Easing your way over...
25 March 2008
Okay, so you want to switch
to Linux but
you have a life. No time to experiment with arcane problems in a
non-standard software environment, and the need to get a lot of work
done, without interruption. Here I have several suggestions for you,
which may end up with you switching--or more likely, with a dual-boot
Windows/GNU-Linux machine were each system is a backup for the other
one.
#1. START BY USING FREE SOFTWARE IN WINDOWS (or Mac). I resommend this for three reasons. 1: Learning any software takes time, and the applications take more time than the operating system. So if you get used to using Free software and you like it, then the transition to Linux is a much smaller step. 2: Free software is standard across all three platforms, and you are free to use it on any operating system. So even if you are dealing with compatibility between Macs and Windows machines, using the same sofware on both makes it easier. The following is a table of free software that you can use on any platform. Start with this stuff:
|
Function |
Free software |
Comments |
|
Word processing |
OpenOffice
Writer |
|
|
Presentations |
OpenOffice Presentation |
|
| VOIP/Videophone |
Skype |
|
|
Spreadsheet |
Gnumeric, OpenOffice Spreadsheet |
I prefer Gnumeric. |
|
Email client |
Thunderbird, Evolution (Linux only) |
I prefer Evolution;
both use mbox format, so switch is easy. |
|
Calendar |
|
|
|
Contacts |
Thunderbird, Evolution (Linux only) |
|
|
Web Browser |
|
|
|
xHTML Webpage Editor |
KompoZer, |
Web development requires many tasks that are best done
by various applications. |
|
Raster Editor (i.e. jpegs) |
|
|
|
Vector editor |
You can do Arabic text in native unicode, which is not easily available in Illustrator |
|
|
Planet viewer |
Google Earth |
|
|
Geograhpic Info Systems |
These three work together |
|
|
Bibliographic manager |
|
As you can see from this list, most functionality is available in Free software. This list is selective because I am a social scientist who uses graphics and data. You may find that there is specialized software that you must use for work, that is only available on commercial systems, for video, audio, or building design. If so, you will probably always need a copy of Windows installed on your system; and if you need to use that software all the time, you probably should stay in commercial operating systems. But you can still use all the software above.
#2. DOWNLOAD UBUNTU AND INSTALL ON A SEPARATE PARTITION. Just so you know, there are many versions of GNU/Linux out there; at least 12 major distributions (known as distros). I have used several, but as of March 2008 I recommend Ubuntu because of: 1) ease of installation and use; 2) frequency of use. That means that if you run into a problem, you can search for solutions in Google and you are likely to find solutions that are specific to the Ubuntu configuration. Use the Synaptic Package Manager to search for and install all the same programs listed above. That way, the apps will be familiar; only the operating system will be unfamiliar.
#3. START TAKING NOTES.
Since Linux is
different, there are many little
things you will need to learn as you customize and refine your own
setup of Ubuntu. In my Documents directory, I create three folders
(actually I did something similar when I had to use Windows this last
fall):
- software
- ubuntu_configure
- ubuntu_usage
In these I jot down stuff in small text files, often sorted by date.
Which video driver should I use under Linux? That file goes into
/ubuntu_configure.
How do I take a screenshot? That goes into /ubuntu_usage.
| Function | Free software | Comments |
| FTP | FileZilla | |
| Text editing | gedit,
Kate,
GNU
TeXmacs |
Useful for small
files with
minimal formatting |
| Font (re)design | FontForge | Only reasonably
powerful Free
font editor/creator |
| CD Burner |
K3B |
Most reliable
burner I have ever
used. |
#4. THE GRASS IS NOT GREENER; JUST A DIFFERENT SHADE OF BROWN. Though I prefer using GNU/Linux, there are some things that do not work well or easily in this environment. I keep a file of things I need to customize on my machine, just in case the problem crops up months later. I have posted some of my configuration adjustments here.