Say Goodbye to Windows XP - StartUbuntu Project

[Tar_Ni]

@eric152
The support for Windows XP is ending on April 8, 2014. The new Ubuntu LTS is coming on 17 April 2014. It's only 9 days of difference. I think that XP users genuinely interested to switch over the Ubuntu family can wait for this short amount of time after the support of XP is ended.

At any rate, users of PC with 256MB should consider using Linux Puppy or DSM (Damn Small Linux) instead as I think that even Lubuntu is more apt to perform decently on a 512MB RAM system at least. PCs below 512MB are becoming scarce in use these days anyway.

It is my understanding that most XP users today have computers ranging between 512MB and 2GB of RAM. Which is what Lubuntu and Xubuntu are best at. Above 2GB you can run Windows 7 comfortably and so that's probably where these users will be going to.

[eric152]

Yes, waiting for the 2014 LTS is probably the best choice for PC <= 10 years old. For older (2000-2004), the 2012 LTS based distro might be a better option because of the VGA drivers as explained before.
It seems there are plenty of distro anyway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightwe...x_distribution

About the choice of a distribution, what is still unclear to me is the Ubuntu upgrade or re install strategy, so I opened a new thread for that here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2208224
I just know that under Debian, it is very easy with "apt-get dist upgrade" ...

[mastablasta]

there is a blog example on start ubuntu page. is that allowed to be used/translated into local labguage? i am talking the one where it describes linux vs. windows differences and sugestions on distro of choice.

[SurfaceUnits]

My most recent XP replacement install

[stilnovo1]

@amjjawad: Hi, now I've better understood all your huge activity you do to spread this world... It now sometimes happen to me to talk in everyday life about using a computer in a different way from which we are used, at least for people like me that have discovered the Linux-based OS only in recent times... I've always thought that this was a way for university students or for geeks or for engineers, but now I realize that those were only my prejudices.
Unluckily, my (low) technical level and even my scarce free time don't make me a valuable collaborator, but if you think I can do something, I can try.
I above all think at people like me that try to approach this world (here it is my idea of "Lab-c" Linux abc - just kidding!).
I've seen tons of tutorials, guides etc. but no one for normal people (for 'normal' I mean people who are'n passionate about informatics) that want to turn on a pc and to use it without thinking too much about which engine is moving the car, at least at the beginning.
For example ,a lot of people use Android devices with quite powerful smartphones: after all, the Android's roots are in part in this world and should be or should become quite normal for an Android's user to become a Linux's user...

[amjjawad]

Hi,

I was bored so thought to do something useful and convert the negative feeling to a positive one

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StartUbuntu#Updates

http://amjjawad.blogspot.com/2014/03...tem-based.html

Please, spread the word

Thank you!

[neel3]

My little contribution to this project...
http://opensource.wikia.com/wiki/Fal..._Rise_of_Linux

[mastablasta]

I've seen tons of tutorials, guides etc. but no one for normal people (for 'normal' I mean people who are'n passionate about informatics) that want to turn on a pc and to use it without thinking too much about which engine is moving the car, at least at the beginning.

there are - for exampel Ubutnu manual, online wiki manual and also psychocats guides are simple and to the point.

there is no starter screen like in android where on first start it explains you what is where and how you do things.

[sudodus]

I'm trying to convince my Company to switch to Lubuntu, but this problem on my laptop (owned by other colleagues in my company) has put on hold my idea... so in the future it will be difficult for me to convince the Property to buy a new Linux-powered pc. My colleagues want to turn on the pc, to use facebook and (sometimes) to work on it!

I've been thinking about this - how to convert to linux in a company or a particular office or site of a company or other organisation.

Many old and 'middle-aged' computers, that run Windows XP, Vista or 7 work well with linux without any tweaking or proprietary drivers. Some computers have hardware, that does not work well with linux, and it might be possible but time-consuming to make them work properly. I think you must focus of what works without too much effort, otherwise it will cost more to convert an old computer than to buy a new one with Windows or Mac OS.

But there is another way to go. Middle-aged or even fairly new computers are discarded by big companies and other organisations. There are companies that specialize in taking care of these computers, wiping the hard disk drives according to certified methods. As a by-product these specialist companies can sell the discarded computers 'second-hand' with or without an installed operating system. In many countries, for example Sweden, there is a market for such second-hand computers of good quality, and some companies and organisations as well as private persons buy them instead of new computers.

It is possible to find batches of second-hand computers that play well with Ubuntu or an Ubuntu based flavour like Xubuntu, Lubuntu or Kubuntu, and it is a better option to buy such computers, than to try converting computers, that you have in the company, but cannot co-operate with linux.

This link shows the idea and flow chart of a company selling second-hand computers.

That company's basic price for the recycled computers is without any installed operating system. They install Windows 7 for a fee, so if you want to install linux, you need not pay for Windows.

[SurfaceUnits]

Had to forego a Linux replacement for XP today because of no printer drivers for a Dell MFP 1600N. Will install 7 in a couple of months.