The joy of using Ubuntu
It’s a strange feeling, but I really enjoy booting up and using Ubuntu—as my primary os at home, like I have felt for no other before. I mean, I am neither a linux kernel diver, nor a developer. I’m just this regular guy—okay I run this website, but that’s it. Nothing fancier than that.
I have been using Linux live CDs in the past, but until I took the plunge to install it on my computer’s hard drive, I was really skeptical about everything Ubuntu had to offer. Now, I wish all computers I use were running Ubuntu.
There’s also an element of idealism: Ubuntu is open source. It uses open formats. It has excellent package and dependency management. It only adds restricted drivers upon request; otherwise, it keeps your computer a virgin. I feel good about it.
I can run a web-server locally on my Ubuntu box without doing anything out of the box. Terminal gives me the power of GNU tools—comparable to OSX’s. Gnome’s interface is modern, accessible, and simple. As a former Windows user, I am at ease with keyboard shortcuts. It comes loaded natively with a complete Office suite (Open Office)—not to mention availability of thousands of applications, all for free. It makes installing and uninstalling applications a child’s play. I don’t need to have a window focus to execute a shortcut on another running application; like for instance, I could be using the web while changing a track on Amarok without bringing it in focus. I have never had an OS this good.
With Vista’s native problems, and Mac OSX’s indifference to third-party application developers—thereby sidelining users’ freedom to choose, Ubuntu hit home. Vista introduced problems that XP users never faced. When I see Firefox under-developed on OSX, I can only understand why. Apple has a browser preference, and it will only see Safari enjoy all the hidden benefits of OSX, even if it is un-pluggable. Lack of security related extensions like No-script is not an option in today’s world, where scripts and cookies are learning to become intelligent. I wonder if examples like these are turning third-party developers away from OSX, and towards Linux.1
Much of office automation is going the intranet way, thus taking away OS dependency in business, financial and commercial units. What I don’t see yet is the professional and scientific (commercial) software going mainstream Linux in large numbers. But that could well change—considering much of these were running on Unix a decade or so ago. Abaqus, for instance, is a fine example; SESAM has been on Unix for much its lifetime—they were forced to move to Windows because users were phasing out their Unix workstations. USFOS was developed for Unix, but was later ported to Windows for similar reasons. PDMS used to run on SGI’s Irix until the beginning of this decade. They could well roll back. Bentley’s Microstation was compatible with Linux until 1995. BOCAD has a Linux version. Matlab has a Linux version—just to cite some examples of the type of software I use, in particular, in my everyday job.
When the demand changes from push to shove, I don’t think it is difficult for business and scientific applications to return home. It would be only a matter of time.
On a side note, you might want to read about my return to Linux desktop I wrote a few months ago. There’s also a nice plug by Mark Shuttleworth commending WUBI developers on making the transition to Ubuntu—for Windows users—even easier in the upcoming version Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron.
- You can develop commercial applications for Linux and its variants, and developers will not have to worry about hidden features to exploit—because linux is open source, a level playing field for every developer. [←]
Awesome to know that non-development people are shifting to one of the world’s best Linux flavors. I used to use Ubuntu as my primary OS for everything other than work with my laptop! It really is an amazing experience!!
Welcome to the Ubuntu community!!
Apr 11, 08 at 14:08Completely agree with you. I shifted to Ubuntu at work recently and love the experience. The problem is that my laptop’s version doesn’t connect to the internet at home. Does this sound familiar? I have enable the restricted drivers but no ID/passphrase combination seems to work.
Apr 11, 08 at 17:26nitish: I presume you’re talking about connecting via wireless. Try the last paragraph in this post—see if it helps; and please do let me know!
ETA: The slam dunk way of keeping your internet connection OS independent is by putting a cheap wireless router between your ISP provided connection (cable or DSL) and your computer.
Even if you have a laptop as the only computer at home, the best way is to wire the laptop and the router first with a network cable—only until you configure the router for wireless access; and then yank the cable out of the laptop, and let the laptop access internet wirelessly.
Apr 11, 08 at 20:32I have been using Ubuntu for a while–I am running a dual boot with Windows on the other partition. The only reason I am not moving over to Ubuntu entirely is because I am a heavy voice chat user. When I chat with my folks back home, I need to restart my system everytime. Since I have a notebook, there have been issues with Pidgin and Skype(voice chat has issues when the internet connection is wireless).
It’s the only major sticking point. That and Sopcast for streaming live matches.
Apr 11, 08 at 23:08Aditya: Have you tried Ekiga for voice chat? Also, there are sound improvements in the upcoming Hardy Heron—to be released toward this month end. So hopefully, you don’t have to reboot then. There’s now Sopcast for linux as well. Hope they work for you.
Apr 11, 08 at 23:40No but Ekiga is not cross-IM compliant. As in I can’t expect my parents or whoever back home to be savvy enough to adapt to changes in usage of my clients. What I need is something like Pidgin that supports voice. But from forums etc, they are too busy resizing windows and changing buddy icons. The word around is no one is really interested in that. Gtalk is what people back home use, and I need a client that can talk to GTalk. Simple as that.
There have been projects started to get the voice feature fixed, but unfortunately most of them have been aborted.
Apr 12, 08 at 00:09Edit from last post: The word around is no one is really interested in voice chat
Apr 12, 08 at 00:11I agree. I can’t think of a Jabber based VOIP app from top of my head [scratch]..
This may sound absurd, and circumventing the problem—and not OS related—but I call home from here in Holland via a VOIP service (which has a toll-free number giving me about 4 to 6-cents per minute which just gets billed into my call.) If you’re based in the US, do you have such services you could use, perhaps?
Apr 12, 08 at 00:44I have Ubuntu running on an old laptop I am using right now, and I have to say I have all the same feelings you do!
Apr 12, 08 at 03:59Absolutely agree with you Chetan. I’ve been ok Ubuntu now for a couple weeks and love it.
Aditya, for those MS specific tasks, have you tried VirtualBox?
My VirtualBox install of XP seems to run faster than a base XP install.
Apr 21, 08 at 05:13Prashant: Thank you for an excellent suggestion—virtualization for non-native applications.
Apr 21, 08 at 09:30