Over the past several years I've been playing with Linux to get an idea of what it's all about and how it can be used. It wasn't until recently that I felt comfortable telling my non-techie friends to jump in. The change happened when I downloaded Ubuntu and installed it on an old machine. The cool thing about Linux is that there are several 'Distributions' which provide the basic Linux Kernel along with lots of software designed for different types of people, uses, interests and skill levels.

Choosing a Linux Distribution

I use DistroWatch.com to figure out which Linux Distributions are hot and to see screen shots before I decide to install. There are several good distributions and I'm not going to do a shoot out to compare and contrast all of them. I believe in the saying “Every pot finds a lid.” and you own research will help guide you towards the perfect fit. In my case I'm playing with Ubuntu now.

Setting Up Ubuntu

Previous attempts at experimenting with Linux involved setting up 'dual boot' scenarios in which my machine still had Windows but could also boot into Linux. Setting up Ubuntu was easy, just inserted the CD and followed the on-screen wizard. I opted to wipe away my existing hard drive and start from scratch, after all I had all my important files backed up on my network attached external hard drive so I could retrieve them latter. One nice thing about Ubuntu is there are different 'flavors' depending on the type of hardware I was going to install it on. Since I had a very old machine I decided to use the 'light' version of Ubuntu called XUbuntu which requires much less resources.

Initial Configuration

Lesson learned. Before downloading and installing Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution take stock of what hardware you have. Specifically Video Cards and Wireless Network cards are the fussiest. You can check the documentation to make sure your system is supported. Also check out this page for relevant hardware support

After Installation

Wow. Thousands of programs are available at your fingertips. There is a program called Synaptic Package Manager that lets you find approved and compatible applications for you to install. For the most part your run of the mill office applications like Word Processing, Spreadsheet, Music Player, Presentation, and Money Management programs can read their Microsoft and Apple counterparts. Comment on this post and I'll start posting some of my favorites.

Hours of experimentation condensed into a paragraph

Yes, you can get this system up and running in an hour or so. I find myself browsing through the applications and downloading them to try new things I would never dream of (mostly cause I can't afford to) doing on a Windows machine. For example, last weekend I downloaded a series of applications that turned my machine into a serious music production studio. While I don't have the talent of a serious musician I now have the equipment and the fire in my belly to play.

Where to go for help

If you decided to download a distribution other than Ubuntu you'll figure out that help is not always that easy. The freedom and choices you get with Open Source software are vast and the number of folks that will know about obscure Linux distributions are few. I choose Ubuntu because of the easy to follow and plentiful documentation. If you're not a documentation kind of person, there are also fee based support options.

What's next

Well I don't intend to quit my day job so writing about this stuff will be on a part time basis. If you'd like to hear more about my Linux adventures, please comment on this post. Given enough comments I'm sure I'll be encouraged to write more.

Hope you enjoyed this post,

Steve