I have an old POS laser printer and a new inkjet and currently I have both connected to a POS computer to be used as a print/file server. The laser is parallel port and I don't have one on this new beast so I was kinda forced.. I can't even load a driver for it so I can just print from my windows 7 computer because windows 7 is too new. So I easily use remote desktop and manage with ease. But, that computer is a 2ghz celeron with 1gb memory.. It's a dog. And it is just doing the BSOD every 5 seconds ever since it installed some .NET framework update. Along with some other issues.I like fedora and figured I would throw it on there. But, I have no idea how to get it on there (obviously from last times ordeal) and I have no idea how to share the printer/files/remote share all of it onto a windows 7 computer. Is it even possible?

It's definitely possible. And Linux will run on a 2GHz/1GB box a hundred times easier than Windblows would.Sharing to Windows clients is still easy, and usually is a walk-through when setting up the sharing.

I'll try and attack it a little tomorrow, taking pics of every screen that shows up. I really am lost as to what it is asking.

I know on Ubuntu its automatic. In the netowrk folder there will be a Windows Network icon. I'm so heavily modified now that I couldn't even explain it to you. But I know got the look and fell and the power of Windows XP but in a Linux software...Ubuntu 12.04 Desktop (LXDE) 395 MB / 3.85 GB Ram 9% This might help... http://www.liberiangeek.net/2012/05/windows-7-vs-ubuntu-12-04-how-to-enable-advanced-file-sharing/

Alright so I downloaded the Fedora 17 KDE Spin from here it's the 32 bit one. I burnt the ISO to a bootable disc (CDBurnerXP is awesome BTW) and stuck it in and turned the thing on. It just said start fedora 17 so I hit ok. It is now on fedora but running on the cd no doubt since nothing actually installed. Here is where I'm at http://i48.tinypic.com/2u90nly.jpg I left it like that so it would be full size since this scales it down.. So I think I just hit the "Install to Hard Drive" shortcut (the only shortcut on the screen). However, that hard drive still has XP on it and being I have no clue how to mess with the thing I don't know if I can format that hard drive now (on the Live cd running thing) or if it will somehow do it during the installation. I will be on chat on here from 2pm on today.. If you 2 want to join in the festivities. There will be chili and hot dogs.

I'll be right there... well, not sure "which" 2pm you're referring to, anyway LOLI'm on the right coast time.

Well fedora and the monitor seemed to have a fight with frequency. I put ubuntu 12.04 on it and now it all works. But, it's the slowest thing I've ever seen. I don't know what's up with it. I can't figure out where "task manager" is to see what is lagging behind. I did get the networking thing to halfway work, I can see all the files on my 7 computer but I can't see anything about the ubuntu computer from 7. Ubuntu had the drivers for my antique printer somehow. I just cant get it to share anything with 7.

Two way for a task manager at least for me... 1. Go to the terminal screen and type in...

top

2. Go to the application list and look for "Task Manager" This is for Ubuntu (LXDE Desktop). As for desktop it can be installed and then switch at login time...

I found all of the fancy monitors. Seems just the monitor itself uses 20% CPU power. I can't see why it's this inefficient. Windows was 10x faster. It takes 3 seconds to open the terminal when you do the ctrl alt T thing....

That's quite odd. I experienced the exact opposite when converting one of my PCs to Linux..

Double check you additional drivers and your BIOS setting to be sure. The only flaw I've got on my computer is I not have any suspend ablities. (S1 or S3) Its a Nvidia video card problem.

I installed all the new update things. I don't know what the deal is. It is almost unusable slow. If I can just get it to network then I wouldn't care since I won't have to use it. I did the samba thing to put them on the same workgroup, shared a folder on ubuntu, shared the printers. Checked the guest box so there would be no authentication for sharing that folder. 7 still sees nothing. Ubuntu sees 7 but 7 can't seem to see anything on ubuntu. I just want to share the printers and external hard drives, the computer will not be used for anything else. It's just a router for my files/printers..