Migrating to Ubuntu Linux from Microsoft Windows

Is it Ready Yet?

By Tsu Dho Nimh, published May 14, 2007
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Four years ago I tried about a dozen Linux distributions, to see if they were ready for an ordinary user to install as an escape from the Windows world. None of the distros performed well enough for me to recommend them to a non-geek unless they were going to hire someone to install it. After hearing Dell's recent announcement that it will sell computers with pre-installed Ubuntu Linux, I decided to see if Ubuntu was user-friendly.

The Requirements

My non-negotiable requirements for a new operating system center on simplicity for me:

1. It must have a GUI interface for installing and configuring the system.

2. Existing hardware must remain usable and the new operating system must make it "just work" without my having to edit text-based configuration files.

3. Existing software must remain usable unless the new operating system has equivalent features to the ones I use, and I can switch without losing data or doing much work.

4. Because I need to use software that has no Linux substitute, the Linux distribution must make it easy to create a dual-boot system. It has to recognize and preserve the existing operating system and its data during installation, and give me access to the data on the Windows drives after installation.

My current system is a reasonably powerful, home-built one:

Windows 2000 (bought cheap from eBay, but it's the full retail professional version)
64-bit AMD Athlon with 2G of RAM
2, 30G hard drives and a big external USB hard drive
NVIDIA 7600GS video card
Samsung 19-inch LCD monitor with 1280x1024 resolution
CD R/W and DVD R/W drives

All of this is connected by Ethernet cable to a home network to share a printer, DSL modem, and a file server with the rest of the household. Because the typical home user isn't already sharing a network with a houseful of Linux computers, I will point out where I ran into obstacles that my live-in system admin caused or had to solve.

The Test Procedure

 
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Showing Comments 1 - 15 of 128
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"The NVIDIA graphics card needs non-Linux drivers to get full benefit of the card's features." NOT TRUE! Nvidia Corp has THE BEST driver support for their product line across multiple operating systems of any vendor out there. That is the reason I only go with Nvidia graphics and support chip products like nForce. By the way, most Linux distributions already have the nForce chip support built in. Now, to get the most current support for your nVidia graphics chip or card just go to www.nvidia.com and download the latests driver set for Linux. THEY EVEN HAVE SUPPORT FOR LINUX_64 DISTRIBUTIONS!!!!!!!!!!! How is that for support. If you had not noticed, WINDOWS 64 and VISTA doesn't do very well in working well in working with graphic devices. Get Linux! You will not be sorry!

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Posted on 05/03/2008 at 12:05:58 PM

 
My dad has Ubuntu, and I've used it, it seems like a nice system, but I don't know all that much about it. But it is a great thing to have because you don't need to download ANY anti spy ware or anti virus program. It's virtually bulletproof to these things. Better I'm just wondering if I can download Ubuntu and switch between Windows and Ubuntu.

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Posted on 09/07/2007 at 8:09:00 PM

 
I'm so NOT a geek but I love great writing! Well done!

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Posted on 06/15/2007 at 8:06:00 AM

 
I thought I would point out that Linux users commonly use WINE or a commercial crossover office product to run Windows programs in Linux. Personally, I run many windows-only software applications including the FULL Microsoft Office suite, Lotus Notes (which now has a Linux version 7 and 8), iPodder (now has a Linux version) and several others. I think people need to break their habit of concluding that an application is the operating system. There are many ways of running applications on other platforms and WINE is an excellent example of this. I do like the article though (heard it on the LinuxQuestions.org podcast).

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Posted on 06/13/2007 at 6:06:00 AM

 
I agree with the previous user that suggested you try PCLinuxOS. They have now released their 2007 version & it is very solid, simple, & user friendly. I have tried Ubuntu and was impressed, but never enough to make the switch. I now run PCLOS only on my home PC. PS...Vista made me make the switch

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Posted on 06/06/2007 at 8:06:00 AM

 
Since most users buy Windows installed, for a level playing field you could have installed VISTA and commented on how nasty that is. Agree 100% about outline mode, a sad omission. BTW: Word 3.0 will run under WINE in 32 bit mode.

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Posted on 06/01/2007 at 4:06:00 PM

 
"The NVIDIA graphics card needs non-Linux drivers to get full benefit of the card's features." WRONG! They are not non-Linux drivers. They are closed source kernel modules made by Nvidia specifically for Linux. Get your facts straight. "to play DVDs I had to locate and install some files that bypass content protection coding." Windows doesn't play DVDs without third-party software either. This is not a 'problem' as it would be illegal to distribute this with the OS. As far as the flash player for 64-bit goes, this is to be expected from Adobe and other companies who provide closed source Linux software. If they would let the community work on it, it would have been done 5 years ago. There is not enough money in it for them to put a team on it, so they ignore it. My solution to the problem is to avoid 64-bit Linux. There is a slight performance drop, but look at 64-bit Windows. Hell, the NVidia drivers don't even work in Vista. Most manufacturers won't even make a 64-b

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Posted on 05/26/2007 at 12:05:00 PM

 
I prefer, for all the mommy's and their kids, and their schools, to place the http://www.mepis.org distro, instead, as it is 99% Ubuntu, with KDE, plus 1% extra goodness that everyone loves. Telepathy, and telekinesis, neural implants, are optional, FREE, downloads in the repositories, accessed via Synaptic. Install from the liveCDrom took each of us about 20 minutes each, on all the 80 systems converted to run upto 50X faster, since January 2007. My system here is a Dell Dimension 4100, with 933mhz cpu, 512Mb RAM, added Pioneer DV-111 Dual Layer DVD-RW, and a firewire card. Some systems are 400mhz PIII's, others are AMD and Intel dual core screaming machines. All run much faster, now. Documents on desktop, help at forums. 5500 more games and applications in the repositories cover most needs. Have done GNU/Linux since 1997, and have yet to 'compile' code. What ever are you talking about? No need to search for drivers, or fight the "114,000 Microsoft Virus Defini

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Posted on 05/25/2007 at 7:05:00 AM

 
I am moving over to Ubuntu (Dapper Drake), and have installed it on spare HDDs fresh, then as dual-boot - successfully, until I have "mangled" (the MBR ? of) my 250GB HDD that Win2000 would only recognise as 137GB. Yes, I've been very impressed with the ease and speed of installation - but beware of possibly losing data / access due to daft things like Win 2000 not being able to recognise >137 GB ...

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Posted on 05/23/2007 at 6:05:00 PM

 
Good article! Ignore the trolls and geek l337s. As a non-geek who's been "testing the water" periodically with Linux since RH 5, I am thrilled at how far it has come. I recently set up a dual-boot with Mandriva 2007 Spring, with results similar to yours. The few adjustments I've had to make so far have been easy after a quick search online. Once I get Wine set up for my favorite Windows games, I can't think of a reason to go back! It's a shame, really, that some people criticize the efforts to put Linux on the bottom shelf for end-users like me; we are the mainstream, the ones game developers write for, the ones who, once we can easily migrate from Windows, will bring those developers with us.

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Posted on 05/21/2007 at 2:05:00 PM

 
Back in January my hard drive failed and I had to get it replaced on my laptop. As this was a second had machine I could not get a legitimate copy of windows on it without paying for additional costs. I put Ubuntu on instead as I had to have this machine up. It ran everything I needed for work and school and ran better than it did on windows. I do not have to worry about viruses and spyware. I also did not have to buy an additional $457 worth of software to do what I needed. As this worked so well, I moved my main machine over to Ubuntu Fiesty and have not looked back. I look forward to the day when I can completely do away with windows on all my PC's.

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Posted on 05/17/2007 at 10:05:00 PM

 
JB and bubba: The base Ubuntu installation delivered a WORKING computer with just point and click. Getting full resolution on the graphics card required one restart and a pasted command - that's NVIDIA or Samsung, not Ubuntu. I have not had to do more than unpack a TAR file yet.

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Posted on 05/17/2007 at 5:05:00 PM

 
If you want a VERY good office suite, and you are still thinking of trying Kubuntu, try a suite called KOffice - If anything, it seems more akin to Publisher than word as it's layout based, and it has the outlining feature you're looking for. Also, it has a very similar workflow to pre-2007 Office UI's. It's VERY well-made and useful, and it is ODF-native. It also easily exports to PDF, PostScript, and a bunch of other formats. Try it out, you might like id! :-D

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Posted on 05/17/2007 at 1:05:00 PM

 
Sorry about the empty post previously. RE Greg's comment that you didn't mention any programs that have to be compiled from source, I'd like to know just exactly what those are? I've been using Linux as a desktop OS since 1997 and as my exclusive desktop OS since 1999 (although recently I often use a Mac b/c I started a new job at Mac-centric company and they issued me a MacBook Pro; it's nice). In those days I often compiled things from source, sometimes because I needed to but mostly because I just wanted to. Now, I'm married and have two kids and never compile things from source anymore. Partly because I don't usually have time for that now, but mostly because the last time I *had* to compile anything from source was circa 2003. Especially in (Ku/Xu/U/Edu)buntu and other Debian-based distros, I can't imagine what a normal or even advanced user such as myself (I'm a software engineer and former *nix sysadmin) would have to compile from source, but I'd be genuinely intereste

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Posted on 05/17/2007 at 1:05:00 PM

 
Greg said: "a few problem with this article: "Unlike Windows, it didn't always expect to be rebooted after installing new software." This is a common misconception. Just because a software developer checks the reset bit in their installer doesn't mean you actually have to reboot the system for the program to work." Uhmm . . . If the person/company that writes the program says reboot, how am I to know I won't screw something up if I don't ???? He should know more about it than me so I would reboot. Greg said: "You also don't mention any programs that have to be compiled from source, limiting your users stickly to applications that can be installed from a package manager " I have been using a debian systems for 5 years or so and have no ideal how to compile anything because I have never needed any program that didn't have a package already. I think the debian there are more than 18,000 packages availble. It is an option of course just one I don't think most end-users will need

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Posted on 05/17/2007 at 12:05:00 PM

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