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    <font size="+1">Many Linux downloads offer the option to 'install'
      or 'just try'.</font><br>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2/17/20 1:29 PM, Spencer Yost wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite"
      cite="mid:09DEC74A-3DE9-49BF-92E6-1E81F5323B70@rdfarms.com">
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      <span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It’s
        been so long since my machines have had a CD-RW drive I forget
        the folks still have them :-) </span>Since you have a CD-RW you
      can burn a bootable CD also.   For you that might even be better
      than messing with a stick that may or may not work.
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div>Another note.   At first you’ll just want to burn a “live” CD
        (the OS runs off the CD) rather than an installation disk(will
        try to install rather than run).  Linux is generally MUCH faster
        than windows but you may notice some performance concerns since
        you will be running off a CD.  After you play around and are
        comfortable you can then create an installation CD and try your
        hand at a dual boot machine(if you have enough disc space).</div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div>Spencer </div>
      <div><br>
      </div>
      <div><br>
        <br>
        <div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div>
        <div dir="ltr"><br>
          <blockquote type="cite">On Feb 17, 2020, at 10:03 AM, Stephen
            Offiler <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:soffiler@gmail.com"><soffiler@gmail.com></a> wrote:<br>
            <br>
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            <div dir="ltr">OK, I've got the laptop on my desk now.  I
              had the model wrong.  Actually a Dell Precision M4400. 
              Vintage 2009 unchanged ;-)
              <div><br>
              </div>
              <div>F12 Boot options:
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive</div>
                <div>Internal HDD (IRRT)</div>
                <div>Cardbus NIC</div>
                <div>Onboard NIC</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>But it appears that maybe it will boot from USB. 
                  Not sure on that, but here's an observation:  when a
                  thumb drive (non-bootable) is plugged in prior to
                  power-up, this prevents booting from the internal hard
                  drive.  It just sits there, locked, with some ROM info
                  on screen.</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>Now that I'm this far, I should probably download a
                  Linux flavor onto USB and see what happens next.</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div>SO</div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
                <div><br>
                </div>
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            </div>
            <br>
            <div class="gmail_quote">
              <div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Feb 17, 2020 at
                9:22 AM Indiana Robinson <<a
                  href="mailto:robinson46176@gmail.com"
                  moz-do-not-send="true">robinson46176@gmail.com</a>>
                wrote:<br>
              </div>
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                0.8ex;border-left:1px solid
                rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
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                  <div><br>
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                  <div>"I've got a Dell from about 2009 or so, perhaps a
                    3000-series (?), running XP.  At the time it was a
                    workstation-class laptop, capable of running 3D CAD
                    software.  I don't use it much anymore, but it
                    definitely comes in handy sometimes.  Nothing
                    important is stored on it.  Hard drive has given me
                    a few scares over the last several years, but it
                    comes back every time (on it's own; I have not done
                    anything heroic).  This bootable thumb drive thing
                    is intriguing because you don't need any hard drive
                    at all with it.   In your scenario, with the hidden
                    partition, you still need a functional hard drive. 
                    Plus, there's been enough discussion of Linux here
                    on ATIS (and elsewhere) that I'm curious.</div>
                  <div>SO"</div>
                  <div><br>
                  </div>
                  <div><br>
                  </div>
                  <div><br>
                  </div>
                  <div>One of the advantages of Linux is that you don't
                    have to put a half zillion hours on your old hard
                    drive cranking and chomping seemingly forever doing
                    defrags on it. The Linux file system makes it
                    generally unnecessary. Only geeks and crazy people
                    ever defrag a Linux hard drive.  :-)  Now if you
                    dual boot with Windows you probably need to defrag
                    the Windows partition with Windows but it's been a
                    very long time since I ran a dual boot setup and I
                    have forgotten.</div>
                  <div>Since it is a Dell it might have a USB boot
                    option in the BIOS at that vintage but you will need
                    to check.</div>
                  <div>I guess you could do the same thing with a good
                    sized SD card... I've never tried that. I keep a
                    good sized micro SD card in our phones for storage.<br>
                  </div>
                  <div>****</div>
                  <div>Old tractor reference:</div>
                  <div>I am currently testing and installing Linux in
                    several "OLD" boxes (picked up at yard sales or
                    freebies) trying to pick one to install in a
                    heated/cooled cabinet in the farm shop so I have a
                    bigger screen available to look up tractor details
                    instead of chasing glasses to read my phone.  :-)</div>
                  <div><br>
                  </div>
                  <div>.<br>
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                  <br>
                  -- <br>
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                    <div dir="ltr">
                      <div>-- <br>
                        <br>
                        Francis Robinson<br>
                        aka "farmer"<br>
                        Central Indiana USA<br>
                        <a href="mailto:robinson46176@gmail.com"
                          target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true">robinson46176@gmail.com</a><br>
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    <br>
    <pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">-- 
Charlie</pre>
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