Well I decided on Teamviewer since I could use it with Linux or Windows and decided to go with the Linux version. Experimented with my husband’s computer so my Dad wouldn’t think I was a complete idiot when I installed the program on his computer. Completely hitch free on both computers. The very next day, he had a problem with a pop up – called me – and I was able to log right to ‘see’ the problem and fix it. Success!
At this point, I am wondering what took me so long to install Linux. Comparatively speaking – every time I have installed a windows system it has taken most of a day and lots of hair pulling. Installing Mint did take a bit of tweaking to disk partitions, but help was readily available. I also used my terminal to apply a fix, but that also was a simple matter of accessing the known issues page and following the instructions!
I spent the day happily playing around with themes for this blog switching between systems intermittently for testing purposes and started investigating Teamviewer and Logmein.
I have achieved a dual boot of Linux Mint 14 and Windows 7. It actually wasn’t difficult. Following the directions to partition my drive provided on this site was a snap. I can’t give enough thanks to all the people who take the time to post on Linux forums and share detailed instructions for neophytes. I paid attention and created a complete back up along with a bootable recovery disk before I began!
Ultra impressed with Linux – almost impossible to go wrong with so much support.
Next project – accessing my Dad’s computer remotely so that I can fix up his laptop when he accidentally installs one of those annoying toolbars. Stay tuned for more overly ambitious immersion learning projects to come!
My greatest hesitation before installing Linux has been choosing the right distribution- then finally realized that there is not right one! The decision was down to Ubuntu and Mint – Mint won! I looks clean and crisp and modern. I read through lots of forums and posts reading up on the proper way to partition my drive. I downloaded a DVD ISO from a mirror site, burned a CD and booted up. As usual, nothing goes completely smoothly. I had to edit my bios to boot from a DVD, but once I got that covered I was able to run Mint. All seemed functional and I was able to connect to the internet!
Then realized, oh no, I had no drive large enough to back up my whole computer. With a kid at USC, there is not much extra left in the budget for my toys but I finally splurged on a terabyte drive! I am off to back up my computer and will install with a dual boot tomorrow.
Onward and Upward!
His answer trickled through my head like water through a sieve.
~Lewis Carroll
“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.”
Booker T. Washington