I've tried various Linux flavours over the years, but always got to the point of screaming frustration, and then swiftly giving up, but then recently, I tried Ubuntu. I'm pleased to report, that it almost lives up to it's hype. Personally, I think it still has some way to go before it becomes a viable alternative to Windows or Mac OS, but it's getting pretty close.
I've seen a couple of articles around lately, saying how Ubuntu is as good as Win/Mac, but until the setup process is as painless and easy to understand as it's two competitors, its going to have a hard time meeting up to expectations. Like other Linux distros, there is also still a fairly heavy reliance on performing tasks at a terminal command prompt too. So, it's still not the ideal choice for the beginner.
However. There's an awful lot to be impressed with. I'm nowhere near a Linux/Unix expert, quite the opposite in fact, but I have still managed to install Ubuntu (dual boot, just to be safe), configured it to be able to use my workplace Cisco VPN, remote desktoping, and to the point of being able to work pretty much how I would on my Windows box.
Past experiences with Linux have been painful, with issues ranging from completely wiping hard drives and data loss during setup, through to inability to get sound/display drivers and more, but Ubuntu seems to pretty much work "out of the box".
The current version, Jaunty Jackalope (v.9.04) is a great preview of what a good open-source operating system has to offer, but until it's easier to install and configure, and developers such as Adobe get behind it, it's always going to languish in the shadow of it's two main rivals.
Watch this space for articles about my ongoing experiment in Living with Ubuntu....
I've seen a couple of articles around lately, saying how Ubuntu is as good as Win/Mac, but until the setup process is as painless and easy to understand as it's two competitors, its going to have a hard time meeting up to expectations. Like other Linux distros, there is also still a fairly heavy reliance on performing tasks at a terminal command prompt too. So, it's still not the ideal choice for the beginner.
However. There's an awful lot to be impressed with. I'm nowhere near a Linux/Unix expert, quite the opposite in fact, but I have still managed to install Ubuntu (dual boot, just to be safe), configured it to be able to use my workplace Cisco VPN, remote desktoping, and to the point of being able to work pretty much how I would on my Windows box.
Past experiences with Linux have been painful, with issues ranging from completely wiping hard drives and data loss during setup, through to inability to get sound/display drivers and more, but Ubuntu seems to pretty much work "out of the box".
The current version, Jaunty Jackalope (v.9.04) is a great preview of what a good open-source operating system has to offer, but until it's easier to install and configure, and developers such as Adobe get behind it, it's always going to languish in the shadow of it's two main rivals.
Watch this space for articles about my ongoing experiment in Living with Ubuntu....
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