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Most people who use a computer are familiar with the interface that comes up when you start the computer and which helps you run programs. This is called the operating system.
The majority of computers come wtih the operating system referrred to as Windows and most computer owners have used this operating system exclusively for a very long time.
You might have heard about two other operating systems though, one being Macintosh OS-X and the other being Linux - specifically Ubuntu LInux. Today we're going to talk about Ubuntu LInux and it's use as a personal operating system.
Linux has been an operating system for a very long time. It was developed by Linus Torvalds and released under a GPL (General Public License) in 1991. You can find more infromation on Linux here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Linux.
Linux has been used as a computer operating system for many years. However, it was difficult for a home user to install and use, and was exremely complex to manage - far more so than the average user was interested in.
A UK based company called Canonical thought it would be a good business model to develop a version of Linux that an average user might be able to use and provide support services for it in hopes that companies would consider migrating to this operating system since it was free of charge and they could avoid paying the licensing fees for Windows, or the hardware costs and fees for Macintosh OS-X.
That resuted in Ubuntu Linux. This is a free of charge computer operating system that provides all of the functionality of Windows and OS-X and which runs on standard computers . You can find more information about Canonical here - www.canonical.com/
The question everyone asks, especially in the tight economy we are in now is - can I use Ubuntu? The better question might be, 'should I use Ubuntu?' and the answer is, as it always is, it depends. If you are the type of person who changes their own car oil, or does their own minor plumbing, the answer might be yes.
Ubuntu is easy to install. You download the operating system from Canonical's site and make a boot CD from it or use a USB drive. Then you reboot to that device, and it will let you run Ubuntu right from the CD so ou can see if you like it before you try to install it.
If you understood that last paragraph, then Ubuntu Linux might be a good choice for you. The system installs on most standard personal computer hardware and contains a windowed desktop, open source programs for most of the commonly used functions such as a music player, a photo editor, the Firefox browser, utlities such as notepads and clocks, and a copy of Openoffice.org's OpenOffice, which provides a similar functonality to MIcrosoft Office.
But none of it is perfect, and none of it is seemless - there is a a little bit of the frontier about Ubuntu and you have to be willing to get your hands dirty and deal with programs that don't work exactly as you expect, and are not always one hundred percent compatible with what you want to do.
On the other hand, the developer community for Ubuntu and Linux is vast, and very available on the Internet. It takes a little research but so far there has not been any issue or any need I haven't been able to address and Ubuntu does run a lot faster on the same hardware than Windows - so if you are looking to extend the life of an older PC, or want a PC for your family to use to browse the internet with a little more safety this might be something you want to look at.
So if you are adventurous, and want to see what this other side of computing is all about - Ubuntu is a well constructed, well supported way to experiment with it that will result in less frustration for a new Linux user.
Comments
Great article thanks!
Just wanted to add that if people try Ubuntu and like it, they can purchase their next computer with Ubuntu preinstalled - just google these search terms:
system76
dell ubuntu
hp mini mi
linuxpreloaded
zareason
eightvirtues
Cheers!
Shannon VanWagner
FREE YOURSELF, Use GNU/LINUX!
I like this article.
IMO, Ubuntu Linux is a better transition for people who are accustomed to Macs. Linux Mint is better for people who are accustomed to Windows.
Ubuntu is from South Africa, not the UK.
> Ubuntu is from South Africa, not the UK.
Incorrect. Canonical is located in the UK.
That Ubuntu is an African word, and that Mark
Shuttleword, the creator of Ubuntu Linux is
South African, that's an entirely different
thing. Ubuntu Linux and Canonical are from
te UK.
CM
--
If you're not confident about giving Linux a try, you could contact any Linux User Group (LUG) near the area of your residence. The LUG members are always willing to help out anyone interested in Linux. They will even help you have a test ride on their Linux systems.
www (dot) linux (dot) org/groups
These groups are non-profit, and you don't need to pay anyone. Passion for Linux drives the LUG.
Ubuntu is not hard to get installed and working. Much easier to install & set up than Windows XP in many cases. Runs like a dream with better security. For many people Ubuntu Linux is much more hassle free than Windows. Just see for yourself.
"none of it is perfect, and none of it is seemless"
If such a statement is true of Ubuntu then it is even more true of Windows, which is a poor operating system by comparison.
I switched from Windows Vista to Ubuntu in January of this year due to a hard drive crash. Ubuntu installed perfectly, and faster, than Windows EVER did. Once I okayed the laptop on my wireless network, I have never looked back. It looks like Windows XP but is rock solid. I don't have to run firewalls, antivirus programs...I never have to defrag the harddrive. It updates itself better than windows ever did...quietly and in the background...it comes with all the software I need and it is all FREE! My laptop also boots up faster...much faster...in Linux than in Windows. I use the Linux version of Office and, frankly, I do not miss windows at all...and I get to keep the $150 Windows fee. Wish I discovered Linux earlier!
Quick correction/notation "Most people who use a computer are familiar with the interface that comes up when you start the computer and which helps you run programs. This is called the operating system."
The above statement is incorrect, the interface that people/users see after the system is finished starting up is called a "GUI/Graphical User Interface", NOT the operating system itself. The operating system runs behind the GUI which provides a graphical way of interacting with the OS and launching applications (among other functions) that have been installed, rather than using command line functional commands.
Again..just FYI
Thanks for the article. However, it gave the impression that Ubuntu is at the origin of GNU/Linux on the desktop and that before, the OS was only for geeks.
QUOTE
However, it was difficult for a home user to install and use, and was exremely complex to manage
UNQUOTE
This was valid 10 years ago, but other distributions like Mandriva or OpenSuse did not wait for Ubuntu to offer easy to install and to mqnqge GNU/Linux solutions. Ubuntu only contributed further to a movement initiated before.
This being said, I am an Ubuntu user since then.
I started using linux nearly 4 years ago now. I am not a techie (I'm an Arts student!) - but I do know what a partition is and I do understand a boot sequence.
As Melissa said - if you understand the above paragraph (or are willing to learn) then linux may be for you!
Honestly, it's no more difficult than windows - probably easier. As I remember one writer saying - OK most things will just work, but at some point you will probably need two skills. 1. Do you know how to Google.
2. (re using the scary command line!) Can you Copy and Paste - literally copy and paste!
If you can do that you can use linux. :-)
You download the operating system from Canonical's site and make a boot CD from it or use a USB drive. Then you reboot to that device, and it will let you run Ubuntu right from the CD so u can see if you like it before you try to install it.
The fact that paragraph doesn't even explain the whole process properly would probably mean Ubuntu is not for everybody. You have to burn the Ubuntu file which comes in the .ISO format as a CD image using disk burning software. Then you have to repartition your disk if you plan to install it on your hard disk and create a virtual memory partition for the OS which if you are careful can wipe out your Windows installation if you plan to dual boot. Ubuntu support changes every six months, so you might be using an out dated build over time requiring to upgrade to the latest to stay up to date. Windows, you can stay with a version for a very long time, still be productive and get help when you need and still remain compatible wit the rest of the worl
I've been using Gnu/Linux since Redhat 5.0 and Debian 2.0, and have simultaneously used Windows. I loaded Ubuntu as soon as it was available and have never looked back. Sadly, I must confess that I still don't understand the command line and have to troll the internet for every solution. The help I get from the Ubuntu community is fantastic, and so much superior to any help you can get for Windows. To say that using Ubuntu is only for the adventurous is a little dated. The risky, buggy OS is definitely the Windows Vista they install on every computer I've bought for the last three years.
Reply to Andre Da Costa comment 'Then you have to repartition your disk if you plan to install it on your hard disk and create a virtual memory partition for the OS ... if you plan to dual boot'
The installation process will guide you through the partition process and make appropriate suggestion for each step.
'Ubuntu support changes every six months, so you might be using an out dated build over time requiring to upgrade to the latest to stay up to date.'
Regular releases are supported with security and stability updates for 18 Months. If you don't like that go for a Long term support release (every 2 years) these are supported for 3 years. Upgrades are Free.
www.ubuntu.com-products-ubuntu-release-cycle
'Windows, you can stay with a version for a very long time, still be productive and get help when you need and still remain compatible wit t'
People still using windows ME which has been unsupported by MS since 2006. Upgrading costs and there is nolonger an up
I think this article is quite misleading since it confuses between the instalaltion of the operating system and its usage. Most Windows users would probably not be able to install Windows (both Windows and Ubuntu installation procedures are very similar).
On the other hand, once you provide an installed and working Ubuntu system to a user, they are able to find their way without any problem and require far less support than with Windows; two main example being:
- Common software installation
- Virus infections
As an example, my wife and grandma (83 years old) are both using Ubuntu since a couple of years without any problems (my wife does system upgrades and software installation by herself).
Why do you compare Ubuntu to Windows. I have never read where you compare Windows to Apple or to IBM mainframes. If you want something that operates like Windows buy Windows. But if you are looking for speed and scalability then go for Linux. I think we should start comparing the Examiner to the NY TIMES!
In other words, Windows comes pre-installed in the machine so it's easier. Linux is free but you must learn how to install it.
Some how this is true mainly because vendor makes more money by selling Windows. The real question is what so you need to do with your computer? In this case Ubuntu Linux can fulfill the needs perfectly. If you consider the security aspect, surfing a site and your computer gets infected by malware. This is accepted in the Windows world. But it is an outrageous non sense in Linux. For this alone, Ubuntu Linux is far superior than Windows.
So the answer to your question is: not only Ubuntu (or any Linux distro) is ready for you, you must use it. I recommend LinuxMint for users who come from Windows.
Very cool to see Linux (esp. Ubuntu) getting attention from the main stream. I would love to see Ubuntu become a household name and stand shoulder to shoulder with Windows and OSX. All three are competent operating systems, but if I have a choice then its got to be Ubuntu.
Just wish to address a slight issue. Linux itself is a Kernel (A kernel essentially being the heart of a OS which can determine what kinds of hardware the OS can support, etc) not a actual Operating system. Ubuntu, Is a called a Linux Operating system because it uses the Linux kernel.
I recommend Linux Mint (derived from Ubuntu) as did someone above. But even pre-installed for someone, they should be prepared to address issues. A recent system update messed up my installation and I had to go into the terminal to fix it. That's happened to me with Ubuntu, SUSE, etc.
Linux is great, but we shouldn't try to build this myth that it is just as easy as Windows, whether pre-installed or not. That just creates false expectations and sets things up to fail. Someone using Linux should have someone around who knows Linux, or should be willing to tackle the learning curve and go online to find out how to deal with issues that crop up. After the initial learning curve is over, they'll be much happier than they were with Windows.
by propagating ubuntu you make damage to linux because there are far superior distributions, and by trying ubuntu, newcomers might get wrong idea about what linux is.
ubuntu is just most marketed because he has millionare behind it.
Kubuntu is a flavour of Ubuntu that is easier for Windows users who wish to convert.
For more info on Kubuntu, including info on many programs that can be used with it, see
Kubuntu Guide (kubuntuguide.org)
or
Ubuntu Guide (ubuntuguide.org)
help me how to lern ubuntu linux
nad ho to get Course
I wish to think everyone with Linux, especially Ubuntu, for their work, effort to help and the results achieved. I use Ubuntu, Mac os and windows. All require a willingness to learn. I am retired; have used Ubuntu for 2 years and I love it. Help is everywhere. Just google the need. If you are drawing social security, do something exciting, install Ubuntu as a dual boot and you'll be bragging to your bored grand kids. Go ahead, do it. The kids will help ya.
You guys are sooo touchy... this is a good story and even if some of it is not totally correct for a purist it is easy to understand for the newby or the non techy it addresses... Basically some of you are just messing around with some totally unrelevant comments. All of you agree on one thing, "let's try to promote and develop Linux as an alternative to Apple or Microsoft". From then on Unbuntu is a good candidate. Othe Linux distributions as well and we are all very happy with this.
I am quite familiar with computers. I have been trying Linux distribs for years (first install made in the late 90s) and it is only now that I find Linux usable, almost ten years later. It was worth waiting. I am very happy of the switch. Windows seems far away.
And if I still have problems with Linux so was the case with Windows and Mac.
Try Ubuntu and you'll probably love it.
For those still hanging on to Windows XP, whether hearing (or experiencing) Vista's debacle, or not wanting to give Microshaft any more hard-earned cash, I urge you to try Ubuntu. You will be pleasantly surprised. The amount of high-quality free software outclasses what you can find on Windows.
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