The Ubuntu Project: Is Linux Right For Word Workers?
By Tom Chandler on Jun 22, 2008 in Writer tools
My six year-old HP laptop has never failed me. But lately, it has been making me wait.
It’s running Windows XP, and even after a clean install – once its 512K MB of RAM was burdened with service packs, security updates, anti-viral software and a modern browser - it becomes the Little Laptop That Can’t.
At least not quickly.
It’s not the end of the world; I run my company on a fast new laptop. But I keep the HP upstairs, so I can surf and check email without heading downstairs to my office.
Was I screwed? Time to shell out for another laptop?
Maybe. But when you’ve got nothing to lose, you’ve got nothing to lose by trying something new. I went looking for a faster alternative. And found it.
The Linux Story
Linux is an operating system that runs many of the servers on the Web (this blog’s server runs Linux).
Linux is also available for the desktop, yet it’s rarely found on the information worker’s PC (desktop market share has grown to just over 2%).
A free version of the age-old Unix operating system, Linux is considered an operating system for techies, scientists and cranks. It’s fast and powerful, but often labeled “user unfriendly.”
Yet recently I’ve heard the rumblings. The newer versions are “friendlier.” Easier to install. Cuddly even.
True? Or false?
I’m no propeller head. But I am a good test subject. I’m a marketer, copywriter and online guy. And I don’t mind tinkering (a little).
In short, I use a PC the same way most online-savvy folks use PCs. And here I sat with a slow laptop; a perfect test bed for a Linux installation.
The Ubuntu Effect
Among all the Linux distributions, Ubuntu has been called the friendliest, easiest-to-install Linux distribution. That made it my starting point.
Which is when I experienced my first Linux Surprise.
Ubuntu isn’t one system; it’s many of them.
Several flavors are available, including a server version, an education version (Edubuntu), two “standard” desktop versions (Ubuntu & Kubuntu), an interesting studio version for multimedia types (Ubuntu Studio), a mobile version, and yes – a small footprint version for slower PCs (Xubuntu).
Bingo.
Installation was straightforward; I downloaded an Xubuntu CD image, burned a CD, and rebooted from the Xubuntu CD.
Expecting a painful confrontation with an extraterrestrial installation process, I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of indecipherable choices, I faced four installation options:
- Install the Linux operating system over the old system (reformatting your drive and destroying all your old data)
- Install Ubuntu in its own partition (it divides your hard drive into separate virtual disks; you decide which operating system boots at startup)
- Install it on on your Windows disk (maintains all your Windows data and system; Linux runs a little slower)
- Run it from the CD (quite slow, but you can test-drive the system without altering one byte on your Windows disk)
Because I didn’t care about maintaining my old Windows XP installation, I went with option #1.
And gritted my teeth.
This was where it was going to get messy.
This was where I was going to meet the Linux Monster head on.
This was… done already?
Installation went smoothly. Very smoothly.
The only holdup? The wireless card didn’t work, so I had to plug my laptop directly into my router. It connected immediately, and automatically downloaded the driver software for my wireless card.
Done. Finished.
Ready to compute.
In other words, installation was easy. Damned easy.
In 40 minutes, I was looking at the Xubuntu desktop, complete with open source (free) word processor (Abiword), spreadsheet (Gnumeric), Pidgin all-in-one IM software, and plenty other goodies.
Still, I’m a fan of OpenOffice (an open source, MS Windows Office equivalent), and installing it was a snap.
I simply ran the Package Manager, which automatically downloaded and installed software for me.
Fast. Simple. Easy.
What was I afraid of again?
With a little configuring (the browser had to download some non-open source plugins to run flash), my old laptop was once again a useful Web surfing tool.
It isn’t blazingly fast, but it is faster than when running XP, and Xubuntu handled my laptop’s limited memory far better.
The interface is clean and simple. Upgrades and updates are automatic. And yes, there was much rejoicing at the Underground.
The End of the Story?
Not quite. Running (and yes, enjoying) the streamlined version of Ubuntu forced me to ask the question: would I prefer the full-featured desktop version of Ubuntu to the copy of Windows Vista running on my business laptop?
I’ll be blunt. I don’t much like Windows Vista. It makes my fast new laptop run like my old slow desktop. In fact, it feels like little more than a slow, tarted-up version of Windows XP – and many of the interface “improvements” leave me scratching my head.
It doesn’t feel like an upgrade worth waiting years for. And I have zero interest in moving to the latest version of MS Office. In fact, my daily software set is already largely open source.
Wtih that in mind, was Ubuntu a faster, updated-more-often, better-designed choice for my everyday work computer? Was it possible to find out in a relatively painless fashion?
The Ubuntu Project: 30 Days of Linux
Turns out it was. I installed the full-blown glossy version of Ubuntu in a partition on my new Dell Inspiron laptop (total: two hours).
Most the software I wanted was already in place, but I quickly downloaded the few bits that weren’t (the big list looks like: OpenOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, Evolution, Audacity, Kompozer, Scribus, Gimp, gTwitter).
Ubuntu running all the usual suspects: OpenOffice, Firefox, gTwitter, IM manager…
Some are simply Linux versions of the software I already use. Others (like HTML editor Kompozer) replace commercial Windows products.
Meanwhile, Vista – and all my old software – reclines on my hard drive, ready to boot if needed.
Like Morgan Spurlock of “30 days” fame, I’m going to live with Ubuntu Linux for the next month.
If I like it, I switch. If I don’t, Vista stays.
First Impressions
Ubuntu is faster than Vista. Not by a factor of several times, but noticeably faster.
The interface is (to my eye) cleaner. And I’m already using mostly open source software, which means I barely notice the switch.
There have been glitches.
Playing a standard commercial DVD wasn’t possible without messing with indecipherable command lines. It’s an easy fix, but it’s clumsy. And while there’s a lot of open source software available, Linux currently lacks a killer blog editor.
I loved Windows LiveWriter on Vista, but have been relegated to using the oddly designed ScribeFire (Firefox-based Java app) for blogging. (Don’t Linux people blog?)
I already miss some of the peripheral software available in Windows. Like the Twhirl Twitter editor and the Q10 “dark screen” text editor.
And moving contact data from my Windows PIM (Time & Chaos) and into Evolution (the open source equivalent of Outlook) has been a surprisingly painful experience.
Outside of the few glitches, I’ve enjoyed an easy move. And with Web-based software becoming more common, the application barriers to moving to Linux are going to come down (in most cases, they already have).
Of course, larger questions of availability, scalability, compatibility and even philosophy are at work here, and I’ll get into those during my month-long Ubuntu test.
Until then, keep writing.
Technorati Tags: ubuntu, xubuntu, linux, linux for copywriters, vista, windows vista, windows xp, trying linux, trying ubuntu, testing ubuntu, open source, openoffice
Hi, Tom. Please do keep us posted. Many of the glitches and discomfort you’ve experienced are things I haven’t got a habit formed for yet, so they wouldn’t be an issue for me. It’s encouraging to hear that it was less technically demanding than you expected. Thanks for this!
Kristi | Jun 22, 2008 | Reply
For your email thunderbird might have been easier, I don’t use but it is by the Firefox makers. for ubuntu take it nice and easy. I already managed to hose somewhat my installation by reckless use :)
Mike | Jun 22, 2008 | Reply
Kristi: It was a far less challenging install than I first imagined.
For everyday writing, surfing, and business use, it’s hard to see why you’d find a Linux installation wanting. Then again, I haven’t yet explored personal finance and business accounting packages.
Mike: I use Thunderbird on Vista, and wanted to try Evolution for its contact and calendar features.
Tom Chandler | Jun 22, 2008 | Reply
Hi Tom, I stumbled upon your blog with some late night googling. Recently I myself (re-re-re-)discovered Ubuntu as well, your testimonial was a good read and I can relate to much of what you’ve said.
There is one thing however, that I’d like to point out: getting DVDs (and flash, mp3 and other restricted formats) to play can be enabled without use of the command line.
Simply go to the package manager and search for “restricted”. This will turn up the Ubuntu restricted extras package. To quote it’s own description: “Installing this package will pull in support for MP3 playback and decoding, support for various other audio formats (gstreamer plugins), Microsoft fonts, Java runtime environment, Flash plugin, LAME (to create compressed audio files), and DVD playback.”
It may seem odd that things like these aren’t bundled with the operating system while so many others are, but this has a good reason.
Ubuntu, and much of the Linux community, is part of the Free/Open Source Software movement, and they want their users to be fully aware when they are using something that doesn’t fit with this philosophy.
I’ve bookmarked your blog and I eagerly await to read how you’ll have experienced a month of (X)Ubuntu.
Good luck and take care.
Kenny | Jun 22, 2008 | Reply
I personally use Ubuntu and love it. For those who are intimidated by installing codecs (which 9 times out of 10 Ubuntu makes painless) there is Linux Mint which already has the codecs installed for mp3, dvd and so on. It’s based on Ubuntu and has most of the same great features if not more. I went with Ubuntu Hardy only because it came out before Mint 5.
Good luck with Ubuntu I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Check out distrowatch.com for many many more great Linux Operating Systems. If Ubuntu for example didn’t work with your hardware chances are another one like PCLinuxOS, Mandriva or Mepis probably would or Vice Versa.
One more thing, if you really want that old lap top to fly you might try Antix, or TinyMe on another partition when your more familiar with Linux.
Deron | Jun 22, 2008 | Reply
Hey Tom :)
Glad you are having positive experiences with Ubuntu.
Have you tried out Compiz Fusion yet? If your computer will run it, i highly suggest it. The base is installed by default. To get full potential out of it, type:
sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager
To run compiz, press ALT-F2, and type:
compiz –replace
You can adjust compiz settings using the compiz config settings manager (System->Preferences->Advanced Desktop Effect Settings).
I am so addicted to my 3D desktop cube that I can no longer use windows :D
Also, about your “indecipherable command lines” comment, I just want to say they are not as complicated as you make them out to be.
Sure, you can do everything with a Graphical User Interface that you can with a command line, (you can install compiz using Synaptic Package Manager), but it makes it easier.
If you are asking for help, it is much easier for someone to say “type this and hit enter” then to give you a long list of complicated commands (that may not be accurate if you are using an alternative Ubuntu (or other linux) distro).
Also, the command line (terminal) is not that hard to use. Let me make it clear that you can have a positive and productive experience with Ubuntu WITHOUT the Terminal, but it also make alot of things easier to do.
If you have time, i would recommend learning some basic Linux commands for the terminal. They are fairly strait forward (mv = move, rm = remove, etc).
However, if you dont have time, then dont worry about it and have fun.
But dont be afraid to copy and past commands. (just be wary of “sudo rm -rf”, as this deletes files)
If you need help, ask in the Ubuntu forums (www.ubuntuforusm.org), because I have found they are very nice and helpful there (and answer you quickly!)
Anyway, hope your experience with Ubuntu is awesome :)
Casey | Jun 22, 2008 | Reply
I’m not sure if you’ve heard of this already, but Wine (http://www.winehq.org/) will allow you to use a lot of your windows applications in Linux. It may work for a few of those tiny things you miss, but you also might want to try seeing if they have a Linux alternative first.
Patrick | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Tom,
Its great to see more and more people trying to replace their Windows boxes with GNU/Linux. Its even better to see that they are liking their LInux experience right from install to use.
I have been an On-And-Off Linux user for the last 5-6 years, and have dabbled with quite a few flavours. I right now use Ubuntu mostly because of the great community documentation.
I am in India. In this country proprietary software is a pain to buy and piracy is rampant to say the least. This is a great place for an OS like Ubuntu to be adopted.
If and when you do feel more comfortable with LInux as a whole you should try and install different flavours of linux. Each one has its own unique experience.
Abhilash | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Must suck having a computer with only 512k of ram.
Person | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
There is actually a Linux-equivalent to Q10, it’s called PyRoom. It uses the same stripped-down concept as all the others.
Check it out, you might like it.
isecore | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Looks like I was beat to the comment, but yeah, you may want to upgrade that 512K of RAM to something a little higher, like 2G. 512K is so 1990.
Kaos | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Most of the difficulties I see from new adopters of Linux stem from the fact that it is ‘different’ from Windows.
Windows has got everyone used to many simplistic, and sometimes ill-advised, practices that leave users scratching their heads when they try something new.
We run our web design and copywriting business on a mixture of Windows and Linux machines but we’re happily moving over completely to Linux soon.
Malcolm | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Heh, with “512K” of RAM, it’s no wonder that your machine was running slowly ;) Lol, might want to fix that, unless you *really* only have 512 “K” of ram ;)
lolwoops | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
I more or less did the same thing you did…
I was getting so sick of XP slowing down my system due to AV software, service packs, and all that nasty crap Micro$oft forces you to use.
Ubuntu was my solution.
However, occasionally there are things that I’d like to, or need to do on Windows. For that… Theres VirtualBox. Rather than Dual booting, just use VirtualBox to run *cringe* Vista or *not so much cringe* XP as a virtual machine on your Ubuntu desktop. You can also configure VirtualBox to seemlessly integrate into your Ubuntu desktop, much like Coherence mode on Parallels for MAC.
Heres a sweet tutorial on how to do that.
http://lifehacker.com/367714/run-windows-apps-seamlessly-inside-linuxx
Hope you enjoy the switch to the best OS going.
Nate L | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Nice choice:) Linux’s the gratest sstem ever invented. Try installing Emerald and Compiz Fusion + it’ll add some even more cool effects to your desktop. And one more thing, Linus Torvalds (Linux’s creator) said once: “linux IS userfriendly, it’s just not idiot-friendly”:)
Qrjusz | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Hi. I was intruiged by the mention of q10, and went to check it out. I first read about it 10 minutes ago. And tbh. I allready have it running in wine like a charm. The only thing missing for me now is sounds. But other then that, the regular windows installer, and wine should be sufficient. Will try to get sounds to work, and if i do, ill get back to you.
as for Outlook/evolution. I know how problematic it can be as i just spent a weekend helping my father do a switch from xp to ubuntu. : /
Marius | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Tom,
I quickly scrolled through the comments, so forgive me if I missed something. It seems like your biggest beef with Ubuntu was the lack of “out of the box” DVD support. I HIGHLY recommend installing VLC Media Player. This little guy can handle just about anything you throw at it out of the box and upon installation, you should be able to play DVDs (assuming you do have a DVD drive) in addition to XVID, DIVX, and most other video formats. Good luck with your Linux experience!
-Ally
Ally | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
I’d also like to add that if you prefer “dark” text editors, you can set up your terminal with whatever color scheme you want, then sudo apt-get install vim. Vim is a highly versatile term-based text editor, but it does have a bit of a learning curve.
Ally | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Wow. I seem to have roused the Linux fans.
I appreciate all the comments. Keep in mind I’m not looking at Linux from the standpoint of technical superiority; I’m trying to decipher if it’s a worthwhile alternative for copywriters/online workers, etc.
That means software availability is important, as is the ability to keep it running without undue intervention, and also handle the slings of arrows of outrageous media (like, can I simply plug in my USB mic and have it work with Audacity?).
Stuff like that.
And certainly, the larger questions will have to be addressed, and that’s on tap for future posts.
I like Linux and the idea of Open Source, but committing yourself to an operating system that’s not used by the majority of your clients involves some thought.
We’re going to explore that soon.
Thanks to everyone for all the tips and hints (though I’m keeping things simple for now).
Tom Chandler | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
FORGOT: Already have Wine installed (though haven’t done anything with it yet). Plan to test it before things get too far along.
Marius: Thanks for the Q10 update. The sounds, of course, are most of the point.
Ally: I installed VLC and it still didn’t solve the problem — until I ditched gstreamer and installed xine, then added the css library.
As for that being my “biggest” beef, I’d say that’s inaccurate. It’s one example about why less-techie users might try Linux, then back away quickly.
Tom Chandler | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Done some research on q10 equalients today. and it seems that there are great alternatives, as long as you can do without the sounds.
PyRoom is a great alternative, that is highly customisable. http://pyroom.org/
As it looks as though its still in development, you might wanna leave a note about the sounds: ) I know I did.
Also, the best resource for ubuntu IMO: http://www.ubuntuforums.org
Register, search, ask. Very nice community
Marius | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Hi there,
I’m not normally a fan of blogs but I Stumbled Upon your site by accident and was intrigued to see how you get on with switching from Windows to Linux.
As a self-confessed techie, the way Linux and other Unix operating systems work is natural to me, and I often find myself confused by Microsoft’s approach to computing. However, I’m fully aware that, for most users, the Windows way of doing things is what’s familiar, and that understanding some of those nuances that Linux displays may seem confusing at first.
I’m genuinely interested to see how you get on with using Linux. I find your honesty about both Windows and Linux to be very refreshing - all too often zealots of both OSes rant on and on about how their favourite system is faultless. I hope you keep this impartiality throughout your trial.
I’m eagerly looking forward to reading future updates on how, as an “average joe”, you get on with using Linux as your primary OS.
Gareth | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
Speed. You hit it on the money. For me, the Ubuntu consumption of only 16 to 20% of my RAM was from the beginning the selling point.
david 19.5 | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
By the way, everything is completely configurable with ease. Go to http://www.gnome-look.org for other themes, etc. [Save to desktop, install under appearance preferences.] I use bluetopia for the controls, moomex for window borders, blendedcrystal 2.2 for icons.
david 19.5 | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
I found this article by a link in Thwirl (FriendFeed) from Mandriva Linux. It works B-).
1. Download and install Adobe Air for Linux- http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/air/
2. Download Thwirl. Double click in a file manager to use it.
Jake | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
alphaxs | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
oh, and theres WUBI also!!!
http://wubi-installer.org/
njoy
alphaxs | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
I’ve got an HP with only 384 Meg. I installed Ubuntu’s “Hardy Heron” on it, the Kubuntu flavor. It works beautifully.
Chiron613 | Jun 23, 2008 | Reply
If you’re used to Q10 (which I like), you should try JDarkroom for Linux, it’s based on Java so it’s cross platform :D
Tom | Jun 24, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for all the pointers. The next installment is coming in a day or two.
Tom Chandler | Jun 24, 2008 | Reply
Hi Tom
Greetings from sunny South Africa. I’ve been following your podcasts for some time now, but the podcast on Ubuntu has spurred me to post on your blog.
In the past I’ve used Ubuntu myself not only because it is an awesome alternative to the MS offering but also because it was developed by a fellow South African, Mark Shuttleworth, the same guy who developed THAWTE and who was the world’s second self-funded space-tourist.
It’s funny that not many people know about that, but I’m guessing you do. I’m only mentioning it as an example of the great innovations that have been coming out of South Africa. I stand under correction but even the Apache helicopter used by your military is based on a South African design of the “Rooivalk” attack helicopter.
Anyway, enough flag-waving…
LOL.
Keep up the awesome work on the podcast. I’m a copywriter myself (working mostly BTL, on radio and in print) and your insights keep me ahead of the pack down here.
Here’s to many more happy days using Ubuntu!
Regards
Amod Munga
Cape Town, South Africa
Amod Munga | Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
Quick correction: brain was fried. Where it says podcast, read as blog-post. PEBCAK error. ;o)
Amod Munga | Jun 26, 2008 | Reply
Adobe has released a beta of Adobe Air for Linux. I’ve been running it for a few days now with Twhirl and haven’t had any problems. Go check it out.
Kyle Mathews | Jun 29, 2008 | Reply
As a blog editor have you tried Drivel Journal Editor? You can install it via terminal:
sudo apt-get install drivel
atomkarinca | Jun 30, 2008 | Reply
Kyle: I’m doing OK with Twitterfox (an applet within the Firefox browser). Not quite as developed as Twhirl, it has the bonus of not requiring the installation of alpha software. Once AIR heads for beta status, I’ll probably re-evaluate it. But thanks for the pointer; I’d missed it before.
Atom: As a personal preference, Drivel didn’t suit me as well as Scribefire does. I plan to give all the blog editors a look-see when I get back from my fly fishing vacation.
Tom Chandler | Jul 5, 2008 | Reply