Linux???

[Hawkmoon]

What a PITA!

I decided it might be easier trying to learn about Linux if I had a working computer next to the patient. I have a spare computer on a card table in the living room with an ethernet cable running to it, and a friend recently gave me a switch he wasn't using any more, so that seemed like a logical solution.

Except that it doesn't work. If I connect the ethernet cable directly to the network port on the laptop, it sees the Internet. I I connect through the switch, the desktop computer sees the Internet, but the laptop doesn't.

Any idea? The switch is a Linksys SD208

[RocketMan]

It sorta sounds like only one IP address is being assigned on the local network.  Is DHCP active on the router?

[lee n. field]

What a PITA!

I decided it might be easier trying to learn about Linux if I had a working computer next to the patient. I have a spare computer on a card table in the living room with an ethernet cable running to it, and a friend recently gave me a switch he wasn't using any more, so that seemed like a logical solution.

Except that it doesn't work. If I connect the ethernet cable directly to the network port on the laptop, it sees the Internet. I I connect through the switch, the desktop computer sees the Internet, but the laptop doesn't.

Any idea? The switch is a Linksys SD208

Maybe there's a reason he's not using the switch anymore.  Try a different port.

[WLJ]

[Hawkmoon]

Maybe there's a reason he's not using the switch anymore.  Try a different port.

I think you may have found the problem. I tried a new Netgear switch I got from Amazon, and that works as intended.

At some point I'll try the Linksys switch with two or three Windows computers and see what happens.

Also found a USB WiFi dongle on Amazon that's supposed to be plug-and-play with Linux, so that's on order.  If that works as advertised, I think I'll consider this thing done and ready for adoption.

[Hawkmoon]

On the mini-PC I gave up and installed Linux Lite, the last 32-bit distro. That runs acceptably fast, so I think someone who isn't looking to play a lot of games can use that machine to do word processing and e-mail.

I'm learning more than I ever expected -- or wanted -- to know about Linux.

The USB WiFi dongle I have, from TP-Link, doesn't work. The box says it works with Linux, but it's version 2.2, and TP-Link says only version 3 works with Linux. I found a different brand on Amazon that's supposed to be plug-and-play with Linux, so I have two on order and all fingers and toes crossed.

Meanwhile, other than the WiFi dongle I have to laptop to a point that I'm satisfied. It's not great -- even at extremely low resolutions videos are choppy, but that's a function of the computer, so it is what it is. So, while awaiting the arrival of the WiFi dongles, I went back to the mini-PC ... and found that things I was able to figure out on the laptop don't work on the mini-PC. Things like installing additional fonts. I'm seriously considering dumping the Linux Lite I have on the Mini and installing the same Debian Linux with Xfce desktop that I have on the laptop.

[Ben]

Things like installing additional fonts. I'm seriously considering dumping the Linux Lite I have on the Mini and installing the same Debian Linux with Xfce desktop that I have on the laptop.

If this is a computer that you're giving to someone who needs one badly enough to take outdated hardware, aren't you getting in the weeds with stuff like fonts? Font choices are an author Hawkmoon thing. Someone who'd be happy to get a bajillion year old computer just so they can use the interwebz and do other basic stuff will be more than happy with the fonts in Libre Office or Google Docs.

[WLJ]

I'm learning more than I ever expected -- or wanted -- to know about Linux.

The USB WiFi dongle I have, from TP-Link, doesn't work. The box says it works with Linux, but it's version 2.2, and TP-Link says only version 3 works with Linux. I found a different brand on Amazon that's supposed to be plug-and-play with Linux, so I have two on order and all fingers and toes crossed.

Yep, found out the hard way a lot of USB wi-fi adapters do not work with Linux.
There are some generic drivers that can be downloaded and made to work but often at a slower than rated speed though. Got a copy of printouts how to download load and compile them around here somewhere.

[Hawkmoon]

If this is a computer that you're giving to someone who needs one badly enough to take outdated hardware, aren't you getting in the weeds with stuff like fonts? Font choices are an author Hawkmoon thing. Someone who'd be happy to get a bajillion year old computer just so they can use the interwebz and do other basic stuff will be more than happy with the fonts in Libre Office or Google Docs.

True, except that Linux and LibreOffice don't include Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri -- which are default fonts in Windows. My thinking was (and is) that anyone who even might exchange documents with a Windows/Microsoft Office user will probably encounter one or two of those fonts, so I wanted to have them available.

[Nick1911]

Did you get thunderbird to install eventually, Hawkmoon?

[Ben]

True, except that Linux and LibreOffice don't include Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri -- which are default fonts in Windows. My thinking was (and is) that anyone who even might exchange documents with a Windows/Microsoft Office user will probably encounter one or two of those fonts, so I wanted to have them available.

I just looked at my Libre Office and it has all three in the default font package. As does Google Docs.

[Hawkmoon]

I just looked at my Libre Office and it has all three in the default font package. As does Google Docs.

Not from LibreOffice. Maybe from whatever Linux distro you have.

https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Fonts

[Hawkmoon]

Did you get thunderbird to install eventually, Hawkmoon?

Nope. Not on either old machine.

I had so much trouble with Linux Lite on the mini-PC that I just dumped it and installed the same Debian 11 Xfce that I put on the laptop. There are enough web-based e-mail clients that Thunderbird isn't an absolute necessity -- although I would have preferred to install a desktop e-mail client.

[lee n. field]

Debian 12 was released not long ago.

[Hawkmoon]

Debian 12 was released not long ago.

I know.

Don't want to push my luck.

[Ben]

Not from LibreOffice. Maybe from whatever Linux distro you have.

https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Fonts

Libre Office. If you don't have them on your install, you can try:

sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

The MS fonts installer..

[WLJ]

I just looked at my Libre Office and it has all three in the default font package. As does Google Docs.

The LO installed on my W10 machine has Times New Roman and Arial while the LO installed in a Mint 21.1 virtual machine does not.
The one installed in w10 is getting those fonts from windows.

[Hawkmoon]

The LO installed on my W10 machine has Times New Roman and Arial while the LO installed in a Mint 21.1 virtual machine does not.
The one installed in w10 is getting those fonts from windows.

Correct.

I have had LO on my Windows computers since either Windows XP or Windows 7, and I had Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial from Windows. The Linux Debian I put on the laptop includes LO (release 7.x.x) but does not include Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri.

[WLJ]

In related Linux news just noticed Mint Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce 21.2 are avail for download now.

https://linuxmint.com/download_all.php