Was firefox your eye-opener?

[Viva]

It was for me. I don't think I would've ever switched to linux if I never found firefox. Firefox showed me that better alternatives exist to popular M$* software and the power of Open Source software. I then switched to Open Office, GAIM and finally Ubuntu:guitar:

[Ozor Mox]

For me, yes. Firefox was the first free/open source software I used. I expect it's the same for a lot of us.

[speedwell68]

I'd have to say yes. I had considered open source to be a bit of a joke up until I discovered Firefox. I had become disillusioned with IE6 and needed a better browser, Firefox opened my eyes to how good open source could be. Then I had the choice of buying a new version of MS Office so I tried OpenOffice, soon after I started trying different Linux distros before I finally decided on Ubuntu 6.10. Once I got used to Ubuntu I kissed Windows goodbye.:D

[jamest09]

Nope, been using Linux since before Firefox

[Sidewinder1]

No, actually it was Netscape, after NCSA Mosaic. Never went near M$ Internet Explorer. Then AOhell bought Netscape; on to Mozilla Firefox. Read the horror stories (Summer 2007) of Vista and switched to Ubuntu, Gutsy... Bye, bye Uncle Billy and thanks for all the fish.
Side

[Simian Man]

Nope ssh, bash, gcc, gdb etc. were my introduction to Linux. In fact that was before Firefox even started :).

[cascade9]

Not for me. I didnt really have any single momey of eye opening, its been a progression from mozila to subversion.

[dragos240]

Actually, I used OO on windows before I used firefox. I asked my previous forum where I could get a free version of office. Later, my school switched to firefox, and then I tried that.

[hanzomon4]

It was actually OSX and the windows theming community... that was my first time hearing about UNIX

[mikebeecham]

Whilst I hate to be a stick in the mud...I've been using FF for years now, but someone on the Ubuntu IRC suggested that I try Opera for a change.

I was reluctant, but the bloody thing's won me over in the space of 2 days. Sure, it's not got the add-ons that Firefox have at the moment, but in terms of a snippy little browser it's got the minerals for sure.

I'm loving it at the moment.

[Groucho Marxist]

For me, yes. Firefox was the first free/open source software I used. I expect it's the same for a lot of us.

Firefox and Audacity were what started me on the path of open source software. That, and my sister's high school journalism teacher introduced me to Ubuntu Linux via promotional CDs when "Dapper Drake" (v6.06) was released.

[geekygirl]

No, actually it was Netscape, after NCSA Mosaic. Never went near M$ Internet Explorer. Then AOhell bought Netscape; on to Mozilla Firefox.

Same here...always used Netscape back on Windows 95/98

Gnome and the customization was what had me hooked on Linux...when i first installed Hoary Hedgehog onto my old Dell Inspiron 700m....

[hessiess]

Nope, Blender was.

[mamamia88]

No the time I got BSOD after about half hour of fresh vista install upon rebooting when installing all the drivers and i couldn't for the life of me get windows to boot up without bsod so i just wiped it for ubuntu 100% haven't been back since.

[chucky chuckaluck]

firefox was the first open software i used while being aware there were such a thing as open software. it was ultimately the promise of speed and boredom that led me to linux (the speed didn't come until i just got a faster machine).

[MickS]

It was for me, Firefox, Thunderbird, Audacity and the Gimp. I didn't use any MS stuff even when I was on windows.


Mick

[dmizer]

I also used Netscape way back when, as well as Opera back in the days when it was still ad supported. I used a number of other browsers which I've long forgotten as well. But my computing experience started back in the dial up BBS days when code was printed in magazines, and posted everywhere free, so open source was never a strange idea to me.

[XN3m3sisX]

Firefox wasn't an eye opener for me, however, Firefox is another great piece of freedom software. My eye opener was Ubuntu :)

[Louis Jenvey]

Yes, Firefox was it for me, then OpenOffice and today ubuntu (Literally at around 9:00 this morning) but i still can't convince my dad about ubuntu but i have convinced my mom

[Sidewinder1]

+1 dmizer!
Do you remember Dow Jones New Service, Genie, and Prodigy?
Takes one back, doesn't it? :-)

[HappinessNow]

I first started experimenting with different browsers; Firefox, Opera, etc but when I learned of Epiphany, Konqueror, and others that were only available on Linux based Operating Systems that led me to experiment with different Operating Systems.

[ks07]

Surprisingly I never used Firefox before getting Ubuntu, IE was good enough for me, so I didn't bother looking for replacements. My first piece of free software was either VLC or Gimp, and that's when I began finding all this amazing open source software.

[TheNosh]

hehe, Ophcrack was my first experience with Linux. and for various reasons that's all i have to say about that.