by Raymond Lang

Created on: August 28, 2008

Is Ubuntu the best operating system alternative out there? Well... No, it's actually not.

First, I will start by saying that I have personally test driven more Linux operating systems than I could shake a stick at. I have used Ubuntu at three stages in its life. The first time, it was a new face in the Linux world. The second time, was version 7.10. As of recently I have installed, and will be discussing version 8.10.

Ubuntu has emerged as a great Linux distribution with the aspiration of making a Linux operating system that your grandmother could use.They have come a very long way with this goal, and it's accomplishments have been shared across many other distributions, but it is still not quite ready.

After a fresh install, that could not have been any easier, you are faced with a very beautiful system. Don't let the fancy box fool you, it all comes at the cost of your system resources. In order to run decently, it is recommended to have 384mb of ram and 8 gb of disk space. Compare this to Windows XP Home Edition that recommends 128 mb of ram and 1.5 gb of disk space. In my experiences, a GOOD Linux distribution should be able to put old hardware to new uses. In terms of resources, Ubuntu is actually a little bloated.

Ubuntu is great for out of the box functionality. It has all the programs one would expect pre-installed and ready to go. Someone who has never used Linux before could jump right in and surf the web, check their email, and play a variety of classic games. One thing that might intimidate a new user is attempting to listen to an mp3. The codecs needed are not pre-installed due to licensing issues. It will come up and let you now that you need codecs, and ask you if it is okay to download them. From there, you need your root password, and away it goes. The trouble here is that new users do not always read prompt windows. As long as it looks like an error, panic will set in. This is a small hurdle however. Distributions like Mint Linux, which is Ubuntu based, come pre-packaged with the codecs.

Installing new programs with Ubuntu is a real snap. Ubuntu highlights the Synaptic Package Manager, which can now be found in many other Linux distributions. Upon opening Synaptic, you need to type in your root password. From there, you can browse the many thousands of packages to download. Of course, scrolling down will take all day, a quick search of the name or description, and you will be able to find whatever you need. Where as previously you would need to

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>