[Jim1970]

I messed up - please see next post!

Jim

[Jim1970]

Hello,

Finally got a chance to get back to working on this issue today. It took all of 2 minutes to plug in, enter the commands, and for Ubuntu to do the necessary downloading. I am happy to report that my wife's Dell Inspiron 1501 is connecting wirelessly to the internet!

Thanks IGF! You da man!

Jim

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by Jim1970

Hello,

Finally got a chance to get back to working on this issue today. It took all of 2 minutes to plug in, enter the commands, and for Ubuntu to do the necessary downloading. I am happy to report that my wife's Dell Inspiron 1501 is connecting wirelessly to the internet!

Thanks IGF! You da man!

Jim

Glad you got it going.

[Jim1970]

Hello,

Continuing my learning quest, I did some research on the need for anti-virus software for Ubuntu. What I read was that the best thing to do is to activate the built-in firewall. So, I found the command for that, and turned it on. Real simple!

Question for the Ubuntu users: do you run anything in addition to the firewall?

Thank you,

Jim

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by Jim1970

Hello,

Continuing my learning quest, I did some research on the need for anti-virus software for Ubuntu. What I read was that the best thing to do is to activate the built-in firewall. So, I found the command for that, and turned it on. Real simple!

Question for the Ubuntu users: do you run anything in addition to the firewall?

Thank you,

Jim

I don't even run the software firewall actually (just sit behind my home router). Only way you'd need antivirus is if you're downloading files that could contain viruses on Linux, and transferring them to Windows machines. Things like pictures, in most cases movies, music, etc... should be no problem.

If you start downloading torrents of programs, etc.. it might be a good idea to go ahead and get antivirus for Ubuntu.

[captainstormy]

Originally Posted by IndyGunFreak

I don't even run the software firewall actually (just sit behind my home router). Only way you'd need antivirus is if you're downloading files that could contain viruses on Linux, and transferring them to Windows machines. Things like pictures, in most cases movies, music, etc... should be no problem.

If you start downloading torrents of programs, etc.. it might be a good idea to go ahead and get antivirus for Ubuntu.

Firewall isn't a bad idea, I use it but it probably isn't really needed.

Anti Virals for Linux just scan for various windows virus's so there really isn't a need to protect yourself.

[fwm]

Originally Posted by Detectorist

And this, folks, is why Linux isn't on every desktop.

I have a windows machine I've been trying for three years to get all of the graphics card functions to work properly on. These type of problems are not unique to Linux. There are just more windows gurus to help with windows problems.

'All in wonder' card with cable input and writing capabilities. Worked fine in Windows 2000. Used it as a home made DVR. Had to upgrade to WINXP. Now the card will only display the screen and NO functionality. There are many instances where windows will not work properly with technology.

[Jim1970]

Okay, need more help, please.

Wife loves Ubuntu, and has asked that I make her machine a dedicated Ubuntu machine. I have removed all of her important documents and photos. How do I remove the windows partition and make her machine exclusively Ubuntu?

Thank you!

Jim

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by Jim1970

Okay, need more help, please.

Wife loves Ubuntu, and has asked that I make her machine a dedicated Ubuntu machine. I have removed all of her important documents and photos. How do I remove the windows partition and make her machine exclusively Ubuntu?

Thank you!

Jim

You'll have to reinstall. There's other ways to do it, but honestly, it's way way easier to just reinstall.

Let me make this suggestion. Don't nuke Windows just yet. I've seen this trend before.. someone tries Ubuntu, they love it, they nuke Windows 2 days later. About a week later, they find something they can't figure out an answer to, and they immediately reinstall Windows (if they're lucky enough to still have the disks)...

You're both still learning this OS... My suggestion... Dual boot for 3-4mo at least. By then, any quirks, problems, etc.. you may have you will have run into and hopefully figured out. If something comes up that is insurmountable, you have Windows to fall back on..

[captainstormy]

Originally Posted by IndyGunFreak

You'll have to reinstall. There's other ways to do it, but honestly, it's way way easier to just reinstall.

Let me make this suggestion. Don't nuke Windows just yet. I've seen this trend before.. someone tries Ubuntu, they love it, they nuke Windows 2 days later. About a week later, they find something they can't figure out an answer to, and they immediately reinstall Windows (if they're lucky enough to still have the disks)...

You're both still learning this OS... My suggestion... Dual boot for 3-4mo at least. By then, any quirks, problems, etc.. you may have you will have run into and hopefully figured out. If something comes up that is insurmountable, you have Windows to fall back on..

That's what I would suggest. Give it a while till the shiny new feeling wears off and if you still want to do it then you can.

Installing again and using the whole disk is probably best. You could try something like gparted to remove the windows partitions and realize your Linux one to take the whole drive.

You'll need to update your grub to remove the option to boot windows as well.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by captainstormy

You could try something like gparted to remove the windows partitions and realize your Linux one to take the whole drive.

This was really my point... You could boot a live CD/USB, use Gparted to format the windows partition, then use gparted to expand your Linux partition to take that whole drive..

Lets say for the sake of argument, the hard drive is 80-120gigs, and the current Windows partition, is probably around 40-60gigs... It would take a LONG time to resize and reallocate 40-60gigs(I'm thinking several hours). If you have your data backed up, Boot the Install cd/usb, and you can do a "complete" install (where it takes over the whole drive) in about 15min.

[captainstormy]

Originally Posted by IndyGunFreak

This was really my point... You could boot a live CD/USB, use Gparted to format the windows partition, then use gparted to expand your Linux partition to take that whole drive..

Lets say for the sake of argument, the hard drive is 80-120gigs, and the current Windows partition, is probably around 40-60gigs... It would take a LONG time to resize and reallocate 40-60gigs(I'm thinking several hours). If you have your data backed up, Boot the Install cd/usb, and you can do a "complete" install (where it takes over the whole drive) in about 15min.

I agree that reinstalling would be the best bet. Just giving some options.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Jim1970]

Hello,

I appreciate both sets of input here. Thank you!

Both of the computers that I have put Ubuntu on were literally in a drawer, awaiting a trip to the shooting range to be "disposed of." They stopped working well with Windows for whatever reason, and we moved on and bought new machines. Ubuntu has brought two machines that I thought were trash back to life.

We have an HP netbook that runs like a raped ape - it has all the Windows and Office software we use and might need in the future.

So, I'm installing Ubuntu on her machine as I type this message. I will go back and fix the wireless issue (thanks IGF), and then I will go get her preferred browser (Chrome).

Thanks again for the help!

Jim

[Jim1970]

Well, so much for a clean install being simple! Ugh.

I did the install, no trouble. Once it was completed, I plugged into my network and typed in the "sudo" commands given here on GT to get my broadcomm hardware to work wirelessly. Typed the commands in, computer did all the same stuff as before, then I restarted my machine. I anticipated that the computer would auto-detect the network, as it did before. This time: nothing. I've gone in and manually configured the settings for my network (name, password), but I cannot get it to see the wireless network.

HELP!

Jim

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by Jim1970

Well, so much for a clean install being simple! Ugh.

I did the install, no trouble. Once it was completed, I plugged into my network and typed in the "sudo" commands given here on GT to get my broadcomm hardware to work wirelessly. Typed the commands in, computer did all the same stuff as before, then I restarted my machine. I anticipated that the computer would auto-detect the network, as it did before. This time: nothing. I've gone in and manually configured the settings for my network (name, password), but I cannot get it to see the wireless network.

HELP!

Jim

Did you activate the driver?

[Jim1970]

Beyond what I described, that's it. Last time I didn't go in and activate anything - at least not as far as I recall.

Right now I'm installing updates - 222 of them, to be exact.

Once that's done, how do I activate the driver?

Thank you!

Jim

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by Jim1970

Beyond what I described, that's it. Last time I didn't go in and activate anything - at least not as far as I recall.

Right now I'm installing updates - 222 of them, to be exact.

Once that's done, how do I activate the driver?

Thank you!

Jim

Surprised you didn't have to last time..

Go to Additional Drivers, Highlight the b43 driver, and click Activate.

[Jim1970]

Man, I'm really having a tough go of this install. Nothing is working like the first effort.

I am receiving odd error messages. I will post pics of the screen.

I notice the computer is running very, very slow. It is plugged directly into my network via ethernet cable. I was unable to complete the software updates because the computer seemed to be hung up.

Any ideas as to what's up?

Thanks,

Jim

[Jim1970]

This is a picture of the second error message screen.

Jim

[Jim1970]

Another odd message.

In addition, I've lost use of the mouse trackpad. From the last screen, I was able to use 'tab' and enter to move on. This is the screen that came up after - and I'm stuck - tab and mouse dead.

Maybe I just need to do another install?

Help!

Jim

[Detectorist]

Originally Posted by fwm

I have a windows machine I've been trying for three years to get all of the graphics card functions to work properly on. These type of problems are not unique to Linux. There are just more windows gurus to help with windows problems.

'All in wonder' card with cable input and writing capabilities. Worked fine in Windows 2000. Used it as a home made DVR. Had to upgrade to WINXP. Now the card will only display the screen and NO functionality. There are many instances where windows will not work properly with technology.

Does their web site have specific drivers for XP? does that company support the card with XP? Did you contact their tech support?

[Jim1970]

Update: damn this is frustating!

Since my last post, I have done a completely fresh install of Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Before, when dual-booting between Ubuntu and Windows XP, and after a lot of help here, everything worked fine. Now, I cannot get the computer to see my wireless network. I've done some reading online through the Ubuntu forums, and I've tried some of the different "sudo" commands, to no avail.

Any unput welcome!

Thank you,

Jim

[Jim1970]

Update: I got it!

After many hours of reading and searching and trying every stinking thing I could try, I finally got it! I have cut and pasted what I did:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer
sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo reboot

Finally!

The lesson is that the answer is out there, but it may take some patience and focus to find it!

Thanks to everyone here for their help and support.

Jim

[WiskyT]

Originally Posted by Jim1970

Update: I got it!

After many hours of reading and searching and trying every stinking thing I could try, I finally got it! I have cut and pasted what I did:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer
sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo reboot

Finally!

The lesson is that the answer is out there, but it may take some patience and focus to find it!

Thanks to everyone here for their help and support.

Jim

Like anything else, you will get better at it. Small problems were a big deal to me when I first got into Linux (Ubuntu). Then the small problems got easier for me to fix.

One skill I have developed is to be able to weed through the online solutions. Generally, there is an idiot proof, cut and paste, or simply "click this, click that" way to fix things. But when you search for a solution you will find 15 fixes. Out of 15, 5 are simply incorrect and the people writing them have no idea what they are talking about. Eight of them are correct, but they are of a very technical nature that are simply out of my league. But, two of them will be solutions that a simpleton like me can use. So what I've actually gotten good at is discerning the easy solutions.

[Jim1970]

WhiskyT,

You nailed it. I tried a dozen or so "fixes" to my problem, and only one worked. That's a pretty poor ratio; but for open source, that might be the norm.

From this point forward, I think the challenge becomes finding a consistently good source for solutions. GT has been great, but I know I need to find other sources.

Jim