Tech Blog

[#1]

I'm often asked about Linux; "Why use it? Is it really free? Will it work on my system? Is Linux for me?".

My answer is usually "yes"; I'm not really biased toward any particular operating system. For a little more detail on the 'whys and wherefores' of selecting an operating system, you may want to read Tris' most excellent post.

Assuming you're interested in Linux then, we'll carry on.

I use OSX, Windows (XP, Vista, 7), and Linux equally, depending on the environment and application. But, to really get a feel  if Linux is right for you, I'd suggest you run it yourself (in a safe way) and see if Linux is a fit.

Here's a simple way to to do that. There are many different flavours of Linux. We're going to take a look at one of the most polished Linux versions, Ubuntu Linux, and run it using a LiveCD.

A LiveCD is a special version of Ubuntu (or Linux in general) that is built to run only off the CD without needing to be installed. This makes a great tool to test hardware, do system recovery or show new people Ubuntu.

Why this is cool is because running Linux in this way doesn't modify or change anything on your current PC. Everything is run off the CD -- a great way to test drive it.

Tech Toolbox Tip: As an aside, keeping a LiveCD of Ubuntu around is a great idea. If you have a computer crash (Windows, OSX) and you need to access the data on it. Just boot up the LiveCD and viola...you can get at your data, and begin repairing your system.

Ubuntu's system requirements are pretty light too:

Ubuntu is available for PC, 64-Bit PC and Intel-based Mac architectures. At least 256 MB of RAM is required to run the alternate install CD (384MB of RAM is required to use the live CD based installer). Install requires at least 4 GB of disk space.

Getting Ubuntu Linux
The two best ways to get the latest version of Ubuntu are to Download and burn a CD, or order a Free CD to be mailed to you. The only drawback of ordering a CD is it may take up to 10 weeks to receive it.

As you'll see, there're three version available, but since we're just starting to explore Linux, get the Desktop version. Once you've got the disk in hand, go on to the next section, I'll wait

Starting the LiveCD
Ok, once you've got a LiveCD of Ubuntu Linux, the hard part is over. With the LiveCD in the drive, reboot your system. If prompted, press the appropriate key to Boot the Live CD. It'll likely take a few moments as the Linux operating system boots up -- data transfer from most CD/DVD drives is not as fast as it is from hard drives.

If your system isn't booting from the CD, you may have to go into your BIOS settings and change the device Boot Order. Set things so that your system tries to boot from the CD first, then the Hard Drives.

Exploring Ubuntu Linux
Once Ubuntu finishes loading, there's a lot you can do. Explore the drop-down menus and check out this Ubuntu Guide for more ideas.

Without going into too much detail (you can find out more on Ubuntu's website) here's what you can do with your new Linux computer:

1. Surf the 'net - Firefox is the default browser
2. Open and edit most Microsoft Office documents - using OpenOffice
3. Email and Calendaring - Evolution, or Thunderbird, or Sunbird
4. Music, Video, Photo - Rythmbox, Totem, Gimp

Extending Ubuntu
As well, once you've decided to take the plunge and install Ubuntu on your system, there's a huge library of downloadable free applications that let you extend your Ubuntu desktop to suit your needs.

Is Linux your bag?
Well, now you've seen how easy it can be to test it, I'd be interested in hearing your experiences. If you try Ubuntu, let me know what you think and share your experiences with other in the comments for this post.

Message Edited by bgrier on 05-18-2009 10:28 AM

Message Edited by MikeLee on 07-28-2009 10:33 AM

Message Edited by Laura on 08-21-2009 11:24 AM

[#2]

I've been dual-booting Ubuntu on and off since Warty's release; a couple of releases back I began using Kubuntu simply because I prefer KDE over GNOME.  However, it's still more of a weekend project for me than a reliable second OS.

My experience with Ubuntu has been largely positive. The install is always easy. Once and a while, it hasn't worked nicely out of the box--one time, X server wouldn't work because I lacked the appropriate drivers for my laptop. The great thing about Ubuntu's clockwork release cycle is that I don't feel bad putting Ubuntu aside for the next release--it's only six months away, after all.

I installed Kubuntu 9.04 a couple of days after it was officially released. By far, this is the best out-of-the-box install I've ever had. Everything seemed to work quite well out of the box, particularly my wireless drivers, for which I'm very thankful.

I'm still not using Kubuntu as my primary OS, which is my long-term goal. I still need to learn how to customize Kubuntu more to suit my tastes. As far as even trying to make a switch to Linux, however, Ubuntu is certainly a very friendly Linux distribution.  I encourage anyone who's thinking about trying out Linux but hesitant to give the Ubuntu Live CD a go.  And just remember that if you don't like something, whether it's the appearance or a certain program, you can change it.  It's open source, and it's free software, and with a little learning and tinkering, you can truly make your computer yours.

[#3]

Brad that is so true. I do it all the time. Now I like to make Ubuntu boot USB sticks. Works great for netbooks that don't have optical drives. I've saved several people's tushes using a Linux boot CD (mostly password recovery)

[#4]

Just yesterday I went and installed a copy of Ubuntu onto a virtual machine on my laptop just to mess with it and see what it's all about. It feels very much like a mix between a Mac (with the menu bar and dock constantly at the top) and Windows (with the taskbar at the bottom).

Was a bit of adventure figuring out how to install the VMWare Tools, but I thought it was really cool how it detected the installed set wouldn't work with my version of Ubuntu, so it went and automatically compiled stuff that would work. Whoa.

The built in install manage thing is really cool, too. Instead of having to go online, look for what I want to download, download it, install it, etc... I just went to the Add/Remove widget, searched for the program, and it automatically downloaded it and installed it without a hitch. Spent the next hour playing NetHack, and even the UI for that is much better than the UI for Windows. >_>

Looking forward to messing around with it more, anyway.

[#5]

@tachyondecay: You know, I'd not ever tried Kubuntu. I'm not sure why, but now you've piqued my curiosity and I'll have to try it. Given that it's a long weekend, maybe tonight!

@tris: I have to also do more USB boot building. My only experience with it was building the easypeasy OS for my eeePC. It worked, but I'm not comfortable with it.

@Tanarus: Virtual machines are a great way to get dirty with an OS. Or have a single system with multiple OS (great for developers) running live at the same time.

And you bring up a great point about Add/Remove...it is quite easy, and you can add more 'universes' to access even more open-source applications. If you're into tinkering, it's a really addicting OS.