Dumping Windows, moving on with Linux

By apexwm, 9 August, 2010 17:21

Recently I went on a week's vacation to "get away". When I got back, I had 3 Windows XP computers waiting to be fixed by a few family relatives. Not exactly a warm welcoming committee. The first one was fixed fairly easily, Windows Internet Connection Sharing settings disappeared and I had to guide over the phone on how to set that back up. The second PC was blue screening at random intervals, and the third was infected with spyware and viruses (with loads of popups), as well as running slower than ever. The PCs were basically useless and probably need to be reformatted and have Windows installed all over again.

However, for a while now I have been contemplating a new rule to deal with users and relatives bringing plagued Windows computers to me, in hopes that I can rectify them like a doctor. Basically, I can sum it up with "No, I will not fix your Windows computer, but I will install Linux on it for you.". So, I ran the idea of Linux by the users, who seemed open to trying out a new operating system that will be practically immune to spyware and viruses, and overall more stable so that they will not have to bring it back to me over and over again. They too have had enough of the viruses and spyware that occur all too often in Windows.

So, on the second PC which was blue screening, I promptly installed Fedora 13 and it's been running great. I went into System / Add/Remove Software and found a few games in there, and installed them. There were a few Windows games that I installed also with Wine, which run flawlessly. Fedora 13 includes Wine 1.2, which has a list of improvements over 1.1.x. So far, I'm very much impressed both with Wine 1.2, and with Fedora 13's incredible boot speed.

I will tackle the third PC next, which will be more of a challenge because I need to recover all of the data and files. I'm having the user try out the second Fedora 13 PC that I installed, to ensure there are no major roadblocks. If all turns out well there, I'll proceed with Fedora 13 on that one as well. Yes, there will be some minor training at first, however many of the applications are similar to proprietary products in Windows (if not the same as in Firefox, Thunderbird, etc.).

For basic users that want email, Internet access, basic Office software, and common applications, there is no reason to stick with Windows which is more expensive, and definitely more to maintain over the long run. And this is the message that I'm going to start passing along as I help users migrate from Windows to Linux.

Talkback

HI

I have been doing this for a long time now, even tonight I done a dell with Vista Basic on it, full of viruses and keyloggers, slow to do about anything (a combination of Vistas resource requirements and malware/viruses).

The First thing I do is clean up windows, update the Antivirus and put on some Malware software, then I do a *Dual Boot* with Ubuntu and Gnome Desktop. I take a copy of their windows docs and music/pictures etc onto the home directory.

Just while its in my head the apps I install are (well most of them)

Google Chrome Browser
Zimbra Desktop for emails
RealPlayer 11
Google Earth
Kpatience and Frozen Bubble for Games
Skype
aMSN
Only have 1 desktop
Exaile Music player (Simple to Use and Nice Interface)
Ubuntu Restriced Extras
Adobe Reader and Flash Plugin (yes I know about adobe !!!)
I set openoffice to use MS 2000/XP2003 formats !!!!
run gconf-editor and show trashcan on desktop, and put the buttons on the top right in 10.04
Check hardware drivers are installed for wifi cards etc

Then I advise them to use Linux all the time, (esp ALL INTERNET activity), and use Windows only for apps that are not are available on Windows, I find telling them scary stories about keyloggers stealing their bank details and getting their bank accounts emptied helps !!!!
garyc 9 August, 2010 21:36
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I tend to do the same as apexwm, but I try to make the choice as clear as possible, especially in monetary terms, to the users before proceeding. Questions to ask: How many Windows licenses and upgrades have you paid for? How many MS Office licenses and upgrades have you paid for? How much additional software have you had to purchase and install on your Windows systems just in order to make them usable, and in hopes of keeping them running properly? Present the owner with the real costs, and you frequently find that they are much more interested in the alternatives. Add to the list of questions "How many times have you had to call me to fix your computer, and how much do you think the real cost of that should have been", and things get even more interesting.

The place that you have to be very careful is in identifying what they really need to use their computer for, because most people seem to underestimate that. Beyond the obvious things, looking in Windows Add/Remove Programs, and then confirming with the user whether various things found there are really necessary and used is a good start. How much "insurance" you need will determine whether configuring a dual-boot, or setting up Wine, or both might be necessary.

jw
jw
J.A. Watson 10 August, 2010 09:04
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I don't insist on dumping Windows all together but recent experience is making me think twice as the Ubuntu install with updates took about 2 hours while the Win XP install took one whole day searching for drivers for the 5-year-old motherboard and downloading and installing an equivalent set of freeware to those that accompany Ubuntu.

Each install was separate - unlike in Ubuntu where you can tick off the ones you want and they can be downloaded and installed simultaneously. Skype in XP took well over an hour as it kept freezing the computer before the end of the install and downloading an older version did not help either. However, to my surprise, Skype ran after I forcibly shut down and booted up the PC and was notified there was an update. After several anxious minutes watching the progress bar, I breathed a sigh of relief when the update completed successfully.

Installing XP SP3, there was no audio or the proper display driver. With Ubuntu everything worked out of the box after the initial 35-minute install. With updates, Java, Adobe, Flash, Skype, VLC and a few favourite applications like SM Player and the Gimp, everything was done in under 2 hours.

I am seriously considering dropping rescue / install services for XP machines. In the meantime, I have installed Ubuntu for my students (I am a teacher) one after another after they have tried and liked the applications that I have taught them to use in Ubuntu. Oh yes, they love the speed of Ubuntu, booting up, shutting down and multi-tasking.
Orionds 10 August, 2010 16:08
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Just one point, I have found that in Ubuntu in particular it is important to explain the difference between update and upgrade. Some of the people for whom I have installed Ubuntu have shut down in mid upgrade, creating quite a problem to be repaired
Moley 10 August, 2010 17:04
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In reading the comments it is good to see that other similar migrations have been successful. Jamie's very good point about identifying the applications is a very important step to ensure the user can get the same functionality out of the Linux system as opposed to the old Windows system. Sometimes this can be a challenge, but there are sites out there that reference popular Windows software, and point out the equivalent Linux alternatives. Sometimes there are more than one alternative with the Linux equivalents, so doing the homework will hopefully give you pleasant results. Obviously, this can vary greatly depending on the user and what software they need to use.

Two years ago, I would have simply put XP back on the users' computers and called it good. They were already familiar with it and it was a way to get them back up and running without many software changes. However, I have become frustrated as the maintenance of Windows is horrible, and the end users are also frustrated that they need to have their PC looked at so frequently. Finally, I stepped back and asked myself: I am providing a service to repair PCs, why would I intentionally give somebody Windows when we both know it will eventually come back for repair? I don't use Windows on my own computers, so why would I install it for them? A good car mechanic would recommend parts that he or she uses to fix your car, not something else that they know is flawed or that they wouldn't use. I realized that I should be guiding them the other direction and giving them Linux which will require a little training up front, but will provide a free and stable platform for them to run on for years to come, without Windows maintenance hassles, let alone other problems.
apexwm 10 August, 2010 17:33
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First of all, I think GNU/Linux is better because the focus of it is to enable humans with technology as opposed to provide a retail platform for system upgrades and malware authors.

Second, I believe that it's wrong to say that people who would use GNU/Linux would not need "expert" help just the same as users other operating systems. Hard drives, power supplies, and other computer hardware and peripherals will still continue to fail and need repair. Also, people will still want to have certain computer upgrades, migrations, and peripheral setup/configurations be performed by the "experts".

The only difference would be in the type of help that would be needed... As opposed to having a professional "cleanup" malware/crapware/viruses or install more useless security and system-optimization software, the GNU/Linux users would need assistance in more computer setup/usage/configuration related items and training.

As a Technology professional, I would much rather be helping somebody setup a good backup solution or adding more RAM to their machine rather than removing malware any day.

Bring on the Revolution. It's time to own your own Operating System, as opposed to licensing it from a monopolistic vendor.
Shannon_VanWagner 10 August, 2010 22:22
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I'm sorry but I have to say that it's just as easy for the hard of thinking to render a modern Linux install dis bootable. Any serious computer geek would have a massive driver disk that windows could suck what it needs up from it. Also...tools like ninite and freenew.net take a lot of pain out of mass installations by automating the process for you. This includes skype.
Grandma and Pa, friends etc ought to be leaving XP behind. Windows 7 has some amazing recovery tools onboard that can be accessed from the control panel. One to make a bootable DVD and the other to create a system image to a location of your choice, even multiple DVDs so you can be up and running again in no time.
roger andre 11 August, 2010 00:57
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@ roger andre
Why would I want to carry around a cd/dvd of drivers when they are already installed in linux natively, and why would I want to use up valuable resources to protect my OS because it's full of vulnerabilities, thirdly why would I want to pay for something that is going to cost me more money & headaches ??? I've better things to do with my time, like teaching someone to use an OS that is free to begin-with and will run "very well thank you" on just about any machine. I save people money by them not having to upgrade their hardware till they want to.
randiroo76073 11 August, 2010 04:10
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It's amazing how just a couple years ago when Vista was confirmed to be a disaster, Windows XP was said to be Microsoft's best OS ever, because it had years of refinement and was still used extensively, and was fairly stable. Now, all of that has been simply dropped aside, as Windows 7 is now said to be the best OS to date. Yes, Windows 7 does have new tools, but they are band-aids to the root problems that continue to plague the Windows OS.
apexwm 11 August, 2010 05:19
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@randiroo76073 I just used the DVDs as examples.....you can do what you like with the data, even make a bootable USB as you can with Linux. @apexwm XP is facing the end of IVP4 and a coming Hard Drive standard that will make it a real pain to install and use. Maybe MS should release an SP4/Gold edition and let people use it.... I hoped Windows 7 would the the last of the legacy OSs seeing that all the old stuff can be catered for in a VM.
roger andre 11 August, 2010 10:55
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Ditto. New users have zero trouble (outside of learning curve of any OS) and old users love the new bullet-proof OS.

I have been doing this for years.
brentrbrian 11 August, 2010 12:06
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Sadly for every Win user who's amenable to an O/S change, there's about 10,000 who would have to be held at gunpoint to make the change.
AndyPagin 11 August, 2010 13:14
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I do the same for all my friends and relatives.
I started long ago, before empathy in ubuntu 10.04 included screen sharing feature. Back then I used combination of x11vnc and reverse ssh procedure, which I described here:
http://skliarie.blogspot.com/2008/09/back-to-my-linux.html
Might be of use to someone...
skliarie 11 August, 2010 15:54
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I'm trying to get my mother to switch. The only barrier is Office, to be specific - Word.
She's been a typist for many years now and Word is like her Swiss Army Knife, it should be quite interesting to see how she handles that.
lightpriest 11 August, 2010 16:57
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skliarie : Thanks for sharing the info on the support aspect and getting in to the PC to help the users. I too used Vino and loved it, it's very fast and works great. However recently I've switched to x11vnc because it supports file transfer. I've found that sometimes, this is helpful. x11vnc is also very fast, very flexible, and works great. Both Vino and x11vnc take a little work to get them working though, unfortunately I don't have any instructions for x11vnc available on the Internet, however it basically involved setting up x11vnc as an xinetd service, and making it connect to display 0 for X11. This allows you to connect directly to the active terminal (login screen or currently logged in user). I've also been meaning to try TeamViewer, which uses a variant of UltraVNC (I think) and a 3rd party service to bypass any firewall issues. The catch with TeamViewer is the end user needs to initiate the connection, it's not automatic like running x11vnc as a service. In the past I used VNC on Windows, too. The built in remote desktop service for Windows is completely worthless, there's no way to simultaneously see the end user's screen.
apexwm 11 August, 2010 17:18
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A friend of mine whom I'd describe as a computer novice needed a computer, he was familiar with Windows, but after me telling him all of the benefits of Linux (particularly Ubuntu) he decided to give it a shot. I got him an old P4 and got Ubuntu running on it, and got it set up so that it would play virtually any music and video. Since then, he's been very satisfied with Ubuntu. Especially since he doesn't have to pay Microsoft anything.
Riff Raff 11 August, 2010 21:11
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I've moved most of my family over. My mother was first, and the easiest - when her computer 'broke' (too many windows viruses), I just installed Mandriva on it. My sister wanted a computer so she could email, she didn't get a choice either, I gave her a computer with linux installed right from the start.

My wife was the most difficult. We work together in our small business and she was reluctant, not wanting a learning curve. I finally pushed the issue, out of frustration and got her on Mandriva. Granted, we have to use virtualbox for our accounting program (until we migrate to a linux accounting program) but for the rest of the office procedures? Linux is working better. She indicated that there was next to no learning curve and she likes it better than windows (not the least because now I don't holler everytime she has a computer problem).

What made her a real convert though was when she wanted to add a button to the scanner program she uses. I emailed the developer and two weeks later she had her new button in the program. You won't find that kind of service in most windows apps.
wheel 13 September, 2010 15:44
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