Linux’s Free System Is Now Easier to Use, But Not for Everyone [Ubuntu Review]

All Things Digital ^ | 9/13/07 | Walt Mossberg

[TChris]

This column is written for mainstream, nontechie users of digital technology. These folks aren’t necessarily novices, and they aren’t afraid of computers. They also aren’t stupid. They simply want their digital products to operate as promised, with as little maintenance and hassle as possible.

So, I have steered away from recommending Linux, the free computer operating system that is the darling of many techies and IT managers, and a challenger to Microsoft’s dominant Windows and Apple’s resurgent Macintosh operating system, OS X. Linux, which runs on the same hardware as Windows, has always required much more technical expertise and a yen for tinkering than average users possess.

[goldstategop]

There are Linux distros aimed at average users: Linspire, Xandros and SUSE. They are all easy to install, set up and manage. Linux has come a long way from the days when only nerds could run it.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Still Thinking]

I just realized it sounded like my last post contradicted the other one. “If there were a public, free, GPL’ed binary-compatible version of Windows, I’d install it today.” vs. “I haven’t had time to install it.”

From what I’ve read, it’s not robust enough to use full time yet, so an install at this point would just be for evaluation and the learning experience, hence the lack of priority to trying it out.

[goldstategop]

With Linux wireless support, the workaround is to install the Linuxant driver. Wipe the system and then reinstall it. The next time your Linux OS will load the drivers on start up. That's what took care of my wireless setup issue for me with SUSE 10.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[DaGman]

Yeah. But wait about 5 years and check where Ubuntu is at. It’s Microsoft’s worst nightmare barreling down the track right at ‘em. They know it too. They’re opening up some source code (and hijacking some open source code, changing a line or two, then filing copyrights).

[TChris]

Once installed, though, I have found that Linux is usually easier to run and operate than Windows.

Maybe, if the drivers work for you. If there's anything involving drivers or device managment, Windows is FAR easier, in my experience.

[21stCenturion]

...

[TChris]

In this arena, Windows only "just works" because they got it preinstalled. If these same users had to do a vanilla Windows install (i.e. from a retail box, not the Dell-ified ones they get with their PCs), they would find that "hard", too.

I build PCs. I've built and configured literally HUNDREDS of them. I've been doing it since MS-DOS 3.3. I've installed nearly every PC O/S there is, at one time or another. (MS-DOS, PC-DOS, OS/2, SCO-UNIX, differen distros of Linux, FreeBSD, BeOS, NetWare... those are the ones I can think of at the moment)

I've installed on everything from an NEC V20 (8088 compatible) monochrome desktop with a 10MB MFM hard drive to Xeon Multi-Processor rackmount servers with hardware RAID-5 arrays.

I'm not talking out my butt. Windows is easier to install across a broader range of hardware than any Linux distribution I have ever tried.

So far, I have installed:

1. Fedora Core 3, 4 & 5
2. Corel Linux (This was actually the best I've tried so far. Too bad it doesn't exist any more.)
3. Kubuntu (Feisty Fawn)
4. Mandrake (a couple of versions, can't remember the #s)
5. Slax Live CD (this one mostly worked)

I do have to say that installing FreeBSD on a Dell server with hardware RAID was surprisingly easy.

I would have fallen head over heels for Kubuntu on my notebook, except for the stinking wireless.

Do you think that the registry settings are easier? That being told "run regedt32 find key {002300323432-A34jq23942} and change BZORK to true" is better than editing a conf file?

That's apples to oranges. I honestly can't remember the last time I had to edit the registry to get a hardware driver to work correctly. And, other than 1) serious software malfunctions or 2) intentional hacks, I don't have to diddle in the registry at all.

On the other hand, modifying config files is often the standard way of doing things in Linux.

And recompiling the kernel and/or driver source to make something work is just unacceptable to the majority of computer users. Whatever you may personally think of that statement, it's true.

[TChris]

Dell, HP, and Lenovo who sell to the average user disagree..

Sure they offer their Linux machines to the average user, but I'd bet money that few average users are actually the ones buying those machines.

I know there's quite a debate in the Linux community over whether they should even TRY to go after Ma & Pa User, and that question is valid. If the Linux people want to say, "Hey, this O/S just isn't intended for you. You'll do better with Windows or a Mac", that would be perfectly respectable. But if they are going to try to appeal to the masses, then there are some usability and configurability standards which have been set by Windows that it will be expected to meet.

A LOT of progress is evident in the latest distros. That's outstanding, and I believe they'll eventually get there. If more hardware vendors get a clue, like AMD/ATi just did, and open up their driver source, then things will only get better. (What business are you hardware vendors in, anyway? Aren't you trying to sell more hardware? Since your drivers are free anyway, why not open the source? It can only sell more hardware!)

[TChris]

Yeah. But wait about 5 years and check where Ubuntu is at. It’s Microsoft’s worst nightmare barreling down the track right at ‘em. They know it too. They’re opening up some source code (and hijacking some open source code, changing a line or two, then filing copyrights)

I completely agree!

Linux is almost there. In a few years, Microsoft will be writing Linux applications to stay in business. The O/S market will simply be taken from their hands. The programming talent and numbers on Linux's side are simply overwhelming. MS can't afford to compete much longer.

[MarkL]

I just downloaded Feisty Faun to check out, and I’m playing with it on my laptop in a VM. I had to experiment a bit to get the DVD libraries and codecs to work. I’d guess I spent about 30 minutes on it... Other than that, everything came right up. But of course, with hardware virtualized like that, there wouldn’t be many problems.

The reason I’m trying it is that I’ve got a friend who has NO BUSINESS using a computer! No matter what I do, about every 3 weeks I have to run HiJackThis to get rid of malware, and he’s constantly picking up viral infections. I’ve installed just about everything on his computer that I can think of (Spyware Blaster, Microsoft Anti-Spyware, AVG Anti-Spyware, Spybot S&D w/ Tea Timer, Ad Aware, and AVG AV. It’s almost like he’s going around the web TRYING to infect his computer.

I’m going to introduce him to Linux for his web and email access. And he won’t be given the root password!

Mark

[MarkL]

SuSe 9 (10?), was really great except that the install display was split into four raster images in a quartered display. It was very hard to puzzle out and answer some questions -- the worst install I've had since the original Win95 which hung if the mouse was attached.

I had the same problem... I got on another computer, did a google search, and had the work-around in about 5 minutes.

And I agree about the Feisty Faun install. It's the simplest Linux installation I've ever been involved in.

Mark

[MarkL]

If there's anything involving drivers or device managment, Windows is FAR easier, in my experience.

You must have missed out on the fun of ATI video drivers on Windows 98, NT, and 2000. Some of those issues were far worse than even nVidia drivers on Linux!

Mark

[zeugma]

I’m installing Ubuntu from a disk I got last week at VMWorld even as I type into a VMware Virtual Machine to give it a go. Perhaps I’ll write it up after I’m done too. :-)

[TChris]

You must have missed out on the fun of ATI video drivers on Windows 98, NT, and 2000. Some of those issues were far worse than even nVidia drivers on Linux!

You can find individual anecdotes to support any point of view. I'm talking about the overall hardware support picture. It's a simple fact of life that Windows has the best hardware support. The Windows driver is the first and most important code any hardware vendor creates. It's a purely market-driven decision on a vendor's part, and it's not fair or anything like that, but it's a fact.

Here's a hint: If Linux gets a centralized hardware driver manager like Windows' "Device Manager", where you can install and remove hardware and drivers with a single GUI tool, then they'll have Windows by the throat. A centralized device configuration tool like Windows' "Control Panel" would be nice too. I believe Linux is pretty close to that, if not there already.

[goldstategop]

The worst problem is resolving dependencies. Usually you download the required files from the same repository from which you install the software. I was able to upgrade Thunderbird and Firefox successfully to the latest versions. Yast is a great GUI tool for SUSE but Smart and Apt-get with Synaptic also come with GUI interfaces. You have to run those from the command line as a superuser.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[goldstategop]

Linux today has a GUI Control Center - KDE or GNOME for configuring various hardware and system settings. Its a lot easier than it used to be and you only need to customize your settings once.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[MarkL]

Like you, I've worked with many different OS since I first began working with computers, and I was just trying to make a very simple point... That people who blindly say that Windows is easy" are usually very wrong. You're correct in saying that hardware support is better for Windows than any other OS. It had better be if the manufacturers want to be able to compete in the market. Every OS has issues and problems. The easiest ones to deal with are monolithic, where everything, hardware, software, OS, and drivers come from a single manufacturer. But there are problems even in those systems. It's just in systems like Windows where you're dealing with different manufacturers and software that things can get really exciting.

Mark

[Severa]

I’ve installed just about everything on his computer that I can think of (Spyware Blaster, Microsoft Anti-Spyware, AVG Anti-Spyware, Spybot S&D w/ Tea Timer, Ad Aware, and AVG AV. It’s almost like he’s going around the web TRYING to infect his computer.

Good lord, where is he going that he needs all of that?....Nevermind I don't want to know. Be careful of that root password, cause if knows how to search at all it's no problem looking on the forums to find out how to change it.

[DaGman]

"Linux is almost there."

I would say that Linux is about on a par with Windows 95 and in many cases Win98 SE, depending on how well a hardware configuration works with Linux. The point being that there is a great deal of usability already built into Linux and there will be much more to come.

Security-wise, Linux runs circles around Windows. You don't need a virus software, to begin with.

[SubGeniusX]

The reason I’m trying it is that I’ve got a friend who has NO BUSINESS using a computer! No matter what I do, about every 3 weeks I have to run HiJackThis to get rid of malware, and he’s constantly picking up viral infections.

Have you tried Sandboxie

www.sandboxie.com

that should help alot if you can encourage him to use it ... possibly the paid version ($25) that will always keep the browser contained automataically