Trialling Linux as an alternative

For a few months now, we've been testing Ubuntu Linux as an alternative to Windows, and the initial results are very encouraging. Sure, it's not been without challenge or glitch, but what venture with a steep learning curve isn't.

To set the stage, Ubuntu is a distribution of the GNU Linux operating system. Strictly speaking, Linux is only a kernal, a core operating system, and what makes it one distribution or another is what additional software the backers of that distribution have included.

Ubuntu Linux was chosen after briefing trialling a number of other distributions because:

1. It has commerical backing, vendor (although it's actually free) support and an incredibly vibrant and supportive community forum
2. It is arguably the fastest growing and best known distribution currently, despite only having been around for since 2004
3. It has a regular upgrade and release cycle, which includes a Long Term Support version for those that don't want to be on the bleeding edge but stick with the tried and tested
4. It is possible to run Ubuntu from the CD/DVD, to try it out on your hardware and to see if you like it, before replacing Windows

This blog will never be a tutorial on installing or running Linux of any kind; there are plenty of other sites out there that do this far better. In the case of Ubuntu, there is the forum as well as the Psychocat Ubuntu pages, by one of the forum moderators, both of which has been used by us extensively in exploring Ubuntu and getting it set up the way we want it to be.

The reasons for trialling Linux have been covered in earlier posts and future developments will be the subject of subsequent posts. There will also be a few spin-off subjects, not least of which will be the whole tin of worms that is open source equivalents.

At this stage, suffice to say that DreamGenius regards Ubuntu Linux as a successful trial to date, to the point that it is installed on the main internet access machine. Why? Simply because Linux is less vulnerable to the internet nasties which are prevalent these days, for three simple reasons:

1. Linux is open source, which means that you can open and read the code that is running on your machine. It's therefore difficult to hide nasties in the code
2. There are fewer nasties out there which target Linux or any of the programs that run on it, possibly because of 1 above and also because there is no corporate entity to target
   
3. You don't automatically have full administration rights to your machine in user mode, so malicious code can't run easily or do very much damage if it does

As previously stated, it isn't Windows, so don't go citing this recommendation, installing Ubuntu and then expecting it to do everything that your Windows machine does, because it won't. It will however be an educational experience, and that's always a good thing.

DreamGenius is not a Linux or Ubuntu evangelist by any stretch, nor are we turning our back on Windows. We set out to trial Ubuntu Linux as an alternative home user operating system and first impressions show this to be a resounding success. More news as it breaks.