Ubuntu - safe, secure, and utterly free! (Ubuntu 6.06 LTS)

Name: boboshady

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Product:	Ubuntu 6.06 LTS
Date:	28.08.07 (131 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No security worries, free, simple to try without commitment, runs fine on older computers

Disadvantages: very occasional problems that might be beyond the average user's knowledge

foreword: I'm actually reviewing Ubuntu 7.04, but it's much the same as 6.06 (and I have used 6.06 extensively too).

After years of being first a PC (Windows) user, then a Mac (OSX) user, I made the decision last year to give Linux a go on my works computer - I'm a programmer, and I was attracted by the development features Linux offered.

Ubuntu was my install of choice, because it's been designed specifically to be easy to install, and indeed there are 3 different types of downloadable CD depending on what you want to do - Server, Desktop, and Live.

The Live CD is great for those who want to give Ubuntu 'a go' without any hassle, because it loads directly from CD, without changing or installing anything on your computer - your next reboot will return you to whatever system you had installed prior to the trial (there is also a hassle-free 'install' option from the live cd). One word of warning - don't forget when trying the live cd that it will take a lot longer to load than if it was installed properly on your computer).

Install from either the live or desktop cd's was easy - a simple multi-step process that asks simple questions and lets you configure your machine how you want it, with logical defaults for when you're not sure / don't care. I've done several Ubuntu installs now, and not really had a single problem.

Once installed, you're faced with a desktop which is an equal mix of OSX and Windows. Ultimately, it's a fairly standard Graphical User Interface that - once you've learnt the locations of everything - it's a doddle to use.

One extremely pleasing factor of Ubuntu is the ability to install new software as part of the core install. From the applications menu, there is an 'add/remove...' option that not only allows you to remove existing software (much as Windows 'add/remove new software', but also lets you search through literally thousands of free applications, from games to word processors, that can be installed with a few clicks of the mouse.

Out of the box, Unbuntu is pretty much ready to rock. You'll have excellent browsing (via Firefox), office facilities (OpenOffice hasn't failed to open a Microsoft Office document for me yet), and email (a program called Evolution by default, I'd recommend downloading Mozilla's Thunderbird however). I've not experienced any problems with overall compatibility using any of these programs. You'll also find that Ubuntu will bring new life to old machinery, running much faster on your old computer that Windows would.

You're also pretty much covered in the Instant Messaging department, with Gaim Instant Messenger supporting virtually all chat networks.

Now for the best bit - there's a couple of Windows programs that I simply can't live without - Counterstrike (a game based on HalfLife), and Photoshop. Enter 'Crossover', a $30 bit of software that will let you install and run Windows programs on your Linux machine. Stuff like this has been around for ages, but Crossover just works.

I don't really have any problems with Unbuntu, however there are a few things that I wouldn't have been able to solve without my technical knowledge:

1. Raid support. This was a bugger to set up, and there's no 123-step tutorials on the net (including my own!).

2. Dual Monitor - Still very much a black art, although it's very rapidly becoming supported.

Overall, Ubuntu gives you a very cheap (free!), very solid and very secure desktop environment with all the individual components you need - Web, email, IM and office tools. With the ever increasing worry about computer viruses, you'd be a fool not to at least try it!

Summary: Get rid of your online virus worries, or just breath new life into old hardware...for free!

Variety of features:
Reliability:
User friendly: