Security updates for Windows XP end today

[64Guitars]

As of April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer provide support and updates for Windows XP.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/end-support-help

That doesn't mean that your computer will stop working. You can continue using Windows XP indefinitely. However, as new security holes are found in XP, hackers will take advantage of them and Microsoft will do nothing to stop them.

Of course, what Microsoft wants everyone to do is spend lots of money on the horrible Windows 8. Then you'll most likely need a faster computer to run it on as well. Fortunately, there's a much better alternative. You can upgrade your Windows XP computer to Linux for free. It's more secure than any version of Windows and will run just fine on older computers. There are many excellent Linux distributions available that make a great alternative to Windows XP (Ubuntu, Mint, etc.)

A great choice for musicians is KXStudio.

KXStudio is a Linux distribution based on the popular Ubuntu and aimed specifically at musicians. It includes many excellent music applications including the following:

DAWs:

• Ardour
• Qtractor
• LMMS
• Non Timeline
• Rosegarden
• REAPER
• Audacity
• MusE

Synths:

• Qsynth
• Bristol
• amsynth
• Phasex
• Sunvox
• ZynAddSubFX

Samplers:

• LinuxSampler
• Qsampler
• Petri-Foo

Guitar amp modelling and effects:

• Guitarix
• Rakarrack

Other music software:

• Hydrogen (drums)
• SEQ24 (sequencer)
• SooperLooper
• Giada (looper)
• Jamin (mastering)
• Carla plugin host (supports LADSPA, DSSI, LV2, and Windows VST plugin formats, plus GIG, SF2 and SFZ sample file support)

Non-music software:

• Firefox web browser
• Gimp graphics editor
• VLC media player
• Kdenlive video editor
• LibreOffice (Word Processor, Spreadsheet, etc.)
• Wine (runs Windows applications in Linux)
• digiKam photo manager

and much more. Plus, you can install many additional programs from the Ubuntu repositories. All free, of course.

There are other distributions aimed at musicians (Ubuntu Studio, AV Linux, Tango Studio, etc.) but I recommend trying KXStudio. It's an excellent distribution which is actively being updated and improved. And you can get support for it through the LinuxMusicians website.

You can try KXStudio without actually installing it on your hard drive. Just download the Live-DVD image (either 32-bit or 64-bit) and burn it to a DVD. You can then boot your computer directly from the DVD to try KXStudio. Because it's running from a DVD, it will be a bit slow. But it's fast enough for you to try things out and see if you like it. Of course, once you actually install it to your hard drive, the DVD is no longer needed and KXStudio will run very fast. You can also install KXStudio to a separate disc partition so that you can still run Windows XP if you occasionally need it for a Windows application that won't work satisfactorily under Wine. But in time, you'll probably find that there are excellent Linux applications to replace just about any Windows application that you might have, so you'll stop using Windows entirely.

Give it a try. It's free, so you have nothing to lose.

[Oldrottenhead]

that's a hard sell 64, it's like getting people to change their mortgage, bank account,  electricity, internet providers and gp and dentist all roled into one.

and i  do love windows 8. now my xp laptop?

[fenderbender]

I have a laptop XP sitting around doing nothing except gathering dust
think I will take your advice 64
but being a plodding Luddite wish me luck
Funny enough I have always loved XP -maybe it's because I learned my way around it -the hard way -step by step
Im using Windows 7 -still dont know what to make of it -
but windows 8 gaawwwd -think I will have to go on one of these free senior citizen courses that are on in my local community hall---

wish me luck I will keep you posted

[64Guitars]

that's a hard sell 64, it's like getting people to change their mortgage, bank account,  electricity, internet providers and gp and dentist all roled into one.

I don't think it's like that at all. With those things, you're already paying somebody. So changing companies means you'll pay somebody else instead. Hopefully, you might save a bit of money or get better services but the difference is usually small so people tend to stick with the devil they know. A better analogy in the computer world would be switching from Windows to Mac (or vice-versa). Whichever OS you choose, you'll be paying either Microsoft or Apple for it, so it might be better to stick with the evil corporate devil you know.

But Linux is a different kettle of fish because it's completely free. Switching to Linux gives you freedom. You are no longer chained to the greedy corporation. You're free to use Linux however you like. And there are thousands of great programs that you can install in Linux completely free and without any restrictions. There are no "demo versions" of Linux programs (except for a few commercial products like the recently-released Bitwig Studio), nor crippleware or nag screens. If you read about a program that sounds interesting, you just install the full working version and start using it. It's difficult to appreciate what that freedom means until you've experienced it.

I was a Windows user for about 17 years (1990-2006). Whenever I heard about a program that sounded interesting, I'd have to make some tough decisions. Do I really want this program so bad that I'd be willing to pay a couple of hundred dollars for it? The answer was almost always No. So I'd either have to abandon any hope of getting to play with this cool new program I heard about, or compromise in one of the following ways:

• Look for a cheaper program that does some of the same things. This option isn't as attractive as the program I read about but I'm not rich so settling for a cheaper, less useful program might be necessary.
• Download the crippled demo version of the program with its nag screens and restrictions. This usually isn't an option because the restrictions are too severe, like not being able to save your work, which makes the program useless.
• Look for a freeware or shareware program with similar functionality. The price is right but these programs are often crude and buggy, and many are trojans that will infect my computer or steal my data.
• Get a cracked version of the program. If you can find one, you'll be able to use all of the features of the program without any restrictions. In that regard, cracked software is better than purchased software with its bloody activations, dongles, and other nonsense. But, again, you run the risk of installing malware. And you have to live with the shame of being a software thief.

Also, nobody has an unlimited budget for software purchases. Maybe you think you could have a lot of fun with PhotoShop, but you'd also like some good software for making your own videos, and you want a new DAW. Well those are expensive programs and you probably can't afford or justify all of them. So you have to settle for one and forget about the others or compromise with one of the options I mentioned above.

When I switched to Linux in 2007, all of that nonsense went away. I was now free to install and use any Linux program that interested me. This allowed me to explore new things I never would have been able to afford as a Windows user. For example, I started playing around with Gimp to learn about graphics. This is a very powerful program. In the Windows world, I would have had to buy something like PhotoShop to get the same kind of features. But that's an expensive program and I never could have justified the cost. I mean, I don't need to create graphics. It's just something that I was curious about and I thought might be fun. But there's no way I was going to spend a couple of hundred dollars on a graphics program just to satisfy my curiosity and have a bit of fun. So the cost of Windows software kept me from exploring new kinds of software that I might be interested in. Because Linux programs cost nothing, I'm free to try anything that interests me.

I will never go back to using commercial software. Having experienced software freedom, I could never give up that freedom. It's not just freedom from cost. It's the freedom to use whatever software you like. The freedom to try new things without risk or restrictions. The freedom from malware and the resource-wasting anti-virus and anti-spyware programs needed to guard against it. Freedom from non-standard, proprietary formats. Freedom to get the most out of my computer.

[phantasm777]

I have win 8.1 pro. no problems at all.
but a few questions about Linux.
would I have to erase my whole hard drive of win 8 and all my programs to install the OS? I realize I can partition) can it be installed with all your installed programs intact or would I have to reinstall them like I would if I wiped windows clean off the hard drive and reinstalled??
also in reading what you said it almost comes across like Linux cannot get viruses or maleware. could you elaborate on this?
I would rather ask someone who has first hand experience, and get a direct answer. sometimes searching online doesn't always get to the heart of my questions.
would most every program I have be able to run with linux as the OS? I would hate to have to give some up if that is the case.

[AndyR]

I must admit, I was thinking about this last night 64G. I decided it's looking like a SERIOUSLY sensible idea for a disaffected XP user. Anyone who's already switched to a newer Windows with a newer machine is unlikely to go this route, I guess. But if you've got a perfectly servicable PC with XP, that you weren't planning on replacing yet, but that's gonna cost an arm and a leg to make secure again... well, dipping a toe outside the Windows world suddenly seems like the thing to do... And now seems to be the time to do it...

Here at work, I'm on Vista, no choices open to me.

But at home, I have an old laptop I haven't used for ages and my main desktop PC. Both on XP. I've seen Windows 7 (wife's laptop) - don't like the look of that. Windows 8 fills me with concern.

My current leaning is to do the following:

1) Get a new laptop/notebook/wotever - I do kinda need one - and go for the 8.1 etc on that. This is the sitting on the sofa browsing, stalking people on twitter, etc. Also, I need to stay connected to the Microsoft world at home (from the employment point of view).

2) But my main PC - I think we'll look at getting Linuxed-up on that. Turn it into a "music only" machine. I've already started reading up on it (so thanks for the links ).

There is another option - on the old laptop, unlikely to switch it on in anger using XP again, In fact, I was actually wondering how to dispose of it safely/securely. So why not just download and install a Linux OS on there and use the experience to find out what the hell it's all about?

[dasilvasings]

This a discussion that is very dear to me.

I have tried for ages to move to Linux. Last time I did it, I had to finish a report and I was using Open Office. I don't remember exactly, but I think I wanted to import an image, and it was a photo of a lot of MB. When I was sending the report I noticed the file was too big, so I tried to use the Word function to reduce the size of all photos, and oops... there wasn't that function in open office. Obviously you have 1000 ways to solve any problem, but I think Linux, even user-friendly versions like Ubuntu have a steeper learning curve than Windows.

When it comes to using hardware, I understand many of the equipment suppliers don't have drivers for Linux. I believe that is not a problem with midi controllers, but I am not sure regarding audio interfaces. Perhaps you can give us your opinion on this.

I don't agree user friendly versions like Ubuntu or Mint are "light" in terms of computer specs. You need a modern computer to run them with decent speed.

Saying that, I agree that Linux/ Open Office is enough for most uses.

I also think you forgot the most important: you can run a full OS from a pendisk! There are computers everywhere. If you carry a pendisk with your software and main docs, you can use any computer you find as your own, and without significative security issues (not 100% sure about that).

I have a plan to get e.g. puppy Linux, energy xt (it is payable, but cheap) and have a portable studio I can use virtually anywhere, at least to make all the mixing, editing, etc.).
So far I failed for a number of reasons (puppy Linux doesn't have much music software; other OS are too big for the pendisk, etc.)
But in theory, this could work.

And yes, in theory we can argue about Linux vs Windows, but in the end, people pay for ease-of mind. If Windows and all its ecosystem is expensive and limited, Apple is even worse. And yet it is now one of the biggest  companies in the world.

Free software leaves me a bit confused. I could work for free too, but I still have to eat. I think is great all the voluntary work you find in the open community, but is it really Sustainable? Can the developers keep up the pace and the support when they have children of their own? I don't mind paying for software, providing the cost is right.

[AndyR]

Free software leaves me a bit confused. I could work for free too, but I still have to eat. I think is great all the voluntary work you find in the open community, but is it really Sustainable? Can the developers keep up the pace and the support when they have children of their own? I don't mind paying for software, providing the cost is right.

Yep, this confuses me too

Oh, and I'd be interested in hearing about driver support for audio interfaces as well... (although I suspect it's more of a case of "talk to the hardware supplier" to see what drivers they do provide)

[Oldrottenhead]

kxstudio looks really interesting, i went to their site and have no idea where to begin.

i intend to download the operating system to put on my laptop, but there are so many download options i don't know where to begin.

also do i just install it over the top of my windows os. or do i need to reformatt hard drive and what about drivers for the laptops various hardware.

so what should i download and then how do i go about installing it.

[Oldrottenhead]

my old laptop specs are "Intel(R)Pentium(R)M processor, 1.60GHZ 590MHz 504MB ram. with a 74.5GB hard drive. so will i have top go for a lite version of linux?