As swell and catchy as Ubuntu Linux is, I’m going to be uninstalling it tonight. I really really really like it. So much more than Windows. But I’ve been having so many problems with it. I really need something that’s best for the type of work that I do.

Mostly on the computer at home, I watch DVDs, Burn/Rip DVDs, work in Photoshop, use Vedabase and work with a map program.

Ubuntu was giving me a LOT of problems even watching a DVD last night. See, because of all of the copy protection shit, it’s actually (possibly) illegal to even watch a movie on Linux. It’s nothing that would ever even make it to a court, but as the laws are written, it’s a very gray area. When I finally got that working, the colors were very washed out. I fixed that by using a different program, but I don’t know how to make it recognize my DVD drives. That’s more my fault than Linux though.

As for burning/ripping/shrinking (basically backing up DVDs), you *can* make it work in Linux, but it’s a real pain in the ass. That’s a lot better on Windows.

Linux as a photo program called The Gimp. Honestly, I’m really impressed with it. Great program. But it’s not Photoshop. Close, but not enough. Under normal circumstances, I could do what I do with The Gimp. But it’s just one more thing.

Vedabase is a program that has collected the works of Srila Prabhupada. It runs on Folio. That only runs in Windows. You can run it in WINE, but there are some font problems which would, I think, manifest themselves big time in Vedabase (which uses sanskrit and bengali fonts).

I use Microsoft Streets and Trips. I like it. I used to use a Rand McNally program, but it’s not as good. I tried Delorme and it’s good, but not at all user-friendly. But all that doesn’t matter because none of them will work in Linux. GoogleEarth, however, will. But it’s just not the same.

So for all those reasons, I’m going back to Windows in the home machine. In my laptop, when it arrives, I’ll be using Ubuntu Linux exclusively.

Actually, I think I’ll still keep Ubuntu on the home computer. I really do like it. It’s a much better operating system than Windows. It just needs more time to get its shit together. I’m going to fully uninstall the one I have and install the newest version of Ubutu (called “Edgy Eft”) and see where that takes me.

I know a lot of the problems I’m having with Linux are my own fault. The DVD thing especially. I know that. So maybe I’ll be able to work through them. I hope so. In a few years maybe the Linux thing will catch on more. Distributions like Ubuntu will make it more available to the masses. And that’s a good thing.

There are two programs that come bundled with Ubuntu that really kick ass. One is Open Office. That’s basically a totally free office suite. A lot like Microsoft Office. It’ll even open Office’s files (save in them too). But it’s 100% free. Dig it.

The other is Gaim. Gaim is a chat program that allows you to log onto several different chat networks at once. Aim, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ and a few others. Everything is in one tabbed window and it allows you to hide the buddy list for even less clutter. It even has a spell checker! Check it out, but get the 2.0 beta version.

Ubuntu also comes with Firefox. But a bunch of you are using that anyway.

If you’re curious as to what the readers of this little blog are using…

Internet Explorer 43.7%

Mozilla Firefox 36.6%

Safari 12.3%

The rest is a smattering of Netscape, Opera, Linx, Flock, Camino and Mozilla.
Ok, enough geekiness for today.

Related posts:

1. Ubuntu and no more dual-booting… and yet there’s still Windoze!
2. Area man’s trip threatened by geeky operating system!
3. Does anyone have a cracked copy of Vedabase?
4. Can’t be king of the world if you’re slave to the grind*
5. Good-bye to Ubuntu? Well, sort of…