Where do I get Linux? What version should I get?

Z

Zachary Himes

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I am fed up with Windows and it's constant slowness. I have recently bought a new laptop with Windows 8 preinstalled on it. Windows 8 updates a lot, and also runs slower by the day. This computer is only a few months old, but running like it's older then that. I would like to et Linux on my computer as I hear it is a lot faster and overall better. I also need to keep Windows so I have access to Microsoft Office for school work. I have heard that you can have both Windows and Linux on a computer and run which ever one you need at that moment. Is that true?

Where do I get Linux and what version of it should I get?
 


It is true that you can run Windows and Linux on the same computer but not at the same time. (This is somewhat untrue but bear with me). Usually when Windows is installed it takes the whole hard drive. To install Windows, you would have to shrink the Windows installation and partition the hard drive. Then after installing some Linux distro you would have a menu at boot to choose which OS you wanted to use - Windows or Linux. This is over simplified and I am not sure that Windows 7 or 8 will allow you to install Linux. I still run XP and multiboot it and more than one Linux distro. Someone more knowledgeable than myself might chime in with more info. If I say that you need to read and research a lot, you next question will probably be where to go to read. Probably your best bet is to get an older pc and play with it by installing a linux distro on it before trying to dualboot your new laptop. One place to visit is distrowatch.com
 
Not as simple as it once was. You need to contend with UEFI and Secure Boot.

Look at "Installing Ubuntu on a Pre-Installed Windows 8 (64-bit) System (UEFI Supported)" http://askubuntu.com/questions/2218...talled-windows-8-64-bit-system-uefi-supported

The "best" version of Linux is always the one you like and which suits your computer. There are hundreds of distros. We don't know what you want to use Linux for.

Top of the list for newbies are Linux Mint and Ubuntu which are "similar". Look at Distrowatch.com , the list on the right headed "Page Hit Ranking" which gives some idea of "popularity".
 
Distrowatch.com is an excellent source for GNU/Linux distros. If your only reason for keeping windoze is to use microcap office, you should look at LibreOffice or abiword as replacements for MSword. Both work with word documents and you'll find them similar in use
 
Thanks to everyone. I have used distrowatch.com and have selected Ubuntu. I have also used the link that arochester has provided me with. I have not yet tried launching it, but will do so very shortly and hopefully it will work. Is LibreOffice compatible with Microsoft Office documents? The computers at my school are all installed with Microsoft Office 2010 and I will need software that will allow me to open documents I send to myself to complete at home. I am excited to be apart of Linux.org, and hope I will be able to help other people as I become familiar with Linux myself.

Thanks again for the help everyone.
 
welli'm only 12 and dont know alot about linux is that libreoffice is just as good as micoffice and can open the same file types
 
Thank you. I will look into all of them. Hopefully it will allow me to limit my windows 8 usage.
 
So I got Ubuntu working today, and LibreOffice works for what I need. However, there is one problem I have ran into. Some things I do require Adobe Flash Player. I went to download Flash Player, but it still wouldn't work. It never downloaded. What version of Adobe Flash Player do I need to use for Ubuntu 13.04 64-bit? How do I get it to download? If someone can directly me a simple walkthrough it would be very helpful.
 
Simple open up software manager where you look for software and search for adobe flash then install. It may ask for a password but that's all. After that it should be installed.
 
+1 for kingsoft office. I am using it right now. I just wish I could export to open document formats like LibreOffice.
 
I never really used Ubuntu. I was a Kubuntu fan.

If you are using Ubuntu input:
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras
(Have a look at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats)

That will make a bunch of useful stuff available - like Flash.

That's "largely" what the difference is between Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

You should also install the Medibuntu Repository. Another bunch of useful stuff including Adobe Flash Player. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu
 
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Kingsoft is great but doesn't save docx files so makes it scrap meat.
Libreoffice is where its at.
 
I downloaded and installed Ubuntu, but on reboot i'm not able to get Ubuntu to work. Please HELP!
 
Wosh, I experienced the same issue, I'm not sure if I did something wrong, or not, but when I reboot my computer using SHIFT+CLICKING RESTART I am brought to where I can troubleshoot and a bunch of other options, one of which is launch via devices, or something like that. I click on that, and Ubuntu is an option I can boot form and it works wonderfully. I'm not sure if that helps or not, hopefully it does. If it doesn't, you may have to disable SecureBoot if you are using a Windows 8 device.
 
+1 for kingsoft office. I am using it right now. I just wish I could export to open document formats like LibreOffice.
I have read the reviews for Kingsoft Office, but I think for the time being I will have to use LibreOffice because I do need to open Microsoft formats, such as .pptx and .docx
 
On reboot i disabled Secure Boot. I'm still unable to use Linux, and I get a error message that a "required file" is missing and "oxc00007b"
 
.doc works still...but yeah. I wish .docx was supported too. But, Kingsoft is easier to use, for me anyway..

We are off topic guys...
 

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