An Update On My Experience With Linux.

[rob86 2]

I've been using Ubuntu for a while now, and in the words of Don Adams: " .. And.. loving it." My only regrets about switching to Linux are that I never did it sooner. The things I like about Linux are many. Almost every negative preconception I had turned out to nothing to worry about.Linux is NOT difficult. It is DIFFERENT. It seemed difficult at first because the constant use of Windows of the years gave me a strong idea of how an OS was supposed to be. Linux was different, I was confused, and translated that to linux being difficult. With a bit of experience under my belt, I can now appreciate that Linux is definitely more intuitive in a lot of ways. Finding quality software is NOT as hard as I expected. I expected to be booting up Windows all the time because of software I thought I couldn't live without. This isn't so, and in fact I find a lot of quality cpen source software available for linux. ---- That's not to say that there is a linux replacement for every great Windows software. There are quite a few that I'm missing on linux such as IrfanView, FL Studio, etc. Opensource software like these exist, but it would be a little overly optimistic to claim they're as good. Game support is pretty bad too. Wine isn't the perfect solution to this, as it doesn't work well for a lot of stuff. A lot of my Windows programs crash for weird reasons and some don't even start. Some don't recognize that I'm registered. With a fast computer, I imagine you could run these as virtual OS's and have the best of both worlds. My computer isn't good enough to do something like that.With Linux I'm rarely stranded not knowing what to do. Support for Linux is excellent. I thought I'd be stuck with headaches, there are many forums to ask questions and people seem to be more passionate about hanging out in linux support forums than windows support forums which means more and better help. Hardware support is, well, not too bad. I haven't been able to get my printer working (despite a ton of Lexmark drivers, my el cheapo printer wasn't listed) but everything else works, and sometimes better. My wireless keyboard and mouse work better (I can use the media keys! on windows I couldn't without running HP's lame software that causes tons of problems). My mp3 player works after finding software for it, my magellan GPS doesn't seem to work but I haven't used it much lately to care enough to try. It's hit and miss, with mostly hits from my experience. That might sound like a lot of negative, but I'm trying to give honest impressions, not things that bother me personally. I think it depends on the person when deciding whether or not Ubuntu (or any Linux) is for you. To appreciate the power of Linux, you have to realize that it excels in different things than Windows and often these are areas that need to be learned about. Things like the BASH (or other) shell, command line tools, are all top notch, but they take reading and studying. If this sounds like a chore for you, you may not be able to appreciate the greatest things about Linux. If you just use a computer for internet browsing, email and word processing, Linux will do the job just as good as Windows, if not better and faster. You can run Ubuntu without understanding geeky stuff.If you use it for games, then you might not like Linux unless you run Windows under a virtual OS type of thing.If you have special software or hardware needs, there may or may not be linux replacements. Windows mostly has support for everything. If you love tinkering with a computer and programming, Linux is excellent, Windows doesn't compare.If you like being able to customize almost everything (stuff is open source) you'll like Linux.If you like reading manuals about geeky computer things, and knowing what's going on behind the scenes, Linux is for you.In short, with Windows, I feel like I'm using Windows. With Linux, I feel like I'm using a computer. Well that's a little bit of my impression of Linux, I probably missed some stuff. For me personally, I USE LINUX and keep Windows as a back up if absolutely necessary for some things (I haven't booted it yet, though)

[rvalkass 5]

Linux is NOT difficult. It is DIFFERENT.

Hooray! Finally someone understands! I always try to get this point across to people and they just don't get that Linux isn't difficult, it's just different. People get so used to Windows that they consider Mac, Linux, their toaster, anything, difficult, when they're just different to what they're used to. After a few minutes to familiarise yourself then it really isn't difficult at all.

 

That's not to say that there is a linux replacement for every great Windows software. There are quite a few that I'm missing on linux such as IrfanView, FL Studio, etc. Opensource software like these exist, but it would be a little overly optimistic to claim they're as good. Game support is pretty bad too. Wine isn't the perfect solution to this, as it doesn't work well for a lot of stuff. A lot of my Windows programs crash for weird reasons and some don't even start. Some don't recognize that I'm registered. With a fast computer, I imagine you could run these as virtual OS's and have the best of both worlds. My computer isn't good enough to do something like that.

Gwenview is what I currently use, and it seems to do a lot of what IrfanView can do. Worth a look if you haven't looked at it already. If there's still a feature you're missing, there is likely another piece of software that will do the same job so let us know.

 

For a replacement for FL Studio take a look here: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

They're all going to be different, but the Linux ones are all free, so you've got nothing to lose by trying them out.

 

With the software you're trying under WINE, please, please, please make sure you submit good reports to WINE's application database. Too many people say software doesn't work, so just abandon it. Submitting a report only takes a minute or two and makes sure the developers know what they need to fix. If people don't submit reports then the developers have no idea what needs fixing, so have no chance of making it work.

 

Hardware support is, well, not too bad. I haven't been able to get my printer working (despite a ton of Lexmark drivers, my el cheapo printer wasn't listed) but everything else works, and sometimes better. My wireless keyboard and mouse work better (I can use the media keys! on windows I couldn't without running HP's lame software that causes tons of problems). My mp3 player works after finding software for it, my magellan GPS doesn't seem to work but I haven't used it much lately to care enough to try. It's hit and miss, with mostly hits from my experience.

Lexmark, unfortunately, are probably one of the worst manufacturers you could have picked for your printer (and not just for their Linux support, but anyway...). If you decide to stick with Linux, I've got an HP all-in-one (printer, scanner and copier) and it works flawlessly in Linux - including correctly reporting when the ink runs low, something it never managed in Windows! HP have probably some of the best Linux support among printer manufacturers, so certainly consider them when you next get a printer. As far as I know all the other manufacturers (except Lexmark) are pretty good too, I'm just giving my personal experience.

 

For me personally, I USE LINUX and keep Windows as a back up if absolutely necessary for some things (I haven't booted it yet, though)

Exactly how I was when I first switched. I kept a Windows partition hanging around, assuming I'd need to boot into it fairly regularly. After a while I was running out of space on my Linux partition, and I got rid of Windows without a second thought, having not booted into it since I installed Linux!

[truefusion 3]

My only regrets about switching to Linux are that I never did it sooner.

I've been using Linux since Ubuntu 6.06—which was three years ago. And yet, i can't really say if it would have been better to switch earlier than you did, but i can say that today there are more things to play around with than there was.

 

There are quite a few that I'm missing on linux such as IrfanView, FL Studio, etc. Opensource software like these exist, but it would be a little overly optimistic to claim they're as good. Game support is pretty bad too. Wine isn't the perfect solution to this, as it doesn't work well for a lot of stuff. A lot of my Windows programs crash for weird reasons and some don't even start. Some don't recognize that I'm registered.

I never used the Wine in the repository; i always compiled Wine and just used "apt-get build-dep wine" to install the dependencies for Wine. By the time a new version of Wine appears in the Ubuntu repository (which would be every 6 months), Wine could have come out with up to 11 new versions. So i recommend to anyone that is considering using Wine to download and compile it yourself if your distro doesn't provide frequent updates.

 

I have FL Studio too, and while it was usable and picked up the registry info under Wine, it doesn't perform as well as it does under Windows for big projects. You could get around the performance issue by rendering most of the synths to WAV (i.e. samples) and importing it, but that is tedious. While there may be LMMS, it crashes a lot for me. But i have to admit that Hydrogen is an awesome drum machine. And i was able to get Call of Duty 4 to work under Wine—though it was only bearable under low settings.

 

For a replacement for FL Studio take a look here: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

They're all going to be different, but the Linux ones are all free, so you've got nothing to lose by trying them out.

If he's like me, then there is practically no replacement for FL Studio that can run under Linux (and Wine). LMMS is the closest open-source digital audio workstation, which was even started because FL Studio is Windows-only, but it crashes too much.

[H.O.D 0]

I'm glad t meet another "enlightened" Linux soul!! I particularly like your opinion that Linux isn't difficult but different. Many people fail to realize how addictive Linux can get once you start using it. I always try to tell the same things that you have said to my friends and while some have switched, others still prefer to spend their time formatting Windows every month!! I don't think there will be a huge support for Linux in the coming days, but the rate at which people are switching to Linux is encouraging and in 2-3 years I'm sure there will be a lot of rob86s

[FouGilang 0]

... Reading all your posts make me really want to try it :PI've downloaded ubuntu but never burnt it since i got error in my drive (for some reason, it just cant burn)I'm not a professional who need a windows-only-programs or things like that (i think)i should go ask my friend to burn it later

[H.O.D 0]

I've downloaded ubuntu but never burnt it since i got error in my drive (for some reason, it just cant burn)

I'm not a professional who need a windows-only-programs or things like that (i think)

i should go ask my friend to burn it later smile.gif

Here's an easier way for you - just go to https://blog.canonical.com/2011/04/05/shipit-comes-to-an-end/ and there you can order a free CD of the Ubuntu Linux OS. No hassles of downloading and burning! And you can try it out before installing so that you can know whether or not you can get accustomed to the environment. But trust me,you will love Ubuntu once you try it! And if something goes wrong, there's always the support forum to help you out.

 

As for the shipit site, if you order a single CD, you will get it fast, but just be patient. There's also the option of ordering multiple CDs for distribution, but that will take longer so I won't recommend it yet. You can try out that option later. For now, just order one CD and you will receive it pretty soon, and you can try out Ubuntu in no time

Edited October 26, 2009 by H.O.D (see edit history)

[FouGilang 0]

Here's an easier way for you - just go to https://blog.canonical.com/2011/04/05/shipit-comes-to-an-end/ and there you can order a free CD of the Ubuntu Linux OS. No hassles of downloading and burning!

yeah... and when will it happen to arrive to my house in indonesia?1 week? =___=

anyway
i donwloaded it
and, well, something is definitely not right o_o
when i clicked that "install ubuntu", a pop up appear said something about "boot cd corrupted" or something near that (that didnt happened when i installed it in my sister's laptop months ago)
then a dialog box with "REBOOT" showed up, rebooted my pc
i tried it with wubi.exe in the cd, but windows (or something) close it the second after it run

is it... duh, corrupted and i have to re download it? - -

---edited---
doesnt seem the ISO corrupted in any way
maybe its because the burning or my damn driver
i'll try it again tomorrow morning =.=
Edited October 26, 2009 by FouGilang (see edit history)

[truefusion 3]

doesnt seem the ISO corrupted in any waymaybe its because the burning or my damn driver
i'll try it again tomorrow morning =.=

Don't waste your time with burning Linux onto a CD/DVD. Instead download UnetBootin, and when you run the program, pick Disk Image and point it to your Ubuntu ISO and make sure "Type" all the way at the bottom is "Hard Disk." Then click "Ok" and let it do its thing, then restart the computer and pick "UnetBootin" from the boot loader. Don't worry if you are concerned with it messing around with your system, it'll undo everything once you boot back into Windows. Testing Linux distributions out this way is way faster than burning to a CD. However, i do not currently recommend installing any Linux system this way.

[k_nitin_r 8]

Hi!The "loving it" sounds like the words of McDonald's in India. Their slogan is "I'm loving it", though I think their marketing strategy is really poor, that's a discussion for a different thread.I've been using Linux since '99 but I think it's only after 2006 that they really became the operating system of choice for end-user PCs. Till them, they had limited hardware support but as the community grew larger, they managed to get more volunteers and a greater buy-in from hardware manufacturers to provide the information required to create driver software for their products. It still hasn't got to a point where manufacturers will themselves provide software drivers for the hardware that they manufacture, but it'll take a larger market share for Linux to earn that support. We aren't getting to that point anytime soon though because people who use Windows stick to Windows. Other people who previous ran Linux and couldn't get popular software to run on their systems switched to Mac OS (while also buying Mac hardware).I share your thoughts about the stability provided by Linux and the lack of software support. In the end, it all boils down to one thing - money. If software manufacturers spent a certain amount building Windows software, they'll get their money's worth through sales. However, Linux is a niche market so unless they find a really compelling reason, they're going to stick to building Windows software. Wine is a community-built product so although they might have the quality in place, it will struggle with trying to keep up with the new API that Windows keeps introducing with every version. The Mono project is trying to keep up with the Microsoft .NET framework development, but although they're close, we aren't at a stage where you can take a .NET application as-is and expect it to run on the Mono framework. Also, the runtime of Microsoft .NET and Mono don't have binary compatible serialization methods. It's actually ironic since Microsoft promotes the .NET framework as a platform independent framework. While it doesn't depend on the hardware platform (it runs anywhere Windows does - on both 32-bit and 64-bit hardware), it does depend on the availability of a version of Windows that supports the .NET version that you are targeting. In either case, we still have a lot of Linux software that runs on the Mono platform.

[aloKNsh 0]

Hooray! Finally someone understands! I always try to get this point across to people and they just don't get that Linux isn't difficult, it's just different. People get so used to Windows that they consider Mac, Linux, their toaster, anything, difficult, when they're just different to what they're used to. After a few minutes to familiarise yourself then it really isn't difficult at all.

 

 

 

Gwenview is what I currently use, and it seems to do a lot of what IrfanView can do. Worth a look if you haven't looked at it already. If there's still a feature you're missing, there is likely another piece of software that will do the same job so let us know.

 

For a replacement for FL Studio take a look here: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

They're all going to be different, but the Linux ones are all free, so you've got nothing to lose by trying them out.

 

With the software you're trying under WINE, please, please, please make sure you submit good reports to WINE's application database. Too many people say software doesn't work, so just abandon it. Submitting a report only takes a minute or two and makes sure the developers know what they need to fix. If people don't submit reports then the developers have no idea what needs fixing, so have no chance of making it work.

 

 

 

Lexmark, unfortunately, are probably one of the worst manufacturers you could have picked for your printer (and not just for their Linux support, but anyway...). If you decide to stick with Linux, I've got an HP all-in-one (printer, scanner and copier) and it works flawlessly in Linux - including correctly reporting when the ink runs low, something it never managed in Windows! HP have probably some of the best Linux support among printer manufacturers, so certainly consider them when you next get a printer. As far as I know all the other manufacturers (except Lexmark) are pretty good too, I'm just giving my personal experience.

 

 

 

Exactly how I was when I first switched. I kept a Windows partition hanging around, assuming I'd need to boot into it fairly regularly. After a while I was running out of space on my Linux partition, and I got rid of Windows without a second thought, having not booted into it since I installed Linux!

i think linux is much easier than win

but the only prob is that it doesnt have much appz as much as win

though i will go with linux if it will have a variety of appz such as win.

[FouGilang 0]

oknow i have ubuntu on my system :Pthe gui look doesnt seem really different from a windows-fresh-installed pc (yeah, it just blank there)except that pre-installed stuffs and now i cant run any of my previous .exe files... :Pand... errr, comment?i dont really know what to say since it's my first hours with thisyet still need to download some plug insanyway it really fast, much faster than i thought o_o

[NxTGaming 0]

Im not that into Linux cause i don't know how to use it. But after hearing what you said im considering to Look for a TuT on how to use it.