Installing Linux

stefano

I have an oldish Dell Inspiron 10, running on XP, which I may want to use on the go.

1. Is it possible to install a different OS like Linux?
2. Will the notebook run better or faster?
3. Would I need to uninstall XP?
4. Would I still have access to my documents?
5. Can Linux be downloaded as it has no disc drive?

parcival

Yes, this is a great option and something I have done myself.


You can either wipe your XP completely or run Linux and XP side by side. I wiped the Microsoft stuff completely and the machine now runs like a dream. If you go down this route you must backup your data that you want to keep.


Linux has it's own Open Office suite that is compatible with the MS Office files. It also has utilities to manage music and photo's etc.


You can create a bootable USB stick - if I remember the Linux website has decent instructions on this. Once you have done this it will give you all the boot up options.....

GunJack

if you run puppy linux from a bootable usb stick, no need to wipe the existing hdd and the docs/music/etc already on the hdd will be accessible

S0litaire

Also if you are going to install Linux and keep XP then run a full Defrag in XP first.

during install most installers will give you the option to "resize" the disk so you can run both OS's.

If you defrag first it makes the installers job of making the XP bit smaller a LOT quicker.

Only other problem you might face is the Linux install not seeing your Wireless card (if it has one) when you first install it. So have a network cable handy so that it can install updates and find the correct software for your wireless card.

smudger1964

I did this when microsoft stopped offering support on XP..
http://forums.linuxmint.com/ is a very helpful forum that I have used to see me through the process.

My old pc runs so much faster on linux mint used to literally take 20 mins to boot up under XP now its all done in about 2 minutes.

It takes a bit of getting used to how linux works but wouldnt go back to microsoft now and its FREE which as we all know is a swear word to Microsoft

I downloaded it from this page http://www.linuxmint.com/

stefano

parcival wrote: »

You can create a bootable USB stick - if I remember the Linux website has decent instructions on this. Once you have done this it will give you all the boot up options.....

Where will I find Linux, and is a bootable stick just a normal stick

NiftyDigits

UBUNTU

KUBUNTU

MINT

What the Service Tag? It's written on the underside.

flashg67

stefano wrote: »

Where will I find Linux, and is a bootable stick just a normal stick

There are many 'types' of Linux - I went with Mint as it is easy to use as a Windows user.

A bootable usb is just a normal usb flash drive formatted so your PC can install programs when you boot your PC

Smudger's link in the post above will help you get going.

You can run a 'live' version before installing to see if you like it, but it's a bit slower this way so doesn't give you a true picture of how it is

abibee

Another option to consider is Lubuntu ( http://lubuntu.net/ ) which is lighter designed for older machines. Instructions on the download page for making a bootable USB drive.

henm2

Lubuntu is a good option. Even better for an old machine are LXLE 12.04.5 32bit edition or Linux Mint 17 xfce

Download one of the above and put it on a flash drive using instructions from http://www.pendrivelinux.com/yumi-multiboot-usb-creator/

If you want want to keep XP you can install your favoured linux distro alongside it so that you end up with a dual boot system. See http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/dual-boot-windows-7-ubuntu.html
Although this mentions Windows 7 it is applicable also to XP.

prowla

I think the Inspiron 10 was much sought after as a hackintosh, because it could be made to run Mac OS X.

As far as getting an OS onto it, you could use a flash drive or a USB CD/DVD-ROM drive (if you have the OS on media).