How To Find Installation Date Of Our Windows And Linux PC "OS"

Finding Installation Date and Uptime in Windows PC

Finding the uptime in a Windows PC is very easy and many of you might be knowing this method. It simply involves opening the Task Manager and navigating to the Performance tab.

There, under the CPU tab, you’ll find the uptime stat of your Windows PC in the Days:HH:MM:SS format.

To find the installation date of a Windows computer, you need to open the Command Prompt. To do this, either execute CMD command in the Run window or press Win+R key.

Now, run the following command on Windows 10 and Windows 8 to find the installation date of your operating system:

systeminfo | find /i “Original”

For Windows 7 operating system, your need to run the following command:

systeminfo | find /i “install date”

Finding installation date and uptime in Linux PC

Just like Windows, finding the installation date and uptime in your Linux PC is any also an easy task. To find the uptime in Linux, simply open the terminal and run the following command. I ran this on my Ubuntu 16.10 system and it should also work on other distributions as well.

uptime

To find the installation date in Linux, you need to find a file, folder, or log that was created during the installation time. One such file can be accessed by running the following command. This makes it easy to spot the installation date of your Linux-based operating system.

ls -l /var/log/installer

Read More

Quirky Things You Didn’t Know The Linux Terminal Could Do - Terminal ආතල් ටිකක් පට්ට හොඳේ ...

හායි යාලුවනේ ඔන්න මම අද ආවේ ලිනක්ස් එකේ ටර්මිනල් එකේ දාන්න පුළුවන් පොඩි වැඩ කෑලි ටිකක් ගැන හොයාගෙන ඔයාලත් කරලා බලන්නකෝ එහෙනම්.

1) Running infinite loop in terminal:

no installation required, just type:

Yes <whatever> and press enter:

2) Running a steam locomotive in the terminal:

first install it using

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install sl

then type sl and press enter 

3) We begin with one of the most eye-catching trick of the list, the asciiviewer. With this tool, you can convert and generate an image out of pure text.

For Installation type: sudo apt-get install aview

To Run Command type:  asciiview name_of_file -driver curses

4) Aafire

Ideally, I wouldn’t recommend you to sit back and watch as your screen burns but how about watching fire inside your Linux Terminal? Seems absurd? Well, wait till you use the aafire command.

For Installation type: sudo apt-get install libaa-bin

To Run Command Type: aafire

5) bb

Put on your headphones and brace yourselves for an entirely text based animation that I am sure will leave you awestruck with your jaws hanging.

For Installation type: sudo apt-get install bb

To Run Command type: bb

6) Cal

Use this command to view the calendar inside the Linux terminal. Check out the man page of the cal command (by using the command: man cal) to know about the other options available to customize the output of the command.

To Run Command Type: cal

7) Cmatrix

Remember the ground-breaking sci-fi movie ‘The Matrix’? Ever wished to waltz through the Matrix itself? Well, if so, then the cmatrix is definitely ‘The One’ you are looking for:

For Installation Type:  sudo apt-get install cmatrix

To Run Command Type: cmatrix

8) Cowsay

Get an ASCII cow in the terminal that says whatever you want it to say.

For Installation Type: sudo apt-get install cowsay

To Run Type: cowsay “Message_That_You_Wish”

9) The cowsay command can be implemented in the following ways as well:

The cowsay command can also be used with following by just replacing the -f parameter with any of the following:

10) Xcowsay

Inspired by the original cowsay, the xcowsay does the same things as cowsay but in a graphical manner.

For Installation Type: sudo apt-get install xcowsay

To Run Type: xcowsay “Desired_Text”

Read More

Basic Linux Commands

we find ourselves pondering over the Basic Linux Commands which one must be aware of, as a beginner!

ls

The ls command is used to list the contents of the directory (just in case you are getting confused: a directory can be considered as being analogous to a folder of Windows). You will be using the ls command to gain information about the files and directories.

As I mentioned above, we can add certain options to a Linux command in order to make it do a little bit of extra work. Here’s is how it happens:

cd [dir]

The ‘cd‘ command is used to change the current directory i.e we use this command to switch over to some other directory whose contents we might want to view or perform particular operations upon. It is basically used for navigation purposes. Using this command changes the current directory to ‘dir’. If you simply use the cd command without specifying the directory, it changes the current directory to the home directory.

pwd

The pwd command is used to display the name of the current working directory. In case you are unaware about it, use the pwd command to determine the directory that you are currently placed in.

cat [file]

The cat command concatenates and display files. This command is used to display the contents of the file mentioned along with the command.

echo [argument]

The echo command is one of the most commonly used Linux commands and is used to display the argument mentioned in the command on the screen. It basically displays a line of text/string on standard output or a file.

clear

Sometimes while using the Terminal, there is a tendency for things to get cluttered. There could be too much information on the screen or you might, no longer require the data being displayed. In such cases,we use the clear command to (no prizes for guessing) clear the screen and get rid of the contents of the screen.

exit

As the name suggests, the exit command is used to exit the shell or your current session.

man command

One of the Linux commands that would come to your rescue when things get sticky is the man command. The man command displays the online manual for the ‘command’ specified along with the word man. It is sort of like the help menu. You can get information about any of the command, its function, the options associated with it etc. By using the man command:

This documentation provided for any Linux command by the man command is called ‘man pages’.

Here are some more Linux commands that you should know:

rm: This command removes files and directories.

cp: This command copies files and directories.

mv: This command moves files and folders between directories.

mkdir: This command makes a new folder in your working directory.

cal: This command shows calendar on you Terminal.

nano: This command is a command line text editor.

sudo: This command gives you the super user privileges.

If you are willing to learn more about Linux command line tools related to various system processes, hardware, users, network etc. here’s a useful cheatsheet.

There are hundreds of Linux commands out there. But, I would advise you to first try out these commands on your own system and gather a basic idea of how they work. You could also refer to the man pages of each command in order to gain more knowledge about them. We shall keep discussing these commands in greater detail in upcoming articles.

Read More

අලුත්ම නිල් දත හෙට අනිද්දා නෙවෙයි ඉන් අනිද්දා - BLUETOOTH 5

හායි යාලුවනේ ඔන්න මම අද ආවේ අලුත්ම නිවුස් එකක් අරගෙන ඒ තමයි අපි හැමෝම දැනට භාවිතා කරන ඉක්මනින්ම නැති වෙලා යන්න ඉඩ තියන නිල්දත් එහෙමත් නැත්නම් BLUETOOTH ගැන අලුත්ම නිවුස් එකක් ගැන කියන්න.

ඉතින් ඒ තමයි අපි දැනට භාවිතා කරන්නේ BLUETOOTH 4 වෙනුවට ඔන්න එයාලගේ අලුත්ම එක BLUETOOTH 5 මේ සතියේ එලියට දානවලු. ඉතින් BLUETOOTH නැති වෙන්නේ නැති වෙයි මොන විදියකින් හරි අපිට ආයෙමත් මේක ඕන වෙයි. එහෙනම් මෙන්න මේ ගැන මෙයාලා කියන්නේ මේ විදියට.

Making Bluetooth communication much faster, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group is releasing Bluetooth 5 next week. This new standard will make Bluetooth four times the present range and twice as fast as the current speed.

Mark Powell මේ ගැන කියනෙන් මෙන්න මෙහෙම කතාවක්. එක බලන්න පල්ලෙහා ලින්ක් එකට යන්න.

BLUETOOTH

Read More

How To Remove Virus From USB Or Any Drive On Windows 10 Using CMD

Most of the viruses modify the attributes of a file or a folder such that they become very hard to access. Some of the attributes that are changed in a file or a folder are the read, write or the execute permission on that file. Using ‘attrib’, one of the cmd commands, we can try our hands to change the attributes of a file and reset the file’s internal structure in order to recover a file.

How is a virus different from any other file on Windows? A virus can be present in your system as a file format which has the following properties:

1. A virus can be a file hidden from a user
2. A virus can be present in the form of an ‘autorun’ or ‘Autoexec’ file
3. A virus can be an exec file
4. A virus can be a file with different attribute permissions

Some of the well-known examples of the above kinds of the viruses are:

1. Autorun.inf
2. Ravmon.exe
3. New Folder.exe
4. svchost.exe
5. Heap41a

Remove Virus Using CMD from USB/ any Drive on Windows 10:

In order to remove a virus using cmd, we will use a famous cmd command called ‘attrib‘ command.

It can be easily guessed from its name that the ‘attrib’ command represents different attributes of a file, folder or a directory. This command is mainly responsible for displaying, setting and removing the different attributes like read-only, archive, system, and hidden attributes of a file or folder.

Using this command, we will try to change the attributes assigned to a file and thus recover our file.

Here are the basic attributes of the ‘attrib’ command which we will use later:

• R – R represents the “Read-only” attribute of a file or folder. Read-only means the file cannot be written or executed.
• H – H stands for the “Hidden” attribute.
• A – Similarily,  A stands for “Archiving” which prepares a file for archiving and,
• S – S attribute changes the selected files or folders into a system file from a user file by assigning the “System” attribute to that particular file.

“attrib” Syntax:

ATTRIB [+ attribute | – attribute] [pathname] [/S [/D]]

In the above command, let’s see what the different parameters and switches are:

‘+ / –’ : To enact or to cancel the specified attribute.

‘attribute’ : As explained above

‘/S‘ : Searching throughout the entire path including subfolders

‘/D’ :  Include any process folder

‘pathname’ : Path where the target file or folder is located.

Here is the proper syntax for attrib command:

ATTRIB [+R | -R] [+A | -A ] [+S | -S] [+H | -H] [+I | -I] [drive:][path][filename] [/S [/D] [/L]]

Let’s get started:

I am going to transfer an ‘autorun.inf‘ virus from my USB drive to my D: drive and delete that virus from my D: drive.

• Run command prompt as an administrator

• Since the autorun.inf virus is in my D: drive, I am going to change the drive to D: drive. It can be done by typing D: and press enter.

• type attrib and press enter. This command will list out all the files inside the current drive and you can clearly see the autorun.info virus listed below.

• To remove Virus using CMD, type into your command prompt attrib -r -a -s -h *.* and press Enter. This will remove the Read Only, Archive, System and hidden file attribute from all the files.
• -r is for removing the read-only files
• -a is for removing the archive file
• -s is for removing the system file
• -h is for removing the hidden file
• *.* for all the files with all different types of file extensions\\

• Note that this command will only remove the different attributes from different files. However, the files will still be there. Now time has come to delete the virus. So, to delete the virus, type del autorun.inf and enter

• Once you have pressed enter, that file should get deleted from the current drive. In case, you want to delete that file from a USB stick, then you can change your current drive to USB drive current drive in step 2 and follow the commands.

• You can again type ‘attrib’ command to see if the deleted file exists or not. As seen above, it does not exist anymore in the D drive.

• To remove other viruses with extensions such as ‘.ink’, ‘.exe’, just type Del *.ink or Del *.exe respectively to delete those suspicious files.

I hope this would have been informative for you. If you know some other tricks, let us know in the comments below.

Read More

අම්මා ගහයි මෙන්න දෙකට නමලා සාක්කුවට flexible phone

මෙන්න තවත් නිවුස් එකක්. Sci-fi tech arrives with this flexible phone with 3D holographic screen. මෙන්න මේ ගැන තවත් විස්තර සහ වීඩියෝව.

he future of gadgets is filled with flexible and holographic technology. At least that's what sci-fi movies and the super-smart geeks in science labs developing the future keep telling us.

Researchers at Queen's University's Human Media Lab have created what they call the world's first flexible holographic smartphone. The Android-based smartphone prototype is called the HoloFlex.

When the HoloFlex is bent, the full HD (1,920 x 1,080) touchscreen is capable of displaying a glasses-free 3D image. A bend sensor inside lets users manipulate objects on the z-axis, adding three-dimensional depth input.

"HoloFlex offers a completely new way of interacting with your smartphone," writes Dr. Vertegaal, one of the researchers involved with the project. "It allows for glasses-free interactions with 3D video and images in a way that does not encumber the user."

There are several useful use cases for bendable holographic technology. In the video above, a user is able to manipulate a handle and re-orient it on a 3D model of a teapot. Other uses include bending the screen to control Angry Birds and using the phone's depth camera to initiate a holographic video conference.

"When bending the display users literally pop out of the screen and can even look around each other, with their faces rendered correctly from any angle to any onlooker," says Dr. Vertegaal.

The phone has respectable specs, including a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and 2GB of RAM.

The HoloFlex is still a prototype, but even so, it's already showing promise. Maybe a Star Wars-like reality filled with paper-thin, hologram-projecting devices is what the future of smartphones will look like after all.

මෙන්න තවත් විස්තර ගන්න මෙයාලගේ සයිට් එක

Read More

Learn The Basic Linux Commands With This Awesome Cheat Sheet

Here I’m sharing a useful Linux commands cheat sheet that you can print and keep it as a learning guide or a refresher. The cheat sheet is organized according to different commands and sections for easy use.

Recently, I came across a basic Linux commands cheat sheet that one could easily use as a refresher or a learning guide.

This cheat sheet organizes all the commands in 13 different sections according to their usage to help you out with the information on package installation, how to call up system info, or how to manipulate a file.

Prepared by

LinOxide, you can go ahead and download the cheat sheet in PDF format and take a look at a more detailed reference guide.

Below is the image that you can save and print:

To download the PDF

Read More

How To Install Ubuntu Linux On Windows 10 In 24 Steps

Introduction

This guide will show you how to download and install Ubuntu Linux on Windows 10 in such a way that it won’t harm Windows.

The upside to following this guide is that Ubuntu Linux will only run when you tell it to and it doesn’t require any special partitioning of your disks.

The method used to install Ubuntu is to download a piece of software called Virtualbox from Oracle which allows you to run other operating systems as virtual computers on top of your current operating system which in your case is Windows 10.

What You Will Need

In order to install Ubuntu Linux on Windows 10 you will need to download the following applications:

Oracle Virtualbox (link tells you all about virtualbox)

Ubuntu (links to a review of Ubuntu)

Virtualbox Guest Additions (links to a description of guest additions) 

Steps Required To Run Ubuntu Linux On Windows 10

Download Oracle Virtualbox

Download Ubuntu

Download Virtualbox Guest Additions

Install Virtualbox

Create a Ubuntu virtual machine

Install Ubuntu

Install Virtualbox Guest Additions

1.  Download Oracle Virtualbox

To download Virtualbox visit www.virtualbox.org and click on the large download button in the middle of the screen. 

2.  32-Bit or 64-Bit

To find out whethe you are running a 32-bit or 64-bit system click on the Windows start button and search for PC Info.

Click on the link for “About your PC”.

The screen that appears tells you lots of useful information about your computer such as the amount of RAM, the processor and the current operating system.

The most important part however is the system type which as you can see from the image shows that my system is 64-bit. Using the same technique you can work out which system type your computer is.

3.  Download Ubuntu

To download Ubuntu visit www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

There are two versions of Ubuntu available:

Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS

Ubuntu 15.04 (soon to be Ubuntu 15.10)

Ubuntu 14.04 is for people who don’t want to upgrade their operating system every 6 months. The support period has a number of years to run and therefore it really is a case of installing it and getting on with your life.

Ubuntu 15.04, 15.10 and beyond are the latest releases and have more up to date developments which aren’t available in 14.04. The downside is that the support period is much shorter at just 9 months. The upgrade process isn’t a big deal but obviously requires more effort than just installing 14.04 and leaving it.

There is a big download link next to both versions and it is up to you whether you want to install 14.04 or 15.04 and beyond. The installation process doesn’t really change.

This guide shows the differences between the Ubuntu versions.

4.  Download Virtualbox Guest Additions

The guest additions makes it possible to run the Ubuntu virtual machine in full screen mode at a suitable resolution.

To download Virtualbox Guest Additions visit http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox

There are a lot of links on this page. Click on the link that matches the version of Virtualbox you downloaded previously.

When the next page opens click on the link for VBoxGuestAdditions.iso (There will be a version number as part of the link i.e. VBoxGuestAdditions_5_0_6.iso).

Click on the link and let the file download.

5.  How To Install VirtualBox

Press the start button and search for “Downloads”. Click on the link to the “Downloads” file folder.

When the downloads folder opens click on the Virtualbox application file you downloaded earlier on. 

The Virtualbox setup wizard will begin. Click on “Next” to start the installation.

6.  Where To Install Virtualbox

The next screen lets you choose the Virtualbox installation options.

There is absolutely no reason not to choose the defaults unless you want to choose a different installation location in which case click on “Browse” and navigate to where you want to install Virtualbox.

Click “Next”to continue.

7.  Create VirtualBox Desktop Icons

You now have the option to create shortcuts, either on the desktop and/or the quick launch bar and whether to register file associations such as VDI files to Virtualbox.

It is up to you whether you want to create shortcuts. Windows 10 is really easy to navigate with the powerful search button so you might decide not to bother creating either of the shortcuts.

Click “Next” to continue.

8.  Virtualbox Warns About Resetting Your Network Connection

A warning will appear stating that your network connection will temporarily be reset. If this is a problem to you right now then click “No” and come back to the guide at a later stage otherwise click “Yes”.

9.  Install VirtualBox

You are finally at the point of installing Virtualbox. Click the “Install” button.

A security message will appear asking whether you are sure you wish to install Virtualbox and halfway through the install you will be asked whether you want to install the Oracle Universal Serial Bus device software. Click “Install”.

10.  Create A Ubuntu Virtual Machine

You can start Virtualbox simply by leaving the “Start Oracle VM Virtualbox after installation” checked and clicking “Finish” or for future reference click the start button and search for virtualbox. 

Click on the “New” icon on the taskbar.

11.  Choose The Type Of Virtual Machine

Give your machine a name. Personally I think it is a good idea to go for the Linux distribution name (i.e. Ubuntu) and the version number (14.04, 15.04, 15.10 etc).

Select “Linux” as the type and “Ubuntu” as the version. Make sure you choose the correct version based on whether you have a 32-bit or 64-bit machine.

Click “Next” to continue.

12.  How Much Memory Do You Give Your Virtual Machine

You now have to choose how much of your computer’s memory you will assign to the virtual machine.

You cannot assign all of your computer’s memory to the virtual machine as you need to leave enough for Windows to continue running as well as any other programs that you have running within Windows.

The minimum you should consider assigning to Ubuntu is 2 gigabytes which is 2048 MB. The more you can give the better but don’t go overboard. As you can see I have 8 gigabytes of memory and I have assigned 4 gigabytes to the Ubuntu virtual machine.

Note that the amount of memory you set aside is only used whilst the virtual machine is running.

Slide the slider to the amount you want to assign and click “Next”. 

13.  Create A Virtual Hard Drive

After assigning memory to the virtual machine you now have to set aside some hard drive space. Select the “Create a virtual hard disk now” option and click “Create”.

There are a number of different hard drive types that you can choose from. Choose “VDI” and click “Next”.

There are two ways to create the virtual hard drive:

Dynamically allocated

Fixed size

If you choose dynamically allocated it will only use space as it is required. So if you set 20 gigabytes aside for the virtual hard drive and only 6 is required then only 6 will be used. As you install more applications the extra space will be allocated as necessary.

This is more efficient in terms of disk space usage but isn’t so good for performance because you have to wait for the space to be allocated before you can use it.

The fixed size option allocates all the space you request straight away. This is less efficient in terms of disk space usage because you may have set aside space you never actually use but it is better for performance. Personally I believe this to be the better option as your computer generally has more disk space than memory and CPU power.

Choose the option you prefer and click “Next”.

14.  Set The Size Of Your Virtual Hard Drive

Finally you are at the stage of setting how much space you wish to give to Ubuntu. The minimum is about 10 gigabytes but the more you can spare the better. You don’t have to go overboard though. If you are just installing Ubuntu in a virtual machine to test it out go for a smaller amount.

When you are ready click “Create” to continue.

15.  Install Ubuntu On Your Virtual Machine

The virtual machine has now been created but it is like a computer that doesn’t have an operating system installed yet.

The first thing to do is to boot into Ubuntu. Click the start icon on the toolbar.

This is the point where you need to choose the Ubuntu ISO file you downloaded earlier. Click on the folder icon next to the “Host Drive” dropdown.

Navigate to the download folder and click on the Ubuntu disc image and then on “Open”.

16.  Start The Ubuntu Installer

Click on the “Start” button.

Ubuntu should load into the little window and you will have the option to try Ubuntu or install Ubuntu.

Click on the “Install Ubuntu” option. 

17.  Check Your Virtual Machine Meets The Pre-requisites

A list of pre-requisites will be displayed. Basically you need to make sure your machine has enough power (i.e. plug it in if you are using a laptop), has over 6.6 gigabytes of disk space and is connected to the internet.

You also have the option of downloading updates whilst installing and to install third party software.

If you have a good internet connection check the download updates option otherwise untick it and leave the updates to install at a later point post installation.

I recommend checking the install third party software option as it will allow you to play MP3 audio and watch Flash videos.

Click “Continue”.

18.  Choose The Installation Type

The next step lets you decide how to install Ubuntu. As you are using a virtual machine select the “Erase disk and install Ubuntu” option.

Do not worry. This will not erase your physical hard drive. It will just install Ubuntu in the virtual hard drive created earlier on.

Click “Install Now”.

A message will appear showing you the changes that will be made to your disk. Again this is only your virtual hard drive and so it is safe to click “Continue”. 

19.  Choose Your Location

You will now be required to choose where you live. You can either select the place on the map or type it into the box available.

Click “Continue”.

20.  Choose Your Keyboard Layout

The penultimate step is to choose your keyboard layout.

You may find that the correct layout has already been chosen but it isn’t try clicking on the “Detect Keyboard Layout” option.

If that doesn’t work, click on the language for your keyboard in the left panel and then choose the physical layout in the right pane.

Click “Continue”.

21.  Create A User

The final step is to create a user.

Enter your name in to the box provided and give your virtual machine a name.

Now choose a username and enter a password to associate with that user. (repeat the password as required).

The other options are to log in automatically or require a password to log in. You can also choose to encrypt your home folder.

Here is a guide discussing whether it is a good idea to encrypt a home folder.

As it is a virtual machine you may as well go for the “Log in automatically” option but I usually recommend always selecting the “Require my password to log in”.

Click “Continue”.

Ubuntu will now be installed. 

When the installation has finished click the File menu and choose close.

You have the option to save the machine state, send the shutdown signal or power off the machine. Choose power off the machine and click OK.

22.  Install Guest Additions

The next step is to install the guest additions.

Click on the settings icon on the VirtualBox toolbar

Click on the storage option and then click on IDE and choose the little circle with a plus symbol icon which adds a new optical drive.

An option will appear asking you to choose which disk to insert into the optical drive. Click on the “Choose disk” button.

Navigate to the downloads folder and click on the “VBoxGuestAdditions” disc image and select “Open”.

Click “OK” to close the settings window.

When you are back at the main screen click the start button on the toolbar. 

23.  Open The VirtualBox Guest Additions CD In Ubuntu

Ubuntu will boot for the first time but you won’t be able to use it full screen until the guest additions are properly installed.

Click on the CD icon at the bottom of the launcher panel on the left and make sure there are files for VirtualBox Guest Additions.

Right click on an empty space where the list of files are and choose open in terminal. 

24.  Install Virtualbox Guest Additions

Type the following into the terminal window:

sudo sh ./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

Finally you need to reboot the virtual machine.

Click on the little cog symbol in the top right corner and choose shutdown.

You will be given the choice to restart or shutdown. Choose “Restart”.

When the virtual machine restarts choose the “View” menu and select “Full Screen Mode”.

A message will appear telling you that you can toggle between full screen and windowed mode by holding down the right CTRL key and F.

Click “Switch” to continue.

Read More

The 8 Best Windows Linux And Other Operating System Clones

According to Wikipedia's usage share of operating systems almost 10% of computers accessing the internet are still running Windows XP and a staggering 53% are running Windows 7.

Windows Vista never really gained momentum and has just under 2% of the market whilst Windows 8 is the second most popular operating system with 18% of the market. Windows 10 was released recently and has already gained 5% of the overall share.

Average users seem to like the simple interface of a panel, menu and icons on the desktop that Windows XP and Windows 7 offer.

Microsoft have somewhat acknowledged this fact by making Windows 10 appear a little bit more like Windows 7. Maybe Windows 8 was a step too far too quickly. 

Windows 10 is the future of computing for the foreseeable future and if Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 users don't like it they have the choice to stick with what they have, learn to accept Windows 10 or move to another operating system such as Linux.

There are many Linux distributions out there which are designed to look like Windows and this guide lists the best ones. Why stop there though? Why not list Linux distributions that look like OSX, ChromeOS and Android as well.

1.  Zorin 9 - Windows 7 Clone

Zorin OS is a great replacement for Windows 7 users.

The general look and feel is the same as Windows 7 but it brings the security of Linux and it includes desktop effects and virtual workspaces.

Zorin OS comes with all of the applications that desktop users generally use including a web browser, audio player, email client, messenger app, remote desktop client, video editor, graphics editor and office suite.

If you want to try a different look then you can always go for the Windows XP layout by using the Zorin Look Changer.

Click here to download Zorin OS

2.  Zorin OS Lite

Zorin OS Lite is a 32-bit version of the Zorin Linux distribution built for older computers.

The default layout is like Windows 2000 but you can switch to a Mac style interface if you prefer it.

Zorin OS Lite comes with a suite of applications similar to the main Zorin OS but they are more lightweight.

Click here to download Zorin OS Lite

3.  Q4OS

Q4OS is the perfect desktop replacement for Windows XP users.

It gives you an incredibly close experience to the Windows XP you are used to but is obviously built on top of the more powerful Linux operating system.

The operating system will run on all hardware, old or new and there is full support for printers and other devices.

You can choose to install a common set of software applications such as Google's Chrome browser, the LibreOffice suite and Thunderbird or you can simply install the applications you require one by one.

Click here to download Q4OS

4.  Elementary OS

If you would like to try a Mac style interface but you don't want to spend all of your hard earned money on a new MacBook then try Elementary OS.

It has an easy to follow website, is incredibly easy to install and a desktop experience that has been very carefully crafted to look simplistic yet elegant.

The software is lightweight in nature and will run on most hardware.

Click here to download Elementary OS

5.  MacPUP

MacPUP has been built using Puppy Linux as a base distribution.

From a user's point of view however all you need to know is that the look and feel has been crafted so that you get a very similar interface to that of a MacBook.

It isn't quite as clean as Elementary OS but it will work on much older hardware and as it is built on Puppy Linux you can carry it around on a USB drive and boot it as required. 

Click here to download MacPUP

6.  Peppermint OS

If you are looking for a Linux distribution to turn your laptop into a Chromebook then Peppermint OS is quite close.

It will take some customising to make it look exactly like ChromeOS but the ICE application lets you add web applications to your computer as if they are standard desktop applications.

Click here to download Peppermint OS

7.  Chromixium

If you really want your laptop to function like a Chromebook then consider installing Chromixium.

The look and feel is almost a perfect copy of ChromeOS and it has benefits over the Chromebook in that you can install standard desktop applications as well as web applications.

Click here to download Chromixium

8.  Android x86

If you are looking for an Android clone to run on your laptop then install Android x86 on your computer.

This isn't so much a clone as a port of the full Android operating system.

There are limitations to running Android on your desktop unless you have a touch screen. It has been designed to work on a tablet or phone.

Click here to download Android x86

Read More