Wanted to share my experience with Ubuntu...

[NeverSummer]

History:
- Hardcore Windows user(1994-Present), always testing beta's (University MSFT Connections) and using latest versions available.
- I always wanted the leanest OS possible, I would shut down every possible service, registry hack, and lower boot requirements.
- Use lightweight software (Firefox, Foobar2k, command line interfaces)

Linux/Unix was my next step to complete optimization and during those years I had tried Mandrake in '01 (1 week), Gentoo in '02 (3 weeks), and Yoper in '04 (2 weeks). What stopped me from using these distros? Hardware compatibility and windows applications (games specifically)

Well here now I am to post my experience with Ubuntu. How saavy am I with linux in general you ask? Well if I was to rate myself from 1 to 10 , I say a 2. Which means I dont know much.

What I have managed to do with Ubuntu in the last 2 weeks, which I have never thought possible. (This is help from all types of forums, web sites, and most importantly ubuntu users posting here on these forums.

-Install Ubuntu 5.04 on SCSI drive flawlessly
-Setup FAT32 partition on 40gb IDE drive
-setup Automount for IDE drive
-Install ATI drivers for my 9700 pro
-Setup and use 7 buttons on Intellimouse
-getting audigy 2 soundcard working
-Install Wine and setup Wine
-Install and run (using Wine) Starcraft, and CounterStrike
-Install and run Quake 3
-Install drivers for Nostromo Game Pad
-Install drivers to access my PocketPC PDA
-Install drivers and use my minolta 1250W laser printer
-get multimedia support for applications
-fix repository issues
-there is more but i dont remember

While this list may be small, but many of you hardcore linux users understand how a little process such as installing and setting a simple device like a gamepad can be tedious (editing c code, compiling drivers, installing drivers, setting permissions, running daemons, setting auto run properties, configuring the device...etc)

Where does this lead me? Well I am absolutely astonished by the linux communty and the ability to produce the support necessary for the most frankenstein of pc's. Hardware support #1 is the most important to me. All I can say is , that this point I have no reason to convert back to windows, nor run it as a dual boot system. Ubuntu has taken my heart, I hope to stay and help contribute back to the community like as they have done for me. Let me just note one thing, I never posted once requesting help, I only searched for my problem and found similar posts which led to my own solutions.

But I want to ask one question from the ubuntu community, beyond just using Linux/Unix style OS's, what resources do you recommend I use (online texts,paper books, DVD's) to increase my knowledge of Linux/Unix?

Thanks,
NS

P.S. I can see myself down the road, installing every latest version of Ubuntu, just to test the latest and greatest features no matter the bugs associated with them.

[trivialpackets]

History:
- Hardcore Windows user(1994-Present), always testing beta's (University MSFT Connections) and using latest versions available.
- I always wanted the leanest OS possible, I would shut down every possible service, registry hack, and lower boot requirements.
- Use lightweight software (Firefox, Foobar2k, command line interfaces)

Linux/Unix was my next step to complete optimization and during those years I had tried Mandrake in '01 (1 week), Gentoo in '02 (3 weeks), and Yoper in '04 (2 weeks). What stopped me from using these distros? Hardware compatibility and windows applications (games specifically)

Well here now I am to post my experience with Ubuntu. How saavy am I with linux in general you ask? Well if I was to rate myself from 1 to 10 , I say a 2. Which means I dont know much.

What I have managed to do with Ubuntu in the last 2 weeks, which I have never thought possible. (This is help from all types of forums, web sites, and most importantly ubuntu users posting here on these forums.

-Install Ubuntu 5.04 on SCSI drive flawlessly
-Setup FAT32 partition on 40gb IDE drive
-setup Automount for IDE drive
-Install ATI drivers for my 9700 pro
-Setup and use 7 buttons on Intellimouse
-getting audigy 2 soundcard working
-Install Wine and setup Wine
-Install and run (using Wine) Starcraft, and CounterStrike
-Install and run Quake 3
-Install drivers for Nostromo Game Pad
-Install drivers to access my PocketPC PDA
-Install drivers and use my minolta 1250W laser printer
-get multimedia support for applications
-fix repository issues
-there is more but i dont remember

While this list may be small, but many of you hardcore linux users understand how a little process such as installing and setting a simple device like a gamepad can be tedious (editing c code, compiling drivers, installing drivers, setting permissions, running daemons, setting auto run properties, configuring the device...etc)

Where does this lead me? Well I am absolutely astonished by the linux communty and the ability to produce the support necessary for the most frankenstein of pc's. Hardware support #1 is the most important to me. All I can say is , that this point I have no reason to convert back to windows, nor run it as a dual boot system. Ubuntu has taken my heart, I hope to stay and help contribute back to the community like as they have done for me. Let me just note one thing, I never posted once requesting help, I only searched for my problem and found similar posts which led to my own solutions.

But I want to ask one question from the ubuntu community, beyond just using Linux/Unix style OS's, what resources do you recommend I use (online texts,paper books, DVD's) to increase my knowledge of Linux/Unix?

Thanks,
NS

P.S. I can see myself down the road, installing every latest version of Ubuntu, just to test the latest and greatest features no matter the bugs associated with them.
Welcome to the community. Ubuntu has been eye opening for me as well. I've tried other distrobutions, but what I can get done as to actual work with ubuntu is not matched by the others as I don't really have any other nagging issues with my OS. As to books to read, many O'Reilly Books seem to be pretty thorough. If it's available, I'd go check one out at your local library and have a go at it.

[UbuWu]

http://linuxcommand.org/

[JamesRock]

Congratulations NS.

Its so good to see someone convert to Linux and not bag it out for the various lengths you had to go to to get it to work, but rather appreciate what you have at the end of it and admire it for what it is.

There's nothing like the feeling of getting all your hardware and required software working under Linux and using it completely. I have been using Linux exclusively for about 3 years now and I still get excited every time I see a new distro on a magazine cover or Ubuntu updates a whole bunch of packages for me!

Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it!

[crane]

Very Cool!
Welcome and glad your enjoting it. It's nice to see someone who knows how to search the forums and not ask a question that may have been asked a few times already.

As far as reading, be sure to check your locel book stores. There are alot of books on linux out now from beginner to advanced.

Good luck and I guess I'll see you around the forums!

[newtimes]

I feel the same as NS but im not as knowledgeable in command line stuff so my journey is longer but I feel where he's coming from. good post NeverSummer! :)

NS you should do a blog on this forum to help pull the wee ones out of the darkness.

[matthew]

These Ubuntu forums have been amazingly helpful and filled with good-natured, kind people. There are many other good resources out there as well. A few of my favorites:

http://tldp.org
http://www.linuxquestions.org
http://forums.gentoo.org
http://www.google.com/linux

Oh, and for a not-so-brief summary of commands from the command line and other great stuff take a look at O'Reilly press's book Linux in a Nutshell which I have found helpful many times. It isn't an in-depth study, but more of a reference work. It's been helpful those times where internet access isn't available.

[poofyhairguy]

http://forums.gentoo.org


That forum is the best place in the world to look for info that can't be found anywhere else.