Removing editing green markings

**Chris Edgell** · June 11th, 2009

Yes, you would have to tell me where to find that information.

See you then...whenever...

And my regards to you too.

**Sir Jasper** · June 11th, 2009

Hi,

We wont rush this (even though there is nothing difficult) unless, perhaps, you are about to go on a world cruise.

Firstly, I am using Xubuntu 8.10 so you may have to apply some common sense if 8.04 is not identical, alternatively you could seek advice from a volunteer helper with 8.04.

Firstly, can you tell us a bit of what you know about your computer e.g. make, model, age and if it has CD and/or DVD, Floppy, and how many hard drives and the size(s).

We can learn quite a lot if you follow these steps:

Step (1) as shown by clicking on Picture 1 below
With a blank screen (not counting your desktop folders)
Right click>place your cursor on "Accessories">
in the sub menu click on "Disk Usage Analyser"

Step (2) as shown by clicking on Picture 2 below
After the "Disk User Analyser" screen appears
click on " Scan Home" and wait 20 seconds or so

Step (3)
Mine says Total Filesystem Capacity 11.8 GB (used 3.3 GB available 8.5 GB)
tell us what yours says > then
Where on the top line of the table mine reads mike 459.7 MB
tell us what yours says.

It is simple to add screen shots as I have done. Sometimes they have advantages so if you would like me to explain how to I'll do that tomorrow.

My regards

PS Don't worry if finding any detail is a problem - just ask - someone will help.

**Sir Jasper** · June 11th, 2009

The 459.7 MB I stated will be slightly different because of the way I took Picture 2.

**Chris Edgell** · June 11th, 2009

I bought this computer at a yard sale for $45-lock, stock, and barrel. A guy from my Mennonite church put in Linux, though I'd never heard of it. He put it in because the OS within, had firewalls and he thought I should start over.

The Tower says Antec, on the CD drawer it says: MadDog Multimedia
DVD multi recorder RW DVD Compact Disc rewritable

There are 4 plastic facades, 2 as wide as the CD tray and 2 as narrow as the old small floppy, (These may only be the spaces to install the above features.)

When I click on accessories I get a drop down list of 9 items, being: Appfinder, Bulk rename, Calculator, Character map, HP device mgr, Manage print jobs, Mousepad, Terminal, & Thunar file mgr.

However: when I go to the path at the top of any opened folder and right-click on "root" and then "home" (at the bottom of each I click on properties) I see:

size volume free space
Root 5.3 GB 79G 66.3GB
Home 208MB 79G 66.3GB

A woman from my church is talking about giving me another computer--that's why I thought about backing up all my files on that what did you call it, USB Flash?? Otherwise I could try to do it on disks, is that still done to have external, stored backup?

Bye for now. let me see if this copies.....
Oh very good

**Sir Jasper** · June 11th, 2009

Hi again,

Thank you for your helpful reply.

Can you please answer a few more questions:

(a) Does your computer seem to run fast enough and well enough to suit you?
(a) Can you click on "System" and tell us its contents?
(c) Did the chap who installed Xubuntu use a CD?
(d) If so did he give you the CD?
(e) Is he still nearby and might he help you again for an hour or two?
(f) Do you expect in the near future to add lots of space hungry photographs or music or films?

If your answer to (a) above is favourable then it seems you had an excellent deal. If the answer is not so favourable then tell us what is not to your liking and, if you can, something about the computer you may be given.

We'll soon be making some real progess and we can "talk" again tomorrow.

My regards

You should know that I am the wicked Sir Jasper and I almost never go to church.

**Chris Edgell** · June 12th, 2009

Hi

I must admit that I mentioned Mennonite just on the off chance that you'd say, "I LOVE Mennonites, I knew two who touched my life." Or even "Hey, I AM one!" I guess I was looking for that personal touch, that additional link...so I was doubly shocked by the word "wicked". It is an awful word to me, I know it is used a lot these days but I do not approve of using it lightly and I do not want to be near any using it not lightly.

And so let us see if we can return to the impersonal, which is probably how I should have been from the start.

Let's see now...what was I looking for? Ah, yes, I was just wondering if it would be practical to back up my files onto an external source to protect poetry etc. that I would hate to lose.

[There is no place for me to click on systems and get any information.] (Sometimes it seems to me that there are a lot of things that aren't here.) Yes, "he" did use a CD to install, yes I can talk to him...I guess I just wanted to do stuff on my own. But whether he helps me or someone like you helps me, still I'm needing help and getting help either way. There's no going it alone in this world.

Bye

**Sir Jasper** · June 12th, 2009

Hi,

I was merely trying to tell you in a friendly way don't try to convert me. I am not in the least concerned that you are religious and I'm happy to try to give you the very best computing advice.

I have understood what you want but we need to proceed in stages and we need mutual trust since I do not always explain the reasons behind my questions.

We, in case others chime in, have to know what you need.
So, since you may be given another computer, it is important to know if you are happy with the one you have and how to save and recover your important settings and your data if anything goes wrong (e.g. Hard Drive failure).

It is almost certain that you can use a USB flash stick but which one.
The size is important because the smaller the cheaper-they come in 1,2,4, 8 GB and larger. They read and possibly more importantly write at different speeds but if you only have the USB 1 facility on your computer there is no chance that copy speed will exceed 1000 KB per second. If you have USB 2 we can look for something, at a reasonable cost, than actually works at least 6 or 7 times faster on your machine.

The chap who helped you by installing Xubuntu 8.04 chose well for you and he may know a lot more than I do and can likely find out what is needed. It is relatively quick and easy to be sitting in front of your machine but much more difficult when we're physically thousands of miles apart. Also it would be a good idea to have a copy of the installation CD. Even if you have broadband it would be complicated to burn another CD (although you can order one free of charge and with free postage - but the minimum delivery time seems to be about 2 months). If you are on dialup it would take many hours to download the ISO file.

I think that the name you gave was probably only the manufacturer of the tower case; however, if you know how to open a terminal copy and paste this command into it:
sudo lshw -html > hardware.html
then press Return then Enter your password and press Return again.
after a short while you should see a window.
If and when you do click the Save Button.
Then go to your Home directory and click on the file and see what interesting facts you can find.

mcduck is really clever but he made a slip because he uses Ubuntu (not Xubuntu). He was really helpful to me when I first came the this Forum and I'm trying hard to help you because most helpers use Ubuntu. Though your 8.04 seems quite different to my 8.10.

If you'd like to continue just answer any and all questions as best you can.

My regards

**Chris Edgell** · June 13th, 2009

Sir Jasper,

I have to talk to the two people, the one who gave me Linux and the one who will give me a new computer, about backup and all.

I am so very happy for what you've given me - the ability to clean up my file "mess". As far as the rest-I feel up to my eyeballs...maybe my people here, as you said, can get me through this with less brain strain.

I appreciate your help so much, thanks eternally.
Chris