Xp VS Ubuntu

[EvanRogers]

Hey, i installed Ubuntu and i definitely decided that i like Ubuntu way better than Xp, i haven't used it much so I'm just wondering...

Is there anything that Xp can do that Ubuntu can't?

And i also want to know, what OS you guys think is better?

[Patrick793]

Hey, i installed Ubuntu and i definitely decided that i like Ubuntu way better than Xp, i haven't used it much so I'm just wondering...

Is there anything that Xp can do that Ubuntu can't?

And i also want to know, what OS you guys think is better?
Well, XP can get tonnes more Viruses and Malware than Ubuntu.

I prefer Ubuntu, but there are some things Windows is good for, like gaming.

[Paqman]

Is there anything that Xp can do that Ubuntu can't?


There are a lot of Windows apps that are worth keeping a copy of Windows around for. Plus I think setting up network shares is a bit more user-friendly on XP. Otherwise it's a bit of a dog of an OS, really.

[bobnutfield]

As mentioned, except for gaming (though Linux is getting better in that area), there is nothing you can do in XP that can't be done in Ubuntu. It is just a matter of degrees. For example, Linux is way behind in video editing (and please don't compare Cinelerra to Adobe Premier Pro, there is no comparison.) But Linux is infinitely more secure than Windows of any flavor. All considered, those of us who abandoned Windows years ago have found no reason to go back.

[medic2000]

And i think Xp's file manager is faster than Ubuntu's.
But who cares, Ubuntu rules!

[EvanRogers]

As mentioned, except for gaming (though Linux is getting better in that area), there is nothing you can do in XP that can't be done in Ubuntu. It is just a matter of degrees. For example, Linux is way behind in video editing (and please don't compare Cinelerra to Adobe Premier Pro, there is no comparison.) But Linux is infinitely more secure than Windows of any flavor. All considered, those of us who abandoned Windows years ago have found no reason to go back.

Well you're post sounds pretty convincing and you sound like you know what you're talking about haha, I'm just getting used to ubuntu and its a really great experience, eventually (maybe a couple hours..or days haha) i might completely throw away XP and use ubuntu 100% of the time.

[shifty_powers]

And i think Xp's file manager is faster than Ubuntu's.
But who cares, Ubuntu rules!

yes but one of the great things about ubuntu and linux is choice. use something like thunar, and have a faster file manager...

[EvanRogers]

yes but one of the great things about ubuntu and linux is choice. use something like thunar, and have a faster file manager...

What is Thunar?

[Primefalcon]

well if you give it enough time you won't be able to go back, really I've been running Ubuntu for a bit over a year now without a windows partition or anything.

And well Ubuntu actually is very good, I wouldn't go back

[shifty_powers]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunar

Thunar is a file manager for Linux and other Unix-like systems, written using the GTK+ 2 toolkit and shipped with Xfce version 4.4 RC1 and later. Thunar is developed by Benedikt Meurer, and was originally intended to replace XFFM, Xfce's previous file manager. Thunar was initially called Filer but was changed to Thunar due to a name clash.

The main goal of the Thunar project is to create a file manager that is fast, clean, and easy to use. It is designed to start up faster and be more responsive than other Linux file managers, such as Nautilus and Konqueror [1]. Accessibility, another goal of the project, is accomplished using Assistive Technologies (i.e., GNOME Accessibility Toolkit). Like the rest of Xfce, Thunar is designed to comply with standards,[2] such as those stated at freedesktop.org. Thunar is simple and lightweight by design, but its functionality can be extended through plugins.

Thunar is named after the god of thunder in Norse mythology.

[semitone36]

Yes windows is better at gaming and a lot of the open source apps that try to replace windows programs arent quite as good as the windows counter parts... but this is only because Ubuntu is still starting out you could say. Give it a few more years and Ubuntu will have a larger market share and the opensource apps will have improved exponetially to the point that there is no way windows could keep up. All we have to do is wait;)

[lisati]

Every OS has its strengths and weaknesses. I use XP mainly for video editing, and Ubuntu for mainly for web-based activity (e.g. email, browsing these forums, ....)

I don't play many games on the PC, so I'm not really qualified to comment on the relevant merits of the fairly small number of OSes I've tried.

[EvanRogers]

Well, i never play games on the computer except for browser games, but im guessing that those are still playable as long as you have java? Seems like i am going to be thinking of staying with Ubuntu.

Is there any thread to help me remove the Windows xp part of my computer because it is dual booted right now.

[Primefalcon]

yes I still play runescape myself lol

[shifty_powers]

tbh, easier to back up data and do a clean install.

a tip is to have a separate home partition so that if you ever reinstall, all your settings and personal data is preserved.

i have:

/ partition (where all your programs go)
/boot partition (where you boot files are)
/home (your personal partition)
/swap (page file)

[EvanRogers]

haha that was the game i was talking about :P

[EvanRogers]

tbh, easier to back up data and do a clean install.

a tip is to have a separate home partition so that if you ever reinstall, all your settings and personal data is preserved.

i have:

/ partition (where all your programs go)
/boot partition (where you boot files are)
/home (your personal partition)
/swap (page file)

Okay so could you point me to a guide or something like that that would help me do that? And if i clean installed it then how could i create partitions? and i already have a lot of things done to Ubuntu and i wouldn't want to have to do it all again...

[Paqman]

Okay so could you point me to a guide or something like that that would help me do that? And if i clean installed it then how could i create partitions? and i already have a lot of things done to Ubuntu and i wouldn't want to have to do it all again...

You can do it while you're running the Ubuntu LiveCD, or during the actual install process. Either way, select "manual partitioning" during install. Then assign the mount points mentioned above to the partitions you've created.

You have to have two partitions, root (written as /) and swap. A separate /home is popular, too. A separate /boot is really only useful is you have multiple distros on one machine.

For more info about partitioning, try the Psychocats partitioning guide (http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/partitioning). It's getting a bit outdated (particularly in recommending FAT32 partitions) but is a good overview.

[shifty_powers]

ok, check the links in my sig, the psychocats one will give you a good guide to installing.

the other is a link to acollection of links i have kept. one of them will create a list of packages that you can use to reinstall on the new system

and there is nothing to stop you backing up your /home folder and using that data o the new install..

[EvanRogers]

ok, check the links in my sig, the psychocats one will give you a good guide to installing.

the other is a link to acollection of links i have kept. one of them will create a list of packages that you can use to reinstall on the new system

and there is nothing to stop you backing up your /home folder and using that data o the new install..


ok so i would do that, but what do i have to do to back up my stuff like installed programs and stuff?

[Prefix100]

I've had to go back to XP becuase my course uses industry standard applications, which few have linux versions.

[NoWayBill]

The only thing I have found that Windo$e dose better than Linux, in general, is gaming.
Depending on what you do at work there may be Windo$e only software required.

In Linux there are no Active-X controls, nothing installs itself.
In as much, Linux then requires more user input than Windo$e.
This required input makes Linux much more, way more, safe and secure than Windo$e, IMO, will ever be.
All this user input also teaches the user much more about file and script interactions than the casual Windo$e user will ever see.

[Paqman]

ok so i would do that, but what do i have to do to back up my stuff like installed programs and stuff?

You don't need to back up the actual programs. Your /home contains all your settings for your apps, and you can automatically reinstall all the apps (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=261366) themselves by feeding Ubuntu a tiny text file. It'll grab them from the repos and install them all automatically.

[Sparty26]

I just want to say that I do not plan on changing back to windows. I have had a few problems sicne installing Kubuntu, such as the sound not working on my laptop , but Windows had completely stopped working on my computer. I had lost all of my files and Windows wouldn't even reinstall correctly. In my desperation to get my computer back into working condition, I got on someone else's computer, downloaded the Kubuntu, and installed it. So far, the problems I have had with ubuntu have (for the most part) been resolved (aside from the afforementioned sound issue), and I can still do everything that I did on my computer prior to the switch (with the exception of video editing).

[medic2000]

yes but one of the great things about ubuntu and linux is choice. use something like thunar, and have a faster file manager...

No it doesnt help. Xp beats every possiblity even an ArchLinux and Openbox with Thunar. I think its about Xorg's sluggishness.

[EvanRogers]

double post.

[EvanRogers]

is there any way i can just get rid fo the windows xp part of my computer and just have ubuntu? without re-installing

[Paqman]

is there any way i can just get rid fo the windows xp part of my computer and just have ubuntu? without re-installing

Sure, just delete your Windows partition in Gparted and reclaim the space into Ubuntu if you want. Then remove the entry in Grub for Windows (startupmanager makes this really easy). If you've got an entry in /etc/fstab to mount any NTFS partitions you can just comment it out or delete it.

Keeping Windows does no harm though, so make sure you can do without it. Reinstalling it can be a real pain.

[cardinals_fan]

In Linux there are no Active-X controls, nothing installs itself.

Since ActiveX is arguably the foulest security hole ever veiled as a feature, I don't mind.

[jimi_hendrix]

What is Thunar?

just skimmed thread and i dont think anyone answered this...

its a light-weight file manager like nautilus (did i spell it right for once?) and it isnt gnome dependent so you can use it on ubuntu, kubuntu, xubuntu, or something like openbox or enlightenment as your desktop enviroment

[ESE150]

Besides gaming, XP is more user-friendly and you don't need to write commands when installing and configuring stuff. Oh, and it comes with the feature to list most used programs, which is fairly useful.

[SpenceMakesSense]

well it is true...ubuntu isnt as user friendly but the everyday user could probably load his computer up with spyware and viruses on windows in a few months...while on ubuntu...well you just cant do that. And if it isnt the virus that slows down your computer the anti-virus will

[david_lynch]

I guess there's no accounting for taste. I find ubuntu much more usable than xp. Whenever I have occasion to use ms windows, (at someone else's house for instance) I feel like I'm sitting in a kindergartner's desk, at open house, cramped and uncomfortable.

It always feels so good to get back to linux, to get comfortable again and stretch out.:KS

[ESE150]

ubuntu isnt as user friendly but the everyday user could probably load his computer up with spyware and viruses on windows in a few months...
That depends on different factors: What web browser does the user use? Does he browse porn sites often? Has he got a decent antivirus?

And if it isnt the virus that slows down your computer the anti-virus will
That depends on the antivirus and computer specs. I've got NOD32 installed, which usually uses just slightly more memory than the Windows shell, and doesn't use CPU.