Hello all, I Just joined the forum. Need advice on Linux O/Ss

[CatKiller]

As of right now, to simplify this experience, I plan to use a formatted Samsung 500GB SSD drive for the Ubuntu installation, and no other drives except of course an HP DVD.
I would like to install and use the Firefox browser.

I downloaded the following software files. I hope that they are correct.
PowerISO7-x64, NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-430.40, ubuntu-18.04.3-desktop-amd64

I found on Youtube some videos on how to install Ubuntu from a USB drive. I'll give that a try.

I appreciate everyones input. I'll be back!

Firefox is already installed by default.

Don't use the file that you downloaded from Nvidia's site. In fact, don't download any software from websites for use in Ubuntu. Ubuntu uses software packages, which you install using a package manager, and they're automatically configured and updated. The Software Centre is the user-friendly way of installing software, or you can install Synaptic if you want more insight and control over what's actually happening. The drivers for most things are already part of the kernel and proprietary software - like the Nvidia driver - can be installed using normal package management.

[Autodave]

The driver installation disks that you get with Windows programs and hardware are called cup holders here. Put your coffee mug or cold drink on it.

[dagmann]

Many thanks to all. Yup, I am learning a little about Ubuntu. I have a bootable/installation USB ready to go. Just gotta get the nerve to use it, lol.

[CatKiller]

I have a bootable/installation USB ready to go. Just gotta get the nerve to use it, lol.

You don't have to install it on the first go. The install disk is fully-functional without installing anything at all. You can just play around with it without affecting anything else on your computer till you're comfortable. Any changes to the Ubuntu part won't be saved, either: the install image is read-only.

Since you're using Nvidia graphics, there's a reasonable chance that you'll boot into a black screen - perhaps with a flashing cursor. If that happens, at the screen where it says "Try Ubuntu" press E to edit the startup options, find where it says "quiet splash" and change that to "quiet splash nomodeset". It's an Nvidia-specific problem, but it doesn't affect everyone. If you make that change you may find that the resolution is lower than you'd want, but it's fine for just playing around and fine for doing the install. When you've done the install and installed the proprietary driver you won't need it any more. The Nvidia driver has some special sauce for setting the resolution, and they won't share it.

[dagmann]

I just tried Ubuntu's 'try' to see how it runs. It was very fast. Firefox works very well. I was quite surprised.

I do have a question about the installation.
I have a Samsung 500 GB SSD that is empty and formatted. Can I install on that drive?
Can I assume that I could boot into Ubuntu by using the USB and go to that drive?

I could remove the USB and reset the bios to boot up in Windows if needed.

BUT when in Windows would that O/S damage the SSD that contains Ubuntu?

[CatKiller]

It depends.

After you've done the install you won't need to keep the install image inserted, and having it inserted won't help you.

If you're using BIOS then a different bootloader can go in the Master Boot Record of each drive and your drives can be completely independent of each other, and you can select which drive you boot from using just the BIOS. That's not the default, but you can do it. Otherwise, Grub would be the bootloader, and would chainload the Windows bootloader, so you'd pick which OS you wanted to boot from using Grub's menu.

I'm hazy on what happens if you're using UEFI, since I stopped using Windows long before I started using UEFI. But I think that all the bootloader stuff has to go in one EFI System Partition, so you can't have independent discs in the same way.

Whether you use BIOS or UEFI depends on how your Windows install is set up. If it's already BIOS you'll want to stay with BIOS, and if it's UEFI you'll want to stay with UEFI. You can't mix-and-match easily. You'll also want to pay attention to how you're booting your install image: if you boot it in BIOS mode it will install in BIOS mode; if you boot it in UEFI mode it will install in UEFI mode.

For the most part I think Windows will simply ignore your Ubuntu partitions. Obviously if it says, "I've found some non-NTFS partitions, would you like me to nuke them?" don't say yes.

[dagmann]

Is there a recommended VPN and Antivirus to use with Ubuntu?

I found this VPN list. Is anyone using any of these? If so how is it speed wise?

https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/361826...apps-for-linux

[him610]

You probably have no worry about antivirus programs; as for VPN, there is at least one in the repositories.

 apt show openvpn
Package: openvpn
Version: 2.4.7-1ubuntu1
Priority: optional
Section: net
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
Original-Maintainer: Bernhard Schmidt <berni@debian.org>
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Installed-Size: 1,171 kB
Depends: debconf (>= 0.5) | debconf-2.0, libc6 (>= 2.15), liblz4-1 (>= 0.0~r130), liblzo2-2, libpam0g (>= 0.99.7.1), libpkcs11-helper1 (>= 1.11), libssl1.1 (>= 1.1.1), libsystemd0, iproute2, lsb-base (>= 3.0-6)
Suggests: openssl, resolvconf, openvpn-systemd-resolved, easy-rsa
Homepage: https://openvpn.net/
Task: ubuntu-desktop-minimal, ubuntu-desktop, ubuntu-mate-core, ubuntu-mate-desktop, ubuntu-budgie-desktop
Supported: 9m
Download-Size: 477 kB
APT-Sources: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu eoan/main amd64 Packages
Description: virtual private network daemon
 OpenVPN is an application to securely tunnel IP networks over a
 single UDP or TCP port. It can be used to access remote sites, make
 secure point-to-point connections, enhance wireless security, etc.
 .
 OpenVPN uses all of the encryption, authentication, and certification
 features provided by the OpenSSL library (any cipher, key size, or
 HMAC digest).
 .
 OpenVPN may use static, pre-shared keys or TLS-based dynamic key exchange. It
 also supports VPNs with dynamic endpoints (DHCP or dial-up clients), tunnels
 over NAT or connection-oriented stateful firewalls (such as Linux's iptables).

TheFu is absent tonight, but he will probably have some good advice to share about VPN.

[oldos2er]

Regarding antivirus, see https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=510812

[dagmann]

Well Ubuntu is install along with some other software.
Just to let ya'll know, the SSD I used for Ubuntu does not show up in Windows 7.
However the revers is true.
I am not using a dual-boot scenario, I use Grub2Win. Tacky but it works.

I have not been able to install Wine, I keep getting some kind of package error.
I follow instructions from two website, still no joy.

Isn't there a simple way to install Wine from the repository?