Linux
 

It appears from searching around here that quite a few of you are linux users. I'm a new linux user...only because my little HP Mini 1000 Netbook that I love and prefer over any of the tablets, started to go really bad. After a lot of screwing around trying to clean it up and go to various restore points I decided the only thing to do was wipe it clean and start all over. That's when I found out that HP no longer provides system recovery disks for it but would love to soak you for 100 bucks for their super-secret clean up software that will make it run like brand new.

Anyway...I found out about the HP MIE Image Creator software that will wipe the hard drive clean and install a linux OS. So I did that and it's running great. I'm pretty sure it's running an older Ubuntu with a Gnome GUI. However, I'm struggling a bit with everything you need to learn to really use linux effectively. What's a kernel? What's a flavor? What's a distro? What TF is Unity...and why can't I figure out how to get to the terminal to enter some of this ridiculous code on the command line? Like...I'm on this support forum and it's "...just go the terminal and enter this ...oh/fuckmeimsoignorant/em-wtf" Yeh...sure...you say, just go to the terminal. Thanks so much.

I'm not much entertained by spending hours in front of the computer fiddling around with all the stuff that so many Linux users seem to thrive on.

Does anybody know of a decent "Linux for morons" web site where the information provided isn't loaded with hundreds of terms and jargon that I have to go hunt down on Google before I can try anything out?

What I'd like is a version, kernel, distro, flavor, GUI that most resembles XP or WIN 7. Or a really basic, basic, basic web guide to Linux that I might understand.

I had my fill of command line entries back in the DOS days.

Thanks.

Linux Mint

download the version that has all of the licensed codecs

http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=147

either the 32 or 64 bit version whichever applies to you.
Burn the file (.iso) as an image file when you use cd-writing program onto a cd-r and boot from that disk.

The key is burning that file as an iso (or some programs call it an image file).

Sorry if you know that already but just want to be clear.

I guess you know that burning stuff already sorry.

I do? No "sorry" necessary because I'm looking all around the link you provided and I don't have a clue what to do there. So thanks and...uh...could you help me with what to do next? I'm pretty sure my little netbook is a 32bit machine. Also, the netbook doesn't have an optical disk reader, so I suppose I can "burn" the program to a flash drive...maybe? Although I have an outboard DVD writer so that would work. It looks like maybe I'm supposed to click on one of the USA "mirrors"? What's a mirror?

Thanks again.

I don't know linix but I can tell you want a mirror is. It's a place to download software from. Some servers are called mirrors because they make available stuff from some other primary source sites.

Your outboard DVD writer *should* work, but if it doesn't you may need to set your machine to see it as a bootable device. Ask if you need help with that.

Thanks. I'm pretty sure my outboard DVD deck will work. I'm also pretty sure that the disk burned from this download will be a boot disk. I suppose if I had to download to a flash drive I might have to go into bios and make change the boot order, but it makes me nervous messing with bios.

I just want to publicly thank icenine and don for their help with this. The linux mint suggestion fro ice is working really well and the GUI platform out in front is much better than anything I've seen on any linux versions so far. At least from the standpoint of a long-time Windows XP guy. And this little netbook is back to running like the day I got it from Verizon. Ice was also very helpful with PM's getting this thing up an running.

I'm not so sure what it's gonna be like loading various programs into linux though. I've looked at Open Office and to get it to run you have to go into the terminal and type in lines of stuff, and it appears that sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't. But outside of that, for basic web excursions, which is about all I use this little unit for...it's working fine.

Thanks again.

Your welcome!!!!
Thanks for your kind words.

It is not that hard with Mint...open up the Synaptic Package manager and do a search for open office. I prefer libre office myself. The synaptic package manager has a GUI and there is also another software update progam....it is in the administrative section on the start up menu.

I prefer this though...if you download the deb package for Linux x86 (I am assuming the netbook is 32bit processor but if it is 64 use the 64bit version of course.)

https://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/

download that into your downloads folder in the home directory. Right click and select the default "open with" option that the Mint provides. It should install.
You will be prompted for the root password.

If you have an Microsoft Office CD insert it......then right click on the mounted on the CD and select open with WINE. I do not know how I did it but I have MS Office on my Mint.
BUT it will not open from the start menu under Other Programs. You have to drag the Word icon down to the tool bar at the bottom of your desktop and open office from there.

Sorry I cannot be anymore clear about WINE it is like mysticism to me. The windows version of Safari will install also.