Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

[cptrohn]

Hi, I am completly new to Linux and actually don't have much of a clue as to where to start with it... LOL I will start out by apologizing for any repeated questions from the start..

I am not a programmer or anything of that sort, but I have such great things about Kubunta that I really want to see if it is for me or not.

I have an older laptop (about 4 years old.. Compaq XP) that I would like to load Kubunta onto as a test machine I guess..... I have heard from chatting with other folks that I shouldn't have a real problem with drivers etc now... but I have heard that my HP wireless assistant wont work anymore with Kubunta Is this true?

Also as far as software and applications go, where exactly do you download them? Is the vast majority of it freeware and shareware?


Now I did download Kubunta 8.10 and made a disk of this, I went to load it onto my old machine and it had problems loading... it was an old disk though and I think the problem could be that maybe part of it was corrupted so I will make a new disk this weekend and try that I guess.. Or is there some other problem that I don't know about


I guess I am just hunting for more information from people with lots more experience than I have... what are the benefits of running a Linux OS vs. a Windows OS? What are the drawbacks with running a Linux OS that you have found? Is software hard to find for Linux? Again where do you find it?

-sigh- well thanks a bunch for being patient with a complete noob and any and all answers will be much appreciated..... I guess I am just an extremely frustrated Microsoft user right now.... LOL

[dibl]

Re: Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

Also as far as software and applications go, where exactly do you download them? Is the vast majority of it freeware and shareware?

Heh heh heh -- now there's a true "Windows Question"!

For Linux, the "generally true" answer is: "Lots of places, and the user need not know or care."




Welcome to Kubuntu, and please check the link in my signature for more items to get you started.




p.s. DO NOT download anything with the intention of installing it until you've reviewed #11.a. and .b.

[cptrohn]

Re: Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

LOL well thank you for the great information...


I figured that the disk I had used was corrupted and that looks like what the problem was/is... I'll have to run to the store and buy some new disks I guess.


I guess the software question sounded silly, but remember folks that are completely new just don't know much about it.. I guess a google search would probably answer alot of that question eh? LOL

So does all Linux software work with Kubuntu? (I know probably a silly question again.... but again totally new to the world of Linux...)

[dibl]

Re: Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

So does all Linux software work with Kubuntu?

Nope.

But the 26,000+ packages in the *buntu repositories do.

[arochester]

Re: Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

I am completly new to Linux and actually don't have much of a clue as to where to start with it

Look here: http://kubuntuguide.org/Intrepid
Here: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/index.php #
And here: http://www.beginlinux.org/course/view.php?id=17

There are some small differences between Ubuntu and Kubuntu but you will pick that up as you go along.

You can read "The Official Ubuntu Book" (Edition one) online from China but that may be questionable... http://book.opensourceproject.org.cn...untu/official/

[F10vv3R]

Re: Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

Hey!!

If you are having trouble with corrupt CD's, just use a USB key!

here is the wiki link for the UNetbootin application http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNetbootin, it takes the .iso CD image of Kubuntu that you have downloaded and copies the files to a USB key so that you can boot into live mode and try Kubuntu! You can then install Kubuntu if you wish!

As for hardware compatibility, please consult the ubuntu wiki laptop hardware compatibility page! https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam

[kbunt]

Re: Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

Or use a different distro. I hope that Debian takes over because Ubuntu is doing everything wrong. Sudo is a stupid system.

[cptrohn]

Re: Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

well thanks to everybody that replied!


I think that I will try the USB key that was suggested sounds like a winner to me.

And thanks for the great links too.. especially for the link to the laptop tests.... both of my laptops were listed and it answered my question about the WiFi..... guess I will have to get an express card to use the Wifi....


I can't wait to get it loaded up and running..

[F10vv3R]

Re: Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

OK any problems just post!

Hope you get it installed ok.

[ejazzkatt]

Re: Hello.. competly new to Linux and wondering where to start...

Before you try to install it to a usb device, you might want to check to see if the computer supports booting from usb. It's possible, since it's an older computer, that it doesn't boot from usb. For that, you can check in your BIOS as the computer boots. It's possible that your computer supports it but you have to enable it in the BIOS.

This is not very difficult but if you don't understand this maybe the CD route is easier. If the computer boots from a CD, that means that booting from a CD is supported and enabled in your computer's BIOS already.

Eric