Tag Archives: Linux

Which Version of Linux Should I Use?

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Many business and home computer problems can be solved by simply switching from Windows XP or Windows 7 to Linux. If you are considering trying Linux, Which version should you try?

Linux Mint LTS is the best Linux choice.

Before you fire up your e-mail client to send me a nasty-gram, follow my thoughts.

Linux offers reliability, stability, and frugality.

Angry TuxIt has a rich range of applications, yet can run on computers considered obsolete by Windows users. The majority of software is free, as is Linux. Free in the sense of free speech (you can see how it works, and change it to suit your needs) and free as in beer. Most distribution of Linux are free, and the only cost is professional support.
There are dozens, if not hundreds of Linux distributions. A distribution (or distro) is a collection of Linux tools, utilities, drivers and applications assembled as a single CD or DVD that contain someone’s idea of a perfect Linux install. Many have a specific target in mind. It may be specifically designed as a web server, file server, firewall, Proxy server or a desktop PC like most users and businesses want.

 

Some Linux Versions are More Equal than Others

A visit to the Distro Watch web site reveals that a few distributions rule.

At the moment the top distros are: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora, Debian and Open Suse.

Here is a quick summary of each:

  • Ubuntu – Designed for the desktop user, and very popular
  • Linux Mint – Based on Ubuntu, but focusing on getting users moving from Windows working quicky.
  • Fedora – Popular and well supported, but it is the guinea pig for new ideas before they are incorporated in Red Hat Linux.
  • Debian – Reliable, and the base for many other versions, including Ubuntu. But it is not beginner friendly
  • Open Suse - A reliable desktop, but now quite main-stream and perhaps lacking is support.

So my choice is Linux Mint. It is easy to install, has lots of support and is new user friendly. Because it is based on Ubuntu, both the Ubuntu and Mint community can help with problems. There is a wide range of software available. It looks nice.

But notice that I said Linux Mint LTS. Ubuntu and Mint each release a version every two years that they promise to support for three years. This means you can install one of these versions and not have to worry about updating it for at least three years. This is perfect if you want a computer that just works, and works, and works.

That describes the average business and home user.

So I recommend installing Linux Mint 9 LTS. It will be supported until the middle of 2013 with patches, updates and fixes. After that time it will be relatively simple, and free, to upgrade to the next version.

angry-linux-tux – by oddsock – http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddsock/

Why Switch to Linux #1 – Linux is Eco Friendly

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Use Linux and help save the environment

Discussing using Linux instead of Windows PCs or MAC computers tends to quickly dissolve into holy wars and name calling. But one real advantage of using Linux on your PC is that it is eco-friendly.

The simple truth is that the computer industry contributes large quantities of material to landfill. Recycling efforts are being made. But computers and peripherals contain a number of highly toxic elements including lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, and brominated flame retardants. Even in Australia recycling or disposal of e-waste involves significant risk to workers and communities.  Charities and schools may use older computers, but most computers don’t die, they just fade away.

Linux can help save the world by keeping older computers running long past what is normally considered there life expectancy.

Windows and built in obsolescence

Linux for your PC

Windows needs to be updated regularly because of security issues. Years ago I paid almost $4000 for a Toshiba laptop with 64Mb of RAM and a 200Mhz processor. It did what I needed it to do. It is still running, but I cannot connect it to the Internet because Windows ’98 is far from secure. It is a white elephant. Each Windows PC needs to be upgraded to the next version of Windows, and is rarely able to cope with the minimum requirements of the next version. More RAM can rarely be found, drivers are non-existent. trying to upgrade becomes and expensive nightmare.

Enter the Penguin – Linux
I am writing this article on an old laptop a Toshiba Tecra A4. It was built for Windows XP and will not run Windows 7. It is, to the Windows world, EOL (End of Life) or Obsolete. It runs Mint Linux 9 perfectly. It is secure, reliable and surprisingly fast.

It is talking to a server based on FreeNAS 8.0 running on a 1.2Ghz AMD PC given to me by an old customer who had purchased a new PC. It is fast and reliable. I just added some RAM I bought on eBay for $16 and a decent disk drive. Some of that RAM has also refurbished another old PC purchased from the Mission Shop for $40 that now runs Suse Linux 11.04.

My constant companion is a Asus EeePC 702, the first real net-book. It has a 600Mhz CPU, a 4Gb SSD and a 4Gb SD card. It works perfectly with Ubuntu 10.04 Net-book Remix. I use it constantly for note taking, web browsing, reading e-Books and watching videos. Windows XP will almost run on it, but if you add all the security patches it runs out of disk space before any software is added. Another win for Linux.

And Finally – The Cost of Windows Upgrades
Windows Graphic Microsoft lost my vote forever with the WGA fiasco when they slipped anti-piracy software onto users computers as a “security update” and then shut tens of thousands of innocent users down because they had fixed their broken PC with a disk other than the one they got when they bought it. Many well meaning sons and grandsons fixed Mom or Grandma’s Windows XP PCs with their own disks (because you could) and then the computer died in a burst of piracy notifications that forced honest people to pay again for something they could not PROVE TO MICROSOFT that they already owned.

As a result upgrading a Windows PC is an expensive option – cheaper to just buy a new one, and dump the old one at the tip. Moving to Linux costs NOTHING more than the possible cost of a few computer bits like some RAM that can probably be purchased for $5-20. The computer then goes on to a new, long life.

Linux does not become obsolete
A working Windows computer requires constant patches and security updates to keep it safe. Linux also has issues, but at the present, the average desktop user can stay with the current version of Linux for years with little risk. If you install Linux and it does what you want it to do, just keep using it until the hardware finally dies.

The Linux “Geeks” are constantly trying the latest versions, and that is their passion. If you just want a computer that works. get someone to help you install Linux, and then just enjoy the computer. It will run reliably for years with little more that the need for a backup process to save your important files when the PC finally dies.

Long live the green Linux operating system!

Serenity Computing is Dead, Long Live Serenity Computing!

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I have been increasingly frustrated with Serenity Computing for some time. I established the business shortly after I arrived from Sydney in 2005.

My goal was to establish a computer support business for both home and small business. I have the experience and background. I have worked with computers since they were the size of wardrobes. My first personal computer was a Microbee I bought from Jaycar Electronics in 1983 for $499, the limit on my new Bankcard. It strained the marriage, but I survived.

I worked for small and large computer companies. I was retrenched 3 times when companies I loved folded through management discord, competition or lack of foresight. They never failed for lack of trying.

I moved to the University of Sydney, managing “Security Technical Resources” for a number of years. Then I fell in love with Tasmania and moved here in 2005.

Serenity Computing started slowly. The first few months were largely me and my partners (my wife and son) printing and distributing flyers to almost every mailbox in Launceston. People called, and in most cases, had problems solved. If I could not fix the problem, there was no charge. I only had to pay one refund.

Then two things happened:

1) Microsoft stealthily used Window Update to install “Windows Genuine Advantage”(WGA) a copy protection program that trashed the computers of tens of thousands of innocent people because it thought they used pirated copies of Windows. I was busy for weeks trying to help, often to no avail. A new copy of Windows was the only solution if you had lost your original disks.

2) I lost my mind. Well just my memory really. I became one of the 2% of people who suffer memory loss because of Lipitor, a Cholesterol medication. The business went downhill because I could not remember what I had done or said moments before. It took a long time to discover and remedy the problem. I wrote a blog post on “Phil on Whatever“ at the point of my first recovery and another later. I was angry, hurt and confused. Even later I wrote a more measured and better researched article on a new web site I registered called “Escape to Simplicity”. I am still not quite sure what I will do with this site, but the name gives you a good idea where I want it to go ultimately. I still suffer lapses, but they are getting fewer, don’t give up on me yet!

The result of these two events is:

1) I have lost all faith in Microsoft and the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office. I no longer use them.

2) Serenity Computing as a business has shrunk, and I find little enjoyment in sticking more patches on the sinking Titanic that is Microsoft Windows. And because I don’t use Windows, my expertise is aging.

I love helping people, but the real solution is to get the world away from Windows and using a REAL operating system. There are two solutions. Sell everything and buy an Apple Mac, or switch your existing computer to Linux.

Serenity Computing is changing focus

You will note from the links I have  inserted here that I am working part-time as a bus driver while I get re-established, so income from Serenity is not my first priority. As a result I have decided to cease all customer support for Windows based client issues.

I will focus the business on supporting people who are interested in moving to a secure, safe, reliable, virus-free and fast operating system, Linux. Linux also has the advantage that it and almost all of the programs it uses are FREE.

I have been trying to find a good alternate home computer support provider in Launceston, and will give a link soon. They will almost certainly cost more, but I will try to negotiate a discount!

Soon the Serenity Computing web site will contain more information on the whys and hows, ups and downs (yes, there are downs) of using Linux. In the meantime, please e-mail me if you have questions. And of course I would LOVE to see your comments on this Blog entry.

I wish to thank all my clients, most of whom I now consider as friends, for their support over the last six years. please feel free to call me if you would like a chance to try Linux on your computer.

 

Windows 7 vs Ubuntu 10.04 – Memory Usage Comparison

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My recently purchased SonyWindows 7 Vaio laptop came with 2 Gb of RAM and Windows 7 64Bit. Since we are lead to believe that Windows 7 is a suitable operating system for net-books I assumed that it would be reasonably frugal with resources. I replaced the 360Gb disk drive with a 500Gb drive when it failed  after only 2 months of desktop operation.

Sony, like most manufacturers, ships their computers loaded with bloat-ware including anti-virus, Microsoft Office with SQL server and a number of business tools. I have removed most of these. I decided to use the trial version of Office 2007, but removed the business add-ons.

The net result is that the computer running, but with no applications open uses 1.2Gb of RAM. On a second partition I have Ubuntu 10.04 32 bit with the Kernel Linus Torvalds has criticised as being bloated. It uses 209Mb of RAM, about one fifth as much as Windows set up with a few tools I use. I use the PAE kernel to access the full 4Gb of ram. I find the 32 bit version has a better range of reliable applications.

Ubuntu-Logo - Andrew MasonFor the record, in Linux I use System Monitor, Google Desktop and Dropbox. In Windows 7 I use Dropbox and Clamwin Anti-virus. I am currently using the built in search, and it seems OK so far. Win 7 has a few extra Sony tools running, and I may try removing them as I work out what they do, but they only add up to about 30Mb of RAM.

I am really trying to like Windows 7, it and XP are the preferred operating system of most of my customers and most of the world. I am just finding it difficult to be productive. Navigating around the machine and network are slower, with many more clicks required. I have a good book on using Windows 7, and am hoping it will help. In the meantime I have upgraded to 4Gb of RAM and unless I edit Video it is working fine.

Update: I have persevered for some time, and find Windows 7 to be much better than previous versions of Windows, but just not up to the performance and capabilities of Linux. I am now using Linux full time. I boot Windows 7 every month or so to allow it to update, but that is it.

I use Virtualbox to run a Windows 2000 VM to print CD’s and DVD’s from my Canon printer, and to back up the phone-book on my Nokia phone, but that is the extent of my dependence on Windows.

EeeBuntu 3.0 and Eee 702 PC – Skype Works!

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I have a love-hate relationship with The Eee PC 702. It came with Zandros Linux and I had some problems including lack of disk space.

I installed and tried MANY versions of Linux, but always had problems, usually with Skype and power management. I moved back to Windows XP using a Nlite stripped version that was small and quite fast. However Windows XP on the Eee is a huge power drain, running for less than 90 minutes on a battery, were I can get 3 hours and more using EeeBuntu 3.0.

Today I re-installed EeeBuntu 3.0 and have had the dream install. I have kept it light, adding Open Office components I need, VLC medial player, Wine, TightVNC, and Firefox plugins.

I use a Windows based Research CD and it installed perfectly first try under Wine.

Getting Skype Working

I installed Skype, and got the Audio and Video working perfectly within 5 minutes. A record for Linux, where Skype has been a source of frustration to me.

These are the magic settings:

Sound in – HDA Intel (hm:intel, 0)
Sound Out Pulse
Ringing Pulse

Then open the Ubuntu Volume control (Right Click and select “Open Volume Control”, select Device “Capture HDA Intel ALC662 Analogue (Pulse Audio Mixer)” and in “Recording” push the Volume slider up. Let Skype control Volume. It WORKS!