MEPIS Community Forum

I inherited an old laptop from my daughter when she bought a new one because her old one was too slow. It had XP Pro on it and lot of junk that I didn't need. I cleaned it up, defragged the hd, deleted, cleaned and defragged again. Then I got the latest updates for XP and installed Libre Office and some other apps that I think I have to have. Then I dual booted XP with Xubuntu 11.10 so that the Linux side would be really quick. I already had Mepis 11 installed on my desktop and was using it. So I got the bright idea to replace Xubuntu with Mepis 11. As it turns out Mepis installed with no problem until I added Dropbox and tried to reboot. Dropbox for some odd reason likes to over write fstab and comment out the /home partition if it is on a separate partition of your hard drive. After searching the forum, I found the solution and fixed the fstab file and got back into Mepis without a re-install. Lo and behold, Mepis seems to be as quick as Xubuntu. And I like (more familiar with) KDE than XFCE. I have used XFCE some but KDE has more gui tools available from the get-go. Good decision for me and love all that I can do with Mepis. I still have to go back to XP some but prefer Linux as my day-to-day computer workhorse.

Thanks,
Harold

XP is horrible! Windows is horrible! Why do you keep on using it?

Michel

I ask myself the same question.

iPod management is much easier, and to update the TomTom. But that's all. When both those are sorted, Win7 will be binned forever.

Be that as it may, in the real workaday world it's tough to make inroads. All I've been able to do at my little workplace is nibble at the edges. On the occasions where a major application purchase decision is to be made, the users/owners get the final say. Linux compatibility takes no priority whatsoever (e.g. -- they want CS5.5, not Gimp). I always ask about Linux compatible versions of whatever is being looked at, and the response is always "no". Those that I have been able to migrate love it, and everybody loves the centralized Linux based NAS that was put in place three years ago.

I keep using it because of Quickbooks. I am treasurer for two or three small entities including my church. I have used it for years and know how to get done what I want to do. It will also export stuff to Excel. I use Linux most of the time and also keep my personal banking, etc with Gnucash but it easier to make the reports that I need in QB for others.

I constantly suggest Linux to people but as Rodney Dangerfield would say, "I get no respect"...the latest? Last week..."Your little free stuff never works right" They equate cost with quality...if you don't pay for it then it must not be any good...nevermind the fact that they give me their Windows boxes to "re-format" periodically because they are eaten up with viruses and spyware and the fact that Windows seems to fall apart on its own over time. I always use Mepis to rescue their files. Ahhh, that rant made me feel better...anyway, as you can see from earlier posts I have made, I have to use Windows to access my iPod and the occasional Publisher file...so I still have to keep a WinXP partition.

janthree

Have a look at this link http://downloadpedia.org/Open_Source_Al ... l_Software I'm sure there is a free, Linux based alternative for your software. As for Excel Libreoffice has a free linux based equivalent.

Michel

I helped my ex partner setting himself free from the ipod / windows thing by moving his calendar and address book to gmail. You will get rid of the cable too.

Michel

Is there really a need to dual boot any more?

VirtualBox OSE, or VMWare Player are all that are really required to have a windows guest operating inside a Linux host, into which you can install accounting packages, network printers, or with a minor tweak, USB printers connected to the host, and for those that need fuller USB support, (I can't speak for VMWare Player because I don't us it), the free proprietary licensed version of VirtualBox, adds usb support so ipods and the likes can be directly connected to the guest system.

Once set up, the guest OS is none the wiser and it will run as if an application on the Linux host.

There are a few other recommendations, such as 2GB RAM on the host is my minimum recommendation for an XP guest, 3GB for Windows 7 and 4GB for Vista (uugghhh, shudder), and any user will be significantly better off running a 64-bit Linux host when operating VM's. I also strongly recommend 64-bit Linux host because it is significantly faster when push comes to shove and it can handle the memory much better than 32-bit.

Attached is a snapshot of one of my 64-bit Mepis 11 systems with 4GB RAM installed and 2 simultaneous VM's running, one Windows XP with accounting software open and one PCLinuxOS running Firfox. I barely touched my swap file, used a whopping 2MB.

Armed with the above, is there any reason why anybody should have to persevere with a dual boot scenario any longer?

Mike P

An example of things that can't be done in a virtual install is unlocking cell phones. The same goes for all apps that doesn't work when the host OS grabs the USB first.
Henry