New Technology Reviews!.: Linux

CommandLineFu: Amazing Collection Of Command Line Gems [Linux & Mac]

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<img alt="linux command line" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/b8d8f47276u-icon.png.png" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/b8d8f47276u-icon.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />Browse an assortment of amazingly useful commands. Whether you’re an veteran system admin or a command-line neophyte striving to discover more, CommandLineFu is a vote-driven collection of commands that serves up thousands of ideas you should have thought of but didn’t.</div>
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Some see the command line as Linux’s weak point, the ultimate symbol of a system lacking ease of use. Others know the command line as one of Linux’s best features, giving learned users quick access to features most computer users don’t even know exist. There’s a reason even Mac OS X comes with a full-featured terminal. CommandLineFu is an encyclopedia of exactly those features. A database featuring over 8,000 unique commands, this site can seem overwhelming at first – just like the command line itself. Dig in though, and you will wonder just how you used a computer without the command line.</div>
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Sorry, Windows users – the majority of these commands only work on Linux. Some work on Mac OS X as well.</div>
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Browsing</h2>
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Head over to CommandLineFu to get started. You will immediately see the commands submitted most recently.</div>
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You can “grep” (read: search) the archive, if you want, or simply click “<em>All Time Greats</em>” to see the most popular commands. Or if you prefer, simply browse the massive tag cloud that makes up this sites right sidebar.</div>
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A Few Highlight Commands</h2>
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Experienced command line users will immediately find things they are interested in, but what about everyone else? Here is a quick list of my discoveries from this site.</div>
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Quick, Temporary Web Server</h3>
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Want to quickly share a file with someone? Set up your own web server in a few keystrokes with this handy command:</div>
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<code>python -m SimpleHTTPServer</code></div>
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Just like that, your current directory will be shared. Here’s what it looks like in a web browser:</div>
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Naturally, you’re going to need to set up your router properly if you want to share with someone outside your current network. A dedicated IP or a service like DynDNS will also be needed. Still, for local file sharing, it’s hard to beat the above command: it’s quick and easy. It worked for me on Ubuntu and OS X.</div>
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Run Preview Command As Sudo</h3>
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This one’s probably only useful for users of Ubuntu, or other systems utilizing sudo. It allows you to re-run the last command you executed as sudo, perfect if you forgot to add that vital preface.</div>
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<img alt="linux command line tools" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/8d7c94faeau-sudo.png.png" height="178" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/8d7c94faeau-sudo.png.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="580" /></div>
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See Your Unread Emails</h3>
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Want a quick rundown of your unread emails? this simple command can do the trick, provided your email client of choice is Gmail.</div>
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It worked for me on Ubuntu and OS X; Linux users should make sure “curl” is installed.</div>
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See Your Mounted Devices</h3>
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A mounted device is any storage drive plugged into your system and working. Need to see a full list of them? Simple.</div>
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Watch A Text Version of StarWars</h3>
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Okay, this one’s not useful. It is, however, awesome. Watch a text-only version of Star Wars, complete with ASCII animated characters:</div>
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The code for this is simple:</div>
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<code>telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl</code></div>
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3 Different Feeds</h2>
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Do you want to know every time a new awesome command is discovered? CommandLineFu offers three different Twitter and RSS feeds for just that purpose. Which one you use depends on how frequently you want updates; check them all out here.</div>
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Conclusion</h2>
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This site is awesome. Exploring it can teach you a great deal about not only the command line but also about computers in general.</div>
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Did you learn anything cool? Share links to your favorite commands in the comments below, or just list them yourself.</div>
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CommandLineFu: Amazing Collection Of Command Line Gems [Linux & Mac]

Browse an assortment of amazingly useful commands. Whether you’re an veteran system admin or a command-line neophyte striving to discover...

4 Apps Should Help You Improve Your Writing [Linux]

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<img alt="free writing tools" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/03701bac17riting.jpg.jpg" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/03701bac17riting.jpg.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />Are you a Linux user with a passion for writing? If so, check out these essential tools for the job.<br />
Writing is a key skill in the modern world, whether it’s directly how you make your living or not. Whether it’s writing memos or emailing clients, most jobs include at least some use of the written word. Even outside of work, more and more communication is moving to the written word. Don’t rush through these things – take your time and get them right. Develop writing as a skill, because it will reward you. But it’s a lot easier to do if you have the proper tools.<br />
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FocusWriter</h2>
Word processors are cool, and Linux users can use Open Office/Libre Office or AbiWord if a word processor is necessary.<br />
These free writing tools aren’t <em>primarily</em> for writing, though. They are for laying content out on a page to be printed. If you’re writing for a website or an email, or just aren’t yet concerned about layout, they do way more than you need. That’s why I like FocusWriter, which offers a minimal interface without sacrificing on features.<br />
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Artha: Thesaurus</h2>
Repeating the same word while writing is problematic. Add some variety by using a Thesaurus. A plethora of online options exist, but if you want something hosted locally on your computer check out Artha. This simple program runs quickly so you can get back to your writing after finding the word you need.<br />
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You can almost certainly find Artha in your distro’s repositories right now, so go ahead and install it. Ubuntu users can simply click here to install Artha. Users of other distros can find Artha installation instructions here.<br />
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TomBoy or Zim</h2>
It’s important as a writer to keep you thoughts organized. A personal wiki can help a lot, giving you a place to collect ideas and organize them with cross-links. TomBoy, a Linux note-taking app, is installed by default on Ubuntu and is an excellent application for storing ideas.<br />
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If you don’t like the way TomBoy works, check out Zim, a desktop wiki. It’s a desktop wiki, but different from TomBoy in many ways. If you like using wikis on the web you’ll love this tool.<br />
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Plus: it’s named after the single greatest cartoon alien of all time.<br />
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Dropbox</h2>
We mention Dropbox more than enough here at MakeUseOf, but there’s a reason for that – it’s awesome. If you’re a writer primarily using Linux, it or something like it is almost essential.<br />
Dropbox can automatically sync your writing between your computers, making it essential if you own more than one device. Even if you possess only a single computer you’ll want to use Dropbox, because it automatically backs up your work to the cloud every time you save it. Even better is that you can revert to a previous version of the file, within the past 30 days, anytime. This is great if you accidentally delete a large chunk of text and click “save.”<br />
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Conclusion</h2>
I do most of my writing for this and other blogs on Linux, and find these tools indispensable. Together they make my workflow what it is, and I’m extremely grateful to the developers of all of them.<br />
While researching this article I stumbled upon Writing On Linux, a blog dedicated to outlining Linux tools for writers. Be sure to check that blog out for more cool ideas, but be aware that updates are sparse.<br />
Do you have any other cool free writing tools for Linux? Let us know about them in the comments below, because we love learning from our readers.<br />
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4 Apps Should Help You Improve Your Writing [Linux]

Are you a Linux user with a passion for writing? If so, check out these essential tools for the job. Writing is a key skill in the modern...

70 Things Every Computer Geeks Should Know

70 Things Every Computer Geeks Should Know

The term ‘geek’, once used to label a circus freak, has morphed in meaning over the years. What was once an unusual profession transferr...

Step By Step Guide On How To Install Linux? Without Repartition Or Reformating

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Linux, for those who don’t already know, is a free and open source operating system, which you can find in dozens of different versions (known as distributions). The distribution you pick depends very much on your how you plan on using the OS, but for the purpose of this article we are going to assume you are looking for a desktop alternative to Windows. And as a full-featured Windows replacement, no other Linux distribution comes close to Ubuntu, which features a full suite of pre-loaded desktop applications and an easy to use installer. Fresh installs of Ubuntu will contain recent versions of the most popular open source applications including Open Office, Firefox 3, Gimp Image Editor, and several other multimedia tools and games.</div>
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The most recent release version of Ubuntu is 8.04.1 LTS (Long Term Support). This distribution is often referred to as “Hardy Heron” and went live in April 2008. It will remain current until the next iteration, billed “Intrepid Ibex”, launches in October. For reference, our previous Ubuntu install guide featured version 7.10, also known as Gusty Gibbon.</div>
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Ubuntu contains many unique and innovative qualities designed to make it less intimidating the average Windows user who may be looking for a change. One of these features is called Live CD. Once you have downloaded and burned a copy of the Live CD ISO, you will have the ability to launch a fully functional copy of the Ubuntu to test out driver compatibility and to sample the user interface, all without installing a single file to your PC. This guide will walk you through testing your hardware and installing a dual boot setup all without formatting or repartitioning your hard drive.</div>
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What you'll Need:</h4>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A PC Running Windows XP or Vista</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Backup of Your Data (Just a Precaution!)</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">45 Minutes</li>
</ul>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AND</strong></div>
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Ubuntu Live CD ISO<br /><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Free</strong>, <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/downloadmirrors" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Direct </a>or <a href="http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.04/ubuntu-8.04.1-desktop-i386.iso.torrent" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bit Torrent</a><br />ISO Burning Software<br /><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Free</strong>, <a href="http://infrarecorder.sourceforge.net/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">InfraRecorder</a></div>
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1. Use Your ISO Burning Software To Create A Live CD</h3>
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<img height="397" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/htinstalllinux1.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="415" /></div>
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To begin we must mount our newly acquired ISO file to a bootable CD. You can use either your existing CD burning software, or since we are in an open source frame of mind, a free alternative such as InfraRecorder. Once this is completed the CD should be moved to the bootable optical drive on your PC.  We are now ready to restart our machine and begin the trial.</div>
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 2. Try Ubuntu Without Any Change to Your Computer</h3>
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<img height="312" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/htinstalllinux2.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="415" /></div>
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As mentioned before, one of Ubuntu’s finest features is the ability to run the OS off the CD before you commit any additional time to an installation. Running the software “live” is made possible without permanent installation by placing all the necessary files into RAM instead of your hard disk. Incompatibilities are rare, but not even Microsoft has the ability to predict every system configuration. The odds are pretty good that if you have problems booting with the “Try Ubuntu” option, you will have problems with a full blown installation as well.</div>
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 3. Test Your System For Compatibility<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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 <img height="350" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/htinstalllinux3.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="415" /></div>
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 If all went well with the Live CD initialization, after a short boot sequence you should find yourself greeted by a fully functional desktop with which to experiment and test your hardware. To get a quick overview of native driver support you can click system, preferences, hardware information. This will give you a list of hardware detected on your PC similar to the Device Manager in Windows.</div>
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For a quick and easy way to verify basic compatibility, try using the built in utility located under system, administration, hardware testing. This will walk you step by step through compatibility checks on your video, audio, and input devices. If you manage to pass each stage of the test with without issue, you should have no trouble getting your hardware up and running after a permanent installation. So if you’re now ready to give Ubuntu a home in your system, and have 4GB of disk space to spare on your hard drive, go ahead and restart the computer and boot back into Windows to begin the installation.</div>
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4. Install Ubuntu Without Formatting or Repartitioning Your Drives</h3>
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<img height="319" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/htinstalllinux4.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="415" /></div>
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Your Live CD contains a new feature that can be accessed from the autorun menu in Windows called Wubi (Windows Ubuntu Installer). This interface will allow you to install Linux to any drive on your PC and the option of booting from any OS each time you start your machine. A key advantage here is that since we are installing Ubuntu from within Windows, it can be uninstalled at any time using the Add/Remove Programs utility.</div>
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Despite what many people believe, however, this install is not a virtual machine. It works more like a disk image creating a block of data on the drive. This carries a little bit of a performance penalty, but nowhere near what you encounter when you run an OS within an OS. At this point you can simply follow the installer.</div>
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 <img height="322" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/htinstalllinux5.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="415" /></div>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Setup Options:</strong></div>
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1.) <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Installation Drive </em>– Which hard disk you wish to install to. If you choose the “C” drive, for example, the image will be located under c:\ubuntu<br />2.)<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Installation Size</em> – It is important you pick the size that you think will suit you needs. If you only intend to dabble in the OS, 4 to 8GB should be enough.<br />3.) <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Username / Password </em>– Make sure you write this down. Once the OS is installed you will need this to log in.<br />4.) Click “install”. The amount of time required to complete this step depends very much on the speed of your internet connection, since many of the install files are downloaded on the fly. Upon completion, you will be asked to reboot, after which you’ll be greeted with a new boot loader on startup that’ll give you the option to pick Windows or Ubuntu.</div>
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 <img height="320" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/htinstalllinux6.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="415" /></div>
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 5. Update the OS</h3>
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<img height="350" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/htinstalllinux7.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="415" /></div>
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Just like a clean install of Windows, one of the first things you will want to do with your fresh copy of Linux is check for updates. This can be accomplished by clicking on <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">System</em>, <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Administration</em>,<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Update Manager</em>. Available updates should quickly populate your list. After you have reviewed your options, click Install Updates. If you fail to receive any updates, try launching Firefox by click on the icon along the top to verify a working internet connection. You will want to make sure you are connected to the internet through a wired Ethernet connection since wireless networking may require you to hunt down and download additional wifi hardware drivers first.</div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #990000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; letter-spacing: -0.05em; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
6. Driver Configuration</h3>
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<img height="350" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/htinstalllinux8.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="415" /></div>
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If you only plan to use your copy of Linux for basic applications such as email, web browsing, or Open Office, you may not need to worry about additional drivers. Ubuntu comes bundled with many open source-equivalent drivers. But if you plan on running anything that requires 3D acceleration, rock out to an aftermarket sound card, or even enable most wifi devices, a bit of extra configuration might be required.</div>
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If Ubuntu didn’t automatically activate your hardware, it doesn’t necessarily imply that the appropriate drivers don’t exist, rather it might just mean it might not open source. The primary vision of the Linux project is an operating system without restrictions. Some companies such as ATI and Nvidia, however, don’t want to open its drivers because doing so could reveal proprietary information to their competitors. To enable accelerated graphics using proprietary drivers you need to access the menu system and click <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">System</em>, <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Administration</em>, <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hardware Drivers</em> to view a list of your options and activate them manually. You can download the latest versions of these drivers using the links listed below, but until you become more familiar with how to work under the Unix terminal it might be best to stick with the built-in generic drivers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ATI Linux Display Drivers</a> and <a href="http://ati.amd.com/products/catalyst/linux.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">FAQ</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nvidia Linux Display Drivers</a> and <a href="http://nvidia.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/nvidia.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=ECuL4K9j&p_lva=&p_li=&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_page=1&p_cv=&p_pv=&p_prods=&p_cats=&p_hidden_prods=&prod_lvl1=&prod_lvl2=0&prod_lvl3=0&prods4=0&prod_lvl5=0&prod_lvl6=0&cat_lv" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">FAQ</a></div>
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<a href="http://support.creative.com/Downloads/welcome.aspx" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Creative Labs Linux Display Drivers</a> and <a href="http://connect.creativelabs.com/linux/Lists/Driver%20Issues/AllItems.aspx" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">FAQ</a></div>
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<a href="http://kmuto.jp/debian/hcl/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">All Other Drivers</a></div>
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7. Alternative Software Options</div>
</h3>
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Because we are dealing with an entirely new operating system, most of your Windows applications will be incompatible (ie. you can’t just pop in an install CD and expect it work). While some of your apps can be made to work under Linux using emulation packages such as <a href="http://www.winehq.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wine</a> and <a href="http://www.codeweavers.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cross Over</a>, the process could end up being more trouble then it is worth. I’ve listed a few of the recommended open source options below.</div>
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Web Browsing</h4>
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Hardy Heron comes with <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Firefox 3</a> built in, but if you prefer an alternative you can also use the newest version of <a href="http://www.opera.com/download/index.dml?platform=linux" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Opera</a>.</div>
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Word Processing</h4>
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If you aren’t satisfied with the preinstalled <a href="http://www.openoffice.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Open Office</a> you can try installing <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX102832771033.aspx" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Microsoft Office</a> using<a href="http://www.winehq.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wine</a>, try something like <a href="http://linux.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=linux&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fkoffice.kde.org%2F" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">KOffice</a> , or even just use <a href="https://www.google.com/accounts/NewServiceAccount?service=writely&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F&followup=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Google Docs.</a></div>
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Image Editing</h4>
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The built in <a href="http://www.gimp.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">GIMP</a> image editor is powerful enough for most users, but if you find yourself needing more manipulation options you could always try <a href="http://www.idruna.com/products.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Photogenics</a>.</div>
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Media Viewers</h4>
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The built in Movie Player works well for standard media formats, but for extra codec support I suggest trying <a href="http://www.videolan.org/vlc/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">VLC Player</a>. Additionally, MP3 play back isn’t supported in Linux because it’s actually a proprietary format. If you aren’t prepared to <a href="http://www.audio-converter.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">convert</a> your entire music collection to the open source OGG format, some alternatives exist such as <a href="http://www.zinf.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Zinf</a> or <a href="http://mjs.sourceforge.net/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">MJS</a> to play MP3’s natively in Linux.</div>
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8. Enjoy Linux!</h3>
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If you decide Linux isn’t for you, you can always boot back into Windows and navigate over to the Add/Remove Programs Utility to turn back the clock. If you do decide to stick with Ubuntu, you can always try running a dedicated install on another machine or set up a permanent dual-boot the next time you format and repartition your system. To do this, just skip step 4 and double click “install” on the Ubuntu desktop when you boot from your live CD.</div>
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Share your reactions below!.</div>
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Step By Step Guide On How To Install Linux? Without Repartition Or Reformating

Linux, for those who don’t already know, is a free and open source operating system, which you can find in dozens of different versio...

Tutorial: How to create a Windows rescue USB stick

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Anyone who's been on the receiving end of a PC disaster can testify to the pain that they can cause, and recovering from a major crash can be a long and difficult process.</div>
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The beauty of Windows is that it can be fixed with an installation disc, which can work all kind of wonders with your PC - just stick it in your optical drive and reboot your machine.</div>
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There's a problem, though - PC manufacturers don't generally like giving away copies of Windows with their machines, so if a shop-fresh system goes wrong, you're not only stuck up a proverbial creek without a paddle, but you're going to have to spend an enormous amount of effort getting out of it.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Rescue discs</span></div>
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Windows has a function that lets you make a rescue disc, which performs the wonders of the installation CD when things go wrong.</div>
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The default way to do this is to use a blank CD, which is all well and good, but copied CDs are pretty open to getting scratched and not reading properly, and you'll need to fork out for a spindle for them, which will clutter up your home or office.</div>
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Fortunately, as with most parts of Windows, there's a workaround. You can use a USB flash drive to act as a system restore disc in Windows 7, making part of an armoury of tools that you can call upon in times of need.</div>
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To start making your recovery USB tool, you first need to create a recovery disc. You can go about this in two ways. The first is to actually burn a disc using the tool in Windows. Click 'Start', type create a system repair disk in the Search box and insert a blank disc. When you start the process, your disc will be burned, which can take a few minutes. This isn't ideal, though - CDs are slow and sometimes fiddly to make. With this in mind, we'd always opt for making a USB recovery key instead.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Download ISO image</span></div>
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<img alt="diskpart" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20310/PCP310.make7.select_disk-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20310/PCP310.make7.select_disk-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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Whichever method you choose, you'll need to download an ISO disc image. To begin, go to here and download the appropriate image for your system. You'll need to use a torrent program to download the ISO, but it's fast and legal.</div>
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It's now time to start turning your CD image into a USB repair tool. First, you need a USB flash drive that you're prepared to format. The ISO file is only 100MB, so an ordinary 512MB stick will be fine.</div>
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Connect it to your PC, then click 'Start' and type cmd into the Search box. Right-click on the icon and select 'Run as administrator'. Once the command prompt has opened, you can use its partitioning tool to turn your bog standard USB drive into a powerful rescue disk.</div>
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First, type diskpart into the prompt and press [Enter], which will enable the process.</div>
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Next, type list disk to get a list of all available disks. They will be listed in numerical order, showing every partition, CD, USB connection and eSATA currently connected.</div>
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Being DOS, it will neglect to call these partitions by their assigned name, so put your detective cap on and choose the disk that's the right size.</div>
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Next, select the USB key by typing select disk #, where the hash is the appropriate number for your USB drive. The next step is to format the USB key so that Windows will recognise it as a bootable recovery disc.</div>
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To do this, first type clean into the command prompt, then press [Enter] and your USB stick will be prepared for use. Next, type create partition primary, hit [Enter] and type select partition 1, followed by active. This process slowly readies your USB stick for action, but there's a little way to go yet.</div>
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Type the command format fs=ntfs to finalise the filesystem on your USB drive so that it can be read by Windows when it boots. This process can take a few seconds to complete, and you'll be returned to the prompt when it's done.</div>
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Now type ASSIGN and EXIT to complete the process. When the USB stick is prepared, if you burned your disc using the built-in tool, insert it into the drive and explore the contents when prompted.</div>
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<img alt="ISO files" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20310/PCP310.make7.iso_files-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20310/PCP310.make7.iso_files-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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There will be three folders on the CD. Drag these from the CD onto the USB drive, and then safely eject it. If you opted to download the ISO file, then you need to extract the file. You can use 7-Zip or WinRAR to extract the folders, and save them into a new folder on your machine.</div>
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When it's extracted, navigate to the folder and drop them onto your USB drive to finish the process.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Enable USB booting</span></div>
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<img alt="Run as admin" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20310/PCP310.make7.admin-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20310/PCP310.make7.admin-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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Now that your USB rescue disc is set up, you can breathe a sigh of relief - almost. There's still one more task left.</div>
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Your PC has a pre-defined boot priority, which tells it which devices to read from when it starts up. Normally, the first will the CD-ROM drive, so that an installation disc can be found before the hard drive, where the BIOS will expect to find your installed operating system. USB booting is normally disabled, or last on the list.</div>
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The upshot is that if your PC suffers a huge crash, then your shiny new USB rescue disc will be as useful as a chocolate fireguard.</div>
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There's a simple workaround though. Restart your PC with the USB stick connected and enter the BIOS menu. This is traditionally done by hitting the [Delete] key as soon as your PC starts, but manufacturers like to make life difficult and it could be [F1], [F2] or even [F12].</div>
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The key to access your BIOS should be labelled, but you can search Google for your PC brand if you're having trouble.</div>
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When the BIOS has loaded, you need to find the boot menu, which is normally to the right of the screen. Check if there's an option for USB booting, which might be labelled 'External device'. Scroll down to this option using the arrow keys, then hit [Enter] and choose 'Enabled' if it isn't already selected.</div>
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Next, you need to promote your USB drive to the top of your boot list. Every BIOS works differently, but you need to change the boot order to promote your stick above the optical drive and hard disc drive. When you've finished, go to 'Exit' and make sure you save your changes.</div>
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There is a downside to enabling USB booting, which can become tiresome. While non-operating CDs won't affect the boot when the optical drive is chief of the boot list, USB sticks that are plugged in will often confuse your PC, making it fail to boot, citing an unrecognised partition.</div>
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It's easy to fix though (just remove the offending stick) and you can recover your PC using your rescue kit if things go wrong.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Rescue package</span></div>
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<img alt="Extract iso" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20310/PCP310.make7.extract_iso-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20310/PCP310.make7.extract_iso-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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Now that you've made your USB rescue disc and your PC is primed to recognise it, you will be protected if your machine goes wrong.</div>
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In the event of a crash, just plug your USB stick into a spare port and boot your system from cold. The BIOS will see a bootable disc and present you with a host of diagnostic options, which you can use to fix the problem.</div>
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When your PC reboots, you can choose the right tool to fix it. The options are Startup Repair, which scans your PC for any issues that might be preventing it from booting up, or System Restore.</div>
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System Restore is the most useful of these two. It lets you roll back your entire setup to a previous point in time, eliminating most problems at a stroke. Windows 7 is especially good a setting restore points when the slightest changes are made to the operating system, which means you can resurrect your system with a minimum of fuss.</div>
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If you use the advanced features, you can also run Memory Diagnostics, or use System Image Recovery so that a complete system recovery can take place.</div>
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Finally, you can boot to the command prompt and remedy problems like it's 1999. Having the option to recover your PC from USB is extremely handy, and it can make up part of a larger USB recovery toolkit together with Linux distros, which can keep your data totally safe.</div>
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Of course, it's still essential to maintain regular backups of your files, and to take advantage of tools like System Restore and images of Windows, so that when you do recover your PC, getting back on track is as easy and painless as possible.</div>
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Tutorial: How to create a Windows rescue USB stick

Anyone who's been on the receiving end of a PC disaster can testify to the pain that they can cause, and recovering from a major cr...