Ubuntu is my default OS

In my last post, I described initial comments after upgrading to Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala. Since I wanted  ext 4 file system for my Ubuntu OS, I did a clean install. After the clean install, I ensured that all my peripheries worked properly. This time, I did not have to struggle to make my graphics card and webcam to work. It was breezy. I used hardware driver item in the menu of System>Administration menu list. It loaded driver automatically after detecting my graphics card. My webcam worked automatically, since gspca driver was loaded by default. Hardware configurations were done by few clicks.

Now, I had to install all my required apps. As usual for any new install in Ubuntu, I installed restricted extras. This ensured that all media files worked in Ubuntu. Later, I installed the following apps either through Ubuntu Software Center (earlier it was "ADd/Remove application") or Synaptic Package Manager.

                 Google Earth                                                             GnuCash

          

                     Blender                                                                 VirtualBox  

          

                  Google Chrome                                                         Ubuntu One

          

                         Skype

Since Google Chrome was not in Ubuntu Repository, I went to Chromium site and downloaded Google Chrome Web Browser (dev channel) and installed it. Just a click on the deb file was enough to take care of installation including dependencies check and updating repository. It was like clicking exe file in Windows. I see Ubuntu and Linux in general becoming more and more user friendly. Since Google has released beta version of Google Chrome, one can install Google Chrome through Synaptic Package Manager.

Later, I added my web developing tool package LAMP (Linux, Apache server, MySql, PHP). Earlier, I had to type commands for installation of Apache web server, MySql data server and php language pack. Now, it is made simple by entering a single command. If you need more details about this, please click here.

Now, my Ubuntu system is back to its productive self. As I said in my previous post, Ubuntu is now faster in start up, loading apps and closing. My time spend in Ubuntu has increased to more than 70% of my total PC time. I enjoy Ubuntu more than Windows due to its speed.

Comfortable with Ubuntu like Windows XP

I had mentioned in my post in May titled "upgraded-to-jaunty-jackalope" that my webcam did not work. I was using third party driver ov51x.jpeg for my webcam. After up-gradation, this driver did not work properly. The dedicated site of this driver recommended using gspca driver. I did install this through Synaptic Package Manager. It solved my problem. My Ubuntu is carrying out 100% production jobs for me. In fact, Gnucash in Ubuntu works better for me than in Windows XP. I am using Windows XP and Ubuntu alternatively for my productive works. There are still a few applications like Shockwave player that do not work in Ubuntu. There is a work around for this by using Wine. I am not really bothered about this now. Google Chrome Browser, though a developer version, is working fine. My default browser is Google Chrome.

I mentioned in my last blog that I am trying Fedora 11 as a virtual machine in Ubuntu. GuestAdditions was not easy. I had to dig a lot of sites and tried many suggestions and finally installed GuestAdditions. I was able to get full screen views. I was able to add usb devices too. Share folder worked. However, the sound was scratchy. I tried many a trick to solve. I was unsuccessful. The OS worked work very slowly. Though virtual machines are slow in general, it was dead slow. Updates in Fedora 11 VM were dead slow that gave me a lot of irritation. I tried reinstalling many times, the results were same. I quit using Fedora 11 as a virtual machine. I will try Fedora again only when I get a spare machine for full installation.

All variants of Ubuntu work well as virtual machines in VirtualBox. It is due to good integration of gnome with VirtualBox. I tried other distros also like OpenSuSe. They did not work like Ubuntu in VirtualBox. Now, I am testing beta version of Ubuntu 9.10. This is slated to be released end of this month. Initial impressions are good. Starting is faster though it is working as a virtual machine. I feel this version will make me lean more towards Ubuntu than XP. I find Ubuntu is less and less buggy. I find it is more stable. System recovery, if at all needed, is simple. Its repositories have more free softwares that meet all needs of either personal or business use. As more and more applications are converting to web-based ones and cloud computing is on the rise, OS may be losing its importance. Will Chrome OS is the future? Will it replace Ubuntu? Time only will answer.