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Author Topic: FROM WINDOWS XP TO LINUX UBUNTU  (Read 4038 times)
nChrist
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« on: July 14, 2007, 12:09:17 AM »

Brothers and Sisters,

Some of you know that I planned to switch to Linux Christian Ubuntu, and I said that I would write something about the experience of switching. So, here's the first installment.

I have made the switch, and I have a few mixed emotions that I hope to explain. First, I must tell you that I've been using Windows for many years, and I would be in the "HEAVY USE" category of users. I mentioned this because I think it would be a major factor in switching, especially if you get used to using the same software lengthy periods of time every day. I use my computer for various kinds of Christian volunteer work, Bible Study, maintaining a Christian and Law Enforcement web site, and other activities that are more work than entertainment. So, defining your category of computer use would be important in deciding if you want to get away from Windows and go to Linux.

Initial Installation - I would have to say that the initial installation of the Linux software was so easy that anyone can do it. I chose the newest version of Ubuntu because of many reviews I read about it being easy to install and use. Please keep in mind that this is ALL completely FREE software. I used what they call "Live CD/DVD" installation, and I think that's the only way to go. This method allows you to preview many features and get a good idea about any hardware you might have on your computer that isn't compatible with Linux. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Linux supports just about all kinds of hardware, including older hardware. I did the preview and decided pretty quickly that Linux was going to work for me just fine, so I hit "Install". You reboot the computer and the "Live CD/DVD" leads you through a very easy step by step process with excellent help information. I must add that you can print and study the help information before you install if you want to, but things really are pretty easy. Installation is actually done in just a matter of minutes, and that included installing a dual-booting partition so you can keep the old operating system. My conclusion is that Linux Ubuntu is user friendly and easy to install.

I had an old and slow dial-up connection when I made the change, so I opted to get a full set of Ubuntu DVDs and eliminate the need of doing downloads. The full set, including Linux Christian Ubuntu was 7 DVDs. The Christian portion is additional programs, graphics, and functions that most Christians would like. There are three primary versions of Ubuntu, and I had the whole set. One should look at individual interests to determine what primary version to install because they each have individual strengths. Some portions of all three will work together, but it is necessary to choose a primary version.
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nChrist
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« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2007, 12:12:51 AM »

Programs - Many of my favorite programs will work just fine on Linux, so I didn't have to suffer the shock of changing everything. The only software that I'll mention is completely FREE software, so keep that in mind. My all-time favorite program is the e-Sword Bible Study Package, and it works like a charm on Linux. It was more difficult to install on Linux than Windows, but it really didn't represent much time or effort to get it working perfectly. I think that the best way to do this is just list some individual software, so here we go:

1 - e-Sword (Bible Study) - This is what they call a cross-platform installation. e-Sword is a program designed for Windows that requires database functions. Many programs for Windows will run on Linux, but there are specific instructions that must be followed to make them work. The instructions were excellent, and I had a huge e-Sword library installed in a matter of minutes. Everything works fine.

2 - Firefox or Opera (Web Browser) - Both of these are outstanding, and they come in Linux versions. I have used both of them before, so that's what I wanted to get working. They are a little bit different from the Windows versions, but nearly everything is so close that it's hard to tell the difference. I might add that there are several other browsers with outstanding ratings that are specifically designed for Linux.

3 - Thunderbird or Opera (Email Program) - Both of these are outstanding, and they come in Linux versions. Again, I've used both and like both, so I installed them. Opera is like an all-in-one type package that includes a browser, newsreader, and many other functions. Again, there are a few differences, but they work great. Again, there are many other outstanding email programs to choose from that are also completely FREE.

4 - Open Office (Office Suite) - Open Office is my favorite office suite, and it replaces the Microsoft Office Suite. I've been using Open Office for years, and I think that it is actually better than Microsoft Office in many ways. YES - Open Office is completely FREE and it comes in a Linux version. Open Office is SLICK in Linux and they always have the latest versions. Open Office is now out in version 2.20, and it is OUTSTANDING in Linux and Windows. I had been using version 2.04 of Open Office, and I thought that version would be hard to beat. I WAS WRONG! There's an army of programmers working on Open Office, and I think it represents STATE OF THE ART - the BEST Office Suite that you can get. It's also completely compatible with Microsoft Office, so you can easily work with output from Microsoft Office or vice versa.

I think this is enough for installment one. I'll share more later. I just want to mention a couple of other things. Changing to Linux is probably harder for people who use the computer a lot, especially if they already have favorite programs for just about everything they do. In my case, I had many commercial programs that I've replaced with FREE programs, and I used those commercial programs for years. I did find outstanding FREE replacements, but there is quite a bit of learning to do. You don't get used to all of the changes quickly if you've been using the same programs for years. There is really more learning to do than what I had planned. I found out pretty quickly that a lot of my commercial software was out of date, obsolete, and incapable of doing many of the things that the new programs do. I think that the extra effort will be well worth it. I am out of my comfort zone, but at least the changes are FREE.
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nChrist
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« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2007, 06:27:01 AM »

Installment Two of My Review
Windows XP to Linux Ubuntu


Now I've had about three weeks of experience in using Linux Ubuntu, and I've learned a lot. I've also made several changes based on my needs. Everyone will have different needs, so your needs won't probably match mine. I decided to talk about average folks on this installment and avoid many of the more advanced subjects.

Web Browser

I'm still using Firefox as my web browser, and I honestly think that it represents the best of all worlds. Firefox is easy, safe, and loaded with all kinds of additional add-ons that many people won't need. However, there is always room to grow with Firefox, and Firefox will probably fill your needs when they change. For the average user who wants to start using the Internet immediately after changing to Linux, Firefox is the way to go. Import your bookmarks and go surf. Linux Firefox is just as easy to use as Windows Firefox.

Email Program

I did change my primary email program from Thunderbird to Evolution. I tried both and initially tried Evolution because of the extremely high ratings it has in the Linux community. For the average user, Evolution is just as easy to set up and use as Thunderbird, and you can be using it for mail in a matter of minutes. In fact, I think it's easier to use and set up than Thunderbird. I found out why many Linux users give Evolution such a high rating as an email program. Evolution is easy, fast, slick, and loaded with features that Thunderbird doesn't have. Evolution was designed to replace Microsoft Outlook, and it appears to have every feature that Outlook has and more. I thought that many of these additional features would slow the program down, but nothing changed, and the interface is outstanding. Evolution is FREE and has everything but the kitchen sink:  personal information manager, calendar functions, scheduling functions, integration with many other programs if you think that you need something better than the built-in editor, news reader, etc., etc., etc. By the way, there are many advanced functions for heavy business users that the average person wouldn't use, and there are many add-ons that provide even more advanced functions (i.e. business plans, database, spreadsheet, etc., etc.). I think that the average user will find the address book and calendar functions to be very nice and easy to use. By the way, the documentation is excellent, but most of the functions are so easy that it isn't needed.

Open Office Suite

All of the documents I did in Windows still works in Linux with no problem at all. The only thing necessary is to establish "Permissions" for the documents that are imported into Linux. This is part of the security of Linux, and I think it's great. This description might help you understand the basic reasons about why Linux is so much more secure than Windows ever thought about. Every file needs permissions, and the person logging on with their user name and password has files they are allowed to see and use and files they aren't allowed to see and use unless permission is specifically given to them in the system configuration. I have an administration account set up with full access, one for my normal use, and one for my wife's normal use. I'll try to give a basic explanation of this in the next section. I'll simply say that Linux Open Office is a WINNER all the way.

Basic Linux Security - File System

Anyone who uses a program or file on a Linux system must have appropriate permissions to do so, and that means everyone. So, you must be a logged on user with a password to do anything on a Linux system. There are four basic security levels:  1) root - the highest level of security, and special functions must be used to access this level of security on a Linux machine;  2) owner - the person who created or installed a file;  3) the people in the same group as the owner;  4) people who are configured in other groups for access to the computer.
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nChrist
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« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2007, 06:37:58 AM »

The most logical way to set up a Linux machine is to configure a system administrator account that won't be used very often. The system administrator will have access to root functions that control the entire computer. The system administrator can set things up in many ways, but I'll just use a simple example. I'm the system administrator of my machine, and I have accounts with lower access set - one for myself and one for my wife. Collectively, we are all individual users with a user name and password, and that includes root functions that are over and above administrator functions. My wife and I both have normal user accounts with functions that aren't likely to crash the computer.

Please don't think this is complicated, because it isn't. The set up for individual accounts only takes minutes, and there is a Linux Ubuntu Wizard that is fill in the blank EASY. My wife can have personal files that I don't have access to and vice-versa. I log on with my regular user account and have my own directory set up the way that I want it. There are three levels of permissions:  1) read - meaning just what it suggests;  2) write - being able to change something that belongs to me;  3) execute - using my programs that I've set for my own personal use - my configuration - my menus - my colors, etc. My wife and I use the same programs in several examples, but she has a different configuration than I do on the same program. I have what's called a "profile" for that program in my directory, and my wife has a different "profile" for the same program in her directory. Either of us can configure our personal preferences any way we want, and that's what we get when we log on with our user name and password. This includes what's on the desktop, the menus, the colors, the background, and every aspect of our personal preferences.

SO, you must be logged on as a configured user and configured password to have access to a Linux machine. This doesn't mean that there aren't ways to hack in because there are ways. Someone could also somehow gain access to what I have access to while I'm on the Internet. I don't know what these methods are, but some do exist. This is the reason why accounts are set up with lower access levels. The system administrator can literally set the access to anything desired or wanted. As an example, system directories could be locked down completely with no access except special root functions. To make a long story short, there is a small table that represents the permissions on every file on a Linux system. It looks something like this:

Owner - 1) Read Yes or No, 2) Write Yes or No, 3) Execute Yes or No                    
Owner's Group - (Same questions as above)
Other Group - (Same questions as above)

I know this is a very simple explanation, but I hope it helps you to understand the basic security structures of Linux systems. The security is really only as good as the set up is logical. Many people don't use firewalls and anti-virus programs on Linux systems because of the security measures that can be taken with the file structure. However, I still use a firewall and an anti-virus program, both completely FREE and highly rated.

Firewall

Most Linux users will tell you that a firewall isn't required, but I can't break the habit of using one. Firestarter is highly rated and sets itself up with the most common settings. It's very basic an nothing complicated at all. I think that the entire set up consists of about 8 very general questions about your system and Internet Service Provider.

Anti-Virus

Again many Linux users will tell you that anti-virus programs aren't needed because of the secure file structure in Linux systems. Again, this is a habit of mine that I won't stop. I use Avast Workstation as an anti-virus program, and it's FREE and excellent.


This is enough for Installment Two. I'll write more later. I hope this gives you a brief overview. I'll write more specifics later. I do want to make one observation before I close. The Linux operating system appears to be lean and mean. I've never used a single meg of disk space reserved for virtual memory. In fact, I've never even gotten close to using all of the available RAM. Using the same programs in Windows, I used all of the available RAM and most of the virtual memory all of the time. SO, I conclude that Linux is a very efficient system that doesn't allow resource hogs. It takes what it needs and no more. I've only noticed slight delays in starting up huge programs like e-Sword. e-Sword itself isn't very big, but adding 3,000 resources to it should make it a resource hog deluxe. e-Sword runs fine on Linux with numerous other programs opened at the same time, and I still don't use all of my available RAM. I only have 512 MEG of RAM, and that's considered small for a modern computer, but it's more than Linux needs.
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