Busting 5 Myths About (Ubuntu) Linux
Every time I see a discussion on the forums about Linux vs. Windows vs. Mac, I’m struck by the persistence of certain myths about Linux. Reading the conversations, it seems obvious that a lot of people who have never tried Linux have seriously inaccurate conceptions of it.
I recently switched my main computer to Ubuntu Linux. With that as an example Distro, let’s take a look at some popular myths about Linux and see just how true they are.
#5. You Get What You Pay For
This is seriously off. Linux - and free open source software available for Linux - is high quality. If you upgrade to a brand new version of a distro, you’ll probably encounter some bugs. Of course, if you upgrade to a new version of Windows right away you will encounter some bugs.
The Linux community is full of individuals and teams dedicated to the success of free software. They quickly find and fix bugs, regularly update programs, and offer help in community sites. Moreover, most applications and distros are designed by users, for users, so you can be sure you’ll get something useful and usable.
In terms of pure value, you certainly get far more than what you pay for with Linux. The same can’t be said for Windows and applications developed for it.
#4. But There Are No Games!
True, there are few games developed for Linux (with the exception of Quake). That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy games on a Linux machine, though.
You can grab Wine - a program that allows you to run Windows applications - and boot up most computer games. I don’t know if I’d trust it to push the envelope of graphics and gaming performance, so this might not be appropriate for the hardcore gamers out there.
But I hear tell it runs World of Warcraft perfectly. Is there another game out there?
#3. But It’s Not User Friendly
Although this could depend on the distro, this is entirely untrue for Ubuntu. Ubuntu is designed to be an extremely user-friendly and accessible version of Linux.
Want to install a new application? No problem. Go to Add/Remove Programs and search the database of downloadable applications. In a handful of clicks, you can search for a suitable application, select it for installation, and find out if you need to install any extra libraries.
You can also browse through the System->Administration and Preferences menus to change a whole bunch of settings on your machine. Windows users familiar with the Control Panel will feel more or less right at home.
#2. What About Available Software?
It’s often suggested that there is little in the way of software available for Linux machines. Just look on the shelf at your computer store - 90% Windows, 10% Mac, 0% Linux. This argument is sheer ignorance.
The reason you won’t find many (or any) Linux applications in stores is because you can obtain them for free over the internet. With Ubuntu, you can install things seamlessly through the Add/Remove Programs dialog. On other distros, you can surf the web and find whatever application you want.
Need to listen to MP3s? Grab Amarok. Want something like Photoshop for image editing? Try GIMP. How about a drawing program like Illustrator? There’s Inkscape. Would you like a full-featured programming IDE like Dreamweaver? Quanta Plus is waiting for you. Or maybe you just want an office suite - so try Open Office.
For practically every major program you use on Windows, there’s a Linux alternative of equivalent or superior quality. You don’t even have to shell out hundreds of dollars for a license - and then pay later to upgrade.
#1. Fine. But I Don’t Know Geek-Speak!
Perhaps the worst misconception of Linux is that you have to be an uber-hacker fluent in terminal commands in order to browse the internet. Ubuntu has a graphical user interface, just like Windows.
Sure, in 1992 Linux revolved around a command line. But so did the other 90% of computers that didn’t use Mac OS. Today, Linux distros have mature GUIs just like Windows and Mac. For the average user, there is rarely ever a problem forcing you to open the terminal and enter a text command.
This of course ignores the fact that Linux commands aren’t hard to learn, and they can make some computing tasks more efficient. They are, however, a luxury at this point. Nothing is forcing you to use it if you’re more comfortable with a mouse.
Get It. Try It.
Bottom line, Linux is a great alternative to Windows.
There’s a great community of developers waiting to improve on it and help you out. You can run most of your Windows based games in Wine, and you can find free Linux alternatives to almost every major expensive Windows application. You don’t even need to learn geek-speak - you can keep on using your mouse.
Tags: linux, open source, software, ubuntu
Patrick said this on March 4th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Good, and short, essay!
As to games, I count 180 games, and suites of games such as Gcompris, and Childsplay, that are all free in the Apt upgrades in Edubuntu, SimplyMepis, and Vixta, some of my favorite distros!
Essay number two might cover the huge support networks for each of the 300 http://LiveCDlist.com distros and the 100 top Linux distros at http://distrowatch.com
Essay number three should cover the strength inherent in a virus free, almost entirely crash proof, Linux. I have a target goal of converting one frustrated Microsoft user per week, and have exceeded that by three, since 1997!
I now know that there IS intelligent life on Earth!
Website Design said this on March 4th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Great post. I’ve loved linux for ever and a day and it’s really disconcerting to come across people who throw up these excuses or reservations for not trying it. Linux, Ubuntu most recently, is a great alternative to Windows. I do Website Design and it suits me very well.
And as far as games… There are quite a few that are pretty fun. A lot of the FPS are really nice. I especially like the Aliens one and the one where you’re a Spider. (Sorry, names escape me at the moment).
Great post!
hendoc said this on March 4th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Windows-free for almost 3 years. By the way; not one single virus or one piece of spyware or adware for that exact same time period.
Uncle B said this on March 4th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I am an old (60years) techno-moron who decided that there had to be something better than the screwing I was taking using that other brand (Microsoft). I switched to a free Ubuntu download three years ago and have since erased that other brand from my origonal “dual-boot” to make more room for Ubuntu stuff. At first Ubuntu was slightly strange to me but after a few days everything began to fall into place, and after a few web searches I was doing as good as or better than I had ever done on that other brand. No more blue screens of death, foolish notifications, service calls to speed up the system, large software bills etc., You couldn’t force me back to that other brand if you paid me to use it, I enjoy computing now, and especially like Firefox and Openoffice.
Reboot said this on March 4th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
5. You Get What You Pay For…
Alot of this has been replaced with Microsoft’s continued and laughable BS FUD attacks on Linux focusing on total cost of ownership. Since you can’t beat the price, MS now says it’s more expensive to use Linux. Doing so has helped make Linux a player in business. Thanks, Microsoft…
4. But There Are No Games!
I’m not a gamer but I do enjoy classic games like card games, strategy, etc… Linux has a ton of them. My brother-in-law also happens to enjoy classic games and was happy to learn that Linux has got enough games to keep him busy for the rest of his life. So it really depends on the type of games and entertainment you’re looking for. I’ve also noticed that they also have a large collection of action-oriented 3D games but hve really delved too deeply here since I don’t play them even on my Windows machine.
1. Fine. But I Don’t Know Geek-Speak!
Alot of this comes from forums - ironically, from Linux users themselves. When a user asks “how do I install XYZ package?”, they are immediatedly sent to the command line. I could very easily send an MS user to the command line also for many tasks but it doesn’t make sense to do so and it shouldn’t be option 1 when newbies ask for help.
Newbie users are often asked to understand things like ISOs, filesystems, monitor protocols, deamons, and even the intricacies of how a program is installed before they begin. This is unnecessary. I could likewise explain to a Windows end-user such things like DLLs, directories and even get into the details of the registry. Why would I do that with a Windows user? Why is it necessary to do the same with a Linux user?
Why should I get into details about NTFS or Services or why their browser uses a caching system located 5 levels deep starting at driveC (root)? This is why your point 1 becomes such an issue with so many new users - there is such a thing as being too helpful.
I have tried explaining some basic and underlying Windows OS funstions to users and it doesn’t take them long before they get a stroke… they all prefer a simple double-click or wizard but will trade it all in if I just fix the problem for them - without an explanation.
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