Re: [libreoffice-users] Migrating from Windows; take it slow

LiveCD/DVD is the only way to see as many distros as possible to figure 
out which one may be best for you.  Even though there are limits on what 
you can do with a LiveCD, it was the only way I knew of, back then, to 
really decide which version of Linux, and desktop environment I wanted 
to use.

As for Banking and other things on Windows, there are "secure" browsing 
apps that will not leave any traces.  There are even ones that will hide 
who you are from the web sites through a portal service where you can 
browse in safety knowing the web sites will get no info from your 
system, since they only see what the service lets them see - false 
stuff.  I do not remember where you can get these services anymore, but 
in the mid 2000's I saw a few of them when I was looking for free 
services to help with Windows security problems.

Back to Windows to Linux. . . .

Well, I remember the days when I had to try different version of Linux 
via a Windows VM system.  Back then Mandrake, Red Hat, and others tried 
in that classroom environment.  That is when I decided that Linux might 
be something to try out on a "spare" computer.  All I had in those days 
were P4 based systems running 333MHz to 500MHz for CPUs.

Now it is much easier to see a lot of different distros, as long as you 
have the bandwidth to download .iso files of their LiveCDs or Live 
DVDs.  I think I still have about 5 or 10 different distro and desktop 
environment combinations on Live "media" in my software drawer.  That 
drawer had mostly Windows software and the media I got with my 
computers, printers, and other hardware, but I keep Linux related CDs 
and DVDs there as well.  It is a 36" by 18" by 8" and it is stuffed.

But, for now, if you are a Windows user, I really believe that you take 
it slow and keep both your Windows system and a Linux system going at 
the same time.  If you have the hard drive space, a dual boot option 
seems a good one when you do not have a spare system. I use a Dell 
Laptop with Vista as my dual booting system.  I installed Ubuntu 10.04 
on it, then upgraded it to 12.04 a few months ago, but decided I did not 
like the Unity/tablet style of desktop and added MATE desktop 
environment to it.  If you like using Ubuntu 10.04's GNOME 2.x desktop, 
this works better than any GNOME option that 12.04 comes with.  MATE 
works as a 12.04 replacement for the type of desktop I got use to with 
my desktop, which I still run 10.04 on.

The big issue for most people who go from Windows to Linux, is the lack 
of drivers for some older hardware [dedicated drivers for very specific 
hardware] that use USB or are specialty cards.  Then their may be 
problems with drivers for the most up-to-date printers and their extra 
non-printing functions.  Epson printer/scanners have problems with the 
scanner part for some distro versions.  HP seems to work the best for 
Printer and Scanner options for Linux systems, or at least in my case.

So the big issue with some people will be finding a distro that works 
with all their hardware.  Live media version of a Linux version does 
help there.  If your hardware works then and there, you are set.  My HP 
laptop had problems finding a distro that would work with its sound 
system.  That was in the days of Ubuntu 9.04, and that was the only 
LiveCD version that worked with that laptop's audio system.  HP Pavilion 
zv6123 AMD64 Athlon powered laptop.  I no longer need it to be my Linux 
system, so it is back to XP/pro and it is used as my primary laptop I 
take to users who need help with their Windows systems.  I have a faster 
laptop, Dell, but I rather not take it if I can.


On 07/24/2012 09:26 AM, Tom Davies wrote:
> Hi :)
> That sounds the perfect way to try it.
>
> Tim (Webmaster at Kracked Press) made a good point about trying LiveCds to just test-drive various 
> distros.  Trying a few is really ideal.
>
> Ubuntu might be a good one to start with but it is designed to be comparable with the latest Windows so 
> it is often more heavy and bloated than other distros.  Fedora is quite good because it also tries to 
> be quite plug&play but it's often the experimental cutting-edge and used as the test-bed for trying 
> apps ahead of other distros (well, ahead of Redhat at least).  Anyway the best thing is to try a few 
> distros to see what works best for you on your machine and then install it.  All distros cover the 
> middle-ground and a wide-spread of different machines but each distro seems slightly better at certain 
> wacky combinations of real-world machines.  Does anyone really have a 'typical' machine in a 'normal' 
> set-up??
>
> I really wish Windows had an equivalent of the LiveCd session that almost every distro seems to 
> have these days.  I think if i did internet banking i would want to always do it from a LiveCd and 
> thus leave no trace of it on which-ever machine.
>
> Regards from
> Tom :)
>
>
>
> --- On Tue, 24/7/12, Chaim Seymour <chaim.seymour@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Chaim Seymour <chaim.seymour@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [libreoffice-users] Migrating from Windows; take it slow
> To: users@global.libreoffice.org
> Date: Tuesday, 24 July, 2012, 14:02
>
> Hi
>
> I can offer another option, which I find very satisfactory. My previous
> laptop had windows vista and was unsatisfactory. When I bought a new
> computer (with Windows 7), I formatted the disk on the old computer and
> installed Linux. I tried 2 or 3 different linux packages and since my
> computer was weak, I settled for Fedora which seems to use less resources
> than Ubuntu.
>
> The computer used to get very hot with Vista, but behaves much better with
> Linux.
>
> I use both laptops in parallel, but tend to use the Linux more.
>
> Chaim
>
> On 24 July 2012 12:36, Keith Bainbridge <keithrbaugroups@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On Sun, 22 Jul 2012 13:41:59 -0400 webmaster-Kracked_P_P
> > <webmaster@krackedpress.com> wrote:
> > > Anyone who really wants to learn how to use Linux as a replacement
> > > for Windows, try dual booting a system if you do not have a spare one
> > > to try Linux with as its only OS.
> >
> > G'day.
> >
> >
> > The other option for the odd trip back to windows is virtualisation.
> > Mostly, you can tell the system to let windows use a device as if you
> > had booted into windows
> >
> > Regards
> >
> >
> > Keith Bainbridge
> > PO Box 324
> > BELMONT Vic 3216 Australia
> >    +61 (0)408 522 706
> >
> > keith.bainbridge.3216@gmail.com
> >
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