Replacing XP with Linux

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Any ideas on replacing XP SP3 with Linux?
The system has Intel P4 2.80Ghz (x2),800Mhz Bus,no VT-X,4G Ram.
If possible the Linux OS would allow me to use or convert to use the xp saved pics and video files.
Thank You in Advance.

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The video files, depending upon their format, may need a codec to run in Linux.
(just as in many instances you’ll need a codec to run in Windows)
But that shouldn’t be any kind of issue as you can get many types of codecs for Linux.

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Thank You, That’s good news.
I was also wondering,and not specific enough,about which Linux is easiest and versatile for xp refugees,(maybe mint?).
After i move over, i’ve got some friends to help out.

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I was also wondering,and not specific enough,about which Linux is easiest and versatile for xp refugees,(maybe mint?).
After i move over, i’ve got some friends to help out.

I’ve used Ubuntu 14.04 and LinuxMint 16 Cinnamin on an Intel Core 2 Duo with nVidia Geforce and 4GB of RAM (not necessary to have that much) and I have to say that LinuxMint is probably your best bet. It is very similar to XP and I can actually run Quicken 2013 Deluxe through Crossover with no problems. Ubuntu running same would crash. Don’t understand that since LinuxMint is based on Ubuntu, however it is true. Good luck, and welcome to Open Source!

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I’m pretty sure VLC Media player has a Linux version and that plays most video formats. Irfanview running in WINE (emulation) for photos maybe? GIMP for photo editing if you have to time to figure it out. Don’t know what might be the best distro.

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I’m pretty sure VLC Media player has a Linux version and that plays most video formats. Irfanview running in WINE (emulation) for photos maybe? GIMP for photo editing if you have to time to figure it out. Don’t know what might be the best distro.

My Ubuntu 13.10 64-bits installation has a decent Viewer which handles a lot of image formats. For the rest, ImageMagic and several more specialized apps are available from the Ubuntu Software Centre or Private Repositories (PPAs). I also use Pinta, which has features and a look and feel very much like Paint.NET for Windows, but without all the .NET mess (updates issues).

To the OP:
A much more vexing issue is how to make Windows email clients (if you use one) give up their treasures to a Linux email client.
Like UNIX, most Linux email programs have the ability to import and export using the .mbx format. For Thunderbird users, this is nirvana, as this is also pretty much what the Thunderbird format is, once you strip off the extension from the mailbox folders. But for Outlook and other Windows email clients, the problems are very difficult, and made worse by the complete lack of standards for Address Books and other personal data. So this is where some careful planning and clever Web searching will come in handy.
I like the interface of the KDE KMail program, but Ubuntu’s Unity Interface is based on the GNOME interface and uses X-Windows, soon to be replaced with Mir. These two different desktop environments have incompatibilities, so I had to look for a more compatible program. Claws Mail has both a suitable Linux version, as well as a Windows version. But those two versions don’t interoperate well.
So, I ended up having my old Pegasus Windows client export its folders as UNIX .mbx folders. Thunderbird doesn’t know it (in its Import/Export Tools) but this is the same format as Thunderbird’s native format. Once that was cleared up, I transferred the messages from the UNIX mailboxes to genuine Thunderbird mailboxes, and exported these as .mbx mailboxes for use in my Linux Claws Mail. A lot of work, but nearly everything came over intact. It’s a one-off, so I didn’t mind doing all that work just this once.
There is software which claims to allow similar transfers of messages and addresses/contacts from one Windows client to another, but very little seems to be available to transfer Windows email and contacts to Linux clients.

Both of these stories would apply in a similar way to Mint/Cinnamon or other Debian Linux distros.

I would further advise that before converting a XP machine to Linux, you run the Live DVD for your chosen Linux distro on that computer and make sure everything in the hardware has Linux drivers. Video and Wireless Internet are notorious for having showstopper issues in some laptops. Mine (a Toshiba Satellite with hybrid Intel-NVidia graphics) only barely made the cut. Again, a lot of work to set up compared with Windows, and a steep learning curve even if after initial setup you manage to avoid heavey use of the Linux Command Line. But routine maintenance is so much quicker (once you learn to use CloneZilla Live Raring) and the OS is so much more stable than Windows XP, that whatever distro you choose, Linux will reward your efforts with easier everyday usage.

Did I mention that defragging and cleanup are not needed in Linux? Most of us also don’t use antivirus, although Ubuntu and Mint do have a firewall which you can turn on for added safety. Also, DO apply all updates as they are available. A recent GNU-TLS online security bug is very serious, and only some distros have effective patches.

Anyway, this is how it’s been working out for me, nearly eight months after my first encounter with Ubuntu Linux. Mint is just a smaller cousin of Ubuntu.

-- rc primak

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I’ve been preparing for a similar move for months, after using the site OSDisc.com to order/have mailed, Live/install optical disks for $2.95 each.

The site has a complete listing of scads of Linux offerings (free shipping on orders over $20, generally in my hands within 2-3 days) with complete descriptions, spec’s, etc. You can distribute them to your friends to freely make legal ISO copies.

By loading the live-disk upon bootup (revising your BIOS, if necessary, to boot from disk first) you’ll quickly see what the various flavors have to offer and discover if any of your peripherals are not recognized by specific distro.

If your XP pc is spec’d to successfully run Win7, then select to dual boot the Linux version of your choice for belt & suspenders security. We’re on Win7 and Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, with Ubuntu used almost exclusively.

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Enjoying this talk about replacing XP with Linux.

So, I wondered if there is a way to replace Windows 8 (with its nasty BIOS hardware)? I am sad to say that I bought a laptop and don’t like Win 8 and can’t revert to Win 7 due to the BIOS. Several yrs ago, I played with UBUNTU on an old XP until the MOBO burned out. I wasn’t a serious LINUX guy and never replaced that computer. I would replace it with my laptop if I could.

So, please let me know.

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This gets better;Thanks to F.U.N. .
I am familiar enough with Irfan and VLC

The Mountain is shrinking…

“If we torture the data long enough, it will confess.”…Ronald Coase

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Cinnamon/Mint looks best so far…
Thank You

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Take a look at Zorin. I’ve been using it for a few months and it’s close (in looks) to XP and Win 7 depending on which look you choose.

The install included all drivers and everything worked, even Wi-Fi.

JB

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I would also recommend Mint Cinnamon over distros like Ubuntu for newcomers to Linux.

“The main reason is that Cinnamon, which is the Mint interface I chose to review rather than its close GNOME 2.x-based relative MATE, is designed for power-users who already know how to use a WIMP-style desktop. A Windows XP or 7 user who’s never touched Linux in their life will find Mint Cinnamon far more user-friendly than Metro”.

Quote from Mint 15: Today’s best Linux desktop (Review).

Hope this helps…

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36528-Frazz-mistakes

Thanks for the great help and links!
Mint Cinnamon is on the way,Rick,bought a hard copy yesterday.
Thanks for the Zorin idea,JB…I’ve been reading Tech Republic/ZD Net for ten years,like Windows Secrets,and never noticed any Linux articles geared for home users before.
I’ll add it a bit later with Kali.

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I use Linux Mint 16 Mate 32 bit on an old Toshiba Satellite A100 Pro and it is OK.

BUT, first of all think carefully about what you are accustomed to doing using a Windows OS and make sure that you will be able to do the same in Linux. A simple question is this : “Will my printer work ?”

So, look before you leap. If your answers all come out as “Yes” you will find Linux Mint is good.

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I recently installed an Ubuntu based distribution called LXLE alongside Windows XP on my old desktop. Installation worked like a charm and now I can boot to either one. In addition, my wireless printer installed with a couple of clicks after I figured out how to do it. I was amazed at how easy it was. However, doing something as simple as creating a desktop shortcut took a week of emails to the help desk where the main respondent was ultimately helpful but didn’t immediately know how to do it. I still haven’t figured out how to get Windows Shared Folders with WiFi working from LXLE although it works fine with XP. The problem is that LXLE needs SAMBA or some other additional program to use Shared Folders over WiFi, but I haven’t found anybody who can explain it to a Windows user, and this seems to be common in the Linux world. Namely, there are many LINUX distributions and they are all different. Few Linux experts know all of them and even fewer can provide clear explanations to a Windows user who is not familiar with Linux terminology. There are also many Linux websites that offer help to Windows users, but once again, the advice given by these websites only works for specific distributions and I have found it difficult to know whether the advice applies to my situation. So I think Linux probably CAN replace XP; the problem is getting or finding help when something doesn’t work.

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I recently installed an Ubuntu based distribution called LXLE alongside Windows XP on my old desktop. Installation worked like a charm and now I can boot to either one. In addition, my wireless printer installed with a couple of clicks after I figured out how to do it. I was amazed at how easy it was. However, doing something as simple as creating a desktop shortcut took a week of emails to the help desk where the main respondent was ultimately helpful but didn’t immediately know how to do it. I still haven’t figured out how to get Windows Shared Folders with WiFi working from LXLE although it works fine with XP. The problem is that LXLE needs SAMBA or some other additional program to use Shared Folders over WiFi, but I haven’t found anybody who can explain it to a Windows user, and this seems to be common in the Linux world. Namely, there are many LINUX distributions and they are all different. Few Linux experts know all of them and even fewer can provide clear explanations to a Windows user who is not familiar with Linux terminology. There are also many Linux websites that offer help to Windows users, but once again, the advice given by these websites only works for specific distributions and I have found it difficult to know whether the advice applies to my situation. So I think Linux probably CAN replace XP; the problem is getting or finding help when something doesn’t work.

Linux and Windows do have networking issues. Sharing, naming of Devices, Permissions and Group Policies head up a host of difficulties in any mixed network. Even in a pure Linux network, some of these same issues can crop up.

Also, dual-booting on older hardware with smaller drive capacity is not necessarily a good way to go. If XP is desired to be retained, adding a second drive or using Linux from and external USB drive may be a better way to go. LXLE is most likely one of several “little Ubuntus” developed in recent years for Home Theaters, ARM tablets and dongles, and other tiny tech devices. A full-scale laptop should be able to handle Mint or Ubuntu (32 bits). Mint has a smaller resource footprint than fully-configured Windows XP.

Both Ubuntu and Mint have active online forums which are friendly to Windows refugees like myself. I haven’t ever had to post my own problem, as a keyword search almost invariably turns up several relevant and recent threads for most issues. Just be sure to include the exact distro and version number as terms in the keyword search for your issue. Don’t rely on advice for other versions, other distros or other hardware. And avoid lengthy Command Line Gibberish or BASH scripts. I also avoid WINE solutions. But that’s just me, I guess.

-- rc primak

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I set up a Home Theater PC a few years ago with Ubuntu. Setting up my video card at full resolution and adding Samba and MythTV were both a little difficult but I found google searches on each specific problem usually led directly to an easy solution. I did have to learn a few terminal commands, I could not correct my problems through the graphical interface but using the “command window” was not too difficult. I never had to ask a question and nobody specifically helped me, it was all done through google searches to existing answers.

I don’t have any experience with other Linux distributions but Ubuntu does have a massive user base that may have helped my searches for problem resolutions.

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PCLinuxOS seems to work quite well with older hardware, if that’s an issue. Setting up a dual boot is usually automatic within the installation process. I use Dropbox and Google/Picasa to save files and pictures; both are available to any computer or OS I’m using. An external USB drive would also work, although Samba is easy to set up.

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Thank You,Bob.
Going with Mint 15 to start,will install on secondary drive of 500g,400g available.
If you’d like to mention which sites to look for answers in,i’m all ears…
36553-domestic-spying

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Going with Mint 15 to start,will install on secondary drive of 500g,400g available.

Any particular reason why you’re going for Linux Mint Cinnamon 15 instead of the current release – Linux Mint Cinnamon 16, released November 2013?

It seems to boot faster than Linux Mint Cinnamon 15 and the Software Manager appears to be snappier than its predecessor (and apparently uses less RAM).

Just my opinion but there’s also a couple of new additions I’ve found useful, for example the new USB stick formatter with NTFS and FAT32 support (as I’m still very much in a mixed Windows/Linux environment).

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Hi Silas

My computer spec is similar to yours.

There’s some good advice there above, but as someone who has switched successfully to Ubuntu 12.04 in the last six weeks, there are a few points I’d like to emphasise.

Firstly, nearly all the promises are good: there will be a learning curve, your main problem, but you should soon be able to do most of what you need to, and find a way to do all the rest.

If like me you’re moving away from XP because of April 8th, then bear in mind that if you set up a dual boot system you can keep on running XP safely offline as well. Maybe come online only in short necessary bursts.

One of the problems with Linux is that because it is genuinely free, there are many distributions, versions, because individuals have branched out in their own ways, provided their own versions.

I suppose we will all recommend what we’re familiar with. RMallen says he’s using Ubuntu 14.04 which I thought was coming out next month. Bob Primak is using 13.04. That’s the 2013 version.
I’m using Ubuntu 12.04 LTS from 2012. That LTS is important. It means Long Term Support which means that more effort is being put into making that version stable and getting help from the Community. Check out Ubuntu Forums as well.
Check out Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, if and when that’s operational.

Are these three versions similar? Other loungers may correct me, I think they’re similar to Ubuntu 8, 9, 10 ….

One problem I found in my switch: the terminology. On an Absolute Beginners board I found that the level of understanding expected from me was high. But I persevered, and once I got the system working – with an online connection just happening without effort (three cheers) I could pick away at the problems and solve them.

Two other tips: the UbuntuLinux community is generous with its support. Download the exact version of the Getting Started With Ubuntu manual for your computer.

Try it first. Meaning, create for yourself a hard copy of the DVD of your chosen version. Set the BIOS to boot from the DVD. Run Ubuntu from the DVD. Don’t install. Just use it and experiment. If you’re reasonably happy, take the plunge. Go for dual boot, and Windows XP is still accessible.

We owe these OS engineers a great debt.

Russell

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Thank You,Russell,that is the plan. XP will remain on c drive and i’ve cleared ample room for Mint and any other Linux on d,the secondary.3 hard wired external drives will save docs,vids,etc.,hopefully for access from either os.Two hard drives which i disconnect are home to the backups. So far,i’m hearing my Nvidia 5500 shouldn’t have display problems.
Rick, Cinnamon 15 is the latest found available by mail order,gotta start dancing somewhere,i guess. Thanks to You,i’ll upgrade asap.
36556-mutts-whats-essential

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Thanks Wenkoe !
The more options the better.

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Hi Paul,win 8 pro is downgradeable. See this:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2832566
Maybe upgrade to downgrade?
36600-Dilbert-3-23-14

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Hi Silas
It’s good you’re moving forward. You mentioned a concern about space for the dual systems. LinuxUbuntu appears to count space across existing partitions, and when I had an extra external drive plugged in, it reported an extra 1Tb of usable space. I don’t understand this yet but it suggests capacity won’t be a problem.

Paulbyr
Silas is right about Win 8 being downgradeable, as I found out today. It opens up a new range of possibilities. The trouble with all these new situations though is that you need to talk to someone who knows that precise issue. You should be able to fix on a suitable Linux option on any normal Windows setup.

Russell

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Bob Primak is using 13.04. That’s the 2013 version

Not anymore. I am using Ubuntu 13.10 and intend to upgrade again to 14.04 after seeing what folks say about it for a few weeks. 14.04 will be the next Long Term Stability Release (LTS).

-- rc primak

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Ubuntu 14.04 LTS,
( the next Long Term Stability Release),
should be available April 18, I believe, (and hope!).

Hey!
That’s only 10 days
after Microsoft stops its XP security updates…

An Ubuntu Linux “LTS version”
gets longer support than a “normal non-LTS release”
— 5 years rather than 9 months.
Good….

Ok…bye Microsoft!

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I would not hesitate to start a new OS with Ubuntu 14.04 in April but I find upgrading an existing Ubuntu with working applications better to wait a few months. There are always little configuration changes to look up for the first month or so. Let someone else figure those out and have a “no issues” upgrade later.

I was lazy and upgraded 13.04 to 13.10 just last month and there was still one parameter I needed to look up and correct to keep Mythweb (a web front end for the MythTV home theater program) running.

In general, mainstream Linux distributions will be simple to set up and run but the out-of-the-ordinary applications often need a little tweeking after every upgrade. You usually just need to google the application and the Linux version to see how someone else has already solved the problem. Once every 6 months I need to re-learn how to open an administrative text editor and how to run the 3 or 4 main command window administrative commands because I have forgotton how to do that. Obviously if I lived in Linux every day and had to work with Windows once every 6 months I would have similar problems.

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This topic has slipped away a bit from Silas’ original concerns – are you okay now, Silas?

But it seems a suitable place to raise a few issues for those of us braving open source OSes.

I note you’ve moved up, Bob, to Ubuntu 13.10 and will go to 14.04. Ed McG is not the only one holding back on quick adoption. I’m not going to rush to 14.04. Yes, there could be a few bugs to slow down the early users. But my take is that 12.04 is [/B] a LTS and will be supported for a while yet. I’m pretty new to this and I don’t fancy the extra risks involved in moving from one OK system to another one when it’s not essential.

From Silas’ point of view, he settled on Linux Mint Cinnamon. Hey, if it works, keep it going until there’s a need to move.

Two thoughts: there are mostly techies geeks working in open source, then there’s us bootstrap people, everything we do is an experiment, and risky. Fortunately LinuxUbuntu is pretty robust and our humble efforts will usually pay off.

The other one is a question: If you go on to some of other tech discussion sites: ZDNet, Tech Republic, How-toGeek and lots more, it seems that the only solution for the XP emigrants is more Windows. LinuxUbuntu doesn’t seem to get a look in. What on earth is going on?

Russell

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Agreed, and I did not mean to take the thread off topic.

The original question does deserve some consideration. As do the issues which can make Linux migration difficult. My own experience was that my hardware (hybrid graphics) caused some issues. Hopefully, these will be less of a problem with the shift from X Windows to Mir in Ubuntu 14.04.

-- rc primak

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Agreed, and I did not mean to take the thread off topic.

The original question does deserve some consideration. As do the issues which can make Linux migration difficult. My own experience was that my hardware (hybrid graphics) caused some issues. Hopefully, these will be less of a problem with the shift from X Windows to Mir in Ubuntu 14.04.

Bad news. Mir is not ready for prime time. Mir can be installed on Ubuntu 14.04, but it’s an Alpha version. It will probably cause more problems than it solves. Mir is now scheduled to be default on 16.04.

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I would imagine most people who are still on XP are not the most adventurous types. Any forum discussing change from the most mainstream OS to a new OS would probably stick to the same mainstream. Most applications that work in XP will just work in Win7 or Win8. Most anything can be made to work in Linux but you might have to spend some time researching solutions.

All the basic/mainstream computer functions have alternative Linux applications that are very similar to the Windows applications. You will need to learn a few new commands but the activity should be very similar. At the very worst, you can install a virtual PC and run XP with any remaining applications in a window.

The real question for me would be how far from a typical mainstream user are you and how much work do you want to do to get on board Linux. In general I believe the hardware requirements are lower for most Linux distributions except for allowing for old/obscure hardware that might not have drivers available for Linux.

For me, basic word processing/email/internet is a slam dunk for Linux. After some experience, home theater is a tossup but I slightly prefer Linux over Win7 (I hear home theater is not even part of the basic Win8 package). Other applications like taxes and money managers are probably more difficult in Linux but I do not have experience with those.

Just to throw an off-topic monkeywrench, I set my father up with an Android tablet and he finds that it’s just quicker and easier to grab the tablet than fire up his old XP PC for most tasks. (of course not including taxes and general money management)

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I have an old HP 6515b with an 80Gb hard drive and 2Gb RAM that was running under XP until last week. It doesn’t boot from USB by the way.

I copied all the files I wanted to keep from the 2 user accounts onto an external drive and pared down the partition to the bare minimum, uninstalling all the programs I would no longer need. I then reduced the partition to 30Gb and created a second partition of just under 50Gb formatted NTFS.

I installed Ubuntu 13.10 alongside XP but hated the Dash desktop. I tried to load the Gnome interface to replace it but hosed eveything… BTW, since my laptop couldn’t boot from USB, I had downloaded and burned a great little programme called Plop which loads a USB installer into RAM so you can boot from a thumb drive.

Starting from scratch again, I looked through the alternatives, including Zorin, but eventually settled for Lubuntu, a light version of Ubuntu. It fits on a CD too.

Installing was a piece of cake. The interface is pretty Windows-friendly, unlike the awful Dash. You don’t get all the software bundled as in Ubuntu, but you can always download it.

I copied all the XP personal files back into the home directories of the 2 Lubuntu accounts I created. Everything opens either natively under Lubuntu or using Wine. It also has an e-mail client called Sylpheed that looks a little like Eudora – this may be the Eudora replacement I have been looking for!

The only hiccup was that Lubuntu didn’t support my wifi adaptor. For that I had to connect via LAN and download the Broadcom package. Took at least 3 minutes…:o

I can dual boot to either XP or Lubuntu. I have kept XP for the moment but will probably erase it at some point. It’s a laptop I don’t use much but want to keep as a backup.

So, to answer the initial question, I can definitely recommend Lubuntu

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One thing to keep in mind if you want to switch from XP to Linux is will I be able to perform essential tasks when running Linux? There are Linux replacements for many Windows apps but not all of them.

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I have an old HP 6515b with an 80Gb hard drive and 2Gb RAM that was running under XP until last week. It doesn’t boot from USB by the way.

I copied all the files I wanted to keep from the 2 user accounts onto an external drive and pared down the partition to the bare minimum, uninstalling all the programs I would no longer need. I then reduced the partition to 30Gb and created a second partition of just under 50Gb formatted NTFS.

I installed Ubuntu 13.10 alongside XP but hated the Dash desktop. I tried to load the Gnome interface to replace it but hosed eveything… BTW, since my laptop couldn’t boot from USB, I had downloaded and burned a great little programme called Plop which loads a USB installer into RAM so you can boot from a thumb drive.

Starting from scratch again, I looked through the alternatives, including Zorin, but eventually settled for Lubuntu, a light version of Ubuntu. It fits on a CD too.

Installing was a piece of cake. The interface is pretty Windows-friendly, unlike the awful Dash. You don’t get all the software bundled as in Ubuntu, but you can always download it.

I copied all the XP personal files back into the home directories of the 2 Lubuntu accounts I created. Everything opens either natively under Lubuntu or using Wine. It also has an e-mail client called Sylpheed that looks a little like Eudora – this may be the Eudora replacement I have been looking for!

The only hiccup was that Lubuntu didn’t support my wifi adaptor. For that I had to connect via LAN and download the Broadcom package. Took at least 3 minutes…:o

I can dual boot to either XP or Lubuntu. I have kept XP for the moment but will probably erase it at some point. It’s a laptop I don’t use much but want to keep as a backup.

So, to answer the initial question, I can definitely recommend Lubuntu

Another possibility would have been Mint with the Cinnamon GUI. BTW, I don’t have a Dash. I am using the Unity Desktop, but it presents me with a Sidebar.

-- rc primak

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Thanks to All,esp Russell and Bob.
On 3/29 i got a norton system works 2005 and extracted and installed ghost.
Blew me back to the stone age…..2008 to be exact- (last known good config.–crash, also)
A death in the family slowed my ‘recovery’ attempts and for a few days i lit up off the xp install disc just for critical activities…
My last major crash was in ’08 and boy,it’s hard to remember so much when you don’t do it often….whew!

So,as it stands,i used the norton uninstall tool from their site,and still have this farkinghost partitions and drive letter swaps to remove
before i can even entertain installing Mint.
In my view, my most important task since the crash is to load as many updates to xp as i could gather before support disappeared completely,
(which i think happened around mid day on 4/8,as announced).

Thanks to Phoenix for a Very Strong Bios A12 which now carries 3 complete xp installs while i hunt & peck trying to make them pretty and complete and ready to copy.

Any ideas on how to remove farkinghost partitions w/o damaging xp??
How about a way to copy or clone my xp and related jive to an eternal hd before i advance onto the brave new world?

(have used win bkp and GFI free,but know they’re not true copies themselves…)

no syman/norton products,please

Thanks and Happy Passover,Easter and all the other April Holidays i’ve forgotten.
si
36746-best-free

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ps
i have backups from 3/28 ready to install,but wish to remove farkinghost,etc., first…

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If you want to adjust which partitions are listed in the Partition Tables and really get rid of unneeded partitions, gParted (a Linux based utility) has very powerful tools for getting the job done. I haven’t had any huge disasters using gParted, but have the desired Windows XP partition backed up with a full image just in case. Worse comes to worst, you can reformat the entire drive and put back the XP partition from the image.

-- rc primak

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Bob, Thank You for adding sunshine to the weekend ! I’ll fetch and let you know in a few days.
36761-disservice
from Despair.com site svc page (actually quite good…)

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Bob, Thank You for adding sunshine to the weekend ! I’ll fetch and let you know in a few days.
36761-disservice
from Despair.com site svc page (actually quite good…)

Love the Customer Disservice Image! Sunshine on a rainy Chicago Sunday!

-- rc primak

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Linux install on older hardware will work great, but for very little money ($200-300) you can buy a Chromebook and kiss operating system problems good bye for good. If you are only using the net, email, games online, etc, there is no reason to use Windows or any other operating system. No more updates, no more antivirus, quick boot times, no reason to call a tech person. They just work. In my opinion Microsoft’s end of life decision for XP is one of the greatest selling features of Chromebooks!

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Linux install on older hardware will work great, but for very little money ($200-300) you can buy a Chromebook and kiss operating system problems good bye for good. If you are only using the net, email, games online, etc, there is no reason to use Windows or any other operating system. No more updates, no more antivirus, quick boot times, no reason to call a tech person. They just work. In my opinion Microsoft’s end of life decision for XP is one of the greatest selling features of Chromebooks!

You can also buy a Chromebook, and install Linux on it. Is there anyone here who has done it?

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