Ubuntu Be Your Friend.

[Lounge Daddy]

Do you like the post title... it's a good line isn't it? Cleaver. Well, it's not mine, though--I saw it [url="http://free-arnold.blogspot.com/"]on a friend's blog post[/url].

In 1999 I tried to install Linux Mandrake on my old Acer Aspire. It didn't work out at all.

A few years after that I tried to install Red Hat, and then Suse on the same pc. Loaded and I could look at stuff, but it didn't function much more than just seeing things. The usb drivers weren't working properly for me; and unfortunately pretty much all the ports were usb on my Acer, including the mouse.

A few years ago I tried out a cdrom-based Linux distribution. The wonderful thing about Linux is the compact, practical, and overall lean size of the operating system. It is powerful and functional, but not the bloated hog that Microsoft's system is. The whole thing can be made to fit on a cdrom and run off your system's ram. Or, it was supposed to. It didn't quite work for me on my HP. Or is it that I didn't have the patience to make it work on my HP?

The three biggest issues that I have had with Linux have been the following:

#1 - Installing software. With Windows it's simply a matter of clicking an executable file that asks a few simple questions and then it does the legwork for you. With Linux, you haver to know how to manually do it. Not only that, there are different file formats and therefor, different procedures to installing stuff.

#2 - Wireless. It isn't wireless friendly. Many of the wireless drivers are not working on Linux just yet. From what I read, they are a complicated pain in the butt to port over. And seeing as my pc is a laptop, having the wireless thing working would be great.

In a nutshell, for the root problem with Linux is that, with a wife & kids, a house to take care of, working (or right now, being a full time student), and massive ADD, I just do not have the time, the patience, nor the attention span to tinker with too much... as much as I like doing that with computers. The program install issue is by far the biggest one for me.


The other day I decided to try Linux again. The recent attractive thing is fitting Linux distributions on cdrom. This way you can try the operating system by running it right off the cdrom without actually installing it on your pc. The closest thing to this a decade ago was setting up a dual-booting system, which for an ADD-ridden layman like myself was often easier said than done.

These Linux "live cds" are the perfect thing for tasting the various distributions. Then, if they are to one's liking it is then a simple matter of installing the dual-booting system. Then, if it is still to one's liking and one wants to make the full jump to Linux, one can go for it.

For those interested, I have been trying out two of the latest Linux distributions: Suse and Ubuntu. I will write my thoughts and impressions here. I began to use Suse over the weekend. I will install Ubuntu tonight.

Anyone else a Linux user?

Edited May 25, 2008 by Lounge Daddy

[Autumn Dusk]

I use ubuntu, xface flavor. (ergo xubuntu)

I'd recommend it. It can be frustrastaing but its a good start for newbies.

Its really nice all said.


And here is the wireless needs a prompt

Su
---password

dhclient ath0

---enter

that should find your wireless no problem

I've had little problem downloading things either. I have add/remove programs (which has a whole host of pre-linked downloadables) and synaptic package manager.

Java was a bear to get working but I did it myself.

[puellapaschalis]

I use OpenSuse, and in the past I've used RedHat, FreeBSD, and Fedora...only maybe not in that order. I don't remember anymore.

For me the most annoying thing about *nix is that things like mplayer don't work because they're just not built to work on something that's neither M$ nor a Mac of some description. For things like gtalk etc you're restricted to either the web interface or some other client like bitlbee (which requires a shell account somewhere...and so on). It just isn't something for the end-user.

Of course I don't have any experience with ubuntu and I've heard lots about it in that latter regard - but the issue of installation really bugs me!

[jmj]

I gave up on Vista and went to Ubuntu. Now that school is out and I have more time on my hands, I'm tempted to go over to Gentoo.

I was pretty impressed that my wireless worked pretty much out of the ... install (with an Atheros card). I also had problems with wireless in the past, mainly being unable to configure the card for some networks (WPA ones). But, this works on a WPA network without much prodding.

[jeffpugh]

I likes how Linux keeps coming up in this forum! I get to promote the OS!
[quote name='Autumn Dusk' post='1541989' date='May 25 2008, 05:48 PM']I use ubuntu, xface flavor. (ergo xubuntu)

I'd recommend it. It can be frustrastaing but its a good start for newbies.

Its really nice all said.


And here is the wireless needs a prompt

Su
---password

dhclient ath0

---enter

that should find your wireless no problem

I've had little problem downloading things either. I have add/remove programs (which has a whole host of pre-linked downloadables) and synaptic package manager.

Java was a bear to get working but I did it myself.[/quote]
Nice. I've used Gnome version of Ubuntu. It's pretty nice. I'ma get back on it again once I figure some things out. Definitely putting Ubuntu on my lappy when I get one...

[quote name='jmj' post='1542023' date='May 25 2008, 06:24 PM']I gave up on Vista and went to Ubuntu. Now that school is out and I have more time on my hands, I'm tempted to go over to Gentoo.

I was pretty impressed that my wireless worked pretty much out of the ... install (with an Atheros card). I also had problems with wireless in the past, mainly being unable to configure the card for some networks (WPA ones). But, this works on a WPA network without much prodding. [/quote]

I think they're making Linux "easier" now than how it was back then. You still need to get a lesson in basic commands, but other than that it SHOULD run smoothly if you have an up-to-date system, that is someting that people coded drivers for.

[jmj]

*using Ubuntu right now*

I'm trying to teach my husband the ins and outs of Linux but it's slow going...mainly because we don't have a lot of time to learn commands and whatnot. He's fairing quite well without them, though.

[Lounge Daddy]

Wow --- I got ubuntu up and running right away! I am using it right now. I spent the past few hours learning my way around it, but it was pretty much up and running right out of the install. The only thing that I haven't got running is the wireless and the video media stuff. I'll look at that tomorrow.

I did run the latest Suse last Friday and I spent most of Saturday fiddling with it. Maybe if I was more Linux savvy I wouldn't give up on it... but I am not so savvy so I am going to walk away from it. After the quick and easy install and the immediate luck with Ubuntu I am going with it.

I chose the Kubuntu flavor.

My biggest Linux peeve--the chore of installing anything--seems to have been addressed. The pre-loaded internet linked install that Ubuntu has is fantastic. (OpenSuse does have something similar--a big plus for sure). I am a happy Linux user, methinks. I have waited almost a decade for it to get this user-friendly for "regular" users like myself.

[Lounge Daddy]

Still running Kubuntu ...still running fine. The media software is running great, was easy to find and install. I am watching EWTN online right now.

Did I mention that Kubuntu seemed to de-mystify software installation?

[nleyetn]

I've been using Slamd64 (Slackware) for a while, but I've been looking into changing my distro. I love Slackware but I want something easier to manage as far as software upgrades go.

I've been looking into Xubuntu 8.04 lately and Fedora 9, but I still haven't decided which one I'm gonna go with.

I used to use Gentoo also and was considering that again, but after looking on their forums I'm questioning if it's really become that much more stable in the past few years.

[Lounge Daddy]

It's cool to see that there are so many Linux users here. I didn't realize.

[Autumn Dusk]

I'm having a hard time running DVD's UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

[LouisvilleFan]

I have OS X Leopard with Ubuntu installed via Virtual Box. It's mostly useless right now since I still need to upgrade from the installed 1 GB of RAM, but I look forward to messing around with Gimp and just generally having geek bragging rights

I'll also install XP for stuff that needs Windows, which raises a question: Can an installation of XP in Boot Camp be accessed by virtualization software in OS X (Virtual Box, specificially)? Seems it should be possible in theory. It would be nice to boot directly into XP for games and book through VB for anything else, and it would seem like a waste to have two installations of XP.

Perhaps it can work if XP is installed on an external hard drive?

[Lounge Daddy]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' post='1543978' date='May 26 2008, 08:11 PM']I have OS X Leopard with Ubuntu installed via Virtual Box. It's mostly useless right now since I still need to upgrade from the installed 1 GB of RAM, but I look forward to messing around with Gimp and just generally having geek bragging rights

I'll also install XP for stuff that needs Windows, which raises a question: Can an installation of XP in Boot Camp be accessed by virtualization software in OS X (Virtual Box, specificially)? Seems it should be possible in theory. It would be nice to boot directly into XP for games and book through VB for anything else, and it would seem like a waste to have two installations of XP.

Perhaps it can work if XP is installed on an external hard drive?[/quote]

So... you have three operating systems on the same box? Ca-razy

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Lounge Daddy' post='1544961' date='May 27 2008, 02:11 PM']So... you have three operating systems on the same box? Ca-razy[/quote]

Not yet... going to wait until I upgrade the RAM to install XP.

But I'm sure some people are a lot crazier than me

[scardella]

At work, I've got an Ubuntu workstation that runs vmware...
I run Ubuntu, Vista and XP at the same time. (I've experimentally run more at the same time, though.)
And I have a Mac Pro running OS X next to it.
And I have a windows laptop for running around.

At home OS X is the only OS I need.

I've had issues w/ sleeping and wireless networking on laptops with Ubuntu. It just isn't quite polished enough for production work on a laptop, in my experience. I love it on the desktop, though.

Edited May 27, 2008 by scardella