Ubuntu is great, but my installation of it crashed and would no longer boot. After considerable research, I figured out how to uninstall it using Windows only.

It took just three minutes and worked flawlessly.

My tech blog has full details.

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Yes.

Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Ubuntu, wants to create laptops that are”designed specifically to be free-software friendly.” That means no proprietary anything, including the BIOS. Sounds like a most excellent idea. Check it out.

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Not only has Dell just just released a line of PCs running Ubuntu Linux, the prices are quite attractive. A laptop with Core 2 Duo and 1GB RAM is just $900, something which will put serious pricing pressure on vendors of Linux computers such as System76 and ShopRCubed.

Dell is pushing Ubuntu into the mainstream. This can only be a good thing.

(This was blogged using my Ubuntu desktop!)

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I’ve been trying to config my dual-boot Ubuntu Feisty Fawn desktop to accept my wireless modem, with no luck.

Here’s the specs for the LinkSys Wireless-G

01:02.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 03)

I’ve tried what’s here and here, but no luck so far. Right now it’s running with a 75 ft cat6 cable, so I’m online. Wireless would be nice though.

Also, and this is minor, sometimes when I restart it goes into 640×480 mode and Preferences/Screen Resolution only shows that, no way to change. If I shutdown, then 1280×1024 comes back. Weird, eh?

[tags]feisty fawn[/tags]

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Email from Daniel Rivera

I recently reformatted my work laptop which was running Windows. Now it runs Kubuntu Linux (Ubuntu with a KDE shell) 99.5% of the time. Whenever I have the need to definitely use Windows, I just run a remote desktop connection from Linux to a Windows server at work. Works like a charm. Oh, and the upgrades are free No stock options scandals, no random restarts, none of that.

Excellent. I just got back to using Ubuntu on a desktop after several weeks of being distracted by minor issues like fixing up the house to sell it. Easily got it to find the network hard disk and network printer. Now I’m doing all my blogging in it again. It’s both easier to use and more fun than Windows. And of course, it’s free.

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Ubuntu is easier to use and more powerful than Windows - that’s my opinion after using it for a few days.

Just a few of the features - Ubuntu comes installed with GIMP (a powerful graphics program), OpenOffice (a replacement for Microsoft Office), an Instant Message platform that works with AOL, Yahoo, MSN, a CD player/burner, and FireFox. Plus you can update all installed programs with just a couple of clicks.

Lots more too - and it’s open source and free.

Much more on my tech blog.

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Couldn’t wait for the Ubuntu laptop to get here, so I installed Ubuntu to dual-boot with XP Home on a Pentium 3. (Yes, a P3, try THAT with Vista!)

After reading the helpful online forums and asking questions, I took the plunge. The install program resized C:, put Ubuntu in the new area. When it rebooted there was a text menu asking which OS to use. The install was mostly a no-brainer. Easier than a XP install, actually.

After playing with Ubuntu for a few hours I’m struck with how easy it is to use. It has a full-GUI interface, and looks and acts the same as any other GUI. Plus, there’s no need for a firewall or anti-virus/ spyware programs. You can install programs without rebooting. How nice.

The printer installed easily, even though it is on another computer in a Windows net, and wasn’t in the default list of printers. I grabbed the driver from LinuxPrinting.org and installed it with a couple of clicks. Again, this was easier than with Windows.

Ubuntu has taken considerable thought and time to create a version of Linux that is easy to install and use. The interface is intuitive and understandable, and it’s billed as “Linux for human beings.”

Ubuntu is spearheaded by Mark Shuttleworth, a genuine good guy. He founded Thawte, sold it to VeriSign for hundreds of millions, and has given away large sums, including 10 million to fund Ubuntu. Remember, Ubuntu is open source and costs not a dime. They even send you the install CD (which you can boot off) for free, with not even a postage charge. Mine came from Netherlands.

That’s what open source is about. People developing software for people, without profit motive in mind. There are thousands of programs available for Ubuntu (and the other variants of Linux) and the vast bulk of them are also open source and free.

It’s amazing what can be accomplished once the profit motive is no longer a factor!

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This post was written and posted using the free Ubuntu CD . Boot off the CD, and you have a working version of Ubuntu with no installation needed. After a few hours playing with Ubuntu, I’m impressed. It’s highly configurable, fun, comes with lots of software. My Ubuntu laptop arrives in a week or so, and I’m already in geek heaven.

However, it’s not just for geeks. It’s a full GUI, easy to use, and there’s lots of online forums and sites to help out newbies. Wheee…

And it’s all free.

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System76 sells computers with Ubuntu pre-installed. I am deeply tired of endless Microsoft bugs, problems, patches, security holes, and the like. With the impending monstrosity called Vista arriving soon, it’s time for a change. I just ordered a quite reasonably priced System76 laptop.

Ubuntu has a thriving, enthusiastic user base. There are lots of websites with information, forums, etc on Ubuntu, which is billed as “Linux for human beings.” It has a friendly feel to it, like BBSing was in the 80’s. When’s the last time you felt that way about Windows?

Ubuntu is open source and free. It comes with loads of free software, including OpenOffice which users have told me will do most anything Microsoft Office can do. It too is free.

Amazon just released the pricing for Vista, the next generation of Windows. The upgrade for the version most people will want is $259, with minor discounts for quantity purchases. The full version is $399. Yikes. If you have an older computer, it will probably be too slow for Vista, so you’ll have to buy a new computer. A mere 512mb of RAM won’t be nearly enough either. Double yikes! Then you’ll need to get new versions of whatever anti-spyware and anti-virus programs you use, and maybe new versions of lots of other programs too. Triple yikes!

Vista has a new interface and supposedly better security, to which I say, big whoop. With Ubuntu you can choose from multiple interfaces at will, and tweak them as much as you want. The security is way better in Linux too. Like with Macs, you don’t need anti-spyware and anti-virus programs. You can also install it on older PCs and it runs just fine.

You can install Ubuntu to dual-boot on a Windows system (just don’t then install Vista because it will destroy the boot record and with it, your Ubuntu. Seriously.) and you can also run it off a CD.

My laptop will arrive in a week or so. I’ll let everyone know how it goes!

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