The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Thought I'd start this one off, rather than continue on another thread.

As a quick catch up for others:

Have a look at Unetbootin, as a means to try out different versions of Linux, without producing numerous coasters (unwanted CDs).
I haven't tried the method of installing to hard drive, only the USB flash drive method (so far).



(c) E Jonsen
Just skimming the surface

Opinions/guidance expressed are intended to benefit the reader (mostly) but no responsibility should be assumed for the accuracy and no warranty is implied/expressed or given - so eBay may pull this post
Demised responsibility
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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Thank you, Anthony 🙂  I had found those settings.  I'll explain below why I'm still frustrated.


0-anthony-0 wrote:I'm not fully conversant with what you're trying to achieve

 

 


PC keyboards use the Shift key to engage CAPS for one keystroke only, or as long as you hold down the Shift key.  If you want to type all in caps you hit the CapsLock key, and when you have finished your shouting 😉 you hit the CapsLock again and it will disengage and the keyboard will return to typing lower case.

 

In the very old days on manual typewriters (and then on electric typewriters, don't know about electronic ones), the way to disengage/release/turn off CapsLock was to press the Shift key - it was a mechanical action - and because that option has always been available in Windows I've always changed the setting to suit the touchtyping I learned donkeys' years ago on a manual typewriter.

 

 

2014-07-16 07_44_42-Text Services and Input Languages.jpg

 

 

(Another thing I like about Shift releasing Caps is that when you're typing passwords or suchlike, you don't even have to look to make sure you're not in Caps, just hit Shift and you know you are in lower case.)

 

These are the myriad options you get in Mint, and I can't see the one I need.  What the hell do they mean by "Pause"?  Well I've tried a few and cannot find one that will make the Shift key disengage CapsLock.

 

2014-07-25 16_17_13-Mint keyboard options - paddy.malcolm@gmail.com - Gmail.jpg

2014-07-25 16_16_48-Mint keyboard options - paddy.malcolm@gmail.com - Gmail.jpg

 

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

"Most computer keyboards are designed to send scancodes to the operating system, rather than directly sending characters. From there, the series of scancodes is converted into a character stream by keyboard layout software. This allows a physical keyboard to be dynamically mapped to any number of layouts without switching hardware components – merely by changing the software that interprets the keystrokes. It is usually possible for an advanced user to change keyboard operation, and third-party software is available to modify or extend keyboard functionality." (source)

 

I have no envy for your predicament.

 

I even have difficulty comprehending the words used in the Keyboard Layout Options section, the task at hand I can assist you no more with, unfortunately.

 

All the best.

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Thank you for putting your mind to that, Anthony 🙂

 

I am now on Peppermint 5 and have someone important working on the CapsLock/ShiftKey problem *puffs chest*.

 

Urgent Q:

 

Thoughtlessly I allowed Chromium to sync with all my Chrome browsers, which means that NotScripts has been installed - but I can't see how to add my password so it is crippling the browser, forbidding every-blooming-thing.

 

In Windows I can copy the NotScripts directory pathway into a folder's address bar, search, and find the appropriate folder for entering password - but in Peppermint I cannot copy the directory pathway and cannot find the folder by other means - like looking around Woman Frustrated

 

If I disable NotScripts in Chromium it disables it in all my other Chromes.  I tried to figure out how to select what to sync and what not, but no luck.

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)



I've reinstalled Peppermint on top of itself but will need to install a different browser to avoid the sync problem.

 

HOWEVER!

 

Has anyone tried BODHI LINUX?

 

(If you play the video, beware the opening blast.)

 

It looks great, especially because I have found someone who's installed it on a Chromebook - and not just any Chromebook, but the Acer C720, which I own.

 

Minimum requirements (take note, OE!) 300+MHz CPU, 128MB RAM, and 2.5GB hard drive space.

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Well!  Here I am in Bodhi 😮 via the built-in Midori browser, which seems to navigate the Community faster than Windows with Pale Moon.

 

HOWEVER (you see that word frequently from me 😉 ) ... I've installed Bodhi without reading anything first and my desktop is in a helluva mess.  But hey!  I'm on the internet with a tiny netbook on my lap.

 

It looks as though there is no access for disabling the touchpad or changing keyboard keys, but next time I'm awake and not busy I'll bother them on their forum.  Maybe I'll Bodhi it (you can't Google on naked Bodhi).

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)


@*scyllabub* wrote:

 

It looks as though there is no access for disabling the touchpad


Oops!  Fn+F3 does it, but I expect it will have to be done at every boot-up.

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I ran Bodhi for a short while about a year ago. In the end I found it a little flakey in some respects and the repos were rather limited, so I replaced it. It may have improved by now though.

 

At present I run OpenSUSE on my main PC and Peppermint on my laptop - very pleased with both.

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I was beguiled by the Bodhi video, including the soundtrack.  What's good about this is that one can swap distros quite quickly, especially if the features one requires are limited.

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Every now and then, I venture cautiously into something other than the safety blanket of Mint.

 

I'm typing this on an old Toshiba L100, with a 1.6GHz Celeron and 881MiB of RAM (the rest of the one gig is used by the graphics chip.) A few months back (quite a few months back), I installed PCLinuxOS MATE edition.

 

It really flies along very nicely. I've had hassles with PCLOS in the past. The KDE version has always been  a) rather beautiful  b) a little too heavy for my low powered computers. The GNOME edition was great, but didn't last long.

 

My only real problem so far is that the graphics can be problematic - although that could be the hardware itself. Occasionally lines of text on web pages run together, for instance, although a bit of scrolling often disentangles them.

 

Otherwise, though, it really seems a pleasant and sturdy system on older equipment.

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)


@otherego wrote:
Occasionally lines of text on web pages run together, for instance, although a bit of scrolling often disentangles them.

 


Well I get that now on some sites, even with a quad-core processor and 10GB of RAM Cat Frustrated

 

I nearly downloaded a free Linux tutorial via MakeUseOf, but chickened out when they wanted too much info 😉  What I'm saying is, I don't understand things like PCLOS.

 

Are you saying that support ended for Gnome and that was why it "didn't last long"?

 

I must say, something that flies along on your L100 looks very interesting indeed!

 

 

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

I suspect we'll be seeing several updates, as experts delve deeper.

 

The nice thing about open source is the speed of the response, I must say.

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Hi OE

Since my post on the 25th, I have had three more updates...

 

If I type the following 2 commands in a terminal...

 

[1] echo $BASH_VERSION

Gives me:-

4.3.11(1)-release

 

[2] sudo find . -name bash\* | grep bash_4.3\* | grep bash_4.3\*

Gives me:-

./var/cache/apt/archives/bash_4.3-7ubuntu1.4_amd64.deb

./var/cache/apt/archives/bash_4.3-7ubuntu1.3_amd64.deb

./var/cache/apt/archives/bash_4.3-7ubuntu1.1_amd64.deb

./var/cache/apt/archives/bash_4.3-7ubuntu1.2_amd64.deb

--------

As you can see, I am presently at version 1.4 [upadted on 27th] - the lads have been "on the ball"

 

Have been updating my system slowly - as time permits - between hols etc.

 

Prently on dual boot from Win7 - default being Mint17 - VBox with Vista [Sorry GC, but intend to drop my scanner on one of the Windows] also tried/have Puppy.

 

Will be VBoxing Win8 when have time - I did take a few screenshots [some awhile ago] - poss post later.

 

Oxie...

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Correction - should only be ONE " | grep bash_4.3\*"

 

0d 0A - unix linux!!!

 

Oxie...

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Here be one Screenshot - about a month ago....

 

Do you like the "Clock" OE on Linux  Smiley Wink

 

Screenshot from 2014-08-30 13:07:47.jpg

 

Is the image squeedyyyging the clock - looks odd on a preview?

 

Oxie...

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Heyho, no more Linuxing for me, of any distronic variety.  I've given the netbook to my brother because I simply couldn't get decent performance out of it.  He, believing in paying nothing for software, has installed Windows 7 Ultimate on it - best of luck to him!

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Goodness - a W7 Ultimate licence - seems a lot to spend on a second hand netbook!

 

Linux ain't to everyone's taste. I like it because, among other things, it reduces self-induced disasters. And reinstallation is such a doddle compared with even W7 - which in all fairness has a nice installer, especially compared with XP and earlier.

 

There's no denying that some computers simply don't make friends with Linux, though. I'm having continuing problems trying to get a couple of wireless dongles working on desktops - I vaguely wonder whether Mint 17's support for this sort of thing is worse than Mint 13's. A delightful distro otherwise.

 

Touch wood, I still feel no urge to go back to Windows, except for fun on old machines that came with it.

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Re: The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

Hi, oxie - yes, I like the clock.

 

I'm envious. My computer simply can't run W8 onwards in VirtualBox, as the CPU lacks virtualisation support. I really need to win the lottery and get a computer that's less than eight years old.

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I bet it's a question of priorities, OE Cat Tongue

 

Oh, and the fact that you love the struggle ❤️

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you love the struggle - aluta continua! (I think.)

 

To be honest, I like the quiet life. Still, it can be fun when computers misbehave. Except when you're actually trying to achieve something.

 

I'm posting this from Ubuntu 14.04. I'm honestly not a great Ubuntu fan, preferring the offshoots, but I'm slowly warming to the funny UI. Including advertising in the search function is really irritating, but this was easily turned off in privacy settings.

 

Surprisingly quick and light on resources. It's an old laptop with 2GB of RAM, and it all seems pretty quick. The laptop lacks a hard drive (and battery, and and and), and I've installed Ubuntu (full installation, not a "persistent install") to an old Sandisk 8GB flash drive - one of those with the metal finish and transparent rubber covers. Pretty sturdy, but not quick - and that showed when l updated the system. Writing to the drive is very slow, but that's no Ubuntu's fault. 3.1GB remain available, according to the System Monitor. That might improve slightly with apt-get clean, I suppose.

 

I may yet learn to love Ubuntu.

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