Migrateing to Linux doing a lot of reading here

I am of course waiting for my dvd of Mint to come in before makeing final judgement. Need to do more than a casual glance to really tell anything.

 

I do notice how helpfull yall are to each other and the novice as well as the pro.  I am still looking forward to this.

You'll likely love Linux Mint, have been running it for nearly 7 years with few issues.

The Start Menu is similar to that of Windows 7 & below, making it easy to find the things you want. As far as making changes frequently, keep in mind that technology is always moving forward, and we must make adjustments. Or we have our installs on a SSD. or add a new graphics card, either needs some tweaking for best performance. 

Compared to Windows, I've found that nowhere near as many changes are needed for Linux OS's. Yet I'll do so if needed, or there's a benefit to me that I'm missing out on. 

Finally, there's always the enthusiast group, no matter what OS they run, are constantly tweaking. Sometimes to no (or negative) avail, just tries every trick published on the Internet to see if it does what it's supposed to do. 

Though when I began running Linux Mint, for the first two years, didn't do much anything, ran the OS as was w/out troubles. I hope that you'll enjoy the OS as much as I have, and most important, ordered the correct bit version for your computer. The old rule used to be to run 32 bit, regardless of the computer's CPU bit version, this was because there were fewer drivers, yet since 2009, things has came a long way. By 2010-11, Ubuntu & it's derivatives (including Linux Mint) finally had it's users to download the proper bit version for the computer. As more users ran Linux, the open source community improved drivers, and the way it's looking, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS will most likely be the last 32 bit version offered, unless it's usage takes a deeper plunge & they pull it from the table. 

Should you have issues with Linux Mint, always feel free to create a Topic, we'll be more than happy to assist in any way we can.

Cat

Nick, did I say it was you?

Well shoots I finally found my Knoppic Cd and it won't boot on here.  I think it may be too old. Version 5.1 I think lol I musta burned that 20 years ago. 64 bit computers did not even exist yet. LOL

Since you said before that you have a UEFI computer, did you switch to Legacy or CSM mode in the UEFI before you tried to boot your Knoppix CD?  CDs and DVDs do degrade over time but it's possible your Knoppix CD is still good.

Another thing you have to know when you receive your Linux Mint disc is Mint is compatible with UEFI.  All you need to do is turn off Secure Boot to boot the disc.  If you choose to install Mint you should also install it in UEFI mode.

Houston I think I am gonna have a problem LOL

In the boot menu there are only 2 options the default boot loader and something called efi. When I choose that I see a api file with a really long file name. [looks a lot like a Md5 number].

There is no secure boot or any other UEFI options. Yet in system info I clearly see a UEFI partition and the documentation says it is UEFI.

Everything I have read says there should be, but even the computer manual does not agree with what screens I am actually seeing.

I think I will wait until your Linux Mint disc arrives before I say any more.

Anything I have read anywhere agrees with your advice, so like you I will wait untill the DVD arrives.

Something definately ain't doing what it is supposed to do. lol

Houston I think I am gonna have a problem LOL

In the boot menu there are only 2 options the default boot loader and something called efi. When I choose that I see a api file with a really long file name. [looks a lot like a Md5 number].

There is no secure boot or any other UEFI options. Yet in system info I clearly see a UEFI partition and the documentation says it is UEFI.

 

Everything I have read says there should be, but even the computer manual does not agree with what screens I am actually seeing.

These options, including disabling Secure Boot, will be in your UEFI firmware, otherwise known as the BIOS. You just at boot, keep tapping the key that takes you into Setup, and that's where you make changes. The key you need to tap to enter Setup should be in your manual, or on the OEM's site. 

Though I recommend to be careful, if possible take pictures with your digital camera or smartphone (before & after) making changes. I also suggest making just one at a time, the first being to disable Secure Boot, being that I physically assist some with their computers, do them a favor and perform this task for them, and Linux Mint easily installs. Otherwise, may not be able to boot from a backup rescue CD, as well as Linux ISO's. 

Depending on brand, sometimes a USB optical drive is required (Samsung's are finicky), which does the same as installing by a bootable USB stick, only 10x slower, that's why when possible, I always use the USB stick for installs, it's much faster. If you have a 2GB USB stick or larger, you could just download the OS, and also Rufus, using that option, you can choose the type of target computer (BIOS or UEFI), and follow the prompts. You'll have to point it to the ISO you downloaded. 

Being your computer is Windows 7, there's a built in option to burn a disc image (the downloaded ISO). Just have a blank DVD, right click on the ISO image, and select Burn Disc Image, or 'Open with Windows Disc Image Burner' (or similar wording) & just do it, being sure to place a check in the box that says 'Verify Disc after burning'. That's all you need, according to your time zone, likely have modern Internet, even if on a slower speed (Basic Internet package that maybe has only 1Mbps download), you can download it in less than an hour (mine takes 7-8 minutes on a less than average speed). 

If you use the Firefox browser, which is the default on Linux Mint anyway, you can install a download manager from the Add-ons menu, just type Down Them All in the search box after clicking onto Add-ons, when you see it, install, and enjoy fast download speeds. When downloading Linux Mint from one of their US official mirrors, choose the James Madison University site, it's the fastest one I've found & have never had a broken download. Once you have that & Rufus, all you need is a USB stick for the creation, but you may need to use a USB 2.0 port. Because some computers doesn't boot from USB 3.0 ones. 

I say install Firefox, then add Down Them All, and go ahead & get your ISO. If you want to make a donation to Linux Mint, there's a link in the box that pops up after each boot. When you purchase DVD's, only a third of the profit goes to Mint. I'm assuming that you have Internet, because you'll have to update, and are also posting on one. It's very simple to download & install Linux Mint w/out paying anyone.

We'll be more than happy to assist along the way, just ask, there's no such thing as 'dumb' questions here, other than the one not asked when needed. That's what we're here for, we're a Linux community.

Cat

Once again thanks for everyones help. Untill I can sort out this PC's boot I may not even be able to run my dvd when it gets here.

This HP does not do things like any other HP I have used and that has been a few.  Even getting to boot menu is different. Even the manual says use FN+F9.

But nooo it is tap the esc key until the screen changes then shift f-10.  I have been able to disable secure boot and I thought I had moved the boot order to my DVD drive but the Knopik cd will not load.  Since it was created before UEFI even existed it may be in the wrong format or something.

Just going to have to wait for the DVD and the US mail.

We'll be waiting for you when you're ready!

Only thing being, that Linux Mint 18 will be released about three months after Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, so maybe you'll want to purchase a low cost USB stick (also known as Flash drives). An 8GiB model is often under $5 shipped on the Newegg site, just go there & sign up for promos. I recommend a USB 2.0 USB stick for installs, as some computers are funny about booting from the USB 3.0 models, as well as the USB 3.0 ports themselves. What I use is a 2GiB SD card, connected to a USB 2.0 card reader for my Linux installs, most are well below that size. 

We can cross that bridge when it arrives.

 

 

This HP does not do things like any other HP I have used and that has been a few. 

Yes, the newer HP's are tricky to work with, while I have an older model, it's easy to work with. That's also the way Samsung ultrabooks are, along with shoddy firmware & build quality, and why they're no longer in the business of building Windows computers. Even my (now deceased) mother-in-law's 2011 model HP notebook was funky to work with, though I finally figured it out. 

Probably many modern computers are very different than those of just 3-4 years back, especially those that shipped with Windows 8 or higher. By chance, if anyone has one of these & intend to run Linux Mint as a dual boot, will need to disable the 'FastBoot' option, to prevent corruption of the OS. It's just a sales gimmick anyway, to make consumers think that their computer is booting faster, when in fact, it's in a hybrid sleep state & being awakened. The only time it's truly rebooted is to install/uninstall a driver or software that requires a full reboot, and after Windows Update is ran. Most any HDD/SDD software that reports SMART values will show the true boot count, as those numbers are stored in the drive's firmware, it's one way to tell. For instance, if you normally think you're shutting down every night for a year, and then see in the SMART data that there's only been less than 20 startups, you'll then know. The drive manages itself, regardless of the OS being ran on it. 

On many notebooks, this is obvious, one can simply feel around the upper area, around the power switch area & the rest of the bezel, and will be warm or in some instances, a little hot. This also causes more wear & tear on the computer, especially the battery, and if a SSD is installed, that also, which is why it's recommended to disable both FastBoot & hibernation, neither are needed. This doesn't affect normal sleep, that can still be done when needed, say if you have several browser pages open & something comes up, sleep keeps things the way it was prior. 

That's also something else I do for those who I personally assist, is to disable this feature, to save their battery, and a computer needs a proper shutdown to extend it's overall lifespan. 

Cat

Edited by cat1092, 13 March 2016 - 04:41 AM.

@dannyboy950, Can you remind me/us what we are working with here, I can't seem to find it, is this it?  If so could you give a Model No.  "HP 15-f009wm Notebook PC (ENERGY STAR)" 

http://support.hp.com/us-en/product/HP-15-Notebook-PC-series/7137590/model/7174227/manuals

 

Even the manual says use FN+F9.

Here is what it says about boot order, although it is for a Recovery, it is still: esc and then F9:

Edited by pcpunk, 13 March 2016 - 12:30 PM.

Wait till the Mint DVD arrives, it should support UEFI and Secureboot out of the box so should display in your UEFI boot menu .. depending on its age/version the older Knoppix DVD probably doesn't support UEFI or Secureboot so will not display in the UEFI boot menu, you'd need to disable Secureboot and switch to legacy BIOS/CSM mode for it to boot.

In short - Just because the old Knoppix disk doesn't appear in the UEFI boot menu does NOT mean the Mint one won't ;)

What people are suggesting is worry about setting Legacy BIOS/CSM mode only is the Mint disk doesn't show up in the UEFI boot menu ;)

===================

Unless of course you're absolutely dying to try the Knoppix disk, in which case what is the make/model of your PC ? .. and we'll try to get info about switching to Legacy BIOS mode for you.

Edited by PCNetSpec, 13 March 2016 - 06:03 PM.

Wait till the Mint DVD arrives, it should support UEFI and Secureboot out of the box...

Although, purely by accident, I discovered that I could boot Mint with Secure Boot was On, AFAIK, Mint does not officially support Secure Boot.

 

Wait till the Mint DVD arrives, it should support UEFI and Secureboot out of the box...

Although, purely by accident, I discovered that I could boot Mint with Secure Boot was On, AFAIK, Mint does not officially support Secure Boot.

 

I've found this to be the case on some computers also, the Linux Mint ISO, be it in the optical drive or USB stick on some models, depends on the UEFI firmware. Some models requires to be booted via a USB stick, or a USB attached optical drive, rather than the inbuilt one. Samsungs are bad for this. 

Some has to have Secure Boot disabled, then reenabled after install (a shim with the Secure Boot key may be needed), that is, if one wants to keep it. For the life of me, don't understand why one would want to keep Secure Boot activated, it doesn't do anything to protect consumers against Malware coming in from the Internet & can also be a royal pain in the backside to install, say, a GPU with Secure Boot enabled, as it'll block install if the drivers are unsigned. Note that not all unsigned drivers are bad, that's what we have security apps for, to scan & see if threats exists. Plus most long running brands of GPU's wouldn't ship their cards with Malware. 

Fortunately, the OP has Windows 7, so Secure Boot shouldn't be an issue with this install. Just because a computer has UEFI firmware (if this is the case of the OP), as many built after 2012 does, don't mean that Secure Boot is activated, in fact with a Windows 7 install, it can't be done. This doesn't mean OS's not designed for Secure Boot won't run on these, only can't run the feature. 

As to running older 32 bit CD's, yes that can be an issue on a UEFI MB, very much so. Only 64 bit install media will run on these, and there's no way around it. That's why many backup software choices gives one the option of creating 32 or 64 bit rescue media, and once the ISO is built, must use Rufus or similar tool to build the ISO for a UEFI or MBR (Classic BIOS) MB. That also changes the way the USB stick is formatted. 

The way it stands for now, there's too much of a big issue over whether or not the MB is a UEFI one, as well as Secure Boot being enabled that most of us knows is not possible with Windows 7 running (scratch that one off the list), we need to wait until the OP's media arrives, then see how things goes & what we can do to assist.

So please, let's not make a mountain out of a molehill over this issue, the OP will need assistance, not speculation, when the media arrives. 

Cat

Edited by cat1092, 14 March 2016 - 04:46 AM.

Just to update everyone. I have resolved my getting into BIOS issue and can change boot order and turn off safe boot when needed and there appears to be a Legacy option which I will not try at this time.

The Knoppik Cd will still not boot but is not really an issue. I can wait for my Mint DVD.  I was just trying to use it since I already had it LOL. Kinda get a jump on learning Linux. lol

Thanks for all the interest and information.

Just to update everyone. I have resolved my getting into BIOS issue and can change boot order and turn off safe boot when needed and there appears to be a Legacy option which I will not try at this time.

 

The Knoppik Cd will still not boot but is not really an issue. I can wait for my Mint DVD.  I was just trying to use it since I already had it LOL. Kinda get a jump on learning Linux. lol

 

Thanks for all the interest and information.

dannyboy950, that's a wise choice, the last thing you want to do is change to Legacy, this is for folks who wants to run XP/Windows 2000 Pro, or other OS's w/out native SATA support. It's really stepping back 10 years as far as tech goes, even later XP versions had native SATA support on some models, depending on of the OEM included it in the Recovery partition or recovery CD & separate driver one. All they had to do was slipstream the drivers, and Legacy wasn't needed. 

The other bad about Legacy, would be the lack of SSD support, should you desire to upgrade to one, there are some 250-256GiB models for under $100, and last week, a 480GiB ADATA model for $119 on promo at Newegg, that's almost half of a TiB. Though at that price, too good to be true, still the 250-256GiB bracket of less than $100 is fantastic. That's what you'd give up by running Legacy, and I suspect you have a SATA-3 connection, one of those would easily give you both reads & writes of over 500MB/sec.

Like PCNetSpec stated above, it's best not to be led down the wrong path by going with CSM or Legacy Mode. Secure Boot is not required to run Linux Mint, and if you cannot boot from your DVD when it arrives, you need to look on the HP site for instruction for your model (just like with the BIOS), there's a key or key combo that'll allow you to boot to optical drive at boot. Be sure to note these things down. We're here to carry our community into the future, not welcome them to the years of 2005-06.

If that's what's desired, there's plenty of second hand computers on eBay that will take one that far back in time. I know it to be fact that Linux Mint 17 runs fine on a UEFI enabled computer, am typing this post with the OS on a XPS 8700 that shipped with Windows 8, though now has 4 installed OS's. Please don't be suckered into the past using ancient techniques, it's not necessary.

Cat

Edited by cat1092, 14 March 2016 - 04:48 AM.