Or, should I say out of date misinformation? I’ve read a lot of similar sounding pieces of misinformation lately about Linux.
One piece that keeps resurfacing is that you have to use the command line to do anything at all (remember DOS?). Not true!!!!! That tidbit is really outta date. I find starting programs is much easier than in any version of Windows. You don’t have to hunt through menus to find a program you just installed, but told to not put a desktop icon up. If you install a graphics program in Linux, just open the menu, select “Graphics” and your program is right there, and not under some unheard of manufacturer’s name or something. Want it on your desktop after all? Simply grab it and drop it there!!
Linux has poor hardware support. Getting less true every day. the only piece of hardware I cannot get to work is a TWAIN scanner by Hewlett Packard. All my external drives work fine, dialup modems work if I ever want them (and these are the cheapo Winmodems), keyboards and mice work (I have to admit that some special functions that I rarely use in Windows may not be supported), my networked laser printer is supported perfectly. It is funny, Mint found it upon installation and automatically installed the correct driver!!! I went to install the CUPS driver for that printer and found it already ready for use! I guess it is proper to say hats off to Brother for being open source friendly, too!!! I can offload pictures from my Sony cameras just fine with either Ubuntu or Mint; connect the camera, power it up, it is recognized and mounted and I’m ready to copy to the computer…that simple! Your mileage may vary depending on camera maker.
Some cheap Broadcom WiFi cards have to have special drivers installed, but Mint saw my Broadcom 43xx card, and asked permission to install the driver (I used the Ethernet cable for installing it until it installed the WiFi driver), and it found my network, recognized what encryption I was running and asked for the key and I was surfing wirelessly! Mint also connects so much faster than any version of Windows to my saved WiFi profiles.
Programs are hard to install, with a lot of keyboard typing to get to work. No, no and NO!!!! Uh-uh, negatory…. All modern distros (slang for distribution) have programs that handle program installation (90% of it; you will find some applications that aren’t in the repositories (where specifically written programs are stored for each distro) that need manual installation and that is really easy even if you do have to use the command line); all you have to do is find it, download it, and use it!
Linux is for freeloaders. Really now, is that the best you can come up with?? Give it up if it is!!!!! Now, truthfully say that you never use “freeware” in Windows. I thought so… When we speak of “free” in Linux, we are thinking of “freedom“. Freedom from restrictive licensing and other restrictions.
“Open source” means that you can – legally – view the source code, and modify it if you wish, and even then (sitting down?) redistribute it! You cannot sell it or claim all credit for work done up to when you modified it.
Where is the incentive to develop open source? Well, money!!! Not by selling the software (really you never buy software, you buy a license giving you permission to use it within limited guidelines), but by support. Companies without in-house expertise can buy support, just like they do with software from companies like Microsoft; they just don’t have to pay for a license to use the software. If they add computers, servers whatever, they simply install the software and use it – with the full blessing of the developer without having to buy any more licenses.
One of the biggest challenges that may face somebody who has never used any version of Linux is the seemingly endless list of distributions. My favorites for newcomers are Mint, Ubuntu, and SimplyMEPIS. They all are easy to use and do the same thing in the end. Honestly, I suggest you pick the one you think has the prettiest website, desktop, or whatever. Don’t let the choice of desktop environments confuse you; simply choose one and if you want another install it later! The two biggest are GNOME (pronounced like Gee-nome) and KDE (stands for “K” Desktop Environment). I don’t think there is anything that you can do with one that you cannot with the other. Some programs are written to run with one desktop environment or the other, but if you use Synaptic Package Manager, it will automatically download any files you need in order for the program you want to use run in your desktop environment of choice.
If you have a rather old computer laying about, there is Puppy Linux, VectorLinux, and others that are designed for older and slower computers. You may not have the “eye candy” of the bigger distros, but do you want eye candy or a computer that will do what you want and need for it to do? Personally, I think they still have plenty of eye pizzaz!
Need help? Not only do the different distro communities have forums, but my two favorites are Newbies Linux, and USALUG (USA Linux Users Group). Please note that USALUG registration needs manual activation, so you will not be able to post right away if you have questions for them.
Here is an operating system that doesn’t have to spend a lot of time protecting itself and you as it is secure by design. Yes, as it grows in popularity, it will be targeted more, but the kernel it is built on was designed decades ago (while Microsoft’s top leadership was still in school!) with security in mind.
I have some friends that I felt that I browbeat into trying Linux just to get me to shut up dump Windows completely! If not for some special programs that requires Windows, I would be Windows-free myself.
