It’s been a long time coming but finally, here’s my blog about Linux and my experience over the past few years with Ubuntu.

Now I know to most of you that was all gibberish. To a lot of you though that are used to my ramblings it probably doesn’t come as a shock but for the rest of you, I’ll start with a brief (?) intro into Linux and Ubuntu.

Oh, something I should get out the way now is how to pronounce “Linux”. It’s “lin” as in “linen” or “link” with out the “gk” sound at the end” “ux” as in “ucks” like “ducks” or “Uxbridge”. It’s because the name of the guy that created Linux is called Linus Torvolds and he’s Finnish so his name is NOT pronounced like the name of the kid with the blanket and piano in Peanuts (the cartoon with Snoopy and Charlie Brown) but as “Lin-us” not “Line-us” and because the software that Linus wrote is based on Unix we get Linux. There’s a YouTube video somewhere of an interview with Linus Torvalds explaining this if you want to hear it from the horse’s mouth.

What is Open Source software?

In short it’s software that you can get for free (as in free beer). The people that create it or own the rights to it give it away free of charge. Examples include Mozilla’s Firefox browser, Thunderbird email program, 100′s of Linux based operating systems and Open Office – a free suit of office programs similar to Microsoft’s Office suit (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint etc.).

What is Linux?

Linux is the basis for alternative operating systems that can replace Microsoft’s Windows XP / Vista and Apple’s Mac OS X. It can be installed either as a complete replacement or as a second operating system, a popular choice for people new to Linux making the transition much easier. This “dual boot” option allows you to choose what operating system you want to load when you start your PC.

What is Ubuntu?

Ubuntu is one of a very large number of pre-configured Linux based operating system. Other popular options include Fedora, Debian and Red Hat (Red Hat is not free though). There is a Linux operating system called openSuse but I’m not discussing that because Microsoft has got it’s hands on it so it’s tainted but is obviously a popular choice for the more hardened Microsoft fan boy *spit*.

Why do I use it?

Over the last few years I had become more and more annoyed and frustrated by Micro$oft and their products. The more I use them and the more they update them the more faults I discover and the worse they perform – slow downs often and crashes almost weekly*. Then one day, a friend asked me what OS I use (which was windows at the time) and explained to me that there was an alternative (other than buying a Mac).

* No, there is nothing wrong with my PC. I built my PC using componants I chose. It was checked frequently almost to point of being anal. I love my Antec Sonata and all the goodies contained there-in.

It’s also a very political decision as I have a loathing and venomous disagreement with how Microsoft treats the computer industry and it’s customers. The then recent destruction of several hard-drives helped somewhat with the decision as well.

Ubuntu was recommended to me and was the first Linux OS I used. I’ve tried a few others including Zenwalk, openSuse and Fedora but always go back to Ubuntu. It’s not the prettiest or the best at integrating with my hardware but with minor tweaking it does work brilliantly and the community is fantastic.

Why did I choose Ubuntu?

Because it was the first one I ever tried and after playing around with Debian, Fedora, Suse and the other *bunutu distro, Ubuntu, I just felt that Ubuntu was the best for me. It’s not necessarily the flashiest distro but a combination of the ease of use and the friendliness of the Ubuntu community convinced me.

What’s so special about Linux / Ubuntu?

For a start it’s not Windows. It works. It’s safe. Viruses do exist for Linux but they’re nothing to actually concern yourself with. It’s practically unheard of to have a Linux anti-virus program; it’s just not required for the average user. Ubuntu is free. It’s free to download, it’s free to modify and I can, if I so wish, even give my copy away whether I’ve modified it or not. It’s free as in freedom. I can do what ever I like, when-ever I like, however I see fit (…ish).

Sounds perfect, any catches?

Yeah, actually, there’s a few. You have to bear in mind that Ubuntu (as are most Linux Distros) was originally written by individuals as a solution to their particular needs at that time. It has since been refined but it’s not guaranteed to install and run perfectly on every machine. This is because there are hundred’s of different computers and laptops made with a selection from thousands of different components. Not all are compatible. The Linux community try to keep lists of what is and what isn’t compatible but it’s not easy, there are just too many different variations. The Linux community also try very hard to write all the necessary drivers required to allow a piece of hardware to work with the operating system but again, this is a mammoth task. Recently however some manufacturers are doing their part. HP (Hewlett Packard) and ASUS go to great lengths to ensure their products are compatible out of the box. If you’ve got a PC that’s less than 5 years old, chances are you’ll have no problems but if you do, it’ll be relatively simple to fix. If it is 5-10 years old or you’ve got a laptop, some initial fettling will often be required but like I said earlier, the support community is second to none. More often than not it will work but will just have a few bugs. Screen resolution issues are probably the most common followed by wireless internet. Having said that, with every release of Ubuntu (the open source community release a new version of the distro (operating systems) every six months) things just get better and better (read “easier”).

Now, I could have saved you all the effort of having to read my ramblings by pointing you earlier to the following link: Linux is NOT windows. I highly recommend you read it if you have so much as a passing interest in Linux and want to know more about the transition from Windows.

I think that’s far too much already for a first blog on this subject to I’ll finish this one here but one day I’ll write a follow up that will hopefully be constructed as an attempt to convince you. The bottom line at this point is that it’s free and you can try it safely without getting rid of Windows. Try it but do give it a chance. It is new to you and it IS different. There’s a learning curve but once you “get” it, you’ll never go back.