Sometimes I do wonder why I am not running (or buying) a computer with the standard OS – in my case that would be Windows 7. I bought this computer without any OS and installed Ubuntu 10.04 (LTS), and I am still running this version although it does give me some headaches…
I have been running Ubuntu Linux as my primary OS – installing it not as a virutal machine, but on the “metal” (as some say). There are ups and downs.
These are the downs:
- In some cases you have to strugle getting the right drivers.
I have experienced not getting wireless not working – especially newer external cards (3com for instance)
And on this Dell E4310 the screen drivers does not work so the screen is flickering unless I am downgrading to an older Kernel. - In some cases you cannot install the same software as you can in Windows (like for instance the driver for the mobile card)
Vodaphone provides a software for windows, and has also created a linux version. How ever the Linux version is not that stable, and the development stagnated… - You experience hassle with software that should work so much better out of the box.
And now I am thinking of Libre Office where the dictionary (English even!) does not work…
In earlier version of Open Office I have experienced that the writer gets slower and slower… - And of course – you don’t have “standard” software
And then of course I am thinking of the lack of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign – which I have blogged about earlier.
I also have a feeling that the general development of Linux is stagnating as well. There was some interest in the OS for a while, but now I feel that the pendulum is going the other way. I also see this in Norway where businesses who has been testing/using Linux and using Open Office and is now moving back to Windows.
Why some may ask.
Reason: The lack of third party software, developers and more. What you have lots of in the Windows world – consultants that can help you with anything related to the software you are currently using.
At least here in Norway there aren’t that many consultants that can help you out with everything – as far as I can see. If there were those who were using Open Office wouldn’t move back to the Windows world.
So why am I still using Linux?
Sometimes I don’t know, and sometimes I do. The main reason is that I am a PHP developer (besides job where I am developing in C#.Net and VB.Net, doing XSLT and XML stuff too), and with the Apache, mySQL and PHP running on native Linux I have the LAMP stack at hand.
Also most servers are Linux and so it is nice to know ways around them.
A Linux desktop is faster than the Windows machine I am using at work – which has more or less the same spec as the laptop I am using.
… and it is safer, although you should run Virus and other sercurity software – especially rootkit checks.
… and you don’t have IE on your computer…
So Why Am I Still Using Linux?
I believe it is because I most of the day is working on a Windows machine. I had a periode where I had to work solely in Linux and that is where you see the problems Linux gives you. But then again, how often in life do you have the chance to give something back, report problems so that the software you are using gets better.
And it can change faster than on the other software platforms. You are not controlled by a company that says ‘Because you are a small country or a small company, you have to wait for the service update that comes in 12 months’ (that is if you are lucky).
In the Linux world you can have someone out there who has the same problem, and the skill to fix it, and the problem could be solved with co-operation.
That’s probably why I am staying with Linux, which is the ups…
