So Why Do I Run Linux?

Image by Manuel Cernuda via Flickr

I am not an OS snob, nor am I a zealot or fanboy. I use Windows 7, Windows XP, Linux (Kubuntu and Ubuntu, mostly) and I have one really old iMac with OSX on it.

That being said, why do I run Linux? There are many answers. It is powerful, safe (not many virii or other malware exploit it.) and it is open source. It is made by a community devoted to the concept of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software.) I also happen to like to experiment. I like to learn new things, and I like to tinker. Linux is pretty much the best solution for doing just that.

Also, over the years, I ran a old-school BBS running Synchronet. It ran on Windows and Linux/FreeBSD. I coded a small portion of it after Rob Swindell, the author released it under the GPL. During that time, I was an active member in FidoNet, Net229 and ran their website and several other website from several older machines as Web, Mail and BBS servers. At one point in time, I had five servers all running Linux. It was a lot of fun.

Sadly, all that was laid to rest when I was in a financial bind and had to cut back on expenses. One of the machines died and I could not afford to replace it.

With the recent release of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, nicknamed Lucid Lynx, I have seen Linux becoming more and more robust with many programs and features that rival Windows or OSX. Wih this release, my iPod Touch running OS 3.1 can be used with Rythmbox. I can now synch, add, remove music with out iTunes -- a program I have never been fond of using.

I have experimented with Linux for several years, trying out Redhat Linux, and then their community version, Fedora, OpenSuse, and a few others thrown in between. But when Mark Shuttleworth founded Canonical and Ubuuntu, Kubuntu, and spinoffs came into being, I was hooked. Now my biggest stuggle is Kubuntu or Ubuntu. I have mixed feelings on each. I like each for different reasons.

I still use Windows. I have to. I have devices and software that has no Linux equivalent. But I only boot into Windows when I need to update those devices, or use those specific software programs. (Or play some games only available on Windows)

And every time that a new version of Ubuntu or Kubuntu comes out, you will be sure I will jump in with both feet, regardless of the consequences :)

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A Question from a Fellow Driver that uses Linux

Fellow driver Lester Graber, known to friends, family, and others as Amishtrucker, sends in this:

"Why am I running Linux? This is a question that I would like to see
being discussed. I find that I have my own reasons for running Linux and
the choice of programs that I use daily. I am always looking for
programs that do what I want to do quicker and better. And on Linux that
pretty well narrows it down to open source which is good. I have no
problem with that. For instance I had Google Chrome on my Karmic
install for a while but now on Lucid I am only using the default Firefox
and then also Konqueror, which is actually from the KDE desktop
environment. Now Google isn't open source but it fit the free part of
free and open source so I am not against using it. But they are doing
some of the same things Microsoft has done that I did not like.

"What I have discovered that really works for me is to install Ubuntu
with the Gnome desktop environment and then install the KDE desktop from
Synaptic package manager. This gives me the option to log out of either
desktop and log in to the other one. It gives me the best tools of both
desktops to use. And honestly there are things about either desktop that
I find the other one does better.

"So this is one of my questions. I have seen comments from some users on
other sites that you don't want to mix KDE and Gnome. Stick with one or
the other. Why? Am I missing something? I use a tool because it works.
Or is there some reason that KDE and Gnome are like Apple and
Microsoft?

"I am looking forward to an active community of road warriors on this
site to help each other out.

"Lester Graber
"aka Amishtrucker
"twitter.com/amishtrucker
"amishtrucker.blogspot.com"

Thanks for the submission, Lester!

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