Two weeks with Ubuntu

So, you’ve probably heard about Linux. For the past two weeks, I’ve pretty much switched from using Microsoft® Windows® to using the Ubuntu distribution of Linux. The catalyst for the switch is the fact that over the next three years, our company is going to have to shell out more money than we’d like in order to keep licensing Microsoft products. So, in an effort to determine how likely it is that we can move away from Microsoft without causing huge disruption in our general daily workflow, I made the switch to Ubuntu at work.

So far, I really like it. I am a command line kind of guy, and part of the power of Linux is the ability to use the keyboard and the command line to get things done. I like it a lot.

Here are some things that made the switch easy for me:

• Dropbox. Hat tip to Mr. Kevin McKenzie who sent me an invite to Dropbox a few years ago. You get 2GB of free storage (plus an extra 250MB for using this link.
• Crossover. The guys at Codeweavers make a product called Crossover which allows you to run Windows programs in Linux. As much as I hated to do it, I had to have Outlook for a couple of days because the web based interface for Firefox is absolutely horrible, and Evolution (an Outlook wannabe) is just not quite ready for prime time in my mind. Crossover made the installation of Outlook a breeze. I also use it to run EverNote 2.2, which is still one of the best note taking apps I’ve found.
• Google Apps. Thank you Google (full disclosure: I am a shareholder.) for putting together the thoughtful and useful and easy to use web based email system that you did. I was able to forward all my email to a Google Apps account, and now I don’t have to use Outlook anymore. Yay!
• OpenOffice.org. This is a “clone” of Microsoft Office®. I’d say this was the hardest switch to make so far – I have a lot of muscle memory from Office, and there was so much I used to be able to do in Excel, that now I feel somewhat handicapped. I’m sure it’s like learning any new application, and will just take time to get comfortable with the new stuff, but it’s still hard.

There are some other apps that I’ve enjoyed using since I switched to Ubuntu: Gnome–Do is cool for searching and quick access to all kinds of stuff. (I’m trying to get in the habit of using it more, because it is so much easier than mousing to a menu). At home, I use GRAMPS for Genealogy, and that’s a cool little program. There is a Windows version of GRAMPS, too, I believe (it’s built in Python, so it should be cross platform).

Now, before any of my faithful readers decide that they want to make this switch, I have to warn you, this is not for everyone. Ubuntu is more of a community effort than a commercial effort, and if you’re not comfortable using Google for tech support, or you don’t like editing plain text files to change some settings, then you might not be a candidate for Linux. If you’re interested in doing more, than I suggest that you download a distribution, get some software to run a virtual machine (I like VirtualBox, and play around with the system for a few months. Even better, get one of the Live CDs that allows you to use the system on your computer (your hardware), and make sure you don’t have any strange compatibility issues. I’ve been using Ubuntu on and off on virtual machines for the better part of two years, so I was pretty comfortable with the whole idea.

Anyway, I’ve rambled enough to more than make up for my vacation time off. Hope you learned something new.

Thanksgiving Vacation

I’m on vacation until the 30th of November, so all blogging is on hold for a few days.

Ebay and Paypal - Never Again

I recently used Ebay and PayPal to help get rid of some surplus equipment for work. I will not do that again.

Ebay has changed a lot since I used it a few years ago to sell a cable modem that I no longer needed. That transaction was quick, smooth, easy, and I got the cash a few days after the item sold.

This transaction has been a pain in the backside. The fees were exorbitant compared to the service we received. Paypal still has a "temporary hold" on the money "pending positive feedback from the buyer," in spite of the fact that the stuff was delivered a week ago, and we haven't heard anything negative. We also sold everything "as is." I am not interested in doing business like that.

I understand that there were/are issues with some bad sellers, but what happened to eBay's trusty "Caveat emptor?"

Go RSL!

I just heard the news that RSL won the MLS championship. Holy Cow!

Shocked and Awed!

I got word from a little bird that my mother can look at her kids' blogs without a trip to the neighbors' house. Amazing! Congratulations, Mom!

Check out this video

http://roskasinlogan.blogspot.com/2009/11/whats-really-new.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the post. Yours truly was the cameraman, so I guess you can thank me or blame me. It really was good stuff. I wish I’d taped the guy’s speech before they blew it all up.

Piano Recital

James gave an excellent piano recital tonight. It was fun to listen to the 20 (20!) students all play their pieces. The students range from just starting out to “Wow.” I’ll have to download the pictures, and the video so you can hear him.

School Picture Day

Yesterday was school picture day at our school. Being discerning consumers (ie cheapskates), we decided not to buy the school’s package of photos, and opted instead for a little photo session at home before school and work.

It didn’t work.

James was mad the whole time, and I couldn’t get him to smile at all; in fact, I got a couple of pictures where he had tears becaue he wanted to ride the bus, but couldn’t. (We didn’t put them on the bus, and opted instead to drive them to school so we’d have time for a portrait session.) Anna was the complete opposite, and was too smiley. Of the 30 exposures I made, there might be two or three that will be worth printing, and everyone was stressed and upset.

Now I know how my dad felt when he tried to take family pictures. It was awesome. Dad is a professional photographer, and he’d always time things so we’d hit the right light, and he had these fancy Hasselblad cameras that cost more than our cars, but he could hardly ever get a decent picture of his family, because we’d pull faces right as the timer went off.

One shoot in particular stands out in my mind: We drove down to Sundance in Provo Canyon (I think), and Dad got out his camera, set it on the tripod, and set the timer. I would guess he shot two rolls of film. (For you digital natives, film is a piece of chemically treated acetate that reacts to light. Look it up on Wikipedia.) Between Andrew and me, we managed to ruin every single frame he shot, by doing bunny ears, pulling faces, or (no joke) sticking our fingers in each others noses.

Ahh… karma. I guess I got what I deserved.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Take a look at this video: In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for parents who love me and raised me the best that they knew how. I'm thankful to be a parent, and for three beautiful, healthy, happy, wonderful kids. I'm thankful to have a wonderful, patient, kind, forgiving, beautiful, smart, lovely, virtuous wife. I'm very thankful for a Savior who loved me enough that he would give everything for me and all of us.

Thanks, Dad, for sharing this video.

New computer

I got an HP Mini (netbook) today, and I’m still trying to get wireless drivers for Ubuntu Karmic Koala. It’s a love/hate relationship sometimes… Full review to come later.

Edit (18 Nov 2009): The wireless drivers are now working, sort of. It’s still a little buggy, and I may move back to the prior distribution before I start putting things I like on the mini.

Edit (21 Nov 2009): After talking to my pal and Ubuntu expert, Aaron, it was determined that a roll back to the previous version of Ubuntu would be best for now. It was a good call.

Almost forgot today

I've been busy today trying to get Evolution to talk to the company's
Exchange server. What a pain.

In other news, my mom sold her house today. We're excited for her.

Challenge accepted.

Consider this gauntlet picked up.

Actually, I called Aaron the other day to visit with him and get some assistance with some Ubuntu questions (a quick aside: I have really learned to like Linux, but I still have a hard time with the command line.) Aside from telling me to "read the manual," (The worst tech support since... I guess I get what I pay for.) and then finally giving me a hand with my question, he issued an initial challenge to a 30 day blog-off, so I wasn't surprised when I read it on his blog. Sounds like fun.

And for my first trick...

Here's a fun photo of Alden. We took James's and Alden's pictures today for their official birthday portraits. James didn't smile at all (but his picture is being saved for another day). Alden was cute, though.

 

Alden Eats Spaghetti

 

Our boy is enjoying eating regular foods, as you can plainly see. Mmm... Spaghetti...