Any Linux users? Some basic questions
I had an old laptop lying around and decided it would be fun to try to learn Linux as it could be helpful since I recently changed to a comp sci major. I have several questions that I had a hard time finding answers that I am able to understand from googling.
1. Ext4 file system seems to be ideal for Linux. I read that ext4 has a feature that attempts to reduce defragmentation by automatically moving files in the background. If I were to install Linux on a SSD, how do I disable this automatic defragmention?
2. What are the ways to install applications on Linux? I see people typing on the command line "apt-get install ____," use software centers, etc. What is the difference between all these options? Specifically, what are sources, respositories, etc.?
3. Is there ever a problem working with files between Windows and Linux? Can I create a partition which can be accessed by both, like a local "Google Drive"? Can I see/access files of the other OS if I were to dual boot?
4. Linux has no registries, so does that mean it would never slow down over time like Windows does? Or are there still factors that slow down Linux (like the constant process of trying out applications by installing and then uninstalling which leave behind crap)? I seem to get the sense that at worst, config files and cache get left behind, but they don't slow down the computer--they only take up trivial amount of space.
5. Relating to #4, is there a way to find out all the files pertaining to an application? I read that using the uninstalling command or even purging doesn't necessarily uninstall everything--hidden files such as from uninstalling Firefox (a specific example) are left behind.
I asked most of these questions on the ubuntuforums, but have received no answer (though I did get a lot of stuff answered from other questions I had).
Thanks.
3 Comments • Newest first
1. I have no idea. I don't even know what you're talking about. lol
2. weeeeeeeeeell you don't have to use Terminal or whatever to manually install everything. Most distros come with a software center (basically like the Play store on Android devices) and you just pick the ones you wanna install. They try to make it easy for you (with those certain distros that is....I liked Mint. Ubuntu was okay but felt too much like a Mac).
3. Yes you can see the files on the other partition if you dual boot, but you probably won't be able to access them if they are Windows apps. If it's a txt file or something, then yeah you can view it.
4. Uhhhhhhh well I researched Linux before installing it and I remember reading that it doesn't leave crap behind, which is more the reason of why it's so awesome. When you delete something, it literally gets rid of all of it. You can even just delete everything yourself manually.
5. I don't remember exactly, but there should be a folder that has all the apps in it. Like, all the folders will be named "./(name of program)" for example, let's use GIMP. It'll look like "./gimp" Firefox would look like "./firefox" I think that labeling depends on the distro. I'm not entirely sure. I've only tried the most popular distros. I liked Mint the most though because it's layout is similar to Windows.
I haven't done much at all with Linux lately, and haven't kept up with a lot of developments so I can't definitively answer a lot of your questions, but this is what I remember of it.
I don't recall Ext4 having any kind of "background defragmenting" features. Just from taking a quick look now, it uses a process called "delayed allocation" to avoid causing fragmentation as much as possible by waiting until it actually writes files to allocate space for them. That was apparently a source of some controversy when the system was proposed because it can introduce a file integrity risk if the writes are interrupted. None of that should directly affect its use on a Solid State Drive however, as it shouldn't cause any more write/erase cycles than any other file system.
If there are more recent developments or a specific Linux distribution that includes background defragmentation however, that would be bad for SSDs and should be avoided.
Sharing disk volumes between Linux and Windows has always been a problem because of conflicts between the ways they treat the disk storage at low levels. Most of the time you can overcome these problems by installing drivers on the Linux system causing the disk formats to closely mimic what Windows expects to see (since Windows essentially can't be modified to accommodate Linux). Ext4 apparently has a feature called "extents" which must be disabled for Windows to successfully share files with it, again with the proper drivers in the Linux installation. It can be done, but it's another hoop you have to jump through.
There shouldn't be any slowdowns caused by installing and removing programs from a Linux system. Configuration files are usually stored locally to the program so removing the application generally removes its child programs and files. The exception would be any drivers or specialized files installed in system subdirectories, and those can be tough to track down. Well written programs will usually include a "manifest" text file telling what is included and installed, and where the installed files are located so you can track down and remove any left-overs. I'm not aware of any "uninstall" programs for Linux that track installations and keep a record of where everything got installed so it can be automatically found and removed like Windows has, but there may be some available.
I installed Ubuntu on my laptop partition; didn't use it much yet.
1. I didn't read this site completely but it looks relevant: https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/ssd
"The journaling that comes with EXT4 causes some write activity, but not very much. Plus journaling is a very important feature for system crash recovery, so you don't want to disable it."
2. I think sources/repositories are servers where you can download files for installation/etc. Using sudo apt-get [blah blah] versus clicking a .exe files should do the same thing. Maybe you can update everything at once using one line on the terminal, for convenience.
3. I could access my windows drive while running Unbuntu. It depends whether you've encrypted your drive or not.
4/5. dunno, never took an operating systems class.