I’ve heard that running Linux is a good way to keep an old laptop functional. I’ve got a basic c. 5 year old HP laptop that I’d like to use for web browsing and/or storage but I’m a techy novice. Can anyone advise me if it’s worth attempting and/or point me to a basic how to guide?

Aggrhhh, bike forum. Told you I was a novice!

YO! Do it.
Ubuntu is by far the most common (and therefore easiest to get on with for a non techy).
you will need access to a working computer (slow is fine) to install it.
Make a bootable USB stick, or burn it to DVD. (bootable stick is easiest by far if you are not keeping windows on a secondary partition)

http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop

everything you need is here. Its prettier than Mac, and more reliable than windows.

The Ubuntu forums/site is pretty good and useful

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

You can run it off a CD/USB drive to ‘try before you buy (install for real)’

I prefer getting LTS versions, but the latest works ok on my Netbook.

Definitely do it.

For a lightweight linux OS, it might be worth looking at Xubuntu and Crunch Bang. Xubuntu is the same as Ubuntu but it uses XFCE desktop instead of Unity. It is a less demanding desktop environment to run.

Home

http://crunchbang.org/

Xubuntu probably an easier starting point.

and if you have enough space on your laptop, i would also suggest keeping windows on board. It can split your hard drive into partitions for you. Get it to shove windows over to the minimum possible and install ubuntu on the rest. That way, if you hate it you can take ubuntu off, and re expand your windows installation. You could also then install it using the windows isntaller (wubi)

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/install-ubuntu-with-windows

which is ridiculously easy

Cheers folks, I’m off work tomorrow so I’ll have a look around those sites and give it a bash. From memory the old laptop was pretty crap and slow on windows, would simply running Ubuntu help performance or would I get best results from xubuntu or wiping and starting from scratch?

Whatever you do, unless you have critical data that is a ballache to move wipe it and do a clean install of your chosen OS.

Xubuntu will definitely feel snappier than Ubuntu on older machines.

You can run any of these alongside windows as suggested. Xubuntu/Ubuntu are quite helpful about doing this in the graphical installer.

Mint with the Mate desktop is also good. Same underpinnings as Ubuntu, but with a more traditional desktop than Ubuntu or Xubuntu.

A 5yo HP laptop will have no problem with any Linux flavour. It will be like night and day with an old Windows installation.

If you have a USB stick big enough (1gb up I think), you can download a few distributions (Xubuntu, Fedora, Linux Mint ‘cinnamon’ and ‘Mate editions)… and burn them onto your stick with a free program called Unetbootin. You can then boot your PC from the stick and try the different distributions without installing anything. Though bear in mind an installed operating system will always run faster than one which is on a USB stick.

Ubuntu has a user interface that many hate – I’m not a fan so would definitely recommend you at least try Mint Cinnamon and Xubuntu. Download the Long Term Support edition if you don’t want to have to do it again til 2017, the newer releases ‘expire’ in pretty short order.

I am using an oldish Pavilion with Fedora 19 and it’s grand, I never used the Windows it came with, wiping it on the first boot…

For example here you can see the latest is Mint 16, but the LTS is 13 – this is the version I install on mates’ computers as I don’t have to do it again until 2017.

I put this on my OH’s Macbook (a computer hater) and she loves it, far better than the Mac OS it replaced. Another option if you don’t really care what goes on under the hood. http://elementaryos.org/

I’m running joli on my old netbook. Installed very easily and works a treat

I’ve just put lxle – lightweight lubuntu onto an old IBM and its a nice setup LXLE

Bodhi Linux is my new favourite Ubuntu variant. I have a bit of experience in using Linux on the laptop from about a year of running Ubuntu with GNOME desktop (which I initially tried after upgrading to Windows 8 and absolutely hating it). I didn’t think of my laptop as being particularly old or slow, but it occurs to me it’s also about five years old now. It flies now.

http://www.bodhilinux.com/index.php

Live stick creation (and full installation) instructions: http://wiki.bodhilinux.com/doku.php?id=installation_instructions

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/lubuntu-how-ace-is-that

I’ll have to have a play with Bodhi – I used to have the Enlightenment WM when they started dev on 17, was too rough around the edged then but looks great now. And haven’t seen the old Audacious player for ages, much prefer that to the new one.

Crunchbang is fast but not easy for Linux beginners. Mint Debian would be my shout for a first timer

I found elementary os gat better on old hardware than Ubuntu

Have found that the newer Ubuntu versions are quite resource hungry / slow, worked a treat with the older ones though.

Thanks all – posting now from the old machine running xubuntu (chosen at random – I found the mentions of various versions a bit bamboozling). Installed alongside windows so I can use both if required and seems to be running at a decent speed.

+1 for a clean install of Ubuntu.

I did this on an old, but lovely, Compaq. Its XP had gradually ground to a halt, so I popped Ubuntu on it. I am in no way shape or form a computer boffin, and I managed it quite easily. Used it for running my music and internetty streaming when out in the garage tinkering with bikes. As it was such an old thing it was happier running the earlier versions 11.xxx was my preferred if I remember right.

The old beast ran like a dream until the hard drive eve did eventually expire… 🙁

Linux Mint fan, here – although i’ve not had cause to use any version newer than 13.

Glad you’re getting on with your xubuntu install. I’d definately recommend a clean install, though. When you dual boot with a windows install, you also carry over all the bugs. You’ll get a much better experience if you back up all your files and do a clean install (wipe your hard drive (windows and all) and install Linux onto an otherwise blank drive).

Eh ? When you boot into Linux then you’re running Linux not Windows so who cares what state your Windows install is in. Some people like the option of switching back to Windows to use certain apps etc and so a dual boot makes sense. Once the OS is running then it doesn’t matter that you are using dual or single boot.

How would I do a clean install.

Im going to move my important files to an external hard drive and the rest of stuff on computer can be wiped

Could I still tho om linux mint run my itunes memory map and virus software

Also can I create an install disc on my external hard drive or do I need to go buy a blank disc

Thanks all

Eh ? When you boot into Linux then you’re running Linux not Windows so who cares what state your Windows install is in.

You are, of course, quite right. However, you’d still have to live with the comedy way Windows manages files.

I can understand why people like to dual boot, but unless you need a specific application professionally, then it’s a bit half cocked in my opinion.

To the OP – i can’t comment on Memory Map, but there are plenty of itunes equivalents out there. Also, you don’t need to worry about antiviruses.

A quick google will reveal loads of walkthroughs of a clean install. You’ll need to create a boot disk (either on a DVD or USB stick) and tinker with the BIOS to let the computer know where you want to boot from. Google will reveal all; it really is much simpler than it sounds.

Cheers duffer I’ll have a play 😉

Probably the easiest way is to go to the newsagents and buy a copy of Linux Geek Monthly or whatever it’s called – they always have a disc with a few distros on which you can have a play with before installing them as well as a bit of blurb about what features etc the distros have.

Duffer – Member
there are plenty of itunes equivalents out there

Such as?

Bear in mind that music/video playback is a small part of what iTunes does. Store, firmware updates, device backups for example.

Duffer – Member
You are, of course, quite right. However, you’d still have to live with the comedy way Windows manages files.

In what way comedy? C:\users\duffer is no worse than /home/duffer for example.
There’s plenty of braindead layout/historical cruft in the typical Linux FS anyway. For example run strace against a GUI program while it starts up and watch how many directories it walks.

Mint Linux here. Runs very nicely on the 5yr old laptop I’ve got 🙂

don’t be surprised if the speakers don’t work in linux.

or the screen.

or the touch-pad.

other than a few gremlins, it’s been mostly great.

any music players able to to deal with iplayer ( radio, in particular ) steams effectively?
sorry if it’s a silly question, i’ll actually do my own research if the answer to this question is positive! 😀 thanks!

If the OP’s old PC is still working or if you have another computer, download LiLi.

It downloads the Linux version you want, installs it onto a USB and also allows you to run Linux in a virtual machine to try it out.