NGC - New operating system in Windows Laptop

[tris]

Hi a couple of months ago there was a thread about breathing new life into old laptops by installing Linux or similar on a Chromebook
https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=120072.0

I have a  couple of windows laptops that are slower than a slow thing and thought about doing the same thing, and have a couple of questions
1) Will GuzziDiag and DuckDuckGo run Linux (or whichever OS)
2) Where do i get the new OO from and how do I install it!

Cheers

[GuzziOrDeath]

GuzziDiag has Linux versions, 32 bit (x86) & 64 bit (x64), so you should be able to get a version to run on whatever your very slow hardware your old laptop has. If you're planning on only using it for bike service, I would recommend you get a "lite" version with a basic window manager so to not overstress the hardware to make it run even slower than a very slow thing.

There's a squillion versions of Linux, so I would suggest you Google "installing linux for beginners" and do some reading.


I have no idea what DuckDuckGo is.

[tris]

Cheers I'll try that

DuckDuckGo = independent search engine that doesn't track you.......allegedly

[twowheeladdict]

Depending on how old the laptop is, I wouldn't put it on the internet.  Being on the internet requires security and security bloats a laptop and uses up its resources. 

If you do decide to put it on the internet and not install security then I recommend you don't use it for any E-Commerce.

I have an older laptop (still running windows 7)  that I only use to rip DVDs so I can carry the content with me when I travel.  Hasn't been on the internet in years and runs fine because it isn't bloated with all the security updates

[AJ Huff]

I like Ubuntu. Duck Duck Go is available for Linux. Should be easy to install in Ubuntu. Good luck.

-AJ

[ital4me]

I use Ubuntu Linux. It works well but you have to be a little computer savvy to solve problems. I am still playing with different browsers but it is an older laptop and I have come to grips with the fact it no browser is going to be fast. If you want to try Linux I suggest you load it in a separate disk partition. That way you can go back to windows if you wind up not liking Linux. I couldn't stand Microsoft any more. They think that your computer is theirs.

[sign216]

I use Ubuntu Linux. It works well but you have to be a little computer savvy to solve problems. I am still playing with different browsers but it is an older laptop and I have come to grips with the fact it no browser is going to be fast. If you want to try Linux I suggest you load it in a separate disk partition. That way you can go back to windows if you wind up not liking Linux. I couldn't stand Microsoft any more. They think that your computer is theirs.

For old machines Linux is terrific.  I use Linux Mint because of it's Windows-like appearance, and I followed ital4me's idea of partitioning the hard drive  so I can boot up in Windows if you needed.  Linux is more secure than Windows, so twowheeladdict's security fears are unfounded.

Mint comes in three varieties;  Cinnamon (full feature), Mate (basic), and Xfce (for old, weak machines).   Linux is more difficult to use than Windows, just like riding a bike is more involved than a car.  Take a look at the Linux Mint forum:  https://forums.linuxmint.com/index.php

Joe

[Caffeineo]

I have been running Ubuntu on my garage PC. Works great and it also has automatic updates. I have it on a separate partition. You get the option when installing. I have windows 7 on the other partition mainly for Guzzidiag. There is a steep learning curve for Linux but most problems (if any) can be solved by searching online and finding the code to run in "terminal" window - like DOS. I have a pretty good knowledge of older Windows versions and barely any Linux experience. Works great for me and am using it daily. Give it a go.

[pehayes]

Go for it.  It really isn't that hard.  Stop and ask questions here if need be.  I have half a dozen other people converted to Ubuntu on older laptops and desktops.  I manage them mostly remotely by using 'TeamViewer'.  Seldom have issues.

Alas, I still own and run one Windows PC.  Have to.  I do a lot of GPS based route planning for special tour activities.  Garmin refuses to port their software into the Linux world.  Necessary for transferring preorganized routes.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[tris]

I'd heard of Linux, but now understand that there are different Linuxs (Linukeii ??)

Sounds like that there is a danger of this turning into an oil/tyre/fastest colour thread 

Still I'll have some fun learning,  and the laptop is unusable as it is so even if I brick it I haven't lost anything 

[Zenermaniac]

There are indeed a ton of different Linux versions and versions of versions. It can seem overwhelming at first but they are all more similar than different and basically based on the same core. Go to distrowatch.com and you’ll find a lot of info and links. A little down the page on the right column you’ll see the top 100 listed. Most versions you can download a “live” version. Put this on a CD or USB memory stick and you can run the system in memory rather than installing it to your hard drive at first. Keep in mind that this will run a little slower than when it is installed but gives you a preview of how it will work on your system and if you like that particular version. You can easily try out as many as you want this way. Once installed you have access to “repositories” from which you can download thousands of free and safe programs to do most anything you can think of. There is a bit of a learning curve but if we aren’t learning something every day we’re dead. 

[jcctx]

OP may have been referring to my missive on this subject~ I tried both an old win10 and an old Chromebox but could not get around the hardware constraints; guess they were too old. The windows was usable as is; just slow, as the wifi was first gen and sloooow! Bought a cheap new UBUNTU Linux and it looked like it would work out but it died right after I got it set up and was returned. Luckily I was gifted a five yr. old iMac and guess I will stay in the Apple camp for a while???
Good luck with your search!!

[Calculon]

I have a  couple of windows laptops that are slower

Replacing old platter drives with a SSD can offer a significant performance boost.

[tris]

......Luckily I was gifted a five yr. old iMac and guess I will stay in the Apple camp for a while???
Good luck with your search!!

That's the cunning part of this plan.
 I already have 2 "oldish" Win laptops so I have nothing to lose apart from some time and I might learn something which is always nice!

[guzziwit]

Replacing old platter drives with a SSD can offer a significant performance boost.

That's the single best thing you can do with an old laptop. Even a not-so-old laptop. Some Win10 updates will make a HDD computer almost unusable for an hour or more.

I've up-cycled a bunch of laptops with an SSD, and taken it further for some of them with Debian. I've got a 5th-gen Core i5 with 8GB memory and a 480GB SSD, it boots to desktop in less than 30 seconds.