Ubuntu (from a nOOb)
If you’ve been using some version of Microsoft Windows for nearly your entire life, it can be down right scary to boot up another operating system on your precious computer. Especially Linux. You’ve heard great things about it, but you’ve also heard it can be a geeks paradise, and you might need a computer science degree to operate it.
Then came Ubuntu. It’s a Linux distro that I’ve been paying attention to the past couple years, even going as far as to beta test their in-Windows installer, Wubi. Ubuntu is ‘Linux for human beings,’ meaning it was designed to be used by children and grandmothers alike, and Windows/Mac converters. The idea is to be able to be up and running without a mile long learning curve.
The latest version of the software has just recently been released, and I took it for a spin yesterday, using a LiveCD. A ‘LiveCD’ is a disk image of the Ubuntu operating system that you can run from your CD drive, so you can try before you ‘buy.’ I was really impressed, and I’m very tempted to attempt to turn my system into a dual-boot machine.
Everything loaded very quickly, as far as I could tell all my hardware was recognized, my wireless card worked(!), speakers, everything. And even despite the fact it was running off of a CD (well, I used a DVD), it had my computer just humming. Never has it ran so fast in a ‘Windows’ environment.
No one at this point could tell someone with a brand new computer that Linux is the way to go, and you’ll be just fine formatting your hard drive and doing a dedicated install. There are still limitations, and getting certain things to work in Linux will be infinitely more difficult than in Windows. That will continue to be the case until software and hardware manufacturers embrace Linux as a whole.
So who do I recommend this for? People who have a spare computer lying around in the garage, that became orphaned after an upgrade. Or disgruntled Windows users who either deliberately pirated XP, or were unfortunate enough that someone decided to upgrade them at a repair shop. Right out of the gate, without any tweaking, Ubuntu can make an unused machine productive again; it handles the basics of word processing and internet browsing with ease. As you get more comfortable, you can try some more complicated tasks, but there is zero need to open a command prompt to do your more common, remedial tasks.
The best thing, it’s completely free, completely legal. It is ‘open source’ software, so it experiences a constant flow of updates, as there are huge teams of people that do nothing but fish out bugs to squash. I look forward to dabbling in the future; I have a dusty XP system with decent specs that is going to get a face lift soon!
–Jeremy Hobbs
April 26th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I was one of those disgruntled Windows users. I build computers. Every so often, Genuine Advantage would tell me that the $150 operating system that I just bought was stolen. I dove in to Ubuntu Breezy Badger not knowing if all of my drivers would be detected, but Windows be damned! The only thing I had to configure was my wireless, which was fixed by NDISWrapper. I have had 0 problems since I totally switched to Linux.
I am an Ubuntu convert and I love it!
April 26th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Got a ‘new’ to me second hand computer with windows left on it, read the users agreement, decided I was a moral, law abiding citizen, went on the net on a Buddie’s machine, made the Ubuntu disk for free, installed Ubuntu on my ‘new’ machine, found that this process had erased all traces of windows, and haven’t had any problems yet. The college machines I broke my teeth on all had Windows on them and never worked as well as my own machine with Ubuntu on it. I would have made a higher grade if the school machines were as fast! Most the software on the Ubuntu machine is similar enough to Windows stuff that I caught on quickly,and lots of good help is available on the net. Can’t imagine why anyone would steal or buy Windows when Ubuntu is available and can be used for free! Thank you Ubuntu!
P.S. I’m too happy with Ubuntu fight now to go look at Googles new word processor but the idea seems good!
April 26th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I tried Ubuntu, but I didn’t inhale
Personally, I like Ubuntu for initial conversion of Windows people to Linux. If you’re a geek, you want things to play with, and Gentoo gives me that.
But I have a spare partition on my tri-boot system to play with, I might give Hardy a whirl and see how it plays.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:55 am
I’m on Ubuntu 8.04 as i type this and have been using Ubuntu for 2 years now. Why would anyone want Windows and have to pay/pirate all the apps needed to do what most people use a PC for nowadays? It’s all built in, free, user friendly and great looking! I say give it a try, risk free before and Bill Gates lovers start putting it down. (they will send you the install cd/dvd free of charge too)
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:32 pm
i use windows AND linux.
i love pirating stuff too!
woooo!
May 4th, 2008 at 9:34 am
No comment
May 20th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Used to dual-boot ubuntu and vista on my laptop. Really wasn’t that impressed with ubuntu but considering that it was completely free I guess you get what you pay for.
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:08 am
Ok, I finally got Ubuntu installed. After burning a half a pack of CD-ROM s from several different mirror sites. I gave up and broke down, bought the “Ubuntu Linux for DUMMIES book” by Paul G. Sery. This included a CD with version 6.10. The install was straight forward and everything worked out fine until I tried to update to the a more current Ubuntu version. I get error messages stating that the “network Server” is not running or I’m not authorized. I am the sole administrator to this here, my own personal desktop computer. I’m denied the installation of Mozilla’s Thunderbird email, and most of all, I’m told that the “repository index” is out of date! What is my next move?
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:06 am
Hi Robert;
I would recommend visiting the forums section at the Ubuntu website. Aside from maybe Red Icculus, there probably isn’t going to be much support here, simply from a lack of knowledge. At the very least, there will be a far greater amount of informed users over there, many very eager to help if you ask nicely.
My apologies that you had trouble, that is part of the reason I recommended it for users that had computers they had otherwise given up on. Nothing to lose and lots to gain.
August 20th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I have been using Ubuntu exclusively on both my machines since Dapper Drake. My only major issue has been buying the wrong brand of printer( no drivers) and that was my fault for not doing a little research. Learning to use the command line for certain things is well worth the effort. My only help has been the open source community on the internet. Try LinuxQuestions.org. It’s full of Gentoo Gurus who don’t mind helping a newbie.
November 19th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
@ Jef,
like our beloved Jack Layton ( canadian politician) said :
I tried but I didn’t exhale
I switched to linux for an eeepc, Xandros is crap really, Why do they sell it like linux and then lock every option.
Switched to ubuntu : LUV IT and now “converting” others.
even my mother in law ( Yes I know it’S risky