[GTALUG] hoping for help

[Russell]

On July 14, 2017 9:23:05 PM EDT, Ann Pohl via talk <talk at gtalug.org> wrote:
>Hi. Anyone want to do their bit for the environment by helping me get
>set up? I am not wanting to be an OS computer whiz. I have a full plate
>already doing environmental protection'defense work-activism, and being
>a grandmother etc.. 
>
>...I am currently shopping for a new not-fancy computer and need some
>recommendations on which would be best for installing Linux-Ubuntu in a
>dual boot, and I also need an affordable technician to help me do that
>when I get the computer. 

Help with getting started is why Linux  installfests were popular in the past. I haven't been to one in the last decade, or heard of a recent local one in the last couple of years. Maybe a distro release party or two but thats about it.

I think several of this lists members are a part of Hacklab which has an open house on Tuesdays. You could probably visit on a Tuesday, talk to people and perhaps get one on one Tutorial assistance in Linux setup.

https://hacklab.to/about/

On the technical side, dual booting crosses the line of traditional out of the box DIY computing, as it requires some tinkering with disk partitions. 

However the graphical tools used by Linux these days make this step fairly trivial. Once you understand the concepts involved, its fairly easy. 

You dont need to understand the nuances of how the disk is partioned or the filesystem is structured. You only need to know that you need to shrink the existing partition(s) in order to create empty space for the new OS to reside in, the install software routine usually askes you about the rest. Just about every live distro comes with gparted to deal with shrinking partitions in order to install their distro alongside other OS's.

I'm assuming that the new laptop comes with a preinstalled OS and you would like to preserve it.

I just recently test installed several different distros on an older HP mini 110 which came with Windows 10. So far all I have used Windows for, is the bios manufacture's tool to flash the bios upgrade.   

I settled on permanently installing Mint 18.2, XFCE which is the long term support beta for that distribution which uses a lightweight windowing service. Each time I installed a different test OS I was able to preserve Windows by using the tools which came with the live distro. 

Live is the term for an OS which will run from a USB stick or CD and also has an option to install. A live cd/usb is a good way to test your hardware compatability before installing.

>
>Usually I am in eastern NB but am in the GTA for the summer. I have
>technical support down there, but not up here. My kids are buying me a
>new computer and I need some guidance. I use the Linux - Ubuntu side.

This list is very much about self directed self study with a tad of outreach and occasional evangelism thrown in.

As someone else pointed out, it might be nice to have a sort of install primer available, made up of best practice suggestions for new users who subscribe to the list.

>mostly for my work because it deals with a lot of security issues.  

Correct me if I am wrong but at this point it looks like what you are looking for is some laptop hardware tips for the purchase and also hands on help with the physical install.

Hardware compatibility is almost a moot point, as some form of GNU Linux likely will run on any current system. Especially if video graphics or graphic manipulation are not a significant day to day issue.

I don't think there is a geek squad specializing in linux which does housecalls? I don't think there is even a local point of sale location with Linux pre-installs. I could be wrong tho.

As a hacker in the early 90's I use to do housecalls for Windows BSOD crash recovery and installing dialup modems for people. A great number of modem setups were for me to connect UofT sessional students to Pine email over Utordial. This is trivial to the point of being not a necessary housecall service these days.

Prior to your post, there was some interest in setting up Internet Relay Chat for the list. This idea could serve to provide real time advice for list users with technical set up issues. 

Were an IRC channel set up you could most likely connect on the computer you currently use and someone on the channel could walk you through creating the boot medium and using the app for changing the disk geometry and installing the OS in the newly empty un-assigned space.

Again, I'm not a member of Hacklab so I can't say come on down and use our space and bandwith to install.

However, I bet you can get a leg up on what needs to be done for your install, by showing up on a Tuesday evening open house and talking to someone in the hacktivist community F2F.

Hope this helps somewhat.

>
>Thanks for considering this request. Ann Pohl 
>
> [1] 
>
>Hi Ann, 
>
>It would be best if you joined our talk mailing list and ask your
>question there. https://gtalug.org/mailing-list/ [2] 
>
>  
>
>Links:
>------
>[1] https://www.facebook.com/gtalug/
>[2]
>https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgtalug.org%2Fmailing-list%2F&h=ATPxwH9yUqYcjuzFRYAdXq6YpeQR56hgD9UkpSJkSP92Dg5ceLlREfDrc4PeqNgX_xRrsqi9nIwx_jYHxrKeiHlnBb3-lAHXULkU6viV6kL9rrq1HnVEL_9hiETrW9Tz3hA


-- 
Russell
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