Ubuntu 11 Help, Advice

Ubuntu 11 is being released in a couple days and I'm considering leaving windows 7 to try the new operating system. I've never used them before and am wondering if it would be a relatively easy conversion. My biggest concern is losing some of my windows programs like media center and the ability to record television and the ability to use acronis for backup. Also I have a music library of 220GB...I use mediamonkey and have a creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio card I'm worried won't work.

I could do a dual boot which is probably what I will do before committing but I wonder if I will be able to reach my secondary hard drive or my external hard drive using Ubuntu. Do I need to convert them to fat32 or can I reach my programs, documents and extensive music library even though they sit on an NTFS file structure?

Any advice is appreciated.

You can use the LiveCD to give it a try. I would say it's the best computing decision you will ever make. Please stick to using linux for at least a week - go on freenode IRC channel #ubuntu - they will help you if you get stuck.

reply to post by kinglizard



Hey KL - I don't think you should have too many problems, especially with dual booting.

I dual boot with Linux Mint 10 currently (would recommend checking it out as well), and seem to have no issues getting into my WinXP partition once mounted from my home folder - NTFS.

Linux Mint lets you test out the OS from disc before you actually do anything to your harddrive as well, would be surprised if regular Ubuntu doesn't let you as well. You should also be able to run Wine or the like to access your win programs that aren't linux-compatible.

I think you'll be just fine, always the forums for help if needed.

I'll have to read up about livecd.

reply to post by Praetorius


I read something about wine...is it a virtual machine or does it somehow allow the running of windows software from Ubuntu? I would hate to lose photoshop, mediamonkey and a few others. I'm sure I could adjust to other software solutions in time.

Any need for an antivirus using ubuntu?

reply to post by kinglizard


If this is the audio card it doesn't seem to be compatible... If it were me in your shoes, I'd post into the Mint or Ubuntu forums and get direct help. I just ran a quick check in Mint because it's what I prefer.

you shouldnt have any problems with external drives in ntsc
help.ubuntu.com...
but the sound card may be an issue.
there may be an issue with that sound card, but heres a thread on it
ubuntuforums.org...
have fun and welcome to the real world
just remeber in ubuntu nearly every problem has been addressed in ubuntu forums, just google it
enjoy

reply to post by kinglizard


Wine is not avirtual machine, its a wrapper that allows the use of some windows programs in ubuntu. but you can install windows in a virtual box as well.
put for every program in windows there is normally something free and open source in linux to replace it.
like the gimp instead of photoshop
as for virusn scanners, you dont need them :
linux dosnt work like windows.
just run a fire wall like firestarter
and your right
as linux wont allow a program to install with out you giving it permission, and programs cant install to root like windows unless you let them
so its a lot safer.
and most programs you want to install are in the repositories . you just install them from inside ubuntu, no worry's about finding them
just google synaptic package manager, its part of ubuntu.

reply to post by kinglizard


I dual boot to windows xp pro and PClinux2010. I installed windows xp pro first and then linux so I would have the chain loader work.

Upon boot I am given a choice of operating systems. I go to windows to play games and linux for surfing. I can access my data in windows through linux. To run windows programs I must boot in windows.

I wanted to use Ubuntu or Mint but could not find the kpp dialer anywhere, which is needed for dial up.

Anyhow it works pretty well, no blow ups. Linux has good repositories of free software. I never use an antivirus program on linux. I don't use windows to surf the web or buy stuff on ebay.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
reply to post by kinglizard

 

If this is the audio card it doesn't seem to be compatible... If it were me in your shoes, I'd post into the Mint or Ubuntu forums and get direct help. I just ran a quick check in Mint because it's what I prefer.

edit on 24-4-2011 by LadySkadi because: (no reason given)

Oh boy...that would be a dealer killer if I couldn't have my music. Thanks for the link to the mint forums.

Originally posted by kinglizard

Originally posted by LadySkadi
reply to post by kinglizard

 

If this is the audio card it doesn't seem to be compatible... If it were me in your shoes, I'd post into the Mint or Ubuntu forums and get direct help. I just ran a quick check in Mint because it's what I prefer.

edit on 24-4-2011 by LadySkadi because: (no reason given)

Oh boy...that would be a dealer killer if I couldn't have my music. Thanks for the link to the mint forums.

A new soundcard for $40 is worth it for your music and linux. C'mon man, you were so close - once you go linux you never go back. When you go to linux, you enter a world of constant learning and development. C'mon! You can do it!!

lol

I paid a lot of money for that sound card...I know there is better but it puts out incredible sound. I'd hate to take a step backwards.

In reading a mint thread someone said the new release was compatible with my current card, then others came back and said it wasn't. I've got a ton of reading to do I think.

reply to post by kinglizard


Put the sound card on ebay, you'll get some of your money back. You can do it! Don't give up! Besides, you have already sown the seeds for using linux, there's no turning back now. Once the idea is in your head to use linux it'll never leave you - you may as well just get on with it - you'll regret it if you don't.

I was in a position similar to yourself - I decided to use linux 2 years before I started properly using it as my main OS - and I regret wasting those two years.

Don't make the same mistake I did.

(Also, if you think the ATS community is good.... ...just WAIT till you get involved in the LINUX community!!! Oh man... you just gotta. You gotta do it.)

reply to post by kinglizard


And another thing - take a look at this nice desktop you could be using...

www.youtube.com...

coder22 your enthusiasm is infectious.

I have a feeling moving from windows to Linux will be similar to the experience I had when I switched from ie to Firefox. I couldn't believe how much more useful firefox was and I regretted my time with ie.

reply to post by kinglizard


Haha, thank-you! - And rest assured your enthusiasm will be just as infectious!

That's a great comparison. IE & Firefox - except imagine that with every application. Gimp for photoshop is another example. You can still use your iPod etc with linux. Everything is configurable (once you know how) - Of course, you don't have to configure anything if you don't want to.

Games? Well true, many commercial games won't work - but for FPS online fun you can play Cube 2 : Sauerbraten which is just like Team Fortress. 0AD - which is amazing (Age of Empires) - There's flight simulators, RTS games, all open source - many players online. Sauerbraten for example usually has a few hundred players on about 20 servers at any given time.

(I'm only talking about games as it's frequently considered a weak point (I don't even know if you're a gamer) but I thought I'd give you the pros of the gaming side too) Lots of the video editing software and music software is first rate too.

Just give it a go! What's the worst that can happen? You don't like it and you rebuy your soundcard and go back to Windows 7. No harm done!

Oh, and don't forget to try Fedora 15 (it's in the beta stage at the minute - the release will be out 24th May) - It could possibly work with your soundcard.

reply to post by kinglizard


I'll have to jump in here to lend some support - I adore linux as well.

There's something about the whole mindset moving to a community-driven system instead of dealing with a whole world effectively enslaved to Microsoft - it's very liberating and morally redeeming, so don't disregard the enthusiasm you're seeing here. I think it might be a bigger impact on you than the switch to Firefox was when you see how EVERYTHING Microsoft and those who deal with it is countered by an open source community - with less strain on your system, less HDD space eaten up..

Just beautiful

Thanks everyone for your contributions here.

I'm wondering if someone can tell me the difference between Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Is it just a GUI change or something deeper? Is one better than the other?

reply to post by Praetorius


Well said my man!

This is a very valid point - When people mention linux - they sometimes fail to mention the community said of linux. When you use linux - you inadvertently get involved with the community. It just happens. It comes with the territory. Windows community?? Lol... Huh?? NO SUCH THING!! The closest thing to a windows community is this :

"Would you like to send the error report to the microsoft team?"

Send / Don't send.

Originally posted by kinglizard
Thanks everyone for your contributions here.

I'm wondering if someone can tell me the difference between Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Is it just a GUI change or something deeper? Is one better than the other?

The difference between them are more or less purely cosmetic - I think they are both debian based - so they will be much the same. I think mint is more focused on software for music and video. Ubuntu has software based on the end user experience - both ubuntu and mint strive to be as new user friendly as possible.