Using Linux to speed up PC

spakkker

Work through closed's thread - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2436849

If it's slowed since new it's most likely software that you have installed/not stopped from installing. For starters I'd use ccleaner/tools/startup and disable as much as you can -google any items you don't recognise.
This is not deleting anything and is reversible, stuff can still run when needed.
I tried linux on a thin client box with a laptop h/drive, but ended up using xp.

esuhl

21Twinkle wrote: »

I have been looking in to booting my PC using a Linux partition on my C: drive, to speed booting up - and have come up with nothing
Has anyone succeeded in using PUPPYLINUX to do this ?
I have tried booting from USB loaded with Linux and have, again failed
Any advice welcome ....

I've used Arch Linux on a number of old PCs and find that the PCs perform much faster and much, much more reliably than using Windows XP. I chose Arch because it's highly configurably and doesn't overcomplicate anything and doesn't try to automatically do things for you - you're the one in charge! Because of that it's probably not the best distro for a linux newbie unless you're technically-minded or interested in how Linux works and seeing what's "under the bonnet".

Anyway, I've always found it tricky to get ISO images onto bootable USB sticks and have simply given up trying! Booting from a CD seems much easier in my experience. I also find that CD-RWs can be temperamental and stick to CD-Rs.

21Twinkle wrote: »

I have downloaded imgburn and tried to create a CD - from the ISO image - but the folder will not go across - just individual files !!

What folder are you referring to? In your CD burning software, you should be able to choose to burn the ISO image to CD. The software will ask you to select the ISO file, and then will extract the "real" files from the image and burn those to the CD. After burning, the CD should contain multiple files and/or directories.

Are you able to get any other distributions to boot from CD?

RussJK

esuhl wrote: »

Anyway, I've always found it tricky to get ISO images onto bootable USB sticks and have simply given up trying! Booting from a CD seems much easier in my experience.

Definitely CDs/DVDs are far more reliable, but I think one of the tricks is to format the USB sticks with something like the official SD Formatter. Yes, I always pull out the SD Formatter, but it really is an excellent tool:
http://www.sdcard.org/consumers/formatter_3/

I've tried most of the USB live makers, but unetbootin has always done the job. Still, booting via USB is better supported in more modern machines anyway.

wolfman

Try Linux Mint, it's a very friendly cut of Linux based off the Ubuntu distribution.
http://linuxmint.com

It has a Live version, so you can run it without installing anything. Download either the cd or dvd version and pop it on a usb.

You can run it from usb easily. There's an app that will put an .iso onto a usb for you:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/liveusb-install-live-usb-creator/

asbokid

Not all BIOS have an option for booting from USB flash memory.

Linbox

1. Linux won’t speed up a windows install that is suffering windows rot.
2. Linux is an alternative operating system. It is possibly faster, more reliable and more versatile than windows and its easy enough to pick up and learn. You can use this wonderful operating system without even installing it by using a livecd, you can even save you data and documents if you use persistence.


Use Close’s guide to help you clean your windows computer.


However if you want to use a livecd on usb follow the following (is that right )
From windows down load UNetbootin http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ no need to install it runs without installing (portable)
Down load your choice of Linux this will be an *.ISO file
http://puppylinux.org/main/Overview%20and%20Getting%20Started.htm
http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download
or any other distro of your liking.


Plug in your USB and format it to FAT32 (remember to backup the usb if required)



Start UNetbootin click Diskimage and use the search button on the right to find your iso.
Make sure UNetbootin has the right USB that you want to use - look at the drive letter.
If you want persistence change the size of “space used to preserve… “ make sure that both the cd and persistence file will fit onto your USB drive.
Don't use persistence with puppy, it will ask if you want to save as you shut down - just follow the prompts. (Funny really as its based on ubuntu at the moment)
When your happy press ok in a few mins it will finish and you can reboot using the usb.
YOU musts change the boot order to allow the usb to boot you can either go into the bios -
at the very first screen right after boot initialises or some computers allow you to press an F button to bring up the boot order F8, F12, ect


If you have problems getting the usb to complete its start-up to the desktop.


Try a different usb socket, don’t use a usb extension lead if you are having problems.
Try a different usb drive.


Some OLD computers wont easily allow you to boot from usb. goggle PLOP (I think)

Kernel_Sanders

Linbox wrote: »

1. Linux won’t speed up a windows install that is suffering windows rot.

Did you mean that Linux will be much slower if run from within such a Windows install, and if run outside it would run slower anyway due to the limitations of the CD drive? Or did you mean it would run fast installed on a HDD partition of said machine, but not help Windows?

esuhl

I can't speak for Linbox, but...

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

Did you mean that Linux will be much slower if run from within such a Windows install

You can't run Linux from "within" another OS... other than installing it as a virtual machine, which will be slower than booting Linux natively. How slow depends... some CPUs (like my Intel Core i7) have a feature designed to share resources better when using virtualisation.

Actually... I might be wrong... I've heard that you can do weird things with Ubuntu like run an installer from within Windows. [STRIKE]If you really can install and run Ubuntu from within Windows it will be via virtualisation of some sort.[/STRIKE] (Oops -- thanks for the correction, Toxteth!)

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

and if run outside it would run slower anyway due to the limitations of the CD drive?

Any limitations of the CD/DVD drive will be irrelevant once the OS is installed onto a hard drive. You can get "live" linux distros (like Slax), which can be run directly from CD, in which case the CD drive performance might make a small difference (probably not noticeable).

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

Or did you mean it would run fast installed on a HDD partition of said machine, but not help Windows?

As I said, I can't speak for Linbox, but I think that was his/her point...

Toxteth_OGrady

esuhl wrote: »

IActually... I might be wrong... I've heard that you can do weird things with Ubuntu like run an installer from within Windows.

You can with Wubi

Kernel_Sanders

I have a Hirens Boot Disc with several OSs on it. Windows XP Mini boots up fine but every Linux distro cannot load due to Error 15. This appears to be a GRUB problem, but I've become frustrated seeking the solution, not least from this which advises booting up Linux first...

This error is specific to GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader) installed Linux system and occurs in two different GRUB configurations:

Installing GRUB

Booting the system and starting Linux

To solve the existing behavior, consider these methods:

Installing GRUB

The error refers that system cannot find a file, generally kernel image file. Kernel image file should exist on boot partition. Follow these steps to remedy it:

Boot the system from Linux installation disc :wall:

Mount the root partition.......