Posted on 07/06/2010 7:12:48 AM PDT by ShadowAce
This month's article isn't much of an article, but more like an interview. It's not very technical, but potentially satisfying. True or False? If you have been around Linux for a few years, you may have been called an open source advocate, a computer guy or just a plain and simple nerd. Probably true, right? For years, that's how Linux has been seen by many outside the open source community, and even a few within it. This article, I mean interview, is a living example that this stereotype does not stand true any longer.
About 15 years ago, when I first arrived in the US as an exchange student, I met a family in a small town called Hampden, ME. Over the years, I became friends with this family, saw their kids graduate from High School and College, and even lived as neighbors to their parents for about three years of my life. The person I am writing about is my good friend Brenda McCleary, a mother of two college graduates who decided to give Linux a try.
I also want to emphasize that I have done very little editing on this interview because I want to show the reader that one must not have to know all the right terminology or Linux versions and distributions to be able to start using it.
Anderson: Hi, Brenda, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Brenda: Hi, Anderson. I've been married 31 years to husband John. I am the mother of two adult sons: Patrick (26) and DJ (24). I live in Simpsonville, SC. I have worked cleaning homes, been a church secretary, an administrative assistant in a denturist office, and currently in the food service industry as dishwasher/baker/prep person.
A: When was the first time you heard about Linux?
B: I heard about Linux from you Anderson.
[Note: Yes, I've been using Linux since 1996, and virtually every time I hear someone complaining about their Windows machine being infected with whatever destructive technology is out there, my reply is usually: You should give Linux a try...]
A: What made you want to switch from Windows to Linux?
B: I switched to Linux because you recommended it and because I was tired of Windows not running properly. I often dealt with viruses and having to buy a new computer more often than I should because after a few times of trying to restore Windows it would no longer work. You convinced me that Linux was user-friendly and that I wouldn't have to worry about viruses like I did with Windows. You also explained that there would be some learning curve in using this new Operating System and that some applications or hardware that I currently use may not be compatible.
A: What Linux distribution and version are you using?
B: I am currently using Ubuntu 10.4?? It is the latest upgrade that Update manager offered. Is this right Anderson?
[Note: Ubuntu 10.04]
A: Tell me about your biggest frustration with Linux.
B: My biggest frustration with Linux is the simple things like trying to upgrade my Garmin. I did research on-line to try and see how to fix the problem but because of my lack of education concerning words like bzip, tarballs, source codes and such. It may as well be Greek or Latin and I gave up not knowing what to do. I finally had my son upgrade it on his computer with Windows.
[Another problem that I had, but not related to Linux itself, but more of a vendor support issue was:] When I first received my computer from Dell with Linux OS I was so excited. I could not however get the DVD to work. I called Dell and after many conversations, being transferred to different sections of the company and was asked to reinstall the OS system twice, that didn't fix the problem, I hung up angry and frustrated. Dell does not give customer support for Linux. I finally sent my husband and my computer to your home and you had it fixed in less than a hour. If the fix was that easy why couldn't they help me?
A: Have you ever used the Linux terminal? If yes, what did you do with it?
B: I have tried to use the Linux terminal using step by step instructions based on on-line articles by other Linux users. To be honest I don't remember what it was I was trying to fix, but I do remember when the terminal accepted my codes, copied line for line from the article, I was tickled pink!
A: Have you ever had to upgrade your computer by yourself? If yes, what was the experience like?
B: I recently upgraded my computer through the Update manager which automatically lets me know when there are updates and upgrades to be installed. Just a few clicks of the mouse and the update or upgrade is finished. So much easier than Windows! After the upgrade there were a couple annoying glitches, but they were soon worked out with new updates.
A: Tell us a bit about what you do with Linux at home? Anyone else in the family use it? What do they do?
B: The two major reasons I use my computer is to access e-mail and Facebook. I also do on-line searches, upload pictures from my camera with F-Spot photo manager, listen to music on Rhythmbox, type documents on Open Office, and create CD's on the CD/DVD creator. Synaptic Package Manager has also been a useful tool..as well as Users and Groups. I especially enjoy it that I can log into my own account and not have to deal with family members bookmarks or icons that they choose to use on their desktop screen. My husband also uses Linux for e-mail and Facebook, paying bills on-line and doing on-line searches to read news from our home state, Maine.
A: What's your favorite part about using Linux?
B: My favorite part about using Linux is not having to deal with viruses, cookies and not having to worry about when the OS is going to die. It is a stable, trustworthy system that I hope in time will be more and more compatible with Windows so that many other simple people like myself can enjoy the many benefits of using Linux without the frustration of certain things being incompatible. Although I do have to say that the upgrades to newer versions of Linux seem to fix some problems automatically which means Linux is aware of the incompatibility issues and is taking action.
A: Do you feel you've learned more about computers using Linux? Why?
B: I do not regret moving away from Windows as the benefits of Linux far outweigh the frustrations experienced in some things not being compatible and how to fix them. Of course it is especially helpful when I can Facebook you, Anderson, with questions.
A: Well, Brenda, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us about your Linux experience. One final question, if you had to recommend Linux to another mother like yourself, how would you 'sell' it?
B: I would definitely recommend Linux to other mothers because of the many benefits I have explained in this interview. I would however recommend to them that they do their research concerning compatibility issues of hardware and software they are currently using to make sure the change would best fit their needs. I would also recommend that they also find a current Linux user that could help them through the transition in case they run into the same problem I did of no customer support from the seller. You are welcome.
My friend Brenda McCleary has been a Linux user for a little over two years now, and every once in a while I check in with her via Facebook to check out her level of satisfaction with it, and even though I, myself, am a Fedora user, I try to make myself available for her when she has questions about how to get something working. But I have to confess that Brenda has been flying solo with her Linux install for several months now without any major incidents.
The Linux Operating System has definietly grown up, and so have its users. We are not all just College kids with nothing better to do than hack on our computers trying to solve a programming problem. A lot of us are ordinary folks with a simple wish: when I get in front of a computer, I want to connect with others, share media, and even work without having to keep fighting viruses, malware, trojans, etc. Not to say, that Linux is a safe haven, yet, in comparison to Windows, it is safe enough.
Linux was a great way to get a posix/unix type OS at home before Mac OS X came out.
Question to those that know from someone that does not know.
I often hear that Linux does not have a virus problem
Is this because Linux is not wide spread enough for virus writers to bother with, or is there a built in protection from viruses?
I’m a big fan of Linux, I use it professionally and personally however it is NOT to the level of usability that Mac OSX and Win 7 have. The Linux community has been saying for 10+ years that Linux would be the desktop OS of choice for a majority of users but it’s not going to happen. Why? For the exact reason that makes Linux a powerful, scalable and open platform....it’s *too* open and thus development is fractured and not refined. As a result, there’s very little polish on the user experience side and that alone will turn off a vast majority of people. Not to mention the average user has no desire or use for a command shell which is the core of using Linux.
Apple got it right with development of OSX. They started with a base of BSD and built a polished, centralized and controlled GUI; yet the user has the ability to use the power of BSD. Anyone that has had to get wireless working on an Ubuntu laptop without native drivers will agree that Linux isn’t giving MS or Apple a run for their money. Is there a place for Linux? Absolutely, IMO it’s the server platform of choice and can be a powerful workstation for specialized use but it’s not going to be the everyday computer for most users.
Is there a version of linux that will run Halo 2?
I got halo 2 for Christmas but it needs vista or windows 7. If there is a compatible linux OS with it I’d rather go that way.
Thanks
Yeah, Anyone who still thinks Linux is going to take over the desktop is insane.
I can just see “Mom & Pop” building the kernel for every machine they own.
You don't have to do that. With distros like Ubuntu it installs just like Windows or OSX, with the kernel already built.
Why did you install it on the laptop without trying the live CD first to make sure everything worked? It’s been quite a few years since I’ve seen Linux not work with any piece of hardware. I’m sure it happens, but it’s pretty rare these days and certainly preventable. Certainly can’t say the same for OSX, which has no live CD and doesn’t work with a huge lot of hardware out there, because it’s only made for Apple’s designer hardware.
I find the UI of Ubuntu and Mint quite pleasing. Windows 7 lifted some key UI features from Linux, which made it a lot nicer to use, but I still prefer Linux. Especially with Compiz Fusion enabled.
Haven't done that in a long time. Xubuntu 9.04.
Steam is supposed to be coming to Linux within the year, but as for that specific version you have of Halo2, it probably won’t run natively on Linux. It might work in a Windows Virtualbox though, since it’s pretty old at this point.
I’ve used Norton for years, and haven’t yet been struck by malware yet. (I know Norton has a rep for being klunky, but the latest version is pretty light on its feet and I barely notice it’s there.)
The real reason I’ve been lucky, however, are my habits on-line. I’m very careful about downloading email attachments and files over the web. I never download a program or visit an unknown site without first googling the name of the program/site + malware, virus, trojan, etc. to see if there’s any trouble associated with it — like those stupid tool-bars everyone wants you to install.
My wife goes everywhere on her laptop — which is why I don’t have her machine installed on a network!
At a fundamental level, the operating system is more secure because of the way it handles access rights and privileges. That said, there are still vectors of attack open, but they generally require more work and the assistance (conscious or not) of someone with access to the "root" password (or other user account elevated to system-wide admin rights).
I'm still skeptical about it being compatible with all things Windows but I'm not the techie in the family :) and you can't beat the price!
The biggest obstacle to virus writers, though, is it's structure and built in security. The smallest variable is the popularity of it. Linux actually runs on more (and more important) machines than Windows does. It's just the desktop where the "market share" is lower.
Good morning! I’m glad you took the time to post this informative “interview”.
Although I am an average P.C. user, and have built 5 other computers . . . . . all with Windows O.S. dating clear back to Win. 3.1.
I am a relative “newbie” with Ubuntu..... I downloaded Ubuntu 10.04 and installed it on my current machine along side my Windows XP system. Ubuntu installs really great but when it does the initial “Update Manager”, it crashes when it tries to update the GRUB stuff........ I uninstalled the Ubuntu and re-installed it with the same abortive “Upgrade”....I can’t find out just where I can go with the Linux company for the answer to this problem and am hoping you can help me out.. I really want to give Ubuntu/Linux a fair trial............ thanks for all your valuable time..
RichardL
As very seasoned Windows user but a newbie+ Linux user, who has tried just about every popular Linux distro there is and there are a LOT of flavors (see http://distrowatch.com) i think Linux has a lot of potential, and yet substantial problems. While many Linux advocates promote it as desktop ready for the typical Windows user, it simply is not, unless all they want to is do some word processing and surf the Internet.
While many Linux advocates minimize learning curve, this can be quite, substantial, and all one has to do is look in the forums at what users must do for many basic issues, from getting wireless cards to printers to sound cards to work. Users will have to get used to using what is called a terminal, and running commands that begin with terms like sudo, chown, etc, and even be told to compile code. And while more security is nice, trying to gain full permissions to read and write to a second Windows NTFS drive can be particularly difficult depending upon the distro.
Linux has made great improvements in configuring software, and its problems are not all its fault, as many manufacturers do not providing drivers. You also do not have as great a variety, of the same quality, of freeware as for Windows, not matter what some Linux advocates say, nor is getting and installing it done as freely easy as it is under Windows.
As for distros, I like the KDE desktop myself, and I think the PCLinuxOS and Linux Mint are the best, better than the more ubiquitous Unbuntu. I run both. Actually, i would pick Knoppix as perhaps the best (and its start menus is better than others). but it is not made easy to install (legal issues).
And in fact, most Linux distro are most likely illegal in the US (this should get some responses) or soon become so, due to their coming with or downloading codecs and sometimes other coding which are under patents, and which you can use under Windows because MS pays for the license to use them, or have authored them itself.
Some Linux distros do not come with them, but will let you download them, which you will need to play certain formats (like WMV). For this case, i use do not knowingly install these codecs, and try to use versions of distros that do not include them, like the Linux Mint universal installer, or LCLinux OS Minime version, while using Windows XP for my major work.
And over the course of 10 years i have installed freeware over a hundred times with rarely a problem, and with extensive Internet use, have only gotten one virus using Windows. Thanks be to God. I do run scans periodically however, and do check to see what is eating up cpu cycles if it seems sluggish, which it rarely is, and what is set to start up with my PC. And i have lot of suggestions on how to make computing better, like better speech to text, or running programs by voice command, etc.
It sounds like (remote support mode on), like the side-by-side installation is causing some issues. Windows may be interfering with the MBR that Ubuntu is trying to update with GRUB.
That being said, my kids' machine has Ubuntu installed by itself. My eldest (11 years old at the time) originally installed 8.04. Just a week or so ago, I used the Update Manager to upgrade it to 10.04. Everything went smoothly.
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