Fw: Where to from here??

[The Wassermans]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: The Wassermans 
To: Daniel Mons 
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 8:04 AM
Subject: Re: Where to from here??


Thank you Daniel for your fulsome and soothing advice.

Thank you also all the other respondents to my plea for help.  This is a wonderful community.

The printer concerned is a Lexmark X1195.  I installed it and Ubuntu correctly identified the machine and found the driver.  After next . . next  process it told me that the printer is installed and ready.  But it won't print the test page!

Somewhere within the website I read that USB hardware may need special installation treatment?  I have since noticed that my USB speakers are not working.  Although the system see's my memory stick without a problem.  Maybe I am just spoilt by "plug and play"?

I'll try WINE.  (I like red!)
I am also going to have a look at a couple of FLOSS financial applications to see if I can find something suitable.
I'll stick to the vanilla Ubuntu as suggested - at least until I better understand its mentality.

Dave W
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Daniel Mons 
  To: ubuntu-au at lists.ubuntu.com 
  Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 2:17 PM
  Subject: Re: Where to from here??


  The Wassermans wrote:
  > I have a spare computer and have decided to give Ubuntu a whirl on the
  > basis that I would be prepared to fully convert if Linux can meet my
  > home computer requirements.  My objective to simply to achieve similar
  > functionality to what I have with Windows.  I realise that there are
  > many substitutes for the usual Microsoft products.  But I am concerned,
  > for instance, about emulating Quicken which I have been using for some
  > years.

  Both Quicken and MYOB work well under WINE.  WINE is a collection of
  programs and libraries that build a compatibility layer for many windows
  programs.  "Simple" programs that don't have heavy graphical or 3D
  requirements work the best.  Quicken and MYOB are two that are known for
  their reliability under WINE.

  While it's preferable to try FLOSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software)
  instead, the reality is you will have to hold onto some legacy
  all-windows applications for some time.  WINE is a nice migration path
  for such users.

  >  
  > There is much information provided by Linux for which I am very
  > grateful.  But I am still nervous and a bit confused eg: I have just
  > loaded ubuntu 7.04 onto a computer.  I then upgraded - (I thought) to
  > Ubuntu 7.10.  Now I come across information about "Kubutu" and don't
  > know if I should be going for that?

  Linux is about freedom.  It's your choice what to use.  That extends to
  the desktop.  There are different desktop systems you are free to choose
  from. GNOME and KDE are by far the two most popular, but there are
  dozens of others.

  Ubuntu uses GNOME, Kubuntu uses KDE.  Both are highly configurable, user
  friendly, and well supported by the community.  I'm a GNOME man myself,
  but KDE is by no means lacking nor would I not recommend it.  I would
  perhaps only recommend using Ubuntu and GNOME to start with because the
  official Ubuntu docs ( https://help.ubuntu.com ) will reference the
  GNOME way of doing things, which is probably best for new users.

  >  
  > _Early observations/issues I have encountered:_
  >  
  > *  I don't like to have to log in with a password.

  In these instances I prefer to tell people *WHY* something is designed
  in a particular way before I tell them how to disable it.

  Linux (UNIX and other POSIX systems too) were designed from the ground
  up to be multi-user systems.  Multi-user security is paramount in such
  cases, and by default Linux forces all users to have a password.

  You can disable the GDM (logon window) password.  Click System ->
  Administration -> Login Window.  Enter your password (again, for
  security).  Choose the "security" tab.  In here you can set auto and
  timed logons, and set which user is logged on by default.

  All administration-level access in Linux requires a password.  Linux is
  designed so that standard desktop users cannot have access to
  system-level programs and settings.  Viruses, spyware and malware are
  prevalent on operating systems where standard users have system level
  access, as they hijack user tasks and use those privileges to write to
  core parts of the system.  On POSIX systems these threats are greatly
  reduced, as any virus running within the user's running applications
  cannot attach themselves to the core system.

  New-to-Linux users tend to complain that they are frequently required to
  enter their password.  The analogy is this: do you find it tedious to
  always have to unlock your front door to get into your house?  Perhaps
  it would be easier just to leave your doors unlocked, or even remove the
  door all together.  That way coming and going from your house would be
  simple!

  You can see why this would fail.  Similarly, the internet is not a
  friendly place.  Consider your password to be the key to your electronic
  house.  Computer security is important for all users, not just we nerds.

  > *  The Internet works - great!
  > *  I then loaded a USB printer.  Although it appears to have been
  > accepted it won't print.

  Can you share with us the make and model of that printer?

  >  
  > I feel a bit silly about asking but until I get a better feel I would
  > like some one to one pointers of where to logically go from here. 

  There are no silly questions if you honestly don't know the answers and
  are legitimately seeking help.  There was a time when all of us were new
  to Linux, and we too had to learn these things.

  >  
  > Firstly, which Ubuntu would best suit my needs.  How do I find out???

  Again, I would recommend the "vanilla" Ubuntu, simply because the help
  documents are written for that.

  You can switch to any other desktop easily.  If you don't like
  GNOME/Ubuntu, you can switch to KDE/Kubuntu by installing the
  "kubuntu-desktop" package from your Add/Remove Software program. It will
  load KDE beside GNOME, and you can choose which one you want to use at
  logon time.  Again, Linux is about choice.  Forcing users to do one
  thing or another is not the philosophy.  Choose whatever you like, run
  whatever you like.  It's an inclusive OS, not an exclusive one.  KDE
  applications will run find on GNOME, and vice versa, so you are not
  limited it you choose one over the other.

  Similarly if you have multiple people using your home PC, and they all
  like different desktops, there's no reason why you can't load multiple
  desktop software and have a different setting for each person.  Once
  again, inclusive, not exclusive.

  -Dan

  -- 
  ubuntu-au mailing list
  ubuntu-au at lists.ubuntu.com
  https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-au
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-au/attachments/20071120/22ce5c31/attachment.htm