Ubuntu

cupic · 09-09-2009, 09:42 PM

I have been pondering about going to Ubuntu,seems to me very user friendly.The thing is if I install on my hdd and Window XP is delete is there a option to save all bookmarks or are they lost.(or do ppl run it side by side with Windows ).Also what do ppl think about running Ubuntu any problems...

cheers

**Adam** · 09-09-2009, 09:46 PM

I have two laptops, one with XP and one with Ubuntu. Ubuntu runs great and is actually faster/more stable than windows, but the key downside is that you can't really run photoshop. Thus, I really only use the Ubuntu laptop to browse the web and code.

Also, if you don't buy a computer with linux pre-installed, you might face driver problems. Ubuntu has full command-line functionality, but it also comes with a great user-friendly GUI (GNOME).

*graphicgr8s* · 09-09-2009, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by cupic

I have been pondering about going to Ubuntu,seems to me very user friendly.The thing is if I install on my hdd and Window XP is delete is there a option to save all bookmarks or are they lost.(or do ppl run it side by side with Windows ).Also what do ppl think about running Ubuntu any problems...

cheers

You could try exporting it, save to a flash, install linux than import. It might work. Personally I run a dual boot. Actually on one machine I have a boot manager and run 5 OSs

**Adam** · 09-09-2009, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

You could try exporting it, save to a flash, install linux than import. It might work. Personally I run a dual boot. Actually on one machine I have a boot manager and run 5 OSs

That would probably work easily with firefox actually.

*heliphoto* · 09-09-2009, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

You could try exporting it, save to a flash, install linux than import. It might work. Personally I run a dual boot. Actually on one machine I have a boot manager and run 5 OSs

Yeah, if you're concerned with you're bookmarks in your web browser, they are easy to export and import to a new browser - it would probably even work from IE to Firefox and vice versa (though I haven't tried that). In fact I'd recommend that everyone do this right now - export your bookmarks to a file on your desktop (they're usually an html file), and either put them on an external hard drive, a thumb drive, or if you use a web base email service (like gmail, hotmail, yahoo, etc...) just email them to yourself - that way if your hard drive crashes tonight, you'll still have all your bookmarks ready to reimport... in fact, I'll be right back... ... done.

I like Ubuntu, and could run it full time if Lightroom and Photoshop weren't so awesome.

I'd recommend you download the Live Disk version (which is also the install disk if you choose to go ahead and install it). Using the disk in Live Disk mode, you can boot to Linux off of the CD/DVD drive and play around with it - see if you like it.

*ve2vfd* · 09-09-2009, 10:00 PM

There is always the option of partitioning your hard drive and setting up a dual boot system... Ubuntu is very dual boot friendly with XP. It's a nice OS and it allows you to fall back to XP for programs like Photoshop if you need them. You can also mount the XP partition to go get stuff like documents from it if needed.

Also make sure you Live Run ubuntu off the CD (or any other linux distro) before making a final install to be sure your hardware is well supported. Most hardware is but there are odd exceptions here and there... I had to scrub ubuntu off one of my laptops as there is no proper support for it's video processor (first generation SIS M760).

Pat

stevebrot · 09-09-2009, 10:02 PM

If you install Ubuntu as a replacement for XP, the installation will do a low-level format of the hard drive and remove the Windows partitions.

Translation: All that was before will be gone.

It is possible to install Ubuntu on a second partition as a dual boot setup, but this is generally is pretty involved. Even then, applications running on the Ubuntu installation will not have direct access to things like browser shortcuts or address book entries from Windows.

The best I can offer is that browser shortcuts for Firefox are saved as an xml or html configuration file (text file). This file might be used as the basis for your Firefox configuration on Ubuntu. (Have not tried this...it might not work.)

My suggestion to potential Ubuntu (and other Linux distros) users is to not switch over your primary workstation until you are comfortable with the installation and the features of the distro you are wanting to use. This is where it is good to have a cast-off computer to experiment with. (I am using a perfectly good 1.8 GHz Pentium 4 box for this purpose.)

Steve

*graphicgr8s* · 09-09-2009, 10:05 PM

Yes Adam it works well importing IE to Firefox. I did that on my frankenstein 5 OS machine.

He could buy a second HD and dual boot that way. I've been running mine for a few years now and didn't have trouble until I loaded OS #5

stevebrot · 09-09-2009, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

Yes Adam it works well importing IE to Firefox. I did that on my frankenstein 5 OS machine.

How does this work? Do you have Firefox running under XP import the IE shortcuts and then copy the shortcuts config file to the Linux filesystem?

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

He could buy a second HD and dual boot that way. I've been running mine for a few years now and didn't have trouble until I loaded OS #5

That would be my first choice and how I have done it in the past with Red Hat.

Steve

stevebrot · 09-09-2009, 10:19 PM

To Cupic...

Forgot to mention that I am a real Ubuntu fan. It is the only Linux distribution that I would truly recommend to a Linux newbie. The only real cautions are in regards to video and other device drivers (as noted above). Finding how to install additional software is also interesting, but that is part of the adventure!

Steve

*graphicgr8s* · 09-09-2009, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by stevebrot

How does this work? Do you have Firefox running under XP import the IE shortcuts and then copy the shortcuts config file to the Linux filesystem?

That would be my first choice and how I have done it in the past with Red Hat.

Steve

It's been a while but in IE I exported the bookmarks to a flash drive. Did that so no matter what happened (in other words I screw up) I would still have them. Then just import into FF.

I run at least 2 drives in all 6 of my machines. Only one that has a single is my laptop. I hate my laptop. 2 of my machines have six drives. I have to run 2 power supplies to them.

stevebrot · 09-09-2009, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

It's been a while but in IE I exported the bookmarks to a flash drive. Did that so no matter what happened (in other words I screw up) I would still have them. Then just import into FF.

I run at least 2 drives in all 6 of my machines. Only one that has a single is my laptop. I hate my laptop. 2 of my machines have six drives. I have to run 2 power supplies to them.

I very rarely use IE anymore and did not even know that you could export the configuration. Just checked and there it is..."Import/Export Wizard". LIB

Steve

*deadwolfbones* · 09-09-2009, 10:28 PM

My computer is triple-booting Vista 64, Kubuntu, and XP 64, and it wasn't all that hard to set up.

*graphicgr8s* · 09-09-2009, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by deadwolfbones

My computer is triple-booting Vista 64, Kubuntu, and XP 64, and it wasn't all that hard to set up.

3 isn't hard. Try five. I've gone as high as ten. But all with a boot manager. I got 4 without it. But not 5

*RichardS* · 09-10-2009, 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

It's been a while but in IE I exported the bookmarks to a flash drive. Did that so no matter what happened (in other words I screw up) I would still have them. Then just import into FF.

I run at least 2 drives in all 6 of my machines. Only one that has a single is my laptop. I hate my laptop. 2 of my machines have six drives. I have to run 2 power supplies to them.

Wow! That's a lot of iron. Do you work through a KVM switch? I'm looking to upgrade mine to one that will handle dual monitors and am always interested in people's solutions to running multiple machines.

Richard.