that's for the packages! what about the shitty progrmas like netwrok manager and that hardware drivers thing?! all shit! a reinstall cant fix that!
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Linux for your taste (sorry Naw :D) (15 Viewers)
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Buy on AliExpress.com
I'm the go-to guy amongst my circle of friends when it comes to tech-related issues, and I got a call from a girl who needs help with virus/spyware/bloat issues every couple of months.
In the past, I've just gone over and removed the malware in question or reinstalled Windows if need be, but the more I thought about it, the more suitable I realised Linux would be for her.
I went over to her house today and installed Linux Mint, made sure all her hardware was working properly, let her change her wallpaper and login screen, and pointed her in the direction of Linux substitutes for the Windows programs she was accustomed to. That was about 2 hours ago, and so far she seems very happy with it.
I've decided to keep a diary of the process. Hopefully things will go well and she'll fully embrace Linux, and maybe we'll even learn something about how to help new users through the transition.
Here's last night's chat log:
Graham
so what exactly is the problem with your comp?
Windows User: i don't know.. -.-
it laggs.
pop ups
Graham hmmm so it just starts slowing down for no apparent reason?
Windows User: yes....
Graham what kind of popups?
Windows User: i don't pay attention to them. lol
Graham hehe ok. How often do they pop up?
Windows User: i don't know. lol. if i'm not a the comp for a while.. and i come back all these pop ups are there
Graham ahhh ic
Windows User: yes.. i don't even know how the internet started working
Graham haha..... what are the main uses of your computer?
Windows User: youtube no doubt. lol
Windows User: what sort of interviewing do you need to do?
Graham lol I'm semi-joking, don't feel intimidated. it's just that I want to determine your needs and the recurring problems you're having with your comp, and seeing if it might be easier to implement a more longer-term solution instead of me going over to fix your comp every time you get a new virus
Windows User: ohh.. it says i have trojans?
Windows User: i don't know what that is
Graham basically it keeps running on your computer without your knowledge, and takes up resources and bandwidth contacting different sites and sending/receiving gosh knows what kind of data
Windows User: ohh... could it be from msn? cuz i've had it from that before..
Graham possibly, or maybe different websites you've visited or files you've received
Windows User: ohh.. i've downloaded programs that i think i shouldn't have..
Graham what else do you use your comp for?
Windows User: facebook.. youtube... my sis uses it for things as well..but don't know what she uses it for..
Graham hmmm ok. Because what I'm thinking is... it's going to sound kind of scary at first, but judging by what you've told me, you might be better off escaping from Windows.
Windows User: okay, what does that mean?
Graham so... for about 2 years now, I've been using an alternative to Windows, which isn't Mac
Not sure if you've heard of it, it's called Linux
Windows User: i have heard of it =)
Graham the reason I switched over was mainly because it's a lot faster, doesn't get a whole lot of crap over time so you have to format, and doesn't get viruses and spyware/trojans
Windows User: ohhh.. that's good!! =) is it harder to use?
Graham so it's a little different of course, because the mechanics under the hood are a bit different. But you won't need to touch that stuff, and on the surface it works very similarly to windows
Windows User: okay, cool =)
Graham so the reason I'm asking you all these questions is, even though I believe Linux is superior, it's not ideal for some people, because it's not guaranteed to run all of their 3D games or specialised design programs, and for people who are very tech-savvy and used to Windows, they don't really see the benefit. But judging from what you've told me, it sounds like it'd save you a whole lot of headaches! I can come over with my laptop and give you a look around, and if it looks ok you can give it a shot
Windows User: sure =) It can't be that much different, can it? i'll get used to it.. =)
Graham haha good on ya for being open-minded
Windows User: all i need is itunes. and firefox and msn.
Graham see there's the thing. You won't be using the same programs as you are right now, but there are Linux versions of everything you use that do exactly the same thing, in a lot of cases, they do it a heck of a lot better and faster
Windows User: so there's something i can use to get songs onto my ipod?
Graham yepyep of course
Windows User: oh! then that's fine!! =)
Graham and I won't push you into the deep end or anything until you're convinced that you have the right software to do all you need to do it's very flexible too, and fun to work with
Windows User: we don't need much on this computer..
Graham Here's an example of what a fully customised Linux desktop can look like. (this is an example of extreme customisation, but it can be as simple or as complex as you choose it to be
Windows User: maybe i'll learn something about the computer this way =)
Graham actually yeah, you probably will because you have to try really hard to break Linux, so I'll be very impressed if you do! So far I haven't found a way! Oh, and you won't have to worry about dodgy copies of Windows or "Genuine Advantage" or activation or anything
Windows User: AHAHAHAH i'm sick of that thing
Graham hahaha everyone is >.<
Windows User: what about microsfot word? or is ther another similar thing?
Graham yep, there's an alternative called Openoffice that does the same thing, as well as spreadsheets and powerpoint presentations and all that
Windows User: yay! so i can delete programs? or will it delete by itself when you change it?
Graham well if you choose to install it, it'll be totally separate from Windows, so anything you do in Windows won't affect Linux
Windows User: if you install Linux i won't have Windows anymore?
Graham that's upto you You can choose to keep it and use both whenever you choose to
Windows User: WOAHHHHHHHHHHHH. I wanna try linux.. just do it..i'll learn for myself..
Graham actually you know what, if you realllly want you can run a virtual copy of windows from inside linux. In that video around 1:10 it shows a demonstration of it
Windows User: i saw it.. looks hectic
Graham I'll show you the details tomorrow, but I'll warn you in advance that there is a learning curve, just like learning anything else, and the way things work is a bit different in some areas. You still have the files and folders structure, but one change is, when you want to use new software, you no longer download .exe files from a page you googled. Instead there's a central program that manages all your software. If you want to install something, you go there, tick the box next to the software you want and click OK. I'll show you that tomorrow.
Windows User: okay =) i've got a lot to learn
Graham haha, hopefully you'll enjoy the ride Actually what I can do is set your computer up so that, as long as it's connected to the internet, if you really need help, I can log into your computer remotely and fix things even if I'm at work
Windows User: ohhh i see =) yay!!! Does that mean you can steal our internet memory thingy?
Graham ooh you mean your bandwidth?
Windows User: YES that's what i meant
Graham: well I guess I can waste it, but I can't steal it, because anything I download will go onto your computer. I don't want you to feel unsafe or anything, so I'll set it up so you need to authorise remote access.
Windows User: lol.. I trust you. Just as long as no one else can use it?
Graham: I mean firstly they'd need to know 1) how, 2) that your computer allows remote access, 3) the password, 4) your computer's internet IP address. So I think you're pretty safe
Windows User: oh.. i don't even know that.. lol.
In the past, I've just gone over and removed the malware in question or reinstalled Windows if need be, but the more I thought about it, the more suitable I realised Linux would be for her.
I went over to her house today and installed Linux Mint, made sure all her hardware was working properly, let her change her wallpaper and login screen, and pointed her in the direction of Linux substitutes for the Windows programs she was accustomed to. That was about 2 hours ago, and so far she seems very happy with it.
I've decided to keep a diary of the process. Hopefully things will go well and she'll fully embrace Linux, and maybe we'll even learn something about how to help new users through the transition.
Here's last night's chat log:
Graham
so what exactly is the problem with your comp?
Windows User: i don't know.. -.-
it laggs.
pop ups
Graham hmmm so it just starts slowing down for no apparent reason?
Windows User: yes....
Graham what kind of popups?
Windows User: i don't pay attention to them. lol
Graham hehe ok. How often do they pop up?
Windows User: i don't know. lol. if i'm not a the comp for a while.. and i come back all these pop ups are there
Graham ahhh ic
Windows User: yes.. i don't even know how the internet started working
Graham haha..... what are the main uses of your computer?
Windows User: youtube no doubt. lol
Windows User: what sort of interviewing do you need to do?
Graham lol I'm semi-joking, don't feel intimidated. it's just that I want to determine your needs and the recurring problems you're having with your comp, and seeing if it might be easier to implement a more longer-term solution instead of me going over to fix your comp every time you get a new virus
Windows User: ohh.. it says i have trojans?
Windows User: i don't know what that is
Graham basically it keeps running on your computer without your knowledge, and takes up resources and bandwidth contacting different sites and sending/receiving gosh knows what kind of data
Windows User: ohh... could it be from msn? cuz i've had it from that before..
Graham possibly, or maybe different websites you've visited or files you've received
Windows User: ohh.. i've downloaded programs that i think i shouldn't have..
Graham what else do you use your comp for?
Windows User: facebook.. youtube... my sis uses it for things as well..but don't know what she uses it for..
Graham hmmm ok. Because what I'm thinking is... it's going to sound kind of scary at first, but judging by what you've told me, you might be better off escaping from Windows.
Windows User: okay, what does that mean?
Graham so... for about 2 years now, I've been using an alternative to Windows, which isn't Mac
Not sure if you've heard of it, it's called LinuxWindows User: i have heard of it =)
Graham the reason I switched over was mainly because it's a lot faster, doesn't get a whole lot of crap over time so you have to format, and doesn't get viruses and spyware/trojans
Windows User: ohhh.. that's good!! =) is it harder to use?
Graham so it's a little different of course, because the mechanics under the hood are a bit different. But you won't need to touch that stuff, and on the surface it works very similarly to windows
Windows User: okay, cool =)
Graham so the reason I'm asking you all these questions is, even though I believe Linux is superior, it's not ideal for some people, because it's not guaranteed to run all of their 3D games or specialised design programs, and for people who are very tech-savvy and used to Windows, they don't really see the benefit. But judging from what you've told me, it sounds like it'd save you a whole lot of headaches! I can come over with my laptop and give you a look around, and if it looks ok you can give it a shot
Windows User: sure =) It can't be that much different, can it? i'll get used to it.. =)
Graham haha good on ya for being open-minded
Windows User: all i need is itunes. and firefox and msn.
Graham see there's the thing. You won't be using the same programs as you are right now, but there are Linux versions of everything you use that do exactly the same thing, in a lot of cases, they do it a heck of a lot better and faster
Windows User: so there's something i can use to get songs onto my ipod?
Graham yepyep of course
Windows User: oh! then that's fine!! =)
Graham and I won't push you into the deep end or anything until you're convinced that you have the right software to do all you need to do it's very flexible too, and fun to work with
Windows User: we don't need much on this computer..
Graham Here's an example of what a fully customised Linux desktop can look like. (this is an example of extreme customisation, but it can be as simple or as complex as you choose it to be
Windows User: maybe i'll learn something about the computer this way =)
Graham actually yeah, you probably will
because you have to try really hard to break Linux, so I'll be very impressed if you do! So far I haven't found a way! Oh, and you won't have to worry about dodgy copies of Windows or "Genuine Advantage" or activation or anythingWindows User: AHAHAHAH i'm sick of that thing
Graham hahaha everyone is >.<
Windows User: what about microsfot word? or is ther another similar thing?
Graham yep, there's an alternative called Openoffice that does the same thing, as well as spreadsheets and powerpoint presentations and all that
Windows User: yay! so i can delete programs? or will it delete by itself when you change it?
Graham well if you choose to install it, it'll be totally separate from Windows, so anything you do in Windows won't affect Linux
Windows User: if you install Linux i won't have Windows anymore?
Graham that's upto you
You can choose to keep it and use both whenever you choose toWindows User: WOAHHHHHHHHHHHH. I wanna try linux.. just do it..i'll learn for myself..
Graham actually you know what, if you realllly want you can run a virtual copy of windows from inside linux. In that video around 1:10 it shows a demonstration of it
Windows User: i saw it.. looks hectic
Graham I'll show you the details tomorrow, but I'll warn you in advance that there is a learning curve, just like learning anything else, and the way things work is a bit different in some areas. You still have the files and folders structure, but one change is, when you want to use new software, you no longer download .exe files from a page you googled. Instead there's a central program that manages all your software. If you want to install something, you go there, tick the box next to the software you want and click OK. I'll show you that tomorrow.
Windows User: okay =) i've got a lot to learn
Graham haha, hopefully you'll enjoy the ride
Actually what I can do is set your computer up so that, as long as it's connected to the internet, if you really need help, I can log into your computer remotely and fix things even if I'm at work Windows User: ohhh i see =) yay!!! Does that mean you can steal our internet memory thingy?
Graham ooh you mean your bandwidth?
Windows User: YES that's what i meant
Graham: well I guess I can waste it, but I can't steal it, because anything I download will go onto your computer. I don't want you to feel unsafe or anything, so I'll set it up so you need to authorise remote access.
Windows User: lol.. I trust you. Just as long as no one else can use it?
Graham: I mean firstly they'd need to know 1) how, 2) that your computer allows remote access, 3) the password, 4) your computer's internet IP address. So I think you're pretty safe
Windows User: oh.. i don't even know that.. lol.
So at my university they recently found the money to order a ton of new boxen from Dell and upgrade to winxp. In the process, they killed the last two linux labs so now it's like a microsoft convention. It's infuriating, the monoculture is sickening. If anywhere there should be time and space for teaching people about the computing world and variety it's in the schools and universities. Not to mention that free software is founded on the same principles of freedom of thought and information that frickin academia is supposed to hold dear.
The faculty members, obviously not eager to live in Windows hell, all have Macs. Hilarious hypocrisy.
The faculty members, obviously not eager to live in Windows hell, all have Macs. Hilarious hypocrisy.
