Kubuntu 5.04 (Hoary) Review

This is a screenshot of my desktop running Kubuntu. Click for larger image.

Why I switched to Linux

I switched from Windows over 2 years ago. I'm glad I made the switch, because Linux is much more stable, and I have learned a lot. Unlike my Windows installation, which after a fresh installation still crashes every few days, my Linux installation can run for months on end. Also, Linux is much more easy to customize. Basically, I can make the desktop look and behave exactly how I want, which is not possible on Windows. The operating system is updated much more often than Windows (Kubuntu is updated every 6 months, and there are updates from programs almost daily). And best, it's free! There are hundreds of reasons to switch to Linux, and you can read articles from hundreds of people, but my advice would be to just try linux. Give it a few weeks. And if you are going to try Linux, try Kubuntu.

I still have Windows. on my system so I could dual boot to use Paint Shop Pro or to play games (havn't gotten counter-strike working in linux yet). I also have a Windows box that I can VNC into to use windows programs. I don't know if I'm brave enough to go completely linux, so if there is something in need Windows for, I just reboot. So if you are starting linux, try dual booting.

Other comments on Linux vs. Windows

There are hundreds of Linux distributions. Some are better than others. Some are more user friendly, some are more stable, some are faster, some are easier to customize, etc...

And this is why Linux is so great. You can choose what you want. There isn't just one product. There are hundreds of OS's with multiple graphical interfaces that you can completely customize. There are thousands of free programs.

So just because you tried Gentoo for a week and found it hard, don't throw Linux out the window. I recently switched over to Kubuntu after over 2 years running Mandrake. It is 100 times better than mandrake. I've only had to compile a few programs from source. It is EASY. It is PERFECT for me. I can do everything I want, how I want to, without any problems.

To sum it up, you get out what you put into Linux. You can tweak it to work exactly how you want--you can't do that to Windows. It's your decision whether this is "user friendly" or not. Last, its different. People grow up on windows, so you have to learn a few things when you switch to Linux. If you put in the time to learn it, you will benefit.

That said, Linux can't run games. Unfortunatly, it hasn't worked out that part of the market yet. Plus other Windows programs, even though Crossover and Wine have almost fixed that.

Linux Distributions

My first distribution was Mandrake 8.1. I used it for almost 2 years, with my last version being 10.2. It was a good distribution, but installing programs was a pain, because urpmi didn't work very well, and any program I wanted to build from source had endless dependency problems.

I finally got fed up and decided to install Kubuntu 5.04 (Hoary) on a spare partition. The best decision ever! Kubuntu (or Ubuntu if you like Gnome), is 100 times better than any operating system I have ever used. Here is what I like about it:

Pro's

What seperates it is that a new release is made every 6 months (compared to Debians 2 years), meaning that your operation system stays up to date and runs the latest programs.

Things that I learned from mistakes. Why Linux. Printer Compare to Mandrake dual boot

Getting Started

Before you start, you are going to have to make a choice: KDE or Gnome. These are your desktop programs. They control the taskbar, windows, the desktop icons, etc. Both are very popular, so choosing which one you want is a matter of taste. There are hundreds of arguments over which is better, and the winner probably switches depending on the current version of each program. Don't worry, you can install the other if you don't like the one you originally installed, but it could be a pain. Look here for some reviews, or read this article. Once you make your decision, follow the links below to download the distribution. You will be downloading the .iso cd image. To burn this onto a CD, open your CD burner, and look for a "burn image" option.

If you want KDE, download Kubuntu

If you want Gnome, download Ubuntu

This tutorial is written for Kubuntu because I like KDE. But almost all of it applies to Ubuntu, except the part about themes.

Installation

Partitions

seperate data partition.

First look at Kubuntu

Before you do anything, go to the Unofficial Ubuntu 5.04 Starters Guide. This is an excellent resource that will get you started. Much of what I have done to my system is explained here. Definetly check it out.

Installing Applications

Favorite Applications

Here are some applications that are not included in Kubuntu default installation that I urge you to check out. DO NOT install with the downloads off of their site. Instead, start "kynaptic" or "synaptic" package manager (KDE Menu | System), or open the console and tpe "apt-get install programname".

• Firefox: The best browser. Ever.
• Thunderbird: The best email client. Ever.
• Filezilla (through Wine): This is my favorite FTP program. I think I've tried them all, and especially on linux, havn't found one better. You have to install this through wine. So make sure you have wine installed, then download the install file. It runs almost perfectly.
• XMMS: The linux version of Winamp
• steamtuner:
• Putty (through Wine):
• Regexxer: This is a graphical extended replace tool. If you want to replace a string of text in a lot of pages, try this out.
• KVim (a version of gvim): A version of vim for KDE. Menus make it easy. (Press i to start typing :) )
• Limewire: A Gnutella client that is made for linux. You can install with their self-installing file.
• Freepops: Use POP for your hotmail or yahoo webmail accounts.
• America's Army: Free game, made for linux, so it runs fine. Make sure if you have an ATI card, to install flgrx drivers. Click here to find out how.
• Gimp: The best graphics editing program for Linux.
• GQView: I nice image preview program.
• K3B: The best way to burn CD's or DVD's
• Gnotime: If you do freelance work, or just want a cool timer, try this program.
• Synaptic Package Manager: Graphical install of Kubuntu programs.
• Superkaramba: Add cool things to your desktop. I use Liquid Weather Plus and Fantastik

Windows Programs

Have a windows program that you like, and you want to run it in linux. Try this link: Windows Programs in Linux

Command Prompt Basics

Press tab to complete the filename

Running Programs (.bin)

Some programs installers are .bin files. To run these, open the command prompt and type:

Favorite Theme / Icons

• System Font: I changed the default system font to Nimbus Sans L, 10pt. To change your font to this, go to KMenu | Control Center | Appearance and Themes | Fonts.
• Style: Libstik. You can download Libstik from here. To change your style to this, go to KMenu | Control Center | Appearance and Themes | Style, then select Libstik from the drop down menu.
• Icons: Nuvola. You can download the Nuvola icon set from here, or search for it at KDE-look.org. After you download, right click on the file | Extract | Extract Here. Now go to KMenu | Control Center | Appearance and Themes | Icons | Install New Theme. Click the browse button to the right of the text box, find the folder 'Nuvola', and click on index.theme.

Tricks

When you are in the command prompt, you can auto-complete the line by pressing tab. For example, type "/h", and then press tab. It should complete the line. If nothing happens, press tab again because there is more than one option, and type a few more characters and press tab again. This is very useful if you don't know what the entire file name is. It also prevents typos.

Get Video Plugins working in Firefox

You'll need to install mplayer and mplayerplug-in, but these don't install correctly from the package manager. Instead, download the installation file from this site, and follow the instructions. I did a network install, and make sure you select all the options you need (all the codecs and the mplayerplug-in, especially).

Misc.

There are a few things that you need to do once you install Kubuntu. These are not required, but definetly suggested.

• Backup xorg.conf: xorg.conf is the file that controls graphics for linux. Sometimes, you might mess up this file (installing new video card drivers for example), and you won't be able to boot into graphical linux. To get around this, you need to be able to fix your xorg.conf from the command line. First, backup this file
  $ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.afterinstallation
  Now, if you ever can't boot into KDE, try this:
  $ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.notworking
  $ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.afterinstallation /etc/X11/xorg.conf
• Backup the entire filesystem: If you mess up your installation, it's nice to have a point that you could restore back to. Type the following:
  $ su
  (enter your password)
  $ tar cvpfz /backup.tgz / --exclude=/proc --exclude=/lost+found --exclude=/backup.tgz --exclude=/mnt --exclude=/media
  If you get an error at the end like this at the end, don't worry, it's normal.
  tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors
  For more information, read this thread.

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