So I want to start using Linux...

Soldato
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Howdy,

Vista is sloooooow but I cba to go back to XP because come the time when I upgrade I will want Vista again. So I was thinking I have a dual boot and install linux for my basic needs. However apart from having a play with Live CDs like Slax I don't really know that much. So I'm asking for a little bit of advice.

I assume I will be able to dual boot from my current Vista install? I want a nice Desktop but not one that eats away for no reason.

Current programs I use heavily on Vista are:
Firefox
Thunderbird
MSN
Winamp 5
CS3
MS Office 2007
Lightroom

Obviously I will need to boot into vista to use it sometimes so I want it to be able to "sync".

Firefox - Google Browser Sync plugin?
Thunderbird - Use IMAP so no problem there
Winamp - Well I wont be able to use it anyway so ratings etc will be something I wont be able to do on Linux

Obviously some programs dont have linux builds so I am going to need alternatives.

Office - OpenOffice
Winamp - ?
CS3 - Will have to boot into Vista to use
Lightroom - Will have to boot into Vista to use
MSN - ?

Drivers. I wouldn't have a clue where to start :(

So, can I get any advice please :D

Thanks,
Tobes
 
The hardest part for you will probably be setting up the duel boot, but theres lots of info and guides on how to do it. Will you be installing to a seperate partition or drive? You may have to resize your vista partition if its on the same drive, but this can be done from within vista easily enough.

I use my 74Gb raptor for Vista and it's not partitioned. So I'm a little confused about what I should do here.
 
Right so basically because it's me I should probably backup first :D

OK well I suppose I should download Ubuntu. Also you mention a swap partition. Does this work like Windows page file?
 
Gah it will only let me shrink my current partition 4524Mbs Yet I have 20Gb free. It says it can be restricted if pagefile or snapshops are enabled. Well I know my pagefile is 1gb and I dont know what snapshots are so I dont know how to put the size down on that.
 
By the looks of things I wont be able to use this drive as Vista and programs are just taking up too much space. So I'm going to have to use another drive. Which complicates things.

Also I have a problem when booting the disc. If I select Start/Install it does something then my screen goes into standby mode.
 
No but really I shouldn't need to. It should be a simple problem and probably has something to do with my graphics card or resolution.

Also I have no idea how to use commands in linux so I won't be going there. If it doesn't work with a graphical interface it isn't worth it.
 
if you don't want to learn the command line you'll be missing out on the heart of linux.

i'd stick with XP if you have that attitude.

While I know its the heart of linux. With Dell shipping their machines with it I would have thought people would have to do without using command line for the basics. Just like I don't have to use command prompt in XP or Vista. It's there should I need it, but it's not a necessity.

I just want a OS which is completely skimmed down or all the crap I don't need. XP is still chucked full of features I don't need. I'm not saying command line is something I don't want to have to use when working on Linux but I shouldn't need to go through the hassle of using it to install it as a first time user. Well what with the all the news about the EEEE PC and the OLPC I'm just assuming this.
 
I used Gentoox (I think) when I was doing a IT course and it allowed you to install packages etc, I assumed this was so you could customise what you wanted and what you didn't? Because I think I had to install a network package before I could setup a LAN. I can't remember it was 2 years ago.
 
ATI X800 XT PE. Boot up parameters is the F6 button, I had a gander at that but didn't have a clue. But I might as well give it a shot. So just delete splash from it then?

You say don't mind using another CD... but I'm so low on them and skint it's depressingly true lol.
 
Yey I'm posting from Konqueror. Just needed to remove the splash part like you said. Strange though because I assume it's just running off the disc as I never got any installation options.

I would have edited my post instead of a new post but for some reason I can't edit it. I assume it must be because javas missing or something... I dunno...

So now I just need to setup a partition on another drive. Is it possible to dual boot with Vista on one drive and Kubuntu on another?
 
kool beans. However I think Vista knows what I am doing as I'm getting a error when clicking shrink volume. So I can't make the partition smaller to make a new one. Grrrr

I had a problem when in Kubuntu though. I have 2 monitors and it picked my VGA one over my DVI one, when I went to change this it said I needed to logout and restart X server. Which I did but I was then shown the command line. So using my massive brain I typed "start gui" only to be told I need to be root.

I had no idea how to change to root lol. Some googling should sort that out though :p
 
AMD 3500+
MSI K8 Neo 2 Plat
X800 XT PE
74gb raptor
250gb WD
300gb WD
1GB OCZ

Want to upgrade sooooo bad.

I'm going to give Kubuntu a go first. I have a feeling I will probably slowly move to linux and then try out new things with it. The thing is I hate being dependent on Windows. I don't want to have to be tied to a OS. Especially something like Vista.
 
I turned off my pagefile to see if I could defrag better...

Restart and windows says I'm running a pirate copy, aero doesn't work, startup programs wont run, in fact nothing will run and I cant even open up explorer to turn the pagefile back on. After some messing I managed to get it back but I was about to throw in the towl.
 
Excellent cheers. I will do that tomorrow. Been defragging all day but Vista defrag is total ****. So then I downloaded Auslogics disc defrag.

But will print this off and do it in ubuntu :)
 
Can anyone tell me how I can boot up the Kubuntu disc without VGA? I want to use my Dell 2007 at 1620 x 1050 on DVI from my X800 but I have no clue and the disc wont boot up unless I have my VGA monitor (Samsung 32" LCD TV) plugged in.
 
Just use the disk you got working first time, install, then change the gui so its like kubuntu or xubuntu later.

It's the same disc. Just last time I got no display and realised it was outputting to my TV. I would rather boot up using my monitor though as I'm watching something on TV lol.
 
lol. It really doesn't want me doing this. So I'm running on the disc at the moment. Trying to go through the instructions to resize the partition. Got a little bit stuck because it's for Ubuntu and some things are different. Plus I can't do "su" because there is no password.

But that's not really a problem, the problem is my drive is NTFS. So Kubuntu can't access it which means qtparted can't. So I can't resize the partition :(

EDIT: For anyone that cares it turns out my graphics card isn't supported any more in Ubuntu. To get it working is out of my know how. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=302540&page=2

I'm done I guess.
 
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