Comments on: Four weeks with Ubuntu Linux on the desktop. Part 1: Switching is hard http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/ Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:08:51 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tilly http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-311469 Tilly Fri, 30 May 2008 13:04:54 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-311469 A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,

]]> By: flagrantdisregard » Blog Archive » A year with Linux on the desktop http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-232696 flagrantdisregard » Blog Archive » A year with Linux on the desktop Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:09:08 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-232696 [...] system. I wrote about the surprises of that switch (both happy and vexing) in a four-part series (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) in [...] [...] system. I wrote about the surprises of that switch (both happy and vexing) in a four-part series (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) in [...]

]]> By: Dervish » Blog Archive » Ubuntu-ing http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-211851 Dervish » Blog Archive » Ubuntu-ing Tue, 09 Oct 2007 05:27:12 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-211851 [...] flagrantdisregard blogs about her trial of Ubuntu. [...] [...] flagrantdisregard blogs about her trial of Ubuntu. [...]

]]> By: Eric P http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-134278 Eric P Tue, 13 Mar 2007 22:14:32 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-134278 I just switched from Quicken to GnuCash and I like it very much. It's elegant and efficient, like so much of Linux. I have myself just completed a very happy switch to Ubuntu on a new dual core with 2GB ram. Yes, it was a lot of work to get it set up right, and to learn new ways of doing things. I have used Windows since v2.0 (no kidding, 1986 I think.) And I have LOTS of commercial software, like Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDraw, Quicken. But, I have tried over the last couple years to start adopting the open source software that's available for Windows. Most of it is. OpenOffice, Blender 3D, Audacity, Firefox, Thunderbird, Inkscape, Celtx - I got used to these on Windows, so the transition felt more natural. I can use Gimp pretty well, but I can actually still run Photoshop 7 very well under Wine, though that took some messing around. And recently, I feel the FOSS programs are equivalent or better than the commercial alternatives. Like Lightzone raw photo software (free on Linux) - I've been wishing for a program with these capabilities for a while. Some of the learning curves are steep. With Gimp, the tools are pretty much the same, they're just in different places. With Blender - oh my, the working technique is so different. That takes some work, but you know, when you learn it, it's the fastest way to work I've ever seen. The nicest thing is that I feel I have complete control over my computer. Learning a new system meant learning how to really do things. With Linux, it's transparent. Seek and you shall find, ask and forums will be open to you. Networking, installation, updating, now, after three weeks - I feel I'm nearly a master of the OS, and even after 20 years with Windows I never felt that way! In short, persevere. It's worth it. Right now I still don't recommend to any other less geek-oriented people to switch to Ubuntu. But it's progressing to the point where, in a year, I think that would be very possible. I just switched from Quicken to GnuCash and I like it very much. It’s elegant and efficient, like so much of Linux. I have myself just completed a very happy switch to Ubuntu on a new dual core with 2GB ram. Yes, it was a lot of work to get it set up right, and to learn new ways of doing things. I have used Windows since v2.0 (no kidding, 1986 I think.) And I have LOTS of commercial software, like Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDraw, Quicken. But, I have tried over the last couple years to start adopting the open source software that’s available for Windows. Most of it is. OpenOffice, Blender 3D, Audacity, Firefox, Thunderbird, Inkscape, Celtx – I got used to these on Windows, so the transition felt more natural. I can use Gimp pretty well, but I can actually still run Photoshop 7 very well under Wine, though that took some messing around. And recently, I feel the FOSS programs are equivalent or better than the commercial alternatives. Like Lightzone raw photo software (free on Linux) – I’ve been wishing for a program with these capabilities for a while.

Some of the learning curves are steep. With Gimp, the tools are pretty much the same, they’re just in different places. With Blender – oh my, the working technique is so different. That takes some work, but you know, when you learn it, it’s the fastest way to work I’ve ever seen.

The nicest thing is that I feel I have complete control over my computer. Learning a new system meant learning how to really do things. With Linux, it’s transparent. Seek and you shall find, ask and forums will be open to you. Networking, installation, updating, now, after three weeks – I feel I’m nearly a master of the OS, and even after 20 years with Windows I never felt that way!

In short, persevere. It’s worth it. Right now I still don’t recommend to any other less geek-oriented people to switch to Ubuntu. But it’s progressing to the point where, in a year, I think that would be very possible.

]]> By: Valis http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133759 Valis Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:21:18 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133759 RuthDeB: Try GnuCash for starters. Generally a good place to find alternatives for proprietary apps is Open Source Alternative: http://www.osalt.com RuthDeB: Try GnuCash for starters. Generally a good place to find alternatives for proprietary apps is Open Source Alternative: http://www.osalt.com

]]> By: Sinwen http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133584 Sinwen Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:28:41 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133584 "... in my line of work I use a lot of very specific, high-end, media manipulation programs that aren’t universally compatible with Linux ...." This is the major Linux concern. It will never be solved until a real user of let say Katia or Autocad or any other pro software, is also a fine Linux programmer and want to get involved into it. Being just a programmer isn't enough. I tried to install Varkon on Ubuntu, I am surely not expert enough to do this and the all system got stucked. I had to format the HD. But of what I managed to see, it was'nt the program I expected. Many, many, many people are ready to switch to Linux the day these kind of compatibilities are effective. Big companies get their soft tailor made but million of others cannot and depend of the softwares business. Something else : does anybody know how to switch from Ubuntu to Dreamlinux ? Tahnks “… in my line of work I use a lot of very specific, high-end, media manipulation programs that aren’t universally compatible with Linux ….”

This is the major Linux concern. It will never be solved until a real user of let say Katia or Autocad or any other pro software, is also a fine Linux programmer and want to get involved into it. Being just a programmer isn’t enough.
I tried to install Varkon on Ubuntu, I am surely not expert enough to do this and the all system got stucked. I had to format the HD. But of what I managed to see, it was’nt the program I expected.
Many, many, many people are ready to switch to Linux the day these kind of compatibilities are effective. Big companies get their soft tailor made but million of others cannot and depend of the softwares business.

Something else : does anybody know how to switch from Ubuntu to Dreamlinux ?

Tahnks

]]> By: RuthDeB http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133579 RuthDeB Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:55:11 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133579 Hiya John! Longtime reader, firsttime poster :-) I've been trying to upgrade my RedHat Enterprise Linux 4 vmware image in order to be able to run the mathmap plugin to the GIMP. (have you seen the stuff the Escher's Droste Effect Flickr pool has been doing? Amazing things going on there.) Anyway, there's a vmware image for Ubuntu too, but I went with RedHat since that's what we use at work (for servers, not desktops). Trying to get my RedHat image up-to-date enough to deal w/ all of mathmap's dependencies has been a wild goose chase to say the least. So I'm eagerly awaiting your future installments. What do you do for personal-finance software? I love Quicken.. is there something Quicken-like that runs on linux? Hiya John!

Longtime reader, firsttime poster :-)

I’ve been trying to upgrade my RedHat Enterprise Linux 4 vmware image in order to be able to run the mathmap plugin to the GIMP. (have you seen the stuff the Escher’s Droste Effect Flickr pool has been doing? Amazing things going on there.)

Anyway, there’s a vmware image for Ubuntu too, but I went with RedHat since that’s what we use at work (for servers, not desktops). Trying to get my RedHat image up-to-date enough to deal w/ all of mathmap’s dependencies has been a wild goose chase to say the least. So I’m eagerly awaiting your future installments.

What do you do for personal-finance software? I love Quicken.. is there something Quicken-like that runs on linux?

]]> By: Shooting the Kids (Chris) http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133566 Shooting the Kids (Chris) Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:53:29 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133566 John - it'll be fun to see what decisions you make regarding creative software. Amy's beginning to feel comfortable enough in GIMP and F-Spot that she's got a decent workflow down for her photography. My switch to Inkscape was about as painless as it could have been. If you're planning on using Inkscape, get the latest DEBs for it rather than the older ones in the main Edgy repos. John – it’ll be fun to see what decisions you make regarding creative software. Amy’s beginning to feel comfortable enough in GIMP and F-Spot that she’s got a decent workflow down for her photography. My switch to Inkscape was about as painless as it could have been. If you’re planning on using Inkscape, get the latest DEBs for it rather than the older ones in the main Edgy repos.

]]> By: JGJones http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133543 JGJones Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:44:29 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133543 Since you take a lot of fantastic pictures, I thought you *might* be interested in this upcoming Ubuntu Studio: http://ubuntustudio.com/ Blurb from site: <blockquote>Coming this April... Ubuntu Studio. A multimedia creation derivative of Ubuntu. Ubuntu Studio is aimed at the linux audio, video and graphic enthusiast as well as professional.</blockquote> It's based on the Fiesty Fawn distro (which have been quite very stable for me for the last month, but I am capable of fixing where it goes wrong, so if you've only switched recently, I suggest you wait until after it's released, to allow them to iron out all bugs etc) Cheers Since you take a lot of fantastic pictures, I thought you *might* be interested in this upcoming Ubuntu Studio:

http://ubuntustudio.com/

Blurb from site:

Coming this April…

Ubuntu Studio. A multimedia creation derivative of Ubuntu.

Ubuntu Studio is aimed at the linux audio, video and graphic enthusiast as well as professional.

It’s based on the Fiesty Fawn distro (which have been quite very stable for me for the last month, but I am capable of fixing where it goes wrong, so if you’ve only switched recently, I suggest you wait until after it’s released, to allow them to iron out all bugs etc)

Cheers

]]> By: Matheus Andrade http://flagrantdisregard.com/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133541 Matheus Andrade Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:41:19 +0000 http://flagrantdisregard.com/index.php/2007/03/11/four-weeks-with-ubuntu-linux-on-the-desktop-part-1-switching-is-hard/#comment-133541 Moving from a language to another - be it a spoken language or any other code we use in life - is always challenging and rewarding in the end. I am a full time Ubuntu user since 2k5 - and a very content one. 'Course that some things are harder on Linux, and some can't even be done natively, but some things are not doable in Windows or Macs as well. Nothing is complete, thank God - since that's the reason that variety is born over. I cannot assure Linux (or for that matter Portuguese, Cantonese, comic books or movies) is the best way to do things. But it's other way, all valid like any other. Congrats and I wish the best in your new Open Source life. Moving from a language to another – be it a spoken language or any other code we use in life – is always challenging and rewarding in the end. I am a full time Ubuntu user since 2k5 – and a very content one.
‘Course that some things are harder on Linux, and some can’t even be done natively, but some things are not doable in Windows or Macs as well. Nothing is complete, thank God – since that’s the reason that variety is born over.
I cannot assure Linux (or for that matter Portuguese, Cantonese, comic books or movies) is the best way to do things. But it’s other way, all valid like any other.

Congrats and I wish the best in your new Open Source life.

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