Ready for Linux?

I thought I knew a fair bit from using Unix at varsity, and from being in the IT field. Then I got a netbook with Ubuntu on it, and realised how different it is... I was lucky, it was already installed and set up, but just from trying to get the wifi lights working I can see that it can be tricky to get all your hardware working 100%. People who use windows aren't used to installing oddly named packages :)

And the UI does take some getting used to, although that's minimal; the security is quite an adjustment until you realise how it works; the whole way of installing apps is different (on Ubuntu 9.10 at least); even the naming of the OS is different! (Is it Ubuntu 9.10, or Karmic, or Karmic Koala?). I've had to use the terminal far more often than I ever have used a cmd window in Windows; and because you're not that familiar with the options and variations you're never quite sure what advice on the net will work for you or not.

That said, I'm enjoying it; it's been too long since I tried a new operating system. But I really don't think it's something I'd install for my parents, much less let them install it themselves.
 
Cath you have just start the war!!!!!!! those are war words!!!!!!!!!! most linux users have their 90 year old grannies running it like a champion.
 
I installed Ubuntu 9.10 the other day and was pleasantly surprised.
I find myself booting into Ubuntu more often than Windows 7 nowadays.

And I actually got my card reader to work on Ubuntu immediately after the install. It is still not working on Win 7.
 
killadoob said:
Cath you have just start the war!!!!!!! those are war words!!!!!!!!!! most linux users have their 90 year old grannies running it like a champion.
Click to expand...

LOL! :)

Its really not all that difficult, and if you do get stuck there's a HUGE support community on the Ubuntu forums. But I do confess I'm a bit of a Fanboi! :)
 
The problem is not linuxOS, but hardware manufacturers that refuse to develop linux drivers for their hardware--so imagine Linux being like OS X, OS X marries 100% with the hardware so no problems switching. For Linux if driver not there, you will have to hack the system to work--or depend on the OpenSource (open sores more like it) community to share one with you. otherwise, Linux is looking like it will gain momentum now that big guns like IBM and Google are marketing it e.g Chrome and Android.
 
killadoob said:
Cath you have just start the war!!!!!!! those are war words!!!!!!!!!! most linux users have their 90 year old grannies running it like a champion.
Click to expand...

@Cath...*Loads my penquin powered Bazuka!* Do you feel lucky punk???...well, do ya???? :-)

The wifi button light also does not work. It is always red, whereas it should be blue for on and red for off...but other than that my wifi works like a bomb! That is the only issue I have with Ubuntu...and frankly, it is such a non issue its not really worth mentioning.

I am no IT expert by any means but installing Ubuntu is easy peasy for me...so see no reason why a ouma cant do it. The only think I would suggest though is for Canonical to enable the the restricted repositries by default, so that when someone clicks on a media file like MP3 or AVI it will download the required codec for them.
 
I love Linux, but my home PC still has a Windows partition it. I'll only be able to remedy that when connecting my sound card to an amplifier via SPDIF works without me having to spend hours searching forums, cursing loudly at my monitor.

Catch a wake up Pulse!
 
I think with Microsoft supplying Windows office 2010 Lite or what ever they going to call it for free (albeit with an advert) we will find that there is even less reason for anyone to switch, even from a cost perspective if all a person requires is basic excel and word functionality. I say Linux is Lekker (probably better as a server), Windows wins on the desktop, especially windows 7 /office 2010.
 
I wish linux had more gaming support. I run Ubuntu at work and I seldom have issues, but it is hopeless for my gaming entertainment at home. I must admit though, my hate for Windows software has decreased since 7 has come along.
I wonder how long it will take before there will be more main stream titles being developed for linux... probably never. I guess gaming will be all console based before that happens.
 
ocleroux said:
The only think I would suggest though is for Canonical to enable the the restricted repositries by default, so that when someone clicks on a media file like MP3 or AVI it will download the required codec for them.
Click to expand...

No can do, you have the MS crowd to thank for that! :) Same for dvd playback.

If there were multimedia flat standards it would be bliss! So instead of MP3 'we' have ogg, the onus is on us as users to activate the services as canonical will be sued to high hell if they have that enabled by default *sigh* :)

But still, adding the repositories is hardly rocket science, my 90 year old granny can do it :)
 
Gaming will always be windows, mostly ported now from console but linux will never be in the running for gaming. Microsoft will make damn sure of that.
 
killadoob said:
Cath you have just start the war!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Obviously a lin-sucks user, no grammar or syntax. or possibly a journalist who has lost his command of "English". ;)

"Killa" (a name commonly used for chihuahuas), you should have said "CathJ, you have just started a war "... :sick:

Maybe I should sign up with that "grammar Nazis" group? :p
 
Last edited:
Happy Camper said:
No can do, you have the MS crowd to thank for that! :) Same for dvd playback.
Click to expand...

My god did DVD playback give me grey hair where a 27 year old should never EVER have grey hair, the first time I installed Ubuntu!!!!. But thanks to the online forums I quickly caught on and now it is a seamless process :-)
 
Are you a graphics professional doing DTP and graphic design? You're probably also better off on Windows (or Mac OS X). There are many great Linux-specific graphics tools available but in an industry in which InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator dominate it's not going to be an easy switch to Scribus, The Gimp and Inkscape. Each of these is powerful in their own right but there will be a degree of re-learning needed to get up to speed in each of these.
Click to expand...

I never get articles that mention design stuff not being great for Linux.
You're prepared to pay for the software (well, let's say you are) for Windows and/or Mac OS X, you can do the same for linux for quite a lot of design suites, you don't just have to use the free ones.
 
ocleroux said:
My god did DVD playback give me grey hair where a 27 year old should never EVER have grey hair, the first time I installed Ubuntu!!!!. But thanks to the online forums I quickly caught on and now it is a seamless process :-)
Click to expand...

This is my point, though - I enjoyed it, and don't mind sifting through forums (because, yes, there is a huge support base and pretty much everything you want answered is there - the problem is finding it). But a lot of people don't have the time or patience for that, they want everything to just work, immediately (And yeah, it's not Linux's fault, but the users - moms and dads and oumas etc - don't really understand, or care)

(BTW: didn't want to start a war :) It's just that it's my first experience with 'modern' Linux, I was interested to see how my experiences corresponded with the perceptions that are floating around out there)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X