Transitioning to Linux for College

[TuxicSkillz]

Hey guys, first time posting here.

A friend recently showed me his laptop with Linux on it and it seemed to have a really simple interface and interesting features (not to mention no viruses or spyware), so I thought I might give it a try.

I'm going to be buying a laptop in the Spring for college and I was wondering if it would be better to completely remove myself from Windows altogether or to run them together on the same system? (either way, I'm getting rid of Vista if it's on the laptop)

The only real reason I've been a true Windows user up until this point has been for online gaming. Recently, however, I transitioned onto platform games (AKA "The Dark Side") and now use this computer for simple purposes such as typing reports for school, email, instant messaging, etc, etc.

A couple of other questions I have are:
What are some common equivalents between Linux and Windows programs (eg. OpenOffice -> Microsoft Office), particularly those that involve media editing, programming (don't know it yet, but this is what I will be studying in college), instant messaging, and anything else you think is essential for a new Linux user to have.

I was thinking of test running Linux on this system with XP, would it give me the same experience as if it was on a system solo; or will Windows be poking itself into my Linux?

Also, how would I go about installing it alongside Windows without doing anything to my system?


Thanks in advance,
Tuxic

PS. In regards to the equivalents question, I'm aware that there is a link in the newbie sticky, but Firefox wouldn't let me go (said it was malicious site). So don't think I didn't read that section, I just couldn't use the information in it for that particular question.

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

I'd recommend dual-booting between Linux and Windows until you feel comfortable saying "goodbye" to Windows. Most Linux installers will take care of the dual-boot setup pretty much automatically.

For applications, check Linux App Finder for some of the various apps you might want to try. If you find something you like, look for a package in your distribution repositories before trying to install it from source.

Hope it turns out well for you.

[TuxicSkillz]

Downloading Ubuntu installer now. Hopefully I won't screw this up too badly!

[techieMoe]

Downloading Ubuntu installer now. Hopefully I won't screw this up too badly!

If you're not comfortable with harddrive partitions, there's another option to consider when using Ubuntu. You can burn the ISO to a CD, then pop it in while you're running Windows. You will then have the option of installing Ubuntu inside of Windows with no changes to your harddrive. You'd still have to reboot to swap the OS, but if you decide Ubuntu isn't for you you can remove it like any other Windows program using Add/Remove.

The downside to running like this (the program it uses is called WUBI) is that your performance won't be quite as fast as if you dual-boot with a separate partition. However it's something to consider.

[TuxicSkillz]

I've got some partitioning experience through building a few computers, so I'll probably try that way first.

I watched a tutorial with screenshots on installing Ubuntu also, so it should be fine.

[elija]

I've got some partitioning experience through building a few computers, so I'll probably try that way first.

I watched a tutorial with screenshots on installing Ubuntu also, so it should be fine.

As long as you are careful and take a backup of your important data before you begin and make sure the backup actually has your data in it (been there - not done that ) it shouldn't be too tricky.

[TuxicSkillz]

I have an external hd where I store anything I absolutely need.

Learned that lesson the hard way.

[TuxicSkillz]

If you're not comfortable with harddrive partitions, there's another option to consider when using Ubuntu. You can burn the ISO to a CD, then pop it in while you're running Windows. You will then have the option of installing Ubuntu inside of Windows with no changes to your harddrive. You'd still have to reboot to swap the OS, but if you decide Ubuntu isn't for you you can remove it like any other Windows program using Add/Remove.

The downside to running like this (the program it uses is called WUBI) is that your performance won't be quite as fast as if you dual-boot with a separate partition. However it's something to consider.

If I want to partition, should I just put it in while Windows is running and manual restart quickly so it starts up with the cd?

[techieMoe]

If I want to partition, should I just put it in while Windows is running and manual restart quickly so it starts up with the cd?

Or you could restart and as soon as your computer powers on pop in the CD. You actually don't have to do any partitioning on your own unless you just want to. The Ubuntu installer can shrink your existing XP partition on its own.

If you already have a spare partition, leave it unformatted and tell Ubuntu to use the largest contiguous free space (you'll need at least 5GB).

[TuxicSkillz]

I put in the CD and it said "Demo and Full Installation" so I clicked that one. It rebooted my system, ran Ubuntu, and then after the loading bar was done, my monitor gave me an "Out of Range" message and displayed a bunch of random lines and colors on the screen.

What did I do wrong?