Will Microsoft steal my Windows 7? Why I'm worried.

groze · 02 Sep 2015

Chromium still has issues on some distros. Here is what I did.

sudo apt-get purge chromium
sudo apt-get autoremove

Then I go to Chrome and download the version that corresponds to the distro you are using.

It seems on some distros Google chrome works better then Chromium. Google chrome if installed will usually update with the system. I don't use that as my main browser though.

I would like to try zorin but can't seems to get it installed. Just freeze during installation. I may need to use the 32 bit even though my system support 64 bit.

ignatzatsonic · 02 Sep 2015

Adams Seven said:

ignatzatsonic, I'm sure you had bad luck with Mint in a Windows 7 VM. I'm the one who recommended that route for an experiment, so I can't help feeling responsible.

It do think it's a nearly foolproof way of taking a dip into Linux, though. Worst case scenario: uninstall VirtualBox.

It now looks like I'm leaning hard toward the Linux fork in my personal computing road, and plan to have at my original Win 7 boot disk by freeing up some space with diskmgmt.msc, then letting Linux Mint configure itself as a dual-bootable OS.

No need to feel responsible. It took no more than an hour to discover it wasn't for me. I got Mint "installed" within the Virtual Box, but it was largely non-functional---menus wouldn't pop open, etc. Probably easily fixable if I knew more about Virtual Box, but I didn't so I decided to dual boot.

You've got more nerve than I have in putting a dual boot on a single drive. I discovered that this SSD can be had cheaply and is more than large enough for my purposes.

Mushkin Enhanced ECO2 MKNSSDEC60GB 2.5" 60GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - Newegg.com

I've already used Rufus to make the Mint install USB stick and confirmed that it works, so I'm ready to go when the SSD is delivered.

groze · 02 Sep 2015

If using gpt partition table disregard this tip it may still work but I have not tested it.

I found out on a single disk it is best for Linux to be installed in a logical partition same with Linux swap partition.

ignatzatsonic · 02 Sep 2015

groze said:

If using gpt partition table disregard this tip it may still work but I have not tested it.

I found out on a single disk it is best for Linux to be installed in a logical partition same with Linux swap partition.

I don't think I'll be using GPT.

For my first attempt, I'm going to use the defaults of the semi-automated installer built into the ISO---rather than use something like Gparted to make partitions in advance. I'm a complete greenhorn.

I'm not sure what it will do. I guess I'll still have to size the partitions. I plan to use maybe 1 or 2 GB for swap, maybe 10 for root, and the rest for home---on a 60 gb SSD.

I see some talk about also using a data partition, and then making home quite small. Probably won't do that on my first attempt.

What's the advantage of logical partitions?

ThrashZone · 02 Sep 2015

Not sure but what ever you do = Do Not Encrypt the Home folder if that option is checked uncheck it

Probably isn't checked by default
You really don't have to make any partitions at all just install on the drive with nothing else connected.
This will also come in handy too

Linux Mint Forums ? View topic - "Solved" Clock 6 hours advanced switching back to win-7

FerchogtX · 02 Sep 2015

ignatzatsonic said:

What's the advantage of logical partitions?

I dunno if this aplies totally to Linux, but Logical partitions remove the 4 primary partitions limit (is it four? I don't remember) But you cannot install an OS to them, jut use them for data storing...

groze · 02 Sep 2015

FerchogtX said:

ignatzatsonic said:

What's the advantage of logical partitions?

I dunno if this aplies totally to Linux, but Logical partitions remove the 4 primary partitions limit (is it four? I don't remember) But you cannot install an OS to them, jut use them for data storing...

It did apply to Linux and some very old Linux distros might still require primary partition but that has changed with newer distro. Almost all the distro I have tried have been installed on the logical partition without issue. Grub has solved that issue to boot to logical partition.

My setup is
/dev/sda1 Windows 7 (Primary)
/dev/sda2 Windows 10 (Primary)
/dev/sda5 Xubuntu (Logical)
/dev/sda6 ext 3 (Logical) (Nothing yet) I use this for testing other Linux distros.
/dev/sda7 (Logical) Linux swap

sgage · 02 Sep 2015

Folks who are considering Linux would probably be best served by visiting some Linux forums. For example,

General Help

or suchlike.

I will say again, Linux is not Windows, and there is a learning curve, but it's worth it...

groze · 02 Sep 2015

sgage said:

Folks who are considering Linux would probably be best served by visiting some Linux forums. For example,

General Help

or suchlike.

I will say again, Linux is not Windows, and there is a learning curve, but it's worth it...

Don't forget here as well PC Help Forum

lehnerus2000 · 02 Sep 2015

ignatzatsonic said:

Why? Partially impulse buying and partially because I spent an hour fiddling with Mint in Virtualbox on Windows 7 and got absolutely nowhere. I assume that's due to my inexperience with VMs, but I decided rather than climb that learning curve, I'd be better off spending $40 and remaining old fashioned.

Adams Seven said:

ignatzatsonic, I'm sure you had bad luck with Mint in a Windows 7 VM. I'm the one who recommended that route for an experiment, so I can't help feeling responsible.

I can't comment on VirtualBox as I use VMware Player.

groze said:

Chromium still has issues on some distros. Here is what I did.

I use the default browser, Firefox.

IMO, FF runs much better in Linux Distros, than it does in Windows.

groze said:

If using gpt partition table disregard this tip it may still work but I have not tested it.

I found out on a single disk it is best for Linux to be installed in a logical partition same with Linux swap partition.

I've installed Linux on Primary and Logical partitions and I can't say I noticed any difference.

FerchogtX said:

ignatzatsonic said:

What's the advantage of logical partitions?

I dunno if this aplies totally to Linux, but Logical partitions remove the 4 primary partitions limit (is it four? I don't remember) But you cannot install an OS to them, jut use them for data storing...

Windows (apparently) won't run on a Logical partition.
I've never tried to do it though.

Ubuntu 10 (5 years old now) didn't have any issues.