OhioGuy wrote:
> I got Ubuntu installed on a second hard drive, so now I get the menu and
> can boot into it or Windows XP on the other drive. I think it's kind of
> nifty.
>
> My wife, on the other hand, hates it enough that it caused a huge
> argument. She is extremely upset that now there is a password to mess with.
>
> Ubuntu forced me to enter a username and password by default. I had no
> idea how to get around this and set it up like Windows XP, which doesn't
> require a username and password to be entered before using the system.
>
> Can anyone please help me? There has got to be some way to:
>
> A) set up Ubuntu so nobody has to enter a username and password
>

can't help you there... maybe just change it to something simple?

> &
>
> B) perhaps set it up so that the menu defaults to Windows XP for now, and
> not Linux?
>

you have to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst as sudo(or gksudo):

gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

find the line that says '## ## End Default Options ##' and start
counting from zero until you get to the 'title' of the XP entry. Go back
to the top of the document and change 'default 0' to 'default ??' where
?? is the number you counted to. and save/reboot. XP should be your
default now if no selection is made.

> I think that would make my wife happy. I could still choose Linux
> whenever I wanted to play around with it, but it wouldn't seem intrusive to
> her, like I was trying to force something onto her.
>
> Thanks!
>
>

I forced it on my girlfriend when her hard drive crashed (seized the
opportunity). She doesn't like it 100% but my life is much easier now.
No more virus updates
--
Norman
Registered Linux user #461062

On Tue, 8 Jan 2008 22:21:55 -0500, "OhioGuy" wrote:

> I got Ubuntu installed on a second hard drive, so now I get the menu and
>can boot into it or Windows XP on the other drive. I think it's kind of
>nifty.
>
> My wife, on the other hand, hates it enough that it caused a huge
>argument. She is extremely upset that now there is a password to mess with.
>
> Ubuntu forced me to enter a username and password by default. I had no
>idea how to get around this and set it up like Windows XP, which doesn't
>require a username and password to be entered before using the system.
>
> Can anyone please help me? There has got to be some way to:
>
>A) set up Ubuntu so nobody has to enter a username and password
>
>&
>
>B) perhaps set it up so that the menu defaults to Windows XP for now, and
>not Linux?
>
> I think that would make my wife happy. I could still choose Linux
>whenever I wanted to play around with it, but it wouldn't seem intrusive to
>her, like I was trying to force something onto her.
>
> Thanks!
>

I haven't tried this myself, so I can't say how it works. This web
page discusses it.

http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/10/04...-in-to-ubuntu/

HTH

OhioGuy wrote:

> I got Ubuntu installed on a second hard drive, so now I get the menu and
> can boot into it or Windows XP on the other drive. I think it's kind of
> nifty.
>
> My wife, on the other hand, hates it enough that it caused a huge
> argument. She is extremely upset that now there is a password to mess
> with.
>
> Ubuntu forced me to enter a username and password by default. I had no
> idea how to get around this and set it up like Windows XP, which doesn't
> require a username and password to be entered before using the system.
>
> Can anyone please help me? There has got to be some way to:
>
> A) set up Ubuntu so nobody has to enter a username and password
>
Click on System --> Administration --> Login Window Preferences
Click on Security tab
Enable Automatic Login for the user you want (choose the user).
Close the dialog box and the next time you boot into Ubuntu, that user will
automatically be logged in.

> &
>
> B) perhaps set it up so that the menu defaults to Windows XP for now, and
> not Linux?
>
Not going to tell you. She should learn a bit more about Ubuntu and the
benefits it offers over Windoze. If after using it for a time, she still
wants to make Windoze the default o/s to boot, read up on how Grub works.


> I think that would make my wife happy. I could still choose Linux
> whenever I wanted to play around with it, but it wouldn't seem intrusive
> to her, like I was trying to force something onto her.
>
> Thanks!

Cheers.

--
Boot It Up!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-kql8cWqiv8

On 2008-01-09, OhioGuy wrote:
> I got Ubuntu installed on a second hard drive, so now I get the menu and
> can boot into it or Windows XP on the other drive. I think it's kind of
> nifty.
>
> My wife, on the other hand, hates it enough that it caused a huge
> argument. She is extremely upset that now there is a password to mess with.

SWMBO can always be a problem with a move to Linux. From long
experience the only solution is to have a 'main' computer for her,
running XP and a 'lesser' computer running Linux for yourself.

This has worked in my case, freeing the 'main' computer for its
onerous task of running iTunes and Solitaire + accessing Hotmail :-)

Andrew


--
http://www.andrews-corner.org

On 2008-01-09, OhioGuy wrote:
> I got Ubuntu installed on a second hard drive, so now I get the menu and
> can boot into it or Windows XP on the other drive. I think it's kind of
> nifty.
>
> My wife, on the other hand, hates it enough that it caused a huge
> argument. She is extremely upset that now there is a password to mess with.
>
> Ubuntu forced me to enter a username and password by default. I had no
> idea how to get around this and set it up like Windows XP, which doesn't
> require a username and password to be entered before using the system.
>
> Can anyone please help me? There has got to be some way to:
>
> A) set up Ubuntu so nobody has to enter a username and password
>

nobody is user in Linux who has no rights at all. ;-)

> &
>
> B) perhaps set it up so that the menu defaults to Windows XP for now, and
> not Linux?

This can be done. No doubt others have shown you how.

>
> I think that would make my wife happy. I could still choose Linux
> whenever I wanted to play around with it, but it wouldn't seem intrusive to
> her, like I was trying to force something onto her.
>

Ms Penguin is not here at the moment. Thank goodness otherwise she would be
waving her flipper like crazy.

Linux is *not* MS windows. It comes from a multi tasking, multi user
heritage. Linux does what it does because it is good thing (TM).

Tell me does your beloved ever, sign anything, or show proof that she is
her?

Entering a password to login is not that much of a hassle. It helps to keep
things tidy and the nasties out.

There are other Linux Distros which will auto login, a single user per
machine. Personally I think is this stupisd and so last century.

Finally, Linux never forces anything on you, the user. At the end of the day
all the code is avaliable, and you are free to alter it to suit what you
require.

Linux is not *Ms Windows*, change the mind set. Must go now Ms Penguin has
just come in.

On 2008-01-09, Norman Peelman wrote:
> OhioGuy wrote:
>> I got Ubuntu installed on a second hard drive, so now I get the menu and
>> can boot into it or Windows XP on the other drive. I think it's kind of
>> nifty.
>>
>> My wife, on the other hand, hates it enough that it caused a huge
>> argument. She is extremely upset that now there is a password to mess with.
>>
>> Ubuntu forced me to enter a username and password by default. I had no
>> idea how to get around this and set it up like Windows XP, which doesn't
>> require a username and password to be entered before using the system.
>>
>> Can anyone please help me? There has got to be some way to:
>>
>> A) set up Ubuntu so nobody has to enter a username and password
>>
>
> can't help you there... maybe just change it to something simple?
>
>> &
>>
>> B) perhaps set it up so that the menu defaults to Windows XP for now, and
>> not Linux?
>>
>
> you have to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst as sudo(or gksudo):
>
> gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
>
> find the line that says '## ## End Default Options ##' and start
> counting from zero until you get to the 'title' of the XP entry. Go back
> to the top of the document and change 'default 0' to 'default ??' where
> ?? is the number you counted to. and save/reboot. XP should be your
> default now if no selection is made.
>
>> I think that would make my wife happy. I could still choose Linux
>> whenever I wanted to play around with it, but it wouldn't seem intrusive to
>> her, like I was trying to force something onto her.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>
> I forced it on my girlfriend when her hard drive crashed (seized the
> opportunity). She doesn't like it 100% but my life is much easier now.
> No more virus updates

Ms Penguin here. You stick with it and Go Girl.

On Wed, 9 Jan 2008 15:49:42 +1100, andrew wrote:

> SWMBO can always be a problem with a move to Linux. From long
> experience the only solution is to have a 'main' computer for
> her, running XP and a 'lesser' computer running Linux for
> yourself.

Yes, I can just imagine the scene in the Andrews' household when
Andrew tries to persuade a long suffering partner to use
Vim/Mutt/SLRN instead of modern stuff:

Ms Andrew:"You mean it's complicated because people actually like it
that way???"
Andrew:"Er, yes!"
Ms Andrew:"Give me strength!"

....and so on.

--
Chris Game

He who laughs last thinks slowest!

My GF had an old W98 computer that had a terminal failure and I replaced
it with a new HP with a 22" screen and Kubuntu (still Feisty).

At work she is used to logging in on XP so doing it at home did not faze
her at all.

She doesn't really know this thing does not run Windows, at work she
learned her tricks with a few key applications and that's the same at home.
After all, Thunderbird and Firefox were already on the W98 box and
hardly differ from Outlook and IE.
Navigating a new website can be more daunting.

But she does realise this new computer 'just works' and does contrary to
the one at work (or the W98 one) not require assistance from IT.

On Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:21:55 -0500, OhioGuy wrote:

> My wife, on the other hand, hates it enough that it caused a huge
> argument. She is extremely upset that now there is a password to mess
> with.

Sometimes this can be fixed with a minor upgrade to spouse 1.01, but
generally other workarounds are needed.

On Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:21:55 -0500, OhioGuy wrote:

> I got Ubuntu installed on a second hard drive, so now I get the menu and
> can boot into it or Windows XP on the other drive. I think it's kind of
> nifty.
>
> My wife, on the other hand, hates it enough that it caused a huge
> argument. She is extremely upset that now there is a password to mess with.
>
> Ubuntu forced me to enter a username and password by default. I had no
> idea how to get around this and set it up like Windows XP, which doesn't
> require a username and password to be entered before using the system.
>
> Can anyone please help me? There has got to be some way to:
>
> A) set up Ubuntu so nobody has to enter a username and password
>
> &
>
> B) perhaps set it up so that the menu defaults to Windows XP for now, and
> not Linux?
>
> I think that would make my wife happy. I could still choose Linux
> whenever I wanted to play around with it, but it wouldn't seem intrusive to
> her, like I was trying to force something onto her.
>
> Thanks!

Since you've 1) received the info you need to do the tasks and 2) gotten a
bunch of smart-assed responses, I'll just add my two cents worth:

FWIW - three years ago at the local library, we installed Linux on the
vast majority of the public access internet computers - without telling
the patrons and without any 'training' - just did it. Currently we have
nine Linux computers, one XP and one vista. To date, there have been zero
complaints about Linux. It was what was there and folks adapted quickly
and easily.

In dealing with friends and associates, I've found two kinds of folks who
have been here and used our Linux computers at home (five Linux computers,
networked - I believe one of them can boot xp though we haven't done that
for over a year). One type are folks who are not particularly computer
savvy and simply need to get a job done. These folks adapt quickly and
easily to our Linux systems to do what they need/want. The other type are
pseudo tech savvy folks who think they know a lot about computers and have
invested much time in MS systems. Almost universally they reject our Linux
setup from the get go. And though they may use it when forced, they always
grumble about 'having to learn a new system'. Your wife does not fit
neatly into either category, but is closer to the second. The modern
Linux desktops, particularly KDE and Gnome are not so different that they
should pose any problems to someone accustomed to using a computer. It is,
IMHO, no more or less difficult than using MS - it is just a little
different. Have patience, and try to urge her to give it an honest go - if
you can get her to agree with that, she'll probably have very few real
complaints.

Yes, it's true that traditional Unix type logins are better for security,
but in your case that hardle seems to be an issue.

BTW - a migration strategy that has worked for some is to install
OpenOffice and Firefox on the MS system first and get the user accustomed
to that - then changing to Linux is less of a deal. And, BTW, there is a
desktop called XPDE (xp desktop environment) which is installable on Linux
- perhaps that would ease her transition - she would hardly be able to
tell the difference.

OhioGuy wrote:
> I got Ubuntu installed on a second hard drive, so now I get the menu and
> can boot into it or Windows XP on the other drive. I think it's kind of
> nifty.
>
> My wife, on the other hand, hates it enough that it caused a huge
> argument. She is extremely upset that now there is a password to mess with.
>
> Ubuntu forced me to enter a username and password by default. I had no
> idea how to get around this and set it up like Windows XP, which doesn't
> require a username and password to be entered before using the system.
>
> Can anyone please help me? There has got to be some way to:
>
> A) set up Ubuntu so nobody has to enter a username and password
>
> &
>
> B) perhaps set it up so that the menu defaults to Windows XP for now, and
> not Linux?
>
> I think that would make my wife happy. I could still choose Linux
> whenever I wanted to play around with it, but it wouldn't seem intrusive to
> her, like I was trying to force something onto her.
>
> Thanks!
>
>


I was having problems with two Linux installations and one XP Pro
install on the same PC with grub installing into different places.

Try installing startup manager
(http://www.masuran.org/2008/01/07/st...b-and-usplash/)
Should be simple enough for you to sort out.

Regards

On 2008-01-09, Chris Game wrote:
> On Wed, 9 Jan 2008 15:49:42 +1100, andrew wrote:
>
>> SWMBO can always be a problem with a move to Linux. From long
>> experience the only solution is to have a 'main' computer for
>> her, running XP and a 'lesser' computer running Linux for
>> yourself.
>
> Yes, I can just imagine the scene in the Andrews' household when
> Andrew tries to persuade a long suffering partner to use
> Vim/Mutt/SLRN instead of modern stuff:
>
> Ms Andrew:"You mean it's complicated because people actually like it
> that way???"
> Andrew:"Er, yes!"
> Ms Andrew:"Give me strength!"

No it is worse. There is a special 'look' she gets on her face and she
says 'really' or nods her head every couple of minutes and does not
listen at all ....

Andrew

--
http://www.andrews-corner.org

On 2008-01-09, OhioGuy wrote:

[snip]

> Ubuntu forced me to enter a username and password by default. I had no
> idea how to get around this and set it up like Windows XP, which doesn't
> require a username and password to be entered before using the system.
>
> Can anyone please help me? There has got to be some way to:
>
> A) set up Ubuntu so nobody has to enter a username and password

You want autologin. System, Administration, Login Window, Security.

> B) perhaps set it up so that the menu defaults to Windows XP for now, and
> not Linux?

Change the default setting in /boot/grub/menu.lst . See
http://linux.about.com/od/ubuntu_doc/a/ubudg28t6.htm

--

Ann

andrew wrote:

> No it is worse. There is a special 'look' she gets on her face and she
> says 'really' or nods her head every couple of minutes and does not
> listen at all ....

I had one like that a few years ago. I've now moved on to Wife 2.0 - this
one works /much/ better!

C.

Christopher Hunter wrote:

> andrew wrote:
>
>> No it is worse. There is a special 'look' she gets on her face and she
>> says 'really' or nods her head every couple of minutes and does not
>> listen at all ....
>
> I had one like that a few years ago. I've now moved on to Wife 2.0 - this
> one works /much/ better!
>
> C.

I used to dual-boot, but now I run Ubuntu exclusively.

Cheers.

--
Boot It Up!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-kql8cWqiv8

Thanks everyone - my wife can live with it now, since she knows she has to
turn the monitor on first, then catch the boot menu. I used your advice to
remove the username and password login, which was quite painless.

Now my son likes to play the "worm" game, which is a lot like an old one
called "snake" or something like that I remember from the 80's.

One thing that really surprises me is that it doesn't seem to have any
support for playing a DVD or video file! It isn't connected to the
Internet, so I guess there is no way we can download the relevant video
codecs.

On XP Pro, I just use VLC Media Player to play everything, except for
DVD's. I'm still using the free NVDVD I got with my trusty old Nvidia TNT2
video card about 8 years ago. It seems to be the smallest program I've been
able to find, and it has very little graininess compared to some of the
bigger programs.

OhioGuy wrote:
> Thanks everyone - my wife can live with it now, since she knows she has to
> turn the monitor on first, then catch the boot menu. I used your advice to
> remove the username and password login, which was quite painless.
>
> Now my son likes to play the "worm" game, which is a lot like an old one
> called "snake" or something like that I remember from the 80's.
>
> One thing that really surprises me is that it doesn't seem to have any
> support for playing a DVD or video file! It isn't connected to the
> Internet, so I guess there is no way we can download the relevant video
> codecs...

The 'illegal' stuff is not open source so it's not included in the install.
you can grab the w32codecs from medibuntu, throw them on a floppy to
xfer, and install them manually.

On Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:19:28 -0500, OhioGuy wrote:

> Thanks everyone - my wife can live with it now, since she knows she has
> to turn the monitor on first, then catch the boot menu. I used your
> advice to remove the username and password login, which was quite
> painless.
>
> Now my son likes to play the "worm" game, which is a lot like an old
> one
> called "snake" or something like that I remember from the 80's.
>
> One thing that really surprises me is that it doesn't seem to have any
> support for playing a DVD or video file! It isn't connected to the
> Internet, so I guess there is no way we can download the relevant video
> codecs.
>
> On XP Pro, I just use VLC Media Player to play everything, except for
> DVD's. I'm still using the free NVDVD I got with my trusty old Nvidia
> TNT2 video card about 8 years ago. It seems to be the smallest program
> I've been able to find, and it has very little graininess compared to
> some of the bigger programs.

So why not us the VLC Media player to do the same things (+DVD) in Linux?

Or, you can follow the docs at ubuntuguide.org to install the codecs that
you need to play all those files in whatever media player you like best.
I prefer mplayer for some things, VLC for others.




--
Joe - Linux User #449481/Ubuntu User #19733
joe at hits - buffalo dot com
"Hate is baggage, life is too short to go around pissed off all the
time..." - Danny, American History X

On Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:46:25 -0600, Joe wrote:

> On Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:19:28 -0500, OhioGuy wrote:
>
>> Thanks everyone - my wife can live with it now, since she knows she has
>> to turn the monitor on first, then catch the boot menu. I used your
>> advice to remove the username and password login, which was quite
>> painless.
>>
>> Now my son likes to play the "worm" game, which is a lot like an old
>> one
>> called "snake" or something like that I remember from the 80's.
>>
>> One thing that really surprises me is that it doesn't seem to have
>> any
>> support for playing a DVD or video file! It isn't connected to the
>> Internet, so I guess there is no way we can download the relevant video
>> codecs.
>>
>> On XP Pro, I just use VLC Media Player to play everything, except for
>> DVD's. I'm still using the free NVDVD I got with my trusty old Nvidia
>> TNT2 video card about 8 years ago. It seems to be the smallest program
>> I've been able to find, and it has very little graininess compared to
>> some of the bigger programs.
>
> So why not us the VLC Media player to do the same things (+DVD) in
> Linux?
>
> Or, you can follow the docs at ubuntuguide.org to install the codecs
> that you need to play all those files in whatever media player you like
> best. I prefer mplayer for some things, VLC for others.

And, BTW, if you don't want to connect it to the net for this, you can
always download the .deb files you need on another PC and put them on a
CD. I would also recommend downloading the DVD version of the
distribution, which will have much more of the standard repositories on
it...




--
Joe - Linux User #449481/Ubuntu User #19733
joe at hits - buffalo dot com
"Hate is baggage, life is too short to go around pissed off all the
time..." - Danny, American History X