Linux revisited

Linux. I've written about it a lot in the past, but I've never actually used it. Not yet, anyway. I've been about to make The Switch for years, and now, I'm even more about to.

Why would I leave behind Windows, you ask? There's something appealing about the community aspect of free/open-source software. I'd also like to not worry about things like licensing keys and this WGA stuff. Plus, it's pretty worrying to think that Windows Vista is being released for individual use soon, even though the general consensus is that it's not much better than XP. It seems like people who buy expensive new hardware for Vista will be wasting their money.

In short, I'm tired of Microsoft's games, and I want an OS that I can control rather than one that controls me. I support the ideals behind free and open-source software. In fact, I've been using more and more open-source programs over the years, particularly Firefox, Thunderbird, and Gaim. They've proven to be worthy improvements upon IE, web-based e-mail, and AOL Instant Messenger, respectively. Today, I added to the stable by downloading OpenOffice.org, an open-source office suite that runs on multiple platforms (most notably, Linux). I haven't really had much of a chance to try it out yet, but the programs in it seem similar enough to Microsoft Office that I'll be able to use them without problems when I need to. (Did I mention that OOo supports Office's file formats?)

When we last left off, I had decided that I wouldn't install Ubuntu Linux on my computer due to hard drive issues (not wanting to partition the hard drive and not having the money to buy another one). Ubuntu still seems to be the best choice for a n00b like me. Since I work now, I could probably buy a hard drive, but something new is on the horizon: in a few months, I'll be out in the world (i.e., college) by myself. I'll need a computer of my own, and I won't have a lot of money. A perfect opportunity to adopt Linux? Probably. Friend and Linux-user Luke points out that system76 sells laptops with Wi-Fi support (perfect for somebody's future college campus which offers free Wi-Fi), and Ubuntu is pre-installed. This is awesome.

The last time I seriously considered switching to Linux, I made a list of my most used programs and what alternatives I was going to need. I might as well update it and keep it here so I don't forget about it. And it would be nice to get people's suggestions on how to make this table complete.

Some of these are probably included with Ubuntu, and I'm sure the rest are conveniently available with some package like Automatix. Even if they're not, I'll know where to find them.

Once I get my own computer, I'm totally switching to Linux for real this time. Consider it a new year's resolution.

Security alert: Even when you think you've wiped your camera's memory card, the data may still be there. Make sure to clean it up right.

Here's Wikipedia's list of capitals in the United States, listing every city that has served as the capital of the U.S. or a territory/state.

Jordon Asks You!!: Do you have any suggestions on migrating to Linux? Post a comment and let me know.