Linux Is Now A Little Easier With Wubi
Posted on Apr 06, 2008 - 3:50am by Mark Spearman in Computer Tips
There is much debate with Linux concerning it’s usability for common people. The install pretty much puts folks into 2 categories - the Linux sucks crowd and the Linux is awesome crowd. I would be in the Linux sucks crowd.
The reason Linux sucks is that nothing works easily and you have to relearn computing. I have things I want to do on the computer and configuring the computer is never on the list. Right from the install you will have problems and you’re only reasonable resolve is to go to forums and search. If you ask any uneducated questions they’ll tell you to read the manual and that you lack intelligence. The “manual” is a mind-boggling reference that is as loosely put together with non-descript terminology as the forums. It’s not that Linux itself sucks, it’s that it is a highly unfinished project. It works great once you jump through enough hoops to make it work. If you can get a piece of software to work in Linux, the performance gains will make you want to forget about Microsoft, even when you’re using Microsoft programs on Linux.
The first hurdle to Linux is the install. Wubi is the answer. Simply go to there website with a good Internet connection, download the installer, and let Wubi do the install for you. You no longer need to partition a drive to make room for Linux and risk losing your Windows install. Currently, the install I could get to work was Ubuntu, but their site claims to allow any other operating system to install with Wubi. No such luck when I tried.
Like all things Linux, there are thousands of options and they all have a different set of pluses and minuses. I’m not sure what they are for Ubuntu installed with Wubi yet. The most important note for truckers is that there is no easy install for aircards, however wifi did work well up the initial install. I tried to get my Verizon aircard to work by following numerous different tutorials, but after a few hours, I give!
I would recommend trying to get Linux going with Wubi simply because you should have an alternate operating system available. You can get Linux on a thumb drive or CD that requires no install, but they are slow and you’re not likely to use it enough to learn Linux. If you have it on your computer, you can get proficient enough with it to investigate problems. For example, if you’re computer will not boot in Windows, but it does boot fine in Linux, you know you have a serious Microsoft problem and that your hardware is working fine. You can also fix drive problems with Linux that you cannot with Windows. If you have a good repair person that knows Linux, he’ll cut you a break for already having Linux installed.
Wubi will give you all the basic programs you need like web browsers, a standard office suite, and some games. You don’t get an increase in connection speed of course, but your computer will operate so much faster that it will feel like the Web is moving quicker.
There are always risks when installing an operating system so make sure anything important is backed up, then start your Linux adventure. Like all things Linux, the names of everything are strange and it’s free.
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I tried Red Hat on a laptop several years ago. Since it wasn’t a mainstream generic box, not all my hardware worked correctly - like the video display. The keyboard had a secondary numeric keypad overlay, but when it booted up, the keyboard was defaulted for the numbers rather than the letters. So, the first thing I’d have to do is go through a procedure to switch it to “normal.”
There were other issues, but mostly I found the PITA factor to be much higher than Winders, and the performance gains not worth the effort.
I tried it too. I picked the wrong option and wiped out Windows once. It was basically a wasted weekend by the time I was done. Things like Wubi are sure helping though.
I too want to migrate to Linux. I’m hesitate to make the move. It’s inevitable though. I refuse to use VISTA and after a while XP will become unsupported/unusable. In a short time XP will no longer be available on new computers nor retail. I’ve taken steps to stave off that day,however. I have an unopened box containing a shiny new version (as of several months ago) of XP Professional stashed away. When I’m forced to buy a new computer(s) I’ll get a geek to reformat the hard drive and install XP as the operating system.
Still….I see Ubuntu in my future. Perhaps I should begin to “test the waters” by using a LiveCD version of Linux.
Probably won’t. I view computers as some to USE…not something to tinker with. When I need it I just want it to work….and not have to mess with it.
So it’ll be panic-city one day……..hope that day’s a long time off.
Try Wubi Everitt. If the LiveCD works, Wubi most likely will too. Running off the CD is so slow, but the Wubi install flies. At home on a fast connection, everything Internet related worked faster and smoother. You need at 9gb for the install, 8 was the absolute minimum.
speaking of giggle bites.
We’ve come a long way huh? My first computer was a Trash Eighty. It has KILO bytes of main memory and not too damn many of them. RAM?….it is to laugh. It had a cassette drive.
8 giggle bites is soooooo far beyond that…. and in such a short time.
I am a windows user. Last week I installed ubuntu using Wubi. Had some problems getting my monitor resolution right.
The people on the ubuntu forum are super nice and very helpful and want you to succeed. You have to do a bit of checking around but its worth it in my option. I find myself spending more time in ubuntu than windows.
I have no idea who the author thinks are “common people”.
By using the term “common people” I meant people who have non-computer related jobs and cannot spend 14 hours a day exploring the finer points of Linux. Nothing against those who do, nothing against those who do not. If you pay much attention to Linux forums, you’ll understand what I mean. There are some folks who take great pride in their depth of Linux knowledge and will flame any post from someone who does not. Ubuntu has much less of this garbage to sort through in their forums.
Wubi and Ubuntu are targeted towards those of us who do not have the time to worry about the enormous amount there is to learn about Linux. The older installs required you to learn many new things just to run the operating system. There is as much technical information one could learn with Windows if they wanted to, but since Windows was programmed with the user’s ease of use as their primary objective, you can have a “common” non-technical person performing productive tasks very quickly.