Linux: a new generation
Linux got scrappy. Image by lewing@isc.tamu.edu
I’ve never been one of those googly eyed Linux fanatics. My experiences with Linux generally were not great. All of the hardware incompatibility, backwards engineering drivers to work, patch jobs to the kernel. Way too much work for me just to compute. Then Windows emulators back then were crap too, so application access was cut extremely short.
These aren’t those days anymore. After a multiyear haitus from the family of operating systems, I decided to play around with some different Linux installs on an old laptop I have. Supposed to bring it back to life. Hah! I thought. Maybe the joke is on me.
My hardware is an old IBM T-40, 1.4Ghz Pentium M processor, 512MB ram, 14.1 LCD screen, 40 GB hard drive, DVD-ROM. Nothing fancy, but I’m a fan of the robust T-40′s, they just take a beating and keep going. My old work laptop was a T-40, so when I found this one at a yard sale, I had to get it.
At first I loaded Windows XP Professional on it, and it handled it admirably. But after a lot of thought, I wiped the slate clean and decided to try some of the alternative OS’s out there. Specifically, free one’s. I wanted to see if these systems could not only speed up my system, but if they were also user friendly enough for your typical enduser.
My first install was Puppy Linux, an extremely lightweight and portable linux operating system. So lightweight in fact, that it can just run completely off the RAM. My hats off to the developers, it was easy to use, provided many features, and gave this computer a new lease on life.
My next install was Mandriva 2009. Before you read further, I should note that I installed 2009.0, instead of the 2009.1, which should explain away a number of the faults. WHy do I note this? My experience with Mandriva was horrible. I kep having issues with the X server locking up, crashing, failing to restore after going into command prompt mode. I had problems with a number of the extra KDE plugins, and KDE wallet just would not work. Mandriva 2009 is running off of the new KDE 4, and from what I’ve read, 2009.1 has fixed a number of bugs, but it still is buggy. I would definitely wait out for further releases before working with this particular flavor. So sad, given my only positive experience with Linux in the past was Mandrake, an ancestor of Mandriva.
After my debacle with Mandriva, I installed Ubuntu 9.04. I’ve been very impressed. Ubuntu 9.04 has been maybe the most user-friendly version of Linux I have tried. It reminds me of a lot of the positives from Windows, making my transition to Linux easier. Instead of having to log in as a root account with a separate password, it prompts for your password in order to make root level system changes. It boots quick, runs solid. My only quip is it is not as lightweight as something like PuppyLinux, and it gets bogged down running under my normal loads. Regardless, it has been very stable, and has taken a beating so far.
What’s next? Well, I’m planning on giving Kubuntu 9.04 a shot (heard it is a bit lighter than Ubuntu), followed by DreamLinux. Some have made suggestions of different flavors to try, and I may give them a shot.
Regardless, Linux has come a long way since those more painful days. Linux has always been plauded with its ruggedness, and I’m glad to see it has maintained that while becoming more user-friendly. There is still more work to be done, but as long as we have developers who are willing to work only for the greater good, then we should see nothing but great things from the penquin.
So would I recommend Linux now? Yes, to those with at least moderate computer know how, or to someone who has never been exposed to Windows. I’d still recommend it for personal use, since businesses need a level of support that is still absent from OpenSource software.
