Linux Lubuntu noob in need of help.

[grimreaper1014]

Hi guys,

I another thread going in the Windows thread as well some of you may have saw it. Just a quick run down. My main desktop gaming rig is out of commision.It ended up with bent pins and when I tried to straighten them the pins actually broke all the way off! So I have inherited an acient laptop so I at least have something to play around on. The laptop came with Windows 10 x64 on it. Which I don't understand why becuase its an Celeron N3060 processor from the dinosaur age. After a few posts in the other thread we decided that Linux would be the best bet for this old klunker. I was recommended a few builds and finally decided on Lubuntu. As I have mention I am a complete noob at Linux. I don't know ANYTHING about it at all. However, I am willing to learn.

Last night I spent about 30 or 40 minutes to figure out how to install it. I couldn't figure out why it was booting off the DVD but not installing. Then, I finally realized the installer was actually on the desktop lol. After getting it installed I have been tinkering around on it getting aquinted a little. I mostly just use my pc for things like browsing the web, checking emal, and playing some games here and there. However, on this dinosaur the gaming part is a no go. Anyways, I tried to give instlaling Wine a shot. I found directions on how to install it and tried to copy what they did. I am getting an error message. I have uploaded it. It is named error.jpg. I have no clue what I am doing I am just reading and applying what it says to do. Can someone please help me with the Wine install?

I have a few other questions too about this Linux stuff. Do I need to install some security software on here to be safe? If so what should I get? Another thing I typically do after a fresh install of Windows is check for Windows updates. As far as installing apps is it pretty much the same as Windows? Do I just find what I want and run the installer? Is there a way to check for updates in Lubuntu? What is the best way to go about learning to use Linux? Did you guys learn from just hoping on it like I did and tinkering around? Did you read something? I am kinda digging the idea of learning something new. Plus the whole Linux look is kinda growing on me. Its like a retro look. I really want to get the hang of this. Can you guys please point me in the right direction? I see there is a thread above this about Linux commands. I'm going to start there. Thanks for your help fellas.

 

[Stopspying]

I'm not a Lubuntu user so I cannot answer your questions in this post, But I was looking at installing Lubuntu a couple of months ago and watched this video on setting it up, it might be useful for you, or anyone else interested in trying it.

 

[Fuzzy_Bunny]

You can download .deb package and install it with 2 clicks (windows way). You can use terminal and type sudo apt install firefox.
if you want update software type sudo apt update and then sudo apt upgrade

Ubuntu have big community so you have a lot sites and forums you can learn from. I would recommend to learn using terminal.

50 Most Useful Linux Commands To Run in the Terminal

To save you from memorizing a plethora of terminal commands, we present you this carefully constructed guide listing the best Linux commands for newbies.

www.ubuntupit.com

40 Basic Ubuntu Commands And Terminal Shortcuts For Beginners

Every Linux beginner must know these basic Ubuntu commands and Terminal shortcuts. Get know your Ubuntu distro.

techlog360.com

 

[ChoiceVoice]

i never had much success trying wine. when i played with it (years ago), it wouldn't run many complex programs. that said, lubuntu is fantastic, it and xubuntu are my favourite distros and have given ancient laptops i had new life.

plus, if your system struggles to run windows, i don't think running a virtual windows within another operating system will lighten it up much. i hope i'm wrong. good luck.

 

[grimreaper1014]

i never had much success trying wine. when i played with it (years ago), it wouldn't run many complex programs. that said, lubuntu is fantastic, it and xubuntu are my favourite distros and have given ancient laptops i had new life.

plus, if your system struggles to run windows, i don't think running a virtual windows within another operating system will lighten it up much. i hope i'm wrong. good luck.

What about security software? Do I need anything like that on Linux?

 

[Stopspying]

What about security software? Do I need anything like that on Linux?

Sorry, I'm not going to answer 'Yes' or 'No' to your question. I think that it is up to the individual to decide what to do about securing Linux more thoroughly than it is right from the start after installation.

These links might be worth reading to help you make up your mind -

How to secure your Linux system

Linux security tips and tricks and you need to know

www.techradar.com

5 Security Tools You Should Have on Linux

From the start, Linux is quite secure, especially when compared to other operating systems such as macOS or Windows. Even so, it's good to build on that, starting with these tools.

www.makeuseof.com

20 Best Security Tools for Linux

Linux security tools help the Linux users keep their system and valuable information safe avoiding unexpected malware attack or spying.

www.ubuntupit.com

Edit - I meant to say that I am very aware that these posts are not recent ones, but they give an idea of what you might need to do to secure a Linux install more thoroughly, I don't think things have changed that much in the world of Linux in the meantime on this front.

 

[ChoiceVoice]

What about security software? Do I need anything like that on Linux?

i never used any real-time AV protection on linux. there are some free demand scanners you can try if you suspect something is amuck. (truthfully, part of the reason linux is so light is because you don't need the massive resource gobbling security softwares). some distros have the built-in firewall turned off, that always seemed odd to me, lol. i like a firewall

but i never did any banking etc on linux either. when you have skin in the game, your opinion on things change. linux was just a toy to play with for me.

 

[Stopspying]

.... there are some free demand scanners you can try if you suspect something is amuck..........

That is a similar view to that of the MUD link I posted - "Even so, it’s good practice to scan any dubious looking files for potential threats. While it probably won’t affect your computer, you might be saving a Windows user from a nasty headache. This is where Clam AntiVirus (ClamAV) comes in."

 

[grimreaper1014]

Thanks guys. You guys got me hooked up. I got enough reading and watching to do to keep me busy for a while. Will report back if I come up with some questions after watching. Thanks again guys! I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me out.

 

[shmu26]

If you install your software from the official Ubuntu repository, you don't need to worry about malware. If you install third-party software, and especially if you start adding PPAs (automatic software updaters) then you need to excercise good judgment. There are no good real-time AVs for Linux that I know of. I am pretty sure that most linux users do not run real-time AV.
Malware on linux is mainly targetting Linux servers, not home users. It's what they call "security by obscurity".

 

[bribon77]

You just have to have the system updated, and not give the User and password to anything that appears.
I agree with, @shmu26.

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

Welcome to the club!

I personally have not played with Lubuntu, but I have played with Ubuntu and it's other derivatives (Pop!_OS and Kubuntu) and for the most part they are all the same except the desktop environment (DE) will differ between them.

There are plenty of great Linux YouTubers out there that offer a lot of great advice. Check out Chris Titus Tech on YouTube. He covers other things other than Linux, but he covers Linux quite a bit. He also has some nice videos for new comers. Another great source is Linux4noobs on reddit. It's a great sub reddit dedicated to newcomers to Linux.

One thing to note about Linux is a lot of it will come down to personal preference. The great thing about Linux is there is a lot of choice. It is also a negative IMHO, as it can get overwhelming. My best advice is to get comfortable with Lubuntu, take the time to learn it and if you feel you want a change (ie: different distro, DE, etc...) you can venture off later on. The nice thing about Linux is that a lot of the principles you learn can easily be applied to other distros quite easily. There will be some slight differences for sure, but for the most part it's relatable.

i never had much success trying wine. when i played with it (years ago), it wouldn't run many complex programs. that said, lubuntu is fantastic, it and xubuntu are my favourite distros and have given ancient laptops i had new life.

Wine is great and has a come a long ways and it is getting better, however as good as it is, it won't solve all your problems and there is no guarantee that you will get every Windows program to run on Linux.

What about security software? Do I need anything like that on Linux?

Yes and no.

Linux by it's very nature is quite secure. It also has to do with the fact that market-share wise it's still very low (on the desktop), so hackers don't pay too much attention to it. As @shmu26 has said, you can install programs many different ways on Linux. typically the ones from the official store/repository are safe. If you start adding PPA's, or download random .deb files (the exe of Debian/Ubuntu) then you may have to be more careful. Just like Windows be mindful of what you are installing and where you are getting it from.

Another thing to take note of... a lot of Linux users like to use the command line to do things. I think this is something worth taking the time to learn IMHO. The reason I mention this is that when searching for issues and such, a lot of Linux users will use the command line (terminal) to install and/or fix things. Just like installing random PPAs, or downloading random .deb files, be mindful of just copying and pasting random commands into the terminal if you don't know what it's doing. Make sure you research it a little.

I personally don't run any security programs. I just keep my system and programs up to date and pay attention to what I am installing (something I would be doing on Windows regardless). The only program I do install is uncomplicated firewall (ufw for short). If you install this, make sure you install gufw as it's a GUI version of it. It's a small simple firewall that you can install and something I recommend if you bring you laptop out in public.

Overall Linux is different than Windows in many ways, but it's worth taking the time to learn and play with it. I have pretty much moved away from Windows to Linux and have been very happy. I still have some hair pulling moments, all new comers to Linux will have, but overall I am very happy with my experience!

 

[bayasdev]

You downloaded a non-LTS Lubuntu version which is no longer supported (only LTS versions are supported for for 5 years while the others are 6 months only), the latest is 20.04 LTS. I think the Wine PPA servers for Ubuntu 19.10 are currently down, btw Wine is included in the official Ubuntu repos so there's no need to add Wine PPA unless you need development builds. If you want cutting edge software you can use Manjaro testing branch, and since it's a rolling release versioning is just for cosmetic reasons cause if you upgrade all packages you'll inmediately be on latest Manjaro version without having to reinstall n/or download the latest ISO.

 

[bayasdev]

What about security software? Do I need anything like that on Linux?

Avoid blindly copying and pasting commands, research what they do before running them with root (sudo) permissions. If you run Windows software through WINE remember that it's not an emulator (compatibility layer instead) so malware (if specifically coded) can access your /home folder nor external drives (which are accesible through the fake Z:// drive) and cause damages to the files stored in such places. Btw you can browse the fake C:// drive content by opening the hidden .wine folder inside your home folder.

 

[grimreaper1014]

Avoid blindly copying and pasting commands, research what they do before running them with root (sudo) permissions. If you run Windows software through WINE remember that it's not an emulator (compatibility layer instead) so malware (if specifically coded) can access your /home folder nor external drives (which are accesible through the fake Z:// drive) and cause damages to the files stored in such places. Btw you can browse the fake C:// drive content by opening the hidden .wine folder inside your home folder.

Well damn I guess I am on the wrong version. I thought I downloaded it from the devs or the official page. Wondering if I should download 20.04 Lubuntu or just go to the latest version of Ubuntu? Since Lubuntu is basically a spin off of Ubuntu.

 

[RoboMan]

Nice! Congrats on the migration to Linux.

Ubuntu does have commands for updating, just open the terminal and write:

sudo apt-get upgrade

#sudo acts as an authentication command to use superadmin (root) permissions, so you'll be asked to write the password in order to execute the command. In Linux most commands will need "sudo" first to be executed, keep in mind.

Try to stick with the built in Software Center since it's pretty decent.

I personally never use antivirus in Linux, but I do install GUFW which is a graphic user interface for iptables. Iptables is the firewall for Linux that comes built-in. GUFW is really easy to use, just install, enable and that's it. You can find it in the Software Center.

Gaming in Ubuntu was always an issue for me, so I ditched it for Manjaro. Try installing wine from the Software Center as well.

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

Nice! Congrats on the migration to Linux.

Ubuntu does have commands for updating, just open the terminal and write:

sudo apt-get upgrade

#sudo acts as an authentication command to use superadmin (root) permissions, so you'll be asked to write the password in order to execute the command. In Linux most commands will need "sudo" first to be executed, keep in mind.

Try to stick with the built in Software Center since it's pretty decent.

I personally never use antivirus in Linux, but I do install GUFW which is a graphic user interface for iptables. Iptables is the firewall for Linux that comes built-in. GUFW is really easy to use, just install, enable and that's it. You can find it in the Software Center.

Gaming in Ubuntu was always an issue for me, so I ditched it for Manjaro. Try installing wine from the Software Center as well.

Good post!

The only thing I would add is to run

 sudo apt-get update

first then

sudo apt-get upgrade

to update. If I'm not mistaken running update first refreshes all the repositories to check and see if there is anything new. Upgrade will then download and install them. Some distros will prompt you when there are updates also.

Side note @RoboMan have you tried Pop!_OS? it's based of Ubuntu but seems to do much better for gaming IMHO. I too amd running Manjaro, very solid distro.

 

[grimreaper1014]

Nice! Congrats on the migration to Linux.

Ubuntu does have commands for updating, just open the terminal and write:

sudo apt-get upgrade

#sudo acts as an authentication command to use superadmin (root) permissions, so you'll be asked to write the password in order to execute the command. In Linux most commands will need "sudo" first to be executed, keep in mind.

Try to stick with the built in Software Center since it's pretty decent.

I personally never use antivirus in Linux, but I do install GUFW which is a graphic user interface for iptables. Iptables is the firewall for Linux that comes built-in. GUFW is really easy to use, just install, enable and that's it. You can find it in the Software Center.

Gaming in Ubuntu was always an issue for me, so I ditched it for Manjaro. Try installing wine from the Software Center as well.

So Manjaro is easier to get setup for gaming? How is it as far as ease of use? I'm wondering if maybe I should just get on a distro that is easy to use and is easy to game on? I mean those are the things I use a computer for anyways. I was actually looking into SteamOS until I seen they haven't updated it in like over a year. Then I seen there was another one called GamerOS thats supposed to be pretty good for gaming as well. Pretty much all I use a computer for is to surf the internet, check my email, play poker at poker sites, and game. I play all the big titles. Apex legends, all the Call of Duty's, Fortnite, GTA5, Age of Empires, go there's a lot I play. So I am thinking a distro with some gaming capabilities is something I should get to learn. I am also in the process of building another gaming rig. So hopefully by the time I'm done building it I will have the perfect OS for it.

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

So Manjaro is easier to get setup for gaming? How is it as far as ease of use? I'm wondering if maybe I should just get on a distro that is easy to use and is easy to game on? I mean those are the things I use a computer for anyways. I was actually looking into SteamOS until I seen they haven't updated it in like over a year. Then I seen there was another one called GamerOS thats supposed to be pretty good for gaming as well. Pretty much all I use a computer for is to surf the internet, check my email, play poker at poker sites, and game. I play all the big titles. Apex legends, all the Call of Duty's, Fortnite, GTA5, Age of Empires, go there's a lot I play. So I am thinking a distro with some gaming capabilities is something I should get to learn. I am also in the process of building another gaming rig. So hopefully by the time I'm done building it I will have the perfect OS for it.

Yes and no.

Probably the two most popular distros that people like to use for gaming on linux is Pop!_OS (which is based off Ubuntu like Lubuntu) and Manjaro. The reason for that is because the people behind them take a little more time to tweak things to get them ready to game on Linux. However you can achieve the same result on pretty much any distro, it just may take a little more tinkering. There are some great YouTube videos on how to game on Linux.

Now one thing to note is that while playing Windows games on Linux has come a long ways, it's still far from perfect. Some games may take a little tweaking to get going, some work flawlessly without any issues and some don't work at all. Games like Fortnite and some of the Call of Duty games do not work at all on Linux (at least right now) because these games include anti-cheat for multiplayer. Anti cheat works at the kernel level on Windows, so there's no way (right now) to get it working on Linux. This is why some people still dual boot Windows, as it allows them to continue to play certian games that do not work at all on Linux, but use Linux for the rest of their games that do work.

In saying that a very large portion of games do run on Linux. If you have steam you can install it and turn on proton which will try to emulate Windows essentially to allow the game to run. They have a website called protondb which lists all the games and how well they work, if at all. Another place to check is Lutris which also allows you to run and install games and it covers games that aren't available through steam.

As to Manjaro, its a really good distro, but one thing to note is that it's based off Arch Linux. Its a rolling distro which means that they will provide all the latest stuff to their users fairly quickly. Distros like Ubuntu are more fixed in their major updates, so some things may not get updated until the next major release. They still receive bug fixes and security updates though. The one thing to note about rolling distros is to be aware that there might be an ever so slightly higher chance of something breaking because they are on the latest and greatest, as not all bug may have been ironed out yet. Just something to be aware of.

 

[bayasdev]

Well damn I guess I am on the wrong version. I thought I downloaded it from the devs or the official page. Wondering if I should download 20.04 Lubuntu or just go to the latest version of Ubuntu? Since Lubuntu is basically a spin off of Ubuntu.

Their official website is

Lubuntu – The official Lubuntu home

lubuntu.me

As a personal note, GNOME (Ubuntu and Pop OS) likes to eat as much RAM (caches everything) as Windows so it's better to go with a KDE or LXQT (the second uses less resources but has a less appealing UI) distro like Manjaro (has several desktop environments to choose including those), Lubuntu or Kubuntu.

IMO Manjaro/Arch has a way more comprehensive software catalog so you can get everything from there including propietary software and drivers in an easier way. Also gamemode (a very useful tweak for more FPS when gaming) doesn't works correctly with the version found on Ubuntu repos.

Edit: In Manjaro you can install almost everything from the software center (pamac GUI) without having to touch the command line unlike Ubuntu based distros, but since it's a rolling release there's a little chance of an update breaking things. Btw if you can't find something (like a printer driver) just enable the AUR support and you'll probably find it.