I first started using Linux about 2 years ago, and if it weren't for games, Windows would be off my desktop entirely. But anyway, Linux has gone a long way especially with the help of Ubuntu and its ease of install and use. It's package manager (Synaptic) makes installing most software, quick and easy. So why don't more people make the switch? Well to be truthful, Linux is a great operating system, and while I would recommend it to almost anyone, I at the same time realize that it's not for everyone.

Many people say that Linux doesn't work "out of the box". This is the case sometimes, but does Windows work out of the box? This meaning that you install the operating system onto your computer. I know in Windows, it seldomly does so. Think about it, you install Windows...are all the drivers there? Does Windows recognize your network, sound, and video cards? Most of the time for me and Windows it's 50/50, some hardware is recognized, some is not.

Linux can be better, but not always as I found out a week ago when I was trying to install Ubuntu and Fedora on my new desktop.  However, with my old motherboard configuration, Ubuntu installed fine, identified all hardware and installed the proper drivers for it. So looking at my old configuration, one could say that Linux can work out of the box better than Windows, but in reality this is not always the case, especially with laptops as wireless drivers can sometimes cause problems.

Getting people to make the switch over to Linux is not always easy, and I would definitely never try to push the issue with someone who seems to have their heart set on Windows as pushing will probably turn them off to the idea entirely. But if someone seems interested in making the switch, help them out. Show them how to boot from a live CD, offer to install Ubuntu on their machine and set it up for dual boot. I only say Ubuntu because I feel its one of the easier distros to start out with. If you feel that there's a better choice for ease for a Linux newbie, feel free to go that route.

Set them up and give them the basic tour.

Once they're set up, show them how to do the basic tasks like get to a web browser, listen to music, and since I know Ubuntu doesn't support MP3 playback out of the box, it should be a good lesson to show them how to use Synaptic and you can walk them through what you're doing as you install the MP3 codecs. It may seem "DUH" to you, but as a newbie, it probably would be helpful, you can even let them drive (a.k.a. operate the computer with you behind their back). You can even show them these two websites http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html or http://www.linuxalt.com/ both providing lists of open source programs which are basically the equivalent (give or take) of the normal Windows apps. These lists might help them if they want to do something and are unsure how or what program to use. You can even show them how to search for the app in Synaptic if it's not already installed. This help will help them be able to hopefully work more independently later.

Show them support sites for other places they can go for help.

Most distributions have their own forums where people can go to for support. Show them these sites and bookmark them so they can come back to them for reference should they need to. If you went with the Ubuntu route, http://www.ubuntuforums.org is a good site for support forums. http://www.linuxquestions.org is a good place too which supports multiple distributions. Also be sure to let them know that Google is their friend.

Be ready to help them out and let them know they can ask you questions if needed.

If they've never used Linux before, they're probably going to have a lot of questions that they may not realize right away. Be prepared to answer them, and even provide support when needed. If you really want to get tricky, with their permission, set up an SSH server on their desktop so if you really need to, you can secure shell into their machine and help them out remotely, VNC could also be used to this end and may even be helpful as your friend should be able to see what you are doing from their screen to follow along.

Let them know to try things on their own.

Let them know that if they have a problem, that they should see if they can figure it out on their own first, but that you are still available to help them if they get stuck somewhere. Hands on experience can be a lot better than simply watching how to solve certain problems. But make sure they realize its not you shirking away from helping them rather trying to give them some more experience to grow on. Realizing that they solved something all on their own without any help from you will probably give them some confidence for future problems.

Wrap-up.

Like I said earlier, as much as us Linux and open-source fans love it, Linux is not for everyone. But if someone is interested, show them what it can do. But also be honest, don't tell them Linux can do something if in reality, it can't. We all like to think that Linux can do it all, and for the most part it can do a lot that Windows can and more in some places. But in other situations, Linux just can't truly match it, most notably with games, Wine can only do so much. Microsoft and Windows are going to keep the lead in market share, but that doesn't mean anyone should shy away from or give up on Linux.

I wrote this with respect to Ubuntu but many realize and have pointed out that Linux does not equal Ubuntu, rather Ubuntu is just a flavor of Linux. As stated earlier, from my experience, Ubuntu seems to be a good choice for starting out. If you feel another distribution would be better for them, feel free to use that one instead, and let me know, I'd love to have some other distros to try and see what they bring to the table.

Tags: linux, thoughts, ubuntu, opensource, freesoftware