Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

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Rudi
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Re: Who would consider this...

Post by Rudi »

With more reading I have found that Office 2003 and Office 2007 run flawlessly on Linux using WINE
To run Office 2010, one seems to need to use Playonlinux. Apparently where office 2010 used to freeze midway through installing, it now installs without issue on this platform.

See more in this thread here...

BTW: I'm juggling between Ubuntu and Mint (Cinnamon) with Zorin OS somewhere in there too.
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Rudi

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Re: Who would consider this...

Post by HansV »

I have moved this thread from Scuttlebutt to Other Operating Systems at the request of Rudi. What started out as an idle inquiry developed into a useful discussion of Linux.
Best wishes,
Hans

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Rudi
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Re: Who would consider this...

Post by Rudi »

Update:

I have downloaded the 32 bit version of Linux Mint (Cinnamon)
I downloaded Universal USB Installer

I have made a bootable USB drive following these instructions.

Now I'm just waiting for my wifes PC to become available, then I'm gonna do a full install, wiping Windows and overwriting with Linux.
I'm quite excited...just gotta get past this waiting period now!
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Rudi

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Rudi
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Re: Who would consider this...

Post by Rudi »

USB drive running great :grin:
screenshot_195.jpg
When it is done, I'm gonna boot into Linux from the USB and give it a test drive...
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Rudi

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Re: Who would consider this...

Post by Rudi »

Hey guys... I'm posting from Linux Mint.
This is a lightning fast and very clean interface!!! (Running from the USB)
So cool!

Here is a screenshot.
Linux.png
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Rudi

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Re: Who would consider this...

Post by BobH »

Well done, Rudi! :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

I thought you would enjoy the experience. After you've used it for awhile, please post a pros and cons review and tell us what you like and dislike about your Linux distro.
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Rudi
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Re: Who would consider this...

Post by Rudi »

Will do Bob.
This will happen in a few weeks; after I get my upgrade laptop.

Just running the OS from the USB I can say:
1. I'm impressed with the clean interface
2. It is lightning fast. (Apps open in a flash, web browsing is remarkable faster, etc)
3. Though Mint is very similar to Windows, it will take a week or so to get used to where everything is, discover the various settings/options, get comfortable with ones processes, etc.
4. A lot of apps come standard with Mint, but it took me a few minutes to figure out how to make that screenshot; and if I wanted to edit it, it would need to be in GIMP which is the standard graphics app. I'm not too keen on GIMP, so it will take time to "collect" all my fav apps...and start feeling comfy on the new OS.

All in all...for a FREE OS, and with all the free VIRUS FREE apps in its library of apps, one cannot complain. It is a wonderful experience and if it wasn't for the fact that I need to revert back to Windows due to work scenarios...I'd certainly give this OS and its apps the time and space.

I'll post more when I have more to say :)

Back to Windows now!
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Rudi

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Re: Who would consider this...

Post by PJ_in_FL »

Thanks for relaying your experience with Linux. I tried it on one PC in a dual boot mode, but was having MS Office withdrawals.

I'm interested in learning more about running MS Office under WINE. If that works out, I might give LINUX another try. Possibly see if there's a PEAS distro so I can give PEAS a chance. :groan:
PJ in (usually sunny) FL

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by stuck »

I too had a painless introduction to Linux when stuckling1 needed a second laptop (something to do with his final year engineering project). There was an old HP 510 laptop sitting under the desk so I downloaded a 'lite' distro and installed it. No problem, the installer created the necessary partition and it just worked. As far as I know s1 had no problem with it either. There's a thread about this in here somewhere.

Ken

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by mrjimphelps »

I know I'm really late to the game on this post, but it fits me to a "T", so I'll take a stab at it.

I switched from Windows 7 to Linux about a year ago. I got tired of the changes at Microsoft, and with January 2020 just around the corner, I decided it was time to take the plunge, to make sure I would be ready when 2020 rolled around.

It was difficult at first, because I was so used to Windows. But it didn't take me long to get used to Linux.

My first Linux install was Ubuntu, and I installed it in a VM (Oracle Virtual Box) inside of Windows. The best thing about that was, I could switch back and forth instantly. But I felt that a VM wasn't fully the real thing, so I decided to go with a full-fledged install.

To make life very easy, I went with three hard drives: one for Linux, one for Windows, and one for data. And I used a SATA power switch to switch between the two OSs:

https://www.amazon.com/PW4101-Aluminum- ... wer+switch" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Having a separate data drive makes my data available in both OSs, because the data drive is always on.

I started with Ubuntu, then Lubuntu, then Xubuntu. I finally ended up with Linux Mint. I am very pleased with Linux Mint, because not only is it solid, but also it looks a lot like Windows if you go with the xfce interface.

For Office, I use Libre Office. Once I got used to it, it was no problem using it. However, if I need to use Microsoft Office, I can always run Microsoft Office Online (it's free!):

https://products.office.com/en-us/offic ... ice-online" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are a few things which don't work: I can't get my scanner to work. But it is child's play to get the printer to work.

I rarely use Windows; but it is there if I need it.

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by Rudi »

Nice feedback Jim. TX.

My entertainment PC (at home) has been running Linux Lubuntu for a few years now. It is only an entertainment PC, for movies and music, and rarely do I do anything else on it, but it does have Libre Office and a few other useful apps so if its the only PC around, it will be able to do most necessities. I am still on Windows for work purposes, but I'm used to both worlds.

Cheers :cheers:
Regards,
Rudi

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by aekyall »

I have Linux 17.3 Rosa and 18.2 Sonya, both Xfce, dual boot on my old backup computer (circa 2003) which I run usually once a week just to keep everything updated. I also have 17.3 Rosa Cinnamon dual booted with Windows 10 on my main computer. I've had this set-up for about a year now.

I'm a basic computer user - internet/e-mail/Libra Office etc, all of which work well on Linux (Google Chrome, Thunderbird et al). However, It's unlikely that I will ever replace Windows with Linux as there are just too many programmes, written to work on Windows that do not work (or there are no software versions) on Linux, and things like Wine and VM are not really for me - too much hassle. I really use Linux to help me on my steep learning curve journey towards half understanding computer systems! :grin:

I assume you are active on the Linux forum, whose lounge is similar to Eileen's (powered by phpBB), where you can get lots of help and advice on various subjects/systems etc, should you need it - their lounge is a bit 'geekee' - it took me a few weeks to realise the pro's were talking in English!! - but they are genuinely helpful and go to great lengths to try and resolve any problems/issues you may have.

One thing I have noted when using Libra Office on Linux - I am able to open/read/write/save files that are on my Windows drive (I have Linux and Windows on separate HDDs), unfortunately, can't do it the other way round (NTFS v Ext)

Have fun! :grin:
Regards,
Keith

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by mrjimphelps »

aekyall: Yes, I am active on Linux Mint Forums. They are very knowledgeable and helpful.

Update on my move to Linux:

I got my scanner to work in Linux Mint! :fanfare: :hairout: :clapping: :thumbup: I have a Canon Pixma MX490; I went to the Canon Asia (Thailand) website and got the printer and scanner drivers for Debian Linux, plus the user guide for each. I precisely followed the directions in the user guides, and now my scanner works in Linux! I wasn't pleased with the printer driver, so I went back to the one that Linux Mint provides.

For anything I just can't get done in Linux, I installed VMWare Workstation Player, and I then set up a Windows 7 VM and a Windows 8.1 VM. Now I can do everything without ever leaving Linux Mint.

I have completely switched from Windows to Linux Mint. I now visit Windows as needed, then make her disappear when she is not needed. Imagine that: Windows is now the step-child rather than the host!

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by PJ_in_FL »

OK, I now consider myself initiated into the adept levels of Linux geekhood.

After 20 hours of extreme geekness I managed to load Mint 18.3 xfce onto an HP laptop alongside Win 10.

- Had to delete and create new partitions (not standard)
- Ignore the option to boot without needing password - causes a lock up EVERY TIME on first boot. Otherwise you might end up reinstalling FIVE times and end up with multiple Linux partitions (to be resolved another day)
- Learn to love TERMINAL while shouting at the wind - WHY DOESN"T XED WORK????
- Love the CHAT ROOM even more than the command line - those people are in the running for sainthood!

So I finally have a dual-boot configuration that SO can read email and watch videos, both local and YouTube.

Using SMPlayer on both Win 10 and Linux, the videos for the most part were very jumpy, if playable at all, on Win 10. In Linux they play without flaw, even HD video, as long as I didn't have Firefox and YAHOO Mail open simultaneously. When YAHOO updated the videos would skip for a few seconds. Highest resolution I've tried so far is 740P, x265, HEVC compression (as if I really knew what all that means).

Only serious video glitch happened after an unplanned shutdown. The sound system came up defaulted to HDML output instead of the local analog speakers. That took some more time in the chat room and TERMINAL to resolve, but it was all a good learning experience.

This is all on an older HP laptop that can barely handle Win10. Unfortunately, Win10 was installed without permission in a drive-by. Once SO is comfortable, Win 10 might just "go away" :clapping: :evilgrin:

Wireless Logitech mouse and external WD drives were handled seemlessly. A FAT32 flash drive needed to be mounted using DISKS.

My old workhorse XP computer is being retired soon, and will most likely follow this laptop into Linux second life before finding a good home.

Life is good!

Happy New Year!
PJ in (usually sunny) FL

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by Rudi »

My entertainment PC has been running on Linux for a while now. I only use it to play music and movies so I don't have much experience with using it for communication and office work, but it does the simple job of running my entertainment needs 100%.

Strange... I did a complete overhaul of the OS (and reinstalled Lubuntu Version 16.04.3 LTS). I requested to not have a password on boot up (or suspend), yet as you mentioned, the password is present! :crazy: I still have not figured out how to remove it; but not a crisis! Will get there someday.
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Rudi

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by PJ_in_FL »

Rudi,

What made you choose Lubuntu?

I tried MINT because of all the talk of "easy". It's all relative.
PJ in (usually sunny) FL

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by Rudi »

This entertainment PC is an old laptop (well, its half the physical size of a standard laptop) with only 2 gig of ram. My wife stopped using it when it could not cope with Office 2007 in the day. So it was stuffed into the cupboard for a few years until I dug it out and reformatted it. I had Mint on it first, but I found the movies stuttered from time to time, esp. the HD movies, so I went looking for a distro with very low overhead. 16.04 LTS worked great during my experiments and even HD movies played smoothly, so I remained with this selection.

Personally I much prefer Mint and its interface, but this little midget PC of ours doesn't. :grin:
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Rudi

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by mrjimphelps »

Rudi wrote:This entertainment PC is an old laptop (well, its half the physical size of a standard laptop) with only 2 gig of ram. My wife stopped using it when it could not cope with Office 2007 in the day. So it was stuffed into the cupboard for a few years until I dug it out and reformatted it. I had Mint on it first, but I found the movies stuttered from time to time, esp. the HD movies, so I went looking for a distro with very low overhead. 16.04 LTS worked great during my experiments and even HD movies played smoothly, so I remained with this selection.

Personally I much prefer Mint and its interface, but this little midget PC of ours doesn't. :grin:
Rudi:

I have a very similar situation as yours -- I have an old desktop computer with 2 GB of RAM. I put Linux Lite 32-bit on it, and it now runs very respectably. The true tests is YouTube videos -- they run without any buffering under Linux Lite.

Prior to this time, I had Linux Mint 32-bit ver. 18.2, xfce desktop. It ran better that way than with Xubuntu or Ubuntu, but it didn't run well enough to use as a normal working computer. But under Linux Lite 32-bit, I enjoy using this old computer.

Create a Linux Live flash drive with Linux Lite 32-bit, and run Linux Lite off of the flash drive. I believe you will find it a very satisfying experience on your 2 GB laptop. In fact, I think you will soon install Linux Lite on the laptop!

The only thing I haven't been able to do is run updates from the GUI. I have to run them from the command line. But that is a very small price to pay for the excellent performance of the computer under Linux Lite. And this limitation is easily overcome by creating a shortcut on the desktop to run updates with one double click.

Jim

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Re: Who would consider this...Switching to Linux?

Post by Rudi »

Considering everything is free of charge, its a pleasure to use and abuse. :smile:

PS: I posted a bit of a repeat post in your Linux Lite thread before I came across this one...
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Rudi

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Re: Who would consider this...

Post by mrjimphelps »

Rudi wrote:USB drive running great :grin:
screenshot_195.jpg
When it is done, I'm gonna boot into Linux from the USB and give it a test drive...
I'll bet it runs really well from the flash drive, because you are, in effect, running off of an SSD.

Once you have made the switch from Windows to Linux, you'll need to either find another Flash Drive creator, or set up Windows in a virtual machine and use Pendrivelinux in the Windows vm. The Pendrivelinux program was recommended to me, but I couldn't use it, because they don't have a Linux version. Because Linux Mint is my host system, I use Unetbootin.