I've had a tumultuous experience with GNU/Linux. I first tried it out on my Macbook (first gen, Intel Core Duo) with Ubuntu 7.04. After nothing worked, and being a general newbie, I didn't mess with it again until the end of last year. I was taking System Programming (essentially Unix I) and was enjoying learning the Unix system. I soon got tired of SSH'ing into our ancient Solaris 9 machines and decided to try GNU/Linux all over again.
Cue obligatory xkcd comic:
Without going into too much detail about how I downloaded and tried more distributions in a month than any person should ever in their life, I'll give the following things I got out of it:
- Ubuntu 9.04: almost too easy (apt-get hold-my-hand), hate the brown
- Fedora 11: nice...if bluetooth worked
- openSUSE 11: (see Fedora)
- Debian 5.0.3: ...I need how many discs?
- Slackware 13: Just when I thought I had reached Unix Nirvana, I tried connected to our university's WPA2 network. I still have nightmares.
Now the open-source itch got stirred up again and I decided to give GNU/Linux another go.
(The actual review begins here)
Ubuntu. The beginner's distro. The most popular desktop-oriented distro. Somehow these two traits are its boon among newbies and bane among seasoned users. I usually avoided Ubuntu for the more "advanced" versions of Linux, but I also wanted key hardware to work "out of the box" (i.e. wireless, external monitor, bluetooth mouse, most hotkeys).
When I saw that 10.04 LTS (long-term support) was released, I decided to throw these old opinions out and give it another shot.
I'm glad I did.
My system:
- Lenovo Thinkpad X200s
- Intel Core 2 Duo L9400 1.86 GHz
- 4GB DDR3 RAM
- 160GB 5400RPM (this would be the biggest bottleneck)
First Impressions
I got tired of wasting discs so I decided to use UNetbootin and just put the iso on a 1GB flash drive that's lasted me forever. UNetbootin is so easy to use, it can even download the iso for you if you haven't already.
I recommend it even more because booting to the LiveCD from a flash drive is the fastest I've ever seen anything boot. Ubuntu has been working on speeding up their boot time and it shows.
Now, let's put it out there: Mac OS X. It's no secret that Mac and Windows have been going back and forth copying GUI features. It's also no secret that Linux has taken heavy cues from Windows as well. With Ubuntu 10.04, Linux is beginning to look toward the Big Cats for inspiration. This is nothing new, and I'm not criticizing it. In fact, I like it. Not because it looks like Mac and I'm some huge fanboy, but because it works. Besides, the single biggest change is moving the minimize, maximize, and close buttons to the top left. Big deal.
The second thing you'll notice is...no more brown! Oh god how I hated the brown. The eggplant purple takes a little while to get used to, but I'm glad to see that Ubuntu is trying new things out. Even if it's just choosing purple over brown or blue, it shows a willingness to try things out to find out what users really like (remember users? the reason we write all this software in the first place).
I highly anticipate the new look will be heavily contested and will likely not last until the next release, but as long as the LTS lasts, I think this will be my UI of choice.
Initial Setup
I specifically got the Thinkpad X200s because it was the smallest screen (12.1") with 1440x900 resolution. I have good eyes (thanks to contacts) and so I try to make every pixel on my screen count. I also spend a lot of time of my computer so keyboard shortcuts are a lifesaver, or at least a time-saver.
These two things are why I choose GNOME over KDE. Smaller icons, smaller panels, easy customizable keyboard shortcuts all speak to me.
I won't go into boring details but here's how my desktop looks (click to enlarge):
Did I mention I like minimalism?
I got the wallpaper from InterfaceLIFT because I think the dark sky, and purple-orange sunset are perfect for Ubuntu's new color scheme.
A few final words on setting up:
- Use Adobe Flash, not swfdec or gnash. They just don't work consistently enough.
- Watch out for runaway processes. I had some vnc process that made my cpu run so hot it brought back memories of my Macbook.
Developers, Developers, Developers...
sudo apt-get install build-essentials^ That command took too long to find, but there it is for you
I also have begun learning to develop for the Android platform. However, all the tutorials on setting up Ubuntu for Android development are outdated (i.e. 9.04) so expect a short blog very soon on setting that up. Once I do, I'll link here.
Misc.
Why does the Clock panel always crash when I add a first location?
Ok so GIMP isn't default anymore, so what? sudo apt-get install gimp
Besides, 99% of the time, all I want to do is crop a picture. I like F-Spot
Skype doesn't like the new GUI (or vice-versa) by default:
Go to Options > General > Choose Style: GTK+
tail
Now Ubuntu is up against some heavy contenders (Snow Leopard and Windows 7), it's obviously following the old adages of "adapt or die" and "good artists copy, great artists steal." Users may dislike the latter, but operating systems that don't pick up on what's working get left behind.
I've tried going all-in with Linux before with Slackware and Fedora, but neither lasted more than a week. This just may be the first that will last longer, but only time will tell.
For a more extensive (better) review, please check out Ars Technica.
Happy Hacking!
