Kubuntu Linux help

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Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Ok, I am going to have a look at Kubuntu Linux, this version:

Kubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn)

I'm in the process of downloading this .ISO file to my desktop:

kubuntu-7.04-desktop-i386.iso

I think I have to burn that on to a CD, I have Nero for burning CD's, but what sort of thing/type do I burn it as? Can someone give me a step by step of how to burn it, please.

Another question, after running the Kubuntu live CD to see what it's like, if I go ahead and install it permanently, will that wipe my hard drive and completely remove all traces of Windows?

I was thinking about downloading one of those deleting programs to erase/overwrite my hard drive before installing Kubuntu, so I can start all clean and fresh, I'm assuming that if I erased/overwrote my hard drive, the virus's that are currently in my anti virus vault, will also be erased?

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:35 pm

Nero should automatically know what to do with it. Just double click it and follow the instructions. Most Linux distros give you several options. If I want to put it on alongside my Windows installation, then I resize my Windows partition beforehand. There's a few programs you can download to do that, some free. Check out your hard drive manufacturor's web site. If you decide to overwrite Windows, then it'll wipe any trace of a virus you had on there.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Cheers Wayne, I'm not going to bother having any partition where I can also choose to run Windows alongside it, if I install it, it will be only Kubunto on my computer.

The only other thing I'm wondering about is my BT Wireless Broadband connection, which is via a USB connection to this desktop, will that be a simple case of running the BT disk again, and if I have to do that, will that mean reinstalling my whole BT Hub all over again so that my laptops work as well, or will this desktop pick up the connection automatically as it is wired to the hub without me having to do anything?

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:52 pm

As far as I know BT don't support Linux SP. You may need to use an ethernet connection for your modem.
I've been told that some distros can detect a modem that's connected during installation, but have never got it to work for me. Confused

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

^^^^^ Damnit, it never occured to me that BT wouldn't support Linux.

Just Googled this before posting, it's about BT using Linux:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/22/bt_breaking_gpl/

http://www.homehubblog.com/2007/01/16/the-gpl-code-is-out/

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:13 pm

I use Linux and BT. I connect via the LAN cable. Once the Home Hub is configured the first time you can connect using anything. It may be easier for you to connect using the cable though. Wireless is a pretty fiddly thing to set up.

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:16 pm

I tried a couple of times to get my internet connection working on Linux. Couldn't do it. Mad

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Windy, someone else said they couldn't connect to BT hub with Kubuntu, read the second post, might help you get connected, dunno:

Long Link

@ Wayne, I can't use ethernet on this desktop, nowhere to plug it in, only USB on here.

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:32 pm

Thanks SP, I'm with Talk Talk now. They don't support it either. Don't know of any UK ISP that does.
I know it's possible with Lan or ethernet, but it involves a lot of fiddling around with settings and stuff.
Get the best the advise from our Linux experts before you install. Wink

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:09 pm

windypops wrote:

I know it's possible with Lan or ethernet, but it involves a lot of fiddling around with settings and stuff.

Every version I've used has worked out of the box without having to alter any settings. Kubuntu didn't like my LAN connector, but putting in an old card I had hanging around fixed the problem. The problem is usually that you need Windows to configure the modem initially. After that you can use anything you like to connect through LAN

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

@ Wayne, what's a LAN connector, is that another name for USB or ethernet cable? What's the card you are talking about putting in, I don't have anywhere to plug cards in.

FFS, why can't things be simple, switch on and that's it, poxy computers Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:20 pm

LAN=ethernet. Plug the PC into the Home Hub through it and see if it'll let you connect right away. More often than not it'll just work straight away for you without having to alter anything.

*** BANNED *** Joined: 10 Jan 2004 Posts: 3779

Scam Patroller wrote:

I can't use ethernet on this desktop, nowhere to plug it in, only USB on here.

If you have a free PCI slot in your computer then buy a cheap (€10) ethernet card.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

@ TFI, even if there was one of those PCI slots going free, there is still nowhere on the back of this computer where you can plug an ethernet cable in to it.

*** BANNED *** Joined: 10 Jan 2004 Posts: 3779

The card comes with the necessary plug. You only need that free slot and a corresponding opening in the case. They are usually closed with a stripe of metal when not yet used for a card.

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:20 am

Quote:

I'm with Talk Talk now. They don't support it either.

Even if a provider doesn't support Linux, it doesn't mean you can't use Linux. You just can't call them and say it doesn't work, what do I do now? Mine didn't support it either but it ran the internet connection all the same. The ISP will not see any difference at their end whether you are using a Linux or Windoz system. It is all ethernet protocol. For high speed connections you will have a router/modem you are going through. You plug the ethernet cable from your network interface card (NIC) into the router/modem. During installation, the system will find the connection and set it up. As TFI said, open the case and look for an open PCI slot. Remove the metal cover in the back of the case to have the connections available. You can't get the card in to the slot with the metal cover in place anyway. Or most new motherboards have a network connection slot built in. It looks like a phone slot but a little bigger.

There is (or use to be more than now, I assume) a problem with most phone modems and Linux. Phone modems became winmodems, which depended on the windoz OS to run. It became hard to find a real modem. Most drivers for winmodems are now available in Linux.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

@ DrWho, I didn't know what a PCI slot was, Googled it and this is what it they look like, so now I know:

When my computer last packed up, I remember seeing 3 of those slots when I opened it up and stripped it down, all 3 of the slots have things slotted in to them already, no spare slots left.

This is an old Windows ME computer, so it's not a case of removing the cover on the back, it has not got a tower, it has one of those large white cases that weigh about 40lbs, the only connections on the back of the casing are those round ports for keyboard and mouse, 2 USB ports, 2 jack plug type holes for speakers and a port for plugging a normal phoneline in to it, no ethernet ports on this machine, I can only connect the hub via a USB cable, so if it really has to be an ethernet connection, I am bolloxed.

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:26 pm

SP, what cards are occupying the PCI slots? Maybe you can do without one of them. I guess 1 video card, 1 sound card (if not integrated on the mother board), what's the 3rd? Modem? Ditch it and replace it with a cheap RealTek PCI Ethernet card.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

@ Wokabo, no idea what the 3 cards already in there are, and even if I could free up a slot for an ethernet card, I would still have nowhere to plug an ethernet cable in, there is no ethernet port on this computer, and before anyone suggests it, no, I will not attempt to fit an ethernet port to it, are you crazy Laughing

I think I'll just ditch my plan to convert this machine and buy a cheapo £399 laptop out of the catalogue after christmas and stick Linux on that instead.

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:26 pm

The connector is part of the card SP.

Master Baiter Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 199

I am in a similar boat. I installed solaris 10 on my HP laptop. Not enough support for the machine so I installed suse... so far so good.. have not gotten the wifi to work yet, but will keep toying with it.

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:10 am

Can you take a picture of the cards inside it? I've (and many on the board) have built lots 'o pcs and can probably tell you which cards you can toss. Also, if you can take a pic of the back of the pc (where the ports are) we can tell you if you have onboard video.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

@ OD and Windy, looking at that ethernet card image Windy posted, if I put that inside my computer, the port on that ethernet card would be nowhere near the back where the other ports are, the PCI slots inside mine run lengthways from side to side, so the port on that image above would be inside the computer, not at the back where the other ports are, I would have to drill a hole in the back, run the cable through it to the inside and plug it in, then have to take the case off every time I needed to unplug it.

@ OD, I can't take a photo, I currently have a large tv on top of the computer box thing, what is that big white box case called anyway, must have a name? It's a pain to move it all where it is positioned at the moment, it's a mass of wires from the computer, tv, video, dvd, freeview box etc, I would have to disconnect everything to get the computer box out, nightmare

Honestly, this will be far too much messing about, I would be better of with a new cheap computer with everything already in place.

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:45 am

IMO, you are right. It sounds like that computer is too old to bother trying to convert. It seems to me that you have a proprietary box that doesn't have a standard ATX arrangement. A cheap newer one will probably have even thing you need on the board already.

And if you are curious; the black slot is for an AGP video card.

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

a cheap £3.99 usb to ethernet converter will work Wink

You plug the usb in where it can already go, then plug in the ethernet to the modem / hub, then get a cat 5 cable.

Feisty fawn can recognise the usb anyway, but if for some reason yours does not thats the easiest way to do it.

PS new computers are £299 *upwards

I would burn a live CD, this is all the linux on a dvd, and see if that works first.
Linux might run easily on most machines, but feisty has a min spec level, and im thinking your old computer may not match those specs.

If you want ill see if i have a live dvd for ya, all ya do is pop it in the drive and it does the rest, theres nothing to install and if it does not work on your machine, then at least you still have windows etc pm me if ya want the disk, version 7.04 fiesty fawn should be a live one somewhere.

I might even have a usb to ethernet connector, not too sure about the connector tho, all my house is still in boxes. Sad

I know its somewhere, if ya can wait 3 days ill send ya them.