How many of you completely switched to Linux?

[MoonLitOwl]

Googling now I found this and this: maybe it works
And you can even have a look at what the Archlinux wiki says in the Wacom Tablet page!!!

Thanks! I'll take a look.

[light09]

I recently switched over to Linux so I still have a lot of ties to Windows. I probably will not be cutting off ties to Windows..or at least not anytime soon. Windows is a de-facto around here so I'd like to be able to continue to be familiar with the system and its UI.

[statiq77]

Hi All,
This is my first post on any forum ever. As everyone said: I dual boot ubuntu and windows. I have a M.S. in security and I trust my Linux partition to host a web server but windows would never have such a privilege. Windows is for gaming. I feel like someone needs to make it easier to do dual monitors on Ubuntu though. I think it drives some users away. I have studied "Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment" and taken a class on it. I have also studied the history of Linux as told by Glyn Moody in the book entitled, "Rebel Code." (Great read btw, check it out). Anyway, here is a paper I wrote on why programmers should go open source. i sent it to some programmer friends and it changed their minds. Chick it out. If you guys think it will help your Windows buddies make their way over to the open source revolution please send it to them. Here goes nothing:


Why Should Programmers Join the Open Source Community?
~/statiq77
In today’s world of networked communication, secrecy is no longer feasible for software developers. Although copyrights protect actual source code, ideas and concepts intrinsic in the code’s design are replicable without consequence. For this reason, it is unlikely that a single software developer hold a monopoly on a certain software niche or specific product. In addition to this, open source software has a higher rate of diffusion than proprietary software. Proud programmers tend to want to show off their code and get feedback from peer review to improve their own programming process as well as to get peer recognition. As a programmer myself, I present a case for my peers to join the open source movement and contribute code to the public domain.
In my analysis I include views from two main sources. The first of which is an inspirational work by Glyn Moody entitled, Rebel Code [1]. Moody lays out the history of Linux and the free/open source software movement. He points out why Linux has grown so quickly and explains the movement from the view of the main players contributing to it. The second source is a book called Democratizing Innovation by Eric Von Hippel [2]. In chapter 6 of his book, Hippel concentrates on the reasons why programmers decide to freely reveal their software. These reasons range from reputation-related reasons to the inevitability of future release of similar software. Using these two books as a wealth of information I attempt to make a convincing case that programmers, not unlike me, should join the open source movement.
Traditional capitalist mentality suggests that free sharing of software is counter-productive. Money spent developing it leads to no monetary profit. This point is clearly illustrated in Bill Gates’ “Open letter to Hobbyists” written in 1976 [3]. Gates points out that people who share software freely, “… prevent good software from being written.” On the other hand, after years of further analysis, in 2001, Glyn Moody points out that software developed by the open source community is more stable and better supported than proprietary software [1]. This is partly because the code is developed by proud programmers who want recognition for their work. A second, perhaps more important, reason is that open source software goes through an intense peer review process upon release. The freely distributed source code allows peers to more quickly and accurately evaluate the software. It also means that peers can write their own patches to fix or improve code and distribute them accordingly. One clear example of open source software beating out the competition is the widely used Apache web server.
Mr. Gates had the idea in 1976 that no good programmer would write good code for free. In hindsight we observe that there are in fact many good programmers who share their software with others based on the ideals of free software. Some of the most well-known and inspirational such programmers include Richard Stallman, the father of GNU, and Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux. When Stallman wrote GCC (GNU C Compiler, later changed to GNU Compiler Collection) he decided that it was a useful tool for other hobby programmers. GCC has since become the foundation upon which the open source movement was built. When Linus sat down and wrote the first version of Linux it was just a learning tool he used to increase his understanding of operating systems and the Intel 386 processor [1]. It has grown since then to be a widely used alternative to proprietary operating systems like Microsoft Windows. What possessed Stallman and Linus to share the software they worked so hard on for free? Why not try and sell it for profit?
Many programmers today earn their living doing just that. Most of them work for big companies and have no control over how their code is used. The presence of open source software on the market does not deter companies from using the proprietary software model. In fact some of these companies are based on the idea that the code is their secret. It is not unexpected for a programmer to get a job and earn a salary. At the same time, many programmers have their own projects in the works aside from their paid jobs. These projects may be an effort to make money or just a hobby. It is these background programmers that can make a difference in the way code is treated in the future. A further step programmers can take is to try and get paid jobs at open source support companies or even form their own such companies.
Some see the achievements of Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds as rebellion against proprietary software, particularly Microsoft. There is a deeper reasoning behind this rebellion that is best understood by programmers but can be related to by artists as well. That reason is pride in one’s work. A painter might continually spend money on paint and canvas even if he or she never sells a painting. The sense of accomplishment and pride felt by the artist is payment enough for the time, effort, and even money spent to create his or her artwork. Well versed programmers look at segments of code as works of art. They can tell when work is sloppy and wasteful as well as when a problem is solved elegantly. Programmers in the open source community take pride in their artwork and publish it to get reviewed and recognized as the most elegant solution available. Programmers with less confidence in their own ability are also welcomed into the community. These fresh blood programmers can learn a lot from reading code that is widely recognized as well written and elegant.
Some programmers think that the only way to profit from writing code is to keep the source classified and sell licenses for use. This may be a viable approach for short term profit. However, in the long run it is not the most profitable decision. On average it takes about 12-18 months for someone to write an alternative version of a new software tool [2]. This means that keeping the code a secret will not last long. Since software is protected under copyright not patents, only the original source is protected, not the concept or methodology behind the code. Because the monopoly is so short lived before another version comes out, the potential for profit from selling licenses is low. A more rational approach for a developer is to make the software open in the first place so that their version is recognized as the standard. Once the software starts to be used money can be made by providing support for the software. The first company to use this business model and make money by supporting open source software started in 1989 and was dubbed Cygnus.
If proprietary programmers made the effort to think about the long term effects of freely releasing software, then they would find more benefits than just recognition and free peer review. First of all, keeping the code secret will not last. Second, more eyes on the code means less chance it will fail. Third, free release of well written code increases the author’s credibility, not only within the programming community, but in the job market as well. Nothing looks better on a resume than authorship of successful software that is widely used and accepted as well written. One might argue that authorship of proprietary software is equally good looking on a resume. That brings up the fourth reason free software is better: The diffusion rate of free software is higher than that of proprietary software [2]. Diffusion rate is the rate at which a piece of software gains user base. That means a programmer is more likely to succeed in authoring code that is widely used if he or she publishes the source code rather than keeping it proprietary.
From the standpoint of an academic, open source software is an invaluable tool for teaching and research. Computer science students can use code repositories to more deeply understand the intricacies of a given task. For example, Professor Alice is teaching a class on operating systems. She can explain virtual memory in the class room a hundred times and students still wouldn’t understand it as well as they would if they were to actually implement it. Windows and Macintosh cringe at allowing users to change key functional parts of the operating system. With an open source operating system in hand, students can not only look at the modules that control virtual memory, they can replace them with their own and see what happens. This hands-on approach allows students to get a deeper understanding of the subject. The same holds true for in depth research that requires changes to the operating system for experimental purposes. It wouldn’t be feasible for every researcher who wants an added feature to write their own operating system that includes it. Open source gives them a starting point to speed up the process.
Giving back to the open source community is a common reason for programmers to release their code. Students, researchers, as well as hobbyists who use the freely available tools and code base are grateful to the community and feel compelled to share their own work for the benefit of the rest of the members. Contributors know that the best way to create solid software is to release the code for peer use and review. Others contribute in an effort to show off their skills and be recognized. Whatever the reason for your contribution, you can be sure that freely releasing your source code is not only worthwhile, but it is also the smartest use of your programming talents. My personal inspiration for contributing to the community is the story of Richard Stallman. He went from being a nobody programmer with untapped skill to becoming a well-respected and widely known computer scientist within a matter of years. With the help of the open source community all programmers now have a chance to make their own similar story by walking the path paved by the fathers of free software.

Note: In this work I use the terms free software and open source software interchangeably. In reality there are several differences between the two schools of thought that are outside the scope of this work. For further information on this subject visit: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-s...r-freedom.html .
[1] Moody, Glyn. Rebel Code: the inside Story of Linux and the Open Source Revolution. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Pub., 2001. Print.
[2] Hippel, Eric Von. "Chapter 6: Why Users Often Freely Reveal Their Innovations." Democratizing Innovation. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2005. 77-89. Print.
[3] Gates, William H. "Open Letter to Hobbyists." Letter. 3 Feb. 1976. Blinkenlights Archaeological Institute. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://www.blinkenlights.com/classiccmp/gateswhine.html>.

[phillat5dock]

I have an iMac 27in which I just love.

My primary OS of choice is Mac OS X, but I have installed Windows 7 in a bootcamp partition. I don't use Windows for everyday taks. I installed it because I have some GPS devices and other things like mobile phones for which there is little Mac software. In particular I have a Magellan Explorist which has maps on a memory card. To view the maps I have to use Magellan's Vantage Point software. There in no Mac (or Gnu Linux) software available which will do this.

I recently watched a friend use his Asus iPad lookalike and it was running Android and I was blown away. I had a look at Android and installed it on my Eee PC netbook but eventually gave it away for the same reason that I gave up trying to run Snow Leopard on the netbook.

Now the Eee PC has this fast boot thing called Express Gate which quickly boots a squash version of Linux. So I decided, after I had wiped Android off the netbook partition to have a look at Ubuntu. 11.04. Ubuntu on the netbook just blows Windows 7 out of the water and half way to Mars! I was so impressed I then investigated running Ubuntu on my Mac so I could learn the OS with the advantage of the huge screen.

Well after a few setbacks and reinstalls I have Ubuntu 11.10 Oneric running quite stably on my iMac and I am very, very impressed. I doubt I will stop using OS X, but the more I learn about Ubuntu/Gnu Linux and the community effort the more impressed I am.

So here's to you Ubuntu.

[rmcellig]

I too have an iMac 24" and loved it until I discovered Linux. Now I use my iMac about 10% and use carols Linux distros (my current fav is ultimate edition 3 and puppy Linux 5.2.8.

I love the flexibility and possibilities of Linux that I don't get with mac and windows. Plus you don't have to spend a ton of money. I love Linux!!

[krishna.988]

Windows:

1. Run Adobe Products.
2. Run many Games.
3. Most of the Phones and other peripherals comes with Windows software are compatible.
4. Run Standard Messengers from Yahoo, MSN, Google, SKYPE (latest version) etc..
5. Lots of other softwares.

This list is not complete....


Ubuntu (Linux):

Though alternatives exist for the above its not in par...

Always have to spend time in figuring out workarounds on how to get things done in Ubuntu.

[diversecg]

I have used linux for over 10 years for various servers and distributions (even custom via LFS), I have been using Ubuntu exclusively for servers and workstations for past 2 years, and switching completely away from winblows is the best thing I ever did. I only ever had 1 software that I had to open my XP virtual machine in VirtualBox (which runs faster virtualized than on bare metal), which was QuickBooks, which I finally replaced with OpenERP

Ubuntu may have it's quirks, but it is leaps and bounds better than windows, you don't have forced anti-virus, and many applications in windows have equivalent if not better applications already available in the software repos, which is also the great, a single point for software updates

I am a small business owner, and amazed how well Ubuntu works for the workstation

[MasterNetra]

I am amazed this thread is still alive, this must be the longest lasting thread in ubuntuforums if not the internet...

[emmomalick]

Started using Ubuntu in almost 2008 but a newbie to Ubuntu Forums & now completely switched to Ubuntu. Its Great.

[jonathonblake]

this must be the longest lasting thread in ubuntuforums if not the internet...

This thread celebrated its 7th anniversary on the second.

There were a couple of threads on FidoNet echos and in the alt.newsgroups that lasted more than a decade. On Yahoogroups, there are a couple of groups that have threads that are in their teens.

jonathon