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View Full Version : Should I put Ubuntu on my friends computer?



gymophett
May 22nd, 2009, 06:40 PM
She has 1GB DDR2 RAM, 80GB HD, and Intel Celeron. All of her hardware will work completely out of the box with 9.04
She had XP installed from the same CD a countless amount of times, and it eventually wouldn't let her install from the CD because she had installed it too many times already. She has all of her music, pictures, and videos on there. She uses her computer for media, and syncing her 2nd generation iPod Nano. She can no longer access her files because her computer is locked down, and there is no way to back them up. If I put in a LiveCD and installed Ubuntu 9.04 over XP, would it let me carry over her XP files to Ubuntu? Thanks! ;)

Riffer
May 22nd, 2009, 06:45 PM
That wouldn't work. When you install Ubuntu, it reformats the partition it's installed on.

What you could do is use the LiveCD to copy all her data to a USB stick. When you've done that then you can install Ubuntu.

Pasdar
May 22nd, 2009, 06:47 PM
If you do, install everything you think she needs and also install a good theme. Make sure everything works... don't give your friend a half-broken PC back.

CJ Master
May 22nd, 2009, 06:51 PM
She has 1GB DDR2 RAM, 80GB HD, and Intel Celeron. All of her hardware will work completely out of the box with 9.04
She had XP installed from the same CD a countless amount of times, and it eventually wouldn't let her install from the CD because she had installed it too many times already. She has all of her music, pictures, and videos on there. She uses her computer for media, and syncing her 2nd generation iPod Nano. She can no longer access her files because her computer is locked down, and there is no way to back them up. If I put in a LiveCD and installed Ubuntu 9.04 over XP, would it let me carry over her XP files to Ubuntu? Thanks! ;)

Do not install. It's my understanding that Ipods need Itunes to sync music. Unless she wants to jailbreak hers...

And yes, you can access a NTFS drive without a username or password on linux if that's what you're asking.

gymophett
May 22nd, 2009, 06:51 PM
If you do, install everything you think she needs and also install a good thing. Make sure everything works... don't give your friend a half-broken PC back.

I would never do that, so I should put in the LiveCD, and back up her files on a USB, then install, reload her files, update the computer, customize to her liking, then give it to her?
I am going to install all of the applications she needs, which isn't very many.

There is a way to sync an iPod Nano though, right?

gymophett
May 22nd, 2009, 06:55 PM
Just Googled, and many people use those iPods on Linux downloading a few package files and using gtkpod.

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/2518/gtkpoddf7.png

So, I should probably install for her.

peakshysteria
May 22nd, 2009, 06:57 PM
Try to run the LiveCd to access her files. If you can get it running you should be able to access her files. Don't install Ubuntu. This will overwrite XP (you might be able to install a dual boot and then accessing her files on XP via Ubuntu, but this is not sure to work and should not be neccessary). Knoppix (http://www.knoppix.net/) can also be a way to go though Ubuntu LiveCd should be sufficiant.

gymophett
May 22nd, 2009, 06:59 PM
Try to run the LiveCd to access her files. If you can get it running you should be able to access her files. Don't install Ubuntu. This will overwrite XP (you might be able to install a dual boot and then accessing her files on XP via Ubuntu). Knoppix (http://www.knoppix.net/) can also be a way to go.

Why wouldn't I overwritet it if I can back them up to a USB drive using the LiveCD, XP will be useless.

Pasdar
May 22nd, 2009, 07:06 PM
I would never do that, so I should put in the LiveCD, and back up her files on a USB, then install, reload her files, update the computer, customize to her liking, then give it to her?
I am going to install all of the applications she needs, which isn't very many.

There is a way to sync an iPod Nano though, right?

Yes, and let her choose a theme from gnome-look.org, enable compiz set to Normal effects, change fonts to MAC fonts.
http://www.ubuntu-unleashed.com/2008/05/howto-install-mac-fonts-on-ubuntu.html

install flash, propriety video drivers, update it ubuntu to latest, etc, etc

baseface
May 22nd, 2009, 07:06 PM
if she cant make windows work, what makes you think she can make ubuntu work?

gymophett
May 22nd, 2009, 07:09 PM
Yes, and let her choose a theme from gnome-look.org, enable compiz set to Normal effects, change fonts to MAC fonts.
http://www.ubuntu-unleashed.com/2008/05/howto-install-mac-fonts-on-ubuntu.html

install flash, propriety video drivers, update it ubuntu to latest, etc, etc

That is what I will do, I'm sure she'll like it, I'm the computer guy who fixes everything around this town anywayyyyy.

CJ Master
May 22nd, 2009, 07:13 PM
if she cant make windows work, what makes you think she can make ubuntu work?

Because Ubuntu is easier to use. :) We're not talking Slackware or Arch, here.

gymophett
May 22nd, 2009, 07:16 PM
if she cant make windows work, what makes you think she can make ubuntu work?

Because Ubuntu is just as easy as Windows? And she can make Windows work, but darn Windows won't let you install it on the same computer but a certain amount of times, then you gotta pay money again!
And Ubuntu is more stable, mine has never crashed... ever.
And she likes fast and stable, and she loves getting on my laptop and playing with Compiz and such. :P

As said above, she isn't using Slackware, Arch, or Gentoo. She'll never even know what a terminal is, as we can use .deb files, synaptic, and add/remove. So... yeah.

mamamia88
May 22nd, 2009, 07:25 PM
you might be able to use a live cd to acess the windows file system and backup important data to external drive then install ubuntu and restore

peakshysteria
May 22nd, 2009, 07:31 PM
Why wouldn't I overwritet it if I can back them up to a USB drive using the LiveCD, XP will be useless.

Of course after you have made the backup you should install Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope:D I just felt I had to be sure you didn't install Ubuntu before you were sure you managed to backup the necessary files. I nowsee we speak the same language :D