75 replies to this topic

[Monkeydog]

I don't have problems with them, except with how slow they are. Libre Office is actually exactly the same product as Open Office but with a few (Well, now many) updates between them, but it's the same core and I think anyone who says they had problems with OO but not LO is just making stuff up to join the Internet Hate Bandwagon™. 

But it's a fork that made it rely less on Java and more on Python. I feel like there's a huge difference between the two, but I haven't used Open Office in years (mainly because it doesn't exist anymore). 

[Vicious Parker]

I had an interesting issue with either Linux, or my hardware, a couple of days ago. I moved my gaming PC (Wraithgaurd) to the living room to pretend that it is a console box for a few games, and decided to pull out an old Dell desktop I have (Navidson), for more PC related uses. Since it had a completely fried version of Windows 7 on it that couldn't boot, I decided to continue the Linux experiment on Navidson, too.

 

I had to take the DVD drive from Wraithguard, since Navidson's has long since died. I know it works, having just used it to install Linux on Wraithguard. Except... I couldn't get it to read the Ubuntu DVD. I tried several times, played with the BIOS, and couldn't get it to work. I tried the Mint 17 DVD I had lying around, and though it didn't work at first, it did after a couple of tries. I wanted to use Ubuntu, so I swapped them out and tried that, but it still didn't work. Eventually I got the Mint DVD to boot up a second time, and installed that. It's more or less the same thing, anyway.

 

But I still don't know what might have caused this! I tried moving the SATA cable to a different port, I used a different connector from the power supply (the one that was on there at first was a little broken, but the pins were intact), but neither seemed to make a difference.

[Donkeymog]

No idea what could be causing that, sounds like a strange one. Generally installing from a USB stick is faster than a DVD though.

[Vicious Parker]

I've tried. Even though I can configure the BIOS to boot from USB, I can't seem to get it to actually work. I've been able to used the USB flash drives boot on other computers, but not this one. I've also tried multiple programs for configuring the bootable USB.

 

I'm thinking that I should probably just leave this computer as is, and not try to do too much with it if it's going to be so fickle about installing stuff to it..

[Donkeymog]

I've tried. Even though I can configure the BIOS to boot from USB, I can't seem to get it to actually work. I've been able to used the USB flash drives boot on other computers, but not this one. I've also tried multiple programs for configuring the bootable USB.

 

I'm thinking that I should probably just leave this computer as is, and not try to do too much with it if it's going to be so fickle about installing stuff to it..

 

Nup, that's wusses way out.

 

Usually you can press one of the f keys to bring up the boot menu at startup. What happens when you select the USB device from that list? Or is it just not recognized?

[matrim]

Standard for most BIOS is the F12 for selective boot, but usually has some sort of notification on the bootscreen.
if you don't have you could try to remove the bootscreen from BIOS and get the old classic boot, this screen could also hold the info on what keys to press for seletive booting.

 

else you could always return the the failsafe, install a floppy disk and boot from A:
then run the installer from the optical media

[Donkeymog]

I like you, matrim. Post more.

[Vicious Parker]

Changing settings in the boot menu is of course the first thing I tried, but it still doesn't work. After doing some googling, it looks as though I'm not the only one with this problem, and on some models is a known Dell related bug (Couldn't get a list of models, but frankly it doesn't surprise me, especially since this isn't the first time I've tried to boot from USB, and it has never worked).

 

I also don't have a floppy disk drive to put in the system, so that's kind of out of the question.

 

I dunno. I may or may not bother with it later. If I do a re-install, it's not as if I will lose anything, since this isn't my main PC, and it's a fresh install anyway. But I do have an operating system installed and running, and that was the goal, after all. Thanks for the feedback, guys.

[matrim]

try checking if you can update your bios with a new flash (NOTE THIS CAN CAUSE ISSUES IF DONE INCORRECTLY)
might enable to support you need for USB booting, since likly this bug disabled the ability to boot from USB connected Diskreaders too.

[Donkeymog]

Stick the harddrive you want to install ubuntu on into another computer and install ubuntu on it, then reinsert it into Navidson and boot from it.

[lazlo falconi]

Have you tried doing a netboot?

[matrim]

Any luck in your endeavours yet?

[Vicious Parker]

Haven't had much time or interest to bother. As I said, I did get Linux Mint running. Since it's not my main PC, the only real goal was to have a working OS. Besides, Mint and Ubuntu are too similar for it to be an issue.

[Vicious Parker]

(Opening paragraphs about Asus TF101 transformer tablet)
 
But the other main issue is the damn keyboard. Physically, it's a fine thing .It adds loads of extra battery life to the system without adding too much weight, and the keyboard itself is mostly OK for typing, with the exception of the too small right shift key. But Asus literally did the bare minimum to make this thing work with android. When using the physical keyboard, you can't use android's built in spell check or auto correct features, the track pad is utterly useless, and you can't even use common keyboard functionality like copy and paste. No control+c or control+v. The power was in Asus' hands to create something really useful, but they failed miserably.
 
I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that it's not simply enough to have a thing, such as a keyboard for your android tablet, or a linux compatible version of a program. Companies really need to put themselves in to the business of making products for Linux. I hope it happens soon.

Since I have to be a responsible dad and make sure my children don't kill each other or choke on something or terrorize the cat or tear up the house or poop on anything, I can't exactly use my desktop computer (Which is in the cold, cold basement) while I'm alone in the house watching them. I wanted to get started on the next episode of GFE, so I put the keyboard back on my TF101 and decided to give it a shot for taking some notes/writing up a new script. And you know what? I figured out how to make it work. Turns out that the best word processor to use with this particular device, unless you need advanced functions, is...... Gmail. I mean seriously, WTF?

But yeah, you get a mostly blank page that let's you focus on the words. The spell check actually does work in this app with the keyboard dock! (The main reason I'm replying ot my old post. I guess you could call it a correction?). You can save it as a draft easily, which will let it sync to any device you can log in to Gmail. It's surprisingly useful.

But my original point still stands. This device has to be at least as powerful as my first laptop, but it's still nowhere near as useful. Such a shame.

[Donkeymog]

 

(not directed anyone or anything in particular. Just couldn't resist posting some Richard Stallman.)

[lazlo falconi]

http://a.pomf.se/yinzqa.webm

 

(Can IPB embed these?)