# Some straight dope on Linux installs. . .
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 13, 2007, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938 "2007-04-13T11:46:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938/1 "2007-04-13T11:46:56Z")
I have a somewhat outdated machine that the wife doesn’t have to use anymore and I want to put Linux on it. For no good reason. . .I just want another platform to mess around on.
Now, I had Linux running on a machine about 10 years ago, but that was the last time I did an install, and I assume things have changed a little since then.
Any specific answers, or general answers would be appreciated:
What am I looking at in terms of an install?
Is there a way to automate any of it from Windows (currently running XP)? What if I want to rid the computer of Windows entirely?
Do I need to create a “boot CD ROM”? Can I download such a thing?
Is this going to be easier if I don’t mind wiping out EVERYTHING that’s currently on the computer?
Are there more popular releases out there now? (I’ve seen Red hat, FreeBSD, something called UBUNTO or something?)
Finally, is there a single website I can just do this all from, or is it easier to purchase a Red Hat distribution at Best Buy or something?
Thanks
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### Author:  [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938/2 "2007-04-13T12:06:06Z")
You can get a CD or DVD Linux now at the book store for 30-50 bucks depending on which version you want to go with. The newer versions do most of the installing for you so basically you answer a few questions and off it goes. I tried a couple of different versions and they all took about an hour or so.
If you don’t want to buy a book you can download a CD from the net, but they are going to be 700megs and you will have to figure out a way to create a bootable CD. Personally I’d just go with buying a book.
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### Author:  [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938/3 "2007-04-13T12:14:28Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk]
I have a somewhat outdated machine that the wife doesn’t have to use anymore and I want to put Linux on it. For no good reason. . .I just want another platform to mess around on.
[/QUOTE]
Good man.
[QUOTE=Trunk]
What am I looking at in terms of an install?
Is there a way to automate any of it from Windows (currently running XP)? What if I want to rid the computer of Windows entirely?
[/QUOTE]
Ubuntu has an Install from Windows option
[QUOTE=Trunk]
Do I need to create a “boot CD ROM”? Can I download such a thing?
Is this going to be easier if I don’t mind wiping out EVERYTHING that’s currently on the computer?
[/QUOTE]
If you download and burn an ISO from all the major distributions, it will be bootable (probably as a LIVE CD that will run the OS from the CD/DVD), and allow you to install it.
Or look at one of the Linux magazines - they usually come with a cover CD of the latest and greatest distro - sometimes several.
You can repartition your disk (fairly safely) and dual-boot windows or linux. I prefer the “burn the ships” approach myself 😉
[QUOTE=Trunk]
Are there more popular releases out there now? (I’ve seen Red hat, FreeBSD, something called UBUNTO or something?)
Finally, is there a single website I can just do this all from, or is it easier to purchase a Red Hat distribution at Best Buy or something?
[/QUOTE]
Ubuntu or or relatives (Kubuntu, Xubuntu) are easy and very popular. Mandriva is good, Fedora Core 6 (based on/supported by Red Hat) is nice, but maybe not a beginner system. OpenSuSE is also popular. Look about on the web, look at the Linux magazines, too. FreeBSD is actually a different operating system, and does not have as much development effort thrown at it.
I recommend Kubuntu, but thats because I never really liked GNOME.
Si
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### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938/4 "2007-04-13T12:55:38Z")
[QUOTE=si\_blakely]
You can repartition your disk (fairly safely) and dual-boot windows or linux. I prefer the “burn the ships” approach myself 😉
Si
[/QUOTE]
So, is that something I do from the “setup” before a windows boot, or from windows, or will it be an option offered to me from a linux boot disk?
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938/5 "2007-04-13T13:07:47Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk]
So, is that something I do from the “setup” before a windows boot, or from windows, or will it be an option offered to me from a linux boot disk?
Thanks.
[/QUOTE]
It will be part of the Boot CD install. I think that the Windows Ubuntu install gives you similar options - but I have never used it. Use the Boot CD method - probably the most reliable and safest.
Si
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### Author:  [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938/6 "2007-04-13T15:23:45Z")
Depending on how old the computer is you might have problems with the newer installs which require at least 64megs RAM. For the even older machines I recommend Damn Small Linux which seems able to have a graphical interface on small RAM machines and a variety of monitors and video cards.
[Go here](http://www.linux.org/dist/list.html) to hunting for that distribution that’s just right.
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### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938/7 "2007-04-13T17:03:10Z")
It’s not that old of a machine. Maybe 512 MB ram.
It’s always been real twitchy. . .odd crashes at odd times. Sometimes it would just disconnect from the 'net for no reason. It didn’t store it’s date properly!
We put up with it for a long time, but we finally got a decent laptop, and so the desktop has just been gathering dust.
For one, I hope that linux can make that machine more effective. But, I’ve also been teaching myself a little bit of web programming and I want something I can screw around with a little more than the laptop.
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### Author:  [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938/8 "2007-04-13T17:15:52Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk]
It’s always been real twitchy. . .odd crashes at odd times. Sometimes it would just disconnect from the 'net for no reason. It didn’t store it’s date properly!
[/QUOTE]
If I may be so bold as to suggest:
Take the case off.
Make sure all the chips are seated properly.
Check the battery for intermittent contact.
Clean all PCB contacts.
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### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-straight-dope-on-linux-installs/399938/9 "2007-04-13T17:21:05Z")
Yeah, I was probably going to get under the hood this weekend before doing an install.
Thanks.