Alt OS to Windows / Linux Ubuntu (1 Viewer)

[Elbert]

My neighbor's friend gave me a laptop that was suppose to be dead and is a few years old...3-4...Toshiba.

Anyway all the issues pointed to a problem hard drive as the first choice to replace as windows would not boot and showed to have a corrupted registery.

So I was looking on the net to see what current versions of linux was out and if it was a good bit more mature since I looked at it before, some 2 -3 years ago.

Well the answer is yes... various web sites recommended Ubuntu...so you can download it free from their site and then make an install cdrom from the image file.

Install worked flawless, I wiped the old hard drive and did a clean install of ubuntu and its recognized and configured just about everything that I've tried...without any input from me. Wireless works, email and web work, various ports and apps unique to a notebook work. It also was able to install and configure two older printers that I have both are OKI, using only the network and the internet.

Great option for someone looking for a computer for internet use and whatever else... I'm not sure how well it work windows software (but it will) and you would have to test it out if you were dependent on using ms office applications for work...

Anyway just thought I would post up a good alternative.

Tests show the present hard drive on this notebook has bad sectors so after I mess around with it a while I'll get a new hard drive for it and do a clean install of ubuntu...

I've not tired any in-depth file sharing or anything beyond everyday web, email...and general stuff. But free is pretty good. You can buy the formal cd media from the distributor, for minimal charge.

I would offer the internet support and documentation is good for stuff I've been trying to figure out, but I doubt you'll find much hands on support anywhere unless you have a friend who has interest in linux. So far my experience has been good and its not required me to know any obscure settings or whatever. I do know that you can go crazy with downloading programs and get some conflicts but its easy to wipe that out and start over with a clean install.

For the price of a new hard drive you can have a very nice stable system, or potentially run a dual boot system or just wipe your present hard drive and do a clean install of Linux.

I think a lot of folks coming from windows will like the KDE desktop that you have to install yourself if you don't like the default setup. Anyway just thought I would post this up if anyone is looking for an alternative setup. Linux runs rather smooth and is not near as a resource hog as windows7. Of course I think most of the linux crowd are hardcore computer folks.

There are a number of flavors of linux (distributions) but this one is user friendly so far.

Home | Ubuntu
KDE - Experience Freedom!

 

[Hugh Heifer]

I recently did the same thing for a free shop computer. Also, I had a corrupt boot sector on another laptop and booted from the Linux disc. This allowed me to recover my docs prior to wiping my drive and doing a clean windoze install.

Sent from my thing with Woody's junk.

 

[Elbert]

New version of the Linux software I referenced above...the OS. For home use hard to beat. I don't have first hand how well it runs ms office. But e everything else seems to work. Constant updates and improvements....I'm going to continue with the OS on my "free" laptop and see what happens. Very clean and smooth so far.

Sent from DROID device.

 

[Elbert]

New updated ver of the OS was just released.

Sent from DROID device.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

New version of the Linux software I referenced above...the OS. For home use hard to beat. I don't have first hand how well it runs ms office. But e everything else seems to work. Constant updates and improvements....I'm going to continue with the OS on my "free" laptop and see what happens. Very clean and smooth so far.

Sent from DROID device.

I just used Open Office on the one I loaded it too. I have not figured out file sharing yet from the Windows 7 machine.

 

[Elbert]

I just used Open Office on the one I loaded it too. I have not figured out file sharing yet from the Windows 7 machine.

I know you will have to turn on file sharing in windows 7 and I suspect you'll have to do something similar on the linux box.

I'm using the new version of ubuntu (12.04 I think) along with the present version of the KDE desktop front end, and at times I find that I have to revert back to the unity front end on ubuntu to try and figure out what setting to change.

One difference in linux or at least its different to me...you can change almost anything in linux but finding a graphical interface tool to do that can be a challenge and also understanding what it does to other things.

Ununtu uses a different version of an office application...I belive its called Libre (I've not tried anything with it yet).

I have noticed on my laptop that every now and then the fan will come on and stay on.....and does not go off until the computer is turned off...no matter if battery is charging or not, or if applications are open or not. Its behaving differently in that regard vs. when it had windows. I assume its something to do with the way in which the os interacts with the motherboard.

I did have to remove the email application called evolution since the upgrade to the new ver linux apparently did not agree with it and I'm using thunderbird for email and firefox for web.

I'm going to have break down and buy a book or two, because I'm getting tired of spending time trying to track down a certain setting here and there. That part is a little bit aggrivating...since you can apparently make so many changes its hard to figure out the proper way in which to make whatever setting you want to do and then what tool to use. I stay away from the command line stuff.

 

[werd]

Google searches is where I get most information...I have been running Ubuntu for almost 3 years. Your laptop maybe overheating. Check out this site and look for your model number. http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/toshiba.html You can email me for questions since I am on mud about once a month.

 

[Elbert]

Ok

I don't think its overheating because when it starts the fan you can feel the hot air. But then later when the exhaust air cools off the does not shut off. I'll check the link. I saw a similar issue posted on the ubuntu forum but I've not tried the suggested fix yet.

Laptop will run about 15 min. And then fan comes on and never shuts off.

Sent from DROID device.


edit.... I only had windows on it for a day or two after I got it and I don't recall the fan running continiously like it does now... I'll post up if I find the solution. As I type this I'm on the laptop in question and teh air coming out of the vent on the left side is room temp. Its like it does not knwo when to shut off the fan now.

 

[Elbert]

Newest 'fan' Questions - Page 1 - Ask Ubuntu - Stack Exchange

this is one issue that is apparently a problem across notebook installs...see link

My laptop is a Toshiba Satellite L355-S7915 thats some 3 or so years old.

 

[Hugh Heifer]

I Have it on an older IBM Thinkpad and have not noticed anything.

 

[Elbert]

Well on my older toshibia laptop I had setup dual boot Windows XP and Linux ubuntu... life is not so great. After the last massive update ubuntu has decided to lock me out of the admin account and does not recognize my password anymore. Through what I've read it appears that the "key-ring" may have gotten hosed.

If I can get ubuntu off the laptop without having to wipe the hard drive I will probally do that and maybe use unbuntu on an old desktop I have that I'm collecting parts for to build a cheaper setup.