[6stringer]

Not looking for advice necessarily, just wanting to comment on the difficulty in trying to install and learn any Linux distro. I've read and heard on many Linux forums of the problems people associate with moving from a Windows environment to Linux but until trying it myself I never could understand what the issues were. Until now.

 

On my older HP box running XP I decided to try to extend it's life a while by installing a Linux OS. Mind you,this old computer would only be used for web surfing,blogging,home spreadhseets,etc....basically very minor stuff. It has 2gb of RAM,80gb HD,2.4 processor,etc...So far I have tried Zorin, Ubuntu,Linux Mint Debian & Rebecca. I can run Debian from the DVD but it hangs up when I try to install it. Zorin installed but then quit working after only a few hours...won't even load now. As for the others they will either not load or hang up during installation.

 

So I guess what I'm saying is that i understand now why the majority of Windows users have such a hard time migrating to Linux. Maybe we're spoiled, but with Windows we have come to expect to turn the machine on and that's it. Of course, there are countless issues with Windows that we've all had to deal with but this post isn't about that. I'm simply saying that until there is a truly easy to install and run distro Linux will never compete with the masses. Maybe that's by design?

 

Which is a shame because there must be millions of computers out there that could still be useful machines if only there was an "out of the box"distro that the average person could install and successfully run without having to do things that require a steep learning curve.

 

Again, not wanting to start any Windows vs Linux wars,just relaying one man's experiences who really does want to use Linux of some variety.

 

Thoughts?

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well to be totally honest with you, i'd suspect you have a bad hard drive for the installed zorin to quit booting, and the others not being able to be installed, especially if they ran just fine when used as a live cd.
 
i have installed numerous linux os on pc's with even lower specs than yours that just work great considering the hardware, for example i have an old amd4000+ pc with 1GB of ram that used to run opensuse (my distro of choice) just fine, last time i tested it i did install a good 7200rpm hard drive or ssd (can't remember exactly which now.) in the system to help improve responsiveness, of course i haven't used it for ages or tried the latest versions of suse on it, think 12.1 was what i had installed/tested last on it.
 
here's a link to opensuse if you want to try it, i'd recommend clicking on the "Click here to display these alternative versions." and trying the live kde.

http://software.opensuse.org/132/en

 

personally i always use a usb stick/drive to install/test any linux operating system and never burn cd/dvd's any more, unless it's on my main pc then i just boot the images from my hard drive.

 

like i said if the hardware is good in a pc then today it really shouldn't be that hard to install and run most linux os unlike it was say 5 or more years ago.

 

keep at it tho and i hope you finally do get to have a linux system running your happy with, first thing tho in my opinion is to test that hard drive or try a different one in there to see if you have better luck.

 

Edited by terry1966, 26 December 2014 - 02:30 PM.

[terry1966]

well to be totally honest with you, i'd suspect you have a bad hard drive for the installed zorin to quit booting, and the others not being able to be installed, especially if they ran just fine when used as a live cd.
 
i have installed numerous linux os on pc's with even lower specs than yours that just work great considering the hardware, for example i have an old amd4000+ pc with 1GB of ram that used to run opensuse (my distro of choice) just fine, last time i tested it i did install a good 7200rpm hard drive or ssd (can't remember exactly which now.) in the system to help improve responsiveness, of course i haven't used it for ages or tried the latest versions of suse on it, think 12.1 was what i had installed/tested last on it.
 
here's a link to opensuse if you want to try it, i'd recommend clicking on the "Click here to display these alternative versions." and trying the live kde.

http://software.opensuse.org/132/en

 

personally i always use a usb stick/drive to install/test any linux operating system and never burn cd/dvd's any more, unless it's on my main pc then i just boot the images from my hard drive.

 

like i said if the hardware is good in a pc then today it really shouldn't be that hard to install and run most linux os unlike it was say 5 or more years ago.

 

keep at it tho and i hope you finally do get to have a linux system running your happy with, first thing tho in my opinion is to test that hard drive or try a different one in there to see if you have better luck.

 

Edited by terry1966, 26 December 2014 - 02:30 PM.

[Arklelinuke]

I agree with terry, it's likely your hard drive or something else is at fault if it stopped working after a successful installation.  Most major Linux distros just work on a lot of hardware-much more so than Windows, in my experience.  I've not once yet had to install a single driver for any of my hardware with Linux.

[terry1966]

i still need to install drivers, main one i can think of, is for my quad hd digital tuner card, and that needs to be re-installed after every kernel update, i keep meaning to look into setting it up to auto install but just never seem to get around to it.

 

but as you say most things just work usually without having to do anything special and to be honest i think installing a linux os is a lot easier and quicker than installing a windows os, can't remember ever having to take 5+ hours to get a linux os installed and fully updated like i just had to with a new windows 8.1 laptop for my grandson.   

 

Edited by terry1966, 15 January 2015 - 06:00 PM.

[Arklelinuke]

Yeah, specialized hardware like a tuner may need drivers, and printers, anything like that.  Most standard hardware just works though, on the major distros.