Thinking of switching

[NcTarheel704]

I have been using windows for a long time. I'm really tired of all the damn errors. I have been trying out ubuntu from a live cd, and am thinking of ditching windows all together. I am currently taking classes on-line that sometimes require me to install software. Will I be able to you this software with ubuntu? Soemone please inform me. I would love to switch to ubuntu and give MS the finger.

[RiceMonster]

I am currently taking classes on-line that sometimes require me to install software. Will I be able to you this software with ubuntu?

Only if the software has support for Linux (I mean they have a Linux version). You should look into it. If there is no Linux version available, I'd recommend dual booting, or you can run windows in a virtual machine.

[HappyFeet]

I recommend a dual boot. If later you decide that ubuntu can handle all of your needs, then you can wipe out windows. Just google for tutorials on dual booting.

[Moop]

You could also look into running windows in something like virtualbox in ubuntu. Then you don't need to reboot everytime you want to use windows.

http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

[timestandstill]

You should switch! Ubuntu is the best OS in the world.

[NormanFLinux]

Ubuntu is fast, stable and user-friendly. Its a very different experience from Windows. Its matured to the point where you have to do very little messing around with hardware settings. Consider that Dell sells PCs with Ubuntu on them. That's as mainstream an endorsement as you can get.

Go for it!

[Dragonbite]

I recommend a dual boot. If later you decide that ubuntu can handle all of your needs, then you can wipe out windows. Just google for tutorials on dual booting.

Best bet is to dual-boot in the beginning, which Ubuntu makes very simple to do during installation.

This way, if you need Windows you have it available.
If you find Linux does not suit you very well, you still have Windows.
If you can't figure out how to do something simple which you know how to do it in Windows, you can still switch back and get it done while under time constraint and then go back and figure out how to do it in Linux.

Bottom line is, it is a learning curve and not everything works with Linux that is made for Windows.

[NormanFLinux]

You can run Ubuntu with Wubi inside Windows and get a feel for it. If you like it, you can always install the real OS down the road.

[skillllllz]

I highly recommend skipping past dual-booting and Wubi and all of that. Those things aren't going to be good long-term solutions if you really plan to use Linux full time. I recommend installing Ubuntu as your main OS and installing Windows into a VirtualBox VM. This is the setup that my colleagues and I have been using for a few years now and it has proved stable and far more productive than dual-boot and everything else out there. Until something better comes along, I stand firmly behind this method of migrating to Linux and/or using more than one OS.

[koenn]

I highly recommend skipping past dual-booting and Wubi and all of that. Those things aren't going to be good long-term solutions if you really plan to use Linux full time. I recommend installing Ubuntu as your main OS and installing Windows into a VirtualBox VM. This is the setup that my colleagues and I have been using for a few years now and it has proved stable and far more productive than dual-boot and everything else out there. Until something better comes along, I stand firmly behind this method of migrating to Linux and/or using more than one OS.
true, if you're running on hardware that can support the load of two operating systems simultaneously and then still has enough power (CPU, RAM, ...) left to run applications smoothly

[skillllllz]

true, if you're running on hardware that can support the load of two operating systems simultaneously and then still has enough power (CPU, RAM, ...) left to run applications smoothly

True, but even modest hardware works rather well with this setup. I have one machine with an AMD Duron 1.2Ghz CPU, 512MB RAM, Ubuntu 9.04, w/ XP Pro in a VirtualBox VM w/ 384mb allocated to it, and it runs as smooth as a baby's bottom when running windows applications.

The key is to disable all of the overhead that windows carries by default, ie: unnecessary services and apps, appearance enhancements, system restore, etc.

[Exodist]

I have been using windows for a long time. I'm really tired of all the damn errors. I have been trying out ubuntu from a live cd, and am thinking of ditching windows all together. I am currently taking classes on-line that sometimes require me to install software. Will I be able to you this software with ubuntu? Soemone please inform me. I would love to switch to ubuntu and give MS the finger.

Most all the online classes I have seen require windows software. Until your classes are complete I would recommend dual booting (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot) Windows and Ubuntu. That way you can use and enjoy Linux and use Windows for your online classes.

[Exodist]

You should switch! Ubuntu is the best OS in the world.
There is a 99.99% chance his online classes he mentioned will not work. Most all the online classes software is windows only. Please dont give advice that may actually hurt the user.

[timestandstill]

There is a 99.99% chance his online classes he mentioned will not work. Most all the online classes software is windows only. Please dont give advice that may actually hurt the user.

So where'd you pull your crazy statistics from? 99.99% chance that his online classes won't work? Hah! Online classes should work fine as long as he's using the great browser that is firefox! Besides, I think what you meant was the software he mentioned he has to download occasionally from his online classes (or something :P ) and as you can see others in this thread have advised him he can dual-boot or use a VM to overcome this problem.

Besides, I never gave any real advice. I just felt like voicing out about how great Ubuntu is! It's the best OS in the world! It really is.

Way to be all lame and strict and stuff... "Please don't give advice that may actually hurt the user" I don't think my "advice" hurt him in any way. :P

[Moop]

There is a 99.99% chance his online classes he mentioned will not work. Most all the online classes software is windows only. Please dont give advice that may actually hurt the user.

Geez... Maybe you should read your own sig.

[NcTarheel704]

Thanks guys for all the info. I actually have software like Labsim that i have to use. I have been looking into dual booting. I have tried to shrink the main partition so i can install linux to it. but for some reason it won't let me shrink the partition. What can i do to fix this.

[korin43]

Honestly, any software a class is going to recommend is probably Windows only (unless you're a Math or CS major). Dual booting is a huge pain. Ubuntu is MUCH nicer for every day use, but I don't think it's worth it if you're going to have to boot into Windows constantly anyway. I'd wait until the class is over and then switch.

[starcannon]

I have been using windows for a long time. I'm really tired of all the damn errors. I have been trying out ubuntu from a live cd, and am thinking of ditching windows all together. I am currently taking classes on-line that sometimes require me to install software. Will I be able to you this software with ubuntu? Soemone please inform me. I would love to switch to ubuntu and give MS the finger.

First, before you do anything regarding installing another OS; BACKUP your data. Now, thats done, try a Wubi Install (http://wubi-installer.org/) first is my advice; this method allows you to dual boot Windows and Ubuntu without risking the possibility that some Windows apps won't work as expected with Wine, or not have a Linux equivalent; this option further allows you to quickly and easily uninstall Ubuntu using the Windows software manager, should you decide that Ubuntu is not right for you.

If after 3 months, you find that you don't really need Windows that much or at all, feel free to ask how to turn the Wubi install into a regular Ubuntu install; or better still, back up your new data, and do a fresh clean install. Keep your Windows Key handy, you can always run it in a VM for those pesky Windows programs that eventually pop up, or you can just do a fresh clean Windows and Ubuntu Dual Boot install.

Don't be afraid to hit up the Absolute Beginner Talk (http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=326) and the General Help (http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=331) forums with your questions. There are loads of us here, willing, able, and happy to help.

GL and HF

[stwschool]

Use whatever tool gets the job done. I've been on linux for about a year and dual-boot. I use linux for most things and windows for a few games that won't work in Wine. For games you'll need it. For anything else, wine and a virtualbox with xp installed should allow you to run windows software when you need it.

[BoyOfDestiny]

I have tried to shrink the main partition so i can install linux to it. but for some reason it won't let me shrink the partition. What can i do to fix this.

Well, I haven't encountered it myself (I wiped Windows clean off 4 years ago...) but Windows needs to be de-fragmented most likely.

You can't resize the partition if there is data on the ends of it.

Enjoy my ascii art representation:


Windows NTFS
[DDDDD DD DDD D D]

After Defrag (in an ideal world)
[DDDDDDDDDDDD ]

New Partition w/ Ubuntu
[DDDDDDDDDDDD ][DDD ]



My 2 cents.

You've decided on going dual-boot. Good.
You have Windows to fall back on in case you can't run software for your class.
While on Ubuntu, you can try using the linux version of the software (if applicable) or
run the Windows version with WINE.
If that doesn't do it, use Virtualbox or qemu to run Windows in a virtual machine (you'll have to install Windows onto this "virtual machine", then you can run Windows and its apps like any application.)

If this does the trick, then you can be confident in wiping Windows.

[Warpnow]

I have one machine with an AMD Celeron 1.2Ghz CPU

You do, do you?

[LookTJ]

There is a 99.99% chance his online classes he mentioned will not work. Most all the online classes software is windows only. Please dont give advice that may actually hurt the user.
99.99% is crazy, online classes should work fine unless the instructor request dpcs and mht...80% chance formatting will screw up between OO.oi and MS Word, and only Microsoft products can produce a mht file. As well as Access.

[Dragonbite]

and only Microsoft products can produce a mht file. As well as Access.

Access is a Microsoft product. :lolflag:

[skillllllz]

You do, do you?
LOL. Please forgive me, I meant AMD Duron.

[MaxIBoy]

Wubi is nice, but you're not going to get the best performance with it. (Becase it's still NTFS, and NTFS still suffers from fragmentation, just like in Windows.)


You can install it to a flash drive. Alternately (and this might be your best bet,) find a cheap 10 gig hard drive, throw it in your computer, and install Ubuntu on there. Mount your old C drive somewhere in your home directory (for example, make it something like /home/your_user_name/windows.) It will show up just like another folder, but it's really just your old C drive.


IF your computer can handle Virtualbox smoothly, you can try this:
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows
It's a little bit involved and advanced, but you might be able to get it to work. ALWAYS back up your stuff before you try this one!



You can try to resize your partition, but I have never successfully shrunk an NTFS partition (not sure why that option is even in the installer menu to be honest.) Before you do so, DEFRAGMENT DEFRAGMENT DEFRAGMENT. Also, BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP!

[NormanFLinux]

Access now has an an equivalent in Open Office Database.