Conversations on Ubuntu and Linux

I have been exchanging a few emails with Fred Jodry about Ubuntu/Linux and has made me want to do another post about Ubuntu and Linux.


First of all, let me make it clear that I am not the most knowledgeable computer user out there but it is not like I don't know my way around a little bit. Take what I say with a grain of salt and do your research so I don't lead you wrong.

Second of all, my experience with Ubuntu or any other kind of Linux is rather limited so let me talk from where I do know. My experience is experimenting for he lat while with ubuntu fully loaded onto an 8 GIG flashdrive. I have been using that on an Acer notebook. It isw not th emost ideal set up but it has allowed me to have linux without doing a duel boot or doing a Linux only box, It also allows me to have a portable os that I can use on more than just my own computer so it allows me some flexibilty. It comes at the price of not being the fastest configuration. That is a trade off I am willing to make for now.

Thirdly, there are other flavors of linux out there. I don't know how fast or how well I will get in knowing them but hopefully now that I am using Linux, my knowledge of them will grow. There are some smaller versions of Linux that are better for older machines like Puppy Linux out there. I am not sure of the advantage of those so that is something to look into.

The question of cost came up about doing Ubuntu on a flashdrive. I got a an 8 GIG flashdrive for about $25 at Walmart. I will let the people out there decide on the relative merits of that. I have never done an os install before and I found it rather easy and took about an hour for the actual install. This did not include dowloading the file from the net which took forever it seams. Now that I have it, it does not take that time again if I install it again.

Trying out Linux and more specifically Ubuntu is very much an experiment in process. Worse yet, I don't always know what I am doing but I am learning.What I have learned is that is some really nice up side about using Linux and has opend some doors that Windows has not.

While I do not want to hear agruments about which is the best os, I would like to hear people's experiences with themn so I can get more informed about them. I am really on the learning curve with this.

Thanks Fred for your point of view and keep it coming.