see comments embedded. --- In [email protected], "MuskokaCowboy" <muskokacow...@...> wrote: > > Hi Guys: > > I have been lurking for a few months and am now considering installing > Linux on my Dell laptop. I am not a total newbie to Linux. I installed > Mandrake Linux on an old computer a couple of years ago and played > around with it for a while. > > My laptop has a AMD Sempron 2.0 GHz processor, 2 GB of ram and a 320 > GB hard drive with XP installed. I have a home wireless network. > > I mainly use this computer for web browsing, email and bittorrent and > I often use VNC viewer to remotely control my desktop computer which > is also running XP. I do occassonally (maybe 2 days per month) need to > run Windows business programs on this computer (Quickbooks, Simply > Accounting etc.).
The Sempron is about the equivalent of a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4. It should run very well with almost any distro. However, someone mentioned virtual box in another reply as a way to access your Windows programs you need. From my experience running Mint with Virtual Box and XP, XP just becomes too slow. Mine is a mobile Pentium 4 at 2.5 GHz. I think dual-booting would be just fine especially if you really only need XP rarely. > > Based on the messages that I have read I am thinking of installing > Linux Mint but would consider any other recommendations. I am > wondering if I should run a dual boot system for the times when I need > Windows or should I just go with Linux and use something like Wine for > those times when I need to run Windows apps. I am also looking for > help on how I should partition the hard drive. > > Thanks for your help in advance and also thanks for running this group > to help people like myself. > > Dave > I have installed both Ubuntu and Mint on two different laptops. I would heartily recommend Mint between the two. Just getting the wireless working was enough to convince me that Mint was the way to go. Also, if you want it, Mint allows you to have a true root user. I don't do that myself as I have found that using sudo for root tasks works very well for me. My personal recommendation would be dual boot. Cut the disk in half for each OS. Before trying to install Linux, completely defrag the XP partition. Back up XP too. Nothing will go wrong in my experience, but are you ready if it does? Almost any Linux will set up Grub and allow you to dual-boot easily. BTW, the menu presented by Grub is available in /boot/grub if you want to make it prettier or change the wait time and default. Good luck to you! Loyal ------------------------------------ To unsubscribe from this list, please email [email protected] & you will be removed.Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LINUX_Newbies/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LINUX_Newbies/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
