New to Ubuntu, which ver should I DL?

[Dee_Ann]

Hi!

My dad just bought me a brand new pc!
Well actually it's the parts. I get to assemble it myself. :)

It's a pretty wicked machine, I think. But what I'm wondering is, which version of Ubuntu should I download get maximum performance out of it?

It is supposed to be a quad core 64 bit intel board.

The parts are listed as follows,

"Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q8400"

motherboard is a "GIGABYTE GA-X48-DQ6 LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard"

the video is a "ASUS EN9600GSO/DI/512MD3/V2 GeForce 9600 GSO 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card"

and the memory is a "G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1200 (PC2 9600) Desktop Memory Model F2-9600CL6D-4GBRH"

I've read up and see that it can be easily overclocked. Not that that matters but I am looking for FAST. My old AMD64 is a dog that has seen it's day. A loooong time ago, like back about Suse 9.1, it was a pretty smokin machine. But now it's just blah..... It's out.

So from what I read, the cpu on my new pc is a 64 bit one but all the downloads say for 64bit AMD. ??

I do not want to use 32 bit on this new pc. So which download do I want please?

Oh, and I do NOT want KDE please. I've had it with that malfunctioning junk. It used to be pretty good but it's really useless now. So I guess Gnome is where I'm going.

I want speed and power and stability. Oh and flexibility. How can I squeeze every last ounce out of my new pc? I don't have the parts yet to start on it but I want to go ahead and download the install disc. Oh and can I install from a thumb drive? I don't have any CD's to burn to but I have a brand new 8gb thumb drive. Can I use that instead?

Thanks! :)

[Vaphell]

amd64 is just a common name of 64bit version of the x86 architecture - AMD was first to make 64bit x86 compatible processors, that's all.
Ubuntu is based on Gnome so you should use that, Kubuntu is KDE flavor of ubuntu family, xubuntu = XFCE etc.

And yes, you can install from usb, google a bit or search these forums for instructions.

[ancientpaint]

Hello, Good Luck on your build. I am not sure about how to make your computer run at its fastest speed but I do know you can install Ubuntu from a thumb drive. Check out this wonderful program. It will download ubuntu to your thumb drive. Then just boot from USB. http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ Good luck with your new machine and Ubuntu!!

[Dee_Ann]

amd64 is just a common name of 64bit version of the x86 architecture - AMD was first to make 64bit x86 compatible processors, that's all.
Ubuntu is based on Gnome so you should use that, Kubuntu is KDE flavor of ubuntu family, xubuntu = XFCE etc.

And yes, you can install from usb, google a bit or search these forums for instructions.


Oh ok, cool! So I guess that means I should download the one that says AMD64 and use it to install?

Thank you! :)

[Dee_Ann]

Hello, Good Luck on your build. I am not sure about how to make your computer run at its fastest speed but I do know you can install Ubuntu from a thumb drive. Check out this wonderful program. It will download ubuntu to your thumb drive. Then just boot from USB. http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ Good luck with your new machine and Ubuntu!!


OMG!! Thank you! That's PERFECT! It's exactly what I need!
TY TY TY TY!!!!

:)

[Iowan]

My old AMD64 is a dog that has seen it's day. I can provide a box if you want rid of the old dog... ;)

[Dee_Ann]

I can provide a box if you want rid of the old dog... ;)


:p I'm sure you could. :)

Actually, I'm going to "dress it down" and make it into a basic work station for my room mate so she can get online without us having to fight over my new pc. She doesn't know much about computers anyway so just a basic, non-M$ machine will be perfect for her.
She doesn't need anything fancy at all.

[Dee_Ann]

Oh yes, that reminds me....

I want to also install Snow Leopard and Windows 7 on my new machine.
Is there any secret I should know about that? Now don't hate on me for the other two systems please, I need them so I can keep up with the boys at work. They always try to put me down because I'm not on the cutting edge with them. I really hate windows but I do need to learn it. I have a copy of it coming in with my new pc parts anyway. :|

As for Snow Leopard, well there's some things I do, websites I maintain and video editing and such. My old Mac is tired and very slow and won't take the Snow Leopard upgrade so I'm moving on to a newer pc.

What I need is all three machines in one. Windows, not so much. Snow Leopard, fairly often.
Linux, pretty much constantly. I've seen machines that could boot up several different ways before. I had a machine that would boot into windows xp or Linux a long time ago but I forgot how to do it, someone else set it up for me like that.

So any advice on that would be super duper awesome! :)

Thanks! :)

[gordintoronto]

I want to also install Snow Leopard and Windows 7 on my new machine.


You didn't describe your hard drive when you described the other parts, but it's probably pretty big.

It really is easiest to install Windows 7 first, giving it a small portion of the hard drive such as 60 GB, then install Ubuntu in a dual boot configuration. During Ubuntu installation, set up the following partitions:
- 25 GB for /
- 4 GB for swap
- the rest for /home, less space for the third OS.

(That is how my system is set up.)

Are you sure you can install Snow Leopard on a generic PC?

Before trying to install Snow Leopard, I suggest you search the forums for "grub restore." Likewise if you install Ubuntu first, then Windows.

[halitech]

Windows 7 will be no issues but in order to use and install any MAC operating system, in their terms of service, you are only allowed to install it on MAC hardware. Can't find the link right now but I'm pretty sure that hasn't changed recently.

edit: just found the link : http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/
click on the link for Mac OS X (Snow Leopard) and check section 2


2. Permitted License Uses and Restrictions.
A. Single Use License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, unless you have purchased a Family Pack or Upgrade license for the Apple Software,
you are granted a limited non-exclusive license to install, use and run one (1) copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-branded computer at a time. You
agree not to install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-branded computer, or to enable others to do so. This License does not allow the Apple
Software to exist on more than one computer at a time, and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple
computers at the same time.

[MelDJ]

why not install windows 7 in virtualbox which is a virtualization software? see: http://www.virtualbox.org/

for mac, unless you buy a mac, you cant install it. as said before me.

[ikacer]

The official Mac OS probably won't run on non-Mac hardware, but there are (illegal?/hacked) versions of Mac available which will run on almost any hardware. I've known people to put a Mac sticker on their PC to make it "Apple-branded" so as to comply with the End User License Agreement (EULA). But even then you'll probably have to use a hacked version of the OS to get it to run, which is probably not legal.

[MelDJ]

The official Mac OS probably won't run on non-Mac hardware, but there are (illegal?/hacked) versions of Mac available which will run on almost any hardware. I've known people to put a Mac sticker on their PC so that it is "Apple-branded" so as to comply with the End User License Agreement (EULA).

there are. but teaching illegal ways to do things might get us in trouble. eventhough many people are already doing it ;)

[Dee_Ann]

You didn't describe your hard drive when you described the other parts, but it's probably pretty big.

It really is easiest to install Windows 7 first, giving it a small portion of the hard drive such as 60 GB, then install Ubuntu in a dual boot configuration. During Ubuntu installation, set up the following partitions:
- 25 GB for /
- 4 GB for swap
- the rest for /home, less space for the third OS.

(That is how my system is set up.)

Are you sure you can install Snow Leopard on a generic PC?

Before trying to install Snow Leopard, I suggest you search the forums for "grub restore." Likewise if you install Ubuntu first, then Windows.


Oh.. Well, I have a 1.5tb new drive coming in and several old 500gb drives I was going to put in it as well. The old drives already have stuff on them but I want to consolidate everything, wipe to old drives and start them over clean again. I'm likely to end up with maybe 3tb in the new machine, I'm guessing. Maybe more.

Oh, ok. Well we will drop the Mac issue then, right here and now. No problem.

Oh yes, and for the record, I do want to say that I own FOUR Apple Macs and an iPhone. Real Macs. They are just old ones. That's all I'm saying now on that.

[Darce]

You didn't describe your hard drive when you described the other parts, but it's probably pretty big.

It really is easiest to install Windows 7 first, giving it a small portion of the hard drive such as 60 GB, then install Ubuntu in a dual boot configuration. During Ubuntu installation, set up the following partitions:
- 25 GB for /
- 4 GB for swap
- the rest for /home, less space for the third OS.

(That is how my system is set up.)

Are you sure you can install Snow Leopard on a generic PC?

Before trying to install Snow Leopard, I suggest you search the forums for "grub restore." Likewise if you install Ubuntu first, then Windows.

Or, with a monster of a machine like yours, you could just install Ubuntu and virtualise Win7 and Snow Leopard with VirtualBox. Simpler and would save rebooting all the time ! AND could have all three running at once !!!!!

I run an older core2 laptop with 2Gb ram and can happily run Ubuntu and WinXP simultaneously.

Cheers,

Tim

[Dee_Ann]

Oh, I have a few more quick questions.

First, I saw reports that the newest Ubuntu has serious problems. Is this true and should I NOT install it, should I use an older one and wait until this one is fixed?

Next question.

I'm currently running PC-BSD on my old pc. It's using ZFS on a 500gb Seagate SATA drive.

Can I put the ZFS drive into the new Ubuntu pc and have it recognize it so that I can pull the files from it into the Ubuntu drive?

Lastly, what is the highest performing, most reliable file system to use under Ubuntu?
I want speed AND reliability. The power glitches here frequently and I do not want to lose data. I had pretty good luck with ext3 back when I was running Suse Linux. It was reliable but it was slow. I heard there is a replacement for ext3 but I don't know anything about it.

ZFS scares me, I hear it's prone to data loss if power glitches while it's booting.
I tried it because I was looking for speed and it just looked like it would be cool to try.

Thanks!

[fela]

About your hatred of KDE: any 4 version up to 4.1 was crap IMO, 4.2 was where it got usable. Although if you really want stability, steer clear of KDE4.

Get Ubuntu 9.04.

[Dee_Ann]

About your hatred of KDE: any 4 version up to 4.1 was crap IMO, 4.2 was where it got usable. Although if you really want stability, steer clear of KDE4.

Get Ubuntu 9.04.


KDE 3.5.x was fine. 4.x is poo. :mad: I'll never use it again, period.
I'm not a gnome fan but it does work. What I really hate is GTK. It's sooooo Windows 95ish.

As for Gnome in general, my boyfriend had it on his laptop and it worked great on that, it was a dual core and I liked it. Very usable. I just don't like the GTK menus. Yuk.


I *require* stable. I believe Gnome will be the one to cover it.

[LewRockwell]

Get Ubuntu 9.04

Seconded

you can always download both 9.04 and 9.10 and try them both using their LiveCD test-drive functions

still, if in doubt...9.04

.

[LewRockwell]

then there is always something like this:

http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147959

.

[Dee_Ann]

Seconded

you can always download both 9.04 and 9.10 and try them both using their LiveCD test-drive functions

still, if in doubt...9.04

.


I'm going with 9.04 for now. As 9.10 is fixed I can upgrade to it later.
And 64bit for sure. :)

[chazn85]

9.04 is a stable version imho especially for the 64bit people among us

[gordintoronto]

Oh, I have a few more quick questions.

First, I saw reports that the newest Ubuntu has serious problems. Is this true and should I NOT install it, should I use an older one and wait until this one is fixed?

Next question.

I'm currently running PC-BSD on my old pc. It's using ZFS on a 500gb Seagate SATA drive.

Can I put the ZFS drive into the new Ubuntu pc and have it recognize it so that I can pull the files from it into the Ubuntu drive?

Lastly, what is the highest performing, most reliable file system to use under Ubuntu?
I want speed AND reliability. The power glitches here frequently and I do not want to lose data. I had pretty good luck with ext3 back when I was running Suse Linux. It was reliable but it was slow. I heard there is a replacement for ext3 but I don't know anything about it.

ZFS scares me, I hear it's prone to data loss if power glitches while it's booting.
I tried it because I was looking for speed and it just looked like it would be cool to try.

Thanks!

Every time there is a new release, some people have serious problems. For me, 9.10 was an improvement over 9.04: fewer problems.

Here is a link about ZFS:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ZFS

According to that, you can add support for ZFS in Ubuntu.

The latest file system is EXT4, but I would not use it if power glitches are part of the environment. EXT3 seems to be very reliable.

[mwalimu54]

if and when you upgrade to 9.10, do a clean install. I am currently using 9,10, ext4 file system 64-bit, and have zero problems.

[TironN]

DO NOT UPGRADE!!!
Its a recipe for disaster and can screw your system over really badly!
Clean installs only (as said above)