Czessi::Blog

Today a co-worker called me. He has bought a new notebook and he has only a blinking Screen. It's time for troubleshooting.

1. boot sequence: all right but it's still blinking.
2. What appears on the CD cover? Driver and Utility CD.

STOP

Me: You need a Windows CD.
He: There was no Windows CD include
Me: Bad, then I think the blinking was a DOS prompt. Enter dir <return> at the prompt.
He: Did something but I don't know what: config.sys, autoexec.bat, ...
Me: Oh yes, it's DOS
He: I have a Windows CD from my other pc.
Me: I think it's a recovery CD and I also think you can't use it.
He: Ha, it installing Windows!
Me: You know that actually you be allowed to install it of only one PC.
He: Is that illegal?
Me: Let us say, it's not really allowed.
He: Ok, then I must buy a Windows XP CD, but it's high in price.
Me: Don't forgotten your MS Office and all the other things you have installed
He: Argh! Is there an other way? You still using Linux? Can I use it too? What's the charges?
Me: I's all for free and installed in around 20 minutes including office, cd-burning, audio, video and more free software. Simply download, burn on CD and put them into your Notebook.
He: Sounds good. Where I can get it?
Me: Go to http://www.kubuntu-de.org/download/hardy and select Desktop i386, which you must burn on CD.

To tell him how to burn a CD with Windows was still crazy, because I used only Linux for around 10 years. We wangle it sometimes later.

Kubuntu starts smoothly on this notebook. Network was available after he put in the network cable. Cool visual look and the easy installation was cogent. He was really amazed because the most required software where installed too (office, cd-burner, mailclient, webbrowser, audio and video player).

Then I give him a quick Kubuntu briefing, where I present the most required software. Amarok installed automatically the mp3 codec and the flash installing via konqueror works also fine. Now it's Adept turn and I show him how he can install and remove software packages. He was amazed because it's so easy. The best is that he must not visit every manufacturer homepage to get a programm. Simply search and install via Adept. Amazing for him is also, that Adept is care about security upates for all the installed packages.

The next day remains to be seen if he can break with Windows, then the first day are critical when you switched to linux after a long time of using windows.

For the record: When someone who is around 45 year old and used the pc only for office and email say: "Wow, it's amazing and so easy", then Riddell, his team did a great job.