migration windows to linux

[fozzybear]

1 hour ago, alacant said:

Time for a thread update perhaps.

Has anyone else managed the migration yet? If you have, tell us how.

 

Just sacrificed one of my Toshiba I5 laptops and installed Astronomy Linux 16.04 Ubuntu Distro and also just finishing setting up my RPI 3 using Rlancaste's Script so fingers crossed a complete linux setup will keep you posted.

Andy

[Davey-T]

I've got a laptop with a dead HD, is it just a matter of fitting a new drive and installing Linux or will I have to search for drivers for stuff first.

Will it run well enough to download stuff ?

Dave

[JamesF]

3 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

I've got a laptop with a dead HD, is it just a matter of fitting a new drive and installing Linux or will I have to search for drivers for stuff first.

Will it run well enough to download stuff ?

Dave

Generally you can whack a new disk in and then boot off a USB stick or DVD to install and it should "just work".

You may even find that you can boot, say, Linux Mint off a USB stick or DVD and try it for size without a hard disk at all -- many distributions have a "live" mode that allows you to try things out without actually installing the OS these days.  It can be a bit sluggish if you're not using a local disk, but it's enough to try stuff out.

If it's an older laptop it might make sense to go for something like Mint with XFCE rather than Cinnamon or MATE (they're all on the Mint site for download).  XFCE isn't quite as CPU intensive as the others.  For example, I have just installed Mint 19 with XFCE on an Atom-based Aspire One netbook and it's fairly usable.  Still a bit slow if you're used to an i7 processor, mind.

James

[Astro_Will]

This guide in the link works well for just about any PC. The author wrote it for Raspberry Pi 3 but i managed to follow it and installed a working system on an old ACER REVO R3610.

http://www.astrofriend.eu/astronomy/projects/project-kstars-indi-linux/project-kstars-indi-linux.html

There is a pdf as well (attached) with all these steps. INDI/EKOS/KSTARS is soo much fun, with a basic ACER REVO R3610, i managed to run three DSLRs in a triple setup. I could do the same with APT on windows but it KSTARS has acquisition+plate-solving+guiding all in one program. 

Can you imagine what an automated observatory can do with three scope running simultaneously? That's my end goal!!!

Jasem and all the devs on INDI-forums are absolutely helpful, so much so that my routine when i wake up first thing is check updates/posts on the forums because it's very active. Above all, it is open-source. It's far from perfect but I can't think of any community that is powered by Astro-enthusiasts and the general direction that INDI/EKOS/KSTARS will take will be large determined by the community. So why not join in? :-)

Pi3setup4Dec16-2.pdf

[Davey-T]

5 minutes ago, JamesF said:

If it's an older laptop it might make sense to go for something like Mint with XFCE rather than Cinnamon or MATE (they're all on the Mint site for download). 

It's a HP Pavillion, about 5 years old with i5 processor, 8gb ram, I think from memory, originally running Win 8.1.

Will it run "latest" Linux ?

Dave

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, fozzybear said:

Just sacrificed one of my Toshiba I5 laptops and installed Astronomy Linux 16.04 Ubuntu Distro and also just finishing setting up my RPI 3 using Rlancaste's Script so fingers crossed a complete linux setup will keep you posted.

Andy

OK, I'm downloading the ISO, I'm assuming Windows will know how to transfer it to a DVD.

I have no desire to mess about with live DVDs or virtual boxes.

How do I use it to set up a laptop as a vanilla HDD install?

Edited August 16, 2018 by Stub Mandrel

[Astro_Will]

12 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

It's a HP Pavillion, about 5 years old with i5 processor, 8gb ram, I think from memory, originally running Win 8.1.

Will it run "latest" Linux ?

Dave

Dave, it will run MATE no problem. My ACER REVO R3610 was made in 2009 and it has significantly less specs than your laptop. On Ubuntu Mate, repositories (think of them as a bank for software) as straight-forward for installation/updates.

[alacant]

34 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

a matter of fitting a new drive and installing Linux

Yes. As simple as that.

 

4 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Windows will know how to transfer it to a DVD

1. Insert a blank dvd
2. right click the iso image
3. choose Burn disk image
4. click Burn

You do have w10...?

HTH. You're on your way:)

[fozzybear]

8 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

OK, I'm downloading the ISO, I'm assuming Windows will know how to transfer it to a DVD.

I have no desire to mess about with live DVDs or virtual boxes.

How do I use it to set up a laptop as a vanilla HDD install?

After downloading it, if you have a spare 4gb USB drive you write the image to it using win32diskimager 

https://sourceforge.net/projects/win32diskimager/

then pop the usb drive into you new laptop provided in the bios you have added usb as bootable device this will boot a live version then you can install to your HDD.

[Stub Mandrel]

14 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

After downloading it, if you have a spare 4gb USB drive you write the image to it using win32diskimager 

Aiiieee! I knew  it! Why does all opensource open an endless nest of software dependencies...

12 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

then pop the usb drive into you new laptop provided in the bios you have added usb as bootable device this will boot a live version then you can install to your HDD.

Is it obvious how to do this?

I get worried when Linux people reply to 'how do you install Linux' with 'you install it'...

17 minutes ago, alacant said:

27 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Windows will know how to transfer it to a DVD

1. Insert a blank dvd
2. right click the iso image
3. choose Burn disk image
4. click Burn

You do have w10...?

HTH. You're on your way:) 

Not on the Laptop I am sacrificing on the Linux altar...

[fozzybear]

4 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Aiiieee! I knew  it! Why does all opensource open an endless nest of software dependencies...

Is it obvious how to do this?

I get worried when Linux people reply to 'how do you install Linux' with 'you install it'...

Not on the Laptop I am sacrificing on the Linux altar...

on the sacrificial lamb what is the said device... manufacture and model and i'll have a look for you as to install it there is a desktop icon named "install to HDD"

Edited August 16, 2018 by fozzybear
not a linux person

[fozzybear]

Actually I am an ex MCSE ex Microsoft systems engineer so linux is relatively new to me as well

[Alien 13]

I must admit Linux mint was easy to install after days of trawling looking for software to create a bootable USB stick and one other issue which now slips my mind, would be nice if all you needed was in one place.

Alan

[fozzybear]

2 minutes ago, Alien 13 said:

I must admit Linux mint was easy to install after days of trawling looking for software to create a bootable USB stick and one other issue which now slips my mind, would be nice if all you needed was in one place.

Alan

If you want to try any of the linux variants an easy usbdrive creator albeit a live version for you to try out use the following app linuxliveusb

https://www.linuxliveusb.com/

linux is for geeks for which I am not one of them... simples

[Alien 13]

1 minute ago, fozzybear said:

linux is for geeks for which I am not one of them... simples

I think that sums it up, do they make it hard on purpose to make themselves look good.  It cant be that difficult to make it all more user friendly and why so many versions, cant they be just one Linux for all.

Alan

[JamesF]

11 minutes ago, Alien 13 said:

I think that sums it up, do they make it hard on purpose to make themselves look good.  It cant be that difficult to make it all more user friendly and why so many versions, cant they be just one Linux for all.

Alan

Who is "they"?

James

[Alien 13]

Just now, JamesF said:

Who is "they"?

James

The Linux community...

Alan

[fozzybear]

8 minutes ago, Alien 13 said:

I think that sums it up, do they make it hard on purpose to make themselves look good.  It cant be that difficult to make it all more user friendly and why so many versions, cant they be just one Linux for all.

Alan

I wish as well bought a new RPI 3B+ and could not get it to work with indi build....

[stash_old]

13 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

linux is for geeks for which I am not one of them... simples

And you an EX MSC systems engineer LOL - its not for geeks its how things were done BEFORE the Internet - even on early M/S OS. Its like my daughter she depends on Sat Nav even to visit us ,god help her if it stops working and she (and many others) have to read a map.  If you were brought up doing these things because that was the reality that is just the way it HAD to be done no other option.

To be honest you need to be honest with yourself - if its not you or don't fancy doing it fine -then may I humbly suggest you buy ASIair or Stellarmate which provides everything on a plate if you like the idea - armchair Linux if you will.

Its no big deal if you go Linux or not as the aim of us all is to do astronomy isn't.

But I do see many here that moan about "not another M/S upgrade" etc and so Linux could be an option but as I say be true to yourself. Its your choice !!!

[Stub Mandrel]

I've written a basic O/S and BASIC interpreter that runs on a pair of AVRs. I have no problem with complicated as long as there's logical and consistent documentation...

The 'lamb' is a Dell PP22L with Vista on it. Probably an Inspiron, not a Latitude if memory serves me right.

[fozzybear]

2 minutes ago, stash_old said:

And you an EX MSC systems engineer LOL - its not for geeks its how things were done BEFORE the Internet - even on early M/S OS. Its like my daughter she depends on Sat Nav even to visit us ,god help her if it stops working and she (and many others) have to read a map.  If you were brought up doing these things because that was the reality that is just the way it HAD to be done no other option.

To be honest you need to be honest with yourself - if its not you or don't fancy doing it fine -then may I humbly suggest you buy ASIair or Stellarmate which provides everything on a plate if you like the idea - armchair Linux if you will.

Its no big deal if you go Linux or not as the aim of us all is to do astronomy isn't.

But I do see many here that moan about "not another M/S upgrade" etc and so Linux could be an option but as I say be true to yourself. Its your choice !!!

I left that life 15 years ago we had Microsoft guys and linux/ redhat back in the day. and for me never crossed my path also Unix, So trying to do things now is a big learning curve. The world panicked back at the end of 1999 when we went into the new millenium they thought all the computers would crash which they didn't....

either as you say go for a commercial build or an opensource it is up to the individual and yes there is the forums to help you out, but are we not here to help each other work it out? Yes there are stumbling blocks but they can be overcome. At the end of the day I don't mind there is always tomorrow and another rebuild of my machine So does not bother me, Also I am gaining (well hopefully) experience on what works and what  doesn't at the end of the day it is a hobby and opensource is free... I am all for linux but as to what flavour is down to the individual some work and some do not depending on their equipment and needs. for me I am a tinkerer so can afford to trash machines and start over again. Not only for astronomy but for other applications as well

[Alien 13]

3 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I've written a basic O/S and BASIC interpreter that runs on a pair of AVRs. I have no problem with complicated as long as there's logical and consistent documentation...

The 'lamb' is a Dell PP22L with Vista on it. Probably an Inspiron, not a Latitude if memory serves me right.

My Lamb was an i5 Dell XPS, eventually managed to set it up as a dual boot with Win 7 and Linux Mint but not as straightforward as I had hoped, the result is the best of both worlds and to be honest Mint is very MS like.

Alan 

[stash_old]

5 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

but are we not here to help each other work it out?

That's what I thought!  And thats why some of us wanted a separate heading for OS for Astro (or such like) where things could be "shared" ?

[fozzybear]

12 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I've written a basic O/S and BASIC interpreter that runs on a pair of AVRs. I have no problem with complicated as long as there's logical and consistent documentation...

The 'lamb' is a Dell PP22L with Vista on it. Probably an Inspiron, not a Latitude if memory serves me right.

Ok, put the installation media I do not know if you are using a dvd or usb stick into the laptop and power it up when you see the Dell logo hit f12 key (maybe repeatedly) this will then bring up a boot menu. if using a cd/dvd you will have to power on the laptop to insert the disc then hit Ctrl Alt Del to reboot the laptop and then when you see Dell logo hit f12 key hope this helps. it may well boot automatically it all depends on the Bios version of the laptop you could just put the media usb/cd in and reboot and see what happens

[fozzybear]

10 minutes ago, stash_old said:

That's what I thought!  And thats why some of us wanted a separate heading for OS for Astro (or such like) where things could be "shared" ?

I agree as well So why can we not have it Maybe "experimental astro software projects" we will all benefit