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RE: Try Linux For Free By Creating A Bootable Thumb Drive - A No Commitment Tutorial For Absolute Beginners
Oh, it was amazing help! I've heard these bits and pieces of info before (except the one about Puppy Linux, which I have to check out too) but putting them together in a context is a different matter. So I think I'll abandon the idea of the 32-bit Ubuntu (never liked the idea anyway, as 32-bit systems and 32-bit processors are on the way out, from what I've heard), and instead take my chance with Mint. :-) Should there be any trouble, I'll still have Lubuntu prepared on my other USB drive.
This is so exciting! Thank you so much for helping. I've read a bit about Linux, and tried them on USB sticks, but it always came down to taking that final leap of saying goodbye to XP and installing it. I'll let you know how it worked. :-)
As long as you have a 64 bit processor there's no reason to install a 32 bit OS - it doesn't really make a difference in performance.
Let me know how it goes!
Aaaaand, done! I'm the proud owner of a Lubuntu notebook. It seems to work all right, and I also got a USB drive with Mint prepared for later. Now to the interesting part of configuring it to my own tastes. That part is actually not so bad, but learning to install new programs is still a challenge. Some are surprisingly easy, Calibre for example installed pretty much itself. But the latest version of Firefox... I just don't seem to have figured out. But now that all my updates and modifications remain in place even after a restart, I can approach this challenge slowly and meticulously.
Cool - so happy you tried it.
The easiest way to install programs (like firefox) is just to open a terminal window and type the commands
sudo apt-get updateand thensudo apt-get install firefox. The first command will update the system's repository lists, and the second will install firefox.You'll be amazed how much software is available to install this way.
To do it through the GUI... I can't remember if Lubuntu has a "Software Center" application. If not you'll have to use the program called "Synaptic" somewhere in the settings or applications menu. Open Synaptic, search for the program you want (like Firefox) and it should turn it up. Synaptic manages the dependent packages for you; all you have to do is find the main software package, select it and hit apply, and it does the rest.
Usually though I just google "install such-and-such a program from the Ubuntu command line" and find commands to cut and paste. (Because Lubuntu is based on Ubuntu, anything that works for the Ubuntu command line will work for you as well. Same for Mint.)
What an adventure! (I'm not complaining, I knew it was gonna be.) But I think I'm gonna write a post on this, because there's a LOT that has happened. I downloaded firefox 55, unpacked it, and whenever I launch it from that folder, it works like a charm. However, it is not the browser installed into the system, so any attempt to access the browser in any other way gets me the out-of-the-box firefox 44. I managed to remove it once, but it won't let me install the 55 one, just the 44 back again.
I tried it with the GDebi Installer (and the appropriate GDebi package I downloaded), I tried it with the Synaptic Manager, even with the Terminal commands. For some reason it won't let me. Meanwhile various websites tell me to update my browser, or flat out refuse to give access (such as Slack). Oh yeah, I also tried to use the Software Updater, but according to that, I'm already using the most recent version of firefox (that is 44).
Like I said, no complaints here, and I knew Linux was not gonna be easy, but this is a bit weird... Anyhow, I'll keep trying around, and accumulate material for a post.
That's really weird. Sorry, man. I don't understand why the package manager wouldn't do it. Have you tried from the command line? Either
sudo apt install firefoxorsudo apt-get install firefox?So, and now I've got Mint running on my old little notebook, working beautifully. Thank for your inspiration, help, and support! I thought I'd mention you in my post about Linux. Feel free to take a look: https://steemit.com/linux/@stortebeker/how-i-ended-up-with-linux-a-user-discovering-open-source
That's so cool. A well-written post it was, too. Resteemed!
yep, that's when it said that it already had the most recent version of firefox installed. But no worries, I was ready for something like this. In fact, I may fiddle around with it a bit more, then try my luck with Mint. Thanks for the support!