Linux Ubuntu on PC - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

EldrickOnIce · 07-19-2015, 09:40 PM

Anyone had any luck with this?
I have an old windows vista notebook that is completely useless. Have been playing around loading Ubuntu using Wubi. The idea is to make it perhaps usable as some sort of media server.
I've had nothing but trouble. I mean it works, kind of, but is buggy. I also have tried several times to update Ubuntu to latest and it doesn't work at all.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Cheese · 07-19-2015, 10:46 PM

I have Ubuntu 12.04 Pagolin installed on an old Windows laptop and its night and day difference.
Works like a charm and feels like the laptop is brand new.
I simply downloaded Ubuntu, burned it to a disk, did a quick format of the Windows laptop and ran the disk.
I dont think you need to even do a format but it seemed to work great for me.
What version are you trying to use?

/edit I dont use a dual boot option...only have Ubuntu on the laptop.

Hugh Jahrmes · 07-19-2015, 11:02 PM

I turned on my laptop (which was pretty top knotch when I bought it early 2009) a few weeks ago for the first time in probably two years (iPad has taken over my at home leisure surfing). Noticed Ubuntu dual boot option and forgot how much I missed Linux.

Then someone spilled drinks on it and never owned up to it and I haven't ran it since.

Sad story bro :/

EldrickOnIce · 07-19-2015, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheese

I have Ubuntu 12.04 Pagolin installed on an old Windows laptop and its night and day difference.
Works like a charm and feels like the laptop is brand new.
I simply downloaded Ubuntu, burned it to a disk, did a quick format of the Windows laptop and ran the disk.
I dont think you need to even do a format but it seemed to work great for me.
What version are you trying to use?

/edit I dont use a dual boot option...only have Ubuntu on the laptop.

I think the issue I have is the dual boot. Linux itself is night and day better than windows. I think I should just ditch windows and go full Linux.
I have 12.04 installed.
The PC is worthless as is. I'll have to figure out how to install from USB, as I don't have a cd Rom drive.

Hugh Jahrmes · 07-20-2015, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

I think the issue I have is the dual boot. Linux itself is night and day better than windows. I think I should just ditch windows and go full Linux.

I have 12.04 installed.

The PC is worthless as is. I'll have to figure out how to install from USB, as I don't have a cd Rom drive.

Does your bios give you the option for usb in your boot priority order ? Should be able to prioritize it

Having a completely separate partition containing windows shouldn't affect your performance in Ubuntu at all though.. Shouldn't even see it there unless you mount it.

Now I def need to find a middle aged man friendly distro and get back into Linux. Not sure if there's an easy way to clear your Master Boot Record from Ubuntu.

I know in Windows it was just "fdisk /mbr" but that'll just leave you booting to Windows.

Are you looking to delete both partitions and just create one new volume for the entire drive for Ubuntu, or just remove windows and reformat that volume to use for extra storage ?

EldrickOnIce · 07-20-2015, 12:46 AM

It could be either a separate partition, or just wipe windows completely.
I can boot from USB.
I love the way Linux operates on this old machine. Fast, responsive... Just buggy as he'll with the Wubi install (basically runs it as a program within windows, though it's dual boot - can be uninstalled from windows)
My only concern with killing windows completely is that I have an hdmi output that I really want to use and I'm worried that Linux won't recognize it.

Hugh Jahrmes · 07-20-2015, 12:49 AM

Yeah, if I remember correctly the reason my laptop still had windows was the fact id basically bought it to watch movies keep me sane on a safety job in Hardisty that year, and there was no blue ray support at the time.

Quick Google says HDMI video should be no problem if you have an Nvidia, ATI or Intel card, but audio may be.

Have you tried it? This guy seems to have solved his issues

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147651

EldrickOnIce · 07-20-2015, 12:52 AM

Haha @ Hardisty. Spent too much time around there myself... More liquor stores than restaurants or gas stations.

EldrickOnIce · 07-21-2015, 11:45 AM

Quick update:
Rebooted PC from scratch.
Downloaded Ubuntu 14.02 and used Universal USB installer to create bootable USB stick.
Went in to bios and set to boot from USB first.
Chose install alongside windows.
Process was really very simple, once one knows what it is.
Ubuntu really gives my old notebook a new lease on life. It is fast and responsive.
Installed Kodi as media centre and used the information from link Hugh posted above to get HDMI audio working. I now have what looks to be an outstanding little media centre, as well as a very functional notebook for most internet related stuff. I would be comfortable, now, completely dropping Windows and doing a full Linux Ubuntu install. I doubt I will ever use it as a Windows computer again.
I highly recommend that anyone who wants breathe new life into an old notebook to try this.

DoubleF · 07-21-2015, 01:01 PM

IIRC,

Ubuntu looks like a mac OS
Kubuntu looks closer to a windows OS
Linux Mint looks closer to a windows OS but light weight?

I miss my ubuntu install too. I may consider setting up a ubuntu install on an older laptop if I get the chance as well, but due to limited time, likely I will play with windows 10 first. Other option for me is toying around with Mint.

EldrickOnIce · 07-21-2015, 01:13 PM

^ Good to know a bit more about the various flavours.
I went with Ubuntu simply because there is a build of Kodi specifically for it, but will look at other options on other notebook projects if/when.

Cheese · 07-21-2015, 10:44 PM

btw...you wont be able to run the CPHL Simulator on the Ubuntu laptop...at least not from what I figured out.

EldrickOnIce · 07-21-2015, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheese

btw...you wont be able to run the CPHL Simulator on the Ubuntu laptop...at least not from what I figured out.

Really sorry to hear you are stepping aside, bro.
Good to know though. I did get it figured out initially on my macbook, but if it comes to that, I can boot into windows on it and go from there
Cheers, my friend

Galakanokis · 07-22-2015, 09:45 PM

Anybody running Ubuntu/Linux on a Dell laptop (latitude series) have it working with the docking station? I haven't been able to confirm if this works and there is no digital output on the computer otherwise.

Milt Schmidt · 07-23-2015, 07:54 AM

Galakanokis, a good way to test something like that is to boot from a usb or dvd installer and try connecting to the dock, it'll run slower than when it installs but it'll tell you whether the hardware will work by default.

DoubleF, you're pretty mush right about the different flavours, though I wouldn't say Linux Mint is light weight. Linux Mint and Ubuntu have both created their own desktop environments, to me Ubuntu feels like a Mac with the dock on the left and Linux Mint feels like Windows XP with a modern makeover. Just depends what you like. These days I'm using openSUSE with KDE.

Milt

DoubleF · 07-23-2015, 09:44 AM

Thanks for the heads up Milt. I haven't used Ubuntu since Narwal or Ocelot due to issues I had with my laptop (Mobo died) and I never had a spare to install it since (I always ended up buying laptops with hybrid graphics and it was a pain to figure out drivers, might be better now since lots more laptops have hybrid graphics). A lot must have changed since then.

My next HTPC will likely be Ubuntu dual boot

Galakanokis · 07-23-2015, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milt Schmidt

Galakanokis, a good way to test something like that is to boot from a usb or dvd installer and try connecting to the dock, it'll run slower than when it installs but it'll tell you whether the hardware will work by default.

DoubleF, you're pretty mush right about the different flavours, though I wouldn't say Linux Mint is light weight. Linux Mint and Ubuntu have both created their own desktop environments, to me Ubuntu feels like a Mac with the dock on the left and Linux Mint feels like Windows XP with a modern makeover. Just depends what you like. These days I'm using openSUSE with KDE.

Milt

Thanks mate, great idea. Creating the USB now and will test tonight when I get home.

Tested it out on my laptop at work with a dock and all was fine. Thanks again for the suggestion.

Milt Schmidt · 07-23-2015, 08:07 PM

Galakanokis, glad that worked for you.

DoubleF, I've heard hybrid graphics are better now than they were, but I haven't gone down that road since the bad old days, my linux computer is a plain vanilla thinkpad that has very linux friendly components. Ubuntu is definitely a great HTPC OS, hard to beat it for that job in the linux world.

Milt

EldrickOnIce · 07-23-2015, 10:41 PM

Am thrilled with how nicely Kodi runs on Ubuntu.
Will try plex when I get a chance.
Also interested in music. There is a default music app. What might otherwise be recommended for serving/playing music?

Galakanokis · 07-23-2015, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Am thrilled with how nicely Kodi runs on Ubuntu.
Will try plex when I get a chance.
Also interested in music. There is a default music app. What might otherwise be recommended for serving/playing music?

Watching Game 6 again after getting Kodi setup on 15.04, works very well. There are some music add ons in Kodi that may work for you. There's Google music one, Pandora, Songza, etc. Just about to play around with them.