While my honeymoon with Ubuntu Linux may be over, the love continues after nearly a month of use. Let me just say right up front that while Ubuntu is great on the desktop, this is still not the OS for your grandma! No offense to grandma or Ubuntu, but there are still a number of things that are easier to do in Windows or a Mac. The biggest problem is with multimedia. I still can’t get DVDs to play and setting up sound and screen resolution was more of a pain than it should have been. This isn’t a big problem for me because I actually like the challenge of solving these problems, but the average consumer won’t be so amused.
Still, I really really like Ubuntu! With the strength of Debian behind it, updates are a breeze. And heck, if I ever get some time maybe I can write some stuff that will address some of the shortcomings I mentioned above. I think though that one of the best things about Ubuntu for me is that when I’m using it, I feel like I’ve got control of my computer again! Just last night I was able to get the Cisco VPN client to work with some help from a poster in the German Ubuntu Forum. I don’t read German, but it was almost too easy and a bit ironic since I had been unable to get this to work using Knoppix a release or two ago. Knoppix is a popular German (though it is available in English too) Debian based distribution, probably best known for popularizing live CDs to demonstrate and test Linux. Knoppix is pretty good and got me hooked on Debian, but Ubuntu has really sealed the deal for me! Now if I can just get these pesky DVDs to play…