Ubuntu All The Way! I hate ms

[FLaKes 0]

Well, here is my story with ubuntu. It was recommended to me by a friend some time ago so I decided to go to the webpage to download it, then I saw that they could sent it to you for free, so I ordered it and it arrived in about 4 or 5 weeks I think. When it arrived I really couldnt believe it, it came in this really cool package with the 2 discs I had ordered and a couple of stickers. It is really nice of them to do this, I am going to lend the cd's to a couple of friends after I finish migrating to it.The big problem:My brother had a lot of problems on his computer and he was fed up with windows, when my linux arrived he saw it and wanted to install it too. The only problem was that he does not know a lot about computers, so after the installation of the Operating system, (which was pretty good by the way, very user friendly) I was bombarded by questions every single minute. By that time, I had not installed linux on my pc or had ever used it much, and he was asking me how he could play mp3 and movies, etc. I got so fed up with him that I ended up telling him to google it up. After discovering what applications he needed for what he wanted he gave up after not being able to install what he downloaded. So I really dont think it is very user friendly, at least not yet.. It is easy to install now and they have improved the graphic user interface a lot, and I am not even considering beryl yet, but it is still not as easy to use as windows is.I guess I will have to investigate what the synaptic package manager is and how it works. I wonder If my brother was able to install his applications in linux as I went on vacations the next day and he left on vacations the day before I came back. I doubt it do, I fear that when he comes back and turns on his pc I will see windows on it again. Oh well, then I guess that would proove that it is still not for everybody.

[dre 0]

I guess I will have to investigate what the synaptic package manager is and how it works.

It is the magical place where all you have to do is mark the check and there you go, the program installs itself. Also, I'm shocked that your bro couldn't get mp3 playing right away on Linux (do you recall which flavor it was?). As I remember, I could instantly do a majority of my usual tasks in Ubuntu without downloading anything, including listening to music.
Google is a great help to the less experienced Ubuntu users if you know where to look. There are so many resources online that explain step by step how to do things in Linux, but I'm amazed that people still come with questions that are easily answered on the internet.

Oh well, then I guess that would proove that it is still not for everybody.

You need to be smarter than the usual 60% of computer users who are complete computer illiterates. This requires reading (oh no!) and some practice (being able to diagnose and solve problems when your PC has trouble). When I tell that to most people, they will not put in the effort and would rather pay $400 for software that cost 15 cents to manufacture (Vista). Also, of those 60% of computer users, Ubuntu would be able to do all of the tasks that about 50% of those people usually do without any magical computer hocus-pocus. Think about it, how many people just use the computer to surf the web, go on myspace, go on IM's, and type up the occasional report? I'd say 50% of computer users do just that and nothing else. Well, why are they paying money for craptacular Vista and craptastic Office? Everything they do can be easily done, with no advanced training, for free. The world just amazes me sometimes, but this proves the fact that Microsoft gets so much money because the majority of people are clueless and intellect is looked down upon. Edited January 2, 2008 by dre (see edit history)

[rvalkass 5]

I got so fed up with him that I ended up telling him to google it up. After discovering what applications he needed for what he wanted he gave up after not being able to install what he downloaded.

Just a hint to help you out: you need to make sure you download the .deb version of anything you want to install. Ubuntu is based on Debian and therefore uses Debian packages.

However, there is a much easier way to install most things. Open the Synaptic Package Manager and search for what you want, right click on the relevant package, then click Mark for Installation. If you're asked to install any extra packages, let it mark them for installation too. When you've selected everything you want, click on Apply. That will download the package, get all the dependencies and resolve any issues. There is a guide on the Ubuntu Wiki which goes through it all in more detail.

[jlrr94 0]

I tried Ubuntu and I like but not for my main laptop, I installed it on my secondary computer, and after trying it, I realized that it's a good OS, but I prefer a lot more Windows Vista, I don't know about what people say that it's a bad OS, etc. But for me, it's great and I won't leave it until the next Windows OS.

[Amiel 0]

At first I like Ubuntu and I always explore the things installed there. But at the end, I still prefer to Windows. Windows has more cooler things that Ubuntu cant do. Windows is very worthy to buy even though Ubuntu is free. In Ubuntu, I cant install games because there are no games that is for Ubuntu and it's so irritating. Oh well, stay with Windows, love and take care of it and you'll see what I mean.

[dre 0]

At first I like Ubuntu and I always explore the things installed there. But at the end, I still prefer to Windows. Windows has more cooler things that Ubuntu cant do. Windows is very worthy to buy even though Ubuntu is free. In Ubuntu, I cant install games because there are no games that is for Ubuntu and it's so irritating. Oh well, stay with Windows, love and take care of it and you'll see what I mean.

Completely false statements. It's obvious that you either lack the knowledge to be able to search google about your problems, or you're too lazy. And besides, how hard is it to press add/remove programs and search games and download one, ready to play? Perhaps you didn't run Ubuntu or its variants, but if you didn't, then it's your fault that you didn't take 2 minutes of your time finding out which Linux flavor is the best to start with.

[Amiel 0]

Ok, I'm really lazy with this but I've searched in Google about Ubuntu and I saw the informations stated there and I didnt like it.Yes you're true, I can download games but how about the other games which is needed to be installed by a CD? How about those other programs that needs to be installed by a CD? I'm sorry to say this but I dont think that I didnt see a program in stores that is compatible with Ubuntu. Tell me if there is, then I might change my mind.I still prefer to Windows still. Every programs that people needs are there. And for the last, I explore Ubuntu for atleast 1 week and it's sooooo boring.

[truefusion 3]

I'm sorry to say this but I dont think that I didnt see a program in stores that is compatible with Ubuntu.

Given the grammar, you're saying that you did see a program that was made for Linux in stores. But you can't judge a system for its lack of certain support if it is out of their hands, that would be unfair. Microsoft, however, could have implemented all the support it had from Windows XP into Vista, but they didn't. It is not unfair to judge Vista for lack of support, because it wasn't out of Microsoft's hands. But Linux is increasing in popularity, and, although it may take a few years, we will soon be see-ing a bigger increase in support.

 

As a side note, Ubuntu 7.10 (and, i'm assuming, later versions) supports my 8600GT graphics card out of the box. This i find to be good news, for WINE has been reported (i saw screenshots) that it can run Call of Duty 4. Some have reported that multiplayer works also.

[rayzoredge 2]

First off, why are people even mentioning software in STORES for Linux? Everything for Linux is free (unless you purchase licensed commercial copies of sUSE or some other distribution like that). All the software that you will have available to you will be listed in the Adept Manager (in Ubuntu... I believe it's Yast in sUSE and called other things in other distributions). Tetraca is very right on needing an Internet connection to get things working... most likely a hard-line connection, since some wireless cards are still not supported ON installation. (But with programs like Ndiswrapper and WICD, connecting to your wireless network is a little easier with a bit of work.) With an Internet connection, a wealth of FREE software is at your fingertips. Why spend $100 on Microsoft Office, $600 on CAD software, $300 for Photoshop, 3DStudioMax, or anything, really, when you can get equivalents for free? (I'm talking about OpenOffice, TurboCAD [?], GIMP, Blender, etc.)People are turned off by the idea of Linux because it immediately brings up the idea that it's geared more towards the technically-proficient (i.e. geeks). Another obstacle that most people won't bother with is the fact that they'll have to learn another operating system.I just jumped back into Linux not too long ago with Kubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn). I tried upgrading to 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon), but I love my eye candy and Compiz was just not working for me, so I downgraded simply to have a working version of Beryl. (Oh, and by the way... I think that Beryl/Compiz is much better than Aero. It's almost like a combination of Aero and the eye candy effects of the Mac OSX interface... I think.) In all reality, Linux is designed for familiarity from other operating systems, depending on which distribution you decide to install. I'm personally happy with the look of Kubuntu, which almost mimicks and betters the Windows interface, whereas Gnome has more of a Mac feel (that I didn't like as much).If you actually take the time to look at the operating system, you may find similarities between your current OS and your Linux distribution. In the case of Kubuntu, Add/Remove Programs is accessed by either the Adept Manager (a more advanced version) or by Kubuntu's own Add/Remove Programs interface (a GUI version of the Adept Manager). KNetworkManager or WICD replaces the Windows Zero Wireless configuration; the Start menu is the KDE menu; the taskbar is still there, but you can customize it so much more to your liking; you can personally skin just about anything in Kubuntu as opposed to Windows' limited options; and all the program support is there, including Wine, the Windows program emulator. (If it seems like I'm comparing Windows to Linux, I am... I'm not familiar enough with Mac OSX to make much of a comparison.) Linux, in my opinion, is good for basic use (i.e. Internet, word processing, image editing, listening to music, etc.) as well as the advanced (i.e. CAD work, programming, etc.). Game support, however, is lacking in the aspect of the latest and greatest that we have for Windows (games like Call of Duty 4, World in Conflict, Crysis, etc.), as is Mac OSX. (I'm not sure what game developers have in store for Leopard.) Linux provides its own share of OpenGL games that will not blow you away as far as graphics go, but they can be as fun and addicting as Flash games online. (They also have a sort of charm to them too.) Basically, I would recommend Kubuntu to anyone looking for an operating system that is flexible and able to do anything but play games... which will turn off most gaming enthusiasts, but rumor has it that there is an answer to the DirectX compatibility issue that keeps gamers off of the Linux operating system.The largest appeal to Linux will be its flexibility and being able to tweak it to however you want your operating system to look and function. Another large appeal is that it is free as opposed to having to fork over hundreds of dollars for Windows Vista and Mac Leopard (which are ridden with problems... it doesn't "just work" now, does it?). For a free OS that works and that caters itself to however the user wants it to, it's worth a look.And keep in mind, I am a Windows user primarily but starting to play around more with Kubuntu. Each operating system has its pros and cons and I like Windows XP SP2 and Kubuntu Feisty Fawn, which is why I dual-boot.

[dre 0]

I dont think that I didnt see a program in stores that is compatible with Ubuntu. Tell me if there is, then I might change my mind.

Quake 4, Doom 3, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, Battlefield 2 (especially if you got Cedega, but you need to pay for it, pretty cheap though). The first three are supported natively, CnC can use Wine or Cedega, and Battlefield 2 is buggy on Wine but runs perfectly on Cedega, from what I've seen.

[Amiel 0]

Quake 4, Doom 3, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, Battlefield 2 (especially if you got Cedega, but you need to pay for it, pretty cheap though). The first three are supported natively, CnC can use Wine or Cedega, and Battlefield 2 is buggy on Wine but runs perfectly on Cedega, from what I've seen.

Oh, sounds interesting, should I reinstall my copy of Ubuntu? Oh well, I'll think of it and I'll be needing more time to explore things there. It's kinda interesting. And I find it cool, that Battlefiled can be runed by Ubuntu. Amazing...

[dre 0]

Oh, sounds interesting, should I reinstall my copy of Ubuntu? Oh well, I'll think of it and I'll be needing more time to explore things there. It's kinda interesting. And I find it cool, that Battlefiled can be runed by Ubuntu. Amazing...

Just do some research, google each of those games, doing stuff like "Battlefield 2 +Cedega" (unfortunately you have to pay for Cedega, 5$ a month I think, but if you're serious about Linux gaming, then there's nothing better) or "Battlefield 2 +wine (or winehq)", although Wine doesn't run BF2 perfectly at the moment, I think they're pretty close to it since the only problem is overhang (sky looks weird, somehow affecting the ground too, making spots transparent). I can't guarantee that each of those games will run perfectly for you, but most of them do for me after a bit of tweaking that I got from winehq.com and just general google searching. It really is worth a try, if you got questions, post them here or email me (on my profile), I'll try to help out as best as I can. I just happened to have very compatible hardware with Linux and it made things very easy, so I'm not sure if that's gonna be the same with you. Edited February 2, 2008 by dre (see edit history)

[rayzoredge 2]

Just do some research, google each of those games, doing stuff like "Battlefield 2 +Cedega" (unfortunately you have to pay for Cedega, 5$ a month I think, but if you're serious about Linux gaming, then there's nothing better) or "Battlefield 2 +wine (or winehq)", although Wine doesn't run BF2 perfectly at the moment, I think they're pretty close to it since the only problem is overhang (sky looks weird, somehow affecting the ground too, making spots transparent). I can't guarantee that each of those games will run perfectly for you, but most of them do for me after a bit of tweaking that I got from winehq.com and just general google searching. It really is worth a try, if you got questions, post them here or email me (on my profile), I'll try to help out as best as I can. I just happened to have very compatible hardware with Linux and it made things very easy, so I'm not sure if that's gonna be the same with you.

Now here's a good argument:

Why would you want to pay $5 for an emulated or dedicated version of Battlefield 2 (or other games) when you can simply dual-boot and play them normally for free (aside from actually buying the game and the OS)? Most computers ship with Windows pre-installed and companies are more than willing to bundle recovery software, which includes a copy of Windows.

[dre 0]

Why would you want to pay $5 for an emulated or dedicated version of Battlefield 2 (or other games)... and play them normally...

Emulation with 3d is next to impossible. All the DirectX functions/calls and the Windows API calls have to be translated to OpenGL and a sound library like OSS or ALSA. Also, the majority of those games I listed can be run on Wine, which is free, supports many more apps/games than Cedega, works in pretty much the same way as Cedega, but in more of an actual "Win. API/DX library" way, and is better in my opinion, so Cedega isn't required. I can imagine no situation where a game can play in a not normal manner and not crash If it doesn't run normally, it wont run at all. DirectX/Win. API translation has to make the software run exactly as it would on Windows, which isn't complicating in theory, but all kinds of crap can happen. Trust me though, you can play many major titles that'll work perfectly and run at appropriate speeds with Wine.

Most computers ship with Windows pre-installed and companies are more than willing to bundle recovery software, which includes a copy of Windows.

That's the thing, most computers that have Windows are pre-built. My beauties are by yours truly.

aside from actually buying the game and the OS

Yep, when it comes time to upgrade, have fun shelling out $400 (or a bit less) bucks for something costing 15 cents to manufacture. Oh, and don't forget new hardware, because DX will never be supported fully be older hardware. Well, it's not that it can't, it's just that they have to rip people off somehow to get more money, so they go out and create "comparisons" to show that DX9 sucks and DX10 rocks by convincing people that if you render a simple forest in DX9, it's just that, but when it's in DX10, somehow everything magically receives HDR lighting, better shadows, a new skybox (or dome) texture, and better geometry, with no extra code or media required. Just look at OpenGL, you don't need to keep buying new cards just to keep up, new versions will support your video card (I'm not 100% sure about OpenGL 3.0, but I'm fairly certain the trend will continue) without making you upgrade.
A dual-boot option may also be used, but I only use XP to play games, I need it for nothing else, really.
Edited February 5, 2008 by dre (see edit history)

[coolcrime 0]

I'm also a proud ubuntu 7.10 user

i was also used to windows OS'es but when i heard about UBUNTU and saw it ...
tried it. i really loved it now i'm a supportpoint for it [so they can come to me for an instalation etc.]
if someone doesn't wants to step over to UBUNTU... ok everyone has his own oppinion.
whn they want to pay betwean €100 and €500 for vista then they do ;-)
ubuntu is free and NONpush software