Running Linux Fulltime

As some of you know, I've had some problems with my main system and had to use my backup Ubuntu system on a full time basis. I thought it might be interesting to post my thoughts so far.

I can still do almost all of my web development since I use Linux based tools to begin with. However, I miss being able to whip out Photoshop at any moment and put something together or tweak a graphic. This is a definite issue long term.

With that said, I've found that my day to day activities are the same. I already use Open Office and I've found some cool replacement programs like FireFTP, a Firefox FTP extension.

This is the biggest issue though.... I don't have XFire and I can't play Battlefield.... That part sucks big time, but I could see myself using Linux fulltime and Windows as a second boot option just for the few programs I use.

There is one drawback to this. Troubleshooting problems in Linux seems to take a lot more time than Windows and I don't have time to fiddle with things that are not working correctly. I've already ran into that problem once and it's a pain in the butt. With that said, as much as I know about Linux, I am still a newb when it comes to doing things on a Kernel level or working out dependencies for install packages. The question is this.... Do I have the time to mess with learning more and is it worth it or would I rather be a lazy windows user for the rest of my life....

I don't know the answer to that yet, but it has been fun using something other than windows.....

Atomm wrote:

This is the biggest issue though.... I don't have XFire and I can't play Battlefield.... That part sucks big time, but I could see myself using Linux fulltime and Windows as a second boot option just for the few programs I use.

I have a couple of UT users that run Linux exclusively. They still can't use xfire, or follow the crowd out to other windows based games, so that will be a big minus for you.

I'm not sure where you get the unix UT client version, it may be on the DVD, but that would be something until you can do BF2 again.

I take it there is no BF2 port to Linux yet?

Atomm wrote:
As some of you know, I've had some problems with my main system and had to use my backup Ubuntu system on a full time basis. I thought it might be interesting to post my thoughts so far.

I can still do almost all of my web development since I use Linux based tools to begin with. However, I miss being able to whip out Photoshop at any moment and put something together or tweak a graphic. This is a definite issue long term.

With that said, I've found that my day to day activities are the same. I already use Open Office and I've found some cool replacement programs like FireFTP, a Firefox FTP extension.

This is the biggest issue though.... I don't have XFire and I can't play Battlefield.... That part sucks big time, but I could see myself using Linux fulltime and Windows as a second boot option just for the few programs I use.

There is one drawback to this. Troubleshooting problems in Linux seems to take a lot more time than Windows and I don't have time to fiddle with things that are not working correctly. I've already ran into that problem once and it's a pain in the butt. With that said, as much as I know about Linux, I am still a newb when it comes to doing things on a Kernel level or working out dependencies for install packages. The question is this.... Do I have the time to mess with learning more and is it worth it or would I rather be a lazy windows user for the rest of my life....

I don't know the answer to that yet, but it has been fun using something other than windows.....

Honestly man the bottom line is there are things you would like to do and things you HAVE to do. Windows fills the have to do need as well as the want to do. Linux only does the want to do.

Windows, while a pain at times, has come a very long way. As I mentioned previously XP has be SOLID for me. I run it 24/7 for weeks and weeks on end with no problems. Vista, again while it may have some problems for some people, has been reported to be even more stable.

DocJon, Lexx and I came from the Amiga days. We loved that computer to death and it could do so much more than any PC or MAC in the day. It was the Linux of the day so to speak. The thing that it did not do was run PC software or most hardware. So we used to go to the computer fairs and all we could look at was some peripherals and cables. All the really cool stuff was PC based. That part sucked. It was simply not as big a market so you got that same low level of support.

I bought a IPOD because it was 80GB and has tons of 3rd party accessories for it. As a player I do not think it is any better than a Creative one. But I was sick of the lack of items I wanted for my player and the IPOD does fill that need.

Sometimes it is simply better to stick with the majority.


P.S. Get your BF2 re-installed by this Friday for FnF damn it! 😉