Windows to Linux Shifting Guide

for the typical GIKian

• Install the latest Linux Mint available. This is the best distro (short for Linux distribution) for a

new user. All multimedia and codecs are installed and most of it works out of the box.

• Obtain a Linux Mint CD, or burn an iso onto a CD. For instructions on how to burn an iso onto a

CD, http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/ht/burnisofile.htm

• Insert the CD into your cd drive, restart the computer. Change the bios settings to make CD

drive the primary boot device.

• The CD will boot, bringing you to a linux desktop.

• If you already have Windows installed on your PC:

• Click on the start-menu, and type gparted in the search-box

• Click on the Partition Editor program icon which appears in your menu

• Resize your FIRST partition from the LEFT, making about 6 GB free space in the

beginning of your hard-disk.

• Create a 5 GB ext3 or ext4 partition in the free space, you created in the last step

• Make another 1 GB swap partition in the free space that is left.

• If you have any doubts about partitioning, join #Linux on irc and ask some

one there to help you out.

• Apply the partitioning changes you just made.

• If you have new-blank Hard-disk:

• WAIT! If you plan to install/dual-boot windows, run Windows setup before continuing.

• Click on the start-menu, and type gparted in the search-box

• Click on the Partition Editor program icon which appears in your menu

• Create a 5-10 GB ext3 or ext4 partition.

• Create a 1 GB swap partition.

• Create a FAT32 or NTFS partition in the rest of the space.

• Apply the partitioning changes you just made.

• Notice the Install icon on the desktop? Double-click it.

• Choose: Specify partitions manually (advanced)
• With your ext3 or ext4 partition selected, click: Edit partition

• In the Edit partition dialog that appears, change all fields EXCEPT New partition size as

shown below.
 • Now, you may wait until the installation finishes. Listen to a couple of songs, view some

email, perhaps.

• After setup is done, restart the pc. Remove any CD/DVD you had in the drive.

• You have successfully installed Linux Mint on your PC.

• Next steps:

Network Settings

IRC

Sharing

DC++

Browsing

Your Freedom ;)

Installing software

• Network Settings

• In the bottom right-hand corner, you can see the network connection icon (just like

windows). Right-click the icon ans select Edit Connections...

• Select Auto eth0 and click Edit

• Go to the Ipv4 Settings tab.

• From the method list, select manual

• Now click the Add button

• Fill out the respective address fields

• Make sure the changes you made in the addresses are still there, and press Apply

• Now, single-click on the network icon again, and select Auto eth0 from the list

• Done. You are now connected to the GIKI LAN (resNET, as some would call it)

• In the start menu search bar, type network proxy. Click on the network proxy icon that

appears

• Here you can change the proxy that Linux uses outside of the Firefox browser.

• Done

• IRC

• Click on the start-menu, and type xchat in search box

• Click on Xchat icon that appears

• There. You are running IRC. :D

• Settings?

• Go to Xchat > Network list

• Click on Add, and type the name GIKI for the new server
• Then, with GIKI selected, click Edit...

• Add the required settings, as shown below

• Click on Close, and then click connect.

 • Woohoo! We are now on IRC!

• SHARING

• To share a folder

• right-click on it.

• Select sharing options

• Check Enable sharing

• To access a share

• Open your Nautilus browser (equivalent of file explorer in windows)

• In Address bar, type: smb://192.168.xxx.xxx

• Where xxx.xxx is the ip address of the sharing pc (duh)

• DC++

• You need to install DC++ first. Open a terminal (command-line) window, and type in:

• sudo apt-get install linuxdcpp

• DC++ can now be found in your start menu under Internet sub-menu (or you can search

for it in the menu search-bar)

• :/ Do those settings yourself. They are similar to windows. Or ask your neighbor for help

• Browsing

• Firefox can be found in your start-menu under the Internet sub-menu. (or search)

• Firefox settings are found under Edit menu, not in the Tools menu

• Your Freedom

• Get java-only zip file from your-freedom website.

• Extract it in a convenient location.

• Open the folder, right-click and select open in terminal

• In the terminal, copy-paste these commands:

• pico run-yf

• java -jar freedom.jar

• Press Ctrl+x and then y

• chmod 744 run-yf

• Now, whenever you want to run your-freedom, double-click on run-yf

• Installing Software

• In the Linux world, you don't need to traverse websites, to download setups.

• In the start-menu, there is a Software Manager, and Package Manager. Both can be used

to get software installed onto your PC.

• ALL the software ever made for your Linux Mint (well 99% of it) can be found here.

• The interface for both these managers is very easy to understand, but there is always

#Linux, should you run into any problems.

• Also, if you know the exact name of the package you are trying to install, it is easier done

through terminal (command line):

• sudo apt-get install pkg-name

• Like I did for DC++, earlier. In that case, the pkg-name was linuxdcpp
 • Also, there is a way to get windows software running on linux, but I recommend you try to

find a substitute a linux-based alternative first. As windows software running on linux is

quite slow, and at times, buggy too. Ask on #Linux for more information, so they can

suggest a linux alternative, if there is one.

This concludes getting your Linux to do the basic things a GIKian wants from their PC. For more

information, or help outside this manual, join #Linux on IRC and ask around.

Enjoy your stay in a secure, stable, virus-free world. Best of luck. :)

Hammad Fauz Akhwand

Batch 16

FES