Ubuntu be, or not Ubuntu be...
Submitted by Dallin on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 19:59
Okay, lame post title, but I thought it was funny. And this is my blog, so there.
Trying out Windows 7 Beta has gotten me interested in testing out other operating systems. Inevitably, I seem to always come back to Windows XP. It's tried and true, certainly outdated, and admittedly falls short in several areas, but it works. (What an intriguing concept...an OS that works...)
The latest target of my nerdy zeal has been Ubuntu Linux 8.10. I have tried out several different Linux distributions in the past. Among them: OpenSUSE (the first one I ever tried), Linux Mint, earlier versions of Ubuntu, Fedora 9, Yellow Dog, Xubuntu, and others.
If there ever was a Linux distribution that people totally unfamiliar with Linux should try out, it would be Ubuntu 8.10. Installation was a breeze, and the Live CD feature that lets you try out the OS without changing a thing on your computer has long been a great feature with Ubuntu, as well as many of the prominent Linux distributions out there.
That said, if one wants to do anything beyond basic word processing (OpenOffice.org), internet surfing (Firefox), listening to music, and reading/sending e-mails, a basic understanding of the Terminal is a must.
I am far from a Linux expert, but I'm pretty good at Googling things, and I've learned my way around.
One thing I've been able to do is install Windows XP in a VirtualBox (a free Virtual Machine application) and run it in "seamless mode". It's like having 2 Operating Systems running on your computer at the same time.
So, if I need to run an application that is "Windows only", I simply boot up my Virtual Machine of Windows XP and run it without ever having to leave Ubuntu.
The most prominent disadvantage to this setup is that you have to share the reasources of your computer between the 2 operating systems. So, the more RAM the better. Actually, the better the specs on your computer all around, the better the performance of both your host and guest operating systems.
That said, I think it's darn cool to have the reknowned stability and flexibility of Linux as the platform for doing all my personal computing right now. And in these rough economic times, people looking for low-cost or free OS and software alternatives are bound to discover that Linux isn't has enigmatic or incomprehensible as they might have thought.
Trying out Windows 7 Beta has gotten me interested in testing out other operating systems. Inevitably, I seem to always come back to Windows XP. It's tried and true, certainly outdated, and admittedly falls short in several areas, but it works. (What an intriguing concept...an OS that works...)
The latest target of my nerdy zeal has been Ubuntu Linux 8.10. I have tried out several different Linux distributions in the past. Among them: OpenSUSE (the first one I ever tried), Linux Mint, earlier versions of Ubuntu, Fedora 9, Yellow Dog, Xubuntu, and others.
If there ever was a Linux distribution that people totally unfamiliar with Linux should try out, it would be Ubuntu 8.10. Installation was a breeze, and the Live CD feature that lets you try out the OS without changing a thing on your computer has long been a great feature with Ubuntu, as well as many of the prominent Linux distributions out there.
That said, if one wants to do anything beyond basic word processing (OpenOffice.org), internet surfing (Firefox), listening to music, and reading/sending e-mails, a basic understanding of the Terminal is a must.
I am far from a Linux expert, but I'm pretty good at Googling things, and I've learned my way around.
One thing I've been able to do is install Windows XP in a VirtualBox (a free Virtual Machine application) and run it in "seamless mode". It's like having 2 Operating Systems running on your computer at the same time.
So, if I need to run an application that is "Windows only", I simply boot up my Virtual Machine of Windows XP and run it without ever having to leave Ubuntu.
The most prominent disadvantage to this setup is that you have to share the reasources of your computer between the 2 operating systems. So, the more RAM the better. Actually, the better the specs on your computer all around, the better the performance of both your host and guest operating systems.
That said, I think it's darn cool to have the reknowned stability and flexibility of Linux as the platform for doing all my personal computing right now. And in these rough economic times, people looking for low-cost or free OS and software alternatives are bound to discover that Linux isn't has enigmatic or incomprehensible as they might have thought.
