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Many years ago, my mother (in her 60's) called me to tell me she had dumpster-dived an old laptop that she wanted to get working but it needed a reformat and sh
by kentonv 5y ago
Many years ago, my mother (in her 60's) called me to tell me she had dumpster-dived an old laptop that she wanted to get working but it needed a reformat and she didn't have the Windows install media nor product key. What should she do?
I really didn't want to deal with walking her through this so in an attempt to brush her off I said: "I dunno, I guess you could install Ubuntu."
Didn't hear anything more about it for some time. Many months later I asked what happened to the laptop. She said she installed Ubuntu and it was working great.
Wait, what!?!
- wnolens 5y agoImagining my own mother in this scenario is only possible in a sitcom episode
- ludamad 5y agoLinux is underrated for "webbooks"
- scruple 5y agoIt was wonderful on an eeePC 1000HA that I picked up in 2008. I used that netbook until 2014 or 2015 when I needed more RAM and IIRC I couldn't extend it beyond 2GB. I've been on ThinkPads as my personal laptop ever since but I do sometimes miss the smaller form factor that those netbooks had.
- harikb 5y agoCome on, she raised kentonv - have your seen your profile?
- signa11 5y agothis https://xkcd.com/456/ https://xkcd.com/456/ seems relevant…
- mizzao 5y agoGoing through the Gentoo install process was a great drinking from the firehose experience in understanding how Linux worked. And compiling your own kernel, that feeling when it actually booted and worked after your many attempts failing and having to remount the install image...quite amazing.
- boondaburrah 5y agosome highschool senior hazed me as a freshman with a gentoo install but boy did I know linux after that. It's unfortunately caused me to have Opinions about systemd et al.
- CyberRabbi 5y agoOne of the best comments I’ve read on the internet in a while