As I’m very open to trying new things, I decided to test-install Linux on my computer.

Many one of us would wonder what kind of an animal Linux is, and even ponder if it’s for geeks or for those "super servers." A long time ago, I was exposed to the use of SUSE Linux and Freespire. Recently I found out that some manufucturers sell PCs with Linux pre-installed. It made me realize that Linux wasn’t just for those "geeky" functions. After some research on various versions of the Linux platforms, I decided to download Ubuntu Linux Feisty Fawn 7.04.

First of all, installation was very easy. It only took a few steps, and even less if you don’t plan to have a dual booting feature (being able to boot both Windows and Linux at the same time). All I had to do was verify the date and time, my keyboard, username and password, confirm my partition and I was good to go.

The Ubuntu desktop

Upon rebooting and logging in, you simply get excited to see what’s in there when you hear the entrance sound. I saw the desktop and found the interface similar to Microsoft Windows. I was even more amazed to see the bundle of programs that came with Ubuntu on a fresh installation – Mozilla Firefox internet browser, Gaim (software for IM or chatting), and Open Office.

Any user would use a computer to use it for the basic functions of browsing, communicating or document processing. And such a user would also enjoy Open Office having the luxury to save documents into PDF, out of the box.

I was amazed that installation took only 2 hours versus the time it takes to install Windows, Office, and Yahoo Messenger. With this out-of-the-box installation, you shall also find a program called "gThumb Image viewer" to manage images you’ve downloaded from the Web or from your digital camera. Fans of the famous image software ACDSee will definitely find this to their liking.

The default installation also has 2 running desktops. For example you can have 5 applications running in one desktop and run another set of applications in one desktop. Imagine multitasking with less clutter. This is definitely a multitasker’s paradise.

Second, it was also easy to get more programs or applications. I’ve tried SUSE before and installing some applications was difficult. I encountered jargon like "unzipping a tarball," or "getting it from a subversion repository." How geeky can you get? Also, installing certain programs require other programs. This led to a confusion to what programs were dependent to run the program you want to install.

Google Earth runs well with Ubuntu

Second, you have the luxury to install several applications at one time. If you compare this with your experience using Windows – download the installer file one at a time and and double click it one at a time also. You might have also to line up your installation CDs insert software one at a time too. Just imagine the savings on your workflow.

There are hardly any lengthy and complicated processes to undergo compared to installing software on other platforms. Most of the software running on Linux is open source – free and no registration required. All you need is a fast internet connection and as you confirm the programs you want, Ubuntu downloads and installs them for you.

And if software was not available under these options, software may be available from the internet as well. Simply look for the Linux versions of the softare and download the "Debian" version. Ubuntu Linux is a spinoff of the Debian Linux where software is simply installed by clicking the Debian file or package as they call it.

Thirdly, the platform is quite secure. Many web servers run on Linux for stability and security reasons. Imagine bringing that power to your desktop. I’ve been using Ubuntu for quite a while, and I have never received any virus alert, the same thing as what the Mac OS claims. I have no viruses, no spyware, nothing.

One of the reasons for this is that most viruses are targeted for Windows user. Another reason for viruses not easily running on Linux platforms is that viruses do not simply penetrate the critical file system of Linux unless you are running as administrator mode of Ubuntu.

Furthermore, most of the programs running under a Linux platform have source codes which can be identified by a Linux expert. Since the essence of a virus is to hide itself from a user and its systems, making a virus for Linux is something that will simply be solved later on by the strong opensource community.

In any case, Linux has its own antivirus program called Clam, and you can also opt to install popular programs like AVG and Avast! for Linux. Simply with this kind of security in mind, this led me to install Ubuntu on my second PC as well.

I’m also the type of person who considers my personal computer as something very personal – I don’t want to go back and open my PC seeing someone installed programs without my knowledge. Unless you’ve given away your administrator password to your colleagues, this simply will not happen to you in Ubuntu. Ubuntu’s user management simply does not allow any user to add programs, whether for use by all the users or only for himself. You won’t come back seeing new screensavers or videogames on your computer.

Another luxury I enjoy on Ubuntu is system management. As a conscientious PC user I’m the type of person who cleans the registry once in a while, defrags the hard drive on ocassion, and cleans up the hard drives once in a while. These repetitive hassles do not exist under a Linux platform.

A default Linux installation uses a file system called EXT3 and Reiser FS which seldom or hardly needs any defragmentation at all. What does this really means to you? It simply means you enjoy the same speed your hard drive has from the first time you used this. Not convinced? Try downloading and playing videos, especially the large ones, or even capturing videos, and see how often you’ve made your hard drive blink.

Finally, Ubuntu is simply easy to manage and to use. The taskbar is organized into "Applications," "Places", and "System" where clicking it would have rather straightforward explanations. To the right of the taskbar is a system monitor to show if you’re connected, a volume icon to adjust your volume, and a calendar with clock. Clicking to the time and date would bring up your monthly calendar. Double-clicking the date would also open a program called "Evolution," a personal information manager (PIM) where using it would be similar to Microsoft Outlook.

What you have just seen are the benefits you have from a fresh installation of Ubuntu Desktop, think of what you can have with the additional upgrades and downloads. Popular programs like Skype, Google Earth and Picasa have versions for Ubuntu.

I’ve downloaded them and got these programs running in a breeze. I have enhanced my system by downloading Kopete, an IM client where you can sign in with multiple IM accounts. It also has the archiving facility organized per user and per date.

E-mail the author at rzrmon@gmail.com. (Digital Generation)