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Which Linux?

scotty38 said:
No real idea what's wrong but what version of GRUB are you running the old one or the "new" one? If old do you need to edit menu.lst to run the correctly installed kernel, if it's the newer GRUB then it should have run update-grub automatically but it may not have happened. I would recommend you research rather than taking my word on anything though....
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Thanks - I'll look into that. I haven't lost any files/work, so at some point I'll probably do a clean install on a new HD. However my takeaway is that linux is still not at Windows / MacOs levels of easy user updating, which is a bit disappointing considering how long Linux and ubuntu have been around.
 
sean99 said:
There's always one smartarse.
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Every machine I have set up has a partition just for timeshift snapshots and its saved me a lot of time. It makes try-and-see very easy.

FWIW I find Linux Mint update far simpler and quicker than both Windows that craps all over yer disk stealing space and macOS that often goes out to lunch when updating. And bestest of all is that you don't have to upgrade Linux at all or just select those bits that are of use. Mint also has a beginner update mode where only those marked as green (safe) are installed.

Also don't fergit that Linux is for free - all those very bright peeps doing all the hard work and then some dumb user complains. You can buy maintained versions that are hardened if you want. Personally I think its amazing what we get for free. I think the current list price for Win 10 Pro is around £150 and no macOS ain't free either as you pay for the license on purchase of the hardware,

Cheers,

DV
 
sean99 said:
However my takeaway is that linux is still not at Windows / MacOs levels of easy user updating, which is a bit disappointing considering how long Linux and ubuntu have been around.
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sean.

not sure how n=1 with an old laptop is a situation from which to take away sweeping generalizations. my last memories of windows (about 7 years ago) updating was agony of not knowing what mess i was in for after it was done and, at times wondering if it would ever be done.
 
Mal45 said:
Novatech do both full desktop machines and "bare-bones" machines (case/motherboard/cpu/memory) where you just transfer your hard drives and other peripherals from your old machine. In both cases their machines are available with no Windows and hence no Microsoft tax. I believe they also do their own branded laptops on the same basis.
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Yes, but how many people buy a Novatech brand laptop? Dell sell only a very, very few models with Ubuntu installed, but it seems like a token gesture to show they are not in league with the MS monopoly.
 
sean99 said:
Thanks - I'll look into that. I haven't lost any files/work, so at some point I'll probably do a clean install on a new HD. However my takeaway is that linux is still not at Windows / MacOs levels of easy user updating, which is a bit disappointing considering how long Linux and ubuntu have been around.
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Well, I almost never bother to 'update' the Linux distros I use, which makes the task pretty trivial. I just wait until a given LTS has been about for some months, then install the current version. I can't compare it with Windows or Mac as I stopped bothering with them over a decade ago. I always found Windows a PITA, but that's me, I guess. :)
 
PaulMB said:
Yes, but how many people buy a Novatech brand laptop? Dell sell only a very, very few models with Ubuntu installed, but it seems like a token gesture to show they are not in league with the MS monopoly.
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Hmmm Dell has been supplying Linux on their PCs for 20 years so I guess its supply and demand. I guess the user base are business where they need Linux.

Cheers,

DV
 
Jim Audiomisc said:
Well, I almost never bother to 'update' the Linux distros I use, which makes the task pretty trivial. I just wait until a given LTS has been about for some months, then install the current version. I can't compare it with Windows or Mac as I stopped bothering with them over a decade ago. I always found Windows a PITA, but that's me, I guess. :)
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If anything both Win and macOS updates are a super PITA. They both download in the background even if automatic updates are turned off and then nag nag nag you to upgrade and try to trick you into updating. With major updates both go out to lunch and can keep you hanging about when you need to work or in my case take the taxi waiting outside whilst the dam things are doing whatever they need to do sloooowly.

With Mint I can choose what I want to update if anything such as firefox and leave it at that.

Cheers,

DV
 
Darth Vader said:
If anything both Win and macOS updates are a super PITA. They both download in the background even if automatic updates are turned off and then nag nag nag you to upgrade and try to trick you into updating. With major updates both go out to lunch and can keep you hanging about when you need to work or in my case take the taxi waiting outside whilst the dam things are doing whatever they need to do sloooowly.
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this isn't something I recognise. 4 win10 machines, all update swiftly and when I tell them to. My machine at work only updates at night, my others are at my behest when I want them to, with little intrusive nagging
 
Jim Audiomisc said:
Well, I almost never bother to 'update' the Linux distros I use, which makes the task pretty trivial. I just wait until a given LTS has been about for some months, then install the current version. I can't compare it with Windows or Mac as I stopped bothering with them over a decade ago. I always found Windows a PITA, but that's me, I guess. :)
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Same here, with Kubuntu. I use the same version for a few years, maybe update Firefox once, then eventually move on to 2 or 3 versions later. With a /home partition, it seems to keep all my files and settings.
 
I’m not a computer faffer but read these threads in case I need the knowledge later. I can’t remember why or when but I have a bookmark to Elementary OS. Is that just another brand of Linux? It hasn’t been mentioned so far in this thread so is it not worth considering? Superceded? Just crap?
 
Just Googled it. It is yet another Ubuntu-based Linux distro. Maybe DistroWatch has a review. It is probably no more "elementary" than Ubuntu or Kubuntu, but I have no idea.
 
Blimey, I had no idea there was so much choice (in fact, I just needed to google what ‘distro’ means). I found a review of Elementray. It was rated 3/5 on that occasion.
 
PaulMB said:
Point taken. Although I remember when Vista came out, and then Win 7, many were grumbling that XP was better. But then there is always an initial negative reaction to "New."
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I thought it was more a case of MS issuing a great OS followed by a crap one, followed by another goodie, and so on. In my computing life I remember:
Win 98 - great. Maybe 95 was OK too, back in the day.
Win 2000 - not great
Win XP - great, lasted nearly 20 years
Vista - least said, soonest mended
Win 7 - this one works
Win 8 - give over
Win 10 - seems like a winner.

Not looking very promising for Windows 11 is it?
 
I must be much older, alas, because my favourites were:

DOS+Staroffice
Win 3.1
Win 98
Win XP

Then Red Hat, Mandrake/Mandriva, Mepis, Kubuntu. Never, ever, looked back.
 
PaulMB said:
I must be much older, alas, because my favourites were:

DOS+Staroffice
Win 3.1
Win 98
Win XP

Then Red Hat, Mandrake/Mandriva, Mepis, Kubuntu. Never, ever, looked back.
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Last Windows that I used was 98, and like you, made the switch to Linux, and never looked back. :cool: :)
 
What Sir?

Even before that, Mac OS (1984) with Photoshop 1 and Word and Excel 1. The stuff still works just fine, and I can even print. Oh, I forgot the Apple //e, still works too. Printing works too. I use an old 98 machine to make floppies. Yes Sir. Mental, innit?
 
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