I have been using Linux for over 10 years at home in the office and as a Teacher of Information Technology at TAFE Western Bathurst Campus.
I initially started with Red Hat 5 and have used every version of Red Hat up to and including Red Hat 9. I have also used Caldera Open Linux, Mandrake, Knoppix, Gnoppix, Morphix, Xandros, LinuxDefender Live!, Damn Small Linux, SuSE, openSUSE, Debian, Ubuntu and Slackware. These different versions of Linux are called distributions or “distros”. I’ve probably left a few off the list as trying different distros out can be fun and there are over 300 different distros targeting different users. Many of these distros have different versions targetting different hardware for servers, netbooks and personal computers.
Linux is an alternate Operating System that totally replaces Windows. One of the major differences is that you don’t have to search the Internet for different programs, they are all included by the distros “package manager” which installs and removes software. There are over 20,000 packages included in Debian so it is unusual to not find software in the software repository, also called a “repo”, but in those rare cases you can also download and install software from other sources. There are a couple of different ways this works depending on how the software is made available on the web site. Linux is inherently secure because it was designed for use in a multi-user, networked environment with restricted user privileges. Only some users can install and remove software or change configuration settings and you don’t need to run applications with “Administrator” (root) privileges.
I have settled on Ubuntu as my distribution of choice. The Long Term Support releases make ideal servers and stable desktops, with the 6 month release cycle being frequent enough to stay on the cutting edge (most of the time). The current version, 10.04 (the first number represents the year – 2010 – and the second number the month – 04 or April), has brilliant support for wireless networking, Bluetooth, multiple displays and additions to the network manager that make connecting to mobile networks with USB devices very easy. The addition of encrypted “Private Folders”, although not installed by default, increases security for the mobile office workers. You also have Ubuntu One which gives you 2 GB of cloud based storage for free. This works just like a local folder, but a bit slower depending on you Internet connection speed. The 10.04 release (codenamed Lucid Lynx) is also a Long Term Support release. This means that the desktop versions will be supported by Canonical for 3 years and the server versions for 5 years. This makes Ubuntu 10.04 ideal for businesses and people concerned with stability. However, nothing stops you upgrading to Ubuntu 10.10, in six months when it is released, if you want to stay on the cutting edge of hardware and applications.
There really isn’t anything that can’t Linux can’t do in the office any more. Web browsing, multimedia, email, web phone calls, image editing and hardware detection is brilliant. I can provide basic training in the comfort of your house or office.
I am a member of the Ubuntu Marketplace and I can install Ubuntu on your PC, laptop or netbook either as a standalone installation or in a dual boot configuration with Windows. I can also supply Ubuntu CDs or DVDs or of any other distro, just drop me an email at linuxhelpATbathurstcomputersDOTcomDOTau and we can work out exactly what is right for your situation.
Stuck on dial-up or ADSL with small download limits? I can download and burn to CD or DVD any Linux distribution listed on DistroWatch.com with printed artwork on the CD/DVD at cost plus postage.
Just email me at linuxhelpATbathurstcomputersDOTcomDOTau and I will provide a custom quote for your requirements.
