The Divisive Linux Community

Datamation ^ | 14 October 2014 | Matt Hartley

[zeugma]

Regarding legibility... Yeah, here's one of my favorite Perlisms

     -export-a-crypto-system-sig -RSA-3-lines-PERL

#!/bin/perl -sp0777i<X+d*lMLa^*lN%0]dsXx++lMlN/dsM0<j]dsj
$/=unpack('H*',$_);$_=`echo 16dio\U$k"SK$/SM$n\EsN0p[lN*1
lK[d2%Sa2/d0$^Ixp"|dc`;s/\W//g;$_=pack('H*',/((..)*)$/)

At one time, the 3 lines of code above was classified by the idiots running the U.S. Government as an unexportable munition.

Search for "RSA in 3 Lines of Perl" for more information.

 

[Pelham]

I have an old Windows XP box that I’ve tried loading Linux on but without any luck so far. I set the bios to boot off the dvd drive but no joy. It brings up a Linux splash screen but that’s as far as I can get. Sucks being a novice.

[usconservative]

Question:

Have you thought about using a freeware Splunk to do that work for you?

[kevao]

Which distro are you using? From experience, I can tell you the easiest distro to use coming from a Windoze background is PCLinuxOS. Go here:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/get-pclinuxos/

Get the KDE version if your box can handle it. Otherwise go with the LXDE version if your old box is really old.

Try it and post again if you have problems.

Your freezing on the splash screen might have to do with the distro needing a PAE enabled box. If your box has PAE, enable it in the bios. Otherwise, try PCLinuxOS. I don’t recall ever have PAE issues with that distro.

Good luck. Switched to Linux almost four years ago. Use nothing but now, except for at work....

[Rebelbase]

WINDOWS............MAC..................LINUX

[Pelham]

Thanks, kevao

I’m pretty sure what I was trying is Ubuntu. I couldn’t use the latest distro (14 something) because it wouldn’t fit on one dvd- I believe I was trying a version of 12

The machine is a 2005 HP Pavilion a1630n box with a 64 bit AMD processor. I had downloaded a distro that would take advantage of the 64 bit ability.

It’s been a somewhat convoluted process. My new machine doesn’t have a DVD burner so I download the software on a flash drive and then move it to the HP and burn an image on a DVD. That part seems to be working as far as I can tell.

I’ll have to try the distro that you recommend and see if I have better luck.

[kevao]

P.S. Regarding the splash screen freeze, I forgot to mention, if your box is really old, it might be only a 32-bit machine. So whatever distro you’re trying to install, make sure you downloaded the 32-bit version (if it has one).

[Pelham]

Actually the machine has a true 64-bit AMD processor from what I gather.

Would you recommend I try a 32 bit distro all the same?

[kevao]

Ubuntu uses the Gnome desktop, which many people don’t like. I can tolerate it, but I prefer KDE.

The reason I suggest PCLinuxOS for beginners, is that KDE and LXDE are more Windows-like. You’ll feel pretty much right at home straight away.

KDE is more full featured, so you’ll have everything you need right away. But it needs at least 1 GB RAM, preferably 2 or more.

LXDE only needs 350 MB (500 MB much better). It still looks very Windows-like, but is slightly less intuitive (at least it was for me). But I have LXDE installed an an old Pentium 4, with 500 MB RAM, dating from the first GWB administration. So unless your box is ancient, you should get that loaded no problem.

Also, the PCLinuxOS ISOs are “Live CDs.” So you can load the entire system into your RAM (provided you have enough) to make sure it works with you hardware without have to install on your hard drive first.

Let me know how it goes.

[kevao]

The 32-bit will work on the 64-bit machine. But if your machine is truly a 64-bit, then go ahead and install the 64-bit version. Any problems you encounter will be related to something else. Probably video-card support.

That’s the only problem I’ve really ever encountered installing different distros (and I’ve installed many). Some video cards don’t have the best support in Linux, but if you’re just messing around to learn some Linux, you can fall back on a generic VESA driver and be just fine.

Will be waiting to hear how it goes for you. Good luck.

[zeugma]

Yup. That 3rd one is definitely me.

[zeugma]

I’ve looked at splunk, though it’s been a while. Unfortunately, there is too much data to work with to use the free splunk licenses. I may have to look at it again.

[Pelham]

I’ve got 2 gigs of RAM so I’m good there.

“Any problems you encounter will be related to something else. Probably video-card support.”

And I have that beat- the monster machine doesn’t use a video card.

[kevao]

I’ve got 2 gigs of RAM so I’m good there.

Then go with the PCLinuxOS KDE 64-bit version. Should go just fine. Select the "Live CD" option at boot. Will load the system into RAM, then you can verify it will work with all your hardware. On the desktop, you'll see an "Install" icon. Click on that when you're ready to go.

My new machine doesn’t have a DVD burner so I download the software on a flash drive and then move it to the HP and burn an image on a DVD.

Can't you just download directly to your HP?

[Pelham]

“Can’t you just download directly to your HP?”

I’d rather not. With XP the machine is risky and the ESET antivirus I was using has expired. I’ve only fired it up offline since MSFT ceased supporting XP.

[Woodman]

What you’re doing with PERL should work on windows as well. Windows power shell is also capable of doing it if the users had decent scripting knowledge, but there really isn’t any reason why you should have to do anything more than install PERL on a windows box and run your scripts. If you were porting the scripts from Windows to Linux there might be a couple of required tweaks required.