[xubuntu-users] Is there a list for *ABSOLUTE* beginners with Xubuntu?

[David Walland]

Dear All,

I've been watching and reading all your input and am beginning to suspect
that some of you think that there is a problem with the Xubuntu on my old
laptop.  I have to say that I doubt that.  I can *use* parts of it.  I can
write letters etc in Open Office, even if I can't work out why I can't
replace it with Office Libre.  The things I can't do are almost certainly
there for the doing, if only I knew enough to ask the right question or
look in the right place.  I've emphasised to you that I'm a real old fogy
with computers but have been only a user for more that 20 years now.  Even
in this I'm an old fogy.  I liked DOS SHELL so much when it first came out
that I mostly use its modern equivalent - Windows Explorer for launching
programs and sorting around in my computer.  I can't even do the equivalent
to *that* in Xubuntu, so I'm really pretty ######ed (as the technical term
is).  What I believe I need is not more computers (even though I now have a
more modern laptop which will be loaded with current Ubuntu if it survives
a BIOS update - the purpose for which I *bought* it - shocking I know but
my source of freebies has dried up.  Lest anyone should think me profligate
I hasten to add that the total price including memory HDD and upgrading
from celeron to P4m processor *and* including postage will total well less
than $50).  If I go that route, I end up with *two* machines which work at
a low user-type level and *still* not enough knowledge to go further.

So it's this most basic knowledge, which all the "HELP" files and knowledge
bases *assume*, which I need to get my head around, so I can start to learn
on my own.  I'm more interested in mentoring than upgrading.

So thanks for all your input.  I very seriously appreciate it hugely.  I'm
still in need of mentoring to enable me to ask meaningful questions
though...

Best regards

David


On 6 September 2013 23:41, James Freer <jessejazza3.uk at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Tue, Sep 3, 2013 at 3:14 PM, David Walland
> <davidwalland at googlemail.com> wrote:
> > been just a user and I simply can't seem to get off first base with
> Xubuntu,
> >...
> > It runs surprisingly quickly on an older version of Xubuntu (10.04).  I
> can
> > use it for ordinary "user" things but can't manage to get Office Libre to
> > load (it *downloaded* OK!) onto the machine and the error messages don't
> use
> > words memorable enough for me to record them (they flash on screen and
> then
> > disappear before I can do anything sensible!)
> > David Walland
>
> 10.14 ran quite happily on my spare old P3 but later versions did not.
> I would try and get hold of an old P4 someone is ditching - I've got
> one you could have but I'm a bit far away.
>
> As for learning xubuntu and linux; I think it is good advice to
> install to a spare machine and then you can 'play' and test out all
> without losing data or interrupting work on your main PC, package
> management etc. That is what I did and so learning linux was a
> pleasant experience but there is a learning curve... but once over you
> won't look back. Well - I still dual boot on one machine simply
> because I like a scanner which I can't use on linux and I haven't
> found a new model that I like. I have done a fair bit of distro
> hopping and xubuntu is excellent imo. Apt and Synaptic are the best
> package management tools by far and *buntu repos the largest.
>
> As for word processing; Abiword and LO are going through a 'dark
> patch' at present. As I understand it, Debian has to run a development
> version as it doesn't have one of the dependencies for the stable
> version 2.8.6. Abiword 2.9.2 (dev version) is buggy and not worth
> using. LO I have had trouble with fonts and one or two other things.
> There is an rtf text editor called Ted which is lighter which may be
> to your liking. Another six months and the trouble will have sorted
> itself out - I've been using google docs for a few months in the
> meanwhile.
>
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