A few thoughts about Linux

Another WIFMD(TM) task is to convert our home computing over Linux to the fullest extent possible.

Not including the old Apple computers in boxes out on the veranda, we have three PCs (two at home, one at Uni with my dissertation data on it). I’ll keep the middle-speed PC (AMD Athalon, 900MHz) as Win98, as my tried-and-true backup: has all my stuff, plus my various bits of recording software. The Lady’s PC (which I use more than she does; Pentium IV, one-point-something GHz) will become the multimedia machine: I’ll probably install a Linux distribution (version of Linux) that’s optimized for multimedia, and do my recording and video editing on it. And the (IIRC) Pentium II, 233MHz machine at school that currently hold my dissertation files will become the generic “home computer” for word processing, e-mail, web browsing and etc. For that, I’ll probably install Ubuntu, which is supposedly the most newbie-friendly version of Linux.

All of my Linux knowledge is theoretical at this point, as it’s based on reading, not actual experience. But, here’s my sense of it:

Linux is an operating system, just as Windows is an operating system and Macs have a different operating system. Although different OS’s save files in a different way, most of them can read and write to Windows formats, due to Window’s market dominance.

Most software for Linux is available free! Nifty. The reason is that it’s done by teams of hobbyists, who do it for the geekpoints. A lot of it isn’t as cutting-edge as commercially-produced stuff -- but depending on your needs, it’ll do ya just fine. For home users that just need to sort their digital photos, write things with a word processor, check e-mail, and surf the web, it’ll be more than adequate.

Linux used to be hard for non-computer folks to set up, but it’s improved by leaps and bounds over the past 2-4 years. Ubuntu Linux is one of the newer versions (there are many parallel versions), and it’s supposed to be very good.

Similar to Macs, Linux “distributions” (the bundle of software you install) tend to come with built-in software. Just like Macs have iMovie, etc., etc., and Windows comes with Notepad, Wordpad, Solitaire, Minsweeper -- Linux typically comes with several choices of office applications, e-mail and web browsing software, drawing apps, etc.

Some Linux software isn’t free of cost -- which is fine. Other Linux software is free to own and use, but companies make money off the tech support: That’s the business model. Thus, if you’re using (for example) drawing/painting/photo editing software and you’re a home user, and you get stuck, you can e-mail the e-mail discussion list, and within a few days you’ll (hopefully!) get an answer. But if you do graphics for a living, you need an answer now! So you get the software for free -- but you subscribe to any of a number of levels of tech support.

Or, there’ll be a “free” version, and an “commerical” version: one’ll be free of charge, and the other won’t.

Anyhow, I’m too ethical to illegally copy software -- and I don’t appreciate quasi-monopolies -- so I’m gonna try switching to Linux.

WIFMD(TM).


--GG