So why don't I run Linux?

Read the article that everyone's commenting on.
Subscribe to the RSS Feed for comments on this article.

I agree with you on this Leo. I've been trying different distros for four years now and always come back to Windows. Every time I read about a new Linux distro upgrade or see someone saying this distro is it, I always try it out and always I am disappointed. I always have an issue with my video card or my printer or why can't I find a graphics program that works like I want it to work. I always have to fit the way I work into the package instead of the package fitting to me. I like "playing" with Linux but I always get tired of always trying to configure out some nagging little problem.

Just my two cents worth.

I agree with Leo on this one. Though the people at ASUS have given me hope. Their new EEE pc has a custom distro that, from what I hear, does the basics right out of the box. It handles wireless internet, word processing and web surfing without much set up. They have put this on a machine that is mostly intended for the not so tech savvy.

I feel like I should be paraphrasing Obama here, but there might be hope after all.

I have to admit to posting this comment with a linux (Mepis) operated computer. So I may be a bit biased. I do have a Win XP computer running here, that is becoming my wifes computer.
I have always run as much "open" software as possible on my windows machines, I have used openoffice since it was Staroffice. So the transition to the programs on the Linux machines has not been much of a challenge. I have never had alot of hardware challenges, though when I had , I just found ( or bought) another piece of hardware to replace it with. (odviously, all my expensive hardware has worked) For the few windows programs I find I cannot live without (in my case this includes Photoshop and Illistrator) I simply run win xp in a virtual machine. Most of my files are on a NAS on the network. Though the windows machine and the Linux Machine connect over the network very well.
I beleave that the transition to Linux was much easier by having both machines available to use at the same time. rather than a dual boot. (Makeing partitions for the dual boot is the hardest part of installing Linux)
Lastly haveing installed windows of many flavors on many machines, and then spending hours hunting the internet to find drivers for some part, and finding it is no longer supported, expecialy on the windows you are trying to install. Installing Linux, and haveing it work, almost every time right out of the box, all your productiveity software installed, is almost a dream come true.

Leo, I do have a suggestion for you; I remember a while back you mentioned switching to Thunderbird. When I used Thunderbird I kept my Thunderbird profile on a separate FAT32 partition then told both Linux and Windows to use that profile. This way mail was seamless between Ubuntu & Windows.

You can do the same with Firefox, just be sure not to install any Windows specific extensions.

I too have the same issues as you, being a webmaster most of my work is done inside a text editor and web browser so it's not that OS dependent. The problem lies with a few programs I love not being available on Linux. RoboForm is one of them, I love that program and Linux doesn't even have a suitable alternative.

Someday Linux will conquer. :D

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Actually I consider Firefox and Thunderbird two of my
applications that would *work*. I have mechanisms to copy my
email from machine to machine already, and the fact that I
can just copy the mail store to my Mac or to a Linux box and
have it just work is pretty damned cool. (I'm not as
concerned about Firefox customizations.)

Yep, Roboform is on the list of things I need but can't
have. (Before subsequent commentors throw out suggestions of
alternatives, remember, I need a solution where I can copy
the database from Windows to Linux and have it work in both
places.)

Surprisingly is that for me, Visual Basic turns out to be a
huge issue relating to my wife's business. I know that's not
a biggie for most people.

Leo

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFH8UKWCMEe9B/8oqERAiO0AJ9UqmR5M7S41ilxx3x35Qh7RKWTRwCfdxKd
KAqaBfup7Ph+HZvMSQzxPuI=
=CAQN
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

I recently installed Linux (Ubuntu). I must admit it wasn't without teething problems. But I am getting used to resolving problems. I still use XP for most of my work and swing between Ubuntu and XP. I know I will eventually grasp Linux enough to switch completely (or mostly).

I say if computer savvy people start using Linux regularly, there will be enough customer pressure to create a support channel. As such there is excellent wiki or forum based support. All my teething problems were already addressed in one or more forums.

People call Linux and its distros geeky. Well I have nothing but praises for those geeks that made it possible - both the developers and support people.

Give Linux time and support and it will hit critical mass to take off. I am confident of that.
-Rahul.

So Leo, please tell us, what programs are missing from Linux that you absolutely need Microsoft Windows for, and can't use a FOSS application in place of.

I might point out that I know personally two ladies in their 80s who use Linux, a 9 year old boy, our post lady uses it to do her accounts, our small town local free newspaper is published on Linux, a musician friend of mine uses Linux for recording, mixing and creating music. I personally have used it for Graphic design and photographic work. I also have a media centre which I built myself with which I record and time shift tv shows.

My wife and kids are all proficient linux users. My kids have grown up on linux and know nothing else.. My friends and family, and even co-workers are simply amazed at the things I can accomplish with linux that they are clueless how to do in windows. For the family its interacting and grabbing info from the web in ways that arent possible in windows. At work, we have many problems that no one can figure out. A couple hours later I've got a perl script automating the process. The list goes on and on.

It sounds like you are after a free lunch. I know quite a few people that think if they stick an ubuntu cd in their computer, if they have to do any more than click 'next' 3 times in an installer window, its too hard or it wont work for them. The software is free, but experience getting to know your system is priceless. I grew up working with DOS. Using the command prompt on XP is horrendous. I cant accomplish anything.

For those apps that you may need, theres always VMware, wine, or any of the other windows virtualizers.

Dont give up so easily, you only get out what you put in. Your initial config may take some time, but once your up and running I think you'd be surprised how well things work....

Have you tried using WINE or buying CrossOver from CodeWeavers for those Windows apps you can't live without? I've been running Kubuntu for a couple years, and Mandriva before that. I only plugin my XP drive about every three months or so when I have to send an email to my coworkers from home, since the web client for the horrible email system they use won't work properly in Firefox or Konqueror.

To post a comment on "So why don't I run Linux?", please return to that article's main page.