Some Dead Basic Questions

[JackFrost]

I have never played with linux and want to. I have downloaded ubuntu and now am wondering how best to install.

Do I do a new partition?

Once installed, does it have a desktop or do I need another one?

jack

[rcm]

I have never played with linux and want to. I have downloaded ubuntu and now am wondering how best to install.

Do I do a new partition?

Once installed, does it have a desktop or do I need another one?

jack

Hi jack,

First off, i find it easier to use Kubuntu as it has KDE as default Desktop environment which is easier to begin with than Gnome (the default desktop environment on Ubuntu).

Which version do you have? 6.06? than you should first try it ...this is a Live CD & install at the very same CD.

Live CD is the best for trying out first, see how you like it and if you get along with it. If it is vers. 6.06 you will find after doing the "temporary" Install via Live CD an "install " icon on the desktop- you might decide that you want to make it a permanent install. You will find an Icon on the Desktop named "install" and after clicking this it will lead you through the install, and it will also help you to partition your Harddrive.

One more thing....don't fortget to make a back-up from the important stuff you have on your HD.

Ubuntu has a Desktop Environment (named Gnome....as mentioned before)...and it is not bad ...but i prefer KDE and i guess it is the most popular Desktop Environment .

Good luck and let us know how it went....

rcm

[Richard-BKK]

For the people who also want to try Ubuntu Linux, they have a download mirror in Thailand. http://mirror.in.th/ubuntu/6.06/

This makes it easier for people with high-speed internet to download the CD's. If you not have high-speed internet, Ubuntu will send CD's to you free of charge, if that takes too long you can always go with some blanco/empty CD-rom's to a True Internet cafe (True Cafe at the shopping center near me, has 8mbps connection, almost had no time to finish my cofee and cakey)

[JackFrost]

I have never played with linux and want to. I have downloaded ubuntu and now am wondering how best to install.

Do I do a new partition?

Once installed, does it have a desktop or do I need another one?

jack

Hi jack,

First off, i find it easier to use Kubuntu as it has KDE as default Desktop environment which is easier to begin with than Gnome (the default desktop environment on Ubuntu).

Which version do you have? 6.06? than you should first try it ...this is a Live CD & install at the very same CD.

Live CD is the best for trying out first, see how you like it and if you get along with it. If it is vers. 6.06 you will find after doing the "temporary" Install via Live CD an "install " icon on the desktop- you might decide that you want to make it a permanent install. You will find an Icon on the Desktop named "install" and after clicking this it will lead you through the install, and it will also help you to partition your Harddrive.

One more thing....don't fortget to make a back-up from the important stuff you have on your HD.

Ubuntu has a Desktop Environment (named Gnome....as mentioned before)...and it is not bad ...but i prefer KDE and i guess it is the most popular Desktop Environment .

Good luck and let us know how it went....

rcm

I was a little vague. I have winxp installed already with ntfs file system.

Do i install onto it or make a new partition?

I have the latest version - guess its 6.06.

If the gnome is not to my liking can I install KDE on top of ubuntu?

Jack

[rcm]

I have never played with linux and want to. I have downloaded ubuntu and now am wondering how best to install.

Do I do a new partition?

Once installed, does it have a desktop or do I need another one?

jack

Hi jack,

First off, i find it easier to use Kubuntu as it has KDE as default Desktop environment which is easier to begin with than Gnome (the default desktop environment on Ubuntu).

Which version do you have? 6.06? than you should first try it ...this is a Live CD & install at the very same CD.

Live CD is the best for trying out first, see how you like it and if you get along with it. If it is vers. 6.06 you will find after doing the "temporary" Install via Live CD an "install " icon on the desktop- you might decide that you want to make it a permanent install. You will find an Icon on the Desktop named "install" and after clicking this it will lead you through the install, and it will also help you to partition your Harddrive.

One more thing....don't fortget to make a back-up from the important stuff you have on your HD.

Ubuntu has a Desktop Environment (named Gnome....as mentioned before)...and it is not bad ...but i prefer KDE and i guess it is the most popular Desktop Environment .

Good luck and let us know how it went....

rcm

I was a little vague. I have winxp installed already with ntfs file system.

So you will have dual boot , i have the same , no problem really.

Do i install onto it or make a new partition?

You run it as Live CD first....try it and see if you like it ....than continue on with the Install icon. Ubuntu will partition to your likings.. and install onto the created partition..

I have the latest version - guess its 6.06.Very good...it is what i have as Kubuntu

If the gnome is not to my liking can I install KDE on top of ubuntu?

Yes, you can download it with Adept or Synaptic and install than you can load from your splash screen into whatever you like. I did this with Kubunbtu ...added Gnome later with Adept.

Jack

[rcm]

For the people who also want to try Ubuntu Linux, they have a download mirror in Thailand. http://mirror.in.th/ubuntu/6.06/

This makes it easier for people with high-speed internet to download the CD's. If you not have high-speed internet, Ubuntu will send CD's to you free of charge, if that takes too long you can always go with some blanco/empty CD-rom's to a True Internet cafe (True Cafe at the shopping center near me, has 8mbps connection, almost had no time to finish my cofee and cakey)

Thats a good link works nice and speedy too....

[Richard-BKK]

I'm not sure if Ubuntu can re-size a NTFS partition, FAT32 or other is no problem, that I'm sure.

The easiest way is to buy, they really not expensive, a small size hard disk of about 40GB. I bought one last weekend for less then 1000Baht. Always helpful if I want to backup/test/save something.

I have several smaller hdd's of 8GB, to archive data, CD-roms or DVD's seem not to stay good for more then 2 years (sorry for the bit off topic)

It is possible for most Linux Distributions to have gnome, KDE or more GUI's. Personally I like gnome. Yes it is different then MS Windows, but I see that more as a good thing

[fxm88]

I'm not sure if Ubuntu can re-size a NTFS partition, FAT32 or other is no problem, that I'm sure.

Is ntfsresize included?

[rcm]

I'm not sure if Ubuntu can re-size a NTFS partition, FAT32 or other is no problem, that I'm sure.

Is ntfsresize included?

Actually i am not sure now...as i had another Linux Distro (Suse) installed and resized the partition(smaller) too ,before the new install of Kubuntu. So there may be an issue about NTFS ...

[Sulaphat]

I think Ubuntu asks whether you want to reformat the entire disk for the installation or create a new partition for the installation. If you opt to create a new partition, it asks what size to allocate. I don't think there are any problems with resizing ntfs partitions.

Having said that, I would second the recommendation to install to a separate HD.

[Gary A]

Jack, I think I am in a similar situation to you. Get someone to show you how to swap out your hard drive, It's not difficult at all. They are cheap to buy and you will be far safer experimenting on a separate hard drive than taking a chance with dual boot or a partition in the one you use.

I'm totally Linux illiterate and plan to buy Suse 10.1 and another hard drive when I visit the US this month. Hopefully this will be an easy way to learn without taking any chances. The total investment will be about $100 US including the hard drive.

[Samuian]

How about a 'hot swapable' USb external drive?

I did install Linux on my thinkpad - will format it again - no manual - no book - no info - drives me nuts - everything has to be fiddeled around with, loosing a lot of time just to figure out how to utelize the WLAN feature... many of the so called "Linux help" forums are full with people who know what THEY are doing - good luck to them!

How can poeple throw KDE in to the round - without even bothering what it stands for?

There is so much... I would love to utelize Open Source and Support it, but with this kind of "help yourself" or get ......

well it may remain the domain of the geeks forever, missing it's original intention... being a real thread to MS market domination...

[astral]

I was a little vague. I have winxp installed already with ntfs file system.

Do i install onto it or make a new partition?

I have the latest version - guess its 6.06.

If the gnome is not to my liking can I install KDE on top of ubuntu?

Jack

See this thread where this matter has already been discussed, then come back if you still have questions.

[slackula]

How about a 'hot swapable' USb external drive?

I did install Linux on my thinkpad - will format it again - no manual - no book - no info - drives me nuts - everything has to be fiddeled around with, loosing a lot of time just to figure out how to utelize the WLAN feature... many of the so called "Linux help" forums are full with people who know what THEY are doing - good luck to them!

How can poeple throw KDE in to the round - without even bothering what it stands for?

There is so much... I would love to utelize Open Source and Support it, but with this kind of "help yourself" or get ......

well it may remain the domain of the geeks forever, missing it's original intention... being a real thread to MS market domination...

I have a modified Slackware 10 running on my ThinkPad R51e and it is just great. I spent some time configuring it exactly how I wanted it and it just works.

Linux help forums are a great resource, but be aware that generally people donate their time free to help and therefore they can be intolerant of users who don't even bother to google a problem before posting a question that has been asked thousands of times before. www.linuxquestions.org even has a newbie section where they are generally more tolerant of repeat questions etc.

Your KDE comment is telling, because a quick google search for "kde" will tell exactly what it is in the first three results.

And, Linux is not meant to be a replacement for Windows; it is an alternative and it works for some people and not for others. Use whichever suits your computing needs

Feel free to email or PM me if you would like some help getting WLAN working on your ThinkPad. Depends on the model but it probably has Intel components and the IPW2200 drivers at sourceforge.net are pretty easy to install, Intel even links to them from their website. My laptop is hooked up to ADSL and then shares its connection over WiFi so my whole house is a hotspot without needing to buy a wireless router.

FWIW I use Windows at work (company policy) and I absolutely farking hate it. I had two laptops for a while. Identical ThinkPads, one running XP and one triple booting between Fedora (4 I think) and 2 Slackware installations, one stock and one customised and the Linux one ran circles around the XP one in terms of speed, usefulness and security. YMMV

Finally, swapping out a USB drive is not normally a wise idea, it should be umounted first because in my experience udev is still not perfect.

/sorry for the Tolstoy post

[chanchao]

I think KDE sucks mud and is most definitely NOT easier than the Ubuntu default, which was picked for a reason. If anything it's the reverse, KDE a cluttered cartoony MESS! I'd run Ratbuntu (Xubuntu is it?) before KDE. yuck!

There.

BTW when installing Ubuntu you can modfiy partitions graphically. It uses GParted for that. This will resize NTFS partittions just fine, though just in case I boot into Windows first to make as much space as possible and then defragment the drive.