Hello and thank you for letting me join

R

Rene Thomas

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Dear Linux-folk,

I am new to Linux and to these forums. I don't know much computing, to be honest.

My partner bought me a laptop with Ubuntu installed and I am trying to get some help to upgrade it.

It is Linux Ubuntu 12.04 which is an old version, and is unsupported. I am unable to install new programs or to do things like burn CDs.

I think I managed to download a newer version, but I didn't know how to run it. It needed opening as an archive.

I tried using the sudo run and sudo-apt get commands which were advised on another website, but I am only learning to use the command line very slowly.

If anyone can help with this or suggest what forum to post my question in I would be very grateful.
 


Welcome to the forums.

Ubuntu 12.04 has support until mid 2017 (starting with Ubuntu 12.04, LTS releases are supported for 5 years).
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LTS
I don't know why you can't burn CDs or install new programs. The problem is not caused by a lack of support by Cannonical. What exactly happens when you try to install programs or burn CDs?

The latest LTS is Ubuntu 14.04. If you download the image you can burn it to a CD or to a USB drive. From there you can boot from it and install to the HDD.

Burning the image to a CD is explained here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto
Writing to a USB drive is explained here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick
 
Thank you ryanvade, arochester and Darren.

I reckon your tips will be helpful to help me upgrade my software.

I actually got muddled up. I have Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) but I think your advice should apply.

Now I know how to get the newer release saved to USB and installed I will try that, then let you know if it works.

If it doesn't I will note down whatever error messages it comes up with.
 
12.10 came to the end of its life in May 2014...

If you are going for a newer edition, as @ryanvade says, go for an LTS (Long Term Support) ---probably 14.04 LTS
 
Hello again.

Your tips have been tried and tested and the results:

I got a copy of the Linux Ubuntu 14.04 LTS downloaded and burned to a USB stick and was feeling like I was well on my way to mastery of Linux, maybe even able to help other "newbies" get their heads round installing it like you good people do *

After a slight oops moment when I tried to install the 64-bit flavour on what I now know is a 32-bit machine I seemed to have the new operating system installed** but then...

To cut a long story slightly less long, I'm running my laptop off a USB stick.***

Firefox is running now, using the option to try out Ubuntu without installing it. If I try to install it now I think I will have 2 versions of Ubuntu 14.04 installed side-by-side with a partition between them.

Footnotes:

* I am still very grateful to you, because even being able to use terms like "LTS" makes me feel much more experienced.

** My mistake seems to have been replacing the out-of-date Ubuntu 12.10 rather than keeping it alongside 14.04 with a partition.

*** My dear departed mentor Spiney (R.I.P.) recommended doing just that, but I believe he did it by choice, whereas if I eject the USB stick and boot up the computer without it, the 'puter doesn't want to open Firefox or any other applications, or even remember what they are. I don't trust the stick not to corrupt, rendering the computer useless.
 
I am also aware, dear ryanvade and arochester, that I never told you what happens when I try to install new programs, or what they were.

My own internal memory is corrupted ;0) but I know I tried to upgrade Firefox, get and install linux upgrades, both from settings and from command prompt, and upload music from a CD.

None of those things worked.

I'll keep you posted on how I'm getting on.
 
1) How do you know that your internal memory is corrupted. Open a Terminal and input: less /proc/meminfo
What does it say at the top? What is MemTotal and MemFree?

2) With Ubuntu the installation process is quite simple. At one point it will give you the option to use the whole disk. If you choose that option 14.04 will install to the whole Hard Drive and you will not end up with 2 versions of Ubuntu.

CAUTION: If you choose this option you will erase everything already on the Hard Drive e.g. Documents, Photographs, Downloads. If there is stuff you want to save. get it copied off onto an External Hard Drive first. Then when you have 14.04 installed you can copy the stuff back onto the Hard Drive.

3) As I have already said, elsewhere, there are 3 types of install on a USB stick ---normal (like a LiveCD), with persistence (with a space to install SOME stuff) and full install.

You will probably find that you have the normal install (like a LiveCD) . You can't upgrade and make it stick. When you reboot everything will revert, as though it had never been there.

You NEED and install...
 
Sorry arochester - you say "You NEED and install..."
but install what?

I found a CD-R of my missus' which I'm going to try next...
 

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