Just Stuff

As I have posted before, I'm running Linux on all my office computers, dual booting with Vista on a laptop for certain limited purposes.

I had reason to buy the younger a used laptop for her college graduation, and knowing she had some familiarity with Linux due to the influence of her brother-in-law, Ubuntu in particular, decided to set up a dual boot with XP. In doing so, and knowing her use of computers for a variety of things including, but not limited to watching videos, listening to music, etc., decided to try Linux Miint on her computer (with an installation on the laptop so I could monitor developments and help her if she needed it). 

I've now upgraded to Mint6 (Code name Elyssa), and could not be more pleased. The OS functions as expected; I've been able to enable the wifi card more easily, now that the ath5k module is available (yes, the laptop has an Atheros 5007 card); and, with all other developments, am cruising along quite nicely with Mint.

For those who would like to "try out" a Linux distro, there are worse than Mint. It is based upon Ubuntu, the popularity of which is growing remarkably. So, if your computer has at least 512 mb RAM (to install; system runs on 256 mb), and you would like to try something different out, Mint may be downloaded as a "Live CD" iso from www.linuxmint.com, burned to CD as an image, and tried out as a live session, which essentially means you can run the OS without affecting your current Windows install at all. Performance will be slower than if actually installed, as it is running from the CD, but that is a good way to see if all your "stuff" works. Oh, almost forgot; if one is faint at heart, and the prospect of partitioning a hard drive is just too much, Mint6 (as may Ubuntu) may be installed "inside Windows" using an application developed for that purpose.

Should anyone be interested in pursuing this, post here, and I'll answer (albeit slowly) as best I can.