May 20, 2010 I need help converting my Laptop into a Linux OS. I want to only use Linux now, I do NOT wish to use Microsoft anymore, so if someone can show me exacly how to convert my laptop, it would be a great help to me. I do not understand any site instructions I look up. Get comfortable with Linux. As time goes on you will find you need to boot into Windows less and less. Using Linux is a learning experience, make sure you make the most of the 'community' help which is available from most distributions of Linux.
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Windows XP just isn’t secure anymore! If the expense of the new Windows operating systems is too great, here’s an easy and painless way to get a completely free Linux, keep your old Windows XP installation, and start surfing securely.
There are a lot of great features of Linux, and security is one of the best. Viruses on desktop versions of Linux are uncommon—in fact most Linux users simply laugh at the idea of viruses. Today we’ll cover what might be the easiest installation of Linux ever—one that doesn’t even require booting from a CD to install. Keep reading to see how you can upgrade your computer, keep your Windows XP installation, and test drive Linux for a more secure computing experience.
Can’t I Just Keep My Windows XP?
As we discussed in last week’s flame war security article on Windows XP, it’s time to give old XP its gold watch and put it out to pasture. We talked about moving on for a lot of different reasons, most important among them security; Microsoft is beginning to phase out support for the now 10+ year old operating system, and is dedicating as little of its resources as possible to fix malware and security issues. Some HTG readers were not thrilled about the idea of giving up their beloved XP operating system, citing older hardware and the high cost of Windows 7 as reasons for not flipping to a more modern OS. However, there are ways to improve your browsing experience and not pay for an expensive new version of Windows—and the simplest way may be Linux.
Okay, So Why Linux?
Linux is a free and open source operating system that will run on lots and lots of different hardware, including most machines that Windows XP will run on. It won’t run Windows programs without virtual machines (or some mucking around in WINE) so Windows viruses won’t affect it in the slightest. Most distros of Linux have free firewall software, and are easily updated with free patches for security. And when a new version of your distro comes out, there’s no cost to upgrade either.
You can also expect loads of free software to replace the majority of what you might have been paying for on Windows. But since most of it is done by hobbyists, open source groups, and small software companies, many of the most popular programs (Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop, for example) don’t have native Linux versions. However, free versions of programs, like Libre Office and GIMP, can fill their role well, if not perfectly.
In addition to this, many distros have taken great strides to be more user friendly than past ones, so you can expect a better experience than you could have even a few short years ago. While it’s not Windows, it is secure, free, and a great way to browse and enjoy the internet virtually trouble free. Not to mention, a great way to learn more about how your computer works! Let’s check out how to get started on our painless Linux experience.
Can I Try Linux Before I Install It?
Absolutely! One of the best tools of the past several years are the Live CD or Live DVD environments—entire operating systems that run without being installed to your hard disk, directly from a CD or DVD in your optical drive. These are great ways to surf the internet and tool around on a computer in a completely sandboxed environment, without the risk of damaging anything on the system.
Most distros will come with a Live CD, DVD, or USB flash drive version appropriate for the user that wants to try it out before committing to an installation. Two of our favorites here at HTG are Ubuntu and Linux Mint, both of which give some of the best user experiences in Linux computing. Simply download a Live CD or Live DVD, burn it to a disc, and boot your machine from your optical (CD or DVD) drive.
We’ll mostly be talking about these two distros today, although we encourage Linux geeks to leave comments and friendly suggestions for their favorite distros to share with all of the readers we hope will be giving up XP.
How Do I Get Linux on My Computer?
Convert Windows Program To Linux
If you’ve either tried out Linux or simply want to dive right in with an install, the most painless way to get started with dual booting Linux is the Windows installer WUBI. Linux Mint has a similar program (based directly off of the source for WUBI) called Mint4Win. Let’s take a brief look at how easy it is to get Linux on a Windows machine and start surfing the internet more securely.
Point your browser to wubi-installer.org to download the officially supported Windows application that will install Ubuntu on your Windows 7, Vista, or XP machine.
Download the application, run it in Windows, and keep your internet connection open. WUBI handles all of the rest of the installation once you tell it where to install, how much space to give Linux on your hard drive to use, and various other settings, like which desktop environment to use. Ubuntu will work fine for most everybody, although Kubuntu may be more friendly for Windows users and Xubuntu is a good environment for readers with older, more underpowered computers.
That’s pretty much it—it’s painless and doesn’t involve repartitioning drives or formatting and losing any of your Windows data. WUBI creates a disk image file on one of your drives and essentially handles everything! You can reboot and flip back to Windows XP at any time if you need it for any programs you just can’t seem to find for Linux.
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As for Linux Mint: like the WUBI/Ubuntu experience, Mint offers a Windows installer on both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions of the CD version of their newest release. (FYI, If you’re not sure which version to use, you’ll be safe picking the 32 bit version.)
Since it’s based on the same software, you can expect a very similar experience to WUBI, except for downloading the ISO, burning it to a CD, and running the Windows installer from that disc.
Start Using Your Shiny New and More Secure OS!
When installation is done (it can take an hour, maybe longer) you’ll be ready to reboot and use your new operating system. There’s tons of documentation on Ubuntu, and lots of community support for newbies, not only on How to Geek, but also on loads of other places on the internet. If you run into problems installing Linux with WUBI, there’s also great coverage of how to troubleshoot that installation, as well.
Have fun exploring a new OS and getting into the world of free and open source software! Linux is a great way to learn more about computers and how they work, and also a great way to at least browse the internet without using your old, tired, and insecure Windows XP installation. Fans of Linux, share your experience—help convert Windows XP users with your suggestions, favorite distros for Windows users, and your open source computing experience.
Image Credits: Never Underestimate Linux by Eric Adeleye, available under Creative Commons. Lightscribed CD by martinlaas, available under Creative Commons. Some screenshots taken from various linked knowledge bases for Linux Mint and WUBI, assumed fair use.
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Convert Linux Text To Windows
Windows XP is officially retired as of April 8, 2014. Microsoft has tried to retire XP several times before, but due to enterprise customer demand had to continue supporting it. But this time they really really mean it, for reals.
If you’re using Windows XP, it won’t stop working. All this means is you won’t get security patches or technical support anymore. So what should you do? You can continue using it, as you always have. Or, you can upgrade to Windows 8.1, the newest Windows, or Windows 7. Or switch to Linux. Let’s look at the pros and cons of upgrading to a newer Windows.
Windows 8.1 has a completely re-designed interface that looks a lot like an over-excited automated teller machine. It adds support for touchscreens, and is supposed to be less obese and peppier than 7. Windows 7 does not support touchscreens, and doesn’t look much different from XP. If you buy a new computer that comes with 8.1 and decide you don’t like it, you can “downgrade” to Windows 7. Downgrading is a huge hassle that requires having the proper “license rights”, the purchase of Windows 7 Professional at $139 for the OEM version, or $209 for the full retail version, phoning home to Microsoft for permission to do what you want with your own computer, and then installing it. The OEM version comes with no technical support; otherwise it’s pretty much the same as the full retail version. Microsoft considers this a temporary downgrade, until you come to your senses and learn to love 8.1.
Another option is to purchase Windows 8.1 or 7 and install it on your XP computer. If your XP machine is more than six years old, chances are it won’t support the newer Windows releases, because they need considerably more power and storage. Your favorite XP applications may or may not work on the newer Windowses, if you even still have the original installation media, and peripherals such as scanners and printers may not be supported. So the most likely scenario is buying a whole new computer, and possibly new applications and peripherals. You can still get Win 7 PCs, though that option is slowly evaporating.
Try Linux
Any option other than keeping your existing Windows XP system is going to cost money, hassles, or both. So why not give Linux a try? It is a mature, rock-solid professional computing platform you can rely on. You can download it for free, copy it to a USB stick or DVD, and try it without installing it to your hard drive. If there is enough room on your hard drive, you can install Linux alongside XP and choose the one you want to run at boot. If your XP computer is powerful enough and you have your original installation media, you can run XP inside a virtual machine on Linux. Yes, you can have it all.
Let’s run through the pros and cons of switching to Linux. First the good parts:
- Immune to Windows malware, and you don’t need anti-malware software
- Offers both free of cost and supported options
- Runs great on older, less-powerful hardware
- No insane license restrictions
- No artificially crippled versions to justify multiple price points
- No phoning home to the mothership for permission to use your own computer the way you want to
- Flexible and configurable
- Easy one-click software installation and removal, from secure sources
- Great hardware support, without having to hunt down drivers
- A giant world of great software for free, and lots of great commercial software
- Maintained by an open, global community of first-rate developers and contributors
- All Linux software is available on the Internet, so you never lose it.
There are also some downsides you must take into account. Your Windows applications won’t run on Linux, unless they also have Linux versions. For example, Web browsers such as Firefox, Opera, and Chrome run on Windows and Linux. Productivity apps like Moneydance (personal finance), LibreOffice (office suite), Thunderbird (email) and a lot of games run on Windows and Linux. Windows apps like Outlook, Internet Explorer and MS Office do not run on Linux. So you’ll need to make an inventory of the apps you need and see if they have Linux versions, or if there is an equivalent you can use. I’ll be surprised if you can’t find equivalent or better alternatives.
You can make Linux look like Windows. You’re still going to have to learn some new ways of doing thing, but as it’s all just pointy-clicky it’s no big deal. Windows 7 is different from XP, and Windows 8.1 is radically different, so any change means you’ll have to learn some new things.
Buying a Linux Computer
Installing Linux is pretty easy, but if you’d rather buy a good computer with Linux already installed there are a lot of great independent Linux computer vendors. They are skilled specialists, and you’ll get good hardware and great service. The typical low-budget Windows PC is specced to the micro-penny, and built with the cheapest possible components. Linux shops like System76 and ZaReason engineer their computers with reliable, good-quality components, and they stand behind their products.
Which Linux?
Another Linux advantage is hundreds of variants called distributions, or distros for short. Every one is tailored a little bit differently. Ubuntu Linux is very popular, and offers both free-of-cost downloads, and commercial support options. Linux Mint is a popular Ubuntu variant. openSUSE and Fedora Linux are great distros for advanced users who like to stay on top of new technologies. Mageia Linux is a wonderful desktop Linux for beginners to advanced users. Please visit the Resources section (below) for pointers to all kinds of helpful information.
The Myth That Must Die
I am not a Windows fan. I’ve worked exclusively in Linux since the early 2000s, except for occasional forays into Windows to keep up with new developments. I’ve written books, hundreds of how-to articles, done Web development, and all of my multimedia production on Linux. You’d think the richest software company on the planet would be able to make a bulletproof, secure, easy-to-use operating system. They have failed at this, and are still failing. One of my biggest peeves is that Microsoft’s marketing created the false illusion that personal computers are easy to use, and require no special training. This is not true. It has never been true. A personal computer is an extremely complex and sophisticated power tool. Just owning a computer does not magically bestow all manner of skills on you. It does not make you into an accountant, publisher, artist, musician, big data analyst, security expert, writer, scientist, or anything at all. Except perhaps befuddled a lot. Windows is not easy. Linux is many times easier to operate and maintain, and many times less restrictive.
Linux To Windows Conversion
You Might Want Android
If all you really need is a nice little portable device for Web surfing, social media, email, reading books, listening to music, playing games, and watching movies then get an Android tablet. Android is a Linux variant, but stripped-down and simplified. You literally poke it with a finger to operate it. Realtek rtl8111gr driver. ZaReason has a really nice 9.7″ tablet, the ZaTab, that is completely open, and not locked down like so many Android devices. Android is also coming to laptops and desktops, so keep an eye on the market to watch for something that might work for you.
Convert Windows Xp To Linux Download
The bottom line is that any change away from Windows XP is going to involve expense and a learning curve, so why not consider leaving Windows-land, and investing your time and money in the solid, reliable Linux world?
Resources
Convert Windows To Linux File
Weekend Project: Linux For Beginners
Ubuntu Unleashed is the best Linux book for beginners
Ubuntu Linux
Linux Mint
Mageia Linux
Fedora Linux
openSUSE
Cynthia Harvey has a large and excellent body of articles on Linux and open source replacements for Windows applications.
Ubuntu Unleashed is the best Linux book for beginners
Ubuntu Linux
Linux Mint
Mageia Linux
Fedora Linux
openSUSE
Cynthia Harvey has a large and excellent body of articles on Linux and open source replacements for Windows applications.