Moving from Ubuntu

mvalviar · April 14, 2011, 7:33pm

Hello,

I’m planning on moving from ubuntu. I not liking the direction ubuntu/gnome is moving that’s why I’m moving to OpenSUSE. I’ve read from the Kde forums that it’s the best Kde distro around.

I have some questions to the community before I dive in.

I’m not a Linux guru but I know my way around.

When I install suse will I be able to preserve my home partition? I have a /home, and / partition as well as a swap. Is it possible to indicate which partition I want to format?

Are “closed source” packages available by default (flash, fonts, codecs, etc).

Does suse support this wireless adapter?

 description: Wireless interface
                product: AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
                vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
                logical name: wlan0
                version: 01
                serial: 70:f1:a1:d3:ff:c9
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
                configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath9k ip=192.168.2.100 latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bgn
                resources: irq:17 memory:f0300000-f030ffff

and this

*-display
                description: VGA compatible controller
                product: GT218 [GeForce 310M]
                vendor: nVidia Corporation
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
                version: a2
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list rom
                configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
                resources: irq:16 memory:cc000000-ccffffff memory:d0000000-dfffffff(prefetchable) memory:ce000000-cfffffff(prefetchable) ioport:2000(size=128) memory:cd000000-cd07ffff(prefetchable)

I’m downloading the dvd? Would it be wise to download and try the livecds first?

Regards,

mvalviar

DaaX · April 14, 2011, 7:41pm

Hi,

You’ll be able to perform custom partitioning with the installer. But I will suggest you not to use the /home you had with ubuntu. Save your data and format it. Keeping a /home folder coming from another distro is prone to instability et troubles.

As for codecs and such, consult this link to get it done : Multi-media and Restricted Format Installation Guide

As for your graphic card and wireless card, you’ll have no problem with since it worked in ubuntu, it will work either on openSUSE.

Enjoy openSUSE !

stamostolias · April 14, 2011, 7:46pm

mvalviar:

Hello,

I’m planning on moving from ubuntu. I not liking the direction ubuntu/gnome is moving that’s why I’m moving to OpenSUSE. I’ve read from the Kde forums that it’s the best Kde distro around.

I have some questions to the community before I dive in.

I’m not a Linux guru but I know my way around.

When I install suse will I be able to preserve my home partition? I have a /home, and / partition as well as a swap. Is it possible to indicate which partition I want to format?

Are “closed source” packages available by default (flash, fonts, codecs, etc).

Does suse support this wireless adapter?
 description: Wireless interface
                product: AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
                vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
                logical name: wlan0
                version: 01
                serial: 70:f1:a1:d3:ff:c9
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
                configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath9k ip=192.168.2.100 latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bgn
                resources: irq:17 memory:f0300000-f030ffff
and this
*-display
                description: VGA compatible controller
                product: GT218 [GeForce 310M]
                vendor: nVidia Corporation
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
                version: a2
                width: 64 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list rom
                configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
                resources: irq:16 memory:cc000000-ccffffff memory:d0000000-dfffffff(prefetchable) memory:ce000000-cfffffff(prefetchable) ioport:2000(size=128) memory:cd000000-cd07ffff(prefetchable)
I’m downloading the dvd? Would it be wise to download and try the livecds first?

Regards,

mvalviar

Hello and welcome to community. In my opinion it would better to download and see live cd first.
But I prefer to install it from installation DVD and not from Live cd.

mvalviar · April 14, 2011, 7:48pm

I will be a pain to burn it all to dvds. I don’t have an external hd. I’d be removing the configuration files before I install. Would there still be a problem if I do so? The partition is an ext4 that wouldn’t be a problem, would it?

Edit:

I have a 4 core intel with 2gb of mem should I go with 64bit or is 32bit gonna be ok?

stamostolias · April 14, 2011, 7:50pm

Look in my opinion multiboot is a bit risky. So try with live cd, but do not install it.

DaaX · April 14, 2011, 7:50pm

Do you have a USB key ? If so, download the liveCD and dump it to the key ans boot on it (if you can).

mvalviar · April 14, 2011, 7:52pm

Ok, so I should continue downloading the 4.2 gig dvd and create a live cd from it? I can do a live usb as well, right? How do I go about doing that?

stamostolias · April 14, 2011, 7:52pm

Or you can create a usb bootable with openSUSE live cd as DaaX said. Use suse studio image writer to make it.

DaaX · April 14, 2011, 7:56pm

You cannot with the DVD, only with the liveCD.

stamostolias · April 14, 2011, 7:57pm

+1;):):good:

mvalviar · April 14, 2011, 7:58pm

So the 4+ gig dvd contains the whole shebang and I can make a livecd/usb out of it but it’s not bootable. I can download a livecd to try it out and I can use it to install suse, right?

stamostolias · April 14, 2011, 8:02pm

Try to download live cd and boot with that. I advice you not to install it but only check it. If you want to install it, try with installation DVD and not with live cd.

mvalviar · April 14, 2011, 8:06pm

I just read went to the download page and a related page on the wiki. I’m still confused

4.7GB DVD
Contains a large collection of software for desktop or server use.
Suitable for installation or upgrade.

Live KDE
A KDE desktop you can run from CD or from USB stick.
Can be installed as is (no upgrade).

What does “no upgrade” mean? If I can install from a 700MB livecd download what’s the advantage of getting the 4.2G dvd?

VampirD · April 14, 2011, 7:44pm

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Hello and welcome

> When I install suse will I be able to preserve my home partition? I
> have a /home, and / partition as well as a swap. Is it possible to
> indicate which partition I want to format?
Yes

> Are “closed source” packages available by default (flash, fonts,
> codecs, etc).
No, flash and fonts are installed when you do the first update, codecs
are installed from Packman repositories

> Does suse support this wireless adapter?
>
> Code:
> --------------------
> description: Wireless interface
> product: AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
> vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
> physical id: 0
> bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
> logical name: wlan0
> version: 01
> serial: 70:f1:a1:d3:ff:c9
> width: 64 bits
> clock: 33MHz
> capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
> configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath9k ip=192.168.2.100 latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bgn
> resources: irq:17 memory:f0300000-f030ffff
> --------------------
>
I think yes, but not sure, try the liveCD

> and this
>
>
> Code:
> --------------------
> *-display
> description: VGA compatible controller
> product: GT218 [GeForce 310M]
> vendor: nVidia Corporation
> physical id: 0
> bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
> version: a2
> width: 64 bits
> clock: 33MHz
> capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list rom
> configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
> resources: irq:16 memory:cc000000-ccffffff memory:d0000000-dfffffff(prefetchable) memory:ce000000-cfffffff(prefetchable) ioport:2000(size=128) memory:cd000000-cd07ffff(prefetchable)
> --------------------
Yes, install the nvidia driver from nvidia repositorie

> I’m downloading the dvd? Would it be wise to download and try the
> livecds first?
Yes, at least for you wireless card

VampirD

Microsoft Windows is like air conditioning
Stops working when you open a window.
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martin_helm · April 14, 2011, 8:12pm

The atheros wlan should be supported by the madwifi drivers.
Can you check if (just to confirm if my guess is right) and if yes which
version of madwifi is installed on your ubuntu for this chip?

DaaX · April 14, 2011, 9:56pm

There is no real advantages. The DVD contains all the desktop you wish (GNOME or KDE) and you can set up an headless openSUSE easily with the DVD since there is lots of packages pertaining to servers and such.

The real thing with the liveCD is this : you can try live the system before installing.

mvalviar · April 15, 2011, 6:45am

I’m replying with my machine running on the live cd. So the wifi is working. I had to confirm because atheros/madwifi was a big problem with ubuntu years ago. Since there Daax said there are no real advantage in downloading the dvd I guess I’ll install from this live cd. I’d be customizing the partition set up so I can keep my /home partition. I hope everything turns out ok. Wish me luck.

steffen13 · April 15, 2011, 7:00am

the Atheros wlan is supported out of the box. No driver install needed. I have the same card and it works like a charme. The only tricky thing is to set up the wlan in general, as a newbie will not find the category in Yast. I searched like hell for it… So @ mvalviar if you need help on that, just ask. If it is a Laptop, then you can use Knetworkmanager anyway, so this is an easy one too

the nvidia graphics also should be no issue. Just enable the nvidia repo (it is pre configured in yast - just check a checkbox) and it will automatically download the right driver for it. Easy.

DenverD · April 15, 2011, 1:01pm

On 04/15/2011 07:06 AM, mvalviar wrote:
>
> Wish me luck.

backup your home first!

–
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD
[NNTP via openSUSE 11.3 + KDE4.5.5 + Thunderbird3.1.8]
Q: Why do you upgrade?
A: Because the Gecko is always greener on the other side!
So said k428 in http://is.gd/Pwc3xq

robin_listas · April 15, 2011, 3:03pm

On 2011-04-14 20:06, mvalviar wrote:

> What does “no upgrade” mean? If I can install from a 700MB livecd
> download what’s the advantage of getting the 4.2G dvd?

Upgrade is, if you have one version of oS installed, upgrade it to the new
version in place - so not your case. The advantage of the DVD is that you
can install both gnome and kde, and more applications, and more desktops,
without getting them from internet at install time. It is more complete,
and more customizable.

The CD installs an image, you can not tune the entire package selection.
For example, if I remember correctly, the CD installs in three or four
languages as a side effect.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)