Tuesday, May 21, 2013

How do I swith operating systems on my laptop?

Q. My friend gave me an Ubuntu/Linux laptop but on the side of it it says Windows Vista. Does that mean It used to be Windows and if so how can I change it back. Please help, I really hate using Linux, it's a piece of trash.

A. Linux is great if you know what you are doing, and it isn't hard to figure out. If you must, though, then there are two possibilities for getting Windows back on it.

1. Ask if it is dual partitioned. If it is, then when you turn it on, when it is still in the BIOS it will give you an option briefly for which system to load. Select Windows and you will load up no problem.

2. If it not dual partitioned you will have to use a Windows OS disk. Those can be about $100+ unless your friend has one.

If you don't like Ubuntu you can try Linux Mint or some other nice operating system for free. Different versions of Linux run different and you might like another version better. You could also Google "free non linux OS" or something of the sort.


If you post your main problem with Ubuntu under additional details, I will recommend something further.

How do I switch my Chromebook back to Linux OS?
Q. I recently bought a Acer C7 Chromebook. The only downfall I could see was that it ran on Chrome OS but I had found I could get ChrUbuntu on it and it would run as a fully functional linux laptop. I did this and it worked but since the Chrome OS still lives on in its own dedicated partition it automatically booted into the Chrome OS when I restarted the computer. I would like to know how to run it back in ChrUbuntu. I know it's still on my computer but I don't know how to boot back into it. Thanks in advance!

A. delete the chrome os & reinstall the chrubintu os

How do I connect Windows and Linux?
Q. I have two laptops behind the same router. Both connect to the internet just fine. One is Windows XP Media Center Edition and the other is Ubuntu 6.06. I'm used to using Windows file sharing to share files between Windows laptops. I want to do something similar now between the Windows and Linux laptop. I just care about reliability, speed, and convenience, not security. What are my options and how do I do it?

A. you need to install samba on your linux machine in order for windows to see your linux files.

on linux, you need to mount the windows share using the mount command. you'll need to use type "cifs".

if you can't figure it out, you could always just use IIS WebDAV on windows and Apache WebDAV on Linux. Same concept and it lets you access files just as you normally would but using the HTTP protocol.



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What is good recording software for linux?

Q. Ive recently started useing ubuntu linux, because it runs better on my computer than windows. Any suggestions for good music recording software? I have An electric keyboard, electric guitar, electric, bass, electric drums, and a sampler (turn tables). Id like something flexible so i can use them all on the same software.

A. Audacity is a the easiest to get jump started and most likely to have drivers for your break out box.

There are several others. If you do a lot of Midi work I suggest Rosegarden. Keyboardists especially tend to favor Rosegarden. I love the interface, full featured but can be picky about which break out boxes it talks too.

Aurdor is another full featured recording software but it's interface is more like Pro Tools while Rosegarden more closely resembles Cakewalk.

Those are the 3 I'd start with. The best way to get them is through your favorite package manager. Synaptic is one of the better ones. Just do a search in synaptic for these packages. They take care of the dependencies for you. Makes installing software on Linux the easiest platform in the world to install software for. Audacity, Rosegarden and Aurdor are all listed in the Multimedia(universe) section in Synaptic. Just check them say yes you want ot install and it's dependencies. Then click on apply when you have selected all the packages you want to install.

You'll also want a good tagger. Easy Tag is solid, I personally prefer Kid3, but there are dozen good ones and Ubuntu comes with Gtag I think it is by default. You should be able to edit ID3 tags through your file browser thought that is a bit tedious.

Installing Lame is a must. If your terrified of a command line you'll also want a Lame front end but to be honest using lame on command line is a no brainer. Open a term window, lame -vbr (name of wave file you want to convert to a mp3) (name you want the MP3 to be)

lame -vbr something.wav something.mp3

This mp3's it using variable bit rate which gives you the best compromise between sound quality and compactness of the output. Most mp3s you download today use lame and it's vbr setting. You get 256k quality where it counts but where there's lots of quiet you get higher compression ratios usually saving a couple megs on the final output without reducing the quality any.

There are dozens of Lame front ends to let you do that without using a command line. Just search synaptic for lame and you'll find them. Audacity, Rosegarden and Audor will plug into Lame and allow you to output MP3s directly as well once you have lame installed. Personally I like to hand rip my stuff, then tag it w/mix & version. Then rename & retag anything I'm sending out to people or the public. Saves listening to 10 copies of the same tune to find that ONE mix you were looking for.

As for sampler software, again there are programs similar to Acid and you can use Rosegarden and Audor though they are not designed for it to do some of it. I don't sample so I can't recommend which are best of breed in that area.

What break out box you have is the trickiest part. I suggest using Maudio or going direct through USB if that's an option. Maudio is decently supported in Linux. Avoid Tascam, nearly impossible to get Linux to talk to a Tascam device.

How would computing look today if Bill Gates and Microsoft did not establish themselves in the world market?
Q. Would the software we use today in general be better e.g. more advanced and faster than it is currently?

A. It would be as good, maybe better. Back in the day there were plenty of good operating systems and software packages competing with Microsoft. Gates bought them, outmanuevered them, or bludgeoned them with brute force marketing muscle.

I used and preferred Novell DOS (aka DrDos, originally from Digital Research) to MS-DOS. It required less memory, ran better, and had more features. SuperCalc, QuattroPro, and even Lotus were far superior to Excel in price, performance, and features.

Even today, I use Openoffice instead of Microsoft Office. I've been using Windows as an operating system only because I haven't had time to investigate Linux alternatives.

How to connect to a mySQL database on a Linux machine from Windows terminals?
Q. Im planning on a new setup for our office, a Linux server that will have the mySQL database, all other terminals have windows OS like WIn98, Win2000 and tey will need to access the database from the Linux server how to do it?

A. There are so many ways, but I'd recommend making your application web-based and server-side only and access via a web browser. Ancient, unsupported systems like Microsoft Windows 98 are barely able to function in todays world.

Go for a LAMP system.



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How do i find out how much memory my graphic card has ubuntu?

Q. ok im using play on linux and when i am installing steam it asked how much memory my graphic card has and i dont know how to find out help?

A. if it's discrete you should be able to look up the model number to find out.

For integrated, you need to dig in the bios and see how much RAM was set aside for video buffers.

Is it possible to run Ubuntu Linux from an external Hard Drive?
Q. I've been wanting to play around with Linux and learn how to use it. Is it possible to run / boot it from my external USB hard drive? Is this possible to do safely but still use the hard drive for storage when I'm using Vista?

A. Yes, you can run other OSs from removable media. I have heard of some people running Windows XP from a Compact Flash card. You would need to plug the device in, then reboot. You should see your normal BIOS load screen. Press the Setup function key, then select Boot> Boot device. Select USB External HardDrive or whatever, then reboot again.

How do I get Grand Chase on Linux Mint 7?
Q. What am suppose to do to get Grand Chase on Linux Mint? If I do get Grand Chase, will I be able to play it on Linux Mint 7?
If u can answer my question in a video tutorial that would be great, but if u cant/dont want to, u can always just explain it to me with as much detail as possible. Thanks in advanced.
By the way the only web browser I have in Linux mint 7 is Mozilla Firefox.

A. You can't run Grand Chase on Linux. You can only run it on Windows.



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Are there any Linux softwares that have a dock like the mac?

Q. Hey, I just built a computer and I want to try a linux software. The rest of the computers I have are macs and I fell in love with the software especially the dock. So, I was wondering if there were any Linux programs that have a dock in them. Thanks

A. I thoroughly recommend Cairo-Dock
http://www.webupd8.org/2009/05/cairo-dock-200-is-here-linux-dock-menu.html


LUg.

Are their linux software can be installed by GUI?
Q. I noticed that most linux software are installed automatically using the software center or by running a script. Just wondering if their are ways to install software using GUI like windows softwares. For me its easier specially when your internet is slow or when you don't have internet connection.

A. You can usually install something by using the command line, provided you have the install package for your distro. For example, most debian-based distros can install .deb files and redhat uses .rpm files.

Is there any software in linux for translating in Indian languages?
Q. I am searching for a linux software which will help me in translating pages of text into Indian languages.
Is there any software available for linux?

A. Have you installed the Language packages for your Linux distribution.



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What is the best linux distro for me?

Q. I am looking for a good linux distro. I don't like the standard GNOME 3 as I have tried the fedora live cd. I have tried KDE, its pretty good. I am currently running Kubuntu 11.10 and had ubuntu 11.04 unity before but I would like a linux thats advanced but easy. Thanks for your help.

A. The Linux Desktop is currently a mess with a plethora of options available. Unity as on Ubuntu 11.10 and GNOME 3 as on Fedora 16 are cluttered and in my opinion not suitable for use on a production machine. I need a Desktop Environment that allows me to just get things done with minimal fuss. This is where the older Gnome 2 Desktop Environment excels.

Linux Mint 12 goes some way to addressing this wth MGSE (Mint Gnome Shell Extensions) which is a layer built on top of GNOME 3 however like other distros. such as Fedora to deploy the GNOME 3 Desktop Environment for me does not convince

Linux Desktop Faceoff GNOME 3 vs Ubuntu Unity
http://lifehacker.com/5853099/linux-desktop-faceoff-gnome-3-vs-ubuntu-unity

There is a new project being developed by Linux Mint called Cinnamon however as with MGSE it is a layer built on top of GNOME 3
http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/

I thoroughly recommend the earlier release Linux Mint 11 which is built upon Ubuntu 11.04 Its easy to install and easy to use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled

Linux Mint 11 Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=81

Linux Mint 11 Release Notes/Installation Guide/User Guide
http://linuxmint.com/rel_katya.php

Also worth considering is Linux Mint Debian Edition

Linux Mint Debian Edition Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=88

Manual partitioning guide for Linux Mint Debian Edition
http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2010/12/28/manual-disk-partitioning-guide-for-linux-mint-debian-edition/


LUg.

How can I build a Linux Distro?
Q. I have downloaded the latest stable kernel. How can I make a linux distro from scratch? What do I need?

A. Linux From Scratch (LFS) is a project that provides you with step-by-step instructions for building your own custom Linux system, entirely from source code.
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/

Alternatively, you can easily customize your own Slax linux live right from your browser. If you are new to Linux you probably want to start with something like that.
http://www.slax.org/

Other Linux Distros
http://distrowatch.com/

What would be my best choice for a linux distro?
Q. i have a dell inspiron 1525. what would be my best choice for a linux distro? could someone maybe point me to a website with the most amount of info on the subject? i'm new to linux and would definately want to learn more about it.

A. I'd suggest Ubuntu or Linuxmint.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

http://www.linuxmint.com/

Ubuntu ought to be the best linux distro around.

Linuxmint is easier on beginner who just make transition from windows to linux

Well, i don't want to stuff you with bunch of confusing information.

Just download the image file from the web-site. Burn it onto a blank CD and boot live from it (it means you get to use it without messing up anything)

For ubuntu, you can try WUBI if you're afraid of repartitioning and mess up everything

http://wubi-installer.org/

Have fun exploring the best operating systems on earth



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Can anyone help me with installing programs on Linux?

Q. I dont have internet on the computer i have linux on, am i screwed or is there still a way?

A. Some software is distributed in "Source form". This means you download a file containing all the source code for the application you want to install, unpack it, and compile it on your system. Compiling is the process of turning the source code into an executable binary. It is a fairly straight forward process.

Typically applications you must compile from source will come as a ".tar.gz", ".tar.bz2", or ".zip" file.

You'll probably want to operate from inside your home directory. If your user is (for example) username, your home directory will be /home/username/. Downloaded your zip file containing install files to /home/username/src. If you do not have a src directory, you can create it with the following "mkdir" (make directory) command:


Code:
mkdir /home/username/src/
So, we have our source package in /home/username/src/.

Change to the /home/username/src/ directory with the "cd" (change directory) command like so:


Code:
cd /home/username/src/
Use the "ls" (list directory contents) command, to see the file is present:


Code:
ls

We now need to unzip the zipped file, this is done differently depending on the file extension.

for files ending in .tar.gz, use:

Code:
tar -zxvf <filename>
(replacing <filename> with the name of the file).

for files ending in .tar.bz2, use:

Code:
tar -jxvf <filename>
for files ending in .zip, use:

Code:
unzip <filename>
You should now have a new directory, containing all of the source files. To confirm it exists, and to get its name, use the "ls" command again.

Code:
ls
we now need to go into the new directory, so use the cd command:

Code:
cd <directory>



This is where things will differ. Some packages will have an INSTALL or README file which will contain installation instructions. use "ls" to see if the software has an install or readme file. If it does have one, you can use the "more" command to read it, like so:

Code:
more INSTALL
Generally, the final 3 stages are as follows:
- Configure the installation
- Compile the software
- Install the binaries

The pre-installation configuration is done by executing ./configure:

Code:
./configure
This will perform some requirements testing on your system, and create a "Makefile" which will explain to the "make" utility how the software should be compiled.

The next stage is to compile the software, this is done using "make". When you run "make" it will read the instructions in the Makefile and build the application binaries.

Code:
make

The final stage is to install these binaries, ie, copy them to a more permanent location. Typically only the "root" user can do this, so you will need to swich to the root user with the "su" command:

Code:
su
Once you are root, install the binaries using the "make" command, followed by "install", like so:

Code:
make install

How can I open a zip file on a Linux OS?
Q. I reaceently installed the LInux Fedora OS in my PC and now the sound is not working, does anybody know what can I used and or do to open a zip file?
Thanks in advance

A. There is a program called zip or unzip. Do a yum install zip or yum search zip from the command line (as root) then unzip the file using that.

http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/how-can-i-zipping-and-unzipping-files-under-linux.html

Why wont my downloaded version of wordpress work?
Q. I downloaded wordpress from wordpress.org and it downloaded it as a zipped folder, I unzipped it but it is still just alot of documents and folders and files and I have no idea how to set it up. I know other people have had this problem, any advice?

A. you need a running server (apache/php/mysql). [apache is reccommended, but not required)
It might be easier to sign up for a free hosting plan, so you don't have to think about the server-part

However if you'd prefer to have wordpress on your own computer:
http://php.net/manual/en/install.php
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/1.3/windows.html
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/windows-installation.html

I took it that you're a windows user, if you have a linux distribution on you computer, you should be able to find these software packages in the repositories



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How can I remove Linux from my computer and restore the partition space to windows?

Q. I have both Linux Mint 11 and windows 7 on my computer and I no longer want it on my computer so... ya, pretty much says it all in the title.

A. (NOTE: A page titled "How to uninstall Fedora" was added to the project wiki after this blog was published, as noted in the comment section below in a post titled "Contribution is easy.")

Try "remove Fedora."

Nothing.

Go to Ubuntu's official documentation site and search for "uninstall Ubuntu."

You won't find anything in the "official" documentation but in the "community" section you find two entries that state "Wubi allows you to install and uninstall Ubuntu...."

In an installed Ubuntu distribution, clicking on Help and searching for uninstalling or removing Ubuntu finds nothing. A link ârepeat the search online at the Ubuntu help pagesâ brings up a 404 â page not found.

If you look hard enough on the real community support pages you'll find a post from July 2007 titled "HowTo: Remove Ubuntu (& Restore Windows)" .

Have a cow
The post starts out: "Okay, I know some people are going to have a cow because I'm posting this."

(No kidding. Just take a look at the excoriating flames that are sure to appear in the comments section of this blog.)

OpenSUSE does better. A search there finds the page titled SDB:How to Uninstall Linux from December 2006. The page includes more than 1,300 words to describe various processes.

Go to Google and search "install Linux" and you get about 1,450,000 hits. Try "uninstall Linux" and you get about 16,800. "Remove Linux" gets you about 53,300.

Why is it so hard to find instructions to remove Linux and then so hard to actually do it?

Why can't you just easily find the uninstall procedure in a help file, and click a button and follow the instructions?

Windows makes it easy
Opening the Windows XP Help and Support Center and searching for "uninstall Windows" brings up, first thing, "Uninstall Windows XP" and a 5-step process from the Control Center.

Did you know that in a dual-boot install Linux will partition your hard disk and if you remove the partitions without restoring the Master Boot Record on your boot-up disk, your computer won't start?

Did you know you'll likely need separate applications such as fixmbr or fdisk or partitioning software to get your system back the way it was, hopefully having not lost any data? Or you may need to change a BIOS setting to boot to a Windows CD and use its "Recovery Console?" These all depend on your version of Linux. Again, openSUSE seems to do the best job in automating the process, with the "YaST2 Control Center."

Oh, and if that dual installation included Windows, and partitions were resized, "Microsoft does not support Windows installed on partitions manipulated in this manner."

So it's just you and that Linux documentation. Good luck.

Now, I don't have any great love for Windows and I like Linux. I really do. I'm going to use it and learn a lot more about it.

But if you're a newbie like me, you'd best be warned. Searching various Linux forums finds a lot of users who have had problems uninstalling the OS and have lost data in the process.

Go back to Windoze? You're stupid
And while there are some helpful Linux aficionados who try to help these people out -- and others searching for uninstall help -- there are too many posters who take the attitude along the lines of: "Why would you want to uninstall Linux? That's crazy. You must be stupid to want to go back to Windoze."

If you want to try Linux out while keeping Windows, it's a real good idea to try it from a "live" Linux CD/DVD instead of installing it on a hard disk. Iâve tried several. The response is slower, of course, but you get an idea of how it works and donât risk losing anything. For Ubuntu the Wubi installer accomplishes the same thing by treating Ubuntu as a Windows application.

Do your homework
If you do install Linux on a disk, make sure you do a full system backup. And make sure you have a bootable "rescue" or "system" CD. And really do your homework. Read up on disk partitioning and logical volumes and extended partitions and mounts; and GRUB and LILO bootloaders; and NTFS, FAT 32 and ext3 file systems; and gparted and maybe the commercial app Partition Magic -- which supposedly merges/resizes partitions without destroying data -- and so on.

Then read it all again. And be careful our there.

How different is a Linux network compared to a Unix network?
Q. How different is a Linux network compared to a Unix network? I understand a Unix network has mainframes, etc.

What are the things a Unix network has but a Linux network does not have and can never have?

A. Uhm... nooo.... Unix networking has about zero to do with mainframes.

Actually, Unix networking and Linux networking are pretty darned close with little or no exceptions.

Where are you getting your information from? Where ever it is, its bad information. Don't go there any more.

Whats the difference between Linux and windows hosting? Do i need Linux on my system to linux host?
Q. Whats are the advantages and the disadvantages of Linux hosting? why is it cheaper ? If I make a website in Dreamweaver and Flash CS5, can I Linux host?
Do I need to be wary about something?

A. All websites today currently run on either a Windows web server or a Linux-based server. The vast majority of websites run on a Linux-based platform as Linux has a strong reputation for security and web server performance. With standard (static) HTML-based websites, the web hosting platform doesn't make much difference. When it does make a difference, however, is when the website uses a dynamic scripting technology such as ASP (A Microsoft based technology), or PHP / PERL (Linux based technologies). A Windows-based hosting solution will run a Microsoft Windows server with IIS (Internet Information Server), and is necessary to run an ASP / ASP.NET scripted website. A Linux-based platform is typically used for PHP, Perl, and most other types of websites. Basically, unless your website uses ASP (pages ending in the .asp extention), Windows hosting is not necessary.

As an experienced webmaster I recommend BH web hosting which Iâm sure it would work for you and fulfill all your requirements. They have a really great offer for hosting & I have used them for over 3 yrs now, and have never had a single problem with them.

You can reach reviews about this web hosting provider and its latest DISCOUNT COUPONS at:
http://www.threehosts.com/reviews/1st
Only $3.95 /month (with discount coupon)


BH is compatible with Dreamweaver, just refer to:
http://www.threehosts.com/publish/dreamweaver.html


******IMPORTANT********
* This service was awarded the âBest Web Hosting OF The Yearâ.
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Hope thi helps.



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What version do I have to start learning linux?

Q. Which version do I have to start learning linux? What version is commonly used in the enterprise? Do all Linux versions have the same command? What is the difference between the versions of linux?

A. Any. All.

Redhat, Debian, and Ubuntu are common in enterprises. CentoOS is a free version of Redhat.

distrowatch.org.


...

What is the command to know the linux version i am using?
Q. I am using a Linux server in command mode, i dont know which linux i am using ie whether it is Fedora Core 1,2,3 or Redh Hat linux Enterpirse or Linux 9.0 Version??

A. username@machine> uname -a
Linux test_machine1 2.4.21-4.ELsmp #1 SMP Fri Oct 3 17:52:56 EDT 2003 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

In this example, the Linux kernel version is 2.4.21-4.


To obtain the Linux glibc version, type the following at the shell command prompt:

username@machine> rpm -q glibc
glibc-2.3.2-95.3

Two alternative methods to obtain glibc version information:
username@machine> /lib/libc.so.6 | head -1
GNU C Library stable release version 2.3.2, by Roland McGrath et al.

username@machine> getconf GNU_LIBC_VERSION
glibc 2.3.2

If you are using a RedHat Linux distribution, you can find the RedHat release by typing:
usename@machine> cat /etc/redhat-release
Red Hat Linux release 9 (Shrike)

Where do I find source code of linux commands?
Q. Linux commands like cp, dir, ls, shred, man (etc...) are nothing but programs (hopefully all written in C). I would really like to know exactly how they work (and make a few modifications to some) so I need their source code...
Can you tell me where to find source code of linux commands?
Thank you in advance!

A. In general there are several places you can go to get the source for these commands. This is mostly because there can be several different implementations of the commands.

1) The company who distributed your version of Linux. Most versions of these types of commands are under the GPL and as such the person or company who gave you the executable has to make a copy of the source code available to you. Usually these are released as source rpms, and some times come on one of the CDs or DVDs that you used to install Linux with. You can often find them on the web too.

For example the RHEL5 Server source rpm (SRPM) is
ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/linux/enterprise/5Server/en/os/SRPMS/coreutils-5.97-12.1.el5.src.rpm

Most of the time your distribution will have a tool like yum to install these and other rpms for you.

2) www.gnu.org
GNU probably wrote the commands that are on your distribution of Linux, although a few very specialized distros use different implementations of the commands (Usually busybox http://www.busybox.net/ but this is really rare).

http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/
has instructions on how to download a very recent copy of the code, which may be much much newer then the version currently installed on your computer.

NOTE:

Some shells, like tcsh and csh have their own implementations of these commands built into them. This is because it is faster to run the command as part of your shell then to fork and exec a new command. So if you do change them be sure to check that you are actually running your updated version. BASH usually does not play these games but you can always check by running which followed by the name of your command.



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What is the difference between Linux and Ubuntu?

Q. Or is it the same thing? I don't really know anything about Linux and Ubuntu so I just wanted to find out some of this stuff before I get the OS on my computer.

A. Linux is the Kernel. All Linux Distros. (Distributions) including Ubuntu are built upon the Linux Kernel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_kernel

I thoroughly recommend Linux Mint 9 Main Edition which is built upon Ubuntu 10.04 Its easy to install and easy to use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled

Linux Mint 9 Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=52

The Perfect Desktop - Linux Mint 9 (Isadora)
http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-linux-mint-9-isadora

Linux Mint 9 User Guide Download pdf.
http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_isadora.php

You download the ISO. image of Linux Mint 9 then you need to create a Bootable LiveCD for installation

Linux Mint 9 can also be run direct from the LiveCD from Booting up without touching your Hard Drive

Also worth considering :

Fedora Remix (Fedora with elements of Linux Mint)
http://fcoremix.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/lucky-13/
http://iso.linux.hr/community-fedora-remix/
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/13/html/User_Guide/

Again Fedora Remix can be run direct from the LiveDVD without touching your Hard Drive

Also you can try out as many different Linux distros. as you like on LiveCD until you find the one thats right for you DISTROWATCH.COM gives full listings (second lists the major distributions)
http://distrowatch.com/

Major Linux Distributions
http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major


LUg.

What is a Linux shell script used to verify/track user activity on a network?
Q. I would like to use a script that will verify that no users are logging in or log in after hours. It will keep track of all user activity and/or report any unauthorized users from gaining access to the network.

A. It's not particularly elegant, but you can create an /etc/nologin file (including a denial message in it if desired) and then set up a cron job to move or rename it to allow/disallow access at certain times.

If the file exists, it does not allow remote connections (any, including root, as far as I'm aware, so take care ). To prevent complete remote lockout, the file is deleted by the system upon startup if it exists.

If you need actual access control lists, this is not the method for you. If you have a couple users, you can create dual /etc/passwd files and change the un-authorized user login shells to /sbin/nologin (Fedora/RH/CentOS) or /bin/false (Debian/Ubuntu). Maintaining that for more than a couple becomes a chore though, and if you need to do this on a larger or long-term basis, there are better, non-script solutions.

How do I change the root password in Linux?
Q. I have an old Linux PC but I forgot the root password.

How do I reset the password?

I tried to go to the root directory. However, when I typed "su", it prompted me for the root password. Since I have forgotten it, I cannot type it in and I, therefore, cannot go to the root directory to change the password.

A. Boot into the system at the physical console. Go into single user mode (check the documentation for your distro).

Make your way to the command prompt. Again consult the specifics for your distro.

Once there you should be able to run "passwd root" or similar to reset the password.

The physical console it ultimate power.

NOTE:

Some distros do not have a root account per se (Ubuntu comes to mind). Regular accounts are put in a super user list that are allowed to "su" or "sudo". In this case the password in question is the password of the account you are already logged in to. If you are allowed to "go super" you will temporarily assume "root" powers.



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where can i get a free operating system for an old laptop?

Q. I have a Toshiba Tecra 730XCDT from round about 1995 and i want to download a free operating system for it. i don't care whether it's text-based or GUI but it needs to fit on a 3.5" floppy.

A. your best option would be a VERY small BSD install or an equally small Linux install. you may even wish to try Minix
Google it!

downloaded an operating system from university how do i burn it onto a dvd and install it on the computer?
Q. The university where I teach offers free operating systems for the computers that are bought from them, I bought one such computer, it came with no operating system installed. I downloaded it onto this computer (as instructed) and i was wondering how to burn it and install it on my new computer, Thanks.
As I said if you read the whole question it is OFFERED for FREE by the school since I teach there.

A. What extension does the downloaded file have, my friend? If it's an .iso file you can use a FREE ISO Burner program, such as ImgBurn.

Once the program has been installed, you can right-click on the .iso file and select to burn it ... or open it with ... dependent on which Operating System your computer is running.

Do you know which Operating System the university have allowed you to download, my friend? I ask this as Windows XP and earlier would only require you to burn to CD disc, whereas Windows Vista and Windows 7 require a DVD disc. You can get an idea of which size disc you will require by looking at the properties of the file that you have. If it's under 700 MB in size it will fit onto a CD disc. Larger than this means that you'll need a DVD disc. (Various different distributions of Linux depend on what, exactly, is included in that distribution. Some will fit on a CD and other will require a DVD.)

what is the besst free operating system for a windows user?
Q. I have a new compter and I don't have money to buy windows so I need a free operating system.
I'm used to windows .
I tried linux but it's diffrent from windows in so many ways.
and I bought a used computer that the owners erased the hard disc.

A. Ubuntu Linux ( http://www.ubuntu.com ) or gOS ( http://www.thinkgos.com/ )



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How can I stop linux/ubuntu from being downloaded on my personal laptop?

Q. loaning out my laptop and don't want linux/ubuntu downloaded. How can I prevent this?

A. Don't loan your laptop to someone if you can't trust them to not download stuff you don't want on there.

Where to Download UNIX and What Version or Kind?
Q. I've tried to google some sites where to download UNIX and just can't seem to find one. Also some Yahoo answers keep showing LINUX download website links not UNIX. And if I found one there were lots of choices. I'm just starting to learn how to program so please help ^^ thanks in advance

A. Linux just the name of a free Unix. There's no one "true" Unix. There are HPUX (Hewlett Packard Unix), AIX (IBM's Unix), MacIntosh is Unix, all of the Linuxes, all of the BSD's, Solaris (Sun Microsystems's Unix), and more. Here is a Unix "Family Tree":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Unix_history-simple.svg

Your free choices are:

1. Any of the various Linux flavors. For beginners, or for experts wanting a nice desktop or programming platform, I recommend Ubuntu ( http://www.ubuntu.com ). After you install it, be sure to do this at the command line:

sudo apt-get install build-essential
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

For servers, I recommend CentOS ( http://www.centos.org/ ).

2. Solaris is free: http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/get.jsp

3. Any of the BSD's. FreeBSD is the most popular. There's also NetBSD, but I recommend OpenBSD ( http://www.openbsd.org ) because it has the best track record of any operating system for security (only two remote exploits in over ten years).

For servers, I recommend OpenBSD over CentOS or Linux for security reasons; however, OpenBSD isn't supported by VMware; so if you're running your server in VMware, then CentOS is the way to go. If you want the best possible file system performance for a database, then Solaris is the way to go (be sure to read up on ZFS first).

Back to the point of your question: For your purposes, I recommend Ubuntu. Don't forget the following command lines (the first installs compilers and C libraries, the second installs the Adobe Flash player, Java, and some other goodies):

sudo apt-get install build-essential
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

For your IDE, if you're not into Eclipse, then try Bluefish (sudo apt-get install bluefish).

What is the difference in the Linux downloads for Python and which should I get?
Q. I am currently running Ubuntu 10.10(Maverick Meerkat) and do not know which Python download is appropriate. Please help.

A. Ubuntu 10.10 uses python 2.6.6



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How do you install a wireless network adapter on linux ubuntu?

Q. Is there anyone out there, who can help me with this. I am trying to install this wireless linksys wusb100 pen drive adapter to a desktop computer running linux ubuntu. Any suggestions or solutions rather?

A. If NDIS wrapper fails for some reason you may need to remove the driver at the command line and start over it has worked for me

USB Pen Drive not working after the format process got interrupted in between?
Q. I have hp v112b pen drive. I tried to format it, but the power went off accidentally in the middle of the format. Now, if I insert pen drive to the system, it shows contents of the pen drive, but I am not able to use the pen drive at all and the windows explorer hangs indefinitely if i click on the USB Icon in My Computer. Please suggest a solution to revive back the contents of the USB and make it working normally again!

A. Use a Linux machine to recover the files and format the pen drive to FAT 32 file system.

What linux will boot off of my pen drive? ive been having some trouble?
Q. I tried to put ubuntu 10.8 on my pen drive 3 times. and it says "No OS" at boot. ive done my research and saw that i wasnt the only one with this problem


does anyone know a good linux that will boot off of a pen drive?

Im new to linux, i enjoyed Ubuntu's live CD tho, but i need a bootable pen drive

A. Whether you can boot from your USB pen drive or not depends entirely on your motherboard.

Have you set your computer to boot from it in the BIOS? Double check.



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What is the best, newest & most efficient LINUX distro for SOHO?

Q. I am building a small office with 5 PCs. I am interested in Linux since it is cheaper. But I donât know which distro I should use, since I am not familiar with Linux. Also, where can I find Linux softwares & Linux tutorials?

Thanks.
Is it possible to run a Windows XP on Linux using some emulators? Is there any ASP Server besides IIS that runs on Linux? Or, can I run IIS on WinXP, which run on emulator as local web server? Because I am planning to build a web application using ASP.NET.

A. Setting up 5 PCs will likely be easiest with a 'ready-to-go' distribution such as Ubuntu. You can find a lot of information about the software, where to download it and more at it's homepage:

http://www.ubuntu.com/

There are however many linux distributions available, but if you're new to Linux, the differences will likely not matter too much to you. However, you can look here for a comparison of most of the more popular Linux distributions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Linux_distributions

On to your second question, you can run ASP.NET 1.1 natively in Linux using Mono, however it is only a partial implementation. You can find more information on the project homepage:

http://www.mono-project.com/

Additionally, you could run a copy of windows using a piece of virtualisation software such as Xen (free) or VMWare (commercial) to run a copy of Windows that you own.

http://www.xensource.com/xen

I would consider not developing a web application in ASP.NET if you wish to be in a Linux environment.. Several other powerful tools exist which allow much easier development in Linux such as PHP, Ruby on Rails and Django.

http://www.php.net
http://www.rubyonrails.org/
http://www.djangoproject.com/

However if you're dead set on using ASP.NET, you'll need a IDE, Eclipse may work, and there are plugins available to make it work better as a .NET IDE.

http://www.eclipse.org/
http://eclipse-plugins.2y.net/eclipse/plugin_details.jsp?id=266

Good luck!

Can I get Youtube partnership through my brother in UK if it's not supported in my country?
Q. I have a channel about Linux tutorials that has millions of views and subs. Youtube partnership program is not supported in my country. So if I change my id location to UK and give my brother's address (or whatever) who lives in UK, would that work?
I mean i could give ownership of the ID to my brother and change the country in account settings to UK, but upload videos from my own country.

A. If you really trust your brother, and he is indeed trustworthy, I don't see why not. I would however make a formal arrangement so there is no confusion later. The basic terms is that he acts as a representative for you in respect to you-tube and cashes out the money in return for something like 5% or 15 pounds per moth, whichever is less.

Does anyone know of a website with Linux tutorials?
Q. I'm looking for a website with simple tutorials for Xandros Linux. I've been looking around, but the only ones I've found are for Ubuntu.

I probably will change to Ubuntu or similar soon-ish, but in the meantime, I'd just like a webpage with simple instructions for simple tasks, like customizing my computer/ installing programs.

Thanks!

A. Here is a link to a few xandros tutorials. There are no manu around because xandros offers a fee for support service and tries to steer people to that. Many of the xandros tutorials here are for the eee pc which is a specialized "frugal" install to fit the eee pc. As you can see there are also tutorial for ubuntu on the right and many other distros.
Ubuntu has many more tutorials available.
have fun



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What does original Linux look like?

Q. Run the very original line of code that is Linux, then screen shot it so I can see its GUI. I would love to see it. I believe you can get it from the Linux foundation website.

A. The original line (do you mean the first line?) of Linux is not a GUI. Perhaps you do not know what GUI means. Perhaps you could give an example of what you mean.

What is the difference between GNU and GUI?
Q. I have no clue what GNU is but I know gui is Graphic User Interface. GUI is in like mac windows while GNU is in linux/ubuntu, basically any unix system.

A. GNU is the name of software or software collections release by the Free Software Foundation. Originally a recursive acromyn (hackers are quite fond of recursive acronyms) that means GNU is Not Unix.

GNU's GUI is GNOME (GNu Object Model Enviroment), other GUI's for linux are KDE, or XFCE and are not GNU.

GNU really underlies the core system, the compiler, utilities, and many of the tools.

How to get into cgi and movie production with CGI?
Q. I currently study IT at college, and pretty much set to go to UNI in 2 years.
I'm wondering what i can study at UNI to get myself into cgi and what other things I could also study.
I want to do a foundation diploma in graphics before i go to UNI so im just wondering if that will help too.
I really need some pointers on where to go and what im expected to do before uni etc.

Any help is wonderful

Cheers.

A. Definitely graphics will help but most of the people I know who are in animation and movies actually have more of a fine arts background. They don't even often have degrees in it but at least they've been through a two year foundation program at one or another school. The one exception is purely IT: he got his job because he knows Linux (and UNIX which he often prefers). He handles networking and troubleshooting render farms. Not the creative stuff. Really, to work in Movie production you will find you are competing with LOT of top-ranked people and you will need to know whatever you know thoroughly. Most CGI that gets done these days uses the Renderman Graphic description standards.



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Where is the offical site to download linux?

Q. How do I know which is the best place to download Linux? How do I know that the site I download form is a offical site of Linux?

A. There is no "official" linux.

There are many different distributions or 'flavors' of linux. some are easier to learn than others. some are on CD some on 2 or more.

When I was interested in Linux I went to www.linuxiso.org

That site has downloads for 15 or 20 distributions of linux and links you to the official download site for that particular distro. I would recommend going there first.

Before you download and install any distribution make sure that all your hardware and software is compatible and download ALL the necessary drivers before you make the big switch to linux or you will be in a world of hurt trying to find these drivers after the face, especially if the driver you are looking for is for your video, keyboard, or internet.

Linux can be good to learn and has advantages over windows XP and possibly over Vista as well such as security, lack of viruses, and stability.

How do you download Linux to a Windows XP PC without downloading Windows 7?
Q. I need to download Linux so i can get a software on my PC called Rosegarden which only runs on Linux..i know of some ways to download Linux but you need to have Windows 7 which i do not but i really need Rosegarden and i cannot buy windows 7..any help? thankss :)

A. Uh? Why the heck would you need windows 7 to use Linux? It's a FREE Operating system, who ever says you need windows 7 is full of bull. Download a distro (ubuntu is likely best for a beginner) bear in mind, Linux is NOTHING like windows and you may find yourself frustrated and lost.
http://www.ubuntulinux.org/
knock yourself out, but remeber it's not easy. burn to a dvd and then just run it at start up.

how do i download linux to a blank computer?
Q. i have a computer with no operating system on it. It's pretty useless right now so i want to put linux on it since its free. All the sites aren't helping.

I just need to know where i can download linux to a disk and pop it into my blank computer and have it start installing on to it.

A. ok, well to me it seems liek you know nothing about linux. except its free and lots of people say "go with linux its great"

it is great, but only if you know how to use it. it seems you just want a free operating system. Because you want just a new operating system to run i would recommend Linspire, it is what used to be known as "Lindows" although linspire costs something, they do have a free version called "Freespire" it is VERY easy to use it was my first linux distro ( now i am into slackware [Wolvix])

most people will says screw that! learn how to use linux, you can.... but you probably wont, you will probably get bored of it because you just dont know how to use it.

ubuntu is great, mepis is great red hat is great, their are plenty of great ones out there... but its kinda a "to each his own" typa thing if you want a free operating system that is easy to use and you dont have to learn commands just to install a program i would go with Freespire, it is a lot like windows, just faster, safer, and ..not windows.

it has all kinds of free software and windows emulators built it, it is easy to find new software with "click and run" service.

Heres where you can download that: http://www.freespire.org/

also if you do want to learn how to use linux but still be able to use the computer you can do that with this distro as well its still linux



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what are my chances to become a Linux System Administrator at 48?

Q. I am trying to change career(unemployed) and I am a newbie in technology except that I did some html & CSS. I wonder if I study Linux for a year & maybe pass a linux+ certification I will be able to get an entry level position? Is it too old at 48 to try? Or maybe should I focus on something like PHP/Mysql? I am trying to decide what would be the easy road and the rewarding one as well. Thanks.

A. With RHCE, you are never too old.

Is Linux System Administration worth trying in my case?
Q. I am trying to change career(unemployed) and I am a newbie in technology except that I did some html & CSS. I wonder if I study Linux for a year & maybe pass a linux+ certification I will be able to get an entry level position? Is it too old at 48 to try? Or maybe should I focus on something like PHP/Mysql? I am trying to decide what would be the easy road and the rewarding one as well. Thanks.

A. Try RHCE, Age wont be a problem.

what kind of hourly wage could i expect with a A+ certification?
Q. I plan on taking it this summer and was wondering where could i work and what kind of pay i would receive. I plan on taking my linux certification this winter any idea what that pays?

A. Really dont expect much. A+ is the basics of basics. Depending on your area and where you apply, you will probably start a few dollars ($2-4) over minimum wage, if you have no job experience. Linux certifications are only meaningful if the place you are apply has any Linux machines in the first place. Most of the business world runs Windows, and then if at all, they run Linux for task specific jobs, which are basically set and forget.



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How do i send a file from unix to windows server using ftp or windoes ?

Q. How do i send a file from unix to windows server using ftp or windows ?

A. You provided very little information.

If you can FTP then I assume both computers have an internet connection.

Simply upload to the FTP site with Unix and download with Windows.

Did you know that Internet Explorer has a built-in FTP client?

It works just like an Explorer window. Just copy and paste or drag and drop.

If you don't have a good FTP location, you can transfer large files with YouSendIt.com.

OK?

How often is Unix used in the industy?
Q. I am a bachelor's student and I am learning Unix this semester. I was wondering how often will I be using Unix in my career? Languages like Java are used a lot. How often is Unix used?

A. Alright Unix and all the wonderful *nixes
1) you work for Apple you work with Unix
2) You work with large distributed Servers and systems
you work with Linux or Unix
3) You work in Western Europe: UK, Ireland, France, Germany (yeah I know its central but it is very Western)
You work with Unix or a *nix in server development and some of the time in a regular desktop
4) You work in the USA for a school/College you run a *nix
5) you work with a business in the USA, China, India, ect or very small businesses with basic computer functions you use in the business not necessarily on the server but most of the time with: Windows

How can I make a command in Unix that shows your files in your directory and arrange it according to size?
Q. I will make a command in Unix that will show a list of your files in the current directory and it will arrange it from lowest to highest according to its size. please help. pls?:(
after sorting the file according to its size.. how can I add some classifications of it

A. Is -is

http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/unix_for_dos_users.html



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How do I create user accounts using a script that reads a list of names from a file?

Q. It creates user accounts for each name. This is on a linux virtual machine.

A. You'll have to write a shell script that reads the names and information from the file one line at a time, then pipes it to a tool like adduser, which will then add the user information to the appropriate system files. This has to be done as root or with admin privileges.

How can I access a network shared (NFS) linux partition on my windows machine?
Q. One way to do it is install a linux virtual machine on my windows (using vmware/vpc) and use it to mount the NFS partition. Will it work? Is there any other way? Some other software.
I don't have admin access to the partition. Basically, I dont have any support from my sys admin too. (hypothetically :)

A. First, you can try Start->Run and enter //servername

Do you have admin access to the Linux machine? You could install a Samba server to it and mount it from there.

What are the down sides of using a virtual machine instead of a host machine?
Q. Currently I'm using windows 7 and wanted to install Linux Mint. I thought of using a virtual machine because i don't want to reboot too much. So does the performance go down if i use a virtual machine? How much of the memory should i dedicate to the virtual machine?

A. It's OK to get a quick look at a different OS, but I wouldn't recommend it for long term use.
Your 'virtual machine' uses virtual hardware for important things like your sound and graphics card, so you'll never see it how it's supposed to be.

You'd be better of using a 'wubi' type install (called mint4win in earlier versions of Mint, but sadly not available in the latest version) Wubi installs the Linux OS inside a Windows folder and automatically adjusts your Windows boot loader. You do need to reboot to use it, but you get the full power of your system with the real sound and graphics card used - and obviously all the RAM too.

Ubuntu and a lot of it's clones can all utilise the 'wubi' method. It's the ideal way to run Linux for beginners. No partitioning or messing with boot loaders, which are the main sticking points for most newcomers. It's much faster than a 'live' CD and it uses your real hardware, unlike a virtual install



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What is a good free Linux antivirus?

Q. I realize that Linux doesn't need antiviruses, but I want one just to be safe. What are some good, free Linux antiviruses?

A. Linux antivirus programs are mostly run on servers that are doing things like passing mail through; in other words, they're checking for Windows viruses before sending things downstream. You don't sound like you're in this situation.

Ignore the people saying to use Windows or to get an antivirus anyway; they're idiots. The best way to avoid getting a virus is to not use root privileges all willy-nilly. Don't run things with sudo or enter your password at a graphical prompt unless you know exactly why you're doing it, and preferably only install software through your package manager. It's nigh-impossible to get affected this way, and is much better protection than any antivirus could ever be.

Will a Linux operating system be difficult for somebody who used only Windows all life?
Q. Today I decided that I am officially tired with Windows and want to install Linux on my laptop. I read on a website all the pro and cons of each operating system ( Windows, OS, Linux) and discovered that Linux is the only one who had the pro list longer than the cons list. ( windows too vulnerable and Macs too pricey). In any case,in the Linux cons list it said that Linux should only be used by experienced computer users. I know my way around a computer but I cannot call myself and expert. Would it be difficult to transition from Windows to Linux if I am not a computer expert?

A. Welcome to the would of Linux based OSs!!

At one point or another most Linux users made that switch, and it can be difficult IF you try to use Linux (remember Linux is the kernel not the OS) like you use Windows. There is a learning curve that you must overcome. Things are just different, but not difficult. Years ago it was harder, but now, there are many distros (distributions) tailored to new users.

Since you already know the pros and cons, there is no need to discuss them. But when you start using Linux based OSs, you WILL be in "windows mode". This just takes time to overcome. Most people that tried Linux and said it was to hard, did not give themselves enough time to get out of "winblos mode".

When you install a Linux distro, you do not need antivirus, antimalware, firewalls, you do not need to defrag. You can install them if you like, but there is no real need unless it makes you feel better. If you stick to the repos (repositories - just to make it easier to explain - you can think of it like an app store that you use on your phone) you will be safe from malware.

Now the hardest part, at least for me, is to choose which distro. Go to distrowatch.com for info on hundreds of different distros.

Most distros are based on a few main distros. Here is an image to give you an idea how many forked from other distros:
http://files.cyberciti.biz/uploads/tips/2007/06/44218-linuxdistrotimeline-7.2.png

When I made the switch from winblows to Linux, here was my criteria:
1. made for beginners - you will have many problems if you jump to a distro made for experts
2. it must be a popular distro - the more people using it, the more help you will receive. you can ask on YA, in a linux forum, or people you know.
3 must look decent. I just don't like an ugly desktop.

Also, you can take almost any distro and add different desktop environments. You can think of the DE as the user interface. You can take Ubuntu, that ships with the Unity DE, and ad another, say KDE. But they do have this already, and called Kubuntu.

You can take Mint (which I recommend for new users) which you can choose form Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE, MATE, Xfce desktops. Or you can add others. Here is a gallery of some of the DEs:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_environment#Gallery

So I would suggest to get an 8 or larger USB flash drive (or what ever you have) and use a program called YUMI to install as many different distros on that drive as it can hold. You choose which distro to boot into on start up. This way you can try out many different distros.

Also try out many of the different DEs. There is no way to know which one is right for you. since they are personal choice. I recommend the KDE since you are coming from winblows. It is pretty and (to me) easier to use. So I recommend Mint with KDE.

There are other made for beginners. If you decide to use Ubuntu make sure that you have a wired internet connection when you install. Ubuntu does not use closed source or proprietary software (it a FOSS thing). It will ask when you install if you want to use restricted software. Mint ships with this software and works better out of the box.

There are distros made for just about anything. If you have an older computer, there are distros for old computers. If this is the case I suggest to not use KDE but one made for older or slower computers. Like LXDE (You can download Mint with LXDE). There are distros for media production, scientists, educators, security, privacy, embedded, etc.... Heck, you can even put Linux on your router, mp3 player, tv, and other devices.

Here are some others:
http://distrowatch.com/search.php?category=Beginners

What Norton Antivirus product should I buy for protecting 6 server machines running windows 2003?
Q. I'd rather run Linux but.. some government people, probably don't know much about computers at all, are forcing us to use Windows.

They want Norton protecting all of them, despite only two of the machines being externally visible.

A. There is a corporate version of Norton Antivirus that has a much smaller memory/cpu usage footprint than the normal retail versions. Its just Symantec Antivirus 11.0. However, they now call it Symantec Endpoint Protection. I'd go with that to keep it simple.



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