migrate from windows to linux (using an old computer)

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41 comments
Jun 19, 2007. 7:15 AMheyzuphowsitgoin says:
which would u reccomend-windows vista, xp, some linux thing, or mac os x?
Feb 19, 2009. 5:45 PMrocketman221 says:
I would reccomend linux over vista. however even dos is better than vista.
Mar 14, 2009. 12:58 AMcountable says:
Its a bad idea to recommend any OS to someone since we don't actually know what they want to use it for. Its ok saying linux over vista but what if this guy wants to play his windows games? Thats right he can't because WINE still doesnt offer a good enough conversion to be a viable alternative to windows. If he wants to program, network or mess around with linux thats fine because it does those things better than any windows OS ever could. I'm not saying vista is without problems, i'm merely stating that every OS is used for different things, so one OS is not necessarily "better" than the other.
Dec 13, 2009. 10:45 PMdarkclaw42 says:
 Anything is better then Vista, sadly. 
Apr 22, 2009. 11:09 PMabadfart says:
ya like i need something that imitates itunes with the TV,music videos and movies
Jul 2, 2007. 2:06 PMthreecheersfornick says:
KUBUNTU. KDE rocks.
May 22, 2008. 11:12 AMlittlechef37 says:
yes kde rocks but not for older machines. xfce is better for slower machines.
Jun 29, 2007. 2:04 PMIbanezfoo says:
Use whichever suits you most. The one that has the supported programs you will be using. There are more games on Windows platform.
Jun 13, 2009. 5:06 PMzitz says:
I have '98 with 80 gig hard drive and not much ram what do you recomend
Nov 16, 2009. 2:22 PMCubie2 says:
Ubuntu or puppy linux.
Apr 4, 2008. 4:40 PMjak06 says:
can you install of a usb drive
Mar 14, 2009. 1:00 AMcountable says:
You can run a whole OS from a usb stick, google UNetBootIn.
Apr 18, 2009. 10:55 PMpoop11346 says:
in ubuntu 8.10 u can do off live cd
Jun 27, 2007. 4:54 PMduct tape says:
There is one virus that has been discovered to be cross-platform, on intel machines. (it was coded in assembler/assembly)
Mar 14, 2009. 1:02 AMcountable says:
That must've been a nasty one to get rid of, if its in the intel assembly code...
Jan 5, 2009. 12:48 AMEx Marine says:
windows XP also has those 4desktops but linux is safer
Sep 27, 2008. 8:40 PMrocketman221 says:
will this work on an old computer. because i have one sitting around doing nothing it has a 133mhz cpu 64mb ram and a 2.5 gig hd.
Nov 7, 2008. 4:53 PMkillersquirel11 says:
It should, but if not there are always other distros available that can run smaller and faster (i think that one of the smallest is "damn small linux", though i'm not sure how user friendly that is.)
Sep 13, 2008. 2:31 AMchaoszerom says:
i am wondering, can you emulate a windows build on any version of linux? I was thinking of installing it, but i might want to play windows games like sims, etc.
Jul 3, 2008. 10:02 AMlittlechef37 says:
When choosing a Linux distro you must MUST go buy a pack of cds and try a couple of distros. If you just pick one because it looks pretty then your not going to get what you need.... All distros use different desktop environments, some environments are designed for slower computers and some are designed for customizable computers.

K DESKTOP ENVIORMENT (KDE) is highly customizable but on older machines it can be a bit of a resource hog, another plus for kde is it looks nice and its similar to windows so switching wont be hard.
Stay above 128mbs of ram with say a 350mhzz processor

Gnome isn't as customizable, but on an older machine it will run a bit quicker than kde. It dosent require as much power from your computer as KDE. Its a nice simple DE and is also easy to switch to. However I wont give it any lower specs than KDE.

XFCE and FLUXBOX
These DEs can run on Pentium ones if you choose the right distro. They are very small and light. They require little resources. Sometimes there not the simplest to use
If your using a live CD 128mbs of ram.
If you are using an alternate install disk 16mbs of ram is the lowest on say 100mhz.

What is expressed above is soley my opinion...

Most big Linux distros will give you a choice on desktop enviorment. For e very large but it is similar to example Ubuntu uses gnome but you can also get ubuntu as kubuntu which runs KDE, it also comes in the form of xfce,known as xubuntu. Best for slower cmputer. However not all distros change there distro name for the desktop environment they run.

For someone running windows who wants to convert to Linux try something you can run from a usb drive. It is a good way to learn linux without installing it to your hdd and having a little more speed than a live cd. For info on usb installs try this. ( I recommend slax)

When you boot into linux and search around a bit you probably wont find Disk defragmentor, this is because linux dosent throw its files everywhere. it sorts them into little file cabinets. Instead of linux using a filesystem like NTFS or Fat, Fat32..... it uses (ussually ext3 (third extended filesystem)

Another thing about linux. When installing it if you do a manual install it will ask you for a to make partions. You have to have a ROOT this is like the C:/ in windows. It is just a / . That is the main part of the drive linux is installed here.
You will also be asked to make a swap partion. This dosen't have to be very large. It is similar to ram but it is on your hard drive. However swap is less efficient than ram.

OK I hope I added some more information to the Linux users of the future.

Nice instructable but dont leave us going ahhhhhh...
Jul 3, 2008. 10:11 AMlittlechef37 says:
Ok one more thing, you will probably start noticing things like hda1 hda2 that is equal to two partions on a hard drive. sda1 and sdb1 is equal to 2 different drives sda adb and etc are usually flash drives. Someone correct me if I am wrong but it can also be a sata drive ?? Ok after 15 minutes of and two comments I thin I have a comment longer than this 'ible.
Mar 5, 2008. 3:01 PMsharkstun97 says:
linux the twin brother o windows LOL
Jul 3, 2008. 9:20 AMlittlechef37 says:
Yeah windows is the evil twin......
Mar 9, 2008. 4:07 AMghostaliaz says:
Oh I forgot but Slax is one of the fastest as in speed because it is not bloated.
May 22, 2008. 11:11 AMlittlechef37 says:
Slax is awesome... but kde is a resource hog Wolvix is faster.....
Apr 11, 2008. 4:33 PMYerboogieman says:
i hate kubuntu..... :-| it sucks, get ubuntu
Mar 9, 2008. 4:04 AMghostaliaz says:
Mepis Linux,Dream Linux & PCLinuxOS to me are some of the best Linux Distro's because they come from jump with all of the codecs to play any & Mostly every video & audio file & some of the older versions atleast in dream linux included dvd playing ability which Ubuntu & Kubuntu leaves out infact the ubuntu fam leaves out everything & then after you istall it then you have to go a fish for everything which sucks about other linux distro's. That is why I like Mepis linux, Dream Linul 2.2 & also PCLinuxOS
Jan 30, 2008. 6:46 PMalvincredible says:
hmm. what's going on!?! im using a really really old computer so maybe thats whats going on. theres this thing at the bottom that says "Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!" what the heck does that mean? ahah i mightve booted wrong or something. the main the "Primary Master" doesnt seem to be working either. ahha :-( i'm confused.
Jan 30, 2008. 7:30 PMalvincredible says:
nvm must be the computer. i feel so stupid now, i just clicked install linux and now its freaking erasing all the old stuff on there...and it was my dad's old computere from his office and he needed some files...lol -_- shoot. oh well, it worked, or is working nonetheless. i'm in the middle of tetris now.
Jul 6, 2007. 1:00 PMheyzuphowsitgoin says:
i found a free .iso burner i dont no if it works. if ne1 is in a hurry and wants to try somthin, heres the link: http://www.download.com/Active-ISO-Burner/3000-2646_4-10612384.html?tag=lst-0-1
Jun 26, 2007. 7:07 PMduct tape says:
Are linux excecutables .exe, or is that specific to Windows? What I hate about my computer is that my wireless adapter to get internet is windows specific. So I can use linux for programming and stuff like that, but I am forced to use windows for the internet.
Jun 29, 2007. 2:01 PMIbanezfoo says:
They aren't "." anything. You can put an extension on the Linux executables if you want, but it doesn't mean anything in the context you are asking. In general, Linux doesn't use file extensions in the way Windows does.
Jun 29, 2007. 1:55 PMIbanezfoo says:
An RPM is not like an EXE, its more like a ZIP or RAR file. It is a package of files. RPM = RedHat Package Manager
Jun 27, 2007. 1:34 PMduct tape says:
Doesn't linux also have ELF?
Jun 29, 2007. 1:57 PMIbanezfoo says:
Linux executable binaries are ELF. They do not have an "ELF" extension if thats what you are asking.
Jun 29, 2007. 2:40 PMduct tape says:
Thank you for clearing that up for me.
Jun 26, 2007. 7:08 PMduct tape says:
I am currently using SLAX by the way.
Jun 29, 2007. 1:50 PMIbanezfoo says:
This is ok for a basic tutorial but you might want to remove the part about no viruses as it is misleading. There are certainly viruses on Linux systems and have submitted a few myself to Trend that I've come across.

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