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My Yearly Try at Linux

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by rkuhn040172

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Well, I'm at it again.

I give Linux a try once or twice a year. I've been disappointed for various reasons in the past, however, I have to admit much has changed since my last attempt.

Ok, well I haven't really dug in too deep just yet, but so far I'm impressed. Quick install, all hardware detected (a first for me), good performance.

I installed Ubuntu 9.04 on a AMD 3200+ with 1 GB of RAM and 80 HD. Pretty normal for a "business" PC. Not real old but not real new either.

I turned on the "Extra" under Visual Effects...kind of cool. I'm impressed so far with Evolution. A snap to configure it to retrieve my work email from an Exchange server.

Added a few addons to Firefox and installed Flash.

So far, while I haven't done anything near what my day to day responsibilities would require, I'm impressed.

The wizards are easy, the setup was a breeze. Performance is OK. I was expecting more since most of the Linux crowd claims it is so much faster. It seems about the same as Windows.

The next test is getting the things done that my job requires of me. Some specific tools and tasks that may or may not work in Linux...I may have to find alternatives.

At least this time I'm further down the road configuring everything, installing everything, etc. No problems so far which leads me to believe I'll stick to it longer this time.

In the past, one problem after another was simply too much and all my attempts ended in frustration. An OS to me is something that enables me to get my job done, not an end goal in and of itself. Like they say, it's the apps that matter.

But this time does feel different. No major obstacles just yet is a more comforting feeling. I'm more positive already.

We'll see.

P.S. Almost forgot. One thing I do not like about my setup so far...the fonts. They are horrible compared to my Windows box (what I'm used to and accustomed to).

21 replies

by deadly ernest

go to Add?Remove Programs (a special interface of Adept) and make sure you have WINE loaded and the MSfont loaded - they'll make using most Windows based software a lot easier to use. I always do a regular package update as well.

And this site is worth a visit too

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu

by rkuhn040172

In anticipation of needing some Windows apps, I already installed Wine. I have no clue how to use it yet though.

by jdclyde

until you have a reason for running it, it will stay that way.

I am about to move another system at home over to the linux. One out of four are linux, the 2 are xp and one win2k.

think I will give the ubon a try again. my other one is MINT.

by charliespencer

I took a shot at it annually for about four years. I've decided there's nothing there to interest me personally. I'll continue my practice of running whatever OS came on the system when I bought it; in this case, Vista Home Basic.

Professionally is another matter, but for the foreseeable future there are other technologies the company would rather I concentrate on.

by dschlesak

I have heard and read that Vista is a dog. I would rather request my supplier to load WinXP on any system I buy from them.

I run a dual boot on my desktop. Ubuntu to access email and the internet since it is a lot more secure than Windows. Windows for some software that I still could not get accustomed to on the Ubuntu system.

Good reason for Ubuntu (for me at least) is that Ubuntu is free and Windows can cost you $300 or more and all the software that Ubuntu provides for free can cost you thousands of dollard. You can get accounting software, databases, games, open office (runs on Windows and Ubuntu), graphics and video software plus a lot more and all for free (donations are welcome). I used to like Microsoft when they first started (I started with Windows 1.0 and Word 1.0) as they were customer oriented and responded to customer input. That attitude has gone the same way as the IBM attitude used to be as they grew and dominated the market. Now it is "You will do it our way or you will not do it!". As long as they hold that attitude, they will lose market share same as IBM did. The other thing I don't like about Windows ia that there are all to many holes and back doors. Microsoft is also enterring into agreements with other companies to undermine the user. No thanks, Microsoft. I will go to Ubuntu and save money plus be more secure.

by slayer_

I mean, an example would be, pretty much everything you listede you use in Ubuntu, also exists in Windows. So your entire reason for using Ubuntu is safe web browsing. I am not sure what you are browsing that is "unsafe" but that's for you and your mind to deside. Suffice to say, if that is your only use, why not just use a LiveCD? Same effect, no lost HDD space, and it's even safer. Heck, you can be safer yet and in your BIOS, disable your HDD's before you fire up the LiveCD.

But seriously, your rebooting your computer every time you wanna browse the net anyways, why not just use a LiveCD?

I would love to use Linux, but I just cannot justify it. As you say, software costs money, but the software I want costs money regardless of what OS I use. So that, as a point, is pointless. So it really comes down to the OS cost, and what cna run on each OS. The majority of programs run on Windows. This easily offsets the cost.
I mean, even if you prefer openoffice, as you say, it works in Windows. So that is another point for Windows. You haven't actually saved any money in your system, because you are still using Windows and paid for software. You have just installed Ubuntu to, I am assuming, take advantage of the free software that may not exist for Windows. That is certainly fine, but unless your burning CD's (unlikely?) that you could do everything your doing, using a virtual machine of Ubuntu.

by charliespencer

Vista is a dog if you were one of those early adopters who made the mistake of upgrading based on MS's hardware recommendations.

"You can get accounting software, databases, games, open office (runs on Windows and Ubuntu), graphics and video software plus a lot more and all for free (donations are welcome)."

I don't run accounting, database, graphic, or video software at the house, so it doesn't matter what OS runs them or how much they don't cost. As you noted, many of them are also available for Windows, so that's a wash. Games? Popcap doesn't make any for Linux. The software I use to run my fantasy racing league only comes in a Windows flavor, as does my preferred WYSIWYG web page editor.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Linux, but I'm made my last annual trial for the foreseeable future.

by jellimonsta

I have been running Jaunty Jackalope at home for quite a while. It is not bad, but does have the occasional hang up. I don't really mess with it too much though. I mainly use it for Web based Email and GIMP (though I have GIMP on a number of my XP boxes too).
I have an XP desktop at home, and XP laptop, the Jaunty laptop, a W2K laptop and a RedHat 6.2 laptop (I also have a 98 desktop but it is out of commission). :p I think I have tried many flavors of Ubuntu, PCLinux, Mandrake and RedHat over the years. I found the last few installs of Ubuntu were a lot friendlier with the wireless chipsets in my laptops though. :D

by charliespencer

I manage a small NASCAR fantasy racing league (25 players). The short version is each player picks five drivers for before each race, but you can only use a driver nine times during the 36-race season. It's strictly for bragging rights and trash talk; there are no cash payouts or prizes. It's mostly a work place league, although we allow families and (since I run it) TR members. Michael Jay joined us this year.

The league management software in question is gfrCup, from Green Flag Racing (www.greenflagracing.com). I've used it for several years. It's a stable mature app, their support is pretty good, and it's inexpensive ($35; $25 for renewals).

If you're interested in more info, see www.switchracing.com and hit the 'League Rules' button on the left, or send me a reply.

by robo_dev

Ubuntu 9 on an old HP laptop worked like a pro, except, despite hours of fiddling/patching, it would not standy/hibernate/wake-up reliably.

I know it's the fault of the old HP hardware, but after a couple hours of hacking at it, finally just gave in and reloaded XP Pro.

by dschlesak

Most of the work I do now is in Ubuntu and I rarely switch back to windows. It happens only if I cannot get it done in Ubuntu. The software that I use comes free in Ubuntu and it costs plenty in Windows. Plus I just do not trust Microsoft any more. As I said before, I used Windows and Word since version 1.0 but I have lost confidence in Microsoft.

by slayer_

You are still running Windows, so no money saved at all, you actually just trouble yourself by having to run two operating systems.

I would love to switch to Linux, I truely would. But It just can't do what I want to do.

After working all day, when I get home, all I wanna do is maybe watch a movie, browse the web, and play games.

None of these activites can be done to my satisfaction in linux. If anyone questions the browsing the web one, search up my unanswered help thread at TR about why I can't browse the web effectivly....

I bet with way too much dicking around, I might get videos and TV shows to work, but in Windows I litiratly just open the nVidia control panel, and click clone to TV. DONE! GOM player automatically adjusts ratios to my TV screen through S-Video, it also automatically has every codec I have ever needed, it has even on more than one occasion beat VLC. There is no GOM on Nix :(.

And I cannot play games on Nix, cause there are no commercial games on Nix.

For every other odd activity I do, Windows does what I want, just fine, usually with free software.

by dschlesak

If you are happy with Windows then you should not change. I have almost completely converted to Ubuntu. I have no problems with watching TV shows or web surfing with Ubuntu. Games I do not play except for Backgammon and Texas Hold'em but I can do that in Ubuntu as well.

Each to his own. I find Microsoft cost prohibitive (various programs not just Windows) and I do not like Microsoft's attitude nor their future plans to undermine even your TV watching without paying a price so that they can collect royalties.

by dschlesak

Microsoft will always have customers who will remain loyal and willing to pay the price. They have lost my trust and loyalty. As I said before, I have used Windows and Word from version 1.0 and used to like the way they used to do business (customer oriented). As they got bigger and bigger their attitude changed to "screw the customer". At least that is my feeling (and a lot of the people I know).

by charliespencer

There's no loyalty to MS involved here. There's a difference between being loyal to something and not having a reason to leave it. Vista came loaded on the system, but I have no reason to replace it, replace my apps, learn how to use the replacements, etc. It's a case of inertia more than loyalty.

by dschlesak

That I can understand. I had a great deal of inertia to move from my CP/M system over to PC-DOS back in the 80's and It took me a great deal of time to leave Windows and convert to Ubuntu. What one of my customer IT managers said in the 70's "It will most likely take you six months or more to get used to Linux." He was trying to convince me at that time to move from PC-Dos and Windows over to Linux. I finally "bit the bullet" last year and I am not sorry now.

by rkuhn040172

Well, my intentions were good, however, now I'm slammed at work. This is typically how things go.

It does make things more difficult for me though. I had several days of using my Ubuntu box but since everything is so new and different for me, these little breaks away from using it day in and day out really make matters worse.

I'd like to get a few weeks under my belt where I could fiddle with it everyday.

by dschlesak

And, btw I forgot to mention, there is a program called wine that will allow you to run Windows software within Linux. You do not have to reboot each time.

by a51ts2

Install the package called 'msttcorefonts'.
I may be off on the spelling, use Synaptic to find it.

It will install some Windows fonts and the font rendering will be fairly close.

You may also want to switch the font-rendering from "Slight" to "Full".

by larryd4

I do the same about every year, just haven't gotten around to it this year.
I'm looking to install Linux on a tablet PC but I still doubt that I'll get that working "good enough".

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