Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

[Snowhog]

Okay, sure, it's 'my opinion only,' but ....

I've been a Windoze user all of my computer using life. I still use it at work. But here, at home, I made the switch earlier this year. I have not been disappointed. The degree of control I have, and the ability to manage that control, is well, a lot of fun.

Has my (so far) short journey with Linux been without mishap? No, I've had my problems, but they were not long-term, and with help from the members in this forum, and Google (use it - Google is your friend) searches, they were overcome.

I still use Windoze here at home (I'm dual booting) only because of a few things I need it for. But I can see the day when I will be able to say good-bye to M$ completely and be 100% pure Linux!

So, if you have contemplated trying Linux, go ahead. Grab yourself a LiveCD and go for a test drive. You may just be surprised at what you find!

[Perpetual]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

Your story sounds a lot like mine. I also dual boot with windows xp and the ONLY reason I have kept xp is because of a program for my daughter, 'Dora Knows Your Name'. It is for my daughter, I swear!

I am going to try getting it to run in Wine when I have time. If it does, then I may be able to finally drop xp.

[blobfish]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

Me too! I am not dual booting but I have a dedicated xp machine for my cad system (unigraphics aka UG). UG does have a linux port now but it is tailored toward suse and Redhat. anyway Kubuntu has fulfilled all my other needs. I have loaded it on many machines. I am the support for about a dozen people and every reload gets a dual boot w/ kubuntu. I leave the xp kind of raw and set everything up in kubuntu. Yes I am stacking the deck!!!

[Snowhog]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

... UG does have a linux port now but it is tailored toward suse and Redhat.

Are you aware, that through the installable package 'alien' in Adept Manager, you can convert a Redhat package to a debian structure for installation in *ubuntu?

Alien allows you to convert LSB, Red Hat, Stampede and Slackware Packages into Debian packages, which can be installed with dpkg.
It can also generate packages of any of the other formats.
This is a tool only suitable for binary packages.

Maybe you can have your cake and it it too! 8)

[Pillage Idiot]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

Me too! Me too!
I decided it was time to take a serious look at Linux about February this year, with Ubuntu 6.10, which I installed on my old pc when I built my new box. It's still there, acting as a server mainly now.

I was running Vista 64 Ultimate on my main PC, but after an update and restart I could not open anything, file or application. I restored it three times, eventually turning the clock back by three months, all to no avail.
So XP was imaged back onto it to get a usable system running again.

My buntu box had been running continuously at this time for about a month, no problems, no hangs, no restarts.
So a dual boot went on to my main PC. Hated evolution, so changed to Kubuntu for Kontact.
And I have been here since.

In fact, Kubuntu has gradually "infected" every PC in my house bar one. My wife is not ready to take the step yet.

Even more interesting, after getting rid of windows completely from my PC it has run more stably than ever!
XP seemed to have been reaching out from the grave to "touch" my lovely Kubuntu with regular hangs on startup.

I still have to use Windows at work, but is is starting to grate. My work box needs a clean install again.

[blobfish]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

Are you aware, that through the installable package 'alien' in Adept Manager, you can convert a Redhat package to a debian structure for installation in *ubuntu?

whoops! missed your reply back in september snowhog. I have used alien and seems to work great the few times I have needed it. Mainly what is holding me back is that I have wrote quite a bit of custom functions for UG using MFC and just haven't been ready to commit the time to make them work. No legitimate excuse, just lazy.

[Snowhog]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

I am going to try getting it to run in Wine when I have time. If it does, then I may be able to finally drop xp.

Seriously consider installing VMware Player and installing WinXP as a virtual machine. I did just recently. I can now run Kubuntu and fire up my virtual WinXP machine, and use both at the same time - no dual-booting required!

[Snowhog]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

I was running Vista 64 Ultimate on my main PC, but after an update and restart I could not open anything, file or application. I restored it three times, eventually turning the clock back by three months, all to no avail.
So XP was imaged back onto it to get a usable system running again.

Have you seen the recent TV ads concerning 'VISTA's' unpopularity, which is resulting in end users requesting, and some manufacturers actually supporting, downgrades from installed Vista to WinXP? Says a lot about the (dis)satisfaction of M$ Vista users! And more, that M$ is actually agreeing with it (to a limited extent)!

[gilf]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

I gotta jump on this bandwagon.

I'm Kubuntuing and loving it. I have looked at linux since 2000 with test installs, and the time has finally come for me to be able to dump windows. Last trial with linux was a pretty serious attempt at moving over to Kanotix (2005-04), but I had too many insoluble problems and upgrading would have broken too many customizations, as well as droping Open Office, which was essential. The lack of an easy stable upgrade path prevented me from sticking with it. Now Kanotix has split into two factions, and I want something that is more stable as a community and direction.

Canonical has ably demonstrated that to me, superior support, attitude, documentation, stability, a clean look and feel, just a professional quality and a philosophy I can agree with.

Teething pains sure, I had trouble wifi connecting at first, and what I learned I have tried to give back. I doubt I can ever give back what the linux community in countless contributions has provided me with here as I type.

One thing, among many, but one thing is control. I have control of what I do. I am not being shepherded into a consumer dependency, shielded from capabilities.

I am given capabilities by Linux. But along with that comes responsibility. I have ultimate responsibility of my computer's operation and for understanding the limitations of Linux, in its present state of development.

Linux cannot compete in terms of rapid development with a for-profit corporation, backed by billions in yearly income. Particularly when assisted universally by hardware manufacturers attempting to perfect interfaces with those systems, alone . It must always follow the latest developments with a lead time required to reverse engineer and adapt to those systems, and it must do so without exposing itself to crippling legal liabilities.

Linux is a popular movement, and I'm glad to be part of it, through Kubuntu. It has demonstrated for me that despite the obstacles, an amazingly useful and richly developed system can fulfill enough needs of my own to replace the developments of the giants. I feel good using the system. I enjoy it. It feels better to me to type on the same keyboard that once typed alt ctrl delete countless times under windows.

I appreciate too, the ability to extend the life of perfectly good "older" hardware, because the bloat which enforces planned obsolescence is absent from my computer. There is a crisp feeling to working with it that I greatly appreciate.

I'm sure there will be problems, bugs, and frustrations along the way. But at least they are honest ones, honest bugs. They are not windfall deficiencies in the service of future profit.

I'll troubleshoot an honest bug a lot more happily than the other kind. And try to repay the efforts of those who solved the ones that arose before I arrived.

Thank you Linus, Deb, Ian, canonical, and everyone lese. You did a damn good job.

[Snowhog]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

In a word, 'here, here!' (okay, two words :P )

[MoonRise]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

I agree with Snowhog. Been using M$, well I dare say since DOS2.x. Windows since they came out with it. Made the switch at home since Hoary Hedgehog. Never have had a complaint. Yes the few problems I had were overcome due to this forum for the most part. Still dual boot, but I too see the day where I can let it go completely!!

[Pillage Idiot]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

Linux cannot compete in terms of rapid development with a for-profit corporation, backed by billions in yearly income. Particularly when assisted universally by hardware manufacturers attempting to perfect interfaces with those systems, alone . It must always follow the latest developments with a lead time required to reverse engineer and adapt to those systems, and it must do so without exposing itself to crippling legal liabilities.

Have to say it, how many years did it take to build a pretty GUI onto server 2003 and screw up user account control?
Ever tried it? Are you sure you want to? Are you really sure? Really?
Turn it off and now it keeps nagging you turn UAC back on.
You also start to find out how much of your software needs admin rights to run as well.
I think the Linux community does just fine, and given that it is open has access to more resources than a proprietary company can command.

Linux must be good, until recently Microsoft was hosting their MSN and Hotmail services on linux servers!

An interesting approach to the patent issue was tabled at a recent Linux event;
Tell America to get stuffed and adhere to the European patent system.

Anyway, bully boy won't say what patents, so why take them seriously?

Canonical could put a warning on their website saying "If you are an American Pig you can't download Linux"
That would be cool.

[Fintan]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

Linux must be good, until recently Microsoft was hosting their MSN and Hotmail services on linux servers!

Yeah, and when they migrated to windows server hotmail went on a vacation

Tell America to get stuffed and adhere to the European patent system.

I don't like the american pig bit. I am an american non-pig but living in europe

From this geographical standpoint I can only say that the US patent system as it stands will be the grave some software companies like ms will fall in to. The days are over whereby the rest of the world bows to the US and its "politics".

Quote from: gilf on 24-11-2007, 03:55:25
Linux cannot compete in terms of rapid development with a for-profit corporation, backed by billions in yearly income. Particularly when assisted universally by hardware manufacturers attempting to perfect interfaces with those systems, alone . It must always follow the latest developments with a lead time required to reverse engineer and adapt to those systems, and it must do so without exposing itself to crippling legal liabilities.

Right, take a good look at vista and the billions it cost to develop :P

Linux can and will/should never "compete" on a revenue basis. By definition this is not possible or even a virtue which is being followed. Besides, the albight slow trend of manufacturers (ATI, etc) embracing linux and its derivatives is gaining speed.

Count in the thousands of developers around the word contributing their time and knowledge.

Those crippling liabilities mentioned above only apply to the states (US). Get a life, there is a world out there where those liabilities do not count at all.

So I don't really see anything but a very bright future for our little feathered friend.

[gilf]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

Those crippling liabilities mentioned above only apply to the states (US). Get a life, there is a world out there where those liabilities do not count at all.

Get a life?

The quote was taken out of a context praising the amazing achievements of linux, despite the potential legal obstacles.

Incidentally, there are a fair number of developers, institutions, manufacturers, and ordinary people in the US freely supporting and building extending and defending the Linux we all use, on whom the impact of Microsoft's policies and threats aren't trivial. And that naturally affects everybody.

This is a community movement.

[Pillage Idiot]

Re: Linux Kubuntu - You gota love it!

Incidentally, there are a fair number of developers, institutions, manufacturers, and ordinary people in the US freely supporting and building extending and defending the Linux we all use, on whom the impact of Microsoft's policies and threats aren't trivial. And that naturally affects everybody.

This is a community movement.

Agreed 100%, but hey, wouldn't it be interesting to see the stink they would kick up if they weren't legally allowed to download and run Linux in the US?
That could light quite a fire under the patent systems' collective arses.

No personal offense intended Fintan, I could have said infidel instead.
It is good to see more and more ordinary US citizens taking exception to their government and the corporate stranglehold. America is a far cry from "the land of the free" and I bet the founding fathers would be turning in their graves if they could see what has become of their hard won nation.