Wither XP...?

[Coil_Smoke]

Well, Microsoft is ending "support" for the venerable XP operating system on Appril 8,2014. Starting March 8th they will be using some form of "Pop Up" to inform users about this milestone. XP is by far my favorite OS. I have it running on three PC's and the wife's laptop. The software that runs my weather station and 600 CD "robot" player require XP. Our Vista and Windows7 computers act snobby and don't seem to like communicating with the XP computers. I cajole them into working together. I'm sticking with good oL' XP. I figure up-to-date anti-virus, two service packs and the like 250 windows lifetime updates will be security enough to continue with XP for a long time.

 

[Shockman]

Windows XP had a gain just last month

 

[StevOz]

Unfortunately I doubt XP can survive any internet usage after updates and security patches are discontinued no matter what security software you have in place.

As new vulnerabilities are patched for Windows 7 and Windows 8, these are made public and will be exploited on XP as it shares much of the same source code. I'm switching to linux for all my internet needs before months end, which in my prior experience, runs faster and better then any Microsoft OS on my old hardware. The only reason I persisted with XP was for VP, though even that runs marginally at best these days.

I've already downloaded the ISO image for my install, just need to get an external drive to download stuff I want to keep and then it's goodbye MS, until I can afford a newer PC.

I'm going here..

http://manjaro.org/

 

[Coil_Smoke]

Playing For The Other Team ?

Unfortunately I doubt XP can survive any internet usage after updates and security patches are discontinued no matter what security software you have in place.

As new vulnerabilities are patched for Windows 7 and Windows 8, these are made public and will be exploited on XP as it shares much of the same source code. I'm switching to linux for all my internet needs before months end, which in my prior experience, runs faster and better then any Microsoft OS on my old hardware. The only reason I persisted with XP was for VP, though even that runs marginally at best these days.

I've already downloaded the ISO image for my install, just need to get an external drive to download stuff I want to keep and then it's goodbye MS, until I can afford a newer PC.

I'm going here..http://manjaro.org/

http://manjaro.org/ Looks interesting...Is it the lack of security vulnerabilities that draws you to the Linux OS? My brother in law runs Linux on all their computers and is often goin on about it. But they don't do anything 'exotic'. Do video graphics cards, sound cards , printers, wireless mice& keyboards and their drivers work with Linux? What about things like Java, Adobe, flash player? Uh, This is getting long here but... what about players like GOM, Winamp, DIVX , VLC or Power DVD? Burning software ... Oh hell this could take all night. Anyway you get the drift
and like APPLE I don't know JACK about it...C_S

 

[StevOz]

Yes all those things work in Linux, except some windows dependent software, which winamp would be one along with VP, though winamp may run under emulation with WINE ( windows emulation program for linux ) I know FP can, VP won't and I imagine something like winamp would. That said there are various native winamp equivalents which would be a better option.

Most linux OSes automatically install all your needed drivers for almost any hardware these days upon installation and most come as a live DVD image where you boot to DVD and it will run from DVD prior to any installation so you can check it out of course it will run much faster once installed.

Here's a review of Manjaro...

http://www.tecmint.com/manjaro-0-8-...h-windows-feel-review-and-installation-guide/

and the flashier KDE version...

http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/manjaro-linux-089-review-right-on-money.html

 

[Coil_Smoke]

Thanks Boss

This is all pretty interesting...You say it is fast. Maybe Linux could revive an older PC. What I mean is> The internet has become so demanding. There is so much involved just loading a home page like Yahoo. My old(2003) Compaq 1.3Ghz will time out before Yahoo finishes transferring all that BS like AdClick,Yieldmaster or whatever. If you have a new computer you won't even notice the like37 modules(I don't know what they are called) that cram your cookies. But an old PC will take so long it is impossible to 'surf' ... So, I have to try everything once. That's why my life/brain/body is so messed up. I'm a gona try Manjaro in an old HP. You mentioned an ISO file. I would burn said image to a bootable CD? Will install/format options then double click or auto-run? NO DOS ! This will be interesting.....

 

[StevOz]

You need to set the bios to boot first from DVD, to enter the bios you have to press a certain key on the keyboard upon power up, it should display that info on power up.

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000192.htm

Once set to boot first from DVD, you power up or reboot with the DVD ISO in. It should boot directly to the live linux session and load the OS from the DVD, this will not install it or effect your current set-up.

You will be running linux from the DVD and ram, to install it you need to select the install option from there, though you can run firefox or various other aspects of the OS before installing it for testing. Of course as I said running the OS from the DVD prior to installing will of course be slower then the properly installed version.

Yes you just download the .iso image to your computer, then burn it to a blank DVD as a .iso

http://www.wikihow.com/Burn-ISO-Files-to-DVD

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

... My old(2003) Compaq 1.3Ghz will time out before Yahoo finishes transferring all that BS like AdClick,Yieldmaster or whatever. If you have a new computer you won't even notice the like37 modules(I don't know what they are called) that cram your cookies. But an old PC will take so long it is impossible to 'surf' ...

if you install "no script" in firefox (or whatever the equivalent is in chrome, etc), then most pages should just skip those javascript actions without slowing down.

btw, thx for the creditos. just realised yesterday what those were. now... what to do wit'em?

 

[StevOz]

Earlier this week, The Linux Foundation announced that it would be working with edX, a non-profit online learning site governed by Harvard and MIT, to make its “Introduction to Linux” course free and open to all.

REF: http://arstechnica.com/information-...x-course-will-be-free-and-online-this-summer/

 

[sleepy]

Not sure if it is so, but there are blogs that claim you can run programs like VP on Linux simply by providing the DirectX files, but I'm wondering how much work it would be to write the .bat and/or paths to each file so that Linux can find the DirectX dependencies when starting VP?

The other thing is, the video card software is often .Net dependent, but you don't necessarily need the fancy .Net GUI control panels for the cards, as long as their are means to control the parameters.

 

[StevOz]

Maybe just maybe you might run VP through emulation on linux though it is going to run like a dog and I'm talking a one legged dog, if it can run at all.

 

[StevOz]

For your...

My old(2003) Compaq 1.3Ghz

I'd suggest you try..

http://puppylinux.org/main/Overview%20and%20Getting%20Started.htm

I have my doubts about it being able to run any other linux distro, does it meet the minimum recommended hardware requirements?

 

[Coil_Smoke]

For your...

I'd suggest you try..

http://puppylinux.org/main/Overview%20and%20Getting%20Started.htm

I have my doubts about it being able to run any other linux distro, does it meet the minimum recommended hardware requirements?

After a quick look around I don't find the min op requirements for 'Puppy Linux'. The 1.3GhzCompaq has the 512M 133pc max ram installed. That machine runs XP just fine, it always has. I use it for recording audio with a really nice sound card. It just can't handle the demands of the internet these days(about 3 years now)(do all those updates slow it down?). even with a fresh install of XP Pro and no anti-virus. I will try this puppy linux real soon. I hope the wireless USB works. Thanks again...C_S