I want to say thanks for all the time and help that you folks have given me in my quest for info. I have given up on trying get Mint onto my desktop computer but I decided to go another route so I loaded ubuntu 9.04 onto one of my old laptops. I installed it on the hard-drive and it runs with no problems. Now that I have it, I need to learn how to use it and what I can do with it. Is there a documentation file that anybody can suggest to bring me up to speed on using ubuntu? I am pretty proficient in Windows but I am having a bit of trouble with figuring out the new terms and so on with ubuntu. For instance, it comes with an old version of Firefox and it suggests that I should update to Firefox 20. I clicked on the file and told it to save the file. It put the file into an archive and from there I tried to extract or install it but it isn't doing what I'm used to seeing. I'll keep working on it but if there is a doc file that I can read it would help. Thanks again,

Ray

Ubuntu is on v12.04 I believe; you should really get a current distro, for security updates if nothing else

I will do this as you suggest. I am just getting my feet wet here. I'll download it right away. Thanks,

Ray

With your specs. If me. I would go with Xubuntu 12.04LTS. Regular Ubuntu 12.04 with Unity Desktop minimal requirements (minimal is usually not a good reference for top performance)

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Demystifying...reRequirements

So to be safe. I would go with my above recommendation.

Edit: Help and Support

See what I mean here. There are so many different renditions of Linux that I don't know what is the best one. I just downloaded ubuntu 13.04 and made an install disk and now I find out that there is something better. Where will it end?

Ray

Try booting the 13.04 disk. If it works for you. Run it like you stole it.

Thanks, I was just messin with ya in case you didn't know it. I'm going to give it a try and see if I like it. I'll let you know. I still have to figure out what to do with it once it's installed. Another learning curve ahead. Going slow. Thanks again,

Ray

I think it might be worth noting that the 12.04LTS that rokytnji suggested has the advantage of getting long term support (which LTS is the abbreviation for). Ubuntu will issue new releases every 6 months, and stop supporting each of them 18 months after their respective release date. So in order to continue receiving security updates you would have to upgrade the system after 18 months.

With LTS releases you get security updates for 5 years (if I am not mistaken). So if you can live with the idea of not having the most recent software available you should pick an LTS to avoid too frequent system upgrades. (Which is always a good way to break your system in my experience.) For that reason, when I install linux on computers of friends and family I always pick LTS releases, unless their hardware is so recent that it's not properly supported, which I don't think is the case for you.

Just my two cents, don't mean to delay the replacement of the light bulb) ;-)

Update!!! I tried to install ubuntu 13.04 into my desktop machine and it stalls the same way that Mint did. I guess it is time for a mobo/processor upgrade. I will have to start collecting cans and bottles so I can do it. Damn, I hate being on a fixed income. All you young folks better start saving now for retirement.

R

So Linux Mint is actually very closely related to Ubuntu, so this is not so much of a surprise I'd say.
You could still envisage trying a distro that is based on something else.

A good source of information on many different distros, including a kind of popularity rating can be found at http://distrowatch.com.
Click through the first 10-20 and see which one seems to meet your needs. Maybe you will have more luck than with Ubuntu / Mint. I personally don't think it is acceptable to have to buy a new computer to run Linux. Quite the opposite actually: The Linux world should be the enabler to continue running this stuff with reasonable performance.

Thanks Joe, this is just a good excuse to upgrade the old box. I'm not going to run out and splurge but I'll have the idea in the back of my mind. I have been watching for a good combo deal to come along so who knows. I have just started playing with this Linux stuff and I'm intrigued so it's more of a challenge to figure it all out. All of you folks that have been following along here have got so much more knowledge about it than me I'll never understand it all but I DO enjoy trying. So, I hope I haven't worn out my welcome by asking silly questions and being so naive. And when you all do send me a suggestion or an answer to my questions, PLEASE, keep it simple and remember I have no idea of what you are talking about. I'm REALLY a Newbie_2_Linus like my id says.

Ray

Ok, so when you consider buying new hardware definitely come back here for advice as well. Some will be supported better than other by Linux. Especially the most recent "Windows 8 certified" computers might ship with a feature called UEFI secure boot that can cause you a lot of headaches during installation.

Joe, I will be doing my own build. I have a very good case and power supply so I just want to upgrade the mobo and processor. So far I haven't had problems with integrated sound and video so I won't be adding any add-on cards. If you want to give me some advice on mobo's or processors by all means go ahead. I don't know if I need to spend the extra money on an i5. I was leaning toward the i3 because I don't do gaming. That's where I'm at right now.

Ray

Run Macpup till the Upgrade.

linky to video (use the pause button if needed)