Recently installed Lubuntu 18.04 LTS on an old eMachine Windows Vista computer. It works great (now)! 

Yes there was a bit of a learning curve for me, but here's what worked .. and yes, it sounds a bit technical and skips some of the incremental step by step install notes .. but this is mostly for me to remind me just what ending up working ..

1. Step 1 - Reloaded the Windows Vista to original 2009 specifications using the Windows Recovery Environment which had been preloaded on the eMachine hard drive (sda1) (computer was acquired from another family and no data was needed to be saved). Windows Vista system got 40GB drive c (sda2) leaving room for a small 4GB drive d (sda3) FAT32 transfer partition and 40GB (sda4) for the new Linux partition. I let windows update itself to Vista Service Pack 2, but since no modern browser is supported on Vista any longer and since the now defunct Internet Explorer (Vista) browser fails to load many current websites, I had to find an alternate method for software installs. Used a temp USB drive for this.  For example, ClamWin antivirus installed as a precaution, but had to download it on another system and copy the install exe program via USB drive to install.
2. Step 2 - Booting up the Linux install .. the old eMachine bios allows reading a USB disk but does not permit  booting from a USB drive, and I was too lazy to burn a CD (I have no blank burnable disks anymore anyways).  So since the normal USB LiveBoot install was not an option on this computer, we needed first a way to get started. I found a neat little program online called UNetbootin that allows creation of a bootable Live USB drive for Ubuntu and other Linux distributions without burning a CD. Also had to download it on another system and copy the windows install program via USB drive to install on the eMachine .. from https://unetbootin.github.io/.  Ended up downloading Lubuntu LTS version (a light version of Ubuntu designed to work on older computer systems) from https://lubuntu.net/downloads/ even though there are newer versions available, the Apr 2018 version is the most recent Long Term Support (LTS) version and is supported through to Apr 2021. It is also the one that worked the best .. So from Vista installed and ran the UNetbootin program and selected to boot from hard drive c using the downloaded LTS image. It created a new windows boot entry called UNetbootin that loaded the newly created LiveBoot version of Lubuntu .. Rebooted and selected the new entry and voila! the Lubuntu LiveBoot system was loaded up!
3. Step 3 - Installing Lubuntu: just clicking the 'Install Lubuntu' icon at this point runs you through the install with just a few questions to answer - desired user name and password, keyboard and location options, etc. It's default installation operation was to erase the entire hard drive and replace with Linux .. but I wanted to keep the Vista for now as a dual boot option. So I selected 'Other methods' and created the 40GB sda4 partition formatted to ext4 with '/' as the mount point. Lubuntu then was installed there and a boot entry for the former Windows Recovery Environment and for Windows Vista itself in the new linux grub boot manager. I was connected to internet via Cat5 cable so selected option to download updates with the install and to include 3rd party software for movies/music etc. 
4. Step 4 - rebooting now allows me to boot to Lubuntu (on this system aka Ubuntu). Yay! The default grub entry is the Ubuntu (Lubuntu) item.  Can also reboot to Windows Vista if desired. Once there (in Vista) running the UNetbootin program again allows you to simply uninstall the now unneeded UNetBootin windows boot entry it previously installed. Back in Lubuntu, the files from Vista are viewable and modern internet browsers and software can be installed.  The basic default programs are ones that have minimal footprint - Abiword (word processor), Gnumeric (spreadsheet), Firefox (browser), Sylpheed (email). I installed additional favorites - Libreoffice (word processing, spreadsheet, suite), Chrome (google browser), Homebank (financial), and some games. Online programs work well also - Youtube, Netflix, etc ..  Everything runs smoothly.

Addendum: Pleased to report that the install of printer drivers for the Epson Stylus ink jet NX420 was pretty much automatic. Printing and scanning worked as soon as it was plugged in and configured. Also needed to install a wireless wifi USB dongle - a DLink DWA-182. Just a little more involved install with first having to download the linux drivers from online site at https://support.dlink.com/ProductInfo.aspx?m=dwa-182 .. and then after downloading and extracting the driver files to a folder, I had to compile and install. Not too hard: First ran 'sudo apt install build-essentials' to install the necessary compiler program and then 'sudo sh ./install.sh' to run the provided script to do the compile and install .. and again, yay! Removed the wired cable and rebooted. The new wifi network card is also detected and usable.

How to remove 'Read-Only' error from hard drive/USB/SD card/external hard drive?If your storage device such as USB drive, SD card or external hard drive are write-protected now with 'Read Only' mark, don't worry. Here in the below, you'll find an effective method to remove write-protection and get rid of 'Read Only' error from your storage device ... 

Step A. Run CMD to remove 'Read Only' from hard disk/USB/SD card/external hard driveIt's quite simple to remove and fix storage device 'Read Only' error by applying CMD command. 
The only thing that you need to keep in mind is to be very careful while following the CMD guide steps to remove the ”Read Only” error from an SD card, USB drive, hard disk or external hard drive. 

• Connect the ”Read Only” storage device such as an SD card, USB, external hard drive  to your PC
• Open a Command Prompt by typing: command in the Search tab, click Command Prompt
• Type: diskpart and hit Enter
• Type: list disk and hit Enter
• Type: select disk 0 and hit Enter (0 will be the drive letter of your read-only hard drive/USB/SD card, etc.)
• Type: attributes disk clear readonly and hit Enter
• Type: exit and hit Enter to finish the process

Step B: After this, your storage device will be accessible again and you will be able to read and use the saved data on your SD card, USB or external hard drive. If you still cannot access the saved data on your storage devices or have lost some saved files/documents, don't worry.
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​source: easeus.com/storage-media-recovery/fix-read-only-error-on-hard-drive.html

So, the other day we had a big snow storm and power failures all around town (it was the day of the Chamber Trade Show, so I remember it well). Many computers in town were adversely affected. Some, sadly, did not make it. I was asked to take a look at an somewhat ancient eMachine PC (Windows XP, 1G mem, and 160G harddrive).

The motherboard turned out to be damaged, as evidenced by a leaking onboard capacitor and the fact that it consistently refused to boot up, even with temporary replacement power supplies, memory, hard drives, etc. So tmalss (to make a long story short) a new computer was needed. The owner bought a new HP Win8 system from his favorite box store in the big city. I then was asked to copy his old data files over and set it up for him. Glad to do it.

The system install went fine, until I tried to install the printer that had worked fine for him with his old computer. Nothing wrong with the printer. It just has no drivers available yet for Windows 8. Hmmm. HP computer. HP LaserJet Printer (P1505). But with Win8 .. no love. The HP website indicates they are 'working on a new driver for spring 2013'. Isn't that just about right now? Chatted online with a not so informed HP rep. All new printers should work with Win8, she claimed. What about this one? Oh, that was news to her. What printers do work with Win8? No real response (All new printers should work with Win8). 

Ran into a similar problem a few months back with a Macbook Pro that could not print to HP Color Laser (designated Windows only). Worked fine with Win7 and after some arm wrestling, with Win8. But no drivers available for Macs. How unfortunate. This client now works on her Mac laptop, saves to PDF, and prints the copied PDF from her new Win8 computer.

So, what is the Strange Truth? Just that there is very little remaining incentive for printer manufacturers to update their drivers. They already have our money, and are much better off just playing dumb or giving lip service and expecting everyone to go out and buy a new piece of printer hardware? Perhaps. Interestingly, these printers both play nice when Linux is talking to them. Yay for the Open Source Team! Whose job is it to make that printer print? IMHO, the operating system designer needs to work together with the various hardware manufacturers to make their systems compatible with for all legacy as well as with new hardware. Work together with each other, instead of pointing fingers back at each other. I must state here, that HP traditionally has a very good reputation for it's efforts to provide drivers, even to Linux.

Kudos to Linux and HP for trying. Bad fish smell to some of you others. 

I was assigned the task to clear off all the files from an old Dell Dimension 2400 computer that was replaced with a new Windows 8 computer, because this old Windows XP system had . slowed .. to ... a .... crawl ..... Ahem. I use Ubuntu Linux on all my other computers but it would not even load on this old computer. I could have reinstalled the old now obsolete WinXP. Instead, I installed the latest version of Linux Mint (which is based on Ubuntu) and was pleased to find that it works just fine. The default Linux Mint desktop manager is Cinnamon, which also works but is just not as snappy as I would like. So, just logged out and back in using Gnome as the default desktop interface. Success! Great looking computer, very responsive, runs most everything any basic user would want. Yay.

Besides the basic stuff Linux Mint installs (Firefox, Libreoffice, etc) I took a little time to install Google Chrome for Internet, Family Search Indexing (Linux version), Wine and PAF, GnuCash for accounting, and even DosBox to run my better half's favorite DOS game Solitiles .. 

I then tested Cinnamon on my Ubuntu Laptop, wow. I knew Linux was customizable, but hadn't really internalized the fact that they can all run pretty much whatever the other distro's can run. When you check the reviews, the focus is on what is pre-packaged with the install. However, with Linux Distros, if I like the way that Linux Mint uses Cinnamon, I can install it and run it on my Ubuntu system. Sweet. Switching desktop environments turns out to be a snap .. I just log off and back on after selecting the desktop I wanted to try.

The old computer is now ready for the upcoming Magrath Lions Garage Sale .. or for donating to the neighbours; completely ready to browse the internet, send and receive email, run PAF and Family Search, and track the family checkbook balances. Fun! 

I bought a Kindle 3 last year. Long story: it was lost for a while in a third world country (Bonaire), but eventually found it’s way home to me. Meanwhile, my daughters sprang for a replacement Kindle Touch for me for Christmas. Thanks Kids! So .. I (am supposed to) have two. It usually works out great, as I have two pockets in my suit jacket that they fit into quite well. It is often convenient to have two references open at once at church or in study. Mostly, they are used as replacement scriptures and lesson manuals and whatever. The bells and whistles of other devices fade in comparison to the crystal ink, usability and readability of my Kindles and they save me from lugging around my old 40 lb Samsonite briefcase.

Anyway, I have a Kindle Touch and a Kindle 3. Last week, the Kindle 3 disappeared shortly after our return from church. It was eventually found next to my computer under another book. Hmmm. This weekend the Kindle Touch also disappeared and eventually miraculously appeared under my daughters pillow in her room. Ahhh. So .. perhap we need some kind of GPS tracking device or a clapper/beeper function to be able to locate lost or stolen devices like this. THAT would be cool ..