Going Chrome OS - Abandoning Windows 8 and the PC

[Schlenkerla]

Unionrdr

I don't think Zorin is bad.

You can try it now if you have burned a USB or a DVD. It won't install, unless to tell it to install. When I did this I booted from a DVD, did nothing, at Zorin splash screen.

It loads the OS in a Live state or trial mode. It loads just to memory and runs off the burned media device. At this point you can play around.

It might have lag during the trial test, but it's only because of the media source.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Unionrdr

2G of ram is no problem for Linux.

Read the system requirements.....

http://renewablepcs.wordpress.com/about-linux/which-linux-distros-are-the-best/

 

[unionrdr]

Looks like one of those would easily run on this system. Gotta read some more I guess.But gotta get certain functions on this OS working again to save, etc first.

 

[Homercidal]

I would certainly advise you to try it. You insert the disc, boot to it and give it a try. It runs UNINSTALLED in memory. Then if you think you like it, you can actually install it to the hard drive.

I didn't mean to suggest my problem would be common. I think my problem is the video driver, which seems to be a known issue between this card and the OS. Unfortunately I can no longer reach the desktop, even in recovery mode. Time to hit the command line interface and see if I can load the proper driver form there.

Awesome! #notreally

 

[unionrdr]

Well, mine's only 5 years old with some 320GB hard drive, 2TB external drive & 16GB memory stick. The CPU is dual core 1.8 GHz each with 2GB RAM. Should be enough with the 2TB external for the zorin OS to run externally?

 

[Homercidal]

Should be real good. There is even a *Lite* version of Zorin, but I think your hardware is powerful enough to run the standard version fine.

I think I fixed my problem. Seems I had a newer version of the video driver installed. I managed to run the apt-get update install command from command line and tell it to use the nvidia-173 drivers, which is supposed to be nearly specific to my card. Still updating, but I have hope.

 

[IslandLizard]

Well, mine's only 5 years old with some 320GB hard drive, 2TB external drive & 16GB memory stick. The CPU is dual core 1.8 GHz each with 2GB RAM. Should be enough with the 2TB external for the zorin OS to run externally?

Your 2TB external plays no role in running Linux. You need to burn the Linux .ISO file (Zorin, Mint, or whatever you want to test run) to that 16GB USB flash drive.

Read back those pm's I sent where I laid out the process in using Rufus to create a BOOTABLE flash drive. Here's Rufus' Site.

That is, if you can actually get the USB drive recognized on your current Windows system in the first place, which is where everything seems to have stalled last week or so.

Word of caution:
Do NOT make your 2TB external bootable. It's a very bad idea. You'd also lose all the data stored on it so far.

 

[unionrdr]

I hope you get the bugs worked out. If anybody can figure it out, it seems like you can from what I've experienced so far. Makes me wish I wouldn't have signed that election form to transfer to other plant location. I could've finished college. Ford execs asked me about it when Plant #2 was new with all that comp equipment.

 

[stpug]

I'm not liking Zorin so far. I'm having issues with video. I can get it to run in basic mode, but it's very slow, graphically. Of course I'm testing it on a 12 yo Workstation with a Dual Core Xeon and RAMBUS memory and 36GM SCSI hard drive and Nvidia Quadro graphics card...

Try this driver:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux-display-ia32-173.14.28-driver

Here's the install instructions:
http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/256.35/README/installdriver.html

You will need the kernel source and headers installed on your system. This is usually found in the kernel-devel package for your distro.

While there are a couple commands you'll need to manually type/run from the shell, once you do it becomes your typical GUI interface for installation and prompts.

 

[Homercidal]

Try this driver:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux-display-ia32-173.14.28-driver

Here's the install instructions:
http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/256.35/README/installdriver.html

You will need the kernel source and headers installed on your system. This is usually found in the kernel-devel package for your distro.

While there are a couple commands you'll need to manually type/run from the shell, once you do it becomes your typical GUI interface for installation and prompts.

Video is up. I had to boot to networked command line and manually update the driver using apt-get. I still get system problem detected. Each time I've looked at the details it's been a CPU has been offline for 30 seconds or something. I'm not too worried about it now. I'm just playing to see how these systems work.

The system is still kind of slow. Not sure if there is still something to tweak or if it's just old hardware. At least I can get a feel for how the thing is set up.

 

[unionrdr]

Your 2TB external plays no role in running Linux. You need to burn the Linux .ISO file (Zorin, Mint, or whatever you want to test run) to that 16GB USB flash drive.

Read back those pm's I sent where I laid out the process in using Rufus to create a BOOTABLE flash drive. Here's Rufus' Site.

That is, if you can actually get the USB drive recognized on your current Windows system in the first place, which is where everything seems to have stalled last week or so.

Word of caution:
Do NOT make your 2TB external bootable. It's a very bad idea. You'd also lose all the data stored on it so far.

I might've lost what I saved to already, but after setting it up as a USB mass storage device. I just thought the 2TB drive would give more room to run it externally than the 16GB? Had trouble with Rufus too. Comp needs more work on file associations &...?...I think Rufus might be 64bit while mines definitely 32 bit.

 

[IslandLizard]

I might've lost what I saved to already, but after setting it up as a USB mass storage device. I just thought the 2TB drive would give more room to run it externally than the 16GB? Had trouble with Rufus too. Comp needs more work on file associations &...?...I think Rufus might be 64bit while mines definitely 32 bit.

Your 2TB USB external IS a USB mass storage device by definition. So is your 16GB flash drive. Unless you reformatted it since you copied that data to it, or deleted that data, why would it not be there? There's only one sure way to find out if it's indeed still there...

Don't guess, just look it up on that Rufus page I already linked too for convenience. A bit down the page it lists:

System Requirements:

Windows XP or later, 32 or 64 bit doesn't matter. Once downloaded, the application is ready to use.​

I still think a fresh reinstallation of Windows 7 will simply cure all the current Windows problems you're having or may encounter in the (near) future.

Or, after booting and previewing off the flash drive, you could decide to use Linux instead, but expect to find a bit of a learning curve on using it.

 

[stpug]

Video is up. I had to boot to networked command line and manually update the driver using apt-get. I still get system problem detected. Each time I've looked at the details it's been a CPU has been offline for 30 seconds or something. I'm not too worried about it now. I'm just playing to see how these systems work.

The system is still kind of slow. Not sure if there is still something to tweak or if it's just old hardware. At least I can get a feel for how the thing is set up.

I suspect the cpu system notification is related to the XEON architecture of the processor, and could potentially be slowing down the responsiveness (maybe). Available ram is also a major factor but I don't see anywhere that you've mentioned how much. I've had pleasant linux experiences with as little as 1gig a few years ago, and 512mb is the bare minimum I would even dare (assuming I didn't want to twiddle my thumbs or pull my hair A LOT ). Hard to tell without something to compare with.

While I don't doubt zorin's abilities for it's niche, there is probably a better-suited flavor for your system with it's tailored server-style hardware and architecture that would require less customization to realize the full potential of the hardware. Which flavor exactly is hard to guess, but I would look at a robust flavor with large following as a starting point. Being that the system is probably built around compatibility with Red Hat, I would estimate that a red hat derivative would play nicely with the hardware. The obvious first choice (but heavier-weighted) would be Fedora, followed closely by CentOS. The next good possibility (and lighter-weighted) would probably be Scientific Linux. If it were me, I would load up Scientific (either dual-boot or simply scrap zorin) and see if it plays any better with the hardware. If not, then go upstream straight to Fedora and see what happens. Then again, there's a huge pool of flavors to pick from

Edit: You may always run into the graphic driver issues so keep your installation links/files/process handy for the next flavor you play with.

 

[unionrdr]

Your 2TB USB external IS a USB mass storage device by definition. So is your 16GB flash drive. Unless you reformatted it since you copied that data to it, or deleted that data, why would it not be there? There's only one sure way to find out if it's indeed still there...

Don't guess, just look it up on that Rufus page I already linked too for convenience. A bit down the page it lists:

System Requirements:

Windows XP or later, 32 or 64 bit doesn't matter. Once downloaded, the application is ready to use.​

I still think a fresh reinstallation of Windows 7 will simply cure all the current Windows problems you're having or may encounter in the (near) future.

Or, after booting and previewing off the flash drive, you could decide to use Linux instead, but expect to find a bit of a learning curve on using it.

No, didn't reformat anything. Might be windows snafu? Rufus simply will not run. Even Homer tried it? Gotta be able to save the system first before I can do anything. That's my current problem.

 

[IslandLizard]

No, didn't reformat anything. Might be windows snafu? Rufus simply will not run. Even Homer tried it? Gotta be able to save the system first before I can do anything. That's my current problem.

Did you try downloading the Rufus program from their website and then run it? I would try that.

For your information, the Rufus I sent you had a different extension on it, which you may or may not have seen and corrected. I do not send .exe files. The extensions are renamed to make them "safer" upon touching. Like locking the safety pin in a grenade.

 

[Homercidal]

The Rufus is not running on his system. I tried it many times, different versions, rebooting etc. It gives an hourglass briefly, then nothing more. The process loads, but it doesn't become an active window. I've ran it with no problems on my computer and it would be nice to be able to get it going on is, but there may be a different boot stick maker out there.

 

[IslandLizard]

The Rufus is not running on his system. I tried it many times, different versions, rebooting etc. It gives an hourglass briefly, then nothing more. The process loads, but it doesn't become an active window. I've ran it with no problems on my computer and it would be nice to be able to get it going on is, but there may be a different boot stick maker out there.

imgburn, but I'm not sure if it can do USB sticks, never tried that.

 

[akdiesel]

Long thread didn't read through all of it but have a question. How does everyone like their Asus Chromebooks? I am considering one but had no idea or first hand experience with their build quality. Though I do know you get more bang for your buck with one vs a Samsung.I am looking at the C300 as a everyday laptop to do college courses online on and surf the Web

 

[Schlenkerla]

I have two devices running Chrome OS.

One is HP Chromebook 14. The other is a Asus Chromebox. Which is basically a desktop with wireless keyboard and mouse.

I like both of them. I use the HP Chromebook most of the time. It's lightweight, doesn't get hot, it lasts for many hours without an a.c. plug-in, and it works well just browsing the internet or watching video.

I have all my files on the Google drive, very little local, but you can have some of the files synced offline on your local storage. I 4 gigs local without adding a SD card. It has an SD card port that I haven't needed to use yet. Very rarely do find this to be an issue.

I can turn my Verizon cell phone into a hotspot if needed. In less than 5 seconds I'm live and connected.

The best thing about these devices is they boot fast. Takes about the time you need to crack open the device. Security is not an issue either, it does a secure boot to check for software changes. You can also do two step authentication, it will send a pin to your cell phone to use after logging in. Updates take an extra few seconds when you get one and it happens during the boot. These occur maybe once a month.

Check this website out...

http://www.omgchrome.com/category/list/

Btw, they are excellent for school. Many institutions are adopting them for this purpose. Google docs and spreadsheets, PowerPoint versions are compatible with Microsoft. They are very light weight and durable. Can't beat it for $300.

 

[akdiesel]

Thanks for the link and the rundown on what to expect. Definitely need a new laptop my wife's old one is on its last leg. Doesn't charge half the time, freezes in the middle of school work and I've began using Google drive for school work so if it freezes it's more likely to be saved and I can access elsewhere

 

[Schlenkerla]

Thanks for the link and the rundown on what to expect. Definitely need a new laptop my wife's old one is on its last leg. Doesn't charge half the time, freezes in the middle of school work and I've began using Google drive for school work so if it freezes it's more likely to be saved and I can access elsewhere

Did you see this?

http://www.omgchrome.com/back-school-3-best-chromebooks/

 

[akdiesel]

No that's awesome. On my days off I may go pick one up

 

[ColoHox]

I purchased the HP model with 4gb RAM and haven't looked back. My only complaint is that the corners of the white case are discoloring a bit from where I have to touch it to lift the lid.

And that's not really much of a complaint, comparatively.

I do have to remote connect to my desktop for a few things, but that is okay with me.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Windex can fix the dirty corner problem.

 

[johns]

If I may chime in here. Having 7 or 8 pages of this thread I have to say in only the last several days or so I have issues with my computers. My new x205t just took dump. I had is for about 5 weeks and now I get an RMA for Asus. The hardware looks good and seems to be sufficient, but the OS really sucks. I mean I have used all the windows OS’s since 3.x and this one is the worst. Had nothing but problems with it in this box since the start. My web browsers would all load some crappy webpage trying to sell my some internet utility or service or another thing. With chrome at times it was so bad that it actually froze the web browser. That has never happened to me. I think it had a lot to do with the computer crapping out. I hope Asus will do right by me.

On another note, I have installed Debian Wheezy on another computer in hopes of running a brewpi configuration, with the possibility of running brewpints and the Elsinore built. Maybe I will just give up on this idea and go ahead and by the brewpi, and just install Chrome on my systems. Windows is really coming close to losing me forever.

Someone mentioned pulling teeth here. It’s what I am going through with Wheezy at the moment. Trying to figure out how to install that damn wireless driver, is driving me crazy. It looks like a nice OS and If and when I ever get the thing up and running well, I would upgrade the OS to something like Mint or something else. I hear a lot of positive buzz on the mint OS, but I also want to familiarize myself with Wheezy, because it’s been recommended for installing brewpi. Can someone help?

 

[atoughram]

Can someone help?

In a terminal window type in "ifconfig" and copy and paste what it says in here.

 

[johns]

In a terminal window type in "ifconfig" and copy and paste what it says in here.

No idea what this is. Looks like some type of information about my internet connection.

 

[atoughram]

No idea what this is. Looks like some type of information about my internet connection.

Hmm... no wlan....

I was hoping that your wireless card was supported by whatever kernel you have without loading extra software, but that's not the case. You have a wired connection, that's good. Do you know what type of wireless card you have?

I see Debian is the OS.

Here's is my ifconfig output - notice the wlan - which I am not using..

russ@russ-XPS-8700 ~ $ ifconfig
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr b8:ca:3a:b3:82:33  
          inet addr:192.168.1.4  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::baca:3aff:feb3:8233/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:29855359 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:7130451 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:40530404998 (40.5 GB)  TX bytes:678414656 (678.4 MB)

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:65536  Metric:1
          RX packets:36198 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:36198 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:3969230 (3.9 MB)  TX bytes:3969230 (3.9 MB)

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 0c:84:dc:a3:0f:43  
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

Disclaimer: I am by no means a linux expert.... I have many years experience with it but I pale in comparison to others knowledge...

 

[johns]

it now comes up with this type of wireless card, the broadcom BCM4312, but installing it is where i have problems.

root@debian:/home/john#
root@debian:/home/john# lspci -nn | grep 02[80]0 | grep "Broadcom Corporation"
10:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY [14e4:4315] (rev 01)
root@debian:/home/john

Cutting and pasting something else I get this:

root@debian:/home/john# sudo apt-get purge b43-fwcutter firmware-b43-installer firmware-b43-lpphy-installer firmware-b43legacy-installer bcmwl*
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package b43-fwcutter
E: Unable to locate package firmware-b43-installer
E: Unable to locate package firmware-b43-lpphy-installer
E: Unable to locate package firmware-b43legacy-installer
E: Unable to locate package bcmwl*
E: Couldn't find any package by regex 'bcmwl*'
root@debian:/home/john#

I got this from this website: http://lkubuntu.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/how-to-fix-broadcom-43xx/
Trying to separate the commands and or using any one of the packages ends up with the same result.

 

[masonsjax]

sudo apt-cache search bcm

See what that finds.