Translations by Wylmer Wang

Many things work the same way in Xubuntu that they do in Windows. But you may still need help understanding Xubuntu terminology and transferring your files to use in Xubuntu.

While using Windows you will have probably stored a great deal of data, including documents, emails, photographs and music. The chances are that you will want to keep most of this information for use with Xubuntu. This section provides instructions on moving your data to Xubuntu.

While applications available for Xubuntu support most common file types, there are still many file types which are not supported. If you have files in an unsupported format, it is recommended that you try to convert them to a supported format before switching. This section covers some common, unsupported or only partially-supported file types and lists possible alternatives and methods of conversion.

Many common audio formats cannot be played on Xubuntu without the installation of additional software. This is due to legal restrictions.

Unfortunately, due to legal restrictions and technical issues with some common audio formats, Xubuntu cannot play certain audio formats out-of-the-box. While support for certain restricted formats can be added after you have installed Xubuntu, it can be advantageous to convert audio files to a well-supported format. This is especially important if the files have been encoded using some form of <emphasis>Digital Rights Management (DRM)</emphasis> software, as DRM restrictions can render files unplayable in all applications but the one in which they were applied.

The following major audio formats are proprietary and so are not supported by default in Xubuntu:

For a well-supported audio format to replace MP3 and WMA, consider the <emphasis>Ogg Vorbis</emphasis> format. For a well-supported lossless (very high quality) format to replace AAC Lossless and WMA-VBR, consider the <emphasis>FLAC</emphasis> format. Both of these formats are open, and can be played in Xubuntu without the installation of any additional software.

It is still possible to add support for many restricted formats (such as those listed above) to Xubuntu after installation. See the <ulink url="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats">Restricted Formats</ulink> document on the Xubuntu community support website for more information.

Many common video formats cannot be played on Xubuntu without the installation of additional software. This is due to legal restrictions.

As with audio formats, due to legal and technical issues, many video formats are not supported by the default Xubuntu install. While support for some formats can be added at a later date, it is recommended that you convert important video files in unsupported formats to a format which is well supported in Xubuntu.

As with the audio formats, there are many video converter applications available as free-of-charge downloads for Windows. Consider converting your video files to a format which is well-supported by Xubuntu, such as <emphasis>Ogg Theora</emphasis>.

The following major video formats are not supported by default in Xubuntu:

Xubuntu office applications can read most common office document formats without the need for conversion

The default office suite of Xubuntu, <application>OpenOffice.org</application>, supports very many office document formats right out of the box. These include many of the Microsoft Office, Corel and Lotus formats. If you find that you do have files in formats which are unsupported, it is likely that your existing office suite or application will have the ability to save the files to a better-supported format.

The OpenDocument file formats are gaining popularity and are expected to become the de facto supported office formats for Xubuntu. While many older applications cannot save to the OpenDocument format, other formats such as .doc and RTF are also well supported.

Some file formats are specific to particular Windows-only applications, and so cannot be used with Xubuntu software

Many applications use file formats specific to them. A good example is the <application>Adobe Photoshop</application> file format. Formats such as these are generally able to store additional data compared to widely-used standard formats and so are still useful. You may find that applications exist on Xubuntu to convert or use application specific formats. The <application>GIMP Image Editor</application> is able to use Adobe PSD files, for example.

If you are uncertain whether a format is application-specific or has a usable alternative, seek help from a <ulink url="http://www.xubuntu.org/help">Xubuntu support channel</ulink>.

If you connect to the Internet through a proxy server, you will need to make a note of some details of the proxy server in order to allow Xubuntu to connect to the Internet.

If the <guilabel>Control Panel</guilabel> has a purple background, press <menuchoice><guimenuitem>Network and Internet Connections</guimenuitem><guimenuitem>Internet Options</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.

If the <guilabel>Control Panel</guilabel> has a white background, press <guilabel>Internet Options</guilabel>.

Press <menuchoice><guimenuitem>Start</guimenuitem><guimenuitem>Control Panel</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. <placeholder-1/>

While Xubuntu is usually able to automatically detect the settings for your network, it is wise to make a note of relevant network settings in case the network you are trying to connect to cannot be handled automatically.

If you have a home network, perhaps connected using a router or switch, there are a few settings which you may need in order to connect to the network successfully. While most networks will be able to assign correct settings to Xubuntu automatically, some networks cannot.

A black screen called <application>Command Prompt</application> will appear. Into the screen, type <screen>ipconfig /all</screen> and press <keycap>Enter</keycap>. This will list a set of network settings for each of the networking devices you have installed. You may have one or several networking devices.

Now, type <screen>ipconfig /all &gt; C:\network_settings.txt</screen> and then press <keycap>Enter</keycap>. This will store the settings you have just seen in the file <filename>C:\network_settings.txt</filename>.

<emphasis>Virtual Private Networks</emphasis> are a type of network which allow you to connect to a remote private network using a public network such as the Internet. There are many different types of VPN, which have varying degrees of support under Xubuntu. If you must connect to a VPN, first identify the type of VPN which you are connecting to. If the VPN is supported under Xubuntu, it is possible that a document will be available from the VPN vendor's website which can help you to connect to the network.

If you use instant messaging (chat) software, you will have set up a user account on an instant messaging network. Xubuntu has excellent support for many instant messaging networks by default, so you should still be able to use your existing account after you have switched. Please ensure that you make a note of the following information about your instant messaging account:

It is likely that you have many bookmarked websites in your web browser. This section helps you back them up.

To backup your <application>Microsoft Internet Explorer 6</application> web browser:

To backup your <application>Mozilla Firefox</application> web browser:

Press <menuchoice><guimenuitem>Bookmarks</guimenuitem><guimenuitem>Manage Bookmarks</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.

Press <menuchoice><guimenuitem>File</guimenuitem><guimenuitem>Export...</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.

Choose a filename. Press <guibutton>Save</guibutton>.

To backup your <application>Opera</application> web browser:

Press <menuchoice><guimenuitem>File</guimenuitem><guimenuitem>Import and Export</guimenuitem><guimenuitem>Export Bookmarks as HTML</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.

You can use the same email account in Xubuntu as you have done in Windows. If you have a web-based email account you should simply be able to access it using a web browser as you would have done in Windows. Otherwise, please note down the following information so that you can re-create your account settings on Xubuntu:

Exporting mail messages from Outlook Express

When you switch to Xubuntu, make a back-up copy of the folder you just made a copy of. This folder contains all of your mail folders from Thunderbird, in the <emphasis>mbox</emphasis> format.

Once you have collected together all of the files and settings you might need, you must create a copy of them which can be stored safely while you initially install Xubuntu. There are many ways of storing a copy of this data, and which method you choose will depend on your particular circumstances.

If you are installing Xubuntu onto a different computer than the one on which your data is stored, you can leave the data you collected on that computer and can safely transfer the data across once Xubuntu has been installed onto the other computer.

If you have access to an external hard-disk drive or some other removable storage device of a great enough capacity, then you can simply copy the files you have collected onto this device. When ready to transfer the files onto your Xubuntu installation, you may simply connect the drive and copy the files from it again.

Removable storage devices such as external hard disks will have a certain type of <emphasis>file system</emphasis>. For use on removable devices, the best supported filesystem for Xubuntu is <emphasis>FAT</emphasis> (also called <emphasis>FAT32</emphasis> or <emphasis>vfat</emphasis>). While other file systems (such as NTFS and HFS+) are usable, they may require additional steps to allow you to use them with Xubuntu. If possible, try to use the FAT format for your removable disk.

Simply copy the files you have collected onto the second drive as it appears in <filename>My Computer</filename>. Ensure that this drive (or partition) is <emphasis role="strong">not</emphasis> the one which you intend to install Xubuntu on to.

Migrating your data into Xubuntu

This chapter provides instructions on importing your data from Windows applications to the corresponding Xubuntu applications. The instructions assume that you will use the default collection of applications installed with Xubuntu and have followed the instructions in the <xref linkend="preparing"/> chapter.

To access your Home folder, press <menuchoice><guimenu>Places</guimenu><guimenuitem>Home Folder</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. You can create new folders inside your Home folder by pressing <menuchoice><guimenuitem>File</guimenuitem><guimenuitem>Create Folder</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. You may find it useful to create folders for different types of files, such as music and photos. This will help to keep things organized and you will be able to find your files more quickly and easily if they are categorized in this manner.

Importing Photos

Xubuntu does not include a powerful photo manager by default. However, you can install the <application>F-Spot Photo Manager</application>, which you can use to organize all of your photos.

Open your Home folder and create a new folder called <emphasis>Photos</emphasis>. You can do this by pressing <menuchoice><guimenuitem>File</guimenuitem><guimenuitem>Create Folder</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.