Linux

[Bob T]

[quote user="NormanH"][quote user="Chezstevens"]NormanH's suggestion is a bloody good idea - however, sometimes being able to easily remove an OS prevents you persevering - unless you are also bloody-minded(like me). Thanks for info, I'll have another look at VPN Tunnel on my return.

As discussed, if you are feeling brave (read thread and Wiki) and have a spare machine then: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/11/ubuntu-12-04-daily-builds-available/

Common feeling is not much change from 11.10 (some folks commented more stable than 11.04). As I mentioned, will play with it on return to "work". Alpha version of LTS supposedly available in December. I am not a programmer just somebody that enjoys learning new things when separated from family.[/quote]

Now have the 12.10 on CD, and have tried it.

Running it from disk is not a fair test of performance, but it works well, and I like the new layout where the windows partition(if you still have one) is clearly visible

I would install it, but my heart sinks at a clean install losing all my 'tweaks' so I will wait probably until I can just upgrade my 11.10

On the other hand....[:)]

[/quote]

Can't be Ubuntu 12.10 as that will not be released till October 2012!

[NormanH]

[quote user="Bob T"][quote user="NormanH"][quote user="Chezstevens"]NormanH's suggestion is a bloody good idea - however, sometimes being able to easily remove an OS prevents you persevering - unless you are also bloody-minded(like me). Thanks for info, I'll have another look at VPN Tunnel on my return.

As discussed, if you are feeling brave (read thread and Wiki) and have a spare machine then: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/11/ubuntu-12-04-daily-builds-available/

Common feeling is not much change from 11.10 (some folks commented more stable than 11.04). As I mentioned, will play with it on return to "work". Alpha version of LTS supposedly available in December. I am not a programmer just somebody that enjoys learning new things when separated from family.[/quote]

Now have the 12.10 on CD, and have tried it.

Running it from disk is not a fair test of performance, but it works well, and I like the new layout where the windows partition(if you still have one) is clearly visible

I would install it, but my heart sinks at a clean install losing all my 'tweaks' so I will wait probably until I can just upgrade my 11.10

On the other hand....[:)]

[/quote]

Can't be Ubuntu 12.10 as that will not be released till October 2012!

[/quote]

Sorry I meant 12.04 [:)]

[Théière]

Isn't that the problem with Linux you need to have lots of tweaks and each upgrade means re doing all of them?

[NormanH]

I agree that you need tweaks...but then look at all the anti-virus and anti-malware etc that you have to run on Windows, plus all the things you have to install extra

On the other hand if you upgrade (as opposed to re-install) your tweaks stay.

As 12.04 is not yet released I was talking of doing a new installation as opposed to an up grade, which will be automatically available when it is released

[Théière]

Thanks Norman, I may give this a go, often wondered how good it is, Brother put me off as he said you need to be hands on too often, he is a Unix specialist but frequently looks too deeply.

[NormanH]

I am sure none of us want to get into one of those silly Windows versus Linux/Mac debates.

It's a bit like the Explorer/Firefox/Opera/Chrome   discussions, everybody finds a preference (/Firefox/Opera/Chrome are all available in Linux btw)

I use both, which is why I like the double boot option (either half hearted with Wubi) or more full on as BobT can explain.

[NormanH]

I am chuffed with myself (no BIGHEAD smiley)

Thanks to BobT's enthusiasm I decided to fully install Linux, not just use the Wubi option, and I managed to partition the disk and move my existing version (11.10) into the new second partition.

Just as BobT said, now I can access all my files and drives (windows, external hard drives , USB, CD etc) from within Linux without having to change between Linux and Windows..

For a numpty non-tecchy I reckon that shows that the modern versions of Linux are pretty user-friendly [:D]

[Chezstevens]

As they say "It ain't rocket science" .... not anymore :) Tart it up with Gnome or KDE (Kubuntu)?

[Bob T]

[quote user="NormanH"]I am chuffed with myself (no BIGHEAD smiley)

Thanks to BobT's enthusiasm I decided to fully install Linux, not just use the Wubi option, and I managed to partition the disk and move my existing version (11.10) into the new second partition.

Just as BobT said, now I can access all my files and drives (windows, external hard drives , USB, CD etc) from within Linux without having to change between Linux and Windows..

For a numpty non-tecchy I reckon that shows that the modern versions of Linux are pretty user-friendly [:D]

[/quote]

I would not call you a numpty as you have made the decision to try something new - just as I did many years ago. What you will find is that it becomes a pastime, and you will have great fun making it work just the way you want. The real satisfaction is finding that you use windows less and less and find that you have something that you have control over rather than Microsoft.

[Gardengirl]

Hi All,

I've  finally got Ubuntu 11.10 up and running on an old XP machine and downloaded a few websites just to give it a try. 

I am hoping it’s going to be a lot faster than Windows so to give it a fair trial I decided to load it alongside Windows rather than as an application within Windows. My logic was that even while using Linux, Windows would still be doing all its housekeeping in the background so sapping resources.

In case anyone else fancies going down this route, here are a few pitfalls I hit.  

During the installation I needed  to create a new partition but the relevant button didn’t seem to do anything so I had to abandon the installation and create the partition separately.  I downloaded Easeus Partition Manager (free) to clip 20Gb off the Windows partition and set it up as a FAT32 partition for Ubuntu.  This was fairly straightforward and it took only a few minutes to define what I wanted but it then took about 3hrs implementing the changes.

There were no major problems implementing Ubuntu.  At one stage things seemed to have stopped until I realised that you have to give a password on the administrator registration screen even if you say that you are not going to use it to login. I later found out this is needed for operations that need administrator approval.  I made another mistake at the end of the installation when I didn’t realise that the install would still use the disc after the reboot button has been pressed.  As a result the installation was lost and I had to do it all again.  You have to leave the disc in until you are told to take it out.

The only other general comment on the installation process was that several times it seemed to stop and there was no indication that anything was happening.

I'm still worried that there is no firewall or antivirus.  Is it safe to keep personal information on the machine and use it for internet banking?

Thanks again for the help in getting started.

Mr GG

[NormanH]

There is a firewall if you want to use it

Go to the software centre and search for firewall

You don't need an antivirus.

That password you had to set is needed for anything to access just about anything...so nothing can just set up house on the system

This article is a bit longwinded but makes the points

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-security.html

and

http://www.beakkon.com/geek/linux-or-windows-security

"Microsoft Outlook is able to infect a user's computer when they do something as innocuous as read an email

a Linux user would have to read the email, save the attachment, give the

attachment executable permissions, and then run the executable. "

[Rjpfrancais]

"Microsoft Outlook is able to infect a user's computer when they do something as innocuous as read an email

a Linux user would have to read the email, save the attachment, give the attachment executable permissions, and then run the executable. "

That quote is so far out-of-date its almost laughable.

The article from which you got it was lifted (without giving any credit) from another article written the best part of 10 years a go - Windows security is in an altogether different league now. Try doing what you said above on a Vista or Win 7 PC.

Please don't spread this sort of FUD without checking it first.

[Bob T]

I thought this thread was a sensible one about trying Linux. I knew that it would not be long before an upset windows user would be along.

[NormanH]

[quote user="Rjpfrancais"]"Microsoft Outlook is able to infect a user's computer when they do something as innocuous as read an email

a Linux user would have to read the email, save the attachment, give the attachment executable permissions, and then run the executable. "

That quote is so far out-of-date its almost laughable.

The article from which you got it was lifted (without giving any credit) from another article written the best part of 10 years a go - Windows security is in an altogether different league now. Try doing what you said above on a Vista or Win 7 PC.

Please don't spread this sort of FUD without checking it first.[/quote]

I posted the link to the article. Please read links before commentating

In any case my post was a reply about whether you need  an anti-virus in Linux.

I am not anti Windows as I made very clear in an earlier post ( if again you had read it)

But the anti-virus industry (and mentality) is one that come from weaknesses in Windows that simply have never been there in  Linux, so it is difficult to convince people such as the OP that things are different .

[Quillan]

Yes you do need anti virus, anti worm and anti Trojan software. Whilst it is true that there are far fewer of these around that can attack a Unix/Linux machine they do exist. You also have to be careful with files from a Windows environment which may travel across platform.

The 'Golden Grail' for writers of these sort of things is to write something that gives back door access to the root directory. There are currently around three known 'viruses' that can do this. That aside it is much harder to infect a Unix/Linux machine but don't be naive enough to consider that it can't be done and does not happen. All computer operating systems are open to attack. Having said that I know personally of two people who do not run any form of AV on their Windows PC's (XP and Vista) and have never had any form of virus, worm or Trojan.

[NormanH]

I bow to your superior first hand experience of Linux.

Please advise on your choice of  software, with an account of how it helped...

[Chezstevens]

I always thought you had to be a complete idiot to load a virus on Linux or, for that matter, Lion/Leopard OS. Do they fashion the malware to attack all current forms of GNU/Unix based platforms? Or is it targetted to specific incarnation?

So it will also attack Apple?

Or are you referring to recent Apple malware?

[Rjpfrancais]

Deleted by me

[Rjpfrancais]

@ Norman H

Actually I did read the last link and I quickly realised how out of date it was. It was originally written in 2003 way before the release of Vista and Windows 7. Perhaps you've been using Linux for so long that your knowledge of Windows is now seriously out of date?

But back to Linux (which I use myself for specific jobs and I like it), no operating system is inherently secure. The only reason that perhaps you can get away with running Linux without AV software is because Linux is only found on 1-2% of desktops so it doesn't get much if any attention from virus writing miscreants. Apple used to claim its safe to run OSx without AV software but MACs have become more of a target as they have become more popular, as have iPhones etc whose iOS operating system is derived from OSX.

And as somebody mentioned above, Linux powers most of the world's webservers. So when you hear about website hacking stories which OS do you think is being hacked? Also think about Android which is another Linux distribution, there has been an explosion of malware in the last year targetted at this platform.

Do you still feel that Linux is inherently secure?

[Rjpfrancais]

@ Bob T

I'm not an upset Windows user, Im a happy Windows and Linux user. I just don't like mis-information.

[Dart16]

I see that android smartphones are now attracting the attention of the miscreants, no-doubt due to the exponential growth not only of the genuine articles but also of the cheap Chinese copies and their hacked firmwares.

Every system will be targeted as soon as there is a perceived return.

[halfblind]

Just come upon this thread and read with interest. I installed my first Linux system about 6 yrs ago for myself after advice from a "french geek". Must say I have enjoyed the experience and now know a little around the gnu/linux world. Am currently using the latest Ubuntu 11.10 with Gnome shell as the window manager - I find it suits me, but the great thing about the whole Linux experience for me has been the choice and the ability to keep my old equipment running and sometimes faster than newer machines running Windows 7 - Vista was easy to beat, horrible system !

[Quillan]

Whilst looking around the other night for Linux viruses there is one called "Waterfall" which specifically targets machine running Gnome and creates a back door to the root.

[Bob T]

[quote user="Quillan"]Whilst looking around the other night for Linux viruses there is one called "Waterfall" which specifically targets machine running Gnome and creates a back door to the root.[/quote]

I believe that was a couple of years ago. It would have taken the user to put in the root password for it to take hold and I suspect that it was disabled very quickly by one of the regular updates.