Disappointed with Linux Lite already

[rbdflyboy]

I am unable to read information being typed in the search bar as this is always blacked out.


[/quote]

Sorry to hear you lost you're XP...still have mine, only hardly ever use it now. The black out problem is a FF issue not a LL2 issue. Don't use FF anymore...there is a fix on the FF FAQ Support site. You can Google the problem and the results will lead you to the fix or try this...it worked for me...

To fix in Firefox 29:

type about:config[Enter]
Promise to be careful
In the Search Bar type gfx.xrender.enabled
Right-click (F12) and Toggle to make it false
Exit Firefox. Open Firefox again.

Good luck and have a good one!

[N4RPS]

Hello!
c
Nowadays, when it comes to Linux, you folks have it made. For all those who think Linux is a pain NOW, just go back 6-7 years.
 
At LEAST now, pretty much all of the hardware is automatically detected and configured, virtually without any OEM driver discs. Additionally, there are several faster alternatives to desktop environment 'resource piggies', like KDE or Unity. There is also SO much more top-quality free software now which rivals or outperforms their Windows equivalents...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[NRD80V]

The package would be named peng, peng-aol, or pengy. If such a package exists, install it and all your troubles should be over. You should then be able to set up your AOL connection and connect using Ubuntu based distribution.

If you get this far, there is no pre-compiled package in the Ubuntu repositories any you will need to use the archive you have already downloaded. The following information assumes the file is in your user account's home directory, and you have installed gcc (the GNU compiler) and the development software included with Ubuntu based distribution.

Open a terminal window (have no fear, what follows is not rocket science).

Execute the following command:
tar -zxvf ./peng1.05.tar.gz

When tar finishes, you should have a new sub-directory under your users home directory named peng. Switch to that new directory by executing the following command:

cd peng

The next step is to run the recompile script which takes care of the steps needed to build and install peng for you. Execute the following command:

./recompile (type a dot character, then a slash character then the word 'recompile' - no tic marks and no spaces)

Under the peng directory you will find a DOC directory containing html files (viewable in a WEB browser) containing helpful information.

Hope it solves your problems
Yours
VN

[LinuxNoob]

Think back when you first started using windows for the first time. Felt like if you tried anything you could break it and won't know how to fix it. Now you understand how Windows works and you much more sure footed.

Thats where you will be with Linux if you just do a bit of reading and watch some more youtube videos. If it breaks you can always reinstall it and try again.

It seems like you're very very new to linux and I know the feeling, it does feel uneasy and you wish you knew your way around. Just keep at it. I'm just starting to see that I might not need that windows disk anymore.

Anyways good luck.  Seriously YouTube is your friend if you're a type that needs to see how it's done to understand how it works.

 

[eightbit]

While I believe Linux Lite does everything right in terms of ease of use and gving ex-XP users a new home, you have to remember that it is a different operating system with different applications. Sure, there are many recognizable apps like Firefox, but for some Windows only apps you have to do some research and find Linux equivalents. The same can be true if you are moving to a Mac for example. If you are looking for Linux to be exactly like Windows..well...not going to happen. And it shouldn't

Take it one step at a time. Once you start finding apps that are equivalent in the Linux world you will slowly move further and further away from Windows. I am 99% there, with only two or three Windows apps that have no equivalent (yet) that I use in Wine.

Some of your issues can be overcome with using "Play on Linux", which is a frontend that allows you to install thousands of Windows programs like Office (if you have issues reading documents in Libre)


I can tell you one thing for sure after years of trying distros, Linux Lite is going to be the easiest and one of the lightest systems to use. You will be hard pressed to find something better in terms of performance on old machines and usability out of the box.

The black out box issue sounds like a video driver. Did you check for available proprietary drivers?

[shengchieh]

I dislike dual-boot - so much possible headache - I have been using linux for over a decade and see so much dual-boot problems.  Many problems are due to Micro$oft locking things up.

I recommend 1 window box and 1 linux box.  Get the linux box pre-installed - even if it is a linux distro you will not use, the drivers are floating on the internet.  The alternative is revive your old PC
as a linux box.

Avoid all the problems that Micro$oft throws at you - no dual-boot and buy linux boxes.

Sheng-Chieh

[newtusmaximus]

Hi, please keep with it. It will be worth the time spent – steep learning curve.  Once mastered you will have stability/reliability . In extreme cases, if "new" peripherals are needed ( scanner/printer/webcam etc), these will be a one off purchase.   Well worth the investment to give you freedom from being dictated to – i.e. off the IT treadmill  

I have been using LL 2.0 for business use (SOHO)  for six months approx, with few problems. Libre office, Thunderbird, Skype, Gimp, Dropbox are all invaluable tools.

Might I suggest

 For Yahoo Messenger try http://www.pidgin.im/about/ as an possible alternative.

Kingsoft as a possible alternative to Libre Calc. http://wps-community.org/download.html
I use this in those instances where improved Microsoft office compatibility is required across platforms by clients.

The Firefox issue has been dealt with else where..

Personally I would investigate alternative ISPs as a means of removing the last of the "shackles"
Do it once – Do it Right!!

It would also possibly be helpful if you were to list your pc  system  , i.e. spec

[bitsnpcs]

Hello john9159,

I live in the UK and have just checked the National Lottery website, I can confirm I can access it using Linux Lite and Firefox browser, I received no warning about being outside the UK.
Have you set your location up during the install on the map ?
Or it may have been changed somehow.

I once had a black bar over text in search this was due to an external theme and settings I had downloaded and chosen to use in LL, changing one of the theme settings in window manager solved it, without needing to change the theme.
Have you installed or used any themes ?

Do AOL have web based account login to maintain your account, email, webspace (if AOL give this), and folders/cloud storage, when away from home such as if you are on holiday ?
Another option is use an AOL browser someone else has and copy your folder contents to a usb flash drive, into new folders, then use other cloud storage such as DropBox amongst many others, that are not so restrictive over your contents.

Do you mean your ethernet/wifi/both/which one of these are currently working/not working, in LL to visit the National Lottery website ?

[Dookus]

As far as your Excel problem, once open, try saving the file as Calcs default format, if that fixes the problem you can save the file in a MS format if you need to.

The search bar problem ... open your search engine of choice in a web page and use the search dialogue in the page, that may help, this may be a Firefox problem and has been seen recently in builds, have you run the updates?

I'll have a think about the lottery issue, this is odd as the server would detect where you live from your IP address, are you using a proxy?

[Wirezfree]

Any suggestions for alternative free operating systems to Linux or Ubuntu which are more reliable?

Hi,

To be fair, this is not a Linux Lite issue.
If you Google for AOL on LInux, you will see many frustrated posters, It's not called AOHell for nothing.

A quick Google shows that:

> There are some options to export favourites from AOL, but the folder structures can be an issue

> There is a Yahoo Linux Client, or use Pidgin cross platform/messenger

> Is this a solution to Excel issue??
   http://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/14002/how-can-i-stop-the-dialog-to-select-a-language-for-content-copiedpasted-from-a-browser-in-calc-from-popping-up/

> If you are refering to Firefox, A google for "Firefox search bar is black" show lots of  possibilities

> Certain UK websites don't work... Was it O.K with XP.?
   Normally this happens when the Website believes you are somewhere else.??

[Dookus]

If you persevere and find the reasons and overcome your problems with LL, this may help as far as AOL in concerned.

http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/LinuxTutorialAOL.html

[N4RPS]

Hello!

I'm sorry to hear that Linux isn't working out for you. The vast majority of the opinions about Lite are quite positive. It just happens to be that your computing experience relies heavily on Windows-specific applications.

Sadly, the AOL browser is a Windows-specific product, so with Linux, you're more than likely out of luck. You MIGHT could install and run AOL under WINE, but if you have enough PC to overcome the lag it adds, you could most likely run Windows 7 instead. Pidgin Messenger supports YIM, so for THAT, it IS an alternative.

I don't know WHAT to say about your remaining issues. Perhaps others can shed more insight on those. Since you reinstalled XP, if downloading and installing the appropriate driver from your wireless adapter's manufacturer doesn't get it done, I don't know WHAT to tell you at this point.

We just had someone else on here who is contemplating reinstalling Lite to fix his wireless issue. Hopefully, we will be able to help him to solve his problem short of that extreme. As for myself, I just boo-booed moving some partitions around to remove an old Windows install, and now find myself reinstalling Windows 7. Oh, well... At LEAST I was able to copy the files off...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[Dookus]

Do you experience this when running a live session? (Booting from removable media)

[rokytnji]

Any suggestions for alternative free operating systems to Linux or Ubuntu which are more reliable?

http://www.reactos.org/

[john9159]

I've been using Linux Lite for about two weeks out of necessity as internet access using Windows XP suddenly stopped on my laptop. Re-installing XP did not solve the problem.
I am reluctant to buy a new laptop/pc or to buy a new operating system such as Windows 7.

I am very disappointed so far with Linux as I am experiencing various problems, namely the following:

Cannot use AOL as my default browser as it is not compatible with Linux. This is necessary as AOL is my internet provider and I need access to my “favourite” folders which are not available via Firefox or any other medium.

Cannot use Yahoo Messenger. I am unable to install this as it is not compatible with Linux.

I am always asked to select the “language for import” when using Excel spreadsheet.

I am unable to read information being typed in the search bar as this is always blacked out.

I cannot use certain website such as the National Lottery in the UK, where I live, as I get a warning that I appear to reside outside of the UK.

Any suggestions for alternative free operating systems to Linux or Ubuntu which are more reliable?