Entering the world of linux

You can just go ahead and reinstall Ubuntu - when you boot off the Ubuntu disk and the partitioner starts up you will probably still see the linux partitions - the installation will just re write over those with a fresh install - be careful not to install it to your windows partition though!!!

If you don't want Linux on there you actually have to remove the partition and fix the MBR - best way is with a partition manager that will see the Linux partitions (I recommend parted magic ) - use that to delete the linux partition, and then either resize your windows partitions OR (better idea) just reformat the linux one into another NTFS block... After that you need the original Windows disk - boot off that and get into the recovery console, you need to re write the MBR - so you can either choose to repair computer (check the box about issues starting up computer) Or better idea is to use the command prompt - you will have to find out the proper commands first though - for win XP it's something like FIX MBR... hang on...

XP: Repair or fix master boot record using recovery console

(if your using Vista or windows & then it's different)

But you can just go ahead and install Ubuntu over the old installation no problem - just pay very close attention to the partitioner part of the installation.

How exactly did you install ubuntu? I ask because you removed it via the XP control panel. Did you use one of those install linux in windows solutions?

I heartily recommend avoiding installing linux inside of windows unless you have no choice. It's kind of like trying to put a castle inside a row home. I've had lots of success running XP as a virtual machine under linux though.

You can try out linux by running a live cd, which doesn't mess with your windows installation. If you want something more permanent, you can dual-boot from the same hard drive (or a different one if you like). You can also run linux as a virtual machine under Windows.

reply to post by semperfortis

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I think what Ian was telling you is the exact text to put into the command line to make your dvd. Just open a terminal (xterm or others) from your main menu and paste in Ian's lines.

I'll be honest... I refuse to play command line with dvd burning. There are definitely graphical solutions to help you do what you want. Ian's a better man than I

Most if not all of the burner programs will burn an ISO. If I start with an AVI file, I use Devede to convert it to a DVD ISO file, then burn it with Brasero (or your favorite burner).

ISO files are images of a whole disc.

If you actually want to learn beyond basic desktop use, the easiest way would be to just run it in a Virtual Machine, like VMWare. That way you can have it in a window and refer to online sources back in Windows when you break it, which you will.

Next, dump Ubuntu, it's bloated beyond all recognition with unnecessary crap that will only serve to confuse you. The goal is to learn, not see how many widgets you can have on the screen at once or marvel at all the neat GUI effects lol.

A basic install of SuSE Enterprise 11 (SLES) is a good way to go, but not Open SuSE which is fairly bloated as well. If you're feeling really adventurous, try Slackware.

What Pj was referring to was that he used the option to install inside windows, which is a wubi install that writes to the boot ini and makes an image within the root of the primary partition that windows is installed.

What your referring to is if you do a real installation on another hardrive or primary partition.

...and yes pj you can do another wubi install no problem with ubuntu,kubuntu or xubuntu.

The way I described will resolve the left over boot menu problem should you decide to dedicate an install to linux or stop using it on that machine.

The other solution is to restore the original boot .ini Which you should be able to do with system restore I believe



[edit on 15-1-2010 by The Utopian Penguin]

reply to post by ZombieOctopus

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Although I agree with the virtual machine approach, I suggest Microsoft's Virtual PC. It may not have USB ports for the virtual machine (but the USB mouse and keyboard work) and lack the Virtual Machine Add-ons that accelerate screen operations and other stuff (like the way the mouse works when entering/exiting the virtual machine), but that's what I have been using to run ISIS for converting NASA (and other space agencies') images.

And I think Ubuntu may be a good choice for someone coming from Windows, it has some things that work more or less like Windows, so it can be a good way of getting familiarized with the Unix/Linux way of doing things.

Thanks to everyone so far for all their advice.

Devede is a pleasure to use, really (idiot) user-friendly.

Managed to get Baldur's Gate working on the Windows Emulator, which is ludicrously easy to use. So I'll be asking for advice on divorce in a month or so.

Edit to add:

B/G is running a lot better on Xubuntu that it ever did on my Vista, there's a couple of niggles with the audio, but that's it... I take it this is because my Windows Emulator is actually running the version of Windows the game was designed for.

Do any others have much experience of this?


[edit on 16/1/1010 by jokei]

reply to post by leftystrat

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Getting on really well with DeVeDe, really easy, can you recommend any decent add-ons for it? Also, is it possible to "compress" a dvd/ISO file? ie: convert an 8.5GB to 4.7GB?

reply to post by jokei

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If you are talking about a video or audio DVD (one that you can legally copy, obviously), that usually involves re-encoding the video(s) to make them smaller, they are already compressed.

Hey guys, I didn't notice this thread yet. peacejet, I hope you don't mind me replying to somewhat off-topic posts - it seems this thread has some kind of prosocial quality in which I would like to partake ;] of course your problem first;

reply to post by peacejet

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The problem of the screen turning off has happened to me as well - in my case it was caused by ATI's own driver (which is quite good, but not always as stable as your distro's own implementation of the open-source version for ATI videocards). The important thing is, you don't have to mind the extra boot option; if you choose to reinstall Ubuntu, it will recognize the option and either delete or reuse it. Either way, no problems there. Alternatively you could boot into Ubuntu with a previous working kernel or video driver and fix the problem, but that may take more time (to explain ;D) than just reinstalling. If you do want to go the long way, let me know!


reply to post by semperfortis

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Maybe it's not my place to jump in answer this question, but I'm just itching to!
*warning* Long answer *warning*.. skip through the first 3 paragraphs to get to a real answer

It's not strange to get confused by all the command-line activities - while most people only recognize this from the old DOS-days, the Linux developers sometimes even prefer to be working in a console (the screen where you execute commands through text, also referred to as terminal). When how-to's and other documentation are written, the author often assumes the reader to have somewhat the same affiliation with the console. In the end, this makes it hard for real newbies to get comfortable with the Linux way of life.
Ubuntu has made some terrific progress in that respect. A few years ago, it was virtually the ony distribution with a graphical install - one of the most important thresholds for really new users. Since then, it has come a long way, and most of the daily activities on Ubuntu can be completely managed through the GUI, much as in more popular operating systems.

But then there's the stuff Ian McLean posted. Mencoder is a gem of encoding software, and there is little you can't do with it - but as another Ubuntu user says in his thread;

Of all the command-line invocations I've seen, mencoder definitely has the longest by average. If there ever was a program that was in dire need of a decent front-end (clickable stuff), then it's mencoder. The thread mentioned above does contain some posts referring to KMPlayer for example as a possible front-end for mencoder.. But now that we've come this far, it would be a shame not to go the extra inch for some authentic console carnage.

So let's get back to that horrendously long command supplied by Ian McLean:

I'll try to break down the syntax in a comprehensible manner. The first important thing is that all commands are an alphanumerical word. For example, 7zip is a program, and mencoder is in this example; but the dollar sign in front of that is not part of the command. It's meaning depends on the source, but in this case it just represents 'being in a terminal' - you can safely ignore it completely.
Next, while it is possible to execute multiple commands (through the use of special characters like |, & and , you can safely assume for now that all the text behind a command gets sent to that command. So, the whole 'paragraphs worth of text' after 'mencoder' gets sent to the command mencoder. While a program can do pretty much whatever it likes with the input you give it, most follow a certain format:

All options are prefixed with a hyphen (-); some options have values, some don't. Sometimes options are complete words, sometimes two hyphens are used.
When referring to a file, the command tries to find the file from 'your' point of view. By default, a console opens in your home directory (e.g. /home/banana). Say I've downloaded a file to the directory Downloads, then it would be found under /home/banana/Downloads. Now if I were to use mencoder on the downloaded file, I would open the terminal/console via the menu (see System apps or similar); since the terminal already opens in /home/banana, I can simply type "cd Downloads" to go into the Downloads dir. But, I can also supply mencoder with the path to the file instead of going there myself;


The file 'outputfile.mpg' will get created if all is well. You can replace that name with anything you want - you could for example write the file to /tmp, the temporary working directory (content deleted each reboot!), simply by supplying -o /tmp/outputfile.mpg instead.

Hope that sheds some lights, out of characters now - good luck! May the OpenSource be with you.

Devede advice?

Does anyone know how to make sub-menus? ie: a second screen to go into, so you could have 3 titles, but individual menus for each one?

Having an issue with VLC: Basically, it stopped playing dvds - there's no issue with it playing files - FLV, AVI etc, but it won't actually play a physical dvd???

I've uninstalled and reinstalled it, googled the issue, but am having no luck.

I'm using Xubuntu (latest) and get this error message when trying to play a dvd...

"Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvd://`�K��Kx�K��K
check the log for details"

I'm guessing the icon/text is where the issue lies, but am wary of tampering with it - I'm guessing the file path is incorrect?

Having no problems playing dvds with Movie Player, but the interface is horrible.

Suggestions much appreciated.

reply to post by jokei

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Fixed it - the dvd path was set incorrectly to those symbols, simply changed the dvd path back to:

/dev/dvd1

Any ideas as to why it changed?

BUMP BUMP BUMP...

If anyone could help me with an MP3 issue, I would be VERY grateful.

I've started a thread on the Ubuntu forums, if anyone could take the time to read through it, that would be awesome.

ubuntuforums.org...