Hella

Now that classes are over and all the Excel projects have been submitted, I have decided to say goodbye to XP. I currently own an HP Pavilion dv1000 series laptop. I’d always wondered how Linux would run on a laptop so I figured I would give it a shot.

I’ve been more familiar with Debian and Gentoo so that’s where I started first. I downloaded the most recent .iso files and burned images to CDs. However, I didn’t get very far with either installation. Debian was hanging on boot while the Gentoo LiveCD was having trouble getting past the partition scheme that Debian had installed. I finally fixed that problem only to run into further difficulties. It was then that I went searching for another distribution.

I came across Ubuntu, dubbed as “Linux for Humans”. I found a review that said it was good for newcomers to Linux and also a good choice for laptops. So I figured I’d give it a shot.

Wow! I never expected so many things to work right from the start. Everything needed to be operational worked from the first boot including my soundcard, monitor, printer, USB, touchpad, and trackball. Though I used a wired LAN connection to complete the install, Ubuntu was quickly able to make use of my wireless networking capability. Even my Olympus C-3000 digital camera was recognized through a pre-loaded driver. While I haven’t gotten my digital media center to work (reads SD memory cards and such), I’m pretty content for now.

The package management is also great. Based on Debian Package Management, Ubuntu provides a simplified user-interface (advance capabilities also available).

I highly recommend Ubuntu for anyone looking to try Linux. There’s even a very handy starter guide to make the transition easier.

Edit: 4 May 11:59pm – Updated link to starter guide

[tags]ubuntu linux[/tags]

Filed under: Technology