Mmmmm. Linux..... I used to run Linux on an old WinBook. I made a new sticker for the lid of the laptop so instead of it being a "WinBook" it became a "LinBook".
I spent most of the afternoon attempting to get my Windows PC running again. I finally just had to re-install the Windows OS... again... which is always an ass-load of fun. Now everything is working, but it's put me in a really bad mood. It was made even worse when I found out that Blogography doesn't render properly in Explorer anymore. I have no idea what's going on there, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Windows sucks ass.
Which is why I've been playing with the Ubuntu Linux OS...
I must say, I'm impressed. It installs like a dream, works beautifully, feels snappy, and is totally FREE! So far I've got it installed on both an old PowerPC Mac and an old Wintel box, and it runs great. If all I needed was to surf the web, write email, and create an occasional word processing document, or spreadsheet or whatever, I could totally switch no problem. But too much of what I do can't be done on Ubuntu (yet) so it's going to have to remain an interesting diversion for the time being.
I can easily see Ubuntu making wide deployment into office environments though, because you just can't beat the price. You've got pretty much everything you need (including Open Office, the MS Office clone), and other nifty open-source apps like Scribus (for page layout) and Quantus Plus (for web site creation) are only going to push things further as they mature. In another couple of years, Ubuntu is going to be on equal footing with Macs and PCs which has got to be making some people very nervous.
"I'm a leaf on the wind... watch how I soar..."
Ahh the slippery slope of geek addiction that is Linux. I've played with it on and off for a few years now and each time I reinstall it I seem to spend days and days playing with it, only to realise it still doesn't do everything I need. And then I trudge back to Windows and berate myself for my lack of patience.
Posted by Tony Peaker on October 28, 2006 | Reply
o Wash... no better pilot was ever known! and yay for Linux, it really does save lives and sanity.
Posted by Valorclast on October 28, 2006 | Reply
How strange, I just tried to view you in *cry* IE and it doesn't load a thing. Just gives me an "error on page." heh. Stupid browser.
Posted by Kentucky Girl on October 28, 2006 | Reply
"I'm a leaf on the wind... watch how I soar..."
and just like that he was gone.
sob.
Posted by Mark on October 29, 2006 | Reply
Your website Blogography.com does not render on IE you say!! you mean IE 6 or the new IE7?
Obviously your not a web designer and your a mac user this website is catered to Mac users.
so it looks like you check this website in Safari.
Before you say anything no I am not a Windows fan but I have to use it through work
Posted by Fintan Gaughan on October 29, 2006 | Reply
I downloaded ubuntu yesterday to burn on a CD but haven't gotten to it yet. I'm going to put it on an older laptop to play around with Linux again. Looked like a *clean* distribution (I've installed five or six completely different UNIX/Linux's over the years and wanted something clean and easy).
Glad to hear it works! ;)
Posted by Kapha on October 29, 2006 | Reply
Did you install the XGL + Compiz stuff? It's great fun watching as the windows wobble and stretch as you move them around.
Posted by MRKisThatKid on October 29, 2006 | Reply
This is why everyone should convert to Firefoxanity and forget about Explorer when you're on Windows.
Posted by Clever on October 29, 2006 | Reply
Rob... I could make a LinBook out of a WinBook, but don't think I'd have the heart to do it to a PowerBook or MacBook.
Tony... Every time I do this, I am more and more amazed at how far Linux has come into consumer-space. Some of the apps they have out there are very polished and useable... it's only a matter of time before people start taking another look.
Valorclast... I watched Serenity for the millionth time yesterday and still cannot believe they did that to Wash! Breaks my heart every time.
Kentucky Girl... Really? I got it to load fine, it just renders wrong. The layout doesn't fit in the Window.
Mark... I hear that. :-(
Fintan... I have not tried it in the latest IE7, but it worked in the early beta a few months ago. This site is NOT catered to Mac users... it's for everybody, just like the web should be. To that end, I have tried the site in Safari, FireFox, Opera, Flock, OmniWeb, Chimera, iCab, and a bunch of others I've forgotten. I DID check it on Windows browsers until my Windows install was corrupted. It DID work just fine, but something has changed and I'll have to figure out what that is. So "obviously" things aren't as "obvious" as they appear... to you.
Kapha... The CD-test-drive is nice, but S-L-O-W. I didn't really get a good feel for the OS until I bit the bullet and installed it.
MRK... I have not. I've been playing with a bunch of apps, but haven't made it to any system utilities or goodies yet! :-)
Clever... I hear that. My site has always worked just fine in Firefox... at least until I start applying bug fixes for Windows IE and then have to bounce back and forth before I find something that renders in IE but doesn't break everything else. :-(
I use Ubuntu exclusively for about 1.5 years now. Works great. I can recommend Automatix (getautomatix.com) to set some basic things up. And yeah, Compiz (or Beryl, a fork) is really great eye candy, gives Linux a great look, unlike any other OS.
Posted by Mario on October 29, 2006 | Reply
I'm using Ubuntu right now in fact. I built a pc this summer. I decided to check the price of Windows XP and found that it was $300. $300 DOLLARS! That's when I decided to try Linux. Ubuntu booted right up. I'm never going back to Windows. :)
Posted by Mark on October 29, 2006 | Reply
Yeah, apparently I had like a 70 year old version on my computer or something. I upgraded. It rendered but like you said, too big for the window.
Who cares? IE sucks. You don't need IE friends anyway.
Posted by Kentucky Girl on October 29, 2006 | Reply
Dave, I've got to say that I've been a Windows die-had for the longest time. It's not so much that I disliked using everything else, but it just used to be the case that I didn't like using the other OSes as much as I enjoyed using Windows. Not to mention I used to be a big PC gamer and for the most part all PC gaming is for Windows. However, I'm gaming less these days, and I'm growing fonder and fonder of Linux. I'm also growing less and less fond of Windows. Unfortunately, there are still just some programs that won't run on Linux (think graphics and animation apps) that I really like to use.
However, the Mac has lots of those programs that I like and it's based off Unix which is a major plus. I haven't even gotten to the fact that the new MacBooks are absolutely stunning. So I've gotta say that my next laptop is looking like it will be an Apple, and I'll probably dual-boot it with Gentoo Linux. That's something I thought I'd never be saying.
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