tell me about ubuntu....

[rudeguy]

I am tired of using Windows. I keep having to pay more money for slower OS's. I like the sound of ubuntu...but I have some questions.

Can I still pay games? (HL2, Left for Dead etc)
What about dvd burning?
Any cool programs that would really sell me?
My son likes to make his own movies...any programs for this?
Is installing software more complicated?
What about drivers?

I need nerd input please.

 

[Sylvanas]

Originally posted by: NSFW
I am tired of using Windows. I keep having to pay more money for slower OS's. I like the sound of ubuntu...but I have some questions.

Can I still pay games? (HL2, Left for Dead etc)
What about dvd burning?
Any cool programs that would really sell me?
My son likes to make his own movies...any programs for this?
Is installing software more complicated?
What about drivers?

I need nerd input please.

Ubuntu, in my relatively short experience is a great OS, however if you havent already you should try Windows 7- it most certainly more snappy than any previous OS's from Microsoft- now onto Ubuntu.

Games: Yes and No. Yes is it possible to play some 'recent' DX9 games in Linux but it will take some fiddling and you are better off in this respect with Windows, by far. Game developers seldom code games with a native Linux client which is a shame because if they did, many people would have no need for windows.

DVD Burning: Certainly- plenty of apps available that in my experience have been alot less clunky than paid for Windows counterparts, and will do all you need- many come pre installed when you install a distro like Ubuntu ('Braso' I think it's called is ubuntu's basic built in burning application').

Any cool programs that would really sell me?

Well the best thing about Linux is that most applications are Open source and therefore free, sometimes you may come across an excellent program for your specific purpose that is far better than what you'd get on windows. Other times it is not so great and you may come across bugs here and there- overall though there is plenty to keep your fancy no matter what you need- generally the bigger projects with a larger support base are the quality software, take a look at Firefox for example.

My son likes to make his own movies...any programs for this?

Yes. As long as you are not looking for a high end editor- Windows has more feature rich software in this department. Software like Kino is a start and there are others.

Is installing software more complicated?

As a beginner myself not too long ago I found it very easy to install stuff, you can browse a library of software arranged into categories from the desktop using the 'Applications> Add/Remove' and when you find something you like, simply tick the box and press Apply and it will install everything for you. There is more to it when you become more familiar with Linux but this is how most beginners will be introduced to installing Software in something like Ubuntu.

What about drivers?

Pretty much everything comes pre-installed when you load the OS so you shouldn't need to do anything. There is some hardware however that will require a little tinkering (which you can find plenty of information on this with google). It all depends on what you will be running, some older printers and things like Wireless can be problematic but there are solutions all over the web. Most stuff just works out of the box though so YMMV.

You can try Linux without even installing it by downloading and burning the ISO from the website and it becomes a 'LiveCD' whereby it'll run from the CD and won't touch your hard drive so you can give it a try without formatting or partitioning. Personally, I use Ubuntu 9.04 on my laptop which I use for UNI so things like Open Office (the linux equivalent to Microsoft Office, has things like word, excel, Powerpoint alternatives etc) music storage / players / movies etc and for me It does all I need and I'd never go back to windows. What keeps me tied to Vista is gaming though, if someone waved a magic wand and developers made native Linux games I'd switch in a heartbeat- but for now, Windows is clearly superior in this area.

 

[SickBeast]

HL2 and L4D run amazingly well under Ubuntu and Wine, however they tend to be the exception to the rule.

There are a bunch of cool free open source games, but generally Windows is the much better gaming platform with a much larger software base.

Ubuntu is great if you do primarily office work and internet usage. Better than Windows IMO for those uses.

 

[soonerproud]

Gamers are better off sticking with Windows or moving to consoles instead of a PC.

With that said I want add to what Sylvanas said because he missed one thing and that is with Ubuntu, you can now install it like a regular Windows application and dual boot that way to try it out natively instead of the slower and clunkier running it off the CD/DVD drive. If you don't like it, just uninstall it like you would any other Windows application and your PC will be back to normal.

It hurts nothing to try it out and see if you like it. If not, then you lost nothing except the cost of one CD that you burnt the image to.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: soonerproud

It hurts nothing to try it out and see if you like it. If not, then you lost nothing except the cost of one CD that you burnt the image to.

It doesn't even cost that if you install it from a thumb drive :^)

 

[Davegod]

Excellent post from Sylvanas IMHO. I only used Ubuntu for a short time, it does what it does very well and I wouldn't hesitate to put it on a cheap laptop as a second, mobile machine.

But it's not windows. Installation was a breeze, and basically worked right away, but it can be a nuisance to do anything. For example updating to newest nvidia drivers, stick the .run file on a thumbdrive but hey this isn't like .exe you can't just double-click on it. You need to go into command prompt and use "sh" to issue command as a superuser, and even then it didn't work (I can't remember the exact details why), so then I start googling and just turned up endless threads on having extreme problems with the drivers e.g. needing a clean install.

Deciding that I didnt really need better drivers anyway, time to use wireless adapter... No linux drivers. Some do have drivers, or people have hacked together some drivers, but basically you need to figure out what'll work before you buy it - you can't just use what you have or go to a store and expect it'll work.

Then there's spotty compatibility for basic software you take for granted e.g. browsing the web... It just seemed such a hassle. No doubt it wouldn't have been a major issue for someone used to linux but its unintuitive, and documentation is either useless or really only written for complete newbies doing very basic tasks.

So, yes I'd certainly consider it for a laptop i.e. it comes set up for all your hardware, and all you want it for is to be light, fast and secure for the basic functionality.

I currently have the W7 RC on that machine, a AMD3700+ with 2gb ram and a 7800GTX. very impressed with it, boots super quick and very snappy.

Free open source software is a big sell for linux but other that windows (and aside from games) I haven't had to buy any software. Powerdvd came with my burner, everything else is open source or free.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: Davegod

Free open source software is a big sell for linux but other that windows (and aside from games) I haven't had to buy any software. Powerdvd came with my burner, everything else is open source or free.

I'm not even sure how big a sell that is. Much of the good open source software has been ported to Windows. I'm not sure what it is I like about Linux. I use it on my secondary machines, but my primary box is Vista. Linux has some nice little touches here and there that seem obvious when you use them, but are conspicuously absent from Windows(color picker in the gui customization screen, multiple desktops, multiple task bars(with customizable sizes))

 

[hans030390]

Can I still pay games? (HL2, Left for Dead etc)

Not really. More trouble than it's worth, IMO. (Though, as said above, some games do work. HL2 is apparently one of those)

What about dvd burning?

Authoring and video programs are harder to come by, and usually have less features (in my experience). But yes, DVD burning isn't a problem.

Any cool programs that would really sell me?

No.

My son likes to make his own movies...any programs for this?

Not nearly as much as Windows...or even Mac, for that matter. You're better off with Windows in that area.

Is installing software more complicated?

Absolutely.

What about drivers?

Ubuntu is pretty good about picking up drivers automatically. Compatibility is still low compared to Windows, though. Also, installing drivers can be a huge PITA.

If you mean Vista by a "slow" OS, I've found it to be very quick (faster than XP in some areas) if you have a decent computer. Really, don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise.

That, and Windows 7 is really good. Much better than Vista or XP, for sure. It's just around the corner.

Coming from someone who tried Ubuntu (and other Linux distros)...they're cool, fun to play with...but ultimately much more frustrating (harder to use) than Windows will ever be (to me, at least). That, and open source software can be lacking in many areas...

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Drivers can be very hit and miss. I had to compile video and audio drivers from source in Ubuntu, while this isn't a terribly difficult process it's most certainly not noob-friendly. My USB WIFI device took A LOT of Googling to find drivers for, I wound up using some obscure drivers for some other device that happens to have the same chipset.

Ubuntu is ok. I have it on my machine, but find myself very seldom using it unless I need to boot into it for programming tasks. I wouldn't use it during leisure time. You complain about the amount of money you spend on Windows, but the switch only makes sense if you don't value your time. Between setting up the OS, finding and installing drivers, finding and installing software (some of which you WILL have to compile from source), learning the environment, learning the command line tools and just plain making things work you should budget around 20 - 30 hours if you've never used Linux.

My conclusion is that Ubuntu is not ready for the mainstream. No operating system will ever be mainstream until the user can get it up and running and do their work without ever even knowing there is a command line. Ubuntu isn't there yet.

 

[soonerproud]

I got Vista confused with Windows 7.

Edit:
I also want to add that Windows is hardly expensive for most people. The average selling price for Windows to major OEM's is under $50 for Vista Home Premium. ( this is how the vast majority of people obtain Windows.) You can buy a system Builders copy of VHP for under $100 if you build your own PC. I hardly call that expensive, unless you frequently change mother-boards.

Replacing your mother-board more that twice in a three year period would make it a safer buy to just obtain a retail copy of Windows if you build your own systems and like to keep up with the latest version. If you don't care about keeping a older version around then it might make sense to invest once and just use that copy of Windows for many years on each new system until Microsoft quits supporting it.

Here are the cost of both Retail and OEM versions of Windows at the Egg.

RETAIL
THIS VERSION CAN BE TRANSFERED TO A NEW PC AS MANY TIMES AS YOU DESIRE AS LONG AS IT IS REMOVED FROM THE OLD PC
VHP:$224.99
VUE:$287.99

OEM
THIS LICENSE IS TIED TO THE MOTHERBOARD AND CAN NOT BE TRANFERED TO A NEW PC
VHP:$99.99
VUE:$174.99

None of these are hardly expensive if you use the guide lines I posted to determine which version is right for you.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: soonerproud


Vista has the ability to pick the color of the taskbar and the rest of the glass.

Are you sure about that? I know it has the sliders, but I don't see an actual color picker. I really like that in Ubuntu, as I can pull a color off of my desktop, to use on the taskbar. It matches perfectly, instead of just being close. I also like having my window backgrounds to have a light sand color. Using the picker makes it easier than using a slider, or color wheel.

 

[soonerproud]

My mistake, it is Windows 7 you will be able to do that on. I had to go into the other room and verify it on the other PC.

 

[imported_wicka]

Unless you have a specific reason to use Linux I would recommend against it. It's neat to fuck around with but as a day-to-day OS I've found that it just doesn't make the cut.

 

[Cogman]

At the end of the day, it really depends on what you are doing. If games are really important, then I would stay away from Ubuntu. Even games that work well (HL2 based games) run slower then windows can do them natively. If you reason for leaving windows was performance, well, you aren't going to get better performance out of your windows games then with windows.

As far as bloat goes, it is just as easy to bloat Ubuntu up as it is to bloat up windows. The difference is that any linux distribution can be stripped down to almost nothing (But you lose a lot of the features that make up the bloat).

That being said, Ubuntu does what it does very well. If you just surf the web, watch movies, or really do just about anything other then playing games, then the Open source community has an application for that (most of which have windows ports as well ). If you want really easy to use/non-complicated interfaces, then that would be the biggest failure of the linux crew. I've yet to have a linux experience where opening up the console wasn't a regular occurrence. (for one reason or another)

 

[Rottie]

If you have fastest computer then windows OS runs faster if your pc is slower than Linux will make it little snappy.
I tweaked windows xp to make it super snappy my roommate thought it was real faster than his MacBook Pro.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: hans030390
My son likes to make his own movies...any programs for this?

Not nearly as much as Windows...or even Mac, for that matter. You're better off with Windows in that area.

Bah!

I've been making (amateur) videos for 3 years - never could find a Windows video editor worth a tinker's damn!

Tell your kid to get Avidemux. I've had excellent results using it!

Here's an example (remastered): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5XAEl9dd_s (Click HD)

Looks pretty good on a fast computer with a decent broadband connection.

You probably won't enjoy it on a Win/Mac PC - it'll be all laggy and sh!t. LoL!

It'll run in x64 under Linux, but not on a Windows or Mac machine - guess that says it all.

 

[Cogman]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

Originally posted by: hans030390
My son likes to make his own movies...any programs for this?

Not nearly as much as Windows...or even Mac, for that matter. You're better off with Windows in that area.

Bah!

I've been making (amateur) videos for 3 years - never could find a Windows video editor worth a tinker's damn!

Tell your kid to get Avidemux. I've had excellent results using it!

Here's an example (remastered): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5XAEl9dd_s (Click HD)

Looks pretty good on a fast computer with a decent broadband connection.

You probably won't enjoy it on a Win/Mac PC - it'll be all laggy and sh!t. LoL!

It'll run in x64 under Linux, but not on a Windows or Mac machine - guess that says it all.

Runs just fine with my windows machine.

 

[colonel]

i run two laptops in my house with Ubuntu 9.04, we love 'em I still keep my tower with XP for gaming in the basement.

 

[Nothinman]

Unless you have a specific reason to use Linux I would recommend against it. It's neat to fuck around with but as a day-to-day OS I've found that it just doesn't make the cut.

Funny, I say same thing about Windows. Well, minus the 'neat' part.

 

[ShawnD1]

Originally posted by: NSFW
I am tired of using Windows. I keep having to pay more money for slower OS's.

We can't really help you with this. The only way you'll know if Linux is any good is if you try it. A working version of Ubuntu can be booted right from the CD without installing anything or making any changes to your system. You can test it out and see if it fits your needs before you decide to install it.


I won't tell you that Ubuntu is bad, but I will say that you should check a few things before you install it.
-Can you get file sharing to work? I could view Windows shares but I couldn't get Windows computers to see Linux shared files.
-Can you get VNC to work? None of my Windows computers could connect to Ubuntu's built-in VNC server.
-Check if your printer works. Can you print locally? Can you print to windows shared printers? Can windows computers print to the local printer? The only one I could get working was local.

The above are really the only things that completely kill any chance of me using Ubuntu. It's a good OS, it's fast, the process of finding apps and installing stuff is good, and it has a good feel to it. Folder sharing, network printing, and VNC server are the only things I could not get working.

 

[Nothinman]

The above are really the only things that completely kill any chance of me using Ubuntu.

And all of them should be easy to fix. 1 and 3 are both Samba releated, Windows filesharing inherently sucks but I haven't had any problems setting up Samba. Even if there's problems browsing you should be able to do \\IP\share to get there. The VNC thing is hard to say without seeing the machine but there's nothing special about VNC on Linux so it's probably just a VNC setup issue.

 

[ShawnD1]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

The above are really the only things that completely kill any chance of me using Ubuntu.

And all of them should be easy to fix. 1 and 3 are both Samba releated, Windows filesharing inherently sucks but I haven't had any problems setting up Samba. Even if there's problems browsing you should be able to do \\IP\share to get there. The VNC thing is hard to say without seeing the machine but there's nothing special about VNC on Linux so it's probably just a VNC setup issue.

It seems like Ubuntu has a strong firewall that prevents its own features from working properly until you dick around with it. Here is the guide I followed to get VNC working: link. It seems simple, but a few people had the exact same problem as me.

"I have a doubt regarding this..When i try to connect it shows unable to connect host.no route to host(113)"
"Weird. I set everything up exactly like the way this guide says and I still can?t get connected. Failed to connect to server ?Ip Address?

The linux computer responded to ping, but there was still no way to connect to it. If you google for ubuntu vnc failed to connect you'll see many complaints about the same problem. Firewall issues would explain the Samba situation as well.

 

[Nothinman]

It seems like Ubuntu has a strong firewall that prevents its own features from working properly until you dick around with it.

AFAIK there's no firewalling setup by default because there's nothing listening by default.

"I have a doubt regarding this..When i try to connect it shows unable to connect host.no route to host(113)"

No route to host is different from connection refused, that means that it doesn't know how to get to that host and suggests a networking problems separate from firewalling.