Linux for the desktop – it's here now

People have always been interested in alternatives to using the normal Microsoft operating systems. Apple's filled that niche very well with OSX and the surges we have seen in the Mac product line over the last few years.

There is one operating system however that seems to have been reserved only for geeks over the years, but always hinted it might have promise for end users. The concept for “Linux for the desktop” has come up many times, but every time I tried to find a way to use Linux that really applied to “everyone”, it kept coming up short.

Small businesses with people who do not have a background in IT, and who need to control the costs of their computer systems have gravitated towards Microsoft consistently, because even though Linux is “free to use”, the IT resources it has taken to deliver and support it have not been widely available for the SMB sector, except for certain very fortunate companies.

So, that has left a vacuum in the space of Linux for the desktop. I have tried various Linux desktop distributions over the last decade, and every time I loaded one up, I never really felt like it was simple enough to deliver to an end user, and had enough functionality, stability, and was supportable enough at a low cost to justify giving to anyone but a computer technician and some very specific niche users. The exception has been with thin-client terminals running stripped down specialized versions of Linux which connect direct to a Terminal Server to run Microsoft applications.

A company called Canonical released a Linux distribution some time ago called “Ubuntu” which I started following some years ago. I have tried Ubuntu release after release, and still always felt like “this is not quite there yet”. Recently I had a slightly different experience however...

Some time ago, Ubuntu released a version of their Linux operating system called “10.04 Lucid Lynx LTS” - the LTS stands for “Long Term Support” and that is something that stuck out to me.

So I loaded up the Ubuntu Desktop 10.04 to try it out, expecting to be in for a long night of fixing, hacking, and generally beating my head against the wall trying to get everything to work right.

I was shocked to find this version was absolutely nothing like what I expected. Not only did it load up very easily without any issues, but, I found myself able to do almost every task I needed to use my Windows PC for! What even amazed me more, was how easy I was able to quickly get everything up and running, with a great deal of stability. After that, I discovered how Ubuntu Desktop could make me even more productive than I was on Windows for some tasks. This opened a whole new world up.

Probably the #1 biggest reason why this version of Linux works so well for regular end users is because of the “Software Center”. This is available from the “start menu” and with 1 click, you can search for, find, and automatically installed hundreds if not thousands of applications that work perfectly with Ubuntu. These “apps” are typically free too.

Here is a list of applications I use on Ubuntu Desktop frequently:

• Open Office – can open DOCx, XLSx, PPTx, print to PDF, and I wrote this blog using it.
• Skype – I even tested it successfully with a variety of webcams and microphones I had. Works great.
• Empathy Chat Client – this program lets me mash up multiple additional chat networks, such as MSN, Yahoo, Facebook Friends, GTALK, AIM, and many more into 1 unified chatting experience
• Gwibber – Allows me to mash up “broadcast networks” such as Facebook and Twitter into a unified feed, and also lets me broadcast to multiple social networks simultaneously.
• Firefox – web browser. Most other freely available browsers are available too, and browsing the web from Ubuntu is a real pleasure
• Evolution E-mail - I tested it with my Exchange 2003 server and it synced up everything including my calendar and contacts.
• Filezilla – FTP client
• Remote Desktop – connections to Microsoft Terminal Servers and RDP sessions
• Logmein – I am able to remotely control PC's & Mac's using Logmein
• Printing – Connected with no problems to my wireless HP Color Laserjet over a network connection, and printed to it.
• Network Files – I had no problem connecting to, mapping, authenticating with, browsing and updating files over SMB network shares running on Windows Server 2003, or Server 2008
• CD Burning – I was able to easily burn CD's and DVD's
• Drop Box – Ubuntu runs it great
• Pandora – Firefox plays it fine, but I have Pandora One, the paid version. I was able to easily install Adobe Air by visiting Adobe's website, and then I was able to easily install Pandora One from Pandora's website. It runs great and I use it all the time.
• Google Earth – works excellent
• Pitivi – I had to read the user's manual to figure it out, but since it came with Ubuntu I figured I would try it out. I was able to cut video files up and edit them, which is really nice for it being completely free software.

There are a wide range of other software and tools I have installed but these represent some of the interesting things I always want on every install I have.

So, what kind of platform did I originally install it on? Well, for my first install, I went for a sophisticated gaming rig, just to try to throw it off. A Dell XPS tower built about 4 years ago, with an Intel Dual Core Duo CPU, 4 GB of RAM, dual Nvidia GT 8900's in SLI PCIx and an onboard SATA raid controller.

The install went great. Everything worked right out of the box except I had to activate my Nvida drivers which then let me get dual screens working real quick.

I pushed this hardware platform as hard as I could, loading as many programs at the same time, running dozens of open browser connections, large Word and Excel files, playing videos, listing to music, all at the same time and I could not really get this machine to even stutter for a second.

I decided I wanted to see “how far can I push this Ubuntu?”

I have a variety of other hardware laying around, so I put together a couple test chassis. One had 512 MB of RAM and a socket 478 Celeron chip (older kind) while the other had 1 GB of RAM and a socket 478 P-4. Both booted off USB and both used AGP GeForce MX 440 cards.

While I found the Celeron was underpowered, and always had the CPU pegged, I found the P-4 machine to be quite functional. Actually, I set up an entire axillary workstation for myself on a mere P-4 with 1 GB of RAM and can use it to do most of the tasks I need to do, when I am not in front of my larger rig.

So now, I am able to run all these applications listed above, and many more, on a dual-screened system with only a single core CPU and 1 GB of RAM, and all of this is running on an older platform! I am able to achieve a high level of functionality, and I'm not limited by much of anything really.

Of course different people use computers in different ways, but today, the trend is moving towards more web-enabled applications that can run across many platforms. This means that more and more people can tap into Ubuntu Linux to extend, increase and enhance their computer use.

Right now, businesses and individuals can tap into this same power too, quite easily and cost effectively.

Picture this: For around $100, it is pretty easy to build a single core P4 with 1 GB of ram, no hard disk, and a decent but older graphics card that supports dual screens. In my case, I'm using older recycled or decommissioned CRT's or small older LCD's that can be obtained really cheap, but snap any two monitors to this system and you've got yourself an entire, Linux system that you can do whatever from. Craigslist, pawn shops, flea markets and ebay local, all are great places to find this kind of hardware, including the monitors, which can be had for $20-$30 each for small CRT's picked up locally.

In my case, I'm booting an old Dell Optiplex GX 260 from an 8 GB USB stick, and running it all, without any speed issues. Since this computer has no moving parts except the power supply, and is only a single core, I'm able to run this computer in very harsh environments as well.

So, if you need to extend your computer system, or add an extra computer for yourself, consider looking at Ubuntu as an option. Right now, there are hundreds of PC's being recycled, that can easily be brought up to these specifications for a very small amount of money. These computers would otherwise end up in the trash (hopefully at a computer recycler) but they are typically donated because they are "useless". By re-deploying this useless hardware as useful, low-cost, high productivity workstations, individuals and businesses can do more, for less. Right now, that's a very good thing, worth looking into.