Posted on 06/27/2008 2:27:03 PM PDT by raybbr
I have an older computer that I have cleaned out of W2000 Pro. I tried loading a version of XP Pro that I have on this machine. MS wants $269 for an additional key. I am not willing to pay that.
I am currently downloading Ubuntu and would like to put Linux on this box. It has an Athlon XP with a gig of memory and no video card.
I don't plan on any gaming or high end computing. Just photo editing, video editing and web surfing.
Do I need Ubuntu or is there something else smaller and simpler I can use?
Also, what can I use to wipe XP off and start over? Will the installation disk of Ubuntu do that?
Thanks in advance, Ray.
Another thought...why not reinstall Windows 2000? If you don’t have the install disk, you can get Win2K Pro OEM pretty cheap on ebay...
I would use BootitNG to remove windows xp and get the partition on your hard drive ready for linux. It can be found here: http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/index.htm
I would recommend backing up your windows xp with it just in case you feel like going back at a later time. Just put the backup file on another partition. Anyway this is what I would do. I have been using bootitng for years and it makes system restores take about 15 minutes.
After I burn the .ISO file to a cd do I need to run anything to get it to load? Or, will the cd boot sequence run the file automatically?
The XP has never been activated. I can’t do anything through windows. It won’t let me log on or access explorer.
Make sure your computer meets Windows XP memory and hard drive requirements.
I don't want to pay the bill. I have XP Pro on this machine. I like it. But I don't really need XP on the other machine. I have been toying with building a linux machine for some time.
Never mind. I looked at the cd that Nero burned and it has all the files. Thanks.
A lot of the programs I have been upgrading to require XP. Shoot. Just thought of that. Wonder if Paint Shop Pro will run on Linux.
I know nothing about that one.....googling...turns up this:
********************EXCERPT***************
PC: MSI K9VGM-V (integrated VIA Chrome9 K8M890 graphics); AMD AM2 Sempron64 3000+ CPU; 2 GB of Kingston KVR667D2N5 RAM; 80 GB Seagate SATA HDD.
OS: Linux Mint 5 "Elyssa" GNOME.
So this guy ....rivenought
is running Mint...which is sort of based on UBUNTU but they do some special stuff...I don't know if he had to do any editing of the XORG config files.....
I don't think that is easy for a Newbie...
Not sure what XORG is. I might try it just to see if it works. If not I might take “fr_freak’s” suggestion and reload W2K Pro (It’s supposed to be an upgrade disk) and dual boot. This is not my primary machine but an older one. I wanted to get it running just as an extra.
It's not snappy but it's quick enough -- with a video card the only concession to speed.
Cannot say about PSPro, but I run several Windows apps in Wine just fine.
It might, using Wine. But it may take some tweaking, and you might not be happy with it anyway. That's been my experience, anyway. The only thing close to PSP on linux is Gimp, and it'll take a while to get used to, although you can coax it into doing most of what PSP does.
Might put this link in your memory file:
I have a 7300 Gigabyte card and have no problems....with Linux Mint. or Ubuntu...
And Mint has the Compiz rotating Cube already set up,...Ubuntu requires you to do some work....
What about blender...?
Not to my knowledge, but the GIMP sure will...
Thanks again. BTW, I have 2gig of memory. It’s been so long since I opened this box I forgot what I had.
You said MS wants some bucks for an additional key.
Are you installing WinXP from a CD using a key already utilized in an activation?
Unix is great if your a geek that needs geeky programs written by geeks for geeeks to do geeky things. Are you a geek? Have you ever flashed your mobo BIOS? Have you ever flashed your video card BIOS? HAve you ever tweaked the mobo register settings?
Have you ever editted Windows OS registry beehive manually? Are you familiar with, or have ever used Wine? Have you ever gotten into the guts of an applications configuration files and tweaked them manually?
Does the issue of manual installation of device drivers scare you? Have you ever installed a device driver manually? Are you comfortable working at the command prompt level (basic DOS style text based interface using commands, parameters and flags).
How well versed are you respect to antivirus and firewall configuration?
If the answer to the foregoing is predominantly NO, then I’d recommend against Unix flavored OS in general.
Yes, Ubantu has a great leap in the Unix platform with regards to GUI. And for those who are willing to expend the heartbeats to learn, and hang out on the various tech forums dedicated to Unix-like OS’s gathering knowlege through osmosis, that may be the way to go. However, for somebody’s accumen with respect to IT in general and hardware in particular is minimal, I’d frown upon the idea.
Google WinXP Pro SP2 Student Edition on the internet. You should be able to get it for about $100. If you know a student, they can get it for free from MS Dream-bla-bla-bla (something or another) program. That would allow them to download an IDO image which needs to be burned to a CD. That disk effectively becomes a legit bonafide installation CD.
Before installing WinXP Pro SP2, make sure that you download the SP3 (complete) patch. Doing so will save you tons of time downloading the 100+ service patch/updates to WinXP Pro SP2.
Now I’m certain that I’m going to catch a whole lot of flak from my geek bretheren, but if you question them to the particulars, they’ll tell you that none of it scares them, they’ve had their box apart several times, and all the foregoing issues are moot points to them. This is because they have experience, apptitude, adaptability necessary to surmount the hurdles and unforseen gotchyas.
I previously mentioned Wine. Wine is an emulator that allows Windows applications to be “emulated”, i.e., run natively in Unix-like OS even so they’re MS Windows executables. WIll it work? Yes. Is it optimal? NO. Does inefficiency bother you? If it does, than can you handle the lack of functionality and/or feature set of native Unix-like platformed applications?
Dude, why don’t you just scrap everything, through the crap out the 35th story window, run over it all with a bus snd buy a Mac?
Macs are great I heard.
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