Installing Ubuntu
Posted by Chris @ 8:42 pm
The past week or so has seen me take an interest in Linux, decide which version (distribution) of this free, open source, operating system I wanted to install (Ubuntu 6.06), which technologies (My-SQL, Apache, Perl, Python, Ruby, etc) I wanted to run, and actually go about it by using Dawn's machine (with her permission of course!)
A week or so later, I finally have it installed and the wireless working. Linux is normally as the preserve of geeks, and after the last 5 days I can see why. It takes a lot of cocking about with downloads, burning CDs, running commands, reading countless forums, wikis, documentation etc. I tell you, without a working Windows machine with internet access I would have been stumped. Anyway, suffice to say I've got it installed (that was actually the easy bit once I had an iso that wasn't corrupt), and have finally got the wireless network card working (which wasn't so easy, but this forum thread proved very useful).
So now its all working, what do I think? Well, I have to say I'm very impressed. Its a pretty slick, easy to use operating system, it comes with a load of useful software ready to install or installed, and best of all its all free! It makes the ideal machine for Dawn to browse the web on and do some word processing, etc. And it does some things Windows can't - like the network, Ubuntu can quite happily see my Windows machine, shared drives, and access the files, but Windows XP hasn't got a clue there is another server on the network, crappo!
The plan is, as well as Dawn using it, to get it all set up as a development web/database server so I can get my head around these programming languages I haven't used (despite Anthony saying they're a dying breed because of .net, not likely I say, .net ain't free to set up, get can't get a decent development environment for it for free, and its not easy to learn, but that's by the by!) I'll let you know how I get on with getting the server side set up at a later date.
So in summary, OKish to install and configure, but a pain if you're using a wireless card, but for a free operating system, with a load of free decent software, you can't complain. I'm quite fond of Ubuntu already!
4 Comments
Thursday, November 30, 2006 9:01:00 am
Erm I still think Im right, how many PHP job ad's do you see these days compared to .Net and even ASP!?! Even where I work (a traditional PHP house) has been completely turned into a .Net provider in a year.Also to reinforce my point, bar the operating system you can easily develop .Net apps for free, have you not heard of C# Express and also SQL 2005 Express more than capable to developing fairly complex applications and theres plenty of support for beginners. Compare developing in C# against PHP and your laughing, PHP is nasty dated and general SUCKS!! However giving credit where credit's due MySQL is pretty awesome now revision 5.0 supports Stored Procedures and more, I run it on my server to manage my mail custom mail server code, as MSDE wasn't up to the job a few years ago (would have chosen SQL 2005 Express now).
Anyway thats my 2 pence, notice you didn't give me any credit for pointing you in the direction of UBUNTO!!!! (so much for your birthday present) ;)
This comment posted by
Thursday, November 30, 2006 2:04:00 pm
Anthony, I've been trying to recruit an ASP developer for months and many of the applicants have had zero ASP/ASP.NET/MSSQL knowledge but seem to know PHP/MySQL inside out (or so they claim) so I don't think it's a dying language by any means. Of course, it's possible that all the ASP developers have already got jobs and the PHP developers can't find any suitable positions, which would completely support your argument. But I doubt that's the case.Even though there are .NET development environments available for free, PHP hosting is often so much cheaper to run (and sometimes free) so that's going to be more attractive to younger "hobby" developers and to smaller companies who can't afford to spend all their profits on MS server licenses.
(P.S. Chris - Please can you try harder to use apostrophes correctly. The odd typo or spelling/grammar mistake is fine, but your neglect of the apostophe in the word "its" is getting beyond a joke. It's really not that difficult and yet you keep getting it wrong. In fact, probably 90% of these examples are lacking an apostrophe!) :-P
This comment posted by
Thursday, November 30, 2006 3:46:00 pm
Ant - granted, I could have given you credit for pointing me in the direction of Ubuntu. However Tony pointed me in the direction of OpenSUSE, but I didn't mention him or OpenSUSE at all, so be thankful I mentioned you at all to do with the .net business ;o)And on the .net stuff, you shot your argument in the foot with "bar the operating system" comment!
Tony - Give it up with the apostrophe stuff. I type these posts in the evening and I can't be bothered to check every single "its" I type, much like you couldn't be bothered to check the spelling of apostrophe before you submitted your comment. :oP
This comment posted by
Thursday, November 30, 2006 5:35:00 pm
(The difference is that I know how to spell "apostrophe" - I just happened to make a typo, which I'd already pointed out is fine - whereas you clearly don't know when to use an apostrophe...)This comment posted by
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