Learning Linux

We talk about Linux a lot around the office. Whenever we're annoyed at Microsoft's dominance, ineptitude, or just plain wackiness, we invoke the name of the alternative OS. Linux is our imagined save haven, the OS we know we can turn to should Microsoft's ways become just too much.

But are we all just full of talk? Because, really, when it comes right down to it, Microsoft has long swiped at our spirit and we've taken it rather than tread the scary, unknown waters of the renegade OS.

I had to face this fact full-on when I edited our June issue Linux feature. To know if the story really made sense and the instructions were truly actionable, I had to install and use the OS myself. And to be honest, I found the prospect distasteful. My idealized notions of a free, open, egalitarian environment were replaced by gut-level fears of unwieldy command lines, a barrage of error messages, piss-poor versions of “real” apps, and a very, very long day.

Of course, my reaction was largely irrational. I'd heard and read plenty about how Linux was easier than ever to use. Shoot, that's why we're doing the article! But, I nonetheless dreaded the chore.

How silly I was back then, all those three days ago. Because here I am working within the comfy (non)confines of a successful Ubuntu install, pleased for the most part with the whole experience. I'm typing out my blog post in Writer, OpenOffice.org's Word equivalent, which automatically loaded with Ubuntu, along with many other useful apps; I'll use the bundled FireFox to post my blog to the web. It's all familiar. And also better. XP can't give me the tricked-out, animated 3D desktop I created using Beryl--- a community-developed Open GL desktop utility. (See this demo to know what i'm talking about.)

The Add/Remove panel lets you search the Linux repositories for any kind of app.

Yes, there have been some hiccups along the way. Some incomplete instructions in the story that needed fleshing out (Will!), some mistyped command lines (Me!), and some miscellaneous troubleshooting. Probably the hardest part for me has been adding new apps that aren't automatically installed (such as Beryl)--- some of this is due to the fact that we used a beta version of Ubuntu (Feisty) --- which will be final by the time the article hits --- and partly, I just haven't installed enough apps for the process to come naturally, especially when I hit snags. Luckily, I can turn to Will's article for reference, and call him over to my desk when trouble persists.

A lot of my satisfaction with the experience comes from just having done it. It makes me feel like more of a PC enthusiast, and it makes me feel stronger to know i can survive just fine without Microsoft.