OT: Linux

I know that some you use Linux as an operating system.
I have an old Toshiba Satellite A45 that has Windows XP and I
would like to install Linux. I am open to suggestions
and opinions.

I have had good luck with Puppy Linux. You can run it off the cd without installing it. I have also used Ubuntu. My wifes lap top died and I was able to retrieve files on the pass word protected hard drive using Puppy.

For that you need to talk to my brother the computer guru as he builds my computer and it runs linux with umbutu

I'm running Ubuntu on the computer I'm posting from and I've used Ubuntu for over a dozen years. Updates have been problem-free.
I don't run any virus protection and it does everything that I need it to do. Ubuntu (or Linux), will run a lot better on an older computer than any Windows OS.
Plus, Ubuntu or Linux is...wait for it....wait for it......FREE!

Thanks for the information. I will check it out.

I have Ubuntu on 3 computers. One is a Toshiba laptop with ubuntuwindows 7 dual boot. That means i can select what i want it to boot up to. But i rarely use windows. Absolutely love linux. My desk tops also have unbutu on them. It boots up faster than windows, never run anti-virus.

I've probably used Linux longer than anyone else here, having first installed Red Hat back in 1997. I have always used either Red Hat or Fedora. There are a bewildering number of distributions; you can find out more at DistroWatch: <a href="http://distrowatch.com">http://distrowatch.com</a>.

The most popular distributions are Ubuntu and its derivative, MATE. Debian, from which Ubuntu is derived, is also very popular. Fedora and OpenSUSE are other popular distributions. Any of these five are good choices. Ubuntu, MATE and Debian all use the Debian package manager, while Fedora and SUSE use the Red Hat package manager. This isn't particularly important to a novice, but it's the reason I haven't tried Ubuntu.

More important that the particular distribution you choose is the Desktop Environment you install. The DE is really what you deal with most, and they differ widely. Unlike Windows, most Linux distributions support more than one DE so you can pick the "look and feel" you like. By default, both Ubuntu and Fedora install the GNOME 3 desktop. If you don't like the look and feel of Windows 8, you probably won't like GNOME 3. Other DEs that have a more "Windows 95" look and feel are KDE, MATE and Cinnamon. There's also GNOME Classic, which puts the Windows 95 appearance on top of GNOME 3; that's probably a good choice if you choose Ubuntu or Fedora. The different DEs can be installed as packages after you initially install the distribution. Some are available as "spins", such as what you see at <a href="http://spins.fedoraproject.org">http://spins.fedoraproject.org</a>.

To get started, just download a "Live DVD" image of one of the popular distributions, burn it to disk and boot it up. Running it off the DVD, you'll be able to get a feel for the distribution before you actually install it to your hard drive.

"having first installed Red Hat back in 1997"

Ha! Beat you by a couple of years; first time I installed it was from a stack of diskettes a friend loaned me (13 I think) back in '94 or '95.

Live DVDs are a good way to try one out but keep in mind they're slow compared to an installed system. My suggestion is to install Mint and try it out, the old XP installation is toast anyway.

Another nice way to try out distributions is to run them as a "virtual machine" on your main Windows computer. It's free, but it takes a little more fiddling to get started. Once you have it set up it's much faster to install different operating systems. <a href="https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/VirtualBox">Virtual Box</a>

Finally, if you do decide to install linux on the old computer I suggest buying a new solid state hard drive. The old hard drive has to be getting close to failing, an SSD is way faster and won't cost much.
Mint MATE release

Does Linux support WI-FI on a older computer as He mentioned?
Thanks
Frank

> Does Linux support WI-FI on a older computer as He mentioned?

WiFi shouldn't be a problem on an older PC. You're actually more likely to have problems on a brand-new machine. The drivers for network devices are actually embedded in the Linux kernel, and older drivers are rarely removed. If you have a network adapter that uses a brand-new chipset, it's possible the driver for that chipset hasn't been added to the kernel. The workaround is to use a USB WiFi adapter; these almost always work.

> Ha! Beat you by a couple of years; first time I installed it was from a stack of diskettes a friend loaned me (13 I think) back in '94 or '95.

Back then, you needed to be a bit of a UNIX system adminstrator to get Linux up and running. Sure is easier these days.

Yes, I don't recommend using a Live CD/DVD except to get a feel for the distro or for system recovery. And you're right, running Linux on a VM is good way to switch back and forth between Windows and Linux; better than running a multiple-boot setup.

I replace the hard disk on my home system about every other year. It's cheap insurance.

I ave been using Ubuntu on this IBM Think Pad for several years now and I'm very happy with it.
It will run almost all Windows based programs.

(quoted from post at 18:06:07 01/23/16) I know that some you use Linux as an operating system.
I have an old Toshiba Satellite A45 that has Windows XP and I
would like to install Linux. I am open to suggestions
and opinions.

Click to expand...

Right now I am using Linux LXLE with good results and not too much fuss. Its not as complex as ubuntu which for me is good as i hate fiddling with stuff to make it work....it should just work straight away!.

Do you have any idea how much RAM your computer has? 512mb was common, if you're lucky maybe 1GB. You'll get the best results running something optimized for older hardware, "modern" won't run well on there if at all, you won't like the performance with some of the desktop environments mentioned. Puppy is simple, a great little distro and I've had lots of luck running on older stuff. For daily use, I think Lubuntu would be a good choice, it is Lubuntu customized and running on a long term support release, so less updates, less messing around, more stable. Ubuntu has pretty good support for hardware, wireless, etc. antiX is another choice. Of those I'd suggest LXLE to start.

LXLE http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=lxle

antiX http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=antix

Puppy http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=puppy

Can't edit posts. I meant to say LXLE is based on Lubuntu, I'd suggest LXLE. Plain Lubuntu will have more full releases, more major updates, unless you stick with the long term support release, which LXLE is.

It didn't have enough memory so I had to dig some up. You have to remove the
keyboard to install memory. I am in the process of installing Ubuntu right now.

Thanks for all th help and advice. I am using the Linux laptop
right now to access YT.

Thanks Mark.

Thanks for the great information, guys!