This is part 2 of a 2 part article.
Read Part 1 Here.
I have a seeming split personality when it comes to open source and free(both cost and gratis) software. I’ve used free software, and paid ones extensively. My argument is that:
suppose the free software is so feature rich so that it can compare to paid software, the devolopers of the proprietary closed software need to sell at least something to make a living. If open source was really all that good, why aren’t we living in a world with free software everywhere, somehow it makes sense to think that if you’re really gonna use something, use a paid system instead. But of course, most paid software is severely overpriced.
I was really skeptical about Linux from the beginning.
“So you’re telling me this is can allow me to work with my files, programs, surf the net, play my music, allow me to write programs and compile them, and do a lot more than that. All that included in a single package, with free Microsoft-office like software, Hmmmm, so tell me why we don’t live in a world with free gasoline, and there are more Ferrari than bicycles”(ok, pathetic analogy, but you get the point)
So you expect me to change over to something built by a few hackers with a little time to kill on their hands. Unlearn whatever I know and relearn something new.
We come to a key aspect of Linux at that time and even now. Unlearning. Unlearn the control panel, unlearn the simple, powerless interfaces, unlearn the double click install. Learning is no big deal, but I kept asking “why isn’t there a neat little place to uninstall all my stuff”. and where’s the cute little office assistant.
But still, though the glass seemed fake, it looked greener on the other side. I got hold of linux isos and burnt them when I got my new computer. I had installed xp before and the first distro I tried was mandrake 10.1, it was 2003 I think then. I installed it and to my shock, it blew up my windows bootloader. But I didn’t give up and still kept trying. I eventually had tried knoppix, red hat (before it was known as fedora project) and fedora cores 3, 4, all over 6-7 times each, each time failing and giving up in 2-3 hours as sound/video drivers were unavailable. I’d do something stupid and it’d mess everything up. I eventually after a few months’ break, tried out Slackware, suse(many times over), Debian, Ubuntu, kubuntu, xubuntu, edubuntu, Gentoo, mandriva 2007, pclinuxos, and to my dismay, the kororaga xgl cd which didn’t work.
My favorites so far:
1. Debian (this is probably obvious)
2. Kubuntu (this is based on the debian core and is easier to install but had some hitch for me)
3. Suse
So let me stop with my personal history (I’ve been known to do that, annoying. I know)
My question is that: Is the grass on the other side actually greener. Can Linux actually compete against a full blown vista home or ultimate edition. I’ll actually take an unbiased stand.
A: The installation.
Vista is better to install compared to suse which requires some more partitioning skills and package selection can be a little daunting. Debian is really difficult to install. But Kubuntu/Ubuntu is a breeze to install.
During XP or vista installation, you have to watch a percentage meter rise, but in (k)ubuntu, you can actually browse the net, listen to music, read your mail while you’re installing. No kidding.
B: Drivers and Inital setup:
Windows wins hands down any day. “I have a superfking powerful nvidia 7600GT that I payed 13000 big ones for, why the hell do you include drivers from every god-forsaken 1980 graphics drivers, but not this? Ohhhh!!! I see it’s not opensource or something. Oh is that. Well then @#$% you!!!”
I needn’t install drivers for vista for anything, but a
sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx would do it for debian systems for me.
C: Customizability:
Installing themes in Windows XP required buying proprietary software like windowblinds, but for debian, a simple visit to your desktop manager site gives you countless options to expand. But windows has a nicer control panel system, but yast tool from suse seems like it’s pretty good.
D:Speed:
Because of my great *blush* (thank you parents) hardware, I haven’t seen anything really different. Linux takes a tad bit longer to boot up though.
E: Compatibility
Wine can do quite a bit but it’s not quite enough. Windows can’t run linux programs and linux can run most simple and some slightly complex windows applications. One thing I love to do is to run virtual machines like VMWare but that’s again a proprietary software even for linux. There are several (rather 2) other systems for linux, Cedega transgaming claims to be able to even install elder scrolls 4 oblivion (which, by the way, is a great game, I should write about it soon) And crossover office, a more enhanced and easy to use wine.
F: Bundled Programs
Windows: Notepad, minesweeper and the likes.
Any linux distro: More software than you’ll ever need
Now comes the more debian specific thing.
I prefer debian not because of all the free software and liscensing and that’s more politics than software. I discovered the magic of one word: APT. I still have no clue what it means(if you do plz comment with it). Apparently it can install any software, any software that’s written for linux with a single click. It’s as easy as going to the package manager, finding the one you want and clicking apply, and the software is installed.
Now windows has the double click install, but this involves going to the site, finding a download mirror and then downloading the installlation file locally which has a lot of stuff bundled with it. Say you’re downloading a program based on java, it’ll have java re bundled with it most probably making it big and bloated. In apt, it checks for dependancies, if I get a java app, it checks if hava is installed and if it’s not, it then downloads it. It may seem simple, and useless, but you get what you need with what you want, and with no annoying error messages.
F: EYE CANDY: The smooth moving of windows and all the plesant effects.
If you think vista’s ui and flying windows and all was pretty, google out xgl+compiz and get blown away.
G: Upgrades.
Debian clobbers, skins and decapitates windows (almost all linux distros do it) when it comes to upgrades. While windows allows you to download updates, that too security updates to core components, but debian updates everything, and when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING!!!. In my five days of using it, I found the wonder of the upgrade. I was using a piece of software (something to do with personal organization) and I kept wishing there was a little feature that would make things better. I let the whole system upgrade and I noticed that feature appeared the next day. It’s that simple.
Now the main and final reason I switched to debian. Sorry linux fanatics, sorry debian fanatics and free software supporters, it’s not because of you. It’s because my institute has a local self-updating debian mirror containing most packages that are available. This means while I have dialup speeds for the internet, I can have all my software downloads and updates at 100mbps. Sweet eh?
It’d take me ages to download remote programs like ruby on rails and stuff like that. That’s why I switched to debian over vista.
My apologies to everyone for not making any point.
Have a nice day.
You can turn off your computer now.
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