Switching OS's

[LegionOfOne]

Well I have finally decided to do what I have been planning on doing for a while now. I have done all necessary preperations and will finally switch to *drum rolls*....LINUX. Yes that's right I am switching to linux from windows xp. Thankfully I don't really game on my computer because it's not exactly...well.....good. It can play minecraft, quake 4 maxed, quake live, far cry 2 minimum settings at 30 fps, but that's about it. Which is why I mainly use my console. Anyway, what I was wondering was have any of you done a complete OS change before? I don't mean just updating windows xp to vista either. I mean something like mac to windows or vice versa. Oh and one last note, the distro I'm going to is Ubuntu is case you were wondering.

[duartemad]

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Well I have finally decided to do what I have been planning on doing for a while now. I have done all necessary preperations and will finally switch to *drum rolls*....LINUX. Yes that's right I am switching to linux from windows xp. Thankfully I don't really game on my computer because it's not exactly...well.....good. It can play minecraft, quake 4 maxed, quake live, far cry 2 minimum settings at 30 fps, but that's about it. Which is why I mainly use my console. Anyway, what I was wondering was have any of you done a complete OS change before? I don't mean just updating windows xp to vista either. I mean something like mac to windows or vice versa. Oh and one last note, the distro I'm going to is Ubuntu is case you were wondering.

I am on the same boat as you but scratch the linux part, I never operated a computer with linux installed.
Does it make a difference in performance minecraft wise?

[SterlingRed]

It depends on what you want to do. If you want to dual boot, you need to create a new drive partition, put the Ubuntu install disc in, restart the computer and boot from the disc drive. Then you just follow the directions making sure you select the new partition and not the one XP is on.

If you want to start completely over you do the same as above except don't create the partition and when you select the one to install on, pick the XP one.

In either case, backup everything to an external and make two Ubuntu boot discs just in case one fails.

[Katalliaan]

I switched an older gaming computer from Win7 to Ubuntu because the driver for its video card was causing it to BSoD. As long as everything you need it for is web-based or cross-platform, the only thing it changes for the end-user is how you access your programs.

[LegionOfOne]

Yeah everything I use is either cross platform, has a linux equivalent, or I can use via WINE. I also am starting completely over and of course have made a backup. Also the whole "better minecraft performance" thing. My guess is it might because linux is less intense and smaller in terms of size.

[BinoAl]

Ahh, I love linux. I used to dual-boot Win7 and Ubuntu, but I just didn't use linux enough. If steam was on linux, I would switch back so damn fast.

[Ulfengaard]

I have done this before with several distributions, and Ubuntu is exceedingly easy. Booting with the CD is just about as technically intensive as it gets. From there, the setup wizard takes care of most everything.

[Gargantuan_Penguin]

I have been using linux Absolutely forever. I definitely recommend Ubuntu for getting started. I personally use gentoo But that might change soon.

[LegionOfOne]

Well I have finished installation and have a bran spanking new os. Also bino I think you might be switching back in the near future. Valve has announced AND DEMONSTRATED steam working on Linux. :) However we don't currently have it open to us as there is still work to be done of course.