sudon't

It's been a while since I posted a blog. I don't really have much to say about the time I missed in between, so it'll just be a rant, I'm afraid.

I'm a Linux user. I think this may be apparent from my earlier posts, but yes, I'm one of those rare people who use Linux on the desktop. I have my reasons for this - one is that Microsoft are too powerful, and people are all too ready to merely accept this for what it is without questioning why it is supposedly the better option.

Another is that the world of operating systems is becoming somewhat homogenous - as soon as a new virus comes out, so much goes down. There's a lot at stake based on insecure operating systems, so what better than to follow something with hyper-regular security updates?

Additionally, fellows, free software is truly beautiful. How many of you use Firefox or always search for freeware? Go one step further - make the switch to open source software. Linux is pretty, too! It's also much easier to learn how to do advanced tasks and write startup scripts and so on. Also, who wants to have everything done for them? Linux is an adventure that keeps you on your toes, it makes it so you don't fall asleep programming your machine. It makes life interesting.

And hey, I guess there is that feeling that I just don't want to shell out 3 days work for an operating system with a useable design life which is about as long. Call me cheap, but...you know. Better to be cheap and honest than a software pirate.

So that's how it goes. What I like about Linux - and in particular about Ubuntu 6.06 - is the amazing community support. I've got quite obscure hardware, since I just upgraded my box, and I'm utterly amazed at how readily people try to help out, on the IRC channels or in the forums. You don't get that so often with Windoze, simply because Windoze is proprietary and all of its guts are hidden. They're exposed in Linux, so people can learn. They can learn to change things and make it suitable for their needs.

Now I'm not a Windoze hater. I have to use it at work, for example, and hell, it's okay for that situation, because someone's always guarding it against all the nasties the world can throw at it. But in my house, I don't want to constantly guard against viruses and malware. No sirree Bob. So I get something for which the community is friendly, and minority, and ultimately self-sacrificing. Who would write a virus for Linux? Those who can - write their own operating systems.

Teething problems are always extant. But I'm back to good old dependable Ubuntu 6.06 32-bit. It's excellent stuff. You don't need to install it to run it, either, although naturally I have. Just get yourself a Live CD, insert and run. Functional, attractive, and free. Perfection.