I first want to highlight a couple of things BEFORE we get into the meat of this post…

This is a MARKETING blog. This post is going to be quite a bit about marketing.

There WILL be some techie stuff discussed as well, but, very high level. Hopefully not too techie to bore marketing folk to death.

I AM a UBER techie, who has been working with Linux since a couple of days after Linus released his very 1st kernel on the Internet in 1991.

I have been using Linux ever since for MANY different things. I DO use Windows for much of my marketing activities, as the software I use is not yet available on Linux.

Thank goodness for VMWare which allows me to run Windows on top of Linux.

Unlike Microsoft Windows, which has a couple of live “versions” out there, Linux has HUNDREDS of distributions, better known as distros in the Linux community.

Many of them are targeted at specific audiences and market segments.

Generally Linux is free, as the main part of the operating system, the kernel, is released under the GPL.

Some companies DO charge a fee, but, this is either for distribution costs, or, for support.

Support is where most companies make money in the Linux arena.

Linux is been very big in the web server space for MANY years, and if you are on a shared hosting platform, chances are very good that you are running on some version of Linux.

Linux has also been making many inroads into the corporate server space, taking on tasks such as running large Oracle databases, huge computing clusters used for video rendering, etc.

Where Linux has not been doing so well, has been the desktop.

Now, time for a quick bit of nostalgia…

When I started working with Linux, there was no distributions like we know today. We got the kernel, and then had to build our own system from there, modifying and building free software to work on our system. There was VERY little in the line of drivers for most hardware.

Recompiling the kernel to add new functionality, on my 386DX40, with 2MB of ram, took anywhere from 5 to 24 hours. The JOY, especially after the LONG compile, you find out you left out an option, and had to compile AGAIN!

Today, the vast majority of options, and drivers in the kernel are kept in dynamically loaded modules, which can be added to the kernel with no re-compile, and in most cases no need to re-boot.

Linux installations are MOSTLY 100% graphical, and VERY easy to do.

Linux has come a LONG way.

Now, finally, on to the main reason for writing this article…

I got a new Samsung NC10 netbook. The main reason I got it, was for blogging on the go, as well as some Internet work.

It comes pre-loaded with Windows XP Home, and all the required drivers are installed and running.

I played around with it for a while in its default configuration, before deciding that XP Home is just not going to cut it for me.

So, before just installing the 1st Linux distro I have lying around, I decided to go and do some research on the latest distros out there, and at the same time, have a look at how far we have come with Linux on the desktop.

I also had to see if there is any distro which is already near perfect on the Samsung NC10.

I quickly found out that MANY people are quite happily running Ubuntu Linux on the NC10. The main Ubuntu website at http://www.ubuntu.com/ even has a complete guide on how to run Ubuntu on the NC10.

The NC10 does not come with a CD-ROM drive, but you can get an external USB one. I did not opt for this, so, had to find an easy way to install Ubuntu from either a USB flash drive, or a USB external hard drive.

Again, no problem. There is a tool on the Ubuntu web site which will create a bootable USB flash drive for you, and even a Windows based tool to do this.

I tried this, and it worked really well, and quick. ALSO easy!

So, I booted off the USB flash drive, and a full graphical version of Ubuntu boots up. I select the install option, and go through the partitioning wizard, which really makes this part very easy. It even has the option to re-size your Windows partition. I opted for this, as I wanted to test a couple of other things. Going this route will allow you to still run Windows if you chose.

Rest of the installation is very quick and easy, and before I knew it, I was ready to reboot, and test things out.

So, reboot, select the Ubuntu to boot from the menu, and away we go. Everything boots up nicely, and logs in. I am plugged into my wired network, and it picks this up no problem, and notifies me there are updates available for Ubuntu.

I let the system automatically download and install all updates. All really simple and straightforward. System reboots and comes up with no problems.

Before figuring out what works, and what not, I decide to have a look around, and see what’s included by default for Joe average user.

Ubuntu comes pre-loaded with FireFox (Web browser), OpenOffice (Full office suite, compatible with MS Office as well as PDF export!), Evolution (Email, Calendar and ToDo), and a whole host of extra software.

Adding new software is as easy as loading the graphical installation utility. From there you can search for software by name or keyword. It searches the Ubuntu software repository, which is VERY comprehensive, and let’s you install from there.

So far, I am very impressed, and can see a new user to Linux quickly getting used to the system.

Right, now it’s time to see what works on the NC10 as far as hardware is concerned.

I already know the wired LAN works, as well as the sound card, as it played music logging in. So far, so good.

Well, not quite…. WiFi does not work, nor does the sound play properly when you plug in the headphones. Function keys, used to turn WiFi on and off, and many other functions, does not work.

Right, off to the Ubuntu web site, and the NC10 specific Wiki page provided.

There are fixes for MOST issues, except the function keys part.

BUT, this is where Linux on the desktop for new users still fall very short!

I had to run a couple of command line options, and a couple of other quite techie stuff to get WiFi and other stuff to work.

Windows users don’t do this stuff! Windows users has got a plethora of ways to find and install device drivers IF it’s not already installed.

I know this is not really an issue with the Linux community, but rather the hardware manufacturers who cater for Windows only.

In conclusion then…. If NEW users buy a system pre-installed with Linux, and ALL drivers and hardware pre-setup, I think Linux really IS ready for the mainstream desktop. If new users want to install Linux on their existing desktop though, I think this could be the weak point, and this is where many new users will rather abandon their foray into the wonderful world of Linux.

Please do not see this as shot across the bow of Linux, but, rather a direct aim at hardware manufacturers who just plainly don’t get the fact that MS will NOT be around forever!

Tags: Free Software, GPL, IE, linus, Linux, Marketing, Microsoft, Ubuntu, vmware, windows xp

This entry was posted on Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at 11:47 and is filed under Free, Software. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.