New INSTALL Questions

[Rockrz]

Hi guys... my first post can be found HERE that explains what I'm trying to do and why I'm ready to jump in to Linux

So, before ordering a brand new computer (with Linux installed), for learning purposes I installed Ubuntu on a virtually new Lenovo Laptop that I had purchased to have on hand for my normal laptop which is also a Lenovo (I've had good results from these Lenovo laptops)

Months ago I had purchased a install CD for Ubuntu 18.04 which made it easy to install and over write Bill's OS that was on my laptop. The install went good and there's nothing suggesting there were any issues with the install that I can see.. The install process gave me the option of just doing a basic install that included Firefox browser and basic utilities, so that's what I did.... so here are a few questions....

1) The laptop is connected to the net, so how do I go about checking to see if Ubuntu has been updated to the latest version?
I remember checking a box so that during the install the system would check for updates. I just wanted to make sure it did that.

2) Concerning maintenance... before I get in to this much further, are there any tips on things I should do after a fresh install that would benefit the install? Just thought I'd ask since I'm new to Linux and I'd imagine there are some things that can / should be done after a fresh install that I need to know about (I was an auto technician by trade so I'm always thinking of what's under the hood so to speak)

3) Concerning anti-virus, anti-malware, and anti-hacking . . . what programs (or Apps) should I be looking at to install to protect the system from all the bad stuff that can crawl in when one is connected to the net?

4) For years on computers with Bill's OS I relied very heavily on Hard Drive Imaging to take a "snap shot" of my entire C Drive. I used a program called Acronis True Image and it would store the back up file on a second drive in my computer (I always save my data on my D Drive so I can use Acronis to restore my C Drive anytime the need might arise).

This enables me to restore my computer and ALL of the programs I had installed with perfection over the years. I never once experienced failure where Acronis was not able to restore my system to an earlier point in time (I understand it does not fix faulty components in a computer if that is the source of trouble)

So, I'm really hoping there is a program out there that works similar to Acronis True Image for Linux.... if anyone knows of a well established program for this that is made for Linux please let me know.

5) I've used the office software that comes from the people that make Bill's OS for years on my regular work computer, but on my normal laptop (that also has Bill's OS) I've used Open Office and have become fairly familiar with it.

I've read that Libre Office comes with most linux distros, but Open Office also works with linux as well, so is there any big advantage to using Libre Office versus Open Office? If not, I'd probably opt for Open Office since I've got a little experience using it.

6) I'll be needing a good PDF editor that enables me to do all sorts of editing to PDF docs, including password protecting PDF docs so no changes can be made to the doc (I understand that other PDF programs may allow people to by pass security settings and make changes to a PDF doc I have locked).

These are all good starting points for me with the new Ubuntu install on my backup laptop.

I figured since I have the extra laptop to play with, I may as well start learning by doing and get all the programs I'll be needing setup so someday I can use what I learn on a new Linux office computer I'll buy someday after I get some working knowledge / experience using Linux on my back up laptop. Thank you in advance for help, advice, and suggestions you guys have time to share!

 

[Rockrz]

One other question... on Bill's OS I can hit the Start Button in the lower left corner and click on Computer and a new window opens where I can see my hard driver (I have a C Drive and a D Drive in my laptop now).

I was just curious how to do this on Ubuntu Linux...

 

[marsdrums]

Great questions!
I usually only backup my /home folder because that's where everything I install will reside as far as configuration files and whatnot. I also have all of my photos there, videos, music, etc...

As far as virus control is concerned, I don't go to any places on the internet anymore that I don't know of if they're protected or not. Saying that, I do feel that there COULD be a slight risk for getting a virus but it's very minimal at best. There are antivirus programs that run on Linux but they are pretty much unneeded at the moment.

Maintenance wise, Just be good at putting things in their place. Like videos, music, documents, all should have their own place. I have a Videos folder, Pictures folder, Music folder, etc and I keep everything in their places. If I download a video, it goes into my Downloads folder but after it's done, it goes into my Videos folder. Likewise for everything else.

My Documents folder has several sub folders in it (I use LibreOffice since it's compatible with all of my old MS Office documents). So I have a Word folder, Excel folder and so on. All of those have sub folders as well. Like my Word folder has a Resume folder and a letters folder and so on. I try to keep everything in locations where I can find them.

My Music folder is the same way. I brought over about 800MP3 files from Windows which I had all of those in Alphabetical Folders (A, B, C, D,...) And in the those folders I would have the band names like Asia, Allman Brothers, etc. under the A folder and so on. So, if I wanted to find Pink Floyds - The Wall, I'd go to Music > P > Pink Floyd > The Wall. Very easy to find. And any band with the word 'The' in it, doesn't go under T. Like The Allman Brothers goes under A.

With a PDF Editor, I usually use LibreOffice to create a PDF (Print to PDF is usually what I do). As far as editing, LibreOffice doesn't do a great job at it. It kind of messes with the format/layout a little bit. So I haven't found anything to actually EDIT a PDF File. But all of my PDSs are basically from Writer Docs so I just go into LibreOffice Writer, edit the original file and resave it as a PDF.

Finally, as far as a file manager goes, I use a program called pcmanfm. It's the closest thing to Windows File Manager that I could find. But some distros don't have pcmanfm in their repositories. So if you can't find it, you may need to look at something else.
One other note about using a file manager, Linux does not name the drives c:, d:, etc. They're labeled as sda, sdb, sdc or something similar. sd* is pretty common. All of my systems have had the sd* identification for the hard drives.
Then, after that, for sda you'll have sda1 and sda2 and so on. Those represent the partitions on that one hard drive.
So, open up a terminal and type 'lsblk' without the quote marks. You'll see something that looks like this:
sda 8:0 0 695.5G 0 disk
--sda1 8:1 0 511M 0 part /boot
--sdb2 8:2 0 695.1G 0 part /
sdb 8:16 0 5.5T 0 disk
--sdb1 8:17 0 5.5T 0 part /home

And so on.
So what that's telling me is that SDA1 is 695.5GB Total. 511MB is used in sda1 as the boot partition and the rest is the root partition. sdb has one partition using the whole drive and that''s mounted as my /home folder. So it's actually mounted at the root level (/) under the home folder (so, /home). Then any user directories are mounted under there. So, /home/marsdrums would be my home folder where my music, documents, downloads, config files will live. Everything I do ends up in that /home folder. So, backing up /home/user is a safe bet that you're getting everything you need to get any Linux system operational again.

It's a lot to grasp onto. When I was using Windows and Linux (50/50) it got a little confusing at first. But then, one day it just kind of clicked into place for me and I was able to get around pretty easily from then on. As long as I stayed in my user name folder under /home, I was perfectly fine. There was no C: or D: baloney. While that drive naming was pretty easy to figure out, The Linux way seems pretty standard to me right now after using it now for 6 years straight.
So, yeah, a Linux file manager is going to look pretty alien to you at first. If you can remember the points I mentioned and stay within your /home directory, you should be okay.

 

[Rockrz]

When I was using Windows and Linux (50/50) it got a little confusing at first. But then, one day it just kind of clicked into place for me and I was able to get around pretty easily from then on.

That's what I'm hoping to be able to do is digest all this new-to-me stuff over time and eventually get a better handle on what's going on.

Right now it's like trying to drink water from a fire hose!

 

[Brickwizard]

HI
1] updating from U18 to the latest version is a big jump, a clean re-install may be best
2] once you have done a clean re-installation and run the updates, then install “Timeshift” [or similar]
3] most of us will turn on the fire wall and configure to our own needs, some will run "Clam AV" [not for our own protection but to reduce the passing of windows bugs which do not affect Linux]
4].......
5] LibreOffice is more up to date than open office
6] there are numerous PDF apps I only use the basic reader . Others may comment

where I can see my hard driver (I have a C Drive and a D Drive in my laptop now).

on most desktops you will have an icon called computer right click and open

 

[marsdrums]

That's what I'm hoping to be able to do is digest all this new-to-me stuff over time and eventually get a better handle on what's going on.

Right now it's like trying to drink water from a fire hose! View attachment 19909

Heh, I hear ya! Good luck to ya. I'd highly recommend using Linux as your main OS. For things like browsing, every day file handling, etc. And only use Windows to use whatever programs you need that are not available for Linux. I did this with Photoshop and Lightroom. Yes, Linux does have some decent alternatives but when I was doing photography for a living, I needed Photoshop. I couldn't use GIMP because it was a little difficult to get a handle on it. So I ended up switching to Windows after a photoshoot. But now, I use Linux all the time. I don't even have Windows 10 installed on anything anywhere (nor Windows 7 which is what I ended with).

 

[Thunderpants]

4) Foxclone is similar to an Acronis True Image rescue disk but there are others. Boot it from a CD or USB stick to save or restore disk images including UEFI partitions.

 

[Condobloke]

Right now it's like trying to drink water from a fire hose!

lol...good analogy !!

My experience....this may not suit everybody.

No.1 priority
Set up Timeshift. We can give you the basic settings here.

Like your acronis used to do, Timeshift saves it snapshots to a different drive. (not the main drive with your OS on it)

It works in similar fashion to system restore....the main difference being, it actually works.
No.2 priority
'Create' a snapshot. It is as simple as one click (after you have it set up, which takes approx 5 minutes)

AND THEN !!....go bananas.....click on everything you are not sure of whatever is behind it......give your new OS a real going over....without any fear of busting something. if you do happen to bust the OS....no panic. Simply restore one of your screenshots and all is good again.
My point?......the best way to learn is by doing....becoming familiar with the OS....navigating your way around it than we could teach you in a month.

EDIT TO ADD :: I have just noticed that you installed Ubuntu 18.04
That version eaches end of life in May, 2024....in other words....now.
Do not panic.....just be aware that your new lappie with Linux already installed will be the latest Ubuntu.....and while it will be similar in many, many ways....there will be some differences to get used to.

I have to go out now......when I return I will add more.

My advice up above still stands.....it is an excellent way to become aware of the ubuntu operating system.....play with it.....go places you would not normally dare.

BTW......you do not need to pay for any Linux distro. The vast majority are FREE

We can show you how to 'burn' any Linux distro to a usb stick using Balena etcher, boot the Laptop or computer to that usb stick......and then Install it.

 

[bob466]

Most important of all...forget windoze...you won't get far thinking Linux is like windoze because it's nothing like it...as we say Linux isn't windoze for a good reason.

Don't pay for Linux it's free...you need to download the latest version of Ubuntu (I use Mint) and burn it to a Flash Drive with Etcher.

Maintenance...https://www.linux.org/threads/do-you-really-need-to-clean-mint.43752/
You don't need antivirus...all you need to do...keep your system up to date...Enable the firewall and don't do anything stupid.

Backing up your system is very important...once you have your system installed the way you like...Software...Settings...Browsers...Printer and Scanner installed...VMs etc...the first thing you need to do is setup Timeshift to an External HDD or SSD.

Create an image of your whole system with Foxclone...https://foxclone.org/ my choice or Redorescue...http://redorescue.com/
These are similar to yours only much better...again put the image on an External HDD or SSD.
Hope this helps.

 

[Rockrz]

updating from U18 to the latest version is a big jump, a clean re-install may be best

So, version 18.04 cannot update itself to the latest Ubuntu version?

If not, how would one running version 18.04 do a fresh install? Do I simply download the latest version and double click on the file and it opens up and does it's thing including formatting the C Drive to make sure it's a fresh install?

LibreOffice is more up to date than open office

Yeah, I was reading about the differences between the two now and it does sound like Libre Office is the way to go.

on most desktops you will have an icon called computer right click and open

Mine does not show an icon titled Computer... is there a way to make this show up?

Like your acronis used to do, Timeshift saves it snapshots to a different drive. (not the main drive with your OS on it)

Great, thanks! I'll checkout Timeshift.... The way I use Acronis is to not allow it to run backups on it's own. I always took a snapshot of my C Drive manually. Then I keep a text file with a list of changes I want to make at next restore.

Then after a few months, I restore my computer back, make changes listed in my list of changes to be made at next restore, and then I'd manually take a new hard drive image.

The reason I have done it like that is so I'm not incorporating malware, cookies, trackers, or whatever else I picked up into my new hard drive image. Since I'd do this from the beginning when the computer was new, it's helps ensure to keep it clean of any garbage picked up will surfing the net.

I even got hit with ransomware once and it took me about 8 minutes to restore the system back to an earlier time and quickly solved the ransomware problem as all they did was lock my C Drive and not my D Drive where is where I save all my data to. (from there, I have all my data backed up to 6 external hard drives that are only connected to the computer when I'm backing up my data)

We can show you how to 'burn' any Linux distro to a usb stick using Balena etcher, boot the Laptop or computer to that usb stick......and then Install it.

Is this what I need to do in order to install the latest version of Ubuntu?

most of us will turn on the fire wall and configure to our own needs

Is there a particular app I need to consider to use for my firewall?

Since more and more Apple OS systems are being hit by malware designed specifically for that OS, I'm pretty sure there are hackers out there starting to do the same to target Linux systems so I'd definitely like to use some protection.

Since more and more people are switching to Linux, it's only a matter time until there are malware and viruses that are designed specifically for Linux if this sort of thing is not already afoot. You know how the bad actors are. They'll be coming for Linux.

 

[Rockrz]

Concerning backing up the data in My Documents... on my PC's using Bill's OS for years I've used a program call Second Copy.

On my main office computer now, I have 3 hard drives... I always save my data to the My Documents folder on my D Drive (I never saved anything to my C Drive at all since I want to be ready to restore the C Drive at any moment should the need arise)

So, I schedule Second Copy to backup the data daily from my D Drive to my E Drive and I run backups manually to mt external drives frequently as well using Second Copy. (It only copies new files to the backup drive as needed so it's doesn't take long to run a backup of my data)

Hopefully, there is an app like Second Copy made to work with Linux... if anybody knows of an app like this for Linux, please let me know.

 

[Condobloke]

If not, how would one running version 18.04 do a fresh install? Do I simply download the latest version and double click on the file and it opens up and does it's thing including formatting the C Drive to make sure it's a fresh install?

No. Have a read of this : https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html & https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/burn.html

It is for Linux Mint, but it will give you the basic idea.

Mine does not show an icon titled Computer... is there a way to make this show up?

Yes. It is probably under System Settings (i dont run Ubuntu, so I am not positive)

Is this what I need to do in order to install the latest version of Ubuntu? ( how to 'burn' any Linux distro to a usb stick)

Yes. Download the .iso (that is the download for whatever distro you are going to end up installing etc
All Linux downloads are .iso files
Plug a usb stcik into a usb port (the usb stick does not need to be empty....BUT, be aware that 'burning' the iso to that usb stick will WIPE any and all data etc that is on it. It is a good idea to keep that usb stick after you have finished installing with it. Mark on it what it contains and keep it safe
After downloading the .iso file....insert the usb stci into a usb port. Right click on the .iso file and select 'make bootable usb stick. BE SURE you choose the sub stick that you just plugged in. Make Sure.
click on write....it will take a while. Be patient
When finished, you will need to restart and boot the pc to that usb stick. Which F key you tap to bring up the boot menu varies from pc to pc. I forget which brand you have

Is there a particular app I need to consider to use for my firewall?

No. There is a built in firewall. All you need to do is enable it

Security in Linux Mint and Ubuntu: an Explanation and Some Tips

Easy tips, tweaks and tricks for Linux Mint and Ubuntu, both for beginners and for advanced users. Complete starter's guide with simple how-to's.

easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com

 

[Brickwizard]

So, version 18.04 cannot update itself to the latest Ubuntu version?

It can be done relatively easy But its not something many of us would do,[ most of us would save our files and folders to an external source and do a clean installation] the routeen to run the upgrade is done via the terminal follow the steps below [enter after each command and add password if requested]

​

At first, you should update your system with the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

sudo apt dist-upgrade

Now remove unwanted packages from your system by entering the following command:

sudo apt autoremove

to install the update-manager-core package by running the following command:

sudo apt install update-manager-core

now run the Ubuntu upgrade utility.

sudo do-release-upgrade

you will be asked if you are sure you want to upgrade, type “y” and press “Enter“. the upgrade to Ubuntu 22.4 Lts should now
begin
You should see the upgrade summary in your terminal and type “y” and press “Enter” again to agree to the upgrade.

After the upgrade process is complete, you should restart the system and type “y“, and press “Enter” again:

Mine does not show an icon titled Computer... is there a way to make this show up?

open menu, type computer in search bar find computer in list, right click and add to desktop or task bar your choice

Is there a particular app I need to consider to use for my firewall?

the Linux firewall is already packaged in the vast majority of distributions, type firewall in the search bar of the menu right click to open [it will want your password]

 

[Rockrz]

It can be done relatively easy But its not something many of us would do

OK, so I'll plan on doing a fresh install of the latest version.

 

[Condobloke]

Good approach. Fresh install ensures there are no leftover dramas to worry the life out of you.