Linux Mint Download question

Hi, if I download the Live CD from the Linux Mint download site, will it work?

Here's where I'm at - advice appreciated:

First of all, though I have a pack of Maxell CD-R, I rarely ever burned anything on CD, so don't remember how.

Secondly:

I have 2 old systems (one an X31 Thinkpad whose HDD often cranks noisily and whose display often jumps up and down like a seesaw)
it's also been infected by Trojans.

..the other is an old 2003 Dell Dimension 4600 tower with only 256mb RAM.
The Dell tower has been put thru a Sys Reinstallation back to the SP1 version, and now seems to be frozen.

I decided to try burning Linux Mint onto CD via the X31, and then trying to install it on the Dell tower, to see if that would resurrect the tower's usage.

As for resurrecting the X31 thinkpad (which i love, when Google/YouTube access had not yet become infected, and when it isn't cranking noisily or seesawing) I guess there may be too much wrong with it to bother?

BTW, I'm typing this post on the X31
To anyone tempted to advise getting a high-power laptop, please note that I specifically require a low power laptop due to electrosensitivity. I actually do have a higher power laptop, with Core 2 Duo, 2gb memory & 120gb HDD, but can barely use it 1/2 hour before getting severe symptoms (this is an understatemen). Somehow high-power laptops are worse for me than high-power towers, though the Dell isn't such a picnic either. The 1.4ghz thinkpad is the absolute most tolerable, as are other low ghz laptops i've tried.

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Originally Posted by Minni

Hi, if I download the Live CD from the Linux Mint download site, will it work?

First of all, though I have a pack of Maxell CD-R, I rarely ever burned anything on CD, so don't remember how.

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Hello and welcome to the forums!

It might work. We have a HowTo that should help you with burning an ISO file to disk, then booting your machine with it:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/ins...ll-cd-dvd.html

Different Linux distributions have different system requirements just like different versions of Windows do, so you should search out the system requirements for any distribution that you are interested in trying. The website for each distribution usually lists the system requirements for their particular distro.

Here are the system requirements for Linux Mint, according to this wikipedia article:

Linux Mint - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hi, I clicked the URL you gave, but I believe it's a step ahead of where I'm at.

Question:
Do I go to the linuxmint site, and then click on the:
32-bit?
64-bit?
Live CD download?
(after putting one of my Maxell CD's into the thinkpads RW-drive????

Please understand, because Google/YouTube access has been infected by Trojans on my thinkpad, I can't even view YouTube Help-video's if there are any.

I'm not experienced enough to comprehend the instructions on the link you gave me.
I require step-by-step instructions, geared to newbs.
Is there anything like that?

Most people these days assume that everyone else is a geek (or a minimum size 6 shoe), but a minority of us are older (therefore maybe smaller sized, and/or and haven't had circumstantial opportunity to associate much with geeks due to other issues in their lives.

Which link you click on at the Linux Mint site depends on whether you want the 64-bit or 32-bit version of Linux, which of course depends on the CPU in your computer. Most modern CPU's are capable of running either version of Linux, so in most cases it's a matter of personal preference, just like with Windows. You can also decide at the Linux Mint downloads page if you want a CD or DVD version of their distribution. The DVD version includes more software as is indicated on their downloads page.

None of us were born with a full understanding Linux. It takes time to learn it, so sorry if it seems overly complicated. The HowTo we have for burning ISO files to disk was written with new users in mind, but I believe the Linux Mint User Guide that you can download from their downloads page also has some new user instructions for burning their ISO file to disk. I'm not aware of any easier instructions for downloading and burning ISO files, but you can purchase various distributions already burned to disk through a number of online vendors if it should be necessary.

More on getting started with Linux can be found by checking the link in my signature. Hope you'll have fun with it, whichever distribution and version you go with.

32 bit CD should work on all systems (not sure if you have DVD drive on all systems). When you burn the image to CD do it at the minimum speed you can select ;)

btw - if you have not already done so it may be work trying using a USB keyboard and mouse and placing the laptop further away from you.

Thanks! I guess next chance I get I'll:

* open the DVD-RW drive on my X31 and
* then put a Maxell CD-R into it, and
* then click on the 32-bit download link at the Linux Mint site
* then try the CD on either my X31 and/or my 2003 Dell tower

...to see what happens.

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btw - if you have not already done so it may be work trying using a USB keyboard and mouse and placing the laptop further away from you.

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I already do/done that albeit mechanical mice (i.e. w/rubber ball) which I have several. Also put on snug ferrite chokes & tried Stetzer-strip (look it up). All useless when tested with high-freq. stuff, since that's the acid-test.
I'd specifically bought a 17" laptop, thinking it would be more visible even if placed further away, but did that BACKFIRE cuz it proved 4 once & 4 all that higher freq. laptops w/larger screens are extremely zapping. I've had so many such discussions online before, but it sorta makes me laugh because it's like arthritic people explaining methods-tried to healthy people. Nobody really understands handicaps until they LIVE it. Alongside with experience comes more acceptance & less debates (which is why indoctrinated medical personnel are so hopeless to deal with. Not that I don't appreciate good intentions and especially your technical help, but sometimes it's so tedious to keep explaining that this or that or zillions other stuff have been tried, and been there & done that...

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Originally Posted by Minni

I'd specifically bought a 17" laptop, thinking it would be more visible even if placed further away, but did that BACKFIRE cuz it proved 4 once & 4 all that higher freq. laptops w/larger screens are extremely zapping.

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Sounds like shielding associated with a desktop PC is better, which is probably due to metal case. Display technology also probably has a significant impact on RFI.

... anyway you should find the CD works in all systems ... let us know how the install goes.

I remember reading that some people have headaches due to refresh rates, and I found this about refresh rates and headaches."This is a real problem and may prevent any further use of linux for me. My monitor doesn't have a name on it (really) it just say RIC which is not listed anywhere as a monitor name... and it's not like I kept the book 5 years.
With windows I just set the refresh rate at 85 hz even though I vaguely remember when I got the monitor the book said 75 was the maximum. I figured if I can't use it at 85 I'll just throw it away. I've used it at 85 now for 5 years. Anything under 85 gives me blaring headaches. I'm not finding any way in linux you can just set a monitor at 85 and then check to see that it remains at 85."
That user had headaches at low refresh rates, while another post had problems at high refresh rates. "Ok, I'm using a Gateway EV700 monitor at the moment. My preferred refresh rate is 60 Hz, I like the clarity, but the way my xorg.conf is configured only allows 85 Hz, which is murder on my eyes after 30 minutes or so."
Try playing with your refresh rates and see if you can come up with a more comfotable rate.
For you computer with 256 MB ram, try Mint LXDE Lubuntu, or AntiX.

The other posters here looks like they've covered most everything. But one last thing, you stated that you bought CD's. Then you need to make sure that you download a CD image, and not a DVD one. After the install of Mint, you'll be given the option to upgrade the install to the DVD version.

That option will be on the home screen upon startup, a box in the middle of the screen, with links for lots of useful info. The DVD upgrade option will be near the bottom of that box.

Best of Luck,
Cat