Give New Life to an Old Computer
Do you have old computers lying around the house that you don’t really use anymore because it is either too slow, doesn’t have a legal copy of Windows on it, has viruses or just isn’t stable? If you do, then you are one step closer to giving these old computers some new life for 2010!
The best way to do that is to completely wipe the hard drive and install a Linux distribution operating system. We assume you don’t need any of the files on your old computer, but if you do then make sure you back up all important files before proceeding. There are several free and easy to use operating systems out there on the web. One such is the newly release Linux Mint 8: Helena. Linux Mint 8 is an open source software meaning it is completely free! It also comes with many of the features offered in a Microsoft Windows operating system as a complete replacement to your old Windows PC.
Reason why you should install Linux Mint 8:
It includes Open Office, the alternative for Microsoft Office Suite and offers many of the same features and even some features that even Microsoft Office doesn’t have.
It comes stocked with a variety of applications so it’s fully functional after installation. Here is a short list:
- GIMP (Alternative for Adobe Photoshop)
- Music players
- Video players
- Web browser
- Email client
- Instant messenger
- CD burning software
Linux Mint 8 is not a memory hog and does not require a new and fast processor to run; your computer will even perform better than Windows. Not only will you get many of the same functionality of Microsoft Windows OS, you will get much more – all for free!
So how do you go about installing Linux Mint 8?
- First you need to download the ISO, or CD image of Linux Mint 8, by going here http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php.
- After you have downloaded the ISO, you need to burn that file onto a CD using a CD burning software. If your computer does not have a CD burning software then we recommend using open source software called InfraRecorder. You can download and install it at http://infrarecorder.org/?page_id=5.
- After you have installed InfraRecorder and burned the CD, just put the CD into the computer you want to install Linux Mint 8.
- When you first boot into the CD, it will take you to a “test” desktop in which you can look around and check out Linux Mint 8 before you actually install it. However, if you want to install immediately, there should be a Install Mint 8 icon on the desktop. Click on that and follow the directions on the new window to install Linux Mint 8.
- The first window you see when you click install looks like this:
You want to choose the location that best fit where you are currently living. - In the next window you need to choose your time zone. Based on what location you chose earlier, it will have a time zone preset for you. If it is incorrect, then please select the correct time zone and click on Forward.
- In the next window you choose which keyboard format you have. This is based on what location of the world you live in. There is also a field on the bottom left where you can type to see if you have selected the correct setting for your keyboard. Select the right keyboard setting and hit Forward.
- This next window is VERY IMPORTANT! Make sure that you backup any important files because this is the step where you delete all the data on the hard drive. Select Erase and use the entire disk, and hit proceed.
- In this window, you need to put in the information they ask. You also want to set your password setting for security reasons.
- In this last window, you will see a summary on what it will be doing to your computer. You want to proceed with the installation by clicking Install.
After about 15-30 minutes, it will complete the installation, prompt you to remove the cd & reboot you into your new Mint 8 desktop! Welcome to the world of Linux!
Tags: Linux Mint 8, Old Computer, Open Source, tutorial