Which OS to use?

[dchurch24]

Hi all,

Since Ubuntu went with that awful Unity interface I have been unable to use it, so stuck with 10.10 for a very long time.
Now I need certain libraries etc... that I can no longer get.

I have a laptop with Windows 8.1 on it, and that is virtually unusable, so went to install Mint - tried it on two laptops and it seems that the installer is broken.

Can someone recommend a distro that preferably has APT that works and has a window manager that is usable for someone over the age of 10?

[sudodus]

I suggest that you try Xubuntu and Kubuntu in that computer with Windows 8.1. Read up about UEFI Installing - Tips.

If you have an old computer (which I guess, because of Ubuntu 10.10), I suggest that you try Lubuntu and Xubuntu in that computer.

Start trying the version 14.04.1 LTS in the new computer and 12.04 LTS in the old one.

But before installing anything, please try Ubuntu (Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu, ...) before installing it

[TheFu]

Ubuntu 14.04 Server + XFCE4 or LXDE or Cinnamon or .... about 20 other choices. You can use a pure WM solution too.

Even if you provided the specific libraries and versions, those are almost certainly out-of-date.

10.10 has been unsupported since 2011 - don't care much about security, do you?

Stay LTS (14.04, 12.04) and you'll be have 4.5+ yrs of support - plenty of time to migrate to the next LTS release when it is available and mature.

Since you are asking this question on an Ubuntu forum, you shouldn't be surprised at the answer.

[craig10x]

There is nothing horrible or unusable about unity, it's really just a dock...so i would gather you can't stand to use anything with a dock (i guess you aren't very fond of apple computers for that reason too...lol)
So, as they suggested, try xubuntu or kubuntu 14.04 LTS...either one would probably be more suited to you...

I never found ubuntu's old interface to be very efficient or productive, with it's 2 (space wasting) panels and fan out apps menu, but to each his own

[dchurch24]

You assume correctly I don't much care for Apple OS either.

I have Xubuntu coming down as we speak. Looking at the screenshots, it looks a lot like something I could get on with.

Thanks guys.

[TheFu]

You assume correctly I don't much care for Apple OS either.

+1 - I tried it for a few weeks. HATED IT! Felt like "linux-lite" plus at the time even CIFS connections were broken.

There is no need to get a special release (Lubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu) to try different GUIs.
http://www.howtogeek.com/193129/how-...ment-on-linux/ explains.

The horrible thing about Unity is the requirement for 3D capable GPUs. That isn't good for VM desktops or remote desktops.

[dchurch24]

Yeah. I thought the same.

Sadly....The Xubuntu installer crashes like the Mint one. I don't think I am going to be able to actually have a computer that actually does anything useful.

Well, that completely shagged my install of 10.10.

The home folder is now missing, and I can only boot into something called "initramfs".

[sudodus]

Is Xubuntu running live? If not, try some boot options according to this link. With nvidia graphics I would recommend nomodeset at least until you install a proprietary driver.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions

[dchurch24]

It doesn't get that far sadly.

It starts the Xubuntu screen, then goes black. If I press F1-6, I can see the terminal and a message flashing past saying "No space left on device" - which is odd.

[sudodus]

If you are trying Xubuntu 14.04 LTS, download and try 12.04 LTS and vice versa. The hardware drivers are different, and it is worth trying the other version as well. Xubuntu 12.04 LTS is only supported until April 2015, but at least you might get going and can find alternatives in the meantime.

Other alternatives are community re-spins based on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, Bento, Bodhi, LXLE, that all promise support until April 2017 (as does standard Ubuntu).