I thought I'd report my success installing Kubuntu 6.06 on my Dell Inspiron 1505.
First...a short prelude. I've tried many different Linux distributions over the last ten years with varying degrees of success. Long ago, if I could get X-windows working I was thrilled to death. But I always ended up reinstalling MS Windows. This was mainly because there was always some piece of hardware, some buggy driver, or some unstable package that would hose everything. I bet if I had spent enough time (and I mean weeks) I probably could have resolved most of the issues. And while I'm totally willing to learn a new OS and invest some time performing some fine-tuning up front, who in the right mind would want to spend days or weeks trouble-shooting issues, only to be faced with a dozen more? It surpasses being enjoyable, even for those who consider themselves to be a "computer hobbyist". The newest Linux distributions are changing all that and I believe it will eventually turn computing up-side-down. It's already started, of course. But good things take time...
Now, onto my latest install. I first tried installing Ubuntu Hoary on a Dell Inspiron 8100, which was for the most part successful. However, there were a few irritating issues that I could not pinpoint the source of. So I did what I had always done in the past: dump it and reinstall Windows. Recently I traded in my aging Inspiron 8100 for an Inspiron 1505. Of course it came with what else...Windows XP, complete with unwanted desktop icons, useless apps, trial versions of stuff full of annoying pop-ups, etc. (Something has to be done about the amount of crap, most of it tied to marketing, that gets pre-installed on new computers). It didn't take me long to wipe the hard drive clean so I could start over. I had recently received a copy of Kubuntu Dapper, so I booted from the CD and began the installation process.
The first thing I noticed was the live-evaluation started up and allowed me to look around Kubuntu. It was impressive to see video and sound working on a live evaluation. I cruised through the menus to see what apps would be installed and even started a few things. I was impressed. So I clicked on the "install" icon on the desktop.
The install process was painless. Back in the day, it used to take quite a bit of time to figure out how to answer questions regarding partitioning, file systems, hardware specs, etc. Answer a question wrong and you'd be staring at the command line after install. Kubuntu Dapper, on the other hand, asked very few questions and the questions that were asked were pretty simple to answer. Once the package installation started I could pretty much take a break until it finished, which was about 30 minutes. When I booted into Kubuntu the first time, it was just liked what I experienced on the live evaluation, except the system and applications responded faster. The default desktop is the crystal theme with dejavu fonts...a beautiful default really. Next, I clicked on the exclamation mark in the "system tray" to update all packages. This took another 30 minutes or so.
Next, I made a prioritized list of the things that needed to be "fine-tuned":
(1) Install open source ATI driver (to replace VESA). Increase screen resolution.
(2) Install i686-smp kernel to take advantage of dual core processor.
(3) Enable / add extra repositories to the Adept package manager.
(4) Install Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird (two of my favorite apps)
(5) Install all the restricted audio/video codecs for Kaffeine and Amarok.
(6) Install Knetwork Manager for WPA enabled wireless network.
(7) Install Superkarumba for desktop widgets.
These tasks were easy to complete and I found myself staring at a very attractive, very usable desktop in very little time. At that point, I knew I had found my new home!
For all users who are converting, or thinking of converting, from Windows to any of the *buntu Linux distributions, I offer this advice: do a little planning up front and during the install process to ensure your success.
- Backup all of your files that you want to move over to Linux.
- Know your hardware (make/model) in case some component is undetected or not detected properly.
- If you have a notebook computer, what is the optimal resolution to provide the proper aspect ratio / crispness?
- Do a little research and see if others have experienced issues using the same hardware as you. Read some reviews / blogs of other user's installation experiences.
- What applications do you use in Windows? Is there a Linux version or will you need to find a replacement application?
- Once you have installed Linux, make prioritized list of "fine-tuning" that you would like to perform. Work on them one at a time.
- Before you ask a question, has someone already asked it?
If you do these things, you should be able to get Kubuntu installed easily and begin learning more about your new OS!
First...a short prelude. I've tried many different Linux distributions over the last ten years with varying degrees of success. Long ago, if I could get X-windows working I was thrilled to death. But I always ended up reinstalling MS Windows. This was mainly because there was always some piece of hardware, some buggy driver, or some unstable package that would hose everything. I bet if I had spent enough time (and I mean weeks) I probably could have resolved most of the issues. And while I'm totally willing to learn a new OS and invest some time performing some fine-tuning up front, who in the right mind would want to spend days or weeks trouble-shooting issues, only to be faced with a dozen more? It surpasses being enjoyable, even for those who consider themselves to be a "computer hobbyist". The newest Linux distributions are changing all that and I believe it will eventually turn computing up-side-down. It's already started, of course. But good things take time...
Now, onto my latest install. I first tried installing Ubuntu Hoary on a Dell Inspiron 8100, which was for the most part successful. However, there were a few irritating issues that I could not pinpoint the source of. So I did what I had always done in the past: dump it and reinstall Windows. Recently I traded in my aging Inspiron 8100 for an Inspiron 1505. Of course it came with what else...Windows XP, complete with unwanted desktop icons, useless apps, trial versions of stuff full of annoying pop-ups, etc. (Something has to be done about the amount of crap, most of it tied to marketing, that gets pre-installed on new computers). It didn't take me long to wipe the hard drive clean so I could start over. I had recently received a copy of Kubuntu Dapper, so I booted from the CD and began the installation process.
The first thing I noticed was the live-evaluation started up and allowed me to look around Kubuntu. It was impressive to see video and sound working on a live evaluation. I cruised through the menus to see what apps would be installed and even started a few things. I was impressed. So I clicked on the "install" icon on the desktop.
The install process was painless. Back in the day, it used to take quite a bit of time to figure out how to answer questions regarding partitioning, file systems, hardware specs, etc. Answer a question wrong and you'd be staring at the command line after install. Kubuntu Dapper, on the other hand, asked very few questions and the questions that were asked were pretty simple to answer. Once the package installation started I could pretty much take a break until it finished, which was about 30 minutes. When I booted into Kubuntu the first time, it was just liked what I experienced on the live evaluation, except the system and applications responded faster. The default desktop is the crystal theme with dejavu fonts...a beautiful default really. Next, I clicked on the exclamation mark in the "system tray" to update all packages. This took another 30 minutes or so.
Next, I made a prioritized list of the things that needed to be "fine-tuned":
(1) Install open source ATI driver (to replace VESA). Increase screen resolution.
(2) Install i686-smp kernel to take advantage of dual core processor.
(3) Enable / add extra repositories to the Adept package manager.
(4) Install Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird (two of my favorite apps)
(5) Install all the restricted audio/video codecs for Kaffeine and Amarok.
(6) Install Knetwork Manager for WPA enabled wireless network.
(7) Install Superkarumba for desktop widgets.
These tasks were easy to complete and I found myself staring at a very attractive, very usable desktop in very little time. At that point, I knew I had found my new home!
For all users who are converting, or thinking of converting, from Windows to any of the *buntu Linux distributions, I offer this advice: do a little planning up front and during the install process to ensure your success.
- Backup all of your files that you want to move over to Linux.
- Know your hardware (make/model) in case some component is undetected or not detected properly.
- If you have a notebook computer, what is the optimal resolution to provide the proper aspect ratio / crispness?
- Do a little research and see if others have experienced issues using the same hardware as you. Read some reviews / blogs of other user's installation experiences.
- What applications do you use in Windows? Is there a Linux version or will you need to find a replacement application?
- Once you have installed Linux, make prioritized list of "fine-tuning" that you would like to perform. Work on them one at a time.
- Before you ask a question, has someone already asked it?
If you do these things, you should be able to get Kubuntu installed easily and begin learning more about your new OS!
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