A year of Ubuntu, PT 2.

So Ubuntu was installed, no problem on my crappy $400 Dell. I was connected to the internet and all I had to do to install my printer was select it from the list. I added my extensions and themes for Firefox and I was in the Synaptic package manager having a good time. I had my favorite programs from the other two distros I’ve used, Xandros and Mandriva, and I knew of a few “must haves”. One was K3B, the cd/dvd burner. I love it and won’t use anything else. I tried others, but that is a different post. Another was Frozen Bubble, the most addictive game in the universe for me up until a few weeks ago.

So I wasn’t windows free yet. I am a graphic designer. I need windows still, so this too was a dual boot situation. My better half was and still is very, I am not using linux. So ridding myself of windows wasn’t an option. Anyway, being a noob, I have lost all the contents of our hard drive twice and had to reinstall windows both times. Once was with the removal of Xandros and once was a virus she got on her side through a work email. She didn’t want to learn the ins and outs of Open Office and she thought that her work email wouldn’t work in Firefox on Linux. It works, still she didn’t want to learn a new way (don’t ask what new way) of doing things she needs to do. And as you know this is the biggest gripe among those who want to switch but can’t.

I learned the way of gnome real quick. I set up my desktop and panels, surfed my way thru the forums to learn all I could, what apps are stable, what I could install with synaptic and what if anything would hinder my linux experience. Other than not being able to go any higher than 1024 X 768 on my graphics card was my only setback. I have an Intel integrated graphics card so be it.

Ubuntu offered me the freedom that I was looking for in a desktop environment and in an operating system. I don’t have to search for software any longer to do what I need to do. The open source community has everything I need. When automatix came along, it was great. Now I had even more software to experiment with and utilize if need be. All compiled and ready to go with a click. I have learned how to install almost everything and if I need to compile anything I can. I was also learning the unix terminal, unix commands, and some discovering all the things I would have to pay for with windows, either out of my pocket or with ads. I know there are tons of open source window applications out there, and I do use some of them on a daily basis, but i am talking about ubuntu here.

Out of 365 days of 2006, I have used Ubuntu daily for 98% of my computing needs at home. I do my finances on my ubuntu box, I am working on a website using NVU and screem with GIMP and Inkscape as my graphic backup, with help from a nice little proggy called CSSed. I listen to music through Exhale, but have tried Rhythmbox, Songbird, amarok, XMMS and a few others I can’t remember. I ftp everything from my unix terminal now with lftp. I haven’t had a piece of spyware or malware infect my system. Of course there are no viruses to be found. I use a few KDE based applications like K3B and KTorrent, but Ubuntu and gnome handle them with ease. Any questions I have had I’ve used the ubuntuforums to get my answers. The people on the forums are the nicest folks and really seem to want to help other ubuntu users. I have posted two issues I have had that I couldn’t work out and I got answers quick. The other 2% of my computing needs, graphic design this fall for my better half. I would calculate that I spent a total of 72 hours of time on my windows side in 2006. 24 hours of it was running anti-virus and microsoft updates to keep my better half as safe as I could. Another 24 hours of it playing Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 and WWE Raw, and the rest was graphic design in illustrator and photoshop. I have had 3 total instances of spyware on my windows side. That’s how much I have used it.

On another note, my experience with Ubuntu and learning linux has helped me score a new job in the printing industry. I am still a graphic designer, with a different title, and am using what I have learned in the past year to help with creating, designing and coding of billing statements, invoices and such. I am making $10,000 more a year than this time last year and can work from home if need be. I have set up a running LAMP server for a friend with ubuntu, cleaned up a couple of viral windows boxes with the live cd for other friends.

This is my testimony. I am a Ubuntu fanboy. I am registered linux user #386074. You can find me on ubuntuforums.org as alphaomega.