[Scottish] Ubuntu rampant.....

[willie]

On Thursday 15 February 2007 16:55, babaguy wrote:
>  Hi everyone!Today our Windows machine died - we haven't figured out yet if
> it was the power device, the motherboard or what -
>
> However, in an effort to rescue some files we tried to install Windows '98
> on my Ubuntu machine, and even though the boot sequence is supposed to go
> CDROM first (I went into the settings and verified this - we were trying to
> install Windows '98 (Thanks Magnus, remember giving that to me long
> ago...?) in order to have a Windows system and to try and hook up the HDD
> from the dead machine as a secondary drive and see if we could transfer
> files across ) -
>
> HOWEVER - the Ubuntu just boots as Ubuntu no matter what!
>
> We even put another old hard drive onto the Ubuntu machine, put in the
> Windows '98 CD into the CD drive - and - UBUNTU! It must be booting from
> RAM or something! I went into the BIOS to try to get the Ubu machine to
> maybe recognise the new HDD.......or to at least allow itself to be
> de-installed or written over....
>
> How is this DONE in Linux.....? The Ubuntu is far more persistent than
> Windows, at least this version. I don't see how to get rid of it or install
> anything else over it.....
>
> Is this just a fault in *my* machine?
Unlikely, the boot device prioriity is a BIOS setting and is independent of 
the OS(es) installed. It depends on which BIOS you have. I had a similar 
problem at work the other day - turned out there was a setting in "Security" 
in a Phoenix BIOS I hadn't come across before. But all looked good to boot 
from CD....... You will need to look through _all_ the 'pages' in the BIOS 
for possible gotchas. DO NOT change anything that you are not sure about. Ask 
on IRC   #scotlug on irc.scotlug.org.uk for real-time help if you are able.

> Another question - this one about Open Office...When I've opened up Open
> Office Writer in Ubuntu (it's 5.10, btw - "Breezy Badger"), the Thesaurus
> is not enabled...does BreezBadge come without the Thesaurus properly
> installed and one must go fetch it? Or is it *ON* my machine somewhere, and
> I've got to write some command code to find it and install it in the right
> file/directory....?I'm HOPING my new ADSL modem router (recommended by one
> helpful SLUGger) will arrive tomorrow, so I *may* be able to go the the
> Ubuntu Universe/Multiverse/Whatever and get the Open Office
> Thesaurus......i hope........!
On Open Office 2.0.4 (only version I have handy) its enabled by default under 
Tools| Options | Language Settings | Writing Aids ........

Hope some of this helps.

-- 
Best Regards
Willie Fleming
IT Consultant Turkistar Ltd
wfleming at turkistar.com