The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

[ej-solutions]

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).

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Just skimming the surface

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[otherego]

And:



One might now have posted pictures of both Puppy's desktop and of Puppy's hard drive use.

Or not.

[ej-solutions]

See post 2 on Puppy & Wireless ;-)

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[*scyllabub*]

That looks hopeful, EJ 🙂 I can't remember which issues belong to which distros now, am thoroughly addled.

I presume that to use GParted to sort out the Linux partition I have to go into Ubuntu and download and install it there, it's no good installing it in Windows - OK, will do that now and familiarise meself. When my SD card arrives I shall put Puppy on it (it looks great, OE 🙂 ), but will wait to compare the new Mint before installing anything.

[ej-solutions]

Boot from most Linuxes to get GParted, CD, flashdrive or SD card. No need to download/install.

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[otherego]

I presume that to use GParted to sort out the Linux partition I have to go into Ubuntu and download and install it there

No need - it's included in Ubuntu - and in most distros, including Puppy.

It can't resize partitions which are actually being used - if you have a look at the screenshot (told Steve he was going to regret teaching me that, but I'm still very grateful) in post 806, you'll see that two of the partitions have a symbolic key next to them.

That means that they are locked away from GParted's activities beyond a simple scan - and they are the partitions in use by the distro I was running at the time (Mint). Prevents a distro wiping itself off the hard drive.

It could, however, modify any of the partitions not currently in use.

The best way to run GParted is from a live CD, which allows you to do whatever you wish to any partition on the computer. This makes it useful to keep a note of the details of your various partitions, including their size, to double-check that you're deleting the correct partition.

In reality, the risk is very small. The experts always seem to recommend backing up data before any partitioning, just in case.

If it's any help, I've installed all sorts of stuff that I never use - just for the fun of it, or to try something out. This has used slightly less than 4GB of the /root partition. I'd honestly be surprised if most of use ever needs a / partition larger than 5 or 6 GB. although I often see 10 GB suggested.

And usefully, modern Linux distros will read from and write to NTFS - so you can experiment with shared data partitions (allowing Linux and Windows some common storage space for files you want to use in both.) Perhaps ej could say more about this? I've only tried it a couple of times, and haven't used it as much as I anticipated.

One small caveat. If you download an infected file, it will almost certainly have no effect on your Linux installation. Opening it from the Windows installation could produce a surprise... On the remaining machine with a shared data partition, I scan files with Clam before saving them to the shared partition.

When I remember.

[*scyllabub*]

Interesting info, thank you OE.

On the subject of netbook's desktop space - I am finding Firefox's 4 lines above the tabs take up too much space. I've removed the Bookmarks toolbar, that helps. Googling 'alternative browser' found me a discussion on this very topic, and the following browser, Iron, was a suggestion - I wondered if anyone knew about it:

http://www.srware.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1031

[*scyllabub*]

... It says "execute the binary file" to install it, but how do I identify a binary file?

I can hear the gasps of disbelief from here, watch what you say X-( :^O

[grumpy-cook]

I'm not sure why you would have 4 lines above the tabs on Firefox Scylla. I have only 3 and that includes the bookmarks toolbar. You can customise it so it's fairly compact.

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[grumpy-cook]

Iron is based on Chrome, so I certainly won't bother.

Just a tip Scylla, if you want to install something on your Linux system, check in the package manager first, it may be available in your distro's repositories. For example, Iron is available in Synaptic on PCLinuxOS which I am running.

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[*scyllabub*]

Thanks for tip 🙂

I can't do you a screenshot of FF, I need to get Irfanview's equivalent for Linux (Ubuntu Netbook Remix has F-Spot photo manager, which I can't see how to paste a screenshot into). However, I was counting the taskbar in the number of FF's rows, most unfair of me cos it's only the equivalent of Windows' one along the bottom.

One other thing I've noticed - when my netbook is running Ubuntu the brightness is unstable; it doesn't happen with XP.

Never mind :)

[ej-solutions]

Virtualmin is interesting, G-C ;)

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[ej-solutions]

Irfanview runs fairly happily in Wine/Wine-doors :)

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[grumpy-cook]

I run a handful of websites (3 of my own and a couple for friends) on my server EJ, using Virtualmin for the virtual domains.

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[otherego]

Scylla's screen brightness problems - this seems to have happened before with similar netbooks. A couple of comments from Ubuntu bug reports:

i figured out that if i kill gnome-power-manager and then restart it with the --no-daemon option the flickering goes away and I get to keep the power manager. very odd....


Issuing:
xrandr --output LVDS --set BACKLIGHT_CONTROL combination
makes the flickering disappear.

The entire thread is at:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/hal-info/+bug/415023

complete with other rather more intricate workarounds.

Not sure whether it applies to 10.04, though.Might be interesting to try a couple of the simpler cures before replacing Ubuntu with your next distro, though.

I used Gimp for my screenshot experiments in Mint - if it's not already in Ubuntu, then it's bound to be in the repositories and easily obtainable through Synaptic (forget whether Ubuntu has an additional software manage as Mint does.)

[otherego]

Software manager.

My typing is getting worse and worse.

[*scyllabub*]

Could anyone recommend a second browser for Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Remix? I like to have 2 different ones on the go, it helps me to... I dunno, it just helps me ?:| :O

[*scyllabub*]

Ok, as no-one responded within a few seconds I found Opera for Linux and it has installed seamlessly and is working smashing 🙂

Strange thing, but when I use Opera in Windows it can't handle the smiley icons in my e-cig forum, I have to type them in; but in Linux there is no such problem 😮 That'll show 'em :)

[otherego]

Such... patience!

Opera does seem to like Linux, doesn't it? I still prefer Firefox and the ability to customise it easily with add-ons, but suspect that Opera might actually have an edge where performance is concerned.

No sign of Mint 9 yet. Better that they make sure it's really ready before releasing it. But there's going to be a real rush on the servers.

Peppermint Linux OS might be worth a look. It seems to concentrate on cloud-based computing. I have reservations about cloud computing/web based apps, but this might just be because I know nothing about them.

My concerns exist at two levels. First, if you are temporarily without internet connection, presumably things grind to a halt. Secondly, I can't help wondering about the privacy implications of web-based apps such as Google Docs - given Google's indifferent reputation where privacy matters are concerned.

I'm downloading it, anyway. Be interesting to see whether it will install to my increasingly cantankerous Virtual Box setup. It's supposed to boot and run very quickly. Could be a nice netbook app, I suppose, and if one can add conventional Office apps like OpenOffice.org or Abiword, it might prove a lightweight distro usable without necessarily involving the internet.

[ej-solutions]

One to have a look at:
http://www.zorin-os.webs.com/
?:|

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[grumpy-cook]

Is it just me or is there a problem with DistroWatch? I'm just getting timeouts when I try to go there.

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