The Bazaar

got
a new dual boot Linux system today! 

Yeah for her!  She now
has the option of booting either winduhs XP or Ubuntu Linux.



"Ubuntu" is an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others".
Ubuntu also means "I am what I am because of who we all are". The
Ubuntu Linux distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software
world.





The Ubuntu people are associated with an umbrella organisation that supports "OpenCD"
which is dedicated to introducing open source software to Micro$oft
users.  It's worth looking into if you are tired of stealing software
as the only way to survive in an NTFS or FAT32 world.  If you have not
been able or willing to steal photoshop and still want all that power
try "The Gimp" which is now available for winduhs.  Linux has a way with names.  :P





Ubuntu is based on the "Debian"
distribution of Linux which is to my mind the best overall.  It's
conservative but that has some benefits.  One of the best things about
a Debian based system is how the software packages are bundled. 





Most operating systems get outdated eventually and you are forced to
reinstall once the support in updates trickles down to nothing.  I ran
windoz for long enough to grow to hate reinstalling.  I got good at it,
but I never the less hated to be forced into a reinstalling.  There was
rarely a good time to reinstall.





Debian packaging
migrates the system via the updates into the next generation, if you so
choose.  It makes reinstalling a much longer cycle, and our Maggie has
bit the bullet and is now the proud owner of her own Linux lap top. 





I must say that the install was a breeze.  I think Maggie had the folks
that sold her the machine, partition half the drive for winduhs and
left the other half free for something else, so I didn't have to dance
with XP at all which is always a gift from the gods.  I knew enough
about partitions on XP to leave those small swap files alone and then
just dumped Ubuntu all into one single partition of nearly 18 gigs.  I
can't remember how big the footprint was when we were done, but it
couldn't have been big.  There was only a single install disc. 





The days of difficult installations appears to be over for the most
part in the Linux world.  Or at least it can be using a live cd like
Ubuntu.  Knoppix is much the same. 





She was so cute once it was done.  She'd played with Linux before at U
of Waterloo where she was part of a young women in IT type workshop
where they did some programming in TCL on Debian boxes.  





She'll no doubt love not having to fuss with anti virus crap and such,
but the learning curve is likely to keep her occupied for a while
anyway.  :D 





Another day with no running, but a little more of the building exterior
is finished.  I've got to buy more steel to finish the north peak, base
flashing and soffit j.  The guy I'm doing this with is driving me to
insanity.  I can't seem to remain grateful.  Me bad.





Now everyone go read  Eric Raymond's "The Cathedral and the Bazaar."

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