Migrating to Ubuntu
 

Hi Folks,
I am planning to migrate all my systems to Ubuntu Linux, from Winxp, gradually.

I have a few doubts:
1) Will I be able to use tally 7.2 (with or without wine)

2) Is opting for the 64bit version better than 32 bit version? Compatibility and lesser headaches :) is the main consideration here.

3) My PC also serves as the server for my CCTV system. Will it work fine on native ubuntu or wine?

4) Whether open office will work seamlessly?

Hope somebody answers these doubts...

Best Regards,
Krishn

Welcome to GNU/Linux, krishna7321!

Almost all Windows software works in Wine and this thread on ubuntuforums.org indicates it is possible (but with mixed results).

If you have more than 4 GiB of RAM, you need the 64-bit version to be able to use all of it. If you have a low-power 64-bit cpu you should definitely use the 64-bit version. (The performance difference between a 32-bit os on the 64-bit Intel Dual Core b960 and a 64-bit os on the same cpu is noticeable.) Almost all software is available in 64-bits and 64-bit cpus are capable of running 32-bit programs, but this will bring the overhead of having to have the 32- and 64-bit libraries installed. This should not be a problem if you have more than 10GiB of disk space. The package manager will take care of all the compatibility issues.

These people think so.

OpenOffice is native linux software, but I think Ubuntu comes with LibreOffice nowadays. It's 100% compatible and pretty much the same as OpenOffice, but it isn't controlled by a company and it looks nicer.
Installation of OpenOffice on Ubuntu is very easy.

You might also find the information here useful (if you haven't read it already).

I dual boot with Windows for those programs that will only run on Windows which in my case is very, very few since I don't do games. Mostly I keep Windows around as insurance in case Microsoft decides to pull the Linux support of Skype. Wine is good at running many Windows programs, and as the previous poster has already found out, Tally will run under Wine. Still I recommend dual booting with Windows just for those few occasions when you need to run something that won't run under Wine. You have nothing to lose by dual-booting except some disk space.

Just about all desktops and notebooks manufactured today contain 64 bit processors so unless you are just barely meeting the minimum requirements for running Ubuntu, you should go with 64-bit if your processor is 64-bit. The future belongs to 64-bit, and 64-bit Linux can run 32-bit software but not the other way around (though you do have to add the 32-bit libraries). It just makes sense to use 64 bit.

I use Libre-Office and it works well for me. It's not quite 100% compatible with Microsoft Office, but it is darn good considering Microsoft that keeps their formats proprietary.

ha ha ha,

OK, my mistake. I forgot, that linux based OS's dont automatically install GUI. So, just about manage to loose my entire data, yesterday. Thankfully, it dint get to that :)
Any help, how to integrate gui in the official ubuntu installation?

Regards,
Krishn

Most distros, including Ubuntu come with a GUI by default. I think something went wrong over there.
Please post the hardware you're using and any deviations you made from the official installation instructions.

If you are using the server edition of Ubuntu then it is not unusual to not get the GUI, but other versions of Ubuntu boot directly into a GUI. Which GUI do you want to install? The general way to install a GUI is, for example, for the Unity desktop:

for Gnome (which means Gnome 3 or Gnome Shell):

for KDE:

and for Xfce:

Let it install and then reboot and you should have your GUI.


If you are still unable to get a GUI after this, it probably means that Ubuntu is not correctly detecting your graphics card so it would be great if you could post some of your hardware info.

Hope this helps.

This is really important. Every time you do something system critical, like installing a new OS for example, make a sure that you have a recent and complete backup of your important data. There can go something wrong at any time.
Even if you don't do something system critical, backup your important data regularly, so that you do not loose the data if, for example, your harddisk dies.

OK guys, installed xubuntu today, seems to be working fine. Here is what I did (And I am not a computer geek, so I just understand plain english instructions, never even attempted to learn machine language :) )

Step 1) Download Xubuntu from its official website File was: xubuntu-12.04-desktop-amd64.iso
Step 2) Download Linux live from its website File was : LinuxLive USB Creator 2.8.14.exe
Step 3) Run LinuxLive USB Creator 2.8.14.exe, which installed a portable ubuntu version on my 2GB flash drive
Step 4) Tried to run virtual box, to run the xubuntu from within winxp, but it didnt run, 'cause, my winxp is 32 bit, and my xb is 64 bits, realised that sometime later :)
Step 5) Booted from the flash drive, and xb seems to be running just fine. Actually, seems to be a lot better than xp, so I guess, the boasting of the Linux geeks seems to be justified :) [Will try to contribute my 1 paisa to this project, sure]

What next I need:
A good chess program, with lots of games in the database. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Best,
Krishn

My 1TB HDD is almost all full :) Because, about 500 GB is devoted to my CCTV system. In the end, had to delete 1 partition, to make space for XB