Linux "Q4OS"

[BaronJ]

I am thinking that maybe I should simply have your disc, blow MS off the computer, then I'll have 1 TB of drive to partition and use. Many people have told me Linux uses a tenth of MS, so the will be less than 10% instead of 80%? And I won't need to buy another computer.
I'LL put all my files onto the plug-in drive first....
A bad idea?
K2

Ken, You are welcome to have an already burnt CD, just PM me your addy.

When you have backed up your files, before you do anything else, test them and make sure that they have been written properly ! Msux has a habit of making things difficult. The number of times that I've used MS utilities to backup peoples files and have had blank discs, corrupted ones or only half of the files that should be there. Once they have been overwritten they are gone forever !!!

Don't bother with backing up MS's own files, but do bear in mind that Wins will put your files in all sorts of places that you don't expect. So explore your file system thoroughly, then you don't miss anything.

So don't bother wiping Wins off, when you install Q4OS it will ask you if you want to use all or part of your HDD.

Now when you get the bootable CD wait and use it till you get to understand things and become comfortable with it. I will give you an Email address that you can use to contact me and there is always this forum.

HTH.

 

[willray]

lets move on and recognise that I would like to make the Linux system that I already own into something workable. I feel I have hurt your feelings by not accepting your "disc", but I have a Linux Stick already. I can't see the difference from where I am sitting.

A couple comments with a caveat: Some of this is stuff that I do professionally. I get the impression that a few others here have more than a passing level of experience as well. One of your biggest challenges is that you're listening to too many of us. One of the beauties of Unixes is that there are an almost uncountable number of different ways to solve most problems. One of the significant challenges, is that most of those uncountable variety of ways, are mutually incompatible. If you had one voice guiding you, you'd be getting a lot further with this. , After this, I'll keep my nose out of this, as too-many cooks spoil the soup.


One of the challenges that you're having, is that the "Linux on a USB stick" distributions are configured so that it is intentionally difficult for you to use the "rest of" your PC. They want you to be able to walk up to your friend's machine, a machine at an internet cafe, wherever, plug in your thumb-drive, do whatever you'd like to do in Linux, and leave the PC as you found it when you walk away.

A CD distribution of Linux is not necessarily going to be configured this way - especially if it's one that's been built by someone who's trying to help you get Linux installed and working on your own hardware.

The second big challenge that you're having - and this goes a bit to the "too many cooks" issue as well - is a language barrier.

Linux opened Firefox - and said it was Google...

Firefox almost certainly didn't say it was Google. In all likelihood you launched Firefox, and it opened the Google website.

Or not...

Linux won't open Gmail...

Linux almost certainly didn't neither opened, nor didn't open Gmail. In all likelihood, whatever web-browser you were using to try to get to Gmail, was either mis-configured and couldn't properly load the Gmail web site, or, the DNS is mis-configured and no application can /find/ the Gmail website.

Or not... Those are my guesses, based on my experience with new users and likely configurations, but there are other guesses, and chasing many of them willy-nilly prevents you from finding your actual issue.

I illustrate these things not to say "you don't know the language dummy" -- you don't live in the language, it's hardly a sin that you don't know it -- but rather to point out that many voices are interpreting the difficulties that you're having in different ways. As a result you can't proceed in a rational step-wise fashion to understanding what's actually going on, and to solve your problems.

Please - pick someone to listen to, and listen only to them. I am almost certain that, for example, BaronJ can help you get Linux installed onto your machine, probably on the free-space that you have available to you without deleting anything, and get you up and running in a fashion that you would find usable.

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Willray,

The Q4OS bootable CD will simply be as it was downloaded from
Q4OS - desktop operating system,
Q4OS Centaurus, Trinity, live - 64bit / x64 ... 719 MBytes
The minimal hardware requirements are:
Trinity desktop - 300MHz CPU / 128MB RAM / 3GB disk
Completely without any modifications by me !

One of the challenges that you're having, is that the "Linux on a USB stick" distributions are configured so that it is intentionally difficult for you to use the "rest of" your PC. They want you to be able to walk up to your friend's machine, a machine at an internet cafe, wherever, plug in your thumb-drive, do whatever you'd like to do in Linux, and leave the PC as you found it when you walk away.

Yes this is very true, the same with the live CD's.
I've been asked to leave computer shops for booting a USB distribution to test laptop compatibility. They don't like it upem, to paraphrase "Dads Army"

 

[Richard Hed]

I am one of those "inexperienced Windows users". - It worked well on day one.. but has since fallen over repeatedly as I try and do some real work. I bought it knowing Linux was free, but a front-end set-up was all I thought I would need... OK - I was wrong (My wife tells me repeatedly, and she is always right! - not a joke.).
Thanks all for the "votes of confidence" that I will work on this and succeed. But don't back a headless Chicken... it may run fast for a short while, but only in random circles, making a mess everywhere and soon falls over dead.
I'll vent my frustrations from time to time, but do keep coming back to this. (I have tried - not hard, not often - for 10 years or so...).

So today's sorry story.
Linux opened Firefox - and said it was Google. The link to my Google account settings didn't work, Gmail didn't work, AOL mail didn't open, E&@y Opened successfully, and almost everything else failed to open.
So I tried to open a document to update on the weekend's modelling. 1 sentence typed - then it crashed - telling me I had used all the space allocated.
So, trying to learn a bit - I browsed the menus and got into something where I could see each drive and the partitions.

• The Xtra-PC stick is 16Gb - and looks almost full with 15Gb of OS. - As I suspected from your advice?
• The plug-in drive is 3/4 full but still has a few hundred Gb of space... - I just don't know how to get Linux onto that drive. I bet Xtra-PC have some encryption so I can't copy the drive contents to this one... Is it worth a try? - Or is there a straight-forward way to tell Xtra-PC Linux to use a partition on the plug-in drive? (I don't know how to add a new partition, but there is a button on the drop-down list...). I can read files in this drive, both with Linux and with MS, but downloading Q40 etc. installation set-up screens don't let me choose where to put them - so they go "somewhere secret". Not on the plug-in drive I want to use.
• The computer Hard-drive is 1 Tb. But Windows occupies >750Gb, and other system partitions use up another 200Gb or so, leaving only around 50Gb spare... Maybe that is why the PC is slowing down?

So knowing the last point, I guess I need a new PC.... (a cheap second-hand thing just a few years old should do?).
Unless you have other ideas... - and I am usually wrong so better to ask - and is my spare 200Gb of space on my plug-in hard-drive the right thing to use? (is it quicker than a USB stick or CD?).
I'm going to do some house jobs and modelling - within my capability.
"Have a nice day" - without me bothering you! - till tomorrow...
K2

From your comments, I have learned one importatnt fact: you have a 16GB thumbdrive and the OS takes up 15GB. That should tell you the important item: your space is too small. I have begun to thimpfk of anything less than 64GB as not being a thumbdrive at all so I am a bit prejudiced on that account. You should get yourself at least a 32GB, but more is better yet. I thimpfk that is your major crashing problem right there. Thumbdrives are cheap, at least in the US they are. Second, you are considering buying a secondhand computer. I recommend this. Here in US, I can get a 2nd hand computer at a junk shop for 10-20$ that works fine, is a bit old with less mem, speed, etc. but actually does very well with Linux installed. the reason I recommend this is BECAUSE it is so cheap to experiment with.

Your biggest prob is too small a thumb drive. Rectify THAT and I bet 1$ that most of your troubles will disappear.

 

[aarggh]

Hi Ken, as others have suggested be very careful copying files from the existing MS install, you may find files you've worked on in sub folders all over the place, especially if you use Outlook for email.

If you have another old PC or laptop handy you can trash, the best thing to do would be to install to the hard drive on that machine so you can see what it's really like to run, and get to grips with it in a less stressful manner without having to worry about data loss.

 

[Steamchick]

I have a much older Dell that I'll get up and running - and install Linux (Q40?) if I can and see what happens.
So much sensible advice. But also many choices.
Thanks WillRay. You hit the nail (me) on the head!
Now I must go shopping - the sun it out - and the garden beckons too!
K2

 

[BaronJ]

I have a much older Dell that I'll get up and running - and install Linux (Q40S) if I can and see what happens.
So much sensible advice. But also many choices.
Thanks WillRay. You hit the nail (me) on the head!
Now I must go shopping - the sun it out - and the garden beckons too!
K2

I have a 20 year old 32 bit Dell laptop that I keep in the workshop for taking micrographs with. I keep saying I will bin it, the battery is toast and I have to plug it into the charger to use it. I've a sneaky feeling that the microscope driver wont run on a 64 bit machine without a rewrite. I'm not even sure that I still have the source code to be able to do that.

Anyway to get to the point, the later Q4OS Centaurus won't run on a 32 bit machine, you would have to use an older 32 bit version.

 

[Steamchick]

I'll have to see what the spec is of the spare Old Dell. (It won't load the Xtra-PC stuff so maybe only 32 bananas... When I checked, the PC Build date was 1 month before the adequate spec for the Xtra-PC stick. ).
K2

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Ken,

If you have to, there are some 32 bit versions under "Older Versions" !

However you do loose some useful functionality ! Plus they are no longer updated. Centaurus is good for five years !

 

[awake]

Will Ray's advice is so good, that I hate to say anything more ...

... but I can't resist. Along with the thoughts about setting up a spare or used computer, let me add that USB-hard disk adapters are very inexpensive. This would let you remove the hard disk without doing any sort of change to it, plug it in via the USB adapter, and open it as an external disk from which you can copy the old files.

 

[Steamchick]

The Xtra PC stick didn't work. After set-up and opening on my more modern Dell - the only way it would save anything was onto the odd couple of bytes remaining for memory on the stick! It would not read my super huge back-up hard drive, nor another stick, nor any other memory. Yes it would browse the internet, but that's just one small task for me. I write documents and do calculations, and am considering CAD - (stupid, I have no use for it). I even print stuff onto Paper!
And it won't work on my older Dell - which curiously has started working after being decreed "dead" 6 months ago!
C'est la vie...
K2

 

[Richard Hed]

The Xtra PC stick didn't work. After set-up and opening on my more modern Dell - the only way it would save anything was onto the odd couple of bytes remaining for memory on the stick! It would not read my super huge back-up hard drive, nor another stick, nor any other memory. Yes it would browse the internet, but that's just one small task for me. I write documents and do calculations, and am considering CAD - (stupid, I have no use for it). I even print stuff onto Paper!
And it won't work on my older Dell - which curiously has started working after being decreed "dead" 6 months ago!
C'est la vie...
K2

Well, there is a command called "mount" -- do you have a book on Linux? Linux for dummies? I do not know about the modern Linuxes, but the older ones, one had to "mount" a drive of any type. A hard drive will come in the form of "hd*", like hda, hdb, hdc, etc. Other types of media use different lettering. The obscure part is that these designations of hidden, (not really hidden, but to those who don't know...) in a folder. Have you got a command called "find"? Try the command called "locate". I found that "find" never workt but locate always did.

The base (lowest) directory is called "/" in the older versions. so if you go to the directory called /, you will find the folders for everything else. Use "locate hda" to see if yuo can can find the directory with the first mount point for a hard drive. You'll really need a book for help on this as I have forgotten the correct wording for this but it is something like "mount hda ..." or "mount C: hda" . Your books will tell you the exact wording.

I thimpfks tht you are on the right track but that yuou simply don't know yet how to proceed. When I learned this I was much yuounger and spent MANY MANY hours pouring thru books and manuals trying to decipher this obscure language. But I eventually succeeded and spent many enjoyable hours playing Linux. Also, I do not know how far Linux modules have advanced but you must understand it is NOT microsux which is made for the total idiot to be able to use. My CAT can actually use it, she trys to type o the keyboard all the tyme but she doesn't know how to reed yet. She comes up with sentences like ================================ or qerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtyoy. Not speaking very good "Cat" I don't quite understand what she is trying to say.

Anyway, do you have a book or two on Linux? If you don't , then get one or two. When I first encountered my brother tryi9ng to learn computereez, he couldn't even control the mouse which surprized and horrified me. And there is a similarity of that to learning Linux. We have to try standing up before we can take baby steps. The standing up, in this particular case, is making sure your hard drives are mounted.

 

[awake]

The Xtra PC stick didn't work. After set-up and opening on my more modern Dell - the only way it would save anything was onto the odd couple of bytes remaining for memory on the stick! It would not read my super huge back-up hard drive, nor another stick, nor any other memory. Yes it would browse the internet, but that's just one small task for me. I write documents and do calculations, and am considering CAD - (stupid, I have no use for it). I even print stuff onto Paper!
And it won't work on my older Dell - which curiously has started working after being decreed "dead" 6 months ago!
C'est la vie...
K2

I think Richard is on the right track in terms of whether the hard disk is mounted. However, you may not need to get into the weeds with the mount command. I can't speak to what Q4OS does, but with a Ubuntu live USB stick, you can open a file browser (click on the little folder icon) and see any devices that could be used on the left. Click on that, and voila - your hard disk is mounted.

 

[Richard Hed]

I think Richard is on the right track in terms of whether the hard disk is mounted. However, you may not need to get into the weeds with the mount command. I can't speak to what Q4OS does, but with a Ubuntu live USB stick, you can open a file browser (click on the little folder icon) and see any devices that could be used on the left. Click on that, and voila - your hard disk is mounted.

Thank yew for that. Honesty, I expected them to update it to be more user friendly to those who are not idiots but still don't have the energy to dig into the deeper workings of the system.

 

[Steamchick]

Thanks Richard, Andy.
What has prompted me to revisit Linux is the simple fact that Microsoft have blown away EVERY THING and re-installed windows without any of the other software I had on the computer. And now it tries to store EVERY THING on the cloud, and NOTHING on my C: drive. I lost 3 days re-building the PC by downloading other software afresh. Like Adobe acrobat....etc. Even all my "Favourites" were destroyed. Every remembered password, etc. And sites I regularly use. (like the DVLA, Bank, Google mail, etc.) - all blown away. NO OPTION. Big Brother MS did it in one single step.. It refuses to see anything I have on re-installed software as file history, so to open yesterday's file I closed when I switched OFF, I need to find it in the directory and open it afresh. Where it used to be the last file in the "File - previous files", bit. If I am not careful, I'll do hours of work then loose it to the cloud, and have none of it on MY drive. I own MY thoughts recorded on MY computer, not MS! I don't need to be watching my back from them every second I am working. I am tempted to disconnected the internet plug from my "Personal work" computer, to beat them, and keep the computer "stand alone". Never mind hackers, MS are the bad guys! IMHO. And I know they are reading this!
Suggestions?
K2

 

[Richard Hed]

Thanks Richard, Andy.
What has prompted me to revisit Linux is the simple fact that Microsoft have blown away EVERY THING and re-installed windows without any of the other software I had on the computer. And now it tries to store EVERY THING on the cloud, and NOTHING on my C: drive. I lost 3 days re-building the PC by downloading other software afresh. Like Adobe acrobat....etc. Even all my "Favourites" were destroyed. Every remembered password, etc. And sites I regularly use. (like the DVLA, Bank, Google mail, etc.) - all blown away. NO OPTION. Big Brother MS did it in one single step.. It refuses to see anything I have on re-installed software as file history, so to open yesterday's file I closed when I switched OFF, I need to find it in the directory and open it afresh. Where it used to be the last file in the "File - previous files", bit. If I am not careful, I'll do hours of work then loose it to the cloud, and have none of it on MY drive. I own MY thoughts recorded on MY computer, not MS! I don't need to be watching my back from them every second I am working. I am tempted to disconnected the internet plug from my "Personal work" computer, to beat them, and keep the computer "stand alone". Never mind hackers, MS are the bad guys! IMHO. And I know they are reading this!
Suggestions?
K2

You have expressed EXACTLY why I LOATHE msux so much. What I do with MY computer, which I bought with MY $$ is not a bit of msux's business! You have no idea of the very naughty--no, extremely bad--words I use against those monsters. I cannot publish the words. If you have more than one computer, try unplugging one from the net and use it as you have said, but you can keep a small one connected. I do this, then transfer what I need to the unplugged one by USB drive or other methods but it keeps msux out of MY business. It's a hassle, but it works.

As to Linux, I thimpfks your attempts to get it going are on the right track. I have to warn you however, that it may be difficult. I believe your biggest problem is that you are using a USB drive to operate your computer. If you install it with "dual boot" you would be better off. Also, there is a program in Linux called WINE -- window . . . emulator, which allows you to run msux as a seperate program which in turn will allow you to use all your msux programs. I heard, however, that it is not perfect and acts buggy.

Get yourself a couple books on Linux, try to find a Linux forum and start talking to everyone who is knowledgable. I have to admit, I have lost track with what's going on nowadays with Linux, but I love Linux. Linux doesn't probe you OR your system and I am sure, as a man, that you don't like being probed, even by your butcher -- I mean doctor, no less msux. My daughter is buyinn a Lenovo this week and it apparently comes with msux 11 which she says people REALLY hate. I thot msux had changed some of their 'probing' crap because of the anger over version 10, but apparently not.

What Linux are you trying? Q***? I downloaded a few versions last year but haven't tried installing them. If you has questions, please ask. I can help some, but I know there are peeps even on this forum who are more knowledgeable than myself. I am quite sure they will help.

Speaking of 'Probing", here's one I enjoy:
https://skyandtelescope.org/astrono...hborhood/?utm_source=cc&utm_medium=newsletter
Oh, that sounded naughty.

 

[Steamchick]

Thanks Richard, a big help. I'll get a book and browse for the Q level to suit my PC.
K2

 

[Richard Hed]

Thanks Richard, a big help. I'll get a book and browse for the Q level to suit my PC.
K2

MY Computer just froze up. Care to guess what it was?

microsux just tried to get me to shift over to ver. 11. These sh*tbag k**sukkers really make me angry. I had to shut the computer off because of it and when I started it back up, there was a huge page of msux trying to get me to get a 'free' upgrade to msux v. 11. You know, I REALLY REALLY want to reach thru the wires and hurt those people. And I mean I want to hurt them BAD! How dare they do this! %^)*&)@*#$%@

 

[Steamchick]

I am beginning to think it is MS 11 that hit me! MS, I know you will read this. Your business strategy SUCKS! = Unhappy customers are trying to find a way to get out of your "data control strategy"! It is CORRUPT - as it is worse than BIG BROTHER. But I guess you do it because the CIA approve....which makes it real BIG BROTHER stuff!
K2

 

[Richard Hed]

I am beginning to think it is MS 11 that hit me! MS, I know you will read this. Your business strategy SUCKS! = Unhappy customers are trying to find a way to get out of your "data control strategy"! It is CORRUPT - as it is worse than BIG BROTHER. But I guess you do it because the CIA approve....which makes it real BIG BROTHER stuff!
K2

Two hours later I have a raging anger. I have to have a cigarette to calm down. Not kidding at all! What they are doing is kriminal--doesn't some kind of law enforcement do something about this? It certainly is cybercrime. Reaching into someone's home and giving them a heart attack. This is attempted murder. I simply lack the words to express my anger.