Linux Trial
This post has been in the works for over a month. I had decided to install Linux on Selena's Laptop alongside Windows several months ago. Since there is so much buzz about Ubuntu lately, including posts from a blog I visit, I decided to try the live CD. Basically, you can download this CD image, burn it to a disc, and run Ubuntu on your PC without changing anything on your PC permanently. It is a great way to try out Linux and see how far it has come. Now, I ran Ubuntu on the live CD on the laptop, and it worked great. It ran well, and the internet worked over the wireless network right away! I get about 1 hour of computer time each evening, so that was it for day 1 of Linux.
After researching it some more, I learned about Kubuntu. Kubuntu is the same basic Linux, but with a different look and feel. From what I saw, it looked way cooler, and apparently has more built-in dialogs for configuration of the computer. So, I downloaded and booted into the Kubuntu live CD, and t was cooler.
Well, I would love to say that my Linux experience was all roses, since the Linux geek fanclub all seem to say that it is. I cannot say that. My first install locked up nearly immediately, and I had to power button shutdown to get out of it... The second boot into Kubuntu was better, but locked up after installing some programs. The third try I decided to configure the power setup for the laptop. This includes hibernating when I close the lid. Setting that caused my laptop to hibernate immediately, and continue to do that every time it booted. Thus, I had to completely reinstall it. I must say that I don't know many people willing to continue after these experiences, but I was determined.
I reinstalled it, and stayed away from the power settings. Next on the list was to eliminate the tap click on the touchpad (I hate that thing). That took several hours of research, and a couple nights of searching the web, but finally I had that taken care of.
That is the major hurdles I have dealt with. There have been many other little annoyances, and missing pieces in the process. Configuring the system settings is mostly very painful, and a lot of settings are only changed through the Konsole command line. For EVERY non-geek this is a non-starter. For me, it is just another opportunity to learn a new programming language! All in all, many mistakes I made were from inexperience with Linux, and also my brain washing from Windows for the past ten years.
I recommend giving it a try for any desktop user that needs only basic functions like Office and Internet/E-mail. I cannot recommend it for laptops right now, since my power settings still do not even come close to the functionality in Windows. Now that I have spent many hours getting it to function well, I am using it exclusively on the laptop, but it is certainly not for the non-geeks in that environment. I will endure through these annoyances to help to support Open Source software. Really, if no one uses it, it won't get better.
If you do want to give it a try, be sure to check out this file, since it made many things much more clear. And would have helped to avoid several mistakes.