Knewbi, Scared but Ready To Learn

[Jamaeis]

I dont feel smart enough, but I know I can become.
I know I have wanted to stop supporting & being dependant upon the yikes of BillyGs microsoft, etc.
I installed Unix on my 1st ever PC after I deleted some C Drive files that sounded like I didnt need them, & system would not turn on again!
I know I need to discipline myself when system is stable to not tinker.
I will be distancing from Dell, whos systems will, apparently no longer support Linux. From my research, it seems Lenovo ia the best option

 

[Condobloke]

G'day Jamaeis, Welcome to Linux.org

There is no need to be scared.......Respectful yes....but scared, No.

A few things to remember.

There is no such thing as a dumb/stupid question.....only questions etc , that you dont know the answer to.....Yet

In a nustshell, a Linux.iso file is put onto a usb stick in such a way that makes it BOOTABLE

Then.....you will tap one of the F keys (depending on make) to get the boot menu to appear, and you will then select the usb stick and boot to it. That will instantly become what is known as a LIVE version of Linux. It is NOT fully installed, but it is more than good enough to practise on and negotiate your way around etc..... without doing ANY HARM WHATSOEVER.

That is just a rough idea. You do NOT need to be a Rhodes scholar to run Linux.

Differences?...:https://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm

You may have read some of the horror stories online. Leave them parked at the door.

While it is not simple....nor is it brain draining....and yet it has some serious differences to windows.

More to the point. Your laptop/pc

What do you have or are you buying another....what's the story?

 

[theLegionWithin]

eh, dell, lenovo, hp, pi, etc - as long as the hardware meets minimum specs - x64 cpu, ~4gb ram, ~20gb disk space - then you can run linux with ease (headless environment) - throw in any gpu made in the last 2 decades for a gui/modern desktop experience. the hardware is just a platform, other than minimum hardware requirements linux is pretty hardware agnostic imho.

for laptops, I use both lenovo and hp, but my main rig (desktop) is a custom/diy build.

 

[Brickwizard]

I will be distancing from Dell, whos systems will, apparently no longer support Linux.

The newer the machine , the more likely you will have to jump through hoops to get Linux working, I use del, some members favour Lenovo I also have an HP desktop and Granddaughter has an HP laptop [now that was a challenge to get working.
But in general as long as the machine meets the minimum requirements of the Linux distribution it can be installed.

 

[MikeWalsh]

@Jamaeis :-

Welcome to Linux.org.

There's nowt to be scared about with Linux. Whatever the outcome of this, you're in the best possible hands here. Linux.org is the friendliest Linux forum online.....and is totally non-judgemental, too. We don't care WHAT distro you're running; we just enjoy trying to help folks get things working.

We have some very knowledgeable members here, who probably cover most of the bases between them. I'd be very surprised if we can't help you sort things out.

Enjoy the "journey"......and as Brian says above, there is no such thing as a stupid or dumb question. We were ALL "noobs" once, so.....ask away!


Mike.

 

[kc1di]

Hello @Jamaeis
Welcome to the Linux.org forum, enjoy!
I use lenovo here with good success , but have used Dells in the past and they all work with linux. There is a linux learning curve but it can be accomplished if you don't give up. Take your time and learn as you go. This forum is a great help and you may find this page helpful in your linux journey.

Home | Linux Journey

linuxjourney.com

 

[MikeRocor]

Use the force Obi Wan Kenewbi.

Don't stop tinkering - that's half the fun of it.

I don't have any Lenovo hardware on hand but I don't have any difficulty with HP, Dell or Toshiba. I also don't have anything newer than about 2018 either.

Wait, yes I do have a Lenovo desktop. It's not currently powered up but it has no problems running Linux. Also 2018 vintage.

 

[Jamaeis]

G'day Jamaeis, Welcome to Linux.org

There is no need to be scared.......Respectful yes....but scared, No.

A few things to remember.

There is no such thing as a dumb/stupid question.....only questions etc , that you dont know the answer to.....Yet

In a nustshell, a Linux.iso file is put onto a usb stick in such a way that makes it BOOTABLE

Then.....you will tap one of the F keys (depending on make) to get the boot menu to appear, and you will then select the usb stick and boot to it. That will instantly become what is known as a LIVE version of Linux. It is NOT fully installed, but it is more than good enough to practise on and negotiate your way around etc..... without doing ANY HARM WHATSOEVER.

That is just a rough idea. You do NOT need to be a Rhodes scholar to run Linux.

Differences?...:https://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm

You may have read some of the horror stories online. Leave them parked at the door.

While it is not simple....nor is it brain draining....and yet it has some serious differences to windows.

More to the point. Your laptop/pc

What do you have or are you buying another....what's the story?

I was an Acer lover, for its motto 'Empowering You', but currenlty have a Dell Desktop Inspiron T1700 & an Alienware M17xR4 running W7 SP1, with elements of W8.1 (not sure how I managed this, but I do have 2 of every program & program installations list my OS as 8.1). After reluctantly trying W10 & being unpleasantly surprised by it's intrusion of adverts, increasing lack of compatability with legacy hardware & software, user tailorability & it's self fullfilling need to over-ride anything I chose for myself, mostly in a very snide & sneaky method, such as post updates, or just turning system back on. LolZ!

The lingo of linux is daunting & I cannot type as fast as even online help bots expect of me. I first thought someone who messaged me LMAO was calling me a 'laimo' & as a consequence, didn't speak to them for a while. I did however start my tech journey with a Tandy & Tape deck & managed to create & play pong. I then used the tape deck to record & play music. I also used it once to serepticiously record an admission of truth from my best friend (obv at the time) who had called me a liar. It was handy for a range of tasks until I was gifted my first tape deck with recoding function, which I recorded rad1o with & still have those tapes & love. I decked my 96 Toyota Coaster, of which I will be soon living out of with a CD/ tape deck & allowed my m8 to install a touch GPS CD deck alongside it, as I like buttons & keeping my eyes on the road, not where on the screen I need to look for action (or inaction as I can't seem to turn it off).

I am selling my Dell Alienware as it is extremely bulky & heavy. I have been researching laptops for a while, looking for the best Linux hardware, relieved to know how compatible Linux is with older hardware. I am of the old skule whereby repairs, not replacement are the best ways to approach just about anything. I have even invested in a Tape storage system after 20 years of my tech life was scrubbed in a second when my Western Digital My Book Essentials External HD power cable wigged out & theres no specs on the box or on site as to the Volts & Amps it required. PC repair man threw it out, which I had asked him not to as I knew there would come a time where it could be resurected enough to retrieve data from which that time has now begun. Countless times tape & VCR tapes were chewed & I repaired myself, & of the knowledge that big corps are storing archives on tape.

I am thinking Ubuntu or Linux Mint on a Lenovo Think... something.... Pad/ Book/ etc. I do intend, & now finding the support I will most likely need to learn & use Linux. I will begin with a USB Side/ Dual Boot & I know now that there are options to try a range of flavours without an irratrievable commitment.

Thank you so much for being the people you are & doing what you do. It is comforting, inspiring & motivating.

Now I will just have to learn how to read & access threads & posts. The first message I received by Mark, Rob, I believe mentioned an e-book $2.99US & I wanted to ask him if there were ANY OTHER sites or sources apart from Amazon in which I could make a purchase. Amazon is down there with the yikes (& likes) of BillyG & increasingly google & Apple/ iOS (i does now play with others & holds a wee bit of respect for privacy, just not how it's products are sourced & made &/ or the costs).

I will have to amend my first/ introductory post, as it WAS NOT UNIX, it WAS in fact 'Linux`SimplyMEPIS 3.3' (mepis.org)! Pic Included as I still have it. Wow! That's cool! I'm Stoked!

 

[Jamaeis]

I'm unsure if I replied to all or just one (condobloke)?

 

[kryptosnow]

Welcome to Linux. I joined yesterday, so also a newbie here.

 

[kc1di]

Welcome to Linux. I joined yesterday, so also a newbie here.

Welcome to the linux.org forum

 

[KGIII]

I decked my 96 Toyota Coaster

As the car collecting guy, I am hoping to see those imported into the US at some point soon. I don't want to do the whole process myself but we can now import those that are at least 25 years old. (It's a weird law we have with some politics behind it and we don't discuss politics on this site.)

I think they'd make good overlander vehicles and they're a great size for those who want the 'van life'. I own a giant RV but I don't use it often. It's just a hassle and a half.

Now on to some other stuff...

if there were ANY OTHER sites or sources apart from Amazon

I'd look up the most current 'Linux Bible' and/or Linux For Dummies. Even though it says 'dummies' in the title, it's actually a solid book. I didn't look into the book until later in my Linux journey but it still had lots of good information.

Sometimes there are bundles of Linux books at Humble Bundle, where you can pay what you want (though there's a minimum price). You'll have to keep your eye out for that as they don't always have those on offer.

I know I need to discipline myself when system is stable to not tinker.

It's okay to break your system. In fact, I find that breaking and repairing your computer is actually a good way to understand what's going on underneath and how to learn a lot more about the operating system.

I'm not suggesting that you break it intentionally. I'm suggesting that you not be too afraid of breaking things.

Just make sure you have good backups and that you have the tools to reinstall the operating system because you might not always be able to fix it. I call it, "Learning by breaking." I think it's a fine way to learn new things. I haven't broken my OS beyond repair in a long time, but I sure broke it early on.

I will be distancing from Dell, whos systems will, apparently no longer support Linux.

It's quite the opposite, actually. Dell will support Linux and sell some hardware with Linux installed as the only OS.

For example, all of these can come with Ubuntu as the default operating system:

Ubuntu Linux - Laptop Computers | Dell USA

Ubuntu Linux - Laptop Computers - Shop & Compare Laptop Computers & 2-in-1 PCs. Shop high-performing XPS, Latitude, Inspiron & Precision laptops today. Free shipping on Dell.com

www.dell.com

Dell has been, and will continue to be, a solid Linux supporter. Even if their hardware isn't somehow "Linux specific" then it's just standard hardware and Linux will install just fine. They're even good about having hardware that has Linux drivers because they're not scraping the barrel with things like off-brand wireless adapters.

Dell makes a huge amount of money by supporting Linux, though that mostly comes from their server side. The Linux systems that they do sell make it into the hands of businesses more so than consumers but you're able to buy them if that's what you want. But, you can just buy any Dell and put Linux on it.

 

[Jamaeis]

As the car collecting guy, I am hoping to see those imported into the US at some point soon. I don't want to do the whole process myself but we can now import those that are at least 25 years old. (It's a weird law we have with some politics behind it and we don't discuss politics on this site.)

I think they'd make good overlander vehicles and they're a great size for those who want the 'van life'. I own a giant RV but I don't use it often. It's just a hassle and a half.

Now on to some other stuff...



I'd look up the most current 'Linux Bible' and/or Linux For Dummies. Even though it says 'dummies' in the title, it's actually a solid book. I didn't look into the book until later in my Linux journey but it still had lots of good information.

Sometimes there are bundles of Linux books at Humble Bundle, where you can pay what you want (though there's a minimum price). You'll have to keep your eye out for that as they don't always have those on offer.



It's okay to break your system. In fact, I find that breaking and repairing your computer is actually a good way to understand what's going on underneath and how to learn a lot more about the operating system.

I'm not suggesting that you break it intentionally. I'm suggesting that you not be too afraid of breaking things.

Just make sure you have good backups and that you have the tools to reinstall the operating system because you might not always be able to fix it. I call it, "Learning by breaking." I think it's a fine way to learn new things. I haven't broken my OS beyond repair in a long time, but I sure broke it early on.



It's quite the opposite, actually. Dell will support Linux and sell some hardware with Linux installed as the only OS.

For example, all of these can come with Ubuntu as the default operating system:

Ubuntu Linux - Laptop Computers | Dell USA

Ubuntu Linux - Laptop Computers - Shop & Compare Laptop Computers & 2-in-1 PCs. Shop high-performing XPS, Latitude, Inspiron & Precision laptops today. Free shipping on Dell.com

www.dell.com

Dell has been, and will continue to be, a solid Linux supporter. Even if their hardware isn't somehow "Linux specific" then it's just standard hardware and Linux will install just fine. They're even good about having hardware that has Linux drivers because they're not scraping the barrel with things like off-brand wireless adapters.

Dell makes a huge amount of money by supporting Linux, though that mostly comes from their server side. The Linux systems that they do sell make it into the hands of businesses more so than consumers but you're able to buy them if that's what you want. But, you can just buy any Dell and put Linux on it.

​

I have used & loved Dell for many years, & was down hearted that another quality company has (potentially) decided to go the way of the globs. The way I happened across this was.... As I once again had factory reset & looked to install drivers for my Alienware m17xR4, I signed in, My Products were listed, then went to driver downloads & they were no longer there. I requested a ticket & when the support staffer called me, & informed me that older hardware would no longer be supported by means of drivers/ software, although some parts will still be sold until deleted. I asked about the new systems which would support Linux & he said they would no longer be support for Linux on their new systems. Perhaps this is only in Australia..​

​

I just logged in to verify & again My Products are listed, but when I clicked Drivers/ Diagnostics/ Downloads, not only did the usual directory of drivers not appear, the options page didn't either. Instead a popup window opened with the following info & would let me go no further.​

​

Perhaps this is just in Australia, but I know many servers are being shut down, regardless of how much $$ customers have spent on their Digital Assets/ Items. Servers like PS3 Rainbow 6 Vegas 2, & stores like Nintendo DS Store, etc.​

**************************************************************************************​

Experience Updates Now Live!​

We’re delighted to offer enhanced features and self-service to manage support & services for your entire Dell infrastructure portfolio. Here’s what’s new:


Standardization on Location ID

In Online Support and MyService360, Site ID has been retired and removed. We’ve adopted Location ID (introduced in 2024) as our standard identifier.


New Self-Service Feature – Create Sub-Location

With Location ID as our single address-based identifier, we’ve launched Create sub-location in Online Support:

• From Company Administration, Company Admins can flexibly group and manage installed Dell assets – at the same physical location – by granular details such as preferences, product details and precise physical location.

From Online Support and MyService360, authorized users can add and work with this data in Custom Groups.


Automated Transition of Installed Base Preferences

As part of retiring Site ID, we’ve completed a one-time automated review of your entire installed base and created sub-locations as needed:

• The sub-location feature allows us to preserve and transfer your current preferences for grouping and managing Dell assets at the same physical address.

If Dell auto-created sub-locations and reassigned some Dell products (at the same address), your Company Administration view now includes:

• Blue arrow icons indicating sub-locations in use at an address. Click to view details.
• More Location IDs at a physical address (since we assign new unique numeric IDs).

Company Admins: Plan to verify the changes at Online Support. With our self-service feature, you can easily modify or remove sub-locations (after reassigning their assets).
Remind me later

 

[Jamaeis]

Welcome to Linux. I joined yesterday, so also a newbie here.

Hi
Nice to meet you & head on through the learning experience adventures....

 

[KGIII]

I asked about the new systems which would support Linux & he said they would no longer be support for Linux on their new systems.

I suspect they were just wrong. Dell is a pretty staunch Linux supporter (compared to other OEMs).

Dell is a member of the Linux Foundation and have been for years. They contribute to the kernel by paying developers to work on the kernel (and other open source projects).

This is a global thing. It's not going to be different in Australia as the foundation is a global thing.

Dell has been a member of the Linux Foundation since the foundation was founded in 2000. So, a quarter of a decade.