Windows 7 is dead, long live Linux Lite a Windows 7 lookalike

Windows 7 came to the end of its supported life today. This means that it is no longer safe to use a Windows 7 computer for doing online tasks such as browsing, sending and receiving emails and online banking. For many, this is a huge disappointment as Windows 7 was arguably, the most loved of the versions of Windows ever released. It was an operating system that didn’t get in the way and just got things done. Its successor, Windows 8 was a radical change, and was unpopular among Windows users. Windows 10 is an improvement on Windows 8, but for many users, it is intrusive and doesn’t work the way that they really want Windows to work (like Windows 7). Windows evolved into an operating system to use across different form factors such a laptops, tablets and phones. Windows 7 however, was an operating system for desktop and laptop computers and did the job well.

So what is the best thing to do with your ‘old’ Windows 7 computer?

The simple answer is to say, install Linux and have a powerful and very secure operating system. However, having said that, there are many Windows users who are inhibited from taking the plunge and installing one of the many distributions of Linux, fearing that Linux is an operating system for nerds and experts and fearing a large learning curve.

There are many distributions (varieties) of Linux, but there is one that was created specifically for the person wishing to move from Windows 7 over to Linux. The distribution is called Linux Lite.
It was created to make the transition from Windows to Linux as smooth as possible. It provides an interface, or desktop environment that is very similar to Windows 7 and it is just as easy to use. It comes with easy to use familiar software such as Skype, Steam, Kodi and Spotify, a free Office suite called Libre Office that is fully compatible with Microsoft Office and can save in Microsoft Office formats, either pre-installed, or ready to install in Lite Software, within Settings. It also comes with an image processor, the Gimp, which is an excellent alternative to Photoshop. There is no doubt that a Windows 7 user will be able to use Linux Lite from the start and will quickly forget that they are not using Windows.

The desktop of Linux Lite

The Menu button is the same as the Start Button in Windows 7

The items in the menu are organised in a logical and easy to understand, and access way.

AstroDMx Capture for Linux starting up in Linux Lite

The desktop environment can be customised to suit your preferences. Below, we can see a similar screenshot to the one above, but using the Dark Theme.

The ISO file for Linux Lite can be found at the Linux Lite website https://www.linuxliteos.com/
They have an online shop where you can purchase a Linux Lite install DVD or a Linux Lite USB bootable memory stick at very reasonable prices. This is the simplest way to install Linux Lite.  However, it can be done for free by downloading the Linux Lite ISO file in Windows and burning the ISO to DVD. All you need to do in Win 7 is to right click on an ISO image file and select Burn disk image. This will launch the Windows disk image burner which will give you the option to burn the iso image to DVD.  An ISO file can be burned to a USB memory stick using free software such as Rufus 3.4. Once the ISO file has been burned to a DVD or USB stick it can be used to install Linux Lite on your computer. All you have to do is to insert the install-media (DVD or USB stick) and reboot the computer. Immediately keep pressing F12 or whatever function key allows you to enter the BIOS and change the order of the boot device. Select the boot medium from the list which will be shown and move it to the top, following the instructions on the BIOS page. Then exit and save the settings. The computer will boot into the installation of Linux Lite and will run a Live image. This is a fully functional Linux Lite but it has an install button which allows the full installation of Linux Lite.

However, you may be a little scared of trashing your Windows 7 and replacing it with a better Linux system. The best thing to do is to replace the Hard drive with a cheap SSD drive. This will allow you to keep Windows on your original Hard drive and install Linux Lite onto a fast SSD drive. As I write this, it is possible to purchase a 240 GB SATA SSD drive for about £25 or a 120 GB SSD for about £16. With most computers from the Windows 7 era it is very easy to replace the hard drive with an SSD drive.

Here are photographs showing the replacement of the hard drive in an ACER Aspire 5733Z. This machine has an Intel Pentium CPU P6200 at 2.13 Ghz

The replacement SSD drive

The Computer turned over to reveal the underside

The first thing to do is to remove the battery

The cover removed to reveal the hard drive which has been removed by simply sliding it out

There may be a caddy and a couple of screws to remove to release the drive

The new drive in place

When all of the screws and items including the battery have been replaced, the computer is now fitted with a fast drive and ready for the installation of Linux Lite.

There are, of course, many other distributions that you could install, but as a smooth transition from Windows 7 to Linux, Linux Lite is probably the best.

With a new, snappy Linux computer, you are ready to do safely all of the things you have been used to doing with Windows, but you now have a powerful astronomical imaging computer that paired with AstroDMx Capture For Linux, will be hard to beat.

Settings can be found within the menus or from the Control Panel on the desktop and can be used to install any of the many popular programs that have been prepared for installation within 'Lite Software'.

This is Settings in Linux Lite

Lite Software can be seen highlighted near the centre of the window.

The following two images show the Lite software that has been pre-set up for easy installation. There is quite a lot, which is why it takes two screenshots to show all of it.

It is a good idea not to pre-install all of this software as much of it may not be required, but it is good that all of the software has been set up so that it can be easily installed without having to search for it and then learn how to install it (even though it is quite easy to do anyway). Linux Lite really has been set up to ease the movement over from Windows to Linux painlessly.

I look forward to using Linux Lite as well as the Chinese distro Deepin Linux to test and produce results from a number of cameras including the SVBONY SV305 deep sky and planetary imager.