I just started using a netbook running Linux Linpus Lite and I’m very green around the ears with the system at the minute, especially installing things. I managed to upgrade Mozilla Firefox 2 to 7 last night using the guide on this site (thank you!) and I thought it might be worth asking if anyone know’s a good torrent program that will run with Linpus Lite? I’ve done a quick google search and Transmission popped up a few times, but I have no idea how to download and install it yet as I was only able to upgrade Firefox using the tutorial, I haven’t come across one for a torrent program. Any advice would be much appreciated!
You may not want to hear this, but my advice would be to ditch Linpus Lite altogether, and install an up-to-date Linux distribution like PeppermintOS.
Linpus is VERY old and you’ll find getting any recent software to install is a nightmare or impossible … plus it’s no longer receiving any security updates (or any other kind of updates, for that matter).
You won’t regret it, Peppermint comes with Transmission pre-installed … and has access to ALL the very latest software (example - Firefox 15), all available from the software manager with a couple of mouse clicks
Seriously, Linpus Lite is rubbish, and Acer should never have limited the AA1 by using such a cut down Linux distro, that was already out-of-date when they installed it … and that they never had any intention of supporting.
IMHO, PeppermintOS is the perfect Linux distribution for the Acer Aspire One, and it’s on both my AA1’s … but the choice is yours
Unfortunately I think I might be stuck with Linpus Lite as I don’t have a PC to make a USB drive of Peppermint, I only have this netbook here. Is it possible to still get Peppermint using 1 machine only? I don’t really mind Linpus at the moment, it does everything I need really because I only use this for browsing the web and checking emails etc. Still it would be good to have a way of downloading music and other stuff.
How much of a concern is it that I can’t get any updates? I’ve been told that Linux doesn’t require any anti virus software or anything like that, but does that only apply if you have the latest updates?
Is it possible to still get Peppermint using 1 machine only?
Unless p7zip is installed on your system, I can’t think of an easy way to create a LiveUSB stick in Linpus Lite … you can try Unetbootin, but it’s more than likely going to say p7zip needs installing … if you want to try, open a terminal and run these commands:
How much of a concern is it that I can't get any updates? I've been told that Linux doesn't require any anti virus software or anything like that, but does that only apply if you have the latest updates?
You’re right about the anti-virus software, but as with any system vulnerabilities will be found in the OS/kernel … these will no longer be patched in the Fedora Core 8 system Linpus Lite is built upon.
In reality, it’s unlikely that someone will (or maybe even could) exploit these vulnerabilities … but not beyond the realms of possibility.
You are still MUCH less likely to have a vulnerability exploited than if you were running Windows
This might sound stupid lol, but before I try that will anything happen to my current system if it doesn’t work? I wouldn’t know how to fix it if it did!
Thanks for all the advice This seems like a really great site for people like me!
but before I try that will anything happen to my current system if it doesn't work?
The instruction Mark posted will download Unetbootin and attempt to run it. That should be safe to perform.
Only the downloaded files will be added to your system. It is worth to try.
On the other hand if you were successful with the creation of the LiveUSB then as long as you stick with the "Try it" option
instead of install, that should be safe too as it does not make changes to your OS on disk.
However if you decide to install it (from the Live system running off the USB stick, that will overwrite all your files
(make sure you back up anything important you may deem too important to loose)
There is another option - you could buy a USB stick preinstalled with your choice of distro. http://www.osdisc.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi/products/usb
Unfortunately they do not do Peppermint but you could try Bodhi or Lubuntu. Both worked OK on my AA1
@Mark
Is this something you could provide ? Maybe there is a market in the UK for this type of service.
As SeZo says … running the 4 commands I gave will NOT install anything, it will just download a file, mark it as executable, and run it … nothing gets installed or changed on your system, so those 4 commands “on their own” should be perfectly safe
I just wanted to see if it complained about p7zip not being installed or not.
