Windows XP doesn’t come with a utility that allows you to see what files/folders are taking up the most room on your hard drive.  Don’t fret: sure there are programs out there you can download and install to do the job, but did you know you don’t have to actually install any software on Windows to actually find out what’s hogging all of your disk space? Well, it’s really easy as long as you have a Linux Live CD lying around. In this tutorial, we will be using Linux Mint 12 since it’s very popular right now in the tech world it’s currently leading the pack according to Distrowatch. Baobab, more commonly known as Disk Usage Analyzer, is part of gnome-utils and it is just an awesome graphical disk usage analyzer. You’ll find it on just about all Linux distros running the GNOME desktop environment.

Step 1:

Fire up your Linux Live CD running a GNOME desktop environment, in this example you will see we are using Linux Mint 12. Then, navigate to: Applications | Accessories | Disk Usage Analyzer

Step 2:

Here you will see Disk Usage Analyzer, and since we are in a Live environment, it defaults to the Live CD environment as shown on the right. Click on the green “Scan a folder” icon.

Step 3:

Choose your hard drive listed on the left side. It will be the item that mostly likely has a size listed in GigaBytes – In this case it’s my 39 GB Filesystem. Then click Open in the bottom-right corner. If you have multiple hard drives they will be listed here as well.

Step 4:

After the filesystem is scanned, it displays the top folders on the left in list form, also graphically on the right side, showing color-coded comparisons of each folder. You can also view it as a treemap chart if you choose.

Hopefully this tutorial will give you some ideas on how even if you don’t use Linux as your daily operating system, you can take take advantage of some of the unique capabilities you gain by at least having a little Linux at your disposal!

© 2011 Linux.Bihlman.com

By Scott Graves

Quite a few people have a tendency to dabble in Linux. This means that from time to time, they might download a distribution, burn it to a Live CD, and try it out on their computer without actually installing it to their machine. If you are a Windows user who is doing this, you need to try Linux Mint.

Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu which is the most popular distribution. This is a pretty big deal since Ubuntu which is based on Debian have thousands of packages of software already available from a simple point and click interface. If you have a need for software, Mint will allow you to easily install it. What else is an operating system good for if it can’t install and run applications easily?

Mint tends to have familiar Windows controls. This means that there is a panel, aka the taskbar, at the bottom of the screen. On the left is the “start” button, followed by shortcuts, and followed by open programs. The look and feel is similar to Windows making new users already feel somewhat comfortable with the system. If you are used to a certain configuration, having something very similar makes it easier to use.

Mint has a menu system that is fairly logical. There is favorites tab and an applications tab. This will let you get to all your software. New users find the menu system easy. There is more than enough software for the average computer user with a browser, editors, and an office suite.

The best part about Mint is that the music codec, Java, and Flash are preinstalled. This means that your media and browser will just work like you expect them to do. You will be able to open all your documents and media just like you are used to without having to install these manually.

Scott has been writing articles online on a number of interesting topics since 2007. In addition to his writing, Scott also operates a number of informative web sites. You can check out his latest website here: Hydraulic Lift Table which offers information on the Hydraulic Lift Table

By Robert Fanning

Linux Mint KDE is another quality KDE distribution that you can choose from. It’s actually based on Ubuntu which will still give you access to those repositories giving you easy access to installing software that you need. It’s what’s called a community edition meaning that volunteers actually put this distribution together. Generally it’s a version behind the main version of Mint but still has everything you need.

Linux Mint KDE has a basic desktop that is already customized. It’s comes with a fresh blue look to it with the default KDE grey title bars. It’s set up quite a bit like Windows with the “start” button the bottom left, a basic taskbar, notification icons, and a clock. It’s your standard KDE layout for those who know what this look like.

It uses the new KDE 4 with the plasma desktop. If you are using the KDE edition of Mint, then you probably love the new plasma and don’t mind the extra resources that this uses over the old KDE 3. There are many who are split on the differences between the two but users have gradually accepted version four’s changes.

Some wonder why to use Mint’s KDE edition over something like Kubuntu since both are based on Ubuntu. Linux Mint comes with proprietary drivers installed to play music, dvd, flash, and java. These do not have to be installed by you at all unlike Kubuntu. By default it also uses Firefox and Thunderbird instead of the traditional KDE browser and mail programs. Mint also has some features like MintInstall and MintUpdate. These will help you get new applications installed and updated really easily.

If you don’t like the KDE edition, there are also Fluxbox, XFCE, and Gnome editions of Mint to try out as well as other distributions that use KDE.

Robert is an author who specializes in niche markets. Come visit his latest website http://www.dragonvoicerecognition.org for product information regarding voice recognition software.

By Richard Hove

One huge advantage of Linux is it’s flexibility. Different pieces of open source software can be put together in order to make it work on certain types of hardware. One graphical user interface that is good for older hardware is Fluxbox. It uses so little resources that even a machine that is nearly 10 years old can run it well. The problem is that very few distributions actually have a Fluxbox edition. Linux Mint 8 has now come out with their Fluxbox edition meaning it’s one of the most modern and up to date versions of Linux that is using Fluxbox.

Linux Mint is a distribution that is based on Ubuntu. There are a few differences. First, it looks better than Ubuntu. Instead of the brown and orange colors, it uses greens and blacks to create a pretty slick looking desktop. It also comes with proprietary plugins already installed like Flash and Java as well as the codex that you will need to play certain music formats on your computer. While you can install these manually with Ubuntu, Mint has it done when you install the distribution.

Fluxbox can be added onto any Linux distribution. The problem is that you will have to configure it to work well. While this can be done by expert users, newer users have a hard time knowing all the pieces that you will need to make it work properly. Linux Mint 8 Fluxbox has all this already done for you setting it up so that everything works that way you need it to.

While it is made for older hardware, you might not be a huge fan of interfaces like Gnome and KDE. Fluxbox and XFCE are some popular alternatives to these. The advantage of Fluxbox is that it’s so simple that it doesn’t get in the way like other interfaces tend to do. You can use this edition even on a high power machine if that is something you want.

The author has developed a website dedicated to the Excalibur food dehydrator of which he is a big fan. He uses the Excalibur 2900 dehydrator. Take a look at his site for some great deals and a guide to buying one.

As the title suggests, a technically-inclined computer user probably gets more satisfaction running a PING test in Linux than Windows XP, as the screenshots below should indicate.

pinging google in linux mint 12

and now, Windows XP:

pinging google in windows xp

That’s the difference!

I downloaded the latest version of Linux Mint 12 (Lisa) and I decided to try it out and write about some of the basics to get you started.

(Please click on each screenshot for full size)

TEST SYSTEM:

• Via 1.5GHz microprocessor
• Nvidia GeForce 8400GS video card
• 1 GB of RAM
• 1 GB of Linux Swap space on the HD
• onboard NIC

The first boot attempt from the Live CD failed, so I had to add acpi=off to the Live CD boot parameters to get the OS to boot successfully. Once I booted into Mint 12, I was greeted with the desktop:

Linux Mint 12 desktop

The first thing I decided to do is change the location since it always bothers me that Ubuntu-based distros always have the time many hours off, so, I clicked on the time at the top of the screen and selected my location:

adjusting the time/location in Mint 12

Next, I decided to open a terminal, in this case Xterm from Applications | System Tools and execute one of my favorite tools, top to check the amount of RAM usage and a few other fun details:

The "top" command in Xterm

 I would call those steps the first ones I always take when trying out a new distro. They work with just about any Linux distribution imaginable, but Linux Mint is special, and it’s quickly taking market share away from Ubuntu. “What’s next?”, you may ask…Well, I would take a look at all the cool apps available to you just a couple of clicks away in the Software Manager, located under Applications | Other:

Linux Mint 12 Software Manager

Now that you’ve had a chance to peruse all the great games, graphics, productivity software available (and even installed a few with the Live CD!) you may be ready to install it as your primary operating system, or at least in addition to an existing OS. That is easiest enough to find, it’s got a handy icon on the desktop for your convenience!

p.s. This review was written using Firefox on the Linux Live CD!

©2011 Linux.Bihlman.com

Buy Linux Mint today!

He descargado la última versión de Linux Mint 12 (Lisa) y me decidí a probarlo y escribir acerca de algunos de los conceptos básicos para empezar.

(Haga click en cada imagen para tamaño completo)

Prueba del sistema:

• A través de un microprocesador a 1,5 GHz
• Nvidia GeForce 8400GS tarjeta de video
• 1 GB de RAM
• 1 GB de espacio de intercambio de Linux en el disco duro
• a bordo NIC

El intento de arrancar primero desde el Live CD no, así que tuve que añadir

a los parámetros de arranque de Live CD para obtener el sistema operativo para arrancar con éxito. Una vez que inicia en Casa de la Mint 12, me saludó con el escritorio:

Linux Mint 12 de escritorio

La primera cosa que me decidí a hacer es cambiar la ubicación, ya que siempre me molesta que Ubuntu-distros basadas siempre tienen el tiempo muchas horas fuera, así, hice clic en el momento en la parte superior de la pantalla y selecciona Mi ubicación:

ajuste de la hora / lugar en Casa de la Mint 12

A continuación, me decidí a abrir un terminal, en este caso

de Aplicaciones | Herramientas del sistema y realizar una de mis herramientas favoritas, de

a comprobar la cantidad de uso de memoria RAM y algunos otros detalles divertidos:

El "top" de comandos en Xterm

Yo llamaría a esos pasos los primeros que siempre tienen cuando se trata de una nueva distribución. Trabajan con casi cualquier distribución de Linux imaginable, pero Linux Mint es especial, y es rápidamente tomando cuota de mercado a Ubuntu. “¿Qué será lo próximo”, usted puede pedir … Bueno, me gustaría echar un vistazo a todas las aplicaciones interesantes a su disposición un par de clics de distancia en el Administrador de Software, ubicado en Aplicaciones | Otros:

Linux Mint 12 Software Manager

Ahora que usted ha tenido la oportunidad de leer detenidamente todos los grandes juegos, gráficos, software de productividad disponibles (e incluso instalado unos pocos con el Live CD!) Es posible que se vaya a instalar como sistema operativo principal, o por lo menos, además de a un sistema operativo existente. Que es el más fácil de hallar, tiene un icono de mano en el escritorio para su conveniencia!

ps Esta crítica fue escrita el uso de Firefox en el Live CD de Linux!

© 2011 Linux.Bihlman.com

Three Reasons To Use Linux For Home Use

By Anand V Parekh

Back in pre Ubuntu days, using Linux for personal use was somewhat like a hobby for computer programmers or the very geeky.

Not anymore. With the release of Ubuntu, a broader user base started using Linux and not just because it was released as a free OS meant for all.

Here are three reasons to use Linux for your home use:

1. Low hardware requirements: One doesn’t need the latest computer to use Linux. If your only reason to use computers is to surf the internet, check emails, make office documents and play lightweight games like Windows soltaire, older computers running Linux will do just fine. If you have some old spare PCs lying around, they can be configured as something cool like a gateway or a FTP server for home office (if there is lots of disk space) by running Linux.

2. Less dependent on tech support : As surprising as it sounds, using Linux means not relying too much on a phone call to some remote location to fix your problems. This is a great learning ground for the tinkering types with many internet forums offering free and high quality help for all sorts of Linux problems. This is because Linux is open source and so you don’t really have to rely upon a single company for your needs.

3. Awesome security: To be fair, Windows 7 has greatly improved upon user as well as system wide security. Linux on the other hand being open source can be configured in any way to make it secure – total freedom to use. There are no setup wizards for most part when configuring Linux security but in return you get solid granular security by editing various configuration files and fine tuning your system.

So does this mean you should completely dump Windows in favor of Linux? Of course not, either dual boot and use both the OSes or run a virtualization program like VMWare or VirtualBox to experience the best of both the worlds. This will be useful when you need to run native Windows applications as well as switch over to Linux when not needed. Most of the commonly used Windows applications like Office and Outlook have their Linux counterparts in OpenOffice, Thunderbird etc.

Either way, don’t miss out on experiencing Linux. Start with the widely used desktop OSes like Ubuntu or Linux Mint and see if it really proves useful for your computing needs, you may be pleasantly surprised.

The author is a tech enthusiast, systems administrator and a computer geek who got his first computer back in 1994 and fell in love with it. He blogs at ihaveapc.com regarding various stuff related to Windows and Linux.

Which Low Resource Linux Distribution Should You Use For Your Old Computer?

By Herb Leibacher

If you have an old machine that no longer has an operating system, you don’t have to throw that machine away. You can put it to good use with an operating system that doesn’t require a fast processor or big disk drive. Fortunately there are plenty of Linux distributions that will work on your old hardware and run at fairly moderate speeds even if your machine is really old. There are quite a few Linux distributions that don’t demand too much resources so that your computer will run relatively fast.

First of all, you need to stay away from distributions that use Gnome and KDE. These tend to use too many resources for old hardware and will cause the machine to lag way too much for basic applications. Look for these distributions that don’t use these graphical interfaces.

These low resource distributions are all based on Ubuntu meaning that you have access to all the debian packages that Canonical supports giving you access to tons of software.

Xubuntu is a quality distribution that doesn’t use too much power. It’s uses XFCE which will help with slower computers. This one does work well but might not be best for very, very old machines as XFCE is a bit more demanding than some other low power interfaces. This will be a bit easier because it’s basic interface works a lot like Windows which most people will be used to.

Linux Mint 6 Fluxbox Community Edition is a very high quality low resource distribution. This uses Fluxbox which will work better with computers that can’t run Xubuntu too well. This distribution has all your basic essentials. It’s layout will take a little while to get used to. Instead of a start button, you have to right click on the desktop to open your applications.

MoonOS LXDE is another good one to try. This uses LXDE which hardly uses any ram to actively run. Typically you can download LXDE but MoonOS has it all set up for you already after installing so that nothing has to be set up.

By following these tips you may be able to put an old machine to good use.

Herb likes to get the most possible use out of the technology he has on hand. Please check out his website with information on kids toy storage and details on childrens toy boxes.

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How Linux Could Dominate the Operating System Industry
By Mort Greenwood

It is interesting now. If you do a search for Linux and “not ready for prime time” you get a few people (presumably Linux fans) who will even question the term “prime time.” Rather than address valid concerns in the Linux community (by non-Linux users), they question what does “ready for prime time actually mean?” So, if you read no further, my answer is “No, it is not ready for prime time.” Following are two reasons why I think Linux is not ready yet.

Recently I bought an HP laptop with 3GB of RAM and 250GB harddrive. I was vacillating between whether or not to install Linux as the main operating system on it. I was practicing on my seven-year-old personal computer (Dell) that was currently on my desk but wasn’t really successful in installing it. I had looked at Linux Mint and Ubuntu 9.04 Linux distributions.


Here are a few observations I found when trying to install it on my desktop PC (the old one, 1GB RAM, 30GB hard drive). All of the directions I viewed said that it was easy to install. Perhaps it was me and my ignorance of the word “easy,” but I didn’t find that to be true. First, the file that you download is an “.iso” file. Windows-world users get .exe files and maybe zipped files. Downloading another program to package with the .iso file so that the file can be read is not intuitive. Again, I understand .exe files. My grandmother can understand a “click on this .exe file.” command. “Package it together with an ISO reader and then your PC should pick it up” is not easy; it’s convoluted.

Secondly, can’t we all just get along? Take a look at distrowatch and you’ll find the number of Linux distributions already on the open source market. When you think of Microsoft you think of Windows (7, Vista, XP, ME, 98SE, and 95 – all Windows and emphasized one at a time). When you think of Apple, you think of Macintosh or OSX.

Now, what do you think of when you think of Linux? Let’s see there’s Linux Mint, Ubuntu (and all its varieties), SuSe, Fedora, Debian, Mandriva, Puppy, Arch, BSD, Red Hat, etc. Need I continue? But you say, “that’s the beauty of it.” How many operating systems is Microsoft featuring at any one time, or perhaps a better way to look at it is, which OS is being packaged with hardware products at any given time? Currently, everything is all transitioning to Windows 7. Most recently it was Vista, and for a long time it was XP. Microsoft, for all its faults, knows how to focus on marketing one operating system at a time. Do the other OS have a share currently? Absolutely. But only one Microsoft product is featured. The Linux open source community would do well to focus on one or two distributions by pooling all of its intellectual resources together to come up with a fantastic product. I think it has a good product (possibly even great) now but they need to make it easy enough for grandmothers to install. Make it even easier than Windows! Like it or not, that’s the standard.

Fixing these two problems alone would make installing Linux a treat.

Mort is a business writer by trade and an entrepreneur through blood sweat and tears. You can read more of his work at Velcro Dots or the velcro dots defined page on that site.