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Switching to Ubuntu from Windows

By Tobias November 13, 2006 uncategorized

Ubuntu logoI’ve tried Ubuntu as an alternative to Windows for three months. So I switched my main desktop PC from Windows XP to Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft) last weekend. I’ve found some little problems and solutions I would like to share with you, in case you are thinking about switching too. It would like to start with some helpfull links:

Installation

I’am using an old AthlonXP1800+ with a Nvidia graphic card, so I needed to install the graphic drivers after the first boot up when I have had a black screen: “Unkown input format”. So reboot again. Press “ESC” when this text apears:

“Press “ESC” to enter the menu .. “

Select “recovery mode” and type:
sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx
sudo nvidia-glx-config enable
reboot

Useful Apt sources

perform the following command in the “Accessories -> Terminal” after the first successfull start:
sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list and insert the following lines
deb http://ch.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ edgy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://ch.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ edgy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ edgy-proposed restricted main multiverse universe
## Seveas' Ubuntu Packages
deb http://mirror.ubuntulinux.nl edgy-seveas all
## Komerzielle Produkte
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu edgy-commercial main
## Wine latest
deb http://wine.budgetdedicated.com/apt edgy main
deb-src http://wine.budgetdedicated.com/apt edgy main
## Penguin Liberation Front (PLF)
deb http://packages.freecontrib.org/ubuntu/plf edgy-plf free non-free
deb-src http://packages.freecontrib.org/ubuntu/plf edgy-plf free non-free
## Opera brwoser
deb http://deb.opera.com/opera/ etch non-free

Configuration

now, I installed additional software via “System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager”:

  • GStreamer ffmpeg video plugin & GStreamer audio plugins – better audio/video support
  • gtkpod-aac – For loading music on my iPod
  • Macromedia Flash plugin /flashplugin-nonfree) – For displaying flash in Firefox browser
  • Wine Windows Emulator (wine) – For running some windows applications
  • Opera – Mailing, RSS-Feeds and surfing in the web belong together in my opinion, so why should I use 3 programms instead of one? Opera.
  • Realplayer 10 (realplay) – For some online streams.

If I found more “must have ” packages, I’am gonna tell you.

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