The divorce is final. Now to ditch MS for good! (And a bit of useful info.)

[STaylor]

I was here back in May trying to get started with Linux in a Virtual Box in Windows. I was in the middle of a divorce and representing myself. My brain was taxed and my time was limited.

It's over now. Well almost. I'm sorting out some issues resulting from his last attempt to make my life a bit harder than necessary. God willing, he won't have anything else up his sleeve. I'm a lot tougher than he realizes! I laugh at his feeble attempts to manipulate me!

So anyway...

I picked up my Linux project again the other day. I found out what the major problem was with trying to install Linux in Virtual Box. This part would be good for people to know when you're trying to help someone get started with Linux. Maybe I'll put this in one of the other forums.

I went round and round trying to get Linux running in VB. There was one I thing I ignored when I installed Virtual Box. I thought it just a Microsoft scare tactic. That was the hangup. From what I can tell, this is an issue specific to Windows 8.1 Home Edition.

Virtual Box is not fully functional in Windows 8.1 HOME EDITION. It can't be completely installed because VB doesn't have a digitally signed driver. The way to get around this it to disable that requirement in Group Policy Settings.

But... And this is just one more reason I'm ditching MS!

Group Policy Settings isn't accessible in Win 8.1 Home Edition. I'm not sure it even exists! Another app has to be installed to disable the digital signature policy. I haven't done that yet maybe I won't. I finally, completely by accident found my old laptops. I forgot the passwords so I'm creating a bootable thumb drive. I'll figure out the rest later. Right I'm anxious to free myself of these heavy chains Microsoft has shackled me with.

Hopefully not knowing the laptop password won't be a problem. If it is, I'm going to have to do some more work to get started. Hopefully I'll be back with questions about actually using Linux rather than just getting it installed!

I can see the promised land from here!
Cross your fingers for me.

 

[camtaf]

Welcome to freedom for you & your computer.

If it's a Windows password, installing Linux should be no problem, if it is a BIOS password, you may need to reset it, usually by removing the little CMOS battery for a short while, (check it out online).

 

[Brickwizard]

If it still has win 8.1, then it should not have Fast boot [quick-start] or secure boot, and will be UEFI,
to do a clean installation [Linux only] should not be a problem

 

[STaylor]

...to do a clean installation [Linux only] should not be a problem

I'm really glad you said this.

I can't believe all the obstacles I've had to leap over this past year. Seems like one thing after another, after another.....

Can it be done with a 3GB thumb drive?

I ordered an Amazon Basics high speed 128GB thumb drive in May specifically to get Linux. It sat unopened in my desk until last night. It's "Write Protected". It has zero used space and ZERO available space. I don't think I can return it and I don't feel like messing with it.

"Messing with it" is a toned down version of what I would actually say. The word I prefer starts with an 'F' and is much more satisfying to say when I'm intensely irritated.​

I have thumb drives all over the place. One is a 500GB high speed drive. But of course the only ones I can find have 2 GB, 3 GB and 0 GB

 

[Brickwizard]

Can it be done with a 3GB thumb drive?

not big enough for a full distribution like Ubuntu /Mint./Parrot & etc,

see my how do I install guide [link below] it contains my recommendations

edit
if it's a window's password don't worry it will not affect Linux, if it's a BIOS password follow instructions above
if you need more specific help, please include the make and full model number of the machine ]usually on a plate on the bottom of the machine, or under the battery.

 

[KGIII]

I don't think I can return it and I don't feel like messing with it.

Look for a small switch on the device. Switch it to the other position.

 

[STaylor]

Look for a small switch on the device. Switch it to the other position.

I've been staring at this thumb drive with a magnifying glass and a very bright light. The only thing resembling a switch pushes the connection out of the housing.

 

[wizardfromoz]

G'day @STaylor and welcome back.

I'm moving this Thread to Getting Started, because although it has a couple of lines of personal information, the majority is Linux Q and A and others may benefit from it.

So hang onto your hat and we'll take a ride there on Wizard's Magic Carpet.

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[STaylor]

G'day @STaylor and welcome back.

I'm moving this Thread to Getting Started, because although it has a couple of lines of personal information, the majority is Linux Q and A and others may benefit from it.

So hang onto your hat and we'll take a ride there on Wizard's Magic Carpet.

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

THOUGHTS FOR JUNE 2023 1. Ask me in July. 2. ON AV - nothing is bulletproof, but i wear kevlar ....

Where are your thoughts for July and August? September is just a hop, skip and a jump away.

 

[Condobloke]

Just to clarify, do you need access to a windows operating system?...at all?......maybe for work purposes or for something that just won't run on Linux ?

 

[wizardfromoz]

Where are your thoughts for July and August? September is just a hop, skip and a jump away.

Wizards move in a different time frame.

Morning, Brian.

 

[STaylor]

Just to clarify, do you need access to a windows operating system?...at all?......maybe for work purposes or for something that just won't run on Linux ?

I don't plan to trash it completely, at least not yet. I have a second hard disk drive in my tower. I'm going to put Linux on one of them. I'll keep Win on the other until I don't feel like I need it anymore.

My biggest concern is having to reboot my PC to switch back and forth between OS's.

I would prefer to use VB. But MS made sure that would be a head ache too.

One way or another I'm going to get there!

 

[Condobloke]

There is a virtual machine manager called KVM....I downloaded it and installed from ::

How to Install KVM on Linux Mint 21?

KVM is a virtualization solution that helps create Virtual Machines just like VMware or VirtualBox. This article explains KVM installation on Linux Mint.

linuxhint.com

Perhaps when you have Linux set up and are a bit familiar with its workings etc, you might give it a try.
I found it superior to the usual run of VM's etc

Maybe use on your Linux machine to run windows in a vm ?

Just a thought.

ps. the fact that it mentions ubuntu in the link is not of concern as Linux Mint is based on ubuntu

 

[KGIII]

I've been staring at this thumb drive with a magnifying glass and a very bright light. The only thing resembling a switch pushes the connection out of the housing.

That is not a good thing. I just did some digging and it shouldn't even have a switch to enable a protected mode. You should just be able to format it.

I'd start digging there and it's almost certainly not too late to request a refund. "It's broken. It fails to meet the standards for my state's warranty of merchantability laws. I'd like to request a replacement."

The expected lifespan of such a device is much longer than that and you (I hope) have laws in your state that require a sold good to be fit for expected purpose. Even if you don't, you can bluff it and request a replacement.

But, I checked your IP addresses and (unless you're using a VPN) your state has such laws. Just copy and paste the 'warranty of merchantability' and add the name of your state to your query. Or not, Amazon doesn't care. It's much too soon for it to be broken and the company completely off the hook.

 

[BigBadBeef]

If I were to adopt your marriage metaphors, then I would be the guy who would stay married for the kids sake, since I'm keeping windows around for the sake of my particular VR headset not working with Linux.

 

[bob466]

I have Virtualbox 6 running in Mint Cinnamon 21.1 because Virtualbox 7 sucks...I have win 7 VM in it.

I can't help with windowz as I stopped at 7...welcome back.

 

[APTI]

I don't plan to trash it completely, at least not yet. I have a second hard disk drive in my tower. I'm going to put Linux on one of them. I'll keep Win on the other until I don't feel like I need it anymore.

My biggest concern is having to reboot my PC to switch back and forth between OS's.

I would prefer to use VB. But MS made sure that would be a head ache too.

One way or another I'm going to get there!

I hope I am not too late to chime in. If you are using a tower and you have physical room for another hard drive (sounds like this is the case) You can do a dual boot very easy. Disregard all instructions you have on dual boot. They are complex and dual boot from a boot manager is problematic especially when windows is involved and you get updates. You have the right thought on leave windows on it's own drive and put linux on its own drive. one of the products listed below will help.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZVTZVYD

Amazon.com

they are mostly the same just different physical size for your need. It allows you to power on or off each drive connected so you can just turn on the drive you want to boot from and turn off what you are not using. This makes dual boot or even triple boot very easy and stops microsoft from messing with boot managers.

 

[MikeWalsh]

@APTI :-

Not only that, I would imagine it also means you can shut Windows down in hibernate mode as usual, yet still be able to boot Linux normally from its own drive. That's the other downside of dual-booting, of course; not only is there the already-stated issue with the boot manager getting overwritten, but there's also the need for doing a "full" shutdown of Windows each & every time, in order to make it relinquish control of the drive.....

Good old Microsoft (NOT)!


Mike.

 

[Condobloke]

@APTI, those little devices look brilliant to me !

Apart from the need to physically reach the switches in order to control the arrangement, I don't see any downside...?

 

[KGIII]

Good old Microsoft (NOT)!

I think that it makes good sense for MSFT to do this, unless the OS is truly shut down completely. It's a security thing. You don't want someone to be able to modify the data stored in RAM and then able to boot the disk. You don't want them to be able to substitute a different disk. So, you only want your OS to have control of the drive and you don't want anything able to access the RAM. If you can substitute any of those things, you end up with things like rowhammer attacks or even simple buffer overflows (etc) that may grant privilege elevations that allow the attacker to bypass security checks.

The Evil Maid is the most insidious of attackers.