[conspire] (forw) Re: InstallFest on Apr. 13th

[Rick Moen]

----- Forwarded message from Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> -----

Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2013 20:11:55 -0700
From: Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com>
To: Ronald Schild <rschild at gmail.com>
Cc: installers at linuxmafia.com
Subject: Re: InstallFest on Apr. 13th
Reply-To: installers at linuxmafia.com
Organization: If you lived here, you'd be $HOME already.

Quoting Ronald Schild (rschild at gmail.com):

> Greetings!

Tally-ho!

> I would like to attend the InstallFest you are hosting this coming April
> 13th. I am attempting to install the latest Ubuntu LTS operating system
> (ver. 12.04?) on a Toshiba NB255 netbook with an Atom processor.
> 
> I have attempted to boot from a USB drive but this is not successful. The
> machine appears to support this, but I suspect a file may be bad as it
> loops around in the same place at the command prompt.

Seems likely.

A quick Web search finds
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_to_boot_toshiba_nb255-n250_with_usb_flash_drive

   Q: How to boot toshiba nb255-n250 with usb flash drive?
   A: On normal start up, IE pressing the power on button, then tap the
      F2 button when indicated at the bottom left of the start up screen. 
      This opens up the BIOS screen. Move across to "Boot Options". 
      Go down until "boot from USB is selected. Using the allocated 
      buttons, move the selected "boot from USB" to the top of the list. 
      Press F10 to save and exit. The computer then continues start up 
      sequence, if there is a USB stick in the port, and it has an 
      ex/OS on it, it will run the program.

It might be easier to just boot from your choice of Linux installation
DVD or CD in my USB-connectable CD/DVD/BluRay player/burner drive.

> At any rate, I need help and hope if I attend your InstallFest you, or
> someone present, can help me.

No problem.  We also have a _whole_ lot more than just Ubuntu 12.04.2 
LTS 'Precise Pangolin', though of course we have that, too.
http://linuxmafia.com/cabal/installfest/#distros

Despite the obnoxiously heavy marketing for Ubuntu, it is by no means
the most novice-friendly choice, a point I made when one of the local
Ubuntu-pushers was carrying out yet another round of advocacy activity:

http://www.weak.org/pipermail/buug/2011-May/003826.html
Particularly:

   Problem is:  Some of the stuff new users typically seek (proprietary
   codecs and such; see below), and complain about the absence of, _is
   missing_ [from Ubuntu] by default.  By policy.  I respect those 
   omissions; there are good reasons for them, and there are 
   'restricted formats' pages (etc.) about how to retrofit them. 

   And yet the point remains.  

   Linux Mint and Ultimate Edition are Ubuntu with those things merged in.
   So, if the aim is to make things as easy as humanly possible for 'simple
   end users', shouldn't they merit higher recommendation?  Shouldn't
   PCLinuxOS, MEPIS Linux, and Zenwalk Linux _also_ merit higher
   recommendation by that same reasoning?

I wrote that before Ubuntu made a number of additional user-hostile
missteps, most notably the Unity desktop.  So, the point not only
remains but has amplified.

But, if you're sure you want Ubuntu rather than things like Linux Mint, 
we're fine with helping you with that or anything else.


> Please let me know, and also let me know if you need more information
> regarding my specific issue. My schedule may change, so if I am unable to
> make this next upcoming event I plan to attend eventually in the near
> future.

Nothing else needed.  Come hungry, since I like to cook.


> P.S. - I would like to configure a dual-boot set up, as I need THAT other
> operating system from time-to-time (sorry!).

People keep asking for dual-boot, and I get the recurring impression
it's because they aren't aware of better alternatives like running one 
OS as a guest OS under VM software such as VirtualBox.  I've FAQed
this but the text I wrote is too convoluted and I need to rewrite it.

You can run Linux as a VM guest under Window host, _or_ you can run 
Windows as a VM guest under Linux host.

Example walkthroughs:
http://www.noobslab.com/2012/09/install-latest-virtualbox-on-ubuntu.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIqR--Lj0_Y
(There are lots more you can find using obvious Web searches.)

Advantage over dual-booting:  You can use both OSes concurrently,
instead of continually needing to shut down and reboot to use the other
OS.

Disadvantage relative to dual-booting:  There is some RAM and CPU
overhead.

In the mid-2000s, I worked in the Linux Management department at Cadence
Design Systems, and they gave me an IBM ThinkPad T42p with 2GB RAM as my
main machine.  I installed Debian GNU/LInux as my main OS, but, knowing
that I would have ongoing need for MS-Outlook and MSIE for corporate
communications and some intranet sites, I installed VMware Workstation
5.x as my VM layer, and then the company image of WinXP Professional
inside the VM.  So, during my workday, I got to enjoy a nice, clean
Debian desktop with the Window Maker window manager for practically
everything, but had a graphical X11 window (i.e., the VMware session)
off to the side of my Window Maker workspace with MS-Outlook running for
access to mail and scheduling.

It ran extremely well, and the P4 / 2GB RAM box never even broke a
sweat.  (Of course, it helps that Window Maker is lightweight compared,
for example, to anyone's GNOME setup.)


----- End forwarded message -----