Can I format hard drive and install linux on hp pavillion xe783
 

I have an HP Pavillion xe783. I am not sure if I should try this but I would like to make use of this computer which has been sitting around collecting dust for the past 3 years. My first question is am I able to put linux on it since there is a note that states: NOTE: The only operating system supported on this HP Pavilion PC is MS Windows Millennium Edition Sounds fishy to me, does that mean I cant have any other operating system on it?

I don't know anything at all about linux what it looks like etc, but I'm beginning to hate you know who (MS) because I know eventually my good computer currently in use will be obsolete with all the space they take up for upgrades new versions and updates.

Is there an easy way to download the software I need for free get it all on cd, format my whole hard drive (on the hp pavillion), download software including a simple windows prog so I doesnt all feel so alien---without much trouble (hee hee sorry)

..or should I just forget it? I don't have a lot of time on my hands on a day to day basis...I'm used to MS being as easy as NEXT NEXT NEXT NEXT DONE thats probably the only good thing about it

You can see the specs for the pc here: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/g...=bph06038#N307

Linux on a random hardware setup is like roulette - either it installs no problems, or you can potentially have migraines installing it and setting it up. No loss in taking a shot, however. And your laptop will support Linux, HP just won't give you tech support if you screw it up. Big deal.

Yes, you can download any free Linux distro, burn it onto cds, and install em. Look around for a distro that sounds appealing. Probably one of the beginner friendly ones like Ubuntu. It'll come with a GUI (Graphical User Interface, the fancy name for what WinXP looks like), most distros do nowadays.

hey,

Just to add to what Wahming said, Ubuntu won the award for friendliest distro of 2006. The only thing is is that linux isn't as easy as "NEXT, NEXT, NEXT, NEXT, DONE." You will have to put some work in, but what you learn will be returned 10 fold.

Just a thing to remember, Linux was originally created as a command line operating system. Exactly like DOS, but the Bash Shell (there are tons more shells than just Bash) is much more functional and you can do tons more with it. You can play music, surf the net and do tons more stuff. It was not created with a GUI in mind in the beginning. It's evolved into that, though. So, just be prepared to learn.

Regards,

Brandon

Ubuntu looks good but this message worries me: The desktop CD allows you to try Ubuntu without changing your computer at all, and at your option to install it permanently later. This type of CD is what most people will want to use. You will need at least 192MB of RAM to install from this CD. This is what my computer has:

Base processor and speed
Intel (R) Celeron 700 MHz processor (socket 370)
Maximum HP supported replacement: Intel Celeron 700 MHz
Chipset
Intel 810
Memory
Component Attributes,
RAM (standard) 64 MB PC 100,
Maximum 512 MB (2 x 256 MB DIMMs),
Speed 100 MHz synchronous,
Sockets Two 168-pin DIMMs,
Size 32, 64, 128, and 256 MB DIMMs,


100 MHz, Intel PC SDRAM unbuffered DIMM specification, revision 1.0 compliant

I don't know the difference between standard memory and maximum

I know this thread is a bit dated, but I just so happen to be installing Ubuntu on the exact same model.

Cgillis - The standard amount of RAM (64MB) is what came with your system when you bought it. Unless you've upgraded it, that's what it is now. The maximum is the most RAM your computer can handle. Unless you've already upgraded your RAM, you will need to either do so or use the alternate CD - I will warn you though, things run EXTREMELY SLOW at 64MB.

I would HIGHLY recommend at the very least having an additional 128MB stick of RAM installed - you can get the RAM itself for under $30 on Newegg (or you could spring for a couple of 256's if you'd rather try to make your Pavilion last as long as possible before replacing), and you could probably get someone else to do it cheap if you're afraid to mess around with your computer's innards. If you do decide to do it yourself, however, please be sure to read about how to do it, and also take precautions against ESD - Google is a big friend here.

As far as how well everything works, aside the fact that things run horribly slow with only 64MB (waiting on the 128MB stick to arrive, which will bring it to 192MB), it's not too bad. Haven't tried printing yet, and running into minor problems burning an ISO to a CD-R, but that's about it.

Best of luck!

One more thing I forgot to mention. I installed Ubuntu using the ALTERNATE INSTALL CD, not the Desktop CD. Ubuntu will be extremely slow as I said, but the alternate CD will at least install it.

Assuming you want the newer version, you can get the alternate install CD from http://ubuntu-releases.cs.umn.edu//e...rnate-i386.iso

Hope this all helps