How were you originally introduced to Linux, and why Ubuntu?

[Tamalin]

It's been so long since I ran Windows on my computer that I don't even remember how I was originally introduced to the idea that I could run something else better. Maybe listening to some other personal stories would spark my memory. Anything to share?

[sydbat]

It's been so long since I ran Windows on my computer that I don't even remember how I was originally introduced to the idea that I could run something else better. Maybe listening to some other personal stories would spark my memory. Anything to share?

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far aw[edited due to blatant plagiarism]...

Seriously, I found out about Linux when I went back to school as an adult student. One of the computer labs had the ability to run Red Hat (cannot remember which version) as a dual boot. However, it never ran properly, if at all. This, among other reasons, is why I have never liked Novell (an interesting leap you say? Not really...it was the server OS and always had major problems).

After all that, I was still curious and found an early Fedora Core (2 or 3) and ran it on a second box at home. Kinda got hooked from there.

When I finally got tired of all the XP BS, I decided one day to dual boot on the main box and looked for one that, to me, was a bit more friendly than Fedora. I chose Hardy and have not looked back. Got rid of the dual boot over a year ago.

[Pete051]

In my case it came off a magazine cover, PC world if my memory serves me well. Suse 5.2 sometime in the late 90's you had to install the commandline first then configure xf86.
First Ubuntu was either warty or hoary not sure which which tried after reading a review in Linux format.

[blur xc]

I was building my first PC from the ground up- and saw the word "Ubuntu" repeatedly while reading a many, many, reviews for various components I was comparing. I asked an IT buddy of mine what it was, and he turned me on to it.

The whole time I was planning and building this pc I felt this weight in my chest about having to put windows on it. I've never liked windows, ever since it's first inception, and the thought of having that performance sucker bog down my precious build didn't sit well. And especially since the only legal copy of windows I had at the time was Vista Home Premium...

So, I never knew there was a viable alternative. I always thought of linux as a geek software, and only computer science majors could use it. Little did I know... I may have a geeky side, but I'm not the only one that has to use it.

So, I've got it runnign 90% of the time on my home computer- and once I get my last app running in Linux (optimistically waiting), I'll ditch windows for good.

BM

[Copernicus1234]

I dont remember, but my first Linux was Red Hat many years ago. Nothing worked out of the box back then so I learned a lot by fixing it. But in the end, too much time was needed to be productive under Linux in those days, so I went back to Windows.

Ubuntu 8.04 was the first version of Linux that really impressed me with its "work out of the box" and so I stuck with it since then and left Windows behind forever.

[subdivision]

A techie on a forum I frequented mentioned it to me back in 2000. Messed around with Slack and Redhat, ignored Linux for a few years and then tried Ubuntu after my father told me he was having fun with it.

Ended up with Arch.

[alexandari]

I only knew Linux was an OS and...it sounded interesting. So I tried Mandrake 10 and then got to other distros...I installed Ubuntu because many people said it`s the best and they`re with ubuntu so I decided I`ll give it a try...and it rocks until today

[Bachstelze]

Technology teacher back in Jr. High gave me two Debian Slink CDs. "Just thought you might be interested." I switched to Ubuntu in the Breezy days.

[Chame_Wizard]

Since 2 January 2005, i was reading a lot IT news,about an operating system called Linux for the 1st time,which was news everyday.

A year(February 2006)later,i finally found out what kind of operating system Linux/FLOSS was thanks to a school project I have to do.

[tom66]

Was continuously recommended on an old forum to switch to Ubuntu after I kept having Windows issues. I was quite a HTML geek back then but not so much a computer tech (I knew my way around but that was it).

Ubuntu has taught me a lot about computers and I love it.