Most Suitable Linux Software

esuhl

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

What do they mean by Service Pack Integration?

It's the process of integrating Service Pack files with the files from the original XP CD to create your own customised installation CD so, when you install Windows using the newly created CD, it has the relevant Service Pack already installed.

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

Does XP SP3 usually come with SP 2 incorporated, so you end up with 2 x SP2?

I'm fairly sure that SP3 includes everything in SP2 -- you just need to make sure that you install the latest Service Pack, whether by slipstreaming it into the installation CD with nLite or by installing it manually via Windows Update later.

Linbox

esuhl wrote: »

If you aren't particularly knowledgeable or interested in computers than I think you'll find most Linux distros quite tricky to set up and use. The ones that are designed to be easy to install & use tend to be the ones that are the most bloated (and so won't run as well on old hardware).
/QUOTE]



If you can use windows you can use a Linux desktop installation.
If you install windows you are given pretty much the same questions as in a linux install - usually with a graphical installer.
Light weight distros like mint XFCE are light weight and feature rich.

Most distributions have a start button, have a graphical menu to chose from, have browsers, office, etc etc.
The programs may have names you may not be familiar with but you would be in the same position if you upgraded from windows 98 to say XP or from Win 3 to Win 95. It is negative to say you have to be anything other that a average user of a desktop to be able to use linux after an hour of familiarisation.

This is not an attack on the poster of the comment mealy a reasoned response from a linux user.

Kernel_Sanders

Linbox wrote: »

It is negative to say you have to be anything other that an average user of a desktop to be able to use linux after an hour of familiarisation.

Actually I have found what esuhl says to be the case. After several hours 'familiarisation', I am still unable to install mobile broadband software to a small or even medium sized distro whereas Ubuntu will run it 'out of the box'. WINE doesn't seem to be included with the smaller distros, and I wouldn't know how to add it anyway (no room on my 20GB hard drive to install a large disto!)

Linbox

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

Actually I have found what esuhl says to be the case. After several hours 'familiarisation', I am still unable to install mobile broadband software to a small or even medium sized distro whereas Ubuntu will run it 'out of the box'. WINE doesn't seem to be included with the smaller distros, and I wouldn't know how to add it anyway (no room on my 20GB hard drive to install a large disto!)

Is the software made for windows - and not linux, as you mention wine I suppose it isn't for linux. The windows software is written for windows and isn't supposed to run on linux, surely that's not the fault of the linux distro. I'm not saying its any body's fault other than the manufactures. - Its just a fact of life that windows have big pockets and manufactures want to write software that will work for windows.
If you were using a router you wouldn't have these problems, not that its any consolation to you.

Well adding software (wine) to a linux distro can be as simple as adding from the software installer in the menu system to clicking on a link (get-deb) or using the other type of installer - (again in the menu) Synaptic,

20G Is big enough for ubuntu, mint, etc. I have Mint 12 fully installed on my 20Gb external HDD with plenty of room running compiz, webuilder, VMs through VirtualBox etc. Its not really big enough with all that added, but it works fine.
If you want a small light weight ubuntu based system Mint XFCE is very good. Bodhi Linux is even lighter, a bit minimalist, amazingly fast and quite customizable again I have this installed on an external drive.

Dick_Tucker

Can I stick my neck out and suggest JoliOS and Jolicloud, Chromium (works like chrome) and various other apps/programs installed as standard. Interface is sort of like android.
http://www.jolicloud.com/jolios/

GunJack

tbh, even though i use puppy occasionally, i wouldn't consider going onto linux full-time for some of the reasons discussed recently on another thread on here (file system, utilities, etc) as I'm just too dyed-in-the-wool windows...in windows, stuff "just works" moreso than I've found with puppy (as a linux novice i tried installing flash into my puppy system - no chance, an hour later and it still wasn't there )

So, to the op, I'd go back to my original suggestion and fully tweak the XP install you have (16 processes at idle and commit charge of 120Meg )and it'll run on the RAM you have. If you have a spare RAM slot add another 256, 512 or Gig of RAM and a properly-tweaked XP will be quicker, even quicker or dead quick

imho

!!!!!! Tucker i have just installed Joli on my Netbook so easy to install. I tried putting on Linux last year and got stuck installing it .Joli was so easy and its so much quicker than Windows.

tweeter

Joli is from the GNU/Linux family.

Dick_Tucker

tweeter wrote: »

Joli is from the GNU/Linux family.

Yup you're right on that.

Chrisblue1962

My two penny'sworth

• Xubuntu
• Linux Mint
• Puppy Linux

I'm running Linux Mint on a Toshiba Satellite laptop and I've had very few issues.


Hope this helps.