Although she hasn’t asked me to install ubuntu on her laptop yet, im sure the time will come soon.  Mom is on my laptop whenever she gets a chance…and its because of ubuntu.  She likes the games, and she likes the effects (Beryl) and she likes how responsive everything is.  I think as soon as she gets hers back (her power connector broke inside) she will be asking me to install it for her, epecially considering the fact that HP almost always slicks harddrives on returns, no matter what the problem was.

There have been a few postings on some other blogs about the subject of mothers/fathers jumping on the linux train, and I think thats going to be the case here as well.  Dad can’t switch on his system, he needs windows for proprietary software from work (Navy) that deals with Classified info and encrypted remote desktop stuff and all kinds of fun things I don’t even want to try to make work in linux…not to mention they have specific rules about running that software in a virtual machine (for security reasons).  I do think though, that by year end, I will have 4 of the 5 computers in the house exclusively linux.  I can’t wait.  I’m really tired of playing IT Guy for everyones systems.

Posted in General, Linux | No Comments »

Last night I found myself in a conversation with a friend about linux.  He brought up a good point and one of which im sure there is no simple answer.

Can there ever be real standards across linux.  Not coding standards, or style standards…but usability standards.  The more and more that linix matures, the less and less similar the different distros are.

One key point that was brought up, was installing software.  For the most part, downloading and installing software is different for most linux distros.  RPMs, Debs, tarballs…all different.  Why?  Why has there not been a standard set?  Take ubuntu for example.  The repositories are overflowing with software, but every now and then I see something online I want to install.  Maybe it has a deb and will maybe work.  Most likely, im compiling it though.  Not only is this just a silly thing to expect people to do, it’s going to scare the average Joe away from the system.

I don’t want the different distros to lose their individuality, thats what makes them what they are.  I do think, though, that there should be a group of people, leaders from all of the major linux players, that sets down and establishes standards.  The software installation setup should be at the top of that list.  In OSX or Windows, you download it, and run it…simple.  That’s how it should be.  Compiling your own version of every peice of software doesn’t make you cool anymore…it makes you unproductive

Posted in Linux | 2 Comments »

Ok, so a little while ago I wrote a post about wanting compiz in windows.

No so much anymore. I wanted Compiz to be a part of windows because I thought it would be cool. Now that I’ve been messing with Vista abit more, I’ve realized that’s a horrible idea. Vista can barely handle its own graphics without choking up the system. A fact that I can’t really wrap my head around. It seems like having the gpu handle the windows and their themes and their animations should be multitudes faster (and it is, in linux), but it seems to slow things down. I don’t understand that at all.

So no, I don’t in retrospect think that Compiz/Beryl has any place in the windows world. It’s a nice dream, but MS has failed to provide an adequate base for it to work from…

Plus, I fall more and more into liking linux every day…Windows is pretty much for games at this point (at home at least).

Posted in Linux | 2 Comments »

Ok. So my delimma.

I really like working in ubuntu. Linux really, but ubuntu is my favorite at this point. I like it because I love the workflow. All of my Mac friends say they like OSX because things just seem right to them, and things feel like they are right where they should be. I never really understood what they meant before using modern linux. In windows, I know where everything I need is, because I know windows inside and out. In linux though, I didn’t have to learn alot, I just figured it out for the most part because its that easy. Of course there is a learning curve still, but thats to be expected.

Part of it, as much as I hate to admit it, and as much as I don’t think ideology should play the dominant role in any software choice, is the idea and community behind the open-source movement.

I also like the ‘extras’. Some of the old hats will say that all of the new beryl/compiz stuff is distracting or counter productive. I agree that some of the stuff is or can be a distraction. I also think that alot of it has helped linux in its easy of use. I never really seen the point of or even liked multiple desktops before the ‘cube’. The cube though, turned an abstract concept and put it in spacial terms. I understand that “x program is to my right” or “y program is on the opposite side.” It’s easier for me that way, and it helps me make use of that particular feature. Some of the newer flashier “toys” are also helpful to me. The ability to set animations for all of the different window actions (minimize, maximaize, shade, etc…) is helpful because it makes more sense (to me) to give a visual cue as to what just happened. It’s those details that make me love it.

So the hard part, and the hard question for me, is should I switch at work. I got a reluctant ‘ok, if you can do it without affecting your productivity’ answer from the boss. The truth is, and the reason why I haven’t jumped on that opportunity, is that I’m not entirely sure that it won’t affect my productivity. I know Photoshop will work in wine, but I’ve had some issues in the past with photoshop cs2 through wine…slowness and bugginess. Now, I don’t actually design in photoshop, but I am expected to tear down and build sites from PSD comps…and the gimp, for as hard as it tries, seems to destroy even mildy complicated psds. Photoshop is my last big hangup. I can dream that one day adobe will realize the usefullness of photoshop on linux…but I don’t think thats going to happen soon. Dual booting is, of course, and option, but not a viable one…that really hurts productivity when in the middle of something, wham…reboot. So that’s not going to be my final answer either. I know that if I do switch, it will be ubuntu. I have such an understanding of the OS that I feel comfortable enough with it to work with it day in and day out.

I may even end up buying a HD on my own dime to throw in my box to completely eliminate (except for the bootloader) and cross-contamination as it were…the chance for my linux side to hose my windows side. That’s the least of my concerns though…

I think, in the end, I will be on linux. The question is when, and more importantly, how well will the software situation work out.

Posted in General, GROW, Linux | 1 Comment »