Hey up,

Well i was thinking since vi$ta sucks, and since i doubt i would go back to xp.. I wanted to make the Win7 switch like many others...

Thing is i only update my OS when i have a legit license key to use...

***** my bad

Also who know there stuff about Linux? What is the best (most featurepacked and usable) linux distro to dual boot with?

I've limited experience with Linux on command line level to my box which is running RHEL5, RedHat 5 Enterprise. Apart from SSH command line i am not really familiar with linux usability in everyday life or a gui for it. For example my version of notepad would be 'pico' or 'vu' on Shell... Anyone more educated on this? Is there something Linux that can compete with Win7?

Cheers!!

Google Linux Mint

Hey Liquidation, larda mercy gotta re-read the rule thread!

Cheers for the heads up though, however i didni think it be much of a problem, i've shared many xp licenses with mates and all is well, however i guess i can see the dilemma here

Looking at it now, that looks pretty sweet! Full on GUI like Vista... going to read more on it now.. Are there any more usable linux distros similar to this sorta thing?

Cheers

I found this;

hxxp:/ /lifehacker.com/5170138/five-best-linux-distributions/

Linux Mint being number two, gonna do a proper read up on it tonight!

Hoping Scribble will chime in, cheers!!

i have windows 7 installed, is better than xp2 and vista, mine came with a licence, i dont accept updates.

Hey grandad, how you doing?

Do you mean you dont do the windows updates? Can i ask why not?

Cheers!

From the top of the page



The original post is still within the time limit for editing, I think, so if I were you I'd edit out the bit that doesn't concern linux

the first update is for authentication.

Not accepting updates is pure *madness*, trust me on this - I hope that you enjoy being part of all and sundry botnets.

I prefer Debian-based Linux distros like Debian (natch), Ubuntu, Mint &c. (Linux Mint is a fork of Ubuntu with some stuff preloaded).

I'm using Mint at the moment. I was using ubuntu for a few years, but the last upgrade to 9.10 has been full of problems. Mint will not release the upgrade until the issues are sorted.. It's a third stage of refinement, as ubuntu is based on debian.

Yes - the famous WGA Update problem with *ahem* 'borrowed' copies of XP - fair enough - just skip that particular update and download and install all the rest of the Security Updates.

I have a 'borrowed' copy of Vi$ta 64 Ultimate which accepts all updates just fine, and if you're running the Win7 Beta that's good until next year, then there's no reason at all whatsoever not to install all the updates for it.

If you've got XP, you can use the excellent free AutoPatcher to manage all your updates instead of using Win Update - it's a lot more granular in the level of control it gives you.

Cheers Booj, your a star

apart from the fact i am quite mad, i have done this since i realised how they were giving me shit, so for the last year my computer runs like a dream, i sussed them, do you work for them.

Cheers Beano & Scribble, think im going to give Linux Mint a good old check up!

Also for what its worth, i know where your coming from, on 'borrowed xp'.. They work to a point until it tries to do the WGA update, it halts all further updates until that one is set and done. However like you said useing an alternate windows update such as firefox version or the autopatcher can bypass that.. Having said that its still not what i was after.

My old XP was legit, had a volume license that me and a couple of mates shared. With the authentic key all is fine..
Now i am on Vista 64bit home premium, i got the disc with my new computer and it came with its own authentic license key stuck to the case... So thats all good too...

It was moreso the Win7, getting into the same authentic boat as current.
Havent tried the BETA's because it is said that you cant downgrade so didnt want to dualboot vista and win7!...

Cheers!!

- No, grandad - I don't work for 'them' (if you mean BillyG, M$ &c.) - I work for me.

Look - the way it works is this - hackers find bugs that they can exploit in Window$, they then write or update viruses, trojans and other forms of malware to infect PCs using these 'holes' that they've found.

Micro$soft, when they find out or are notified about these security holes then release Security Updates that fix those bugs that have allowed the bad guys to infect Win PCs.

That's why it's a really bad idea running an unpatched copy of Window$ - it means that your PC is completely unprotected from all the attacks that have been fixed in all the updates that you've not installed.

I don't really understand what you're saying here... ¿Why wouldn't you want to dual-boot Vi$ta and 7, and what's that got to do with not being able to 'downgrade'?

I'm running the Win7 64 Ultimate RTM that I downloaded and was given a CD-KEY to from the M$ website. I use it (like XP, Vi$ta 64 Ultimate as well) just for games - I use Linux/BSD for everything else. I have a GRUB2 multi-boot setup where it lets me choose which OS to load at boot time.

Well said Scribble!

Also what do you know about sundry, botnets? its been a while since i dabbled in the dark art of iirc.

Whats Scribble is trying to get at.. An exploited system is worthless too a hacker unless it contains valuable information. Thereafter its worthless again, but trojan surfers alike 'plant' a bootloaded application, very minimal in size and what it does is it connects directly to a server and port on a private irc server. It then joins the desired channel and awaits further (programmed) commands.

Now picture your pc amongst 10,000 other pc's being infected/exploited in this manner. Now picture all 10,000 sd bots joined the same channel.

All it takes is for someone to type something like !start <ip or fqdn> <packet size> <timetolive>

All 10,000 will act simultaneausly and will attack the desired host.

People are said to use these exploits to fuck with people like google, cnn, yahoo, amonsgt many other smaller hosts who require less work to get the same job done.

Being a victim in that sorta crime means you may not even know about it, it also means it is sucking your bandwidth and if the botnet is in the hands of someone evil enough to get noticed by law enforcement, your computers IP will come up as one of the hosts of the pool of hosts that are joinign in this attack.

If it doesnt make sense now, it probably never will

Cheers!!

i'm sure iv'e been here before , i hoping i'm not repeating myself, i have top security, nothing ever gets into my maching nowadays, of course if it did i would just format and start again, i get real bored with nothing to do with the computer, smoothe running is pretty boring, its just a fuckin toy.

Well basically i can get Win7 RTm, but the way i see it, theres no point me tryig, until i get a valid, legitimate license key. Your so lucky M$ gave you one! How and why? i really want one to say the least.

I dont want to dual boot vista and win7.. I wanted to try the BETA but since it cant be downgraded, if i never get a legitamate key il enevitably have too buy one.. so to TEST win7 i WOULD have to dual boot instead of upgrade since it cant be undone...

Having said that i dont want vista, i want to dual boot with Linux Mint and Win7... but only when i get that key, if you know what im saying nah really.. i heard msdn subscribers got a key because they are in some sort of study... do you thin m$ will ever grant me one?

Trust me on this, grandad - you're fooling yourself if you consider your PC to 'have top security' if it's not kept up-to-date with all the Security Updates...


They were giving them away for free at M$'s website - direct links to download the 32 and/or 64 bit versions, then all you had to do was quickly register with an email address (I used a disposable one) and they sent you a CD-Key to use with it.

I'm not sure if they're still offering it for download now - probably not as the final version is now out.

, my security (mcafee) updates daily, fooling myself its all free. i'm an ex gambler who never learned about money, my debts take all my spare money, i'm ok with the fact i'm a feeloader, i've been freeloaded on all my life, now its my turn. when you have nothing, you have nothing to lose for sure. the only way i can harm my computer is if i drop in on the floor.

No computer is ever fully protected

Because the sad asses that make the viruses will always find loop holes and exploit them and in turn you get viruses

I find its better to run with no virus protection
Had a problem with mcafee's, got the virus that got its self into the mcafee's files and mcafee's didnt want to search its own file

Just my 6 pence

Madness

I missed it by a mile Scribble! Damn M$ keep releasing new os's instead of updates. I think all this should have been SP5 XP instead of two new os's after that. Its hard to 'pick one' when given the choice as a consumer... Daft if you ask me!



I know how you feel. I guess a computer is just a computer.
There are far more other things to worry about protecting your computer.

I personally use Avast since its free, always up to date and isnt a 'targetted' big contender.

Also ex gambler, i am guessing you made, a loss?

I was thinking about how to earn a living on gambling, namely roulette and poker...
I've got a strategy in roulette where initial spend is £30 on 1 spin, but it breaks the odds down to nearly 2:1 meaning you have two chances to win out of three, from £30 either £36, £72 or zero, then work your way upwards.. (£10 on ten numbers, £20 on ten other numbers, so 20 numbers covered with £30)...

Comodo is free too and personally i find that better than advast if i was to use one

Madness

Dump the virus ridden windows crap. I don't have virus problems with Linux, even if someone did write one the OS is so secure it wouldn't be able to do anything...

Most popular Linux distro's are on a live cd, so you can try it without making any changes....go on try it!

back to your first question. The latest version of Ubuntu will dual boot with windows no probels - it will resize the partition for you also and install your choice of bootloaders.

The latest version also fully supports EXT4 wich is meant to provide better speed and the ability to store larger files better (amongst other things)

I would say that Ubuntu is the most jam packed distro at the moment that is free. Mandriva is pretty cool but its not as cool as Ubuntu.

Its not hard to learn really. It might take you a few goes to get the hang of it but its cool once you figure shit out.

I'll second the Mandriva recommendation, I only had to give it up because the upgrade to the 2009 version had problems with my specific make and model of video card.

My primary OS is Windows 7 RC after some trouble with my Windows Vista I also have a partition with Linux Debian and one I SUPPOSEDLY reserved for Linux from Scratch but i cant install the damn thing

¿LFS?

I'm a bit of a Linux guru, and I've never even attempted to compile and install LFS - 'Masochism-R-Us'.

Another vote for Mint if you're a linux newbie. Ubuntu is also good, my GF, sister and parents all use it no probs and they range from very good with computers (GF) to 'watches rudetube and uses hotmail' (my dad) . I run Ubuntu at home and Debian at work, I think you can't go wrong with the Debian based distros for desktops. As others have said though burn off a live cd and have a play One other thing, I'd recommend the Gnome desktop if you're new to Linux, it's so easy to use. This is what the standard versions of Mint, Ubuntu and Debian all use.

Definitely. The hardest bit is realising what Linux can do when you are used to being limited by Windows! Personally I feel like i'm in a cage when I have to use a Win machine, there's just so much that is harder or impossible to do that you take for granted after using Linux for a while!

Wow that's super!

To let you know i got my windows 7 licesne.. But its Win 7 Professional 64bit... Personally not much difference form any other version.
I must say every click it responds instantly! I'm currently dual booting vista and win7 since it was Professional, Vista wouldn't upgrade from Home Premium :@

Bit of a fuck up really, would have been easier to just upgrade...

So now, moving all my shit over to Win7 partition, so i can delete vista and format that partition and get it ready for Linux Mint.

I'll keep you posted with screenies!

Can't wait to learn all about linux

Without a doubt i'd go for Ubuntu in my limited experience of linux distros its a piece of piss to use imho in fact i have 2 desktops and a lappy all running Ubuntu and i'm about to install Ubuntu onto a comp for my local libdems, but i'll be dual booting Ubuntu and Edubuntu and staying as far away from doze as i can