Glad I did it. 5 years ago

I grew up on Windows, and about 6 months ago I switched to Linux (Ubuntu), and I have not regretted it one bit. It was a little different at first, but overall, I like Linux a lot more than Windows. Maybe it is knowing that everything on my computer is free and legal. Maybe it is the fact that I know that I am not giving into a huge corporation that is just out there to make money. It might even be that I am now not inviting tons of spyware onto my computer. I don’t know, but I would recommend to anybody to switch to linux. 5 years ago

I’ve tried Ubuntus Live CD on my Thinkpad X40 but never got the wireless network connection (or rather WPA-PSK encryption) to work. After an unfortunate accident resulting in a cracked LCD I’ve now switched to Macbook and Mac OS X. So at least I don’t have to rely on Windows (except when I work and when I want to write to my NTFS formatted hard drive). 6 years ago

I don’t really have to do this. Doing tech support for other people and being file friendly with games, programs, and files my friend give me is easier with windoze…Guess what though…
I have another computer, Just for Linux, I guess I succeeded at this goal anyway? Maybe? 6 years ago

I’ve been fooling around with setting up Linux desktops for about half a decade now but it wasn’t until recently that I learned how to set up a server.

I learned to set up 2 NIC cards, connect to a DSL modem using pppoeconfig, set up the firewall using firestarter, set up the DNS server with the help of dnsmasq, set up an ftp server using vsftp, set up an http proxy server using squid, and get it all connected to the winboxes in the network using Samba. Oh, and on an unrelated note, I also learned how to crimp RJ45s. (Sheepish grin.)

All I need now is to learn the AMP part in LAMP. 6 years ago

You should all do this. Linux is way better than Windows 6 years ago

It’s almost mystical to use a different OS with all the strange new capabilities I knew were there but never had an idea what they were for. Switching to linux was great for me since it made learning programming easier and more manual. it let me stand on my own legs instead of microsofts crutches! The terminal is invaluable! 7 years ago

It’s worth doing even if only for the experience you gain.
Besides all the experience you gain the choice and the power to control what is yours.

Not perfect but at least it’s yours. 7 years ago

I am writing this on my hand-rolled Linux!!! Finally got the network card to connect to the internet after literally about a hundred tries. I was on the verge of buying a new card tomorrow, discarding the new one I had just bought. It’s only about Php 425, but its pretty steep considering my extremely limited funds.

So many things ran through my mind: Man, not another monumental failure, just when I was so close… Oh heck, have to shell out another 500 bucks for a new card… What now? Everyone’s counting on me… Good-bye server, good-bye future career…

Apparently, the card (D-Link DFE-528TX) must be in half-duplex (10mbs) mode. I had been running in the default 100mbps full-duplex mode. After a couple of hours of tweaking this and that, here and there, I was able to get it connected to the router!

Seriously, the entire hand-rolled Linux project hinged on this. Had I failed this part, (which was almost a certainty) I might as well have not started this at all!

Thank you Lord Jesus for listening and helping me out. Literally had my hands up in despair.

WOW, THIS IS SO COOL, SURFING ON SOMETHING I CREATED! GOD RULZ!

Ok, the mouse is a bit crappy, but that’s easy to fix.

So tired… Physically, mentally. Need to rest… 7 years ago

I’m using Ubuntu 5.10 for AMD64 at home. The drawback to this is that the Windows Media v9 codec doesn’t work under AMD64 Linux without a lot of fiddliness. (I also have some work related apps that I need Windows for, so I’m going to set up a Windows partition…) 7 years ago

I created an entire Linux system from scratch using nothing but the source tarballs. I recently made the X system work. Now it has a word processor (AbiWord), a spreadsheet (Gnumeric), and Firefox. I’ve also installed J2SE 1.4.2 for software development. (Managed to squeeze in FreeCiv, couldn’t help it. Hehe.)

First order of business now:
Need to install Apache webserver, MySQL and PHP. Would save our two new businesses a lot of money. I also get to learn in the process. Will need to learn how servers work, how to connect this thing to the internet. I ought to buy a network card within the week. Hope my old network cable works. Everything hinges on that.

When I’m free:
I definitely would want to install ALSA sound support, the latest version of WINE (to run my Windows games.) Maybe Lazarus or Gambas. If StarCraft runs and connects to the net, I’m totally moving over to Linux!!!

Really hard work, but fun! 7 years ago

have been using linux at home fulltime, dual boot because my family prefer to use windows, and also been using linux on my laptop, install on desktop really make not much difference really,

so go ahead and do it 7 years ago

90% of ppl just need to surf and check email. This is *easier with most Lx distros b/c (in my experience) they detect and work with your hardware better. Also if you do happen to be missing something, the thing you’re missing is almost always free to download. 7 years ago

laptop runs some crazy source based distro, too bad it can’t handle X. eh, it’s a start 7 years ago

my XP went berserker on my lyfe so a kid put linux blah blah on my poor defenseless Tastycakes computer. somethings were great but i am not a nerd and had no need for ultimate customization. now everything is a giant ball of complicate. yuck dang. 7 years ago

Linux is good! 7 years ago

It took me a lot of blood, sweat and a few tears to get a dual-boot FC4/OS X 10.3.9 up and running on my 2001 15” Titanium Powerbook.

Solid, baby. 7 years ago

and my roommate as well! I made the plunge to remove all that is Microsoft from my computer early this year, though I’ve been playing with Linux since five or six years ago (Corel Linux – kernel 1.0). My roommate saw the startling contrast in usability, stability, and user (me) happiness, so he had me switch him over too :) We’re both chugging along nicely on Ubuntu Breezy Badger. 7 years ago

http://ubuntu.com 7 years ago

Ubuntu saved me from having to fork out money to Microsoft when I built my own computer. I’ve tried at least five other distros, and none of the others were right for me (Linux desktop n00b, Windows power user). Now, I don’t think I can ever go back. Kinda like learning to drive stick instead of automatic. However, I am going sideways—to Mac. :) 7 years ago

I have been using Linux in my main computer for several years. 7 years ago

I have prepped, I have partitioned! (This makes me feel just
peachy ‘cause a week ago I didn’t know what this meant much less,
well, actually doing it!)
Now I’m just sitting around waiting for my Ubuntu Distro
to arrive. I chose it not only because it is a fine distro and is free, (as in, Open
Source), but is free! (Although making adonation is good).
Now I, too shall be free! Free from all that is Microsoft!(Too many problems to list).
Billy Boy can kiss my…...! 7 years ago

I switched over a month ago and haven’t looked back. 7 years ago

Switched several years ago. good fun 7 years ago

But heck, what to I know? :)

Linux user since ever, Unix user before then, Complete advocate and fan of Linux and No-Crash Computing.

Go for it, don’t look back. 7 years ago

Since I work for Red Hat this made the decision a bit easier :) 8 years ago

I’ve converted all but one of my machines to Linux. So that makes, let me see 6 linux machines I think? 1 still running windows, but my main desktop is FC2. I should probably install FC3. 8 years ago

Switching to Linux is really easy. Linux is now as easy to use as Windows or the Mac. I’m a simple end user, meaning that I can only point and click, but I use Linux on notebooks and desktops. I have 5 computers with Linux installed; I can install Linux on computers; I can help others install Linux on computers; and I give away computers with Linux on them.
http://www.digitaltippingpoint.com

Christian Einfeldt
einfel@yahoo.com 8 years ago

Debian sid’s makes a nice desktop.
mepis linux is a variant of linux with a nice desktop.

Linux is great as a desktop if you’re communicating mostly with online docs and email. If you want word, though, you’ll never be satisfied with it. 8 years ago

My advice if you want to start: pick one of the mainstream distros, like Fedora, Ubuntu, or SUSE, and stick with them for as long as you can stand it. It’s sort of a hassle sometimes (a lot of times, really), but it’s worth it when you realize that spyware doesn’t know how to find you and viruses fear your very shadow :). 8 years ago