Ubuntu

How many people use this OS and what are your thoughts?

I have been thinking of installing it, and probably will anyway but just want everyones opinion.
I've seen some clips of it in use on youtube, it looks quite fascinating and it has to be better than Windows right?

My Techie friend in the US recommended I get it and throw away that windows rubbish, of course I hate the idea of formatting my hard drive for no reason other than to install a different OS. Then I got to thinking, maybe its the windows OS thats causing my problems but then everyone would have been experiencing the same. {if you don't know what I'm referring to, check out my thread "not sure if its just me but...}

Not sure if this was the right place to post this thread.

I used Kubuntu for a while. Never used Ubuntu. I had to switch back because ...well, a few things... mostly though it's just the fact that I'm a gamer, so I need Windows. I'm thinking of converting my laptop to Linux, though! I do like it, I just don't like the fact that some things, I just can't figure out. It's a lot more work than Windows but it is pretty darn stable!

If you have the room on your hard drive Diego you could install both OSs to try out and boot to one or the other.

Also, be prepared to reload all of your drivers when in Ubuntu. The OS may not recognize it as much. Just a forewarning...go through all of your PC games and programs to make sure that they're compatible with a Linux OS. Otherwise your programs like MS Office and any games may not work either.

Really when it comes down to OSs, it's all about preference. Ubuntu is no more secure than Windows or Mac. The reality is that since Windows is the dominant then all the viruses and malware are written in effort to "bring down" Microsoft. If Ubuntu or Macs ever take over as the dominant OS then malware will be written for that OS.

I have nothing constructive to add to this thread....just that I recall the Ubuntu drama of my life a couple of months ago.

My husband uses it, but first getting it installed and everything wasn't easy.

Originally Posted by lunasmom

If you have the room on your hard drive Diego you could install both OSs to try out and boot to one or the other.

Also, be prepared to reload all of your drivers when in Ubuntu. The OS may not recognize it as much. Just a forewarning...go through all of your PC games and programs to make sure that they're compatible with a Linux OS. Otherwise your programs like MS Office and any games may not work either.

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I can have both OS's on my pc at the same time? would they conflict with each other?

Drivers, didn't think about them. Lucky thing is though, I dumped MS Office for Open Office in '05

Do you use Ubuntu?

I'm using Ubuntu on my second PC. It's OK as long as it detects your hardware OK, and you install everything thru the Synaptics updater. If you want to venture outside of that, you may run into trouble, depending on how much of a geek you are.

Originally Posted by mikex

I'm using Ubuntu on my second PC. It's OK as long as it detects your hardware OK, and you install everything thru the Synaptics updater. If you want to venture outside of that, you may run into trouble, depending on how much of a geek you are.

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I'm not much of a geek, I know a little bit about a little bit. When I can get hold of him, I just ask my tech friend in the states, when I need help with anything. I usually don't question him, but this time when it comes to a new OS that I have never heard of, well.... have to be precautious.

Synaptics??? I thought that was just an application for my mouse pad on my laptop, is it more than that??? Could you give me a link???

Originally Posted by DIEGO

Synaptics??? I thought that was just an application for my mouse pad on my laptop, is it more than that??? Could you give me a link???

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Its different from the mouse pad "company". I don't know if is a "company" with a link, but it is built into Ubuntu, and has hundreds of programs you can select and have installed automatically. It makes Linux pretty painless.

Originally Posted by mikex

Its different from the mouse pad "company". I don't know if is a "company" with a link, but it is built into Ubuntu, and has hundreds of programs you can select and have installed automatically. It makes Linux pretty painless.

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I see, cheers.

Originally Posted by DIEGO

I can have both OS's on my pc at the same time? would they conflict with each other?

Drivers, didn't think about them. Lucky thing is though, I dumped MS Office for Open Office in '05

Do you use Ubuntu?

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Sure! I have a guy I work with that is using both Max OSx and Windows XP SP2 on his laptop. There normally are no conflicts because you're either booting to one operating system or the other. The only time there would be conflicts is if there is a corrupt file and usually that has nothing to do with another operating system being on there.

I don't use it yet, I only have a 36 GB harddrive on my home PC. However I have been recommended this book: Ubuntu Unleashed. It's information that will get you started in the world of Ubuntu AND comes with a full version of the OS (no trial times or anything!)

Oh, see I thought that if you had both installed, they would want to boot up together.

36GB wow, here I was thinking that 100 wasn't enough. So you only have 256mb RAM? apparently thats what you need to operate Ubuntu. Sounds excessive to me.

Originally Posted by lunasmom

Really when it comes down to OSs, it's all about preference. Ubuntu is no more secure than Windows or Mac.

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You've got to be kidding!!!!! Windows machines get soooo many more viruses than Mac and Linux! I rarely boot up my Windows machine, and it's pretty secure, and last time I booted it up it was running weirdly and it turned out to have a virus! Whenever we go back home, DH spends a good few hours cleaning up my mum's Windows computer because it's so messed up.

I have never had any issues with my Mac or with our Linux machines the entire time we've had them (the 6 years I've been with my husband).

I say go ahead and install Ubuntu - definitely worth having both for those annoying times when something won't work under Ubuntu.

Check out this video of Ubuntu vs Vista, it's pretty cool!

Originally Posted by lunasmom

Really when it comes down to OSs, it's all about preference. Ubuntu is no more secure than Windows or Mac.

Click to expand...

You've got to be kidding!!!!! Windows machines get soooo many more viruses than Mac and Linux! I rarely boot up my Windows machine, and it's pretty secure, and last time I booted it up it was running weirdly and it turned out to have a virus! Whenever we go back home, DH spends a good few hours cleaning up my mum's Windows computer because it's so messed up.

I have never had any issues with my Mac or with our Linux machines the entire time we've had them (the 6 years I've been with my husband).

I say go ahead and install Ubuntu - definitely worth having both for those annoying times when something won't work under Ubuntu.

Check out this video of Ubuntu vs Vista, it's pretty cool!

Originally Posted by sarahp

Check out this video of Ubuntu vs Vista, it's pretty cool!

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Well I had to laugh at the end of that, when the dude on cnn was trying to demonstrate something and ended up getting the blue screen of death immediately.

Yea I know that screen, only ever had that once.

Well they say 1st impressions last, well my first impression isn't a good one.
I am downloading it for the 3rd stinking time from a 3rd stinking DL site because it keeps giving me a corrupt copy.
If it doesn't work this time, I will just scrap it and stick with windows.

Like they say though really, "you have to pay for quality" even though Windows is poor quality, it works.

Originally Posted by DIEGO

Well they say 1st impressions last, well my first impression isn't a good one.
I am downloading it for the 3rd stinking time from a 3rd stinking DL site because it keeps giving me a corrupt copy.

If it doesn't work this time, I will just scrap it and stick with windows.

Like they say though really, "you have to pay for quality" even though Windows is poor quality, it works.

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Are you downloading it directly from Ubuntu?

Originally Posted by sarahp

Are you downloading it directly from Ubuntu?

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Certainly am, theres 3 mins to go for my third try. Fingers X'd

Well 3 attempts, 7hrs and 6 cd's later I finally got a copy that works

It looks good, but I wish to inform other people, When you download Ubuntu, check the hash is accurate first, then download and install infra recorder if you don't already have it. Magic ISO DOES NOT WORK WITH UBUNTU trust me.

Ubuntu looks really good, infact it appears 1,000,000,000 times better than Windows. My only problem is I don't know how to make it all Gucci like you see on youtube.

I am still yet to actually install it, coz I'm a little nervous, but hey it does look interesting from the wee play around I had.

If you want to get adventurous later you can install the Beryl add-on which gives you all the eye-candy, such as this cube of your 4 desktops you can rotate around with your mouse. It's actually pretty useful.

Originally Posted by mikex

If you want to get adventurous later you can install the Beryl add-on which gives you all the eye-candy, such as this cube of your 4 desktops you can rotate around with your mouse. It's actually pretty useful.

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OOOOOhhhhhhhhhhh so thats an add-on, should have known. That looks real Gucci, I take it so that on one page you don't have a thousand windows open at once you can kinda divide it by 4. Can't wait.