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Best Linux/Unix op. sys. for HP

Tags:
  • Unix
  • Hewlett Packard
  • Linux
Last response: in Linux/Free BSD
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March 5, 2014 3:52:43 AM

I bought an HP M6-K0150X, and unknown to me, it came with Win8. I'm looking for free Linux or Mac ware, and uncertain which to settle on.
I need to use basics like
Word/Libre Office
the internet
and iTunes.
Because I am only well aquainted with Win and Mac, if your suggestion is a Linux os, please keep in mind that I'm new to this.

Thank you in advance for everybody's answers and participation.

More about : linux unix sys

Best solution

a b α HP
a b 5 Linux
March 5, 2014 4:07:42 AM

How can you buy a computer without even checking what operating system it comes with? Why didn't you just buy a Mac?

Anyway, to answer your question. Any Linux distribution will do. My favourites for beginners are Fedora and SuSE, but Ubuntu is very popular with other users.

Although it is possible to get iTunes working with Linux you need to jump through a few hoops and you won't be able to run the newest versions. I'm afraid that iTunes just doesn't play ball with Linux. TBH, although I am a great Linux fan, for your purposes I would stick with Windows.

OS X is intended for Macs only and would be even more challenging, let alone the difficulties of buying a copy if you don't already own a Mac.
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March 5, 2014 4:23:54 AM

Dear Jack,

Yes, my mistake, that thing was a birthday gift, and there's some saying out there about not looking a gift-horse in the mouth.

The techies already tried to put a Win 7 64 Pro on it, but some drivers crashed, the system crashed, and refused to take that version again. Besides 7 Pro, there's not much else from Windows I'm willing to roll with.

Are there perhaps any Linux os's that are very similar to Mac or Win (for stupids like myself) that I can try to ease into?

Also, any opinion of ChromeOS?
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March 5, 2014 4:46:33 AM

I am just learning about Linux and I am trying Zorin OS8 x64 which looks similar to Win7. One good thing about Linux is that you can burn a "distro" to usb or dvd and try it out without installing it which allows you find out if it works with your hardware and if it is something that you can use. Linux does require much more user input and configuration and is not as much "plug and play" as Windows is. You can also dual boot it with Windows OS's.
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a b α HP
a b 5 Linux
March 5, 2014 5:06:56 AM

Windows 8 is just an improved version of Windows 7 (if you ignore the Metro stuff, which is easy enough). Just go with the flow; it does what you want with far less hassle than any other OS would.
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March 5, 2014 5:26:33 AM

Oh yes, about that. . .they gutted the Win 8 out, so it's currently blank.

I'm thinking of five:

Mint (but which??)
openSUSE
Zorin
PinGuy
Arch

Any of these you stongly recommend/condemn?
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March 7, 2014 10:55:10 AM

That laptop has an AMD CPU so there is no way to run Mac OS on it. As far as Linux, you can choose from a range of distributions and desktops depending on your needs. I would recommend sticking with Ubuntu or XUbuntu if you are new to Linux. Ubuntu tends to have the most easily accessible information and tutorials for beginners. "Plain" Ubuntu has the Unity desktop, which is more centered on the sidebar launcher, similar to Mac, whereas XUbuntu has a traditional taskbar and start menu, similar to Windows, but both are just front-ends to the same underlying system.
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a b 5 Linux
March 7, 2014 11:17:31 AM

Aristotelian said:
That laptop has an AMD CPU so there is no way to run Mac OS on it.


Not quite true. Custom kernels/distrobutions from OSx86 project add support for AMD processors.
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March 7, 2014 12:55:56 PM

Brave-up levicho! And welcome to Ubuntu. It's just like Linux, but easier. Actually easier than Windows; if used exclusively with GNOME-3 CLASSIC Ubuntu is straightforward. So download, burn to DVD and install ... You can prolly do those tasks with your current WIN8 having it commit suicide.

Once loaded figure 20-min to learn lots of needed stuff, a week to become functional in Ubuntu and 2 years to become usefully proficient. Really learning Linux is quite impossible for normals ... Shaolin priesthood is analogous ... so cheat & kludge-away & don't even worry about that.

levicho said:
Dear Jack,

Yes, my mistake, that thing was a birthday gift, and there's some saying out there about not looking a gift-horse in the mouth.

The techies already tried to put a Win 7 64 Pro on it, but some drivers crashed, the system crashed, and refused to take that version again. Besides 7 Pro, there's not much else from Windows I'm willing to roll with.

Are there perhaps any Linux os's that are very similar to Mac or Win (for stupids like myself) that I can try to ease into?

Also, any opinion of ChromeOS?


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