Why would you switch to Linux from Windows? Overall it’s a difficult decision to take after so many years using a particular suff but the thing I would be talking here is about a TRY. You lose nothing, you change nothing, your computer is left intact and you taste it before you make a decision.
The TRIAL ride would let you know how you feel when using it, whether you adapt yourself to its new environment, whether the Linux will detect your hardware and know whether your computer would run smoothly with it.
So we are going to do this using Linux distribution on Live CD that you can then install as a fully working OS from the same LiveCD. One of the first ones like this was the Knoppix Linux distribution but today Ubuntu is the most famous one because :
- it’s the most popular linux distribution for the moment so expect to find help easily through tons of forums, guides and how-to’s made for it
- it detects your hardware without you having to configure nothing. No drivers required and no manual configuration.
- the installation(if you opt to install it) is supeeeeeeer easy. 4-5 dialog boxes and you have a fully functional OS on your desktop
- installation of software packages is made extra supeeeeeer easy through the add/remove utility called Synaptic. You search for the soft, you select it and you click Apply/OK. No more dialog box for a next option like on Windows and no further manoeuvre required.
- You can customise your Ubuntu OS to its very down bits. Change the look of the interface, apply completely new icon sets or modify your bootscreen splash with the click of a mouse. No hacking or tweaking required, no long guides or how-to’s to follow. Nothing of such. You get onto sites like gnome-look.org, download the pack you find fancy and started giving your OS the look it deserves.
- plus the so many stuffs you would find once using/trying it
You download the latest release of Ubuntu as an ISO image, burn it to a CD and boot your computer from it. The latest release comes as a LiveCd which you can try or fully install it on your computer. Make sure to have your computer starting from your CD-ROM by changing the boot sequence from your BIOS and assigning your CD-ROM as your first boot device.
When you select Ubuntu to start, you are loaded into the OS as a fully functional one, as you would have after installing it. Take a ride. See whether everything works : whether you have sound coming from your speakers, whether you can watch movies and whether all your hardware is working smoothly.
Now at this point, you would be asking yourself : What the heck can I do when my favourite programs aren’t here? Infact you’re using the most powerful OS without you know it and all the software required to do your little business are all available on Ubuntu linux, some by the name you might know them or as clones. How about I give you a list of the soft you should be trying once that Ubuntu is loaded? Some are directly available from the Applications menu while others can be installed from the Synaptic/Add Remove Utility. Here it comes:
- Unlock your music library and listen to your tracks using Amarok/an iTunes clone
- Instant message your friends using either GAIM(also available on Windows) or aMsn/an MSN Messenger clone
- Do wordprocessing,spreadsheet,database using the Openoffice suite
- Surf the web using your favourite browser, Mozilla Firefox
- Play with your pictures using GIMP
For more of soft, you just need to shoot Synaptic and type a short corresponding keyword of the soft you would want. For e.g to see the list of soft that allows you to do Ftp, just type Ftp and you would be presented with a list of softs as well as a nifty description guiding you into the best choice to make.
Here you are using the LiveCd and able to see how the Ubuntu linux would feel to you if you would opt to install it. To do so - installing a fully functional OS, just click the Install icon on the desktop as you’re using the LiveCd and you would be guided through the installation process. Through 3-4 dialog boxes as ease promises it.
That’s for a beginning. There’s so much more to try out with Linux. I’ll leave the rest to you : would you want a drive for a try……or have you already made your mind for a switch from Windows to Linux? Now it’s up to you, you can remove that Ubuntu LiveCd and you would be just back to Windows, as you were.
hello hans this is a really interesting post… Am going to test Ubuntu then i will let you know my opinion on it… bye and take care man
yo…
did it… but kept windows too,
will need access for paper 4.
but immediately after that, bye bye windows
what is paper4?? kyu
I got the Ubuntu CD neatly in its pack in the drawer right in front of me. My cousin gave it to me and he’s got loads of copies at his place. So, if you want to try Ubuntu, just let me know and I’ll try to get a CD coming your way.
One great thing about it is that you can load Ubuntu right from the CD. There’s no need to install it. This is great for the trial period. Then if you decide to use it, you can install it in a proper way.
I’m moving to Ubuntu by the way. But I need some more feedback if possible. Can I do absolutely everything I do on Windows on Ubuntu? Like, will all the softwares open without any hassle and anything?
@ comradejv
hope that would be “Once you pop, you can’t stop” translating to “Once you’ve switched to Linux, you won’t look back again to Windows”……
@ kyu
ahh yeah…but weren’t you doing Paper 4 on VB???
@ comradejv
it’s the paper where you’ve got to submit a project - a big one.
@ khalil
thanks for promosing your gracious help Khalil. That’s so generous of you.
concerning the software subject, programs on Ubuntu open and run smoothly since Ubuntu is a very stable linux distribution. No such thing like frequent crashes that you would meet in Windows. It works just so fine. Just make sure you’ve put it on a computer with a decent amount of memory and processing power.
Now turning to the point of whether you can do everything you did on Windows on Ubuntu. This all depends on your uses. I’ve thrown a rather concise list of programs up there but if you find yourself a particular use and can’t find the best soft for it, just shoot me a comment about that.
Resuming it, yes you can do all - if I could say everything. From listening to music, watching TV if you’ve a TV tuner to things like surfing the web or IM your friends. You just need the proper soft.
But you know, I WANT to use my iTunes and my Windows Live Messenger. Are the “clone” softwares you mentioned in your post, designed by Apple and Microsoft respectively?
@ khalil
no, they aren’t. they are all open source. But most of them, the clones provide you with the same options as you would have them with that soft on Windo$. Actually they are so much better since you can incorporate lots of stuffs into them like plugins, skins etc.
Take aMsn, a Live/MSN Messenger clone for e.g With it you can add plugins that provide you hosts of great features and lots of skins to suit it.
Infact, the clones version give you the best that the ones on Windo$ aren’t offering now. Since they are open source, there’s a huge community building around it, offering tips and suggestions for further improvements.
Oh opensource. I’m reassured now. Lol. Ok, so I guess I’ll check Ubuntu out.
Hi Hans,
This sounds like fun, I’m going to give it a shot. Things have changed since the very first Red Hat and the early 90s era. Yeah, I’m an old fart. I used to work on Linux on a 486, imagine…
There were no such things as “No drivers required and no manual configuration” and there was no “add/remove programmes utility”. None of your hardware would be recognize and you had to do everything manually. Nightmare.
So indeed, this looks like a good way for me to play around with Linux again. I’ll let you know when I get it on my pc and start playing.
Thanks for this excellent post.
@ Stéphanie
thanks for reading through
I hope everything works smoothly for you now and that today’s Linux would make you forget these bad memories. 
Hey I’m not hearing much about Red Hat these days. What happened of it? It used to be popular among business and put itself as a robust distribution.
Were you using it at your workplace or for normal home usage?
Just at home. Most places where I have worked are on Windows
Hi Hand,
Me again, typing this comment from Firefox in Ubuntu
Cannot believe this thing actually found my internet connection without me hitting my head on the keyboard for 4 hours
Cheers.
Erm… by me I meant Stephanie and did not mean to post as anonymous and to call you a Hand
@ Stéphanie
no worry pal. I think that’s the joy of seeing that everything works. I’m considering of taking some articles out about Ubuntu for a better understanding. If you’ve got any topic you wish some insight on, feel free to drop in a comment.
Hi Hans,
I have installed Ubuntu on two machines. A 4 year old pc and a packard bell easynote notebook. Worked like a breeze on both machines
Thanks again for the tip, it’s good to go back to Linux after so many years and to be able to just plug and play about everything.
hello, i was trying ubuntu but dunno y my pc was so slow to respond during the installation. i’hv got 256 mb of ram. so do u think its a prb of memory or something else.
@ sagar
I’m also on 256 MB so I don’t think that’s the issue
have you got a fast cpu? on How much MHz or GigaHertz is it running?
hi ! ubuntu is very easy to install and i did so…i want help to view tv with my intex tv tuner internal which i did already on windows xp so how would u do on ubuntu TIA