Windows XP home users should upgrade to Linux -- not Windows 8.1

Beta News ^ | 30 January 2014 | Brian Fagioli

[ShadowAce]

The Windows XP death clock is ticking away. While Microsoft has extended support for malware protection, do not be fooled -- XP will be officially unsupported on April 8. If Microsoft has its druthers, these XP users will upgrade to Windows 8 and maybe even buy a new computer.

However, there is a problem with this -- the Windows 8 UI is radically different from XP and people do not like change (especially people clinging to an operating system from 2001). Also, they may not need to buy a new computer, because their existing is probably fast enough... for Linux!

Yes, Linux is far less intensive than the arguably bloated Windows. And so, if a user wants a supported operating system that should work well on their existing, but aging hardware, a Linux-based OS may be the best choice. The problem is, what distribution should a user choose? What software is available? No worries, I'm here to help.

Introduction

First things first, what exactly is Linux? Well, technically Linux is a kernel -- not an operating system, but an aspect of one. However, there are operating systems, called distributions, that utilize that kernel. It was invented by a man named Linus Torvalds in 1991. Yes, Linux is hardly new -- it has a long history and a large user and developer base.

It is used in many things such as web servers and even Android phones. Believe it or not, if you own an Android phone, you are already a Linux user and probably didn't even know it -- nice job! Don't confuse this to mean that Linux distributions will run Android apps, they are not exactly compatible.

Why

So, why should you switch from your comfortable Windows XP operating system to a Linux one? Besides Windows XP support ending on April 8, here are some other compelling reasons:

• Linux-based operating systems are less likely to get viruses.
• Software can be easier to find and install.
• Both the operating system and software are free.
• There is a large community on the internet available to help you.
• You get to learn something new.

Backup

Before you do anything, I urge you to backup your files -- pictures, documents and anything that is important to you. You can do this a number of ways, but the easiest is to use a fat-formatted flash drive or external hard drive. You can copy the files back once the new operating system is installed

User Interface / Environment

Before you can pick a distribution, you must decide on an environment. You see, many distributions come in various "flavors", which offer different environments or user interfaces. Let's be honest, if you are still on Windows XP, you probably do not like change. With that said, the ideal environment for an XP user would be KDE, Mate or Cinnamon -- all of which resemble the classic Windows Start button philosophy.

However, my suggestion would be the Mate environment. While KDE and Cinnamon are great, they are likely too intensive for an older XP machine. Mate is a lightweight desktop environment that isn't flashy. It is easy to use and a Windows XP user should feel very comfortable with it.

Distribution

So, which distribution do I suggest? Linux Mint 13 LTS Mate. What is nice about this operating system is that it is LTS, meaning Long Term Release. What does that mean? Well, it will be supported until April 2017. This means you will have access to updates and support for many years. You will not be on the bleeding edge, but you will be very stable.

Most importantly, it is based on the popular Ubuntu distribution, which is a rock-solid foundation with access to a lot of software (packages). It is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit processors as well. You can download the operating system and user guide here. Please follow the guide to install it.

 Software

OK, so let's assume you've successfully installed Linux Mint by following the user guide. Now what? You want to install Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer right? Not so fast there. All of your favorite Windows programs are not here. Don't panic though, there are plenty of fine alternatives that are not only great, they are free. Yes, you will no longer need to purchase software for your super-cool Linux computer. Below are some suggested programs and the Windows equivalent.

• Firefox -- Web browser (use instead of Internet Explorer)
• LibreOffice -- Office suite (use instead of Microsoft Office)
• VLC -- Media player (use instead of Windows Media Player)
• Shotwell -- Photo manager (use instead of Picasa)

That is just a small sampling of what is available. There is a cornucopia of programs available in the Software Center. This is much like the app store that can be found on modern smartphones. You can search for, install and remove software using this one-stop-shop. This is unlike Windows which makes you search all over the internet, at various sites, to get programs. Not only is that time consuming, it can put you at risk of malware too.

Speaking of malware, Linux can be considered, for the most part, free of things like viruses. While some viruses do exist, they are few and far between. Besides, whenever you install something in Linux, you are prompted for your system password. If you do not know what is being installed, do not enter your password.

Conclusion

So, congratulations, your computer is now supported until 2017 and it cost you nothing. You have a powerful operating system that is chock full of useful software and is less likely to get viruses. You should be proud of yourself. While Microsoft may have lost a Windows sale, you now have extra money in your wallet -- take a loved one out to dinner, courtesy of this BetaNews guide.

[GeronL]

http://www.mepis.org/node/144

[Utilizer]

If your PC is only used to access Internet, though, then you are welcome to the world of Linux

Especially since there are versions of Linux out there known as kiosk distros that run off of a bootable disc and allow no hacking whatsoever in any machine you run it on. Simply insert the disc, boot from it, and it automatically detects your video and network hardware and launches a web browser, typically firefox, and nothing else. Runs off of system memory, requires no swap space, and absolutely nothing is allowed to be written to the drives on your system.

Great way to use an older computer for web searches and emails!

[dayglored]

Let's see if I understand you correctly, VanDeKoik.

You believe that because a particular OS (Windows) has been very popular for a long time, that it's the only way to go. Uniformity is the common good, everyone should fall in line with the approved standard OS.

Gee, that sounds kinda Socialist.

You believe that alternatives are not worthy, simply because they're not the decreed official view.

Gee, that sounds pretty Socialist.

You believe that all who do not believe as you do are wrong-headed fools and zealots who deserve only scorn, and maybe they should be put away as crazies.

Gee, that sounds very Socialist.

You don't give credence to the idea that a variety of options is a good thing, or that individual choice is a good thing, or that upstarts may be able to contribute something of value to a free marketplace.

That sounds really Socialist.

Are you sure you're posting on the right site? We LIKE freedom of choice, alternatives, individual initiative, the idea that just because Big Government -- or Big Software -- is big, that it's necessarily right.

I seem to recall that at the time of the American Revolution, the majority of American colonists were in favor of continuing to live under British rule. Were they right to oppose American Independence from Britain? The way you knock everything except The Microsoft Party Line, I think maybe you do...

Or maybe you're really Steve Ballmer, and can't conceive of anything except Microsoft. Sometimes I wonder.

Well, I hope you're happy in your La La Land where everything with a Windows logo is perfect, and nothing else exists.

[Dalberg-Acton]

I also gave her an Acer A300 Iconia tablet. She like that a lot. So does her 10 year old Great Grandson. She let him use it and he installed a bunch of crap and downloaded lesbian porn to it. I make it “forget” the network before he visits.

There seems to be no way to get her to tell him “no”.

[rlmorel]

I agree 100%. We have all known the time was up for the last few years, but...caught between a rock and a hard place.

The upgrade isn’t free. Sure, Microsoft your institution may have a site license that allows you to upgrade without paying for Windows 7 or Windows 8, but...that is a drop in the bucket.

It is all the associated vendor costs. New applications the vendors sell to customers that allow them to make the transition almost always involve completely upgrading the server and client hardware, not to mention the other costs.

And many of the applications are closely integrated. Even if you get one vendor that has upgraded their product, there is often another closely integrated application whose vendor who is not going to upgrade their product, and you then have the choice of jettisoning the vendor/product and buying a new one, but...the costs are often astronomical for that, and the total price of doing all upgrades and maintaining functionality balloons wildly.

It is a real problem in medicine.

[Jeff Chandler]

It is a real problem in medicine.

It's a real problem in a lot of industries.

If I were a hacker I would hold off on exploiting any recently discovered vulnerabilities. Why tip my hand and release a virus or trojan that MS will patch against, when I can just stockpile them for a couple months?

[Jeff Chandler]

Linux doesn't always work hunky dory right out of the box, but yeah:

Great way to use an older computer for web searches and emails!

[Tom Bombadil]

Loaded Linux Mint on an external drive over a year ago. It was a nice turnkey install and gives me all of the basics.

The neat thing is that my laptop internal drive still boots to Vista but I never use it. Plug the Mint drive in, power up, and off I go. My “computer” is my Linux hard drive.

I am one happy camper, and have said GOODBYE to Microsoft.

[NoCmpromiz]

kind of answers a question we were discussing

I see that. But by the same token, Mint (13, 14, 15, 16) all say they will run in 512k but each .iso gets bigger so the live DVD won't work on limited ram machines, or so it seems..

Added Mepis to the list of distros to consider for that project.. ;-)

[LouAvul]

For what it's worth, I'm in a similar boat. Three of my four computers are XP home. I need a computer for business purposes and can't afford to replace three computers.

I think I'm going to take all sensitive data off two of the three computers and use them solely for surfing the net while I'm watching movies.

Then, I'm going to order a budget Dell computer for $350 that has Windows 7 as its OS. Win 7 is good for another several years, in terms of MS support. After I reformat the fourth computer, I guess I'll give it to my mother in law who only uses a computer to play solitare.

[driftdiver]

If the XP machine is networked and in the same environment as systems containing sensitive data (PHI, PCI, or govt data) it is not compliant on April 8th. If the XP machine is not networked or is segmented using a firewall then it would be ok.

Doesn’t matter if its used to surf the internet or not, although that does reduce the chances of an actual incident.

[dayglored]

Oops, missed a "not":

> ...the idea that just because Big Government -- or Big Software -- is big, that it's not necessarily right.

Doesn't matter, really, VDK... you're not persuaded by such arguments; you'll just dismiss me as another kook as you have in the past.

Well, every day, I use Windows 7 and Windows XP, three different flavors of Linux, one of Unix, and two versions of Mac OS X. Every day. At work and at home.

I LIKE freedom of choice. I like having alternatives that can address different problems better.

So please, do enjoy your sanctioned and approved version of Windows 8.1 in peace, I'll try not to trouble you with alternative thoughts again, difficult though it is.

:)

[Proud2BeRight]

That’s a good idea. I’ll put that in my alternatives. Thanks.

[plain talk]

Thanks for your insights. I was thinking the same thing although I am not a technie and really don’t know what happens after April. All I know is my recording software and interfaces are very old and I don’t think I can get updated drivers.

[GeronL]

bump

[CowboyJay]

"Linux programmers need a kick in the pants if they want to push the OS over the hump."

The compatibility issues I had were nothing to do with the Mint team. It was that the app guys don't want to have to build in Linux support. Most vendors will grudgingly build in Mac support, but not Linux.

The easy answer would be a marketing push, but since there's no way to monetize open source OS, nobody will spend the money it would take to increase market share. Great product, no marketing department.

[Utilizer]

Mepis Linux only needs 512 MB??

It will actually run on a bit less than that, but it will be sluggish. I found that with 256 Megs that switching over to an alternative desktop such as lxde instead of KDE improves its speed considerably, if you do not mind a bit of ugliness. I preferred the speed increase and played with it a bit until I found a different desktop (lxde) that was faster and not too ugly, but the apps that came as the default in the distro made it worthwhile to install it, since it was amazingly easy to share a directory across the network, add users, and reconfigure the network settings when necessary. Really a stable distro.

[Organic Panic]

I have a shop filled with CNC machinery, inspection equipment, and other hardware not supported on the new OS. XP has been rock solid for nearly 10 years running all that equipment. Now, if someone would like to give me about $400,000 for some new machinery send me a PM so I can give you my address...

[PastorBooks]

“I have some old programs on the XP that also work great but will not probably not work on newer platforms.”

Try running them on Linux using Wine. Wine is a compatibility layer that lets some Windows software, especially older versions, run on Linux. Some software even works better on Wine/Linux than on Windows.

http://www.winehq.org/
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_%28software%29

[Bikkuri]

Have you tried the HAM apps on VirtualBox?