[wellylug] Could someone help with setting up a computer with linux

[Hugh Davenport]

May 12 2016 5:39 PM, "Michelle" <michelle400 at orcon.net.nz> wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> My name's Michelle. I've been using Linux on and off for the last few years.
> 
> If this has not been sent to your LUG mailing list (if you have one) could you please send it to
> that or to all the people in your LUG please?
> I'm looking for someone who would help me set up a computer with linux on it.
> 
> I had a Dell on which I set up Puppy with no problem whatsoever. The computer died and so then I
> took the puppy distro and the other disto I'd bought (can't remember what) and tried to install
> them on 2 older computers I had but it didn't work. I don't know why, maybe it was because one of
> the distros was on a stick and not compatible or maybe both computer hard drives were stuffed?
> 
> After that I bought a mini-pc (I think it was supposed to run linux) but it didn't work at all.
> Then I bought a tablet but after a month or two it stopped working or pretty much? Stopped working.
> So I just used a phone for about a year and last year bought a brand new Toshiba laptop.
> 
> The problem with this was two fold:
> 
> 1. It was a laptop.
> 2. It was a Toshiba (oh how I hate Toshiba)
> 
> I had known that not all computers were readily compatible with linux but after my easy experience
> with the Dell I wasn't too concerned. I bought two linux distros on different media and
> hoped/assumed? that something would work – it didn't. I bought another say 2 or 3 distros and
> managed to get the Mint to install on this Toshiba.
> 
> It wasn't until after this annoying endeavor that I found out online that:
> - laptops are less compatible than desktops with linux and that
> - Toshiba out of the maybe top 6 or 8 computer manufacturers is consistantly about the least
> compatible with linux ( I HATE TOSHIBA)
> 
> I don't happen to have a few spear thousand dollars sitting around to enable me to buy a computer
> and try and set it up with the distros I want, find it dosen't work, buy another computer, find it
> doesn't work, buy another and finally find one that works with the distros I want.
> 
> So I am sending this message to basically all the Linux users groups in NZ and hoping someone can
> help me set up a computer with the two linux distros I want. I don't know how that would work.
> Maybe someone is about to buy a new computer and can try these distros before they put theirs on,
> maybe someone has a partition on their computer that is spare and can try it there, maybe they own
> a computer shop or work in a computer shop or at a university or polytech with computers or
> computer parts around.
> 
> So for anyone who may be willing to help me here is what I would like:
> 
> - a desktop (not the modern ones that are a computer plus other thing/s but just a computer
> 
> - not a toshiba
> 
> - Whonix to run on top of Qubes.
> Whonix is great for anonimity and Qubes is designed for security/safety.
> 
> - I have a DrayTek vigor 120 modem. I connect it via DSL. When looking into whonix I read that it
> is complex to configure and setup, so I was hoping that you might have such a modem or access to
> one and set it up with whonix and then tell me how you did it.
> 
> - I don't want the computer to come with wifi or bluetooth or any similar thing. I don't want it
> just not running, I don't want it there at all.
> 
> - I'm wanting to install 3 old encyclopedias. I was reading about the new versions online and
> people were recommending old ones. I've bought Encarta 2004, 2001 and Encyclopaedia Britannica '98.
> To run them on I've bought Windows 98 second edition and Windows NT (first edition?). If you have
> or could borrow these windows OS could you see if you could get them running in whonix or qubes?
> 
> - One or both of the encyclopedias need 2 DVD players so I'd like at least 2 DVD players with one
> being a recorder.
> 
> - I'm not looking for a high end computer. As long as it will play youtube, that's fast enough. BUT
> I would appreciate hearing any recommendation about if I just add such and such for $100 or $150 it
> would go much faster.
> I'd like 500GB hard drive at least and I've been recommended to get 8GB RAM at least.
> 
> I wouldn't buy the computer off you but rather if you could tell me what computer/computer parts
> worked, I'd pay up to $150 for the info. If 10 different people told me what worked of course I
> couldn't pay 10 different people $150.
> 
> I am sending this to: the wlug, Glen Ogilvie at nelg at linuxsolutions.co.nz in Auckland, the Welly
> LUG through hugh at davenport.net.nz, nzlug at lists.nzoss.org.nz and Wellington LUG through
> jethro.carr at jethrocarr.com. If you know of any active LUG that I have missed or anyone else that
> might be willing to assist me could you please pass this onto them? My email is
> michelle400 at orcon.net.nz. If this is posted to a mailing list (I've never used one before) and I
> don't reply in a week could you get back to me on my email?
> 
> Thank you to anyone willing to help
> Michelle Gorringe.