Linux/Ubuntu - Post Interest Here!

[SonicMan46]

Just a little history - I started off in 1980 w/ an Apple II+ computer, which lasted 6 yrs (the longest that I've ever had a computer!) - loved the initial experience (and even did some programming in Applesoft Basic); then in the mid-80s switched to PCs (mainly a work decision), so I've been w/ DOS/Windows ever since, and still a Windows user (XP & VISTA at present) - 

Well, a month or so ago, the HD on my 'lovable' IBM laptop (ThinkPad X40) died! My son, an IT person In Indiana got me a new Dell Latitude @ a great price w/ VISTA - works fine; but I was about to just junk the IBM and thought that I would like to possibly 'play around' w/ a Linux clone - what the hell!

So, ordered a new HD (only $50) and added more RAM (about $24), and loaded Ubuntu, the most popular Linux clone at the moment - I've been having an absolute BALL exploring this OS - years ago (80s) I used UNIX (the parent OS), but I was really impressed w/ this new OS - quickly recognized all of my hardware & connected immediately to my Linksys router wirelessly (shocking!) - came w/ plenty of FREE software duplicating most of the offerings by MS$$; plus, installed w/ a great firewall - virus protection not needed - plus, I've been trying out the BASH shell (like the old days w/ DOS programming - more complicated & much to learn for me!).

Not sure 'what' the main emphasis of this thread should be?  But, if you might be interested in this UNIX-based OS, just google 'Ubuntu' - also, check out the www.ubuntuforums.org - tha activity is hard to believe - I've joined but can't keep up!  But, please provide your comments if using or are interested in this OS - and REMEMBER - this is FREE 'open source' software - an absolutely refreshing thought - 

[Daverz]

I also started with an Apple ][, though my brother had a TRS-80 before that.  I guess that really dates us.

I've been using Linux since about 1994.  I just switched back to Fedora (the newest version, 8 ) after using Ubuntu for about a year.  I used Redhat/Fedora for years, so I'm really more comfortable with it (know where everything is and how to use the tools).  I suspect Ubuntu has forced Fedora to improve somewhat, though.

Nowadays I'm in front of a Mac running OS X most of the time, but I'm usually ssh'ing to my Linux box in the other room for news and mail.  The Linux box is also where all my digital music files are.  I NFS mount the Linux drives on the Mac and use the optical digital out on the Mac to interface to my audio equipment.

[SonicMan46]

Dave - sorry for the delay in response, but are you & I  the only ones trying out this Unix cloned software? 

I know that we have a lot of  'young' people on this forum who might be struggling w/ purchasing MS & Apple hardware & software, but this Linux based OS & its many programs are absolutely FREE!  I've played around w/ the Ubuntu OS for nearly a month now - came w/ plenty of 'free' software in the installation package, e.g. Open Office (by Sun Microsystems) duplicates all of the programs in MS Office (the Word, Excel, & Powerpoint files are read directly into their programs - my only problem has been w/ the Access database); currently, I'm playing around w/ a program called the GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) - this is pretty much like Photoshop which costs hundreds of dollars - GIMP is FREE!  I can go on (but believe me I'm just a beginner!), but for those interested, please respond (and check out the links given previously!) -  this is cool stuff! 

[Opus106]

opus67@GMG:~$ sudo apt-get more_posters --yes



Couple of useful links if you are either new to Linux or trying to choose a 'distro' (short for distribution)

http://distrowatch.com/ - Keep up-to-date with the latest releases (development and finished ones)
http://www.desktoplinux.com/ - news from the world of Linux

[SonicMan46]

opus67@GMG:~$ sudo apt-get more_posters --yes

Couple of useful links if you are either new to Linux or trying to choose a 'distro' (short for distribution)

http://distrowatch.com/ - Keep up-to-date with the latest releases (development and finished ones)
http://www.desktoplinux.com/ - news from the world of Linux

Opus67 - hey, thanks for reactivating this thread - maybe we'll get some more 'takers'?   

Currently on my Ubuntu laptop - using Ubuntu 7.10, nicknamed 'Gusty Gibbon' - as already pointed out, esp. if the link above is followed, there are many 'distros' of the Linux kernel; Ubuntu is just one option (and the only one that I've used) - a book that helped me last year w/ this program is shown below. 

There is a 'newer' version of Ubuntu out, i.e. 8.04, named 'Hardy Heron' (the '8' is the release year & the .04, the month of release, i.e. April - there will be an 8.10 out later in the year) - books have already appeared on this newest Ubuntu distro (checkout Amazon or Bookpool.com, if interested).

Hope that others will join in - 

[Opus106]

I haven't yet bought a book, but I do have the PDF's from TLDP, a useful link I forgot to mention earlier. Click on 'Guides' and there you will online book on introduction to Linux, bash scripting, and also advanced guides for administration, etc. While I'm one of those persons who can't read a book completely online, I do find it a useful reference to have it in the hard disk. Also, as opposed to printed books, you can immediately download the book with the most recent revisions.

I use Hardy, by the way.

[Opus106]

Almost forgot: If you think that Linux has only to do with a screen with cursor blinking at a drab terminal, I'm sorry to say that you're mistaken.

http://www.youtube.com/v/IKiksY13mUw

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Will Ubuntu run the Adobe Creative Suites 2 and 3? (Actually, all I really need is Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat professional, and Lightroom)

What's the feasibility of having a dual boot machine (Vista and Ubuntu)? I'm planning on getting a new computer with two hard drives (or possibly even RAID)

[Opus106]

Will Ubuntu run the Adobe Creative Suites 2 and 3? (Actually, all I really need is Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat professional, and Lightroom)

Maybe you could, with WINE. I haven't tried.
http://appdb.winehq.org/search.php (search for 'adobe')

What's the feasibility of having a dual boot machine (Vista and Ubuntu)? I'm planning on getting a new computer with two hard drives (or possibly even RAID)

I have a dual-boot, with XP and Ubuntu, and with each OS in a different hard-disk. Doing it this way is a lot simpler because you need not worry about one OS (Windoze) wiping out another.

This is a great resource on dual-booting Ubuntu with Windows - http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/

[drogulus]

    What about Mandriva? Does it support Realtek HD audio? How are the graphics drivers? Can I play my games?? 

[Opus106]

    What about Mandriva? Does it support Realtek HD audio? How are the graphics drivers? Can I play my games?? 

Sorry, I haven't tried Mandriva. You can find links to reviews of the latest version at Distro Watch, the link to which is available in my first post.

[SonicMan46]

Will Ubuntu run the Adobe Creative Suites 2 and 3? (Actually, all I really need is Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat professional, and Lightroom)

What's the feasibility of having a dual boot machine (Vista and Ubuntu)? I'm planning on getting a new computer with two hard drives (or possibly even RAID)

Just getting back to this thread after a few days - believe that your questions have already been addressed by Opus67 - check out the Wine HQ - this is a 'Windows simulator' that can be used in an UNIX enviroment - I've not used the program, but have read some 'mixed' reviews on the Ubuntu Forums (links above), and likely not all Windows software is going to work; obviously, you're using a lot of pretty powerful software, so I would certainly review others' experience; plus, there may be some LINUX software that can 'replace' one or more of the programs mentioned, e.g. I've been using GIMP, which is a Photoshop clone (doesn't seem as easy to use for me, but it is a powerful program and is FREE!).

As already mentioned, 'dual booting' is not a problem at all if you want to run different OSs on a hard drive w/ multiple partitions or on different physical drives - again, plenty of information in the LINUX/Ubuntu/ect. forums - hope to see you posting your experiences back here!

Just had my 'old' Ubuntu laptop on the road (an overnight trip - hotel had 'free' wireless in the room) - don't take my VISTA laptop w/ me on trips - Ubuntu has an excellent 'built-in' firewall (iptables and viral/malware software is NOT needed) - a LINUX distro really seems like an advantage to me in using these 'open & unprotected' hotel networks! 

[SonicMan46]

Just returned from a long weekend in Asheville, NC - stayed @ the Inn on Biltmore Estate - 'wired' internet in the room, but I had taken along an Asus 'wireless' AP (shown below), which I've had a number of years - but never gave it a try on my Ubuntu system - well, hooked the Asus to the wired ethernet cable in the room, added power, and tried to connect - the adapter was recognized by the IBM/Ubuntu system w/o a problem, and I was up & running immediately! Now I had the luxury of toting the computer to any place in the room - just another success story w/ this Linux clone! 

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

Will Ubuntu run the Adobe Creative Suites 2 and 3? (Actually, all I really need is Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat professional, and Lightroom)

This is the right question. Let me add: Will Wlan run out of the box? Will it run my favourite audio players (fb2k, winamp)? Does it have decent audio software? Wave editors, vst fx and instruments? The question is: No. When it comes to audio, linux distributions (I cannot blame anybody though) do not play a role. 99.999% of all software is running on Windows/MacOS there.

Ubuntu: Great. But only with a Windows Virtualbox in it. Btw I can recommend anybody trying Ubuntu or better Xubuntu in such a virtual Machine and judge yourself.

My first computer was an "Apricot F1".

@Sonicman: Do you know ONE professional using Gimp? It's got terrible usability.
And: The "Open unprotected hotel networks" isn't mainly a firewalling/packet filtering issue. It's rather about letting unencrypted traffic run over foreign hardware, sniffing.

[Daverz]

This is the right question. Let me add: Will Wlan run out of the box? Will it run my favourite audio players (fb2k, winamp)?

Another poor victim of Microsoft lock-in.

Back in the eighties there were multiple personal computing systems with their own software.  This was a healthy market IMO.  It's only because of the lock-in effect of Microsoft's de facto monopoly on the desktop that people now expect something like this.

Does it have decent audio software? Wave editors, vst fx and instruments? The question is: No.

You're not even able to google, apparently.

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

You're not even able to google, apparently.

Apparently you know only theory. Have a look at kvraudio.com and you'll see, there are myriads of instruments, Linux does not play a role, not even in a niche. I use a lot of vst instruments and some fx. Of course there's no Linux equivalent for any of them. Really no need to discuss about it. Waste of time. Or do you have, just one example, replacements for http://linplug.de/ instruments? RM IV for Linux? Tell more.

[Daverz]

Apparently you know only theory. Have a look at kvraudio.com and you'll see, there are myriads of instruments, Linux does not play a role, not even in a niche.

This is silly.  Why are you pretending this was your only claim when it's right down there for everyone to read?  It's not arguing in good faith.

Linux is missing software for a lot of niche stuff like this (or rather, the niche software makers are missing Linux support).  For example, I still have to run win32 for Code Composer, needed for working on some embedded DSPs.  They've got the customers locked in, so what the hell do they care if it doesn't run on Linux.   I'd rather my employer avoided this extreme lock in in the first place, but it's their choice. 

Also, one of the DAQ cards we use claims to have Linux drivers, but they seem to have been written by an idiot, so we can really only use these cards on XP.

Most (I'd say 99%) of people don't need this kind of niche software or hardware.

[SonicMan46]

This is the right question. Let me add: Will Wlan run out of the box?.......

Btw I can recommend anybody trying Ubuntu or better Xubuntu in such a virtual Machine and judge yourself.

@Sonicman: Do you know ONE professional using Gimp? It's got terrible usability.
And: The "Open unprotected hotel networks" isn't mainly a firewalling/packet filtering issue. It's rather about letting unencrypted traffic run over foreign hardware, sniffing.

Boy, the purpose of this thread was not to be a diatribe over the Linux OS, regardless of its shortcomings.  As Daverz has already stated, 'niche' Windows software (whether 'pet' graphics or audio programs), just do not run easily, if at all, on a Linux system - but as indicated, those who need this software should stick to Windows and/or Mac OSs.  And of course, if you want the latter, 'dual booting' is also an option rather than running a 'virtual box' w/i Linux or other mimicry software.

As for Gimp, I never claimed that the program was great, just that I've used it to do 'simple' photo editing (mainly to crop & re-size my images to put on the web, thus no expert by far) - I even bought a book on GIMP, and found the program difficult to use (maybe better w/ practice?) - now I do have a lot of years using Photoshop, and if I had to do graphic editing on a daily basis, I would use either Windows or a Mac - don't believe there is a major argument here; but, I'm sure that GIMP would be adequate for many once the program is learned well and used daily (like any other complex software); since only a couple % of computer users employ a Linux system, then of course there will not be many 'professional' people using GIMP - however,  for a 'free piece' of software, the program can be impressive.

Your point about 'unprotected' hotel networks is important for those using them and, of course, is completely independent of the OS being used to access them; the information passing through cyberspace is certainly 'unencrypted' unless using special software (VPNs) or specific sites.  But I must say that of the two laptops that I carry on the road (IBM w/ Ubuntu & a newer Dell w/ VISTA), I feel more comfortable w/ the Linux laptop, the built-in iptables firewall is excellent and virtually Linux viruses/malware are non-existent in the wild.  But 'packet sniffers' could be lurking in the IT department of the hotels (or public hot spots) making 'wireless' connections in particular hazardous - my main rule is to never pass personal information over these connections (like credit card numbers, etc.), but this may still not be enough protection. 

Well, thanks for your 'contrarian' opinion - all of these current OSs have their positive & negative aspects, and must be chosen for the prices one is willing to pay, the software & hardware that can be used, and the features that are needed whether from a personal or professional standpoint. 

[Conservationist]

I prefer Debian Linux, and use online sources for information, but it's good people are exploring this. These operating systems are "robust" and seriously fun!

[orbital]

I have never seen, let alone use, a front end Linux client, but I am very happy with Linux as the web server OS of choice. All the hosts I use for the websites I have use Linux, and they run very fast with no problems at all.