Friday, March 20, 2009

Ubuntu: Not Done in the Middle


I like Ubuntu. A few months ago, I downloaded a version, made a bootable CD. I have since used my bootable ubuntu to solve a few system issues and remove virus/malware infections. The interface is slick and fast, and it mounted both my USB drive and local hard drive without any issues.

However, I have been a low-level Unix geek for 17 years. Sun Solaris was my first Unix version, followed by IBM's AIX, and a few flavors of Linux. Working on Linux platforms is not my strong suit but I can get around.

Not to disparage my fellow humans but 99.9% of the world's population really have no business dealing with Linux in any flavor. It is okay to learn and mess around and I am not trying to discourage anyone from picking up a Linux version. However, for what I do, GIS/RS, even Unix is being replaced by Windows applications.

Linux is so alien to many, requiring people to alter the paradigm with which they interact with computers. And finding and loading software that compares with Windows-based computers can be extremely challenging and frustrating.

Be careful when buying your next computer. Wal-mart once sold laptops with Ubuntu Linux installed, and the unsuspecting public were buying them and returning them - what the hell software is on my computer? was the reaction. Though the boxes were clearly marked. Dell is marketing laptops and desktops with some form of Linux pre-installed. Just be careful and read the fine print, which these days means read everything.

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