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Thread: Linux for ancient morons ?

  1. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Fester View Post

    Plenty of old laptops on Ebay, older is better as it is likely you don't need to get into the BIOS. Suggest anything from Dell as some were actually shipped with Linux.
    There are some refurbished laptop sellers who might even install Ubuntu for you when you buy it. Contact them first.


    Here you go, ask them:


    These old Latitudes are near unbreakable. Battery is irrelevant if you are just using it at home but replacements are available.
    I have a much older one, the D620 and I am NEVER going to give it away because it has a true COM port. It has Kubuntu, WinXP and Win7 all happily running side by side.
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 07-01-20 at 01:20 PM.
    Update: A deletion of features that work well and ain't broke but are deemed outdated in order to add things that are up to date and broken.
    Compatibility: A word soon to be deleted from our dictionaries as it is outdated.
    Humans: Entities that are not only outdated but broken... AI-self-learning-update-error...terminate...terminate...

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  • #42
    Premium Member M-R's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wotnot View Post
    That, is never going to work with a lots of my users...ie; 50 years old or more, don't know how to get into BIOS, don't want to know how to get into BIOS. My mother uses Debian, she's over 75yo. Expect her to do what you describe? Never going to happen B^) Folks like my mother (and others) will *never* get to use linux, unless someone could install it for them - that simple. Basically I'm just being considerate of what the OP has posted here, and what they've indicated their level of computer proficiency is ; no less, no more. One bloke I've installed linux for, is a retired mechanical engineer ; can/could he install linux? Not a chance, no clue at all -- can I work out the engineering designs he can do? Not a chance, no clue at all. People are different, we need be sensitive to this.
    Obviously we are different: I'm 76, for example. But although a total dickhead, I've always been fascinated by all this .. IT STUFF, and love to expand my horizons (awful lot of opportunity there !). [grin]
    Having found over the past several years that the people on these forums are unfailingly helpful, I believe you all. And so, when Leigh starts prodding my arse to get a move-on to Linux, and others join in with cattle-prods, I accept that if they say I can, well .. I can !
    So I shall !
    P.S. wotnot: isn't it just a matter of pressing the Enter key ?
    Last edited by M-R; 07-01-20 at 01:44 PM.
    I'll tell thee everything I can: there's little to relate ...

  • #43
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    I have a toshiba satellite laptop that has Win 10 on it.
    After reading this thread thought why not give it a try myself to see how easy it is.

    I went to distro watch and did some reading then downloaded both mint and Ubuntu.
    Burnt a disk and stuck the mint disk into the drive. it started up and took me through the process of either a live CD or install.
    Played with the live cd for a while and then just installed it.

    It took me through and I ended up installing side by side with win10.

    When I turn it on I have the option of either win10 or mint. This wsn't intentional but anway down the track it may change.

    I was surprised at how easy the install was (compared to about 10years ago), and it runs really well.

    Just going to play with this again and see what happens.

    Reason I gave up before was that I didn't have the time or patience to play and most of the software I needed was not available on linux or even Mac.

    How times have changed.

    M-R thanks for starting the thread it has rejuvinated the interest

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  • #44
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    Absolutely fab, efab !
    This is the icing on the cake, for me.
    I'll tell thee everything I can: there's little to relate ...

  • #45
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    To be honest it was easier than doing the win10 upgrade from win7

    The old toshiba only has 4gig ram and mint flies along compared to win10, probably because of the bloatware.
    It's clean neat and took some watching the install but only for confirmation popups nothing like MS

    I suppose if you want more software just look for it on the online communities, I haven't got that far but will join them.

    This is nothing like 10years ago where it was more involved to get it up and running, in fact it was rather pleasant for a change.

    cheers

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  • #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by M-R View Post
    <snip>

    P.S. wotnot: isn't it just a matter of pressing the Enter key ?

    There's never a 'safe' answer to that, without knowing what hardware your dealing with (internal components of your computer)...particularly net/notebooks & laptops due to their custom design nature.

    Relative to Debian (which is what I use), it can almost be that simple... I think you're a look&see person, so I would say look at 1 or more of these vids...

    There is of course other youtube content regarding installation of various other linux distros, and quite a number of them are perhaps easier to install than Debian... for instance on old laptop type machines, I find Linux Mint particularly adept, with a simple installation process.

    When someone wants to try the DIY approach to installing their linux distro of choice, typically I suggest watching some youtube vids ~ it engenders one with a better idea of what exactly they're up against, that really can't be portrayed in words quite as well =)

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  • #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by wotnot View Post
    There's never a 'safe' answer to that, without knowing what hardware your dealing with (internal components of your computer)...particularly net/notebooks & laptops due to their custom design nature.
    When someone wants to try the DIY approach to installing their linux distro of choice, typically I suggest watching some youtube vids ~ it engenders one with a better idea of what exactly they're up against, that really can't be portrayed in words quite as well =)
    If you had either time or inclination to browse this entire thread, you'd see that I have been doing exactly that !
    I spend a shitload of time looking at useful videos on YouTube - inluding cooking and knitting/crochet - even though I don't actually subscribe (because I hate Google the company, even though I simply have to use their tools) to any.
    And I agree entirely with your opinion !
    Take your point re bios - I was only showing off, anyway. [grin]
    I'll tell thee everything I can: there's little to relate ...

  • #48
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    FWIW. I can re-boot my Linux box in under 30 seconds. Haven't been under a minute with Windows since last century!
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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    Quote Originally Posted by lsemmens View Post
    FWIW. I can re-boot my Linux box in under 30 seconds. Haven't been under a minute with Windows since last century!
    i have win 7 - xp - ubuntu on different comps
    and my win 7 with I7 + ssd takes 20 seconds from pushing the on button
    to having an window of chrome opened which is actually quicker than the ubuntu
    install on the same comp on its own ssd drive
    Last edited by fandtm666; 08-01-20 at 09:09 PM.

  • #50
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    It's not necessary to purchase a notebook computer with a solid-state hard drive (SSD)!

    Yes, the computer will boot up and execute programs quicker with an SSD than with a conventional hard drive, but waiting a few extra seconds is nothing unless you're the impatient or bragging type of person.

    I have an old Dell Optiplex 980 to which I have fitted a SSD boot drive (it also has a second HDD, which is conventional). I purchased it with conventional hard drives at an online auction some years ago and it does all that I want to do at my stage of (retired) life.

    I installed the SSD in order to satisfy my curiousity about SSD's rather than out of necessity!

    I have two notebook computers, an HP, which is dual boot (Windows 10 or Linux) and a MacIntosh (both recently bought locally from Cash Converters for $200 each).

    Personally, I find them a delight to use.

    Don't allow yourself be bulldozed into paying a lot of money for something that you are not really going to benefit from.

    Incidentally, there is absolutely nothing to "fear" concerning HP computers. I have personally owned a number of HP's (desktop/tower and notebook) over the years.

    I have supplied and maintained my customers with HP computers and always found them to be reliable and easy to work on.

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  • #51
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    Mate ! - sounds like there isn't a lot of spare space where you live.
    What fun it must be to have so many computers and know so much about 'em. I think most of you guys are surrounded by technology ..
    Here it's just me with a laptop. However, at least it will be me with a laptop that makes me a lot happier, ere long. My Sydney IT bloke has re-entered the picture with a reconditioned Dell, of which I have high hopes. More tomorrow, I trust.
    I'll tell thee everything I can: there's little to relate ...

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    Quote Originally Posted by M-R View Post
    Mate ! - sounds like there isn't a lot of spare space where you live.
    True!

    What fun it must be to have so many computers and know so much about 'em. I think most of you guys are surrounded by technology ..
    Hmmmm.....Now that you mention it.....

    Sitting in my workshop, a quick count yields 12 computers in various states or repair/disrepair are within view.

    Here it's just me with a laptop. However, at least it will be me with a laptop that makes me a lot happier, ere long. My Sydney IT bloke has re-entered the picture with a reconditioned Dell, of which I have high hopes. More tomorrow, I trust.
    Good! Please keep us all informed of developments.

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  • #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Fester View Post


    Here you go, ask them:

    These old Latitudes are near unbreakable. Battery is irrelevant if you are just using it at home but replacements are available.
    I have a much older one, the D620 and I am NEVER going to give it away because it has a true COM port. It has Kubuntu, WinXP and Win7 all happily running side by side.
    DAMMIT ! - how did I miss this post ?! Sorry, Uncle - I'm not really as thoughtless as I seem.
    Yes, the only time I take the laptop off power is when I haul it into the kitchen to follow a recipe (I've started doing this to save the printing out of recipes I never make again).
    Heaven knows - I certainly don't ! - what a true COM port is; but maybe it's a hole in the side rather than a virtual port. Idiotic guess, more'n likely.
    Of course the link is gone now. Serves me right.
    Thanks anyway, me old china.
    I'll tell thee everything I can: there's little to relate ...

  • #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by tristen View Post
    True!
    Good! Please keep us all informed of developments.
    Yer a tiger for punishment, tristen ! [grin]
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  • #55
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    A "com" port is actually a serial port, looks a bit like vga (monitor) connector but with 9 (or 25 if really old)pins and male. Time was when your mouse was connected to it. Haven't needed one since about 1990.
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

  • #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by M-R View Post
    I certainly don't ! - what a true COM port is
    99% of people dont even need a com port anymore because most things have gone
    the way of usb and i doubt you would need one in your situation.

    I myself have a few older computers i have scrounged and put aside only because they
    have comports aswell as a few laptops for the same reason.

    my cnc machine and various other things i play with or need to reprogram

    require the 9 pin com port and a couple even need the old LPT1 printer port 25 pin

    you may have seen them referred to as DB9 and DB25 connections
    Last edited by fandtm666; 09-01-20 at 10:47 AM.

  • #57
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    ...but that 1% who needs them, REALLY needs them!
    USB emulations do not always work with external electronic hardware.


    @Tristen, I got my OPTIPLEX 790 out of a skip bin from the tip when I was dumping a few old car batteries.
    Running LINUX/WINDOWS/HACKINTOSH although the latter very wonkey.

    The only time I remember buying a computer new was the Asus Eee PC 1000H in 2008, which was shipped with Linux and $50 cheaper than the Windows version.
    It still works today, even the battery, dual boot with XP and Hackintosh Leopard which runs VERY stable for old powerPC applications.


    @M-R never mind, you will find more older laptops to learn and play around with.
    Are you sure your friends and relatives don't have one lying around ?
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 09-01-20 at 12:57 PM.
    Update: A deletion of features that work well and ain't broke but are deemed outdated in order to add things that are up to date and broken.
    Compatibility: A word soon to be deleted from our dictionaries as it is outdated.
    Humans: Entities that are not only outdated but broken... AI-self-learning-update-error...terminate...terminate...

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  • #58
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    Tristen is correct about HP's, they are ok.
    Installing systems on several new HP machines the biggest hassle I've had is Linux drivers hadn't yet caught up with the hardware for getting wireless working out of the box, easy rectified in a few minutes by installing the drivers manually.
    On the same machines with Win10 it worked OOTB.
    Last edited by Jma; 09-01-20 at 01:46 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Fester View Post
    @M-R never mind, you will find more older laptops to learn and play around with.
    Are you sure your friends and relatives don't have one lying around ?
    If you knew my friends and relatives you wouldn't bother asking: there's one only who is computer-savvy - the sister younger than me - and she recently decided to go over to [unprintable] Apple. I would cut her out of my will, had I aught to leave.

    I dunno what's going on with my ex-IT support from Sydney: he rushes in and rushes out. He's well-meaning, and I fully intend to pay him for his time, but for reasons I don't like to think about I'm not high of his priorities list. Sighh ..
    I'll tell thee everything I can: there's little to relate ...

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    Quote Originally Posted by lsemmens View Post
    FWIW. I can re-boot my Linux box in under 30 seconds. Haven't been under a minute with Windows since last century!
    Before I had my last IT support bloke in Sydney, an earlier one told me that Windows 7 booted up faster than he could get to the door.
    I told him on his second visit that he must work in a REALLY big room.
    Anyway, those two visits were all I could take.
    I'll tell thee everything I can: there's little to relate ...

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