I did it!!!!

[Georgia Boy]

Hi. I finally did it!!! I installed Ubuntu 8.04 as a dual boot with Windows XP. I did have some problems at first setting my emails up. I kept installing and removing Thunderbird due to being able to receive but not send. With Evolution it was the opposite. Called my ISP and went over the settings with them Looked like I had everything right. But after a few hours of pulling my hair I noticed that in one of the settings I had reversed the last two letters of SMTP. After reversing back right both Thunderbird and Evolutions worked great!!!

Now, I'm having to see what I can use to be able to view the WMV and the WVA files that my friends and family send to me from their Windows. Was told something about VLC. Going to have to check that out. You know how you can get free leagal MP3 downloads from Cnet music downloads? Is there something that you can use to be able to get those in Ubuntu 8.04?
Just wanting to know because they do have some great music for free on that site.

As you can see I'm wanting to go as much open source as possible and try to get away from the proprietary stuff. So, I'm constantly learning something new all the time from everyone.
I really want to thank you guys for the help and support you have given me when I was trying to decide about Linux OS. I was so worried about messing up my system at first but it really went very smoothly.
Thanks guys I really appreciate it.

Also while my mind is wondering around, I did see where some people say not to worry about setting up a firewall of any kind or AV but then others say to. Someone also said I should get a router hooked up to my modem to help out. If I do that will I have to do anything to get it going? Or, do I just hook it up and will be able to use with Linux or Windows with no problem.

Again thanks for all of your help.
Tom

[TheGurkha]

Just when you thought it was over - are you going to stick with the Ubuntu flavour of OOo or install the Sun build?

[Tutorial] Installing OOo on Ubuntu, Debian and Co.

[Georgia Boy]

Haven't thought that one out yet. How much of a difference is there between the two? I had done a little testing to make sure that it would open and that I could print when using the Live CD.

Is there trouble swapping from one to the other? As you can see, I'm at it again trying to learn what I can. Give you a headache don't I?

Have a great day!!!

Tom

[TheGurkha]

I didn't find any trouble swapping, I followed the tutorial in the link and that was that.

Some people have had issues with the Ubuntu version (you'd have to search the forum to find them) and others have had no issues at all! Maybe you might stick with it until it gives you reason to change, if ever?

[Georgia Boy]

I'll have to expierment with it and see what happens. I'll also read through the forums in Ubuntu and see what kind of issues they were having and keep an eye out for them. What about bring over some stuff from the WIndows Openoffice to the Ubuntu, ie some of the stuff in some templates I created in the gallery?
Maybe I should try and do an insert in Write from gallery and send to myself and then open up the email in Ubuntu and create new themes in the gallery there and add?
Might be easier even if it is a lot of work.

Believe me when I say you guys have always been a great help. I even had good luck with the forums in Ubuntu. I've seen where some people were getting slammed hard when they had asked questions. Me, I've always have gotten great help and responses from everyone without being put down and slammed.
For that I am always grateful.

Thanks again.
Tom

[acknak]

... some people say not to worry about setting up a firewall of any kind or AV but then others say to. Someone also said I should get a router hooked up to my modem to help out. If I do that will I have to do anything to get it going? Or, do I just hook it up and will be able to use with Linux or Windows with no problem.

Almost any Linux distribution will come with a good firewall, configured with everything closed off. If you want a network port open, you have to open it.

Linux has no viruses (in the wild--yet), so the only reason you might want to run some kind of AV is if you want to monitor emails going to/from Windows users.

If you have only one computer behind your modem (surely that's not a dial-up modem, right?) then there's little use for a router. If you have a home network sharing the Internet connection, then a router makes an easy way to manage and protect the entire home network. Linux can do that too, but it requires a good bit of knowledge and effort to set up and maintain, and you generally want to use a separate system for the router. A simple dedicated router does all that for a few bucks and about 5 minutes.

Most routers (every one I've ever seen) are controlled through an http connection, so all you need is a web browser, and Linux/FF works just fine for that.

[Georgia Boy]

So, if I use the Firewall that comes with Ubuntu I shouldn't need a wired firewall? Just use the software one?
I was wondering if I did or not. I use Zone Alarm with the Windows but didn't know what to do with the Ubuntu. Someone had suggested going out and getting a wired router firewall and plug into the modem then the computer. I don't have any other computers just the one. It's a desktop and would be too much trouble to be moving from one area to another.

So, I should just install the Firestarter then or is there something better and easy to download and apply?
Hey Acknak, you should hve been with me while I was setting up the email!!! I was burning my own ears when I found out the stupid mistake I had made in the settings of Thunderbird!!! The terms of endearment I was calling myself.

But, so far everything seems to be working just fine. Just checkng about the AV, Firewall and being able to watch and listen to stuff that family & friends sends me from Windows. Someone had mentioned using VLC. Have to check that out.
Plus checking out the downloading and playing of the free MP3s from Cnet music download. So much to learn, so much to learn.

Thanks for the ideas. More is always appreciated.
Tom

[acknak]

So, if I use the Firewall that comes with Ubuntu I shouldn't need a wired firewall? Just use the software one?

Correct. Ubuntu (and almost every Linux distribution--I assume) comes with a good firewall built in.

Windows XP does too, now, although it didn't when it first came out, so the market for third-party products like ZA was born. I suspect people recommend a "hardware" firewall because it's relatively easy for the Windows firewall to be re-configured without the user being aware of it, so having a second, independent, more reliable firewall is a good thing. But that's not as big an issue for Linux--the built-in firewall is very good.

So, I should just install the Firestarter then or is there something better and easy to download and apply?

You shouldn't need anything extra unless you want to set up something more complicated. The Ubuntu install should have set up up for a desktop user to browse the internet, and it sounds like you've got the email connection straightened out now.

One of the major goals of Linux is that everything you need should be built in--if you need to install something to make your system work, it's a bug. Drivers, security, access to a camera/removable storage, networking connections, system services--all that crap that you spend hours and days adding on to a Windows install to make it usable--are (or should be) included with Linux. It's not 100% yet, but it is the goal, and that alone is worth the price of admission to me. The vendors love it because those special drivers and online updates give them a lot more chances to flash an ad at me, but it gets old very quickly.

Personally, I hope Linux never gets any vendor support if that support looks anything like it does on Windows.

[Georgia Boy]

No dial-up!! Had it when I had Windows 98. Cable company wouldn't provide highspeed until I got a new computer. So I did and got rid of that AOL. Everytime I turned around I was getting dropped. AOL blamed the phone line and the phone company said it wasn't them. Was so happy to get highspeed.

Checked in the applications-install/remove in Ubuntu. Didn't see the firewall. Sure it has one though. People are constantly talking about it in the forums.
I'm trying to eventually wean off of WIndows. But this will really be a learning experience until I do. Just please bear with me on some of the stuff I bring up. It's either because I don't understand what I'm reading or maybe not finding the information I looking for.

I know that everything that I'll be installing will be the Ubuntu supported or open source. I'm staying away from downloading out of the restricted sections if at all possible.

Thanks for all of the help and advice. I can use all I can get blieve me.

Tom

[keme]

Checked in the applications-install/remove in Ubuntu. Didn't see the firewall. Sure it has one though. People are constantly talking about it in the forums.

Try to do the same in Windows. You'll have the same result. The OS provided firewalling is not an installed application as such, but an integral part of the OS. Third party firewalls are installed and may be uninstalled.

Note also that software firewalls and hardware "dedicated" firewalls serve slightly different purposes. You may need either, or both.
- A software firewall is installed on your computer, so it can detect which specific process generates/listens to traffic. That's the only way to detect that "KonquerFox is attempting to connect to the internet....". It can control network traffic in detail even within your system (in technical terms it can reach the application layer, which is the 7th and highest level of the OSI model), but it's local to your computer, so it can't control anything until it actually reaches your computer. You should have this enabled unless you have a finely tuned workstation where only the necessary ports are being listened to.

- A firewall appliance, hardware firewall, dedicated firewall, or whatever you like to name it, has no knowledge of running processes on the connected workstations. It works on anything that moves in your network, assessing the addressing/ports, possibly also handshaking, of the network communication. (that would be 4th, possibly 5th OSI level: transport/session. Not as detailed/specific as the soft FW.) The advantage of this firewall is that even with high workload on firewalling you won't notice any performance drop on your computer, because no hostile traffic ever reaches it. You probably need this if you have several computers sharing resources on your LAN. I guess most off the shelf routers have sufficient firewalling capabilities for the average home network.

[Hagar Delest]

Congrats for the dual boot!

GNU/Linux distros usually use the netfilter firewall with a UI, often iptable. Firestarter is a GUI for the firewall in fact. As I've a router, I've not bothered tweaking it. But when I had still a dial-up connection, I had configured iptable with a script found on the web (a very detailed tuto but in French). As a first shot, you can check your system with online testing sites like shields-up or PC Flank.

I do use VLC for almost all media files. For wmv, Xine is sometimes better. Read the tutorial for the wmv/mp3 support, it's a frequent question in forums.