Ubuntu 9.10 Replaces Windows XP
Dec. 25, 2009 · 11 Comments
Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala
Tonight I installed Ubuntu 9.10. The process was wicked simple. I burned the image to a disk and rebooted my machine. I verified the language and location and told it to use the entire hard disk and in a few minutes it was installed.
Configuring the wireless card was a breeze. It automatically recognized Kirsten’s Windows XP box so I could access her files. I got all the updates downloaded and installed. I’m currently listening to mp3s in Rythmbox and editing a screenshot in GIMP. Bliss.
Tomorrow I’ll set up the LAMP web server stack and configure dual-monitor support.
My new Ubuntu 9.10 computer
Ubuntu 9.10 System Monitor
I have a USB card reader on my computer. Windows XP listed each slot with it’s own drive letter, but labeled them each “Removable Storage” without differentiation. Ubuntu 9.10 names each based on what type of card goes in the slot. This is one tiny example of why Windows SUCKS relative to its competition. True, you can get a plugin or app or some other work around in Windows, but it isn’t much fun.
Ubuntu 9.10 File Browser
Last.fm is integrated into Rhythmbox. FTW!
Rhythmbox
I downloaded and installed the Bluefish Editor with one line in Terminal. Try that on Windows.
sudo apt-get install bluefish
Bluefish 1.0.7
Setup my HP Laser Jet printer with a single line in Terminal. It downloaded the drivers and did the configuration automatically. FTW!
sudo hp-setup
The Ubuntu Documentation is wonderful. I just used it to install a LAMP web server, including phpMyAdmin.
Installing FileZilla–my FTP client of choice–was also a breeze that required a single Terminal command.
sudo apt-get install filezilla
FileZilla
TweetDeck couldn’t have been more simple to install. I clicked, “Download now, it’s free” at the website. Adobe Air and TweetDeck were installed automatically. All I had to do was input my login credentials.
TweetDeck
I could have just tweeted in the Terminal, but it’s not as slick.
curl -u brentdanley:mypassword -d status="Installed Scribus on my Ubuntu machine so I can put together our Festibond letters. It looks very capable, and it's free." http://twitter.com/statuses/update.xml
Tweeting from Terminal
I finally got around to setting up dual-monitor support on the Ubuntu machine. It wasn’t bad, at all. It’s nice to have the expanded real estate.
Dual monitors on Ubuntu 9.10
Sombrero Galaxy background 2,560x1,024
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
Okay, now I’m just showing off…
Orion Nebula
Earth
adobe air · lamp · linux · tweetdeck · twitter · ubuntu · windows
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DJ · 20091226 at 19:07
I’ve been dual booting Ubuntu 9.1 on my laptop for about a month and have been pretty happy with it so far. Boots up much faster than Windows. Haven’t looked into much other than for web-browsing, so thanks for the info on other apps.
Admin comment by Brent Danley · 20091226 at 20:10
DJ – Super. Although it’s just my perception, Ubuntu seems to be faster than Windows XP by a factor of two or three on the same hardware.
I have a few things to setup (dual-monitors, LAMP). So far, I love it. There is a lot to learn, though. I’d like to know the commands rather than just copying them from an Ubuntu forum verbatim.
freezway · 20091230 at 18:56
sweet another convertie. i arrived at your site via a htolink to your foxtrot c programming comic. Nice taste in comics, xkcd and foxtrot.
Hunky · 20100129 at 22:26
I’ve been using linux for maybe 10 years – settled on Gentoo for reasons that suit me, but still am the computer guy at a Windows shop at work. I have occasion where I have to reinstall WinXP on Dell’s or whatever. Yech – I so hate it. We can’t go disk images yet because of software licensing. So each time I have to do it by scratch – install the os – sit there going through multiple prompts – then install all the drivers – then install all the productivity software – can’t walk away because it stalls on a prompt. At least I can do it at my desk so I can do some other work. Linux installs are such a breath of fresh air..
Author comment by Kirsten Uhler · 20100130 at 00:43
I want Ubuntu!
Sergio Centeno · 20100303 at 15:29
Hi all. I’e been using Ubunto for about 3 years and it’s great. Now I installed Kubuntu at work and is really amazing all the things can be done, but I’m having problems for setting Dual Monitor. Can anyone help???
Thanks
Admin comment by Brent Danley · 20100303 at 15:38
Hi Sergio. I had a bit of trouble setting up my dual-monitor configuration. I’d love to help, but Google would probably be better than me. Good luck.
cascokid · 20100419 at 23:28
KDE4 doesn’t support dual monitors. I had to back down to 3.5 to get it to work. I believe (but haven’t tried to prove) that gnome support for dual monitors on a 9.10 install should be possible.
Admin comment by Brent Danley · 20100419 at 23:31
As you can see in the post screenshots, dual monitors do work in 9.10.
Thank you for the comment.
morphymcmorphinstein · 20100424 at 05:37
I was hooked on ubuntu after trying it out on my comp. loved the way it looked but after installing a dual boot of windows xp/ubuntu 9.10 i would have to say windows xp is faster for me by quite a large margin. there is something about ubuntu that just wants to eat up all my processor power even though nothing is running in my processes. Not only that every time the update manager updates, it causes some kernel error to where i can no longer boot in ubuntu. Ubuntu has seriously been one head ache after the other. dont get me wrong i do like how ubuntu looks and feels and even like it better than xp but performance wise it just didnt compare. programs freeze up constantly, sifting through large file folders in ubuntu is incredibly slow compared to xp. When they fix everything and make it actually stable like the windows programs then i will be back for sure but for now, just a complete pile of mess.