that something happens you'll be glad you did. If you keep your Windows data in a separate partition (you shrink down to how much space you believe you need for Windows) then create a Linux partition (known as "/"), SWAP partition (this is to Linux as Paging file is to Windows), and an optional "/home" or even a data partition (you CAN keep everything all in "/", but most beginner distributions like Ubuntu, Linux Mint, follow a 6-month release cycle where a major version is released. Sometimes the upgrade isn't all that smooth so it can be an advantage to have some parts separated from others. "/home" contains all your user specific settings, and it can also be the place where you decide to keep all your mp3's, movies, files, etc. If you want to further protect things, you can create a partition specifically for your data files.) Back to what I meant to say, If you keep your Windows partition and install Linux on a separate one, you will be able to "dual-boot", that is when you turn on the laptop, a choice will be given to boot into Linux or Windows.

4. Desktop background is easy, Right-click the desktop -> Change desktop background - walla.

 

since you have a netbook (with no cd drive), you could try out ubuntu by booting it from a flash drive (assuming your netbook can boot a flash drive).

with ubuntu (and several other distros), you can make persistent install on a flash drive that lets you save changes and files right to the flash drive. Its not as fast as running from hard drive, but It works very well and runs very smooth.

this is a good way to try it out without making any changes to your system.

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/ubuntu-810-install-using-the-built-in-usb-installer/
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-ubuntu-904-persistent-install-windows/

 

Okay. Thanks. I had posted this and found out how to install Ubuntu after, lol. My problem now is that after having installed it, 1) I can't get the sound to work, 2) I'm trying to get Wifi to be recognized (I'm on wired right now), and 3) I get the blue screen of death for a second when I try to boot Windows XP SP3 and then it goes back to the OEM screen with the F2/F12 option and then the different options for either Ubuntu or XP.

EDIT: Also, I try to update the files and it says I don't have enough space? Lol.

Also, I may have partitioned my HD wrong? I think it was like 80 GB Windows and nearly 40 GB for Ubuntu. I can access my files I had before when I was using Windows.

 

Welcome to Ubuntu! Hope we can help you with learning Linux.

1) What have you got under System -> Preferences -> Sound? Also, can you run lspci in a terminal and see if an audio device is listed? And here, take a look at that thread from the Ubuntu forums. There's a chance something there might help.

2) What kind of card do you have? You might try going to System -> Administration -> Hardware Drivers and see if it finds any proprietary drivers (you may have to install some packages first). If no go there, we may have to look into ndiswrapper or fwcutter.

3) So you installed Ubuntu with XP already installed, and have GRUB as your boot menu, or what? Did XP work right before you installed?

So you can mount your Windows partition and access that data, or what? What does your partition table look like? You should install GParted ( sudo apt-get install gparted in the terminal), and then use that to view your partitions; you can post a screenshot of that.

Cheers...

 

1) Yes, I got a sound device. I'll check that out after dinner.

2) No, it says there are no options available.

3) What's GRUB? If you mean by selecting either Ubuntu or XP, then yeah. Yes, XP worked before I installed it.

I can see the files I had before while using XP. I installed GParted using that command. How do I find the program to use it?

 

In the sound, check to see if you have the headphones checked. My speakers don't work yet on this lappy but I have sound with headphones. I can't help with windows, but GRUB is your boot screen thing that lets you select XP or Ubuntu. Did you get your internet to work? If not here's what I did with some help from the great folks on here:

type 'lspci | grep -i network' in the terminal so that you can figure out what card you have. This may help others help you. While on that subject also type ' lspci -vvnn | grep -iA9 'audio device'' (single quotes around audio device). That tells you what type of audio you have in detail.
I take it wired works, so if you can, and have a router, get right beside it. Under your network icon, you should get a bar that fills in depending on how much signal you have. Try to connect right there. I did this once and from then on my wifi picks up that signal. Some times the connection breaks but its pretty good otherwise.

How are you liking Ubuntu otherwise?