Whats your Linux story?

[semitone36]

Hey all!

I am pleased to announce that this will be my 100th post here on the forums! w00t! So in celebration (cuz im just that special) lets all remember how we all first got to be a part of this community. What was it that first turned you on to the Linux path? Is there anything that you miss about your previous OS?

Ill go first: After dropping $1000 on a brand new ASUS laptop for college with the latest version of Vista installed on it I thought that I was getting a top of the line machine. I was wrong. After discovering that I would have to pay an ADDITIONAL $200 for the Office Suite, having to ctrl+alt+del every time Internet Explorer froze, and ripping my hair out when game after game crashed and burned within minutes of playing, I was about ready to stash my laptop in the closet and just use the campus library computers for my computer needs. Then a friend recommended that I try linux. I had no idea that there were other options out there for OSs. I can honestly say that since then I will never EVER put windows on my computer again.
:guitar:

[uberdonkey5]

for me it was like having an affair with a younger, faster and more versatile woman...

I used windows all the time, but was frustrated because it was getting slower despite memory upgrades. I suppose it was then I realised my eyes were starting to stray. A friend told me about 'ubuntu', which sounded so exotic. It was too tempting, before I new it I was spending time with both windows and ubuntu, though at work I would only see windows. I didn't tell many people about it, because I didn't think they would understand.

Finally, I realised I enjoyed spending my time more with ubuntu. I could do more things with her, and there was a world (of software) to explore. She was more responsive, and when I asked her to do things for me it was so simple and so quick. I started to become used to her funny ways. Sometimes, when I found ubuntu to be a bit resistant to me loading my dvd, or a bit tempremental over even simple things, I would go back to windows, only to find she wouldn't help me either. So, tail between legs, I would return to ubuntu and her sweet appearance (compiz desktop). After a short chat with my friends, I realised there was a way to win her around, and in no time at all I could use my dvd to my hearts desire.

The moral of the story being, there is nothing wrong with falling for the newer, brown skinned version, as long as you take time to work out what she needs from you at the start, you will soon adapt and have a happier and more fulfilling life, with less problems.

P.S. I know some of you compiz fanatics would like the brains of ubuntu but still can't resist the looks of windows.

[semitone36]

for me it was like having an affair with a younger, faster and more versatile woman...

Wahahaha this may just go in my Signature!

[littletinman]

Here (http://limitlesslinux.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/why-ubuntu/)'s how it happened for me

[Northsider]

I was first turned onto linux from a lot of users on warez forums talking about it. It sounded cool so I thought I'd check it out. Having no idea I tried out slackware, and it wasn't an enjoyable experience. Maybe 6 months later I dual booted with Ubuntu and loved it ever since. When I found out more about open source, linux communities, and free software ideals, I loved it even more.

[miggols99]

My story was looking for an alternative to Windows which took more than 5 mins to boot! Read more here:

http://archux.com/blog/miggols99-0

[artir]

A long long time ago I found Knoppix and I was amazed and WTF'ed when I tried the LiveCD (A floppy was required to boot ) Hey, it was fast, but the laptop's wifi didn't work, so goodbye.
Half a year later, I saw Mandriva ( With 6+ CD's) and I bought it (10 €) to try . I didn't like it too much. XD
And then, I don't know how, Ubuntu came to me . (I don't remember how did I found it, really) Dapper 6.06 was even better than Knoppix but Wifi wasn't working (zd1211 driver)

Using an ethernet connection, I found a couple of tutorials, made by the omnipotent Ubuntu community. After a driver recompilation and some WPA magic, THE WIFI WAS WORKING, OH MY GOD! I felt really well after that..

I felt even better with Feisty: NO MORE DRIVER RECOMPILATION. 100% OUT OF THE BOX . YEAHHH!
At that point, I became an Ubuntu-aholic and I try to Ubuntize everybody that I can.
And I've been always with Ubuntu (Except for a small "evil partition") since then.

[Barrucadu]

for me it was like having an affair with a younger, faster and more versatile woman...
I used a similar analogy when explaining why I switched from Ubuntu to Arch - it's such a good analogy :D

Here (http://blog.barrucadu.co.uk/2008/05/my-arch-way/) is an article I wrote a few months ago about my Linux experiences.

[Naiki Muliaina]

Started playing with Linux when my laptop fried itself and XP woulnt work about 3-4 years ago. Mandriva 2004 or 2005 was my first try. Saw it on the front of a magazine and gave it a spin. Soon after found Ubuntu and after 3-4 years of using Ubuntu and XP side by side, i made the full switch to Ubuntu at the beggining of this year. In about 9 months i havent used Windows once. I was going to try Vista again, but after a horrific 3 weeks when it was released i didnt have the will to try it again ^^

[ChanServ]

i was bored...

[Le-Froid]

I started working on a MMORPG server a while back. One of the developers recommended to me that I should use linux as my OS - and suggested using Ubuntu. I tried ubuntu ~ 5 months ago and then eventually removed windows vista.

[fedex1993]

Hmm my linux story ugh was a while ago. You might need some popcorn it is a long one. :popcorn:

About 2-4 years ago a year before i joined ubuntuforums i was having problems with windows, well actually bored with windows. So i was talking to one of my gaming friends who seemed to be a really good online player but also he was good with computers. I started asking curious questions like "Do you run windows?" he always replied with no i run a GNU/Linux Os. I always asked what does that mean? He always sent me to f*****ggoogleit.com. Which made me mad oh well about that. So he finally told me to try something called ubuntu. I didn't know what in the world that was and he sent me a link told me to download it and burn it to a cd. One it was a .iso file which i did not know what kind of file that was at all and i didn't know how to boot a livecd. (SKIP FOREWARD) Okay i download it installed it while talking to my friend while he was helping me go threw the steps. Well i got to the partition part and didn't know what to do. So he said just to shrink the partition. Did that well he said it would only take at an hour at max. It never got over 3% so i press the restart button and was like uhoh my windows wont boot. So i decided to reboot into the livecd and installed. Well it was fun to play around and then i saw some really cool effects. This is when beryl first came out. Not compiz-fusion beryl. Well i had problems with the nvidia drivers and was like hmm i will give it another week. Well a week later reinstalled it to windows. (SKIP FOREWARD) Okay a couple of months went by and 7.04 came out i think. Thats where it was very easy to install drivers and most of the effects where even easyer to install. Installed got it working had fun. Lasted about a week got a little bit bored and installed windows again a repartioned everything. I installed it on an old laptop too which i dont have but. I have been with ubuntu ever since then. There are more details but this is long enough i think.