I want to change from Linpus to either Mint or Ubuntu.
 

My Linpus has proven to be hopeless so I want to change to either Mint or Ubuntu. I have no idea how to procede so I am in need of instructions to take me all the way through it with exacting detail. My computer is an Acer Aspire One.

The first thing to do, it seems, is to decide between Mint and Ubuntu. But if there are other initial matters to discuss please bring them up for me.

Thanks. I really appreciate it.

Since no one is answering... I'd definitely go with Mint. I'm really really not a fan of Ubuntu at the moment.

Maybe you could start by telling us what you want to use your machine for ? Then we will be able to guide you :)
Are you new or experienced with Linux ?

Ubuntu and Linux Mint are two of the most popular Linux distributions and as such, there are numerous tutorials on how to install either. Some of these even have images for each step. When you decide which, just google it. Is Ubuntu/Mint going to be the only operating system?
As mentioned above, what you are going to be using it for might help. If nothing special, either should do if your Acer is fairly new.

Below is a link to a youtube video on installing Mint 11. I'm sure you can find similar for Ubuntu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMx6wLmZ7lw

ya ...go for the mint ..its pretty and pretty stable too..I am still with mint 9{LTS}.......
go for it..

I am inexperienced with Linux in the sense that I don't know anything about its structure or how it does what it does. Actually that goes for any operating system. I never studied them. Since there isn't any documentation for Linpus and that's the only distro I have, I haven't had a reference guide to it and have flailed around in response to the various advice and step-throughs I have gotten here at LQ. I have been using my Acer for its spreadsheets, writer, notes, and Firefox. I created a spreadsheet to organize my finances and I use it anytime my money changes hands. I use writer a lot too. But I use the internet a great deal as I am an artist and need to market my work on it. I use email--Yahoo--a lot, Facebook and Twitter too, and LinkedIn. I have a website for my art, but since I can't install Flash Player 10, given my OS problems, I haven't even started to create the site. I am holding off on that until I get a decent OS working and am able to install software.

I don't know about having more than one operating system. I've never had more than one. How much memory do two take up? I only have 8 GB total.

I don't have a cd player on my computer. I have a flash drive with 3.2 GB free.

With only 8gb to work with, you should definitely replace Linpus completely so that Mint (or Ubuntu) is the only operating system.

Is any old flash drive able to be a "bootable usb installer"?

Yes, you can use a spare flash drive to install Linux if you don't have a CD drive.

Make sure your flash drive is big enough (1gb is enough for a CD release, bigger if its a DVD release) and that you choose a distribution or "flavor" that will fit on your 8gb hard drive.

When I read a series of instructions on how to install Mint, I see terms that obviously have a technical context, and since I am unfamiliar with all the entities in the context, and their interrelations, the net effect of reading through such a set of instructions is that I overtax my attention and start to read everything as a blur of meaningless technical matter. There are so many details involved that it will be impossible for me to figure them all out to the point that I can, within what attention I have at my command, correctly act out the instructions from beginning to end.

How much do you think it would cost me to have this job done in a shop of some kind?

I would like to do the job myself, especially since if I succeeded I would end up being more able to use the OS fully, but I keep in the back of my mind the very real possibility that my patience may run out so many times that no amount of taking breaks to refresh myself will do the trick, and then at some point I will just have to give up. In fact I'm sort of at such a juncture right now.

Maybe if I really get involved with it as a full-time project until it gets done, and make some notes dividing the work into large and small units, then working on understanding each unit completely as a rehearsal before getting started.

Anyway, that's the best plan as far as I can make out.

What do you all think?

I would encourage you to read and understand the instructions, and attempt the install yourself. :) In my opinion, Linux is a challenging, fun, and rewarding hobby. I enjoy trying to understand each step and challenge along the way.

I'm not sure which set of instructions you're trying to follow. The Linux Mint User Guide is a good place to start: http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php It is detailed, easy to follow, and full of screenshots to help you follow along.

Ubuntu also has easy-to-follow instructions: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download

before doing any installation make sure you have backed up your all important data..then go for installing Linux mint ..Its not that technical to install unless you go for manual setup..
i would recommend to remove fully the linpus OS...{choose erase disk and install linux mint--it will delete all ur hard disk content}
I don't know why acer is going for Linpus..{at least they should have ubuntu by default} ..
Linux mint installer is pretty easy ..Just go through this document's installer ..here is the link

I take it the OS deletion is done at the point where the new OS is being loaded into the hard drive. Otherwise you would have no OS and be unable to operate. Right?

I'm going through the user's guide carefully now.

no its not necessary ..
2 or more OS can reside into your hard drive simultaneously ..
But you can use one of them at a time unless you are running other OS virtually..
If you don't have CD/DVD drive then you can install it on flash drive....

Should I use a Torrent, or a download mirror, to download the ISO?

If you have enough speed (above 4mbps) go for mirrors
otherwise torrent is safe option....{download the regular image called katya of linux mint}

Yes it is. You will be given an option to format a partition(s) if you wish. Which Acer Aspire do you have? Do you have just the SSD drive? or do you have the Acer Aspire One with 160GB drive? If you have the larger drive, you could leave Linpus on it and create another partition on which to install a different distribution of Linux you have chosen. That way you would still have Linpus which you are familiar with to use while learning the new system. You should try to connect to the internet with the Install CD in case things get messed up so that you will still have some access and be able to come here for advice.

If you need to use a USB/flash, unetbootin and pendrivelinux are good programs to use.

Your system probably also only has 512 MB memory. Might be a good idea to try something more lightweight as the lubuntu that I mentioned in your other thread.

And unless you want 'problems' that you currently can't handle due to lack of experience, don't try a dual boot if you only have 8 GB disk space. A distro will take about half of that leaving the other half for your data. Add a second distro and you don't have space for data ;)

Yes, it's 512mb.

So with lubuntu I will have to start getting instructions from scratch for installation. Or will I find it much the same as Mint?

Also, someone was asking if I had a 16 GB hard drive. No, it's 8 GB. So only one OS will fit it.

Here's another issue:

which is from yancek. Since I have to download one of these I run into the basic problem I have, which is that I can't get downloads to install.

unetbootin is available for windows and mac as well; do you have access to a second computer?
If so, use that to create the bootable pen drive.

Be aware that creating a bootable pen drive will destroy its current contents

I am not familiar with the term "pen drive". Is that just a USB flash drive?

I will have to ask my brother if I can use his computer. Are there any particular dangers that I should tell him about before he decides to do it?

He can safely do it; he must just make sure to write to that specific usb stick and not another one or his hard disk. It's just your pen drive (yes, usb memory stick) that might loose it's current data.

|I recommend Linux Mint|

Ok. Now let me get this straight. We download unetbootin. Then we run it and it tells us how to download the OS that I ultimately choose. Then it tells us how to use the downloaded OS to make a bootable USB drive with it.

Or is it that it doesn't tell us how to download the OS and we just do it without instructions. Then we run unetbootin and it tells us how to use the downloaded OS to make a bootable USB drive.

Please clarify.

What about the size of USB stick. Is 2 GB enough? 4?

Thanks.

Several people have recommended Mint. Can anyone comment on Lubuntu? Please note that my computer only has 8 GB hard drive.

Download the iso first. Also dowload a file with the md5 sum (often ending with .md5). For windows also download digestit2004 (or another tool to check the md5 sum) and install it.

Open the md5 file and copy the long 'number'. Right click the downloaded iso, select digestit2004 -> verify md5 and paste the long number; click OK (I think iit's called OK). If the verification is successful, it means that the downloaded iso is not corrupted.

Next insert the usb memory stick, start unetbootin, select the option where you can select the iso and select the iso that you want, select the drive where to install and click OK. Once it's done, it offers to reboot (so you can check) on the specific PC; you can do so or cancel that step

I suggest that you try the reboot option on your brother's PC to see if it works and to see what happens; it is safe as long as you don't attempt to install or access your brothers harddisk. I have recently used unetbootin for the first time for zenwalk; if the result is similar, you will have a whole pile of options (that do not even all fit on the screen). Scroll down with the arrow keys to find your iso. Don't select 'default' or 'english' as you will probably end with a czech keyboard layout (unless that problem is zenwalk specific).

Good luck

If the ISO is corrupted do we keep repeating the download until it is loaded uncorrupted?

Yes.

I just checked the mint site. Is this the MD5 number that gets compared?--010bad6bf2bb58f61fea8e437366576c

Do I need to know anything about download mirrors when I go to download the iso? Is it all taken care of by the mint download link?

I thought that UNetBootin can automatically download the ISO for you.

Here is my breakdown on what I think I need to do on the mac, and my questions:

Download unetbootin: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

Run it. Choose to download mint 11 or 10. Unetbootin will put it onto stick.

md5 file
where is it?

Download md5 checker: http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Security/MD5-Checker.shtml

Run it. Will it know what two copies of md5 need to be compared?

If comparison fails, repeat from run unetbootin until it succeeds.



Any comments? Specifically, does the md5 checker know where to get both copies of md5? Will it just be a choice on a list?

When using UNetBootin to download the ISOs, forget about MD5.

Hey glenellynboy - I'm glad to see you're looking to replace Linpus. Both Ubuntu and Mint should work just fine. I'd go for either the XFCE (Xubuntu of Mint XFCE) or LXDE (Lubuntu or Mint LXDE) desktop. XFCE is definitely more full-featured than LXDE and would probably be a good compromise with respect to resouce-demand vs. ease of use. I have both Fedora and Ubuntu loaded on my Aspire One's hard drive; both running LXDE desktops.

One thing you won't get with any distro other than Linpus is the use of an SD card in the left slot as an extension of your SSD's 8GB. However, if you're going to keep an SD card permanently in one of the slots, you can put /home on it to free up some space on the SSD.

If unetbootin won't automatically download the appropriate iso file (you want the 32-bit file!), you can download it manually, then use unetbootin to write it in a bootable manner to a 1GB or larger flash drive.

Good luck!

When I install the new OS, will I lose Firefox? If so, how do I back it up? Is there one file I can back up that will take care of it?

Also, how can I back up all my notes? Do I have to put each one into a writer file?

That looks like the number that I was referring to.

I'd be careful running any Ubuntu, or LinuxMint unless its a Debian edition, on a small machine like you have. Ubuntu is, and so are the LinuxMint variants, a resource hog and can quickly overpower your machine IF you don't know what you are doing. Debian, and the LinuxMint Debian variants, are better suited to low powered and low resource machines.

It probably can; will it also verify the md5sum in that case? If not, I prefer the manual download.

All of your Firefox data is contained in the (hidden) .mozilla directory within your home directory. I routinely copy my .mozilla from one Linux installation to another without problems. I'm not sure what Linpus uses for note-taking, but I suspect it stores its data in an file or subdirectory with a name similar to the name of the application itself. Which brings up the following point: when replacing one Linux distro with another, it's a very, very, very good idea to backup your old home directory before proceeding with the replacement. That way, if nothing else, you can restore files and/or subdirectories contained therein as needed.

So I assume the way to backup home is to somehow make it appear as an icon and then drag it and drop it into my backup vehicle. Is that correct? If so, how do I get home to appear as an icon. Is there an alternative procedure to do the backup?

I don't know.

But personally I never check the md5sum and never had any issues.

Two options
1)
Do you still have the original user interface with the four blocks (connect, work, fun, files)?
1a)
If so, click (or double click, I don't know) the little right arrow in 'files' and next open 'my files'. Does it open a file browser? I think that that will display your home directory; contents should be 'my documents', 'my videos', 'my downloads' etc.
1b)
Close the file browser. Right click 'my files'; is there an option to copy? If so, select it. If not, open the 'my files' again and find a way to display hidden files and folders (probably a menu option). Next select all files and folders, right click and select 'copy'.
1c)
Insert a USB memory stick; it should open a file browser displaying the content of the memory stick. Paste what you have copied at the end of 1b.
1d)
Safely remove the memory stick and check its contents on your brothers computer.

2)
You need 2 memory sticks, one with the distro and one to store the data that you want to save (can you borrow one from your brother?).
2a)
Insert the live USB memory stick with the distro and switch on the Aspire One. Press <F12> when the Acer Splash screen shows to change the boot order to boot from USB (or external HD; not sure what the term is); follow instructions on the screen
2b)
Once booted, find a way to access your internal HD and navigate to the home directory on the internal disk; people with experience with Mint can tell you how it must be done
2c)
There will be a directory with your user name. Right click it and select copy.
2d)
Insert your second USB memory stick and wait for it to show; it will probably open in a file browser. Paste the copied 'data'
2e)
Safely remove the memory stick and check its contents on your brothers computer.

If you get stuck with anny of the steps, let us know.

Note
The memory stick where you're going to copy the data to can be replaced by a memory card as used in photo cameras; empty it first. Make sure you have a 4GB one or bigger.

One other note related to earlier posts as you mention a mac. The mac can not boot from the usb stick that is created with unetbootin (according to the documentation of unetbootin).

Ok. I opened Files. The displayed files and folders were called "my disk". I selected all files. I copied them. I inserted my empty 4 GB stick.

But when I displayed the stick's contents and clicked paste I got this message:

"Failed to copy "/mnt/home/libssl3.so" to "/media/Lexar/libssl3.so"."

and:

"Failed to create symbolic link "/media/Lexar/libssl3.so" (Operation not permitted)."

The only file that copied in was mozilla.pdf.

There were some other messages that appeared before and were immediately covered up by the one I showed above.

I think you're copying too much. I guess 'my disk' is the whole disk. See if you don't have a directory called home in there. Select it and copy that to memory stick.

Failing that, I'm a bit at a loss. Let us know.

I deleted "my disk" and typed "home" in the window, hit enter, and nothing happened.

I found "home" in the "Go" menu item, clicked on it, and nothing happened. It gave an additional route there as alt, home on the keyboard. I did that and nothing happened.

I noted that the very top line of the computer screen--I forget what it's called--says "home - File Manager" when I have displayed "my disk".

I am thinking that if everyone looking at this thread is at a loss here, I should start a thread just to deal with backup.

I would just use a terminal, it's much easier. To find out what the name of the flash drive is, run:

before and after plugging in the drive, and post the output here. Also, to find out the path to your home directory, post the output of this:

Here's my problem at this point:

One of the bugs I have with my computer is that when I hit alt/F2, a one-line window appears, with the title "run program". I then type in "gnome - terminal" click run, and get what at first looks like a real terminal, except that the one-character block at top left doesn't blink, and nothing appears in the window when I type.

I'm starting to feel backed into a corner again. I'll try to relax.

There shouldn't be spaces around the "-". It's part of the program's name.

Another question:

When I looked on the unetbootin site at the list of programs it will download, under mint it only goes as far as mint 10. I understand 11 is the latest version and people have been telling me to go with it.

Will the actual running of unetbootin be more complete than the advertised list? If not, is there a way to get 11 somehow?