Preface
Alright, so you have successfully installed Ubuntu Linux, but now what do you do with it? You are in the right place. I am going to get you started with a guide on how to use your new Ubuntu system. This transition guide is targeted at existing Windows users and will show you how to do program installations, a little system configuration, but primarily highlight some Windows “replacement” programs for common applications you can’t live without. This guide’s intent is to introduce you to equivalent programs to what you are accustomed to and, hopefully, to cover a good amount of what you might want in a new install. I am basing the content on what I have personally experienced, email feedback from my installation article, questions from the PC Mech Forums, and common topics from the Ubuntu Forums. Hopefully this will answer a lot of questions you may have before you ever have them.
There is no prior Linux experience needed to follow anything I will go over, however I am going to make the assumption you have at least played around in Ubuntu for a bit. I am not going to be covering the basics on how to use the interface, as it is quite similar to Windows. Here is a quick breakdown of the topics I will be covering:
- Configuring and using Synaptic Package Manager to install applications
- Installing common packages with Automatix
- Essential desktop, office, and Internet applications
- Playing movies and music
- Games
- Digital cameras, printing, and burning
- Installing a PHP and MySQL enabled Apache web server
- Development tools
- Installing and configuring a firewall
- Setting up remote desktop connection
- Setting up a streaming music server
Since this article’s intent is to be a beginner’s guide to Ubuntu Linux, I am going to be using the graphical interface for pretty much everything. As experienced Linux users may know, and you will soon find out, everything we are going to be doing can be done much quicker through the command line. Of course, this is not very user friendly, and a very un-Windows way to do things, so again, we will be sticking to the Ubuntu GUI (Graphical User Interface).
As you are reading, please bear in mind that Linux is not Windows. At a high level they appear to operate basically the same, but they are fundamentally different. Just keep an open mind and I promise learning Ubuntu Linux will be well worth your time.
Jason Faulkner is the man who brings you our daily tips. He is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Until the Linux community can come up with a CAD program that is as mature as AutoCAD for Architecture 2009 (etc) and the new ‘better’ kid on the block Revit for Architecture, then Linux will be nothing more than a novelty. A novelty that is very serious on networking and file sharing, but not too serious on other business applications including Architecture.
CC, you are 1000000% right!
there ARE two different CAD programs within Ubuntu Linux that work just as well as AutoCAD. Further more a program called WINE will act as a windows install and run up to AutoCAD 2005. Another program called Crossover from, code weavers, will run up to AutoCAD 2009, but it cost about $30 for the standard version. Ubuntu Linux took me two days to integrate everything from windows I needed… I’LL NEVER GO BACK TO WINDOWS!!!
Hmmm. Keep an open mind about using Linux as a desktop replacement for windows? I tried and really made an effort because I’ve read the propaganda about Ubuntu, their various flavors and other related projects. I purchased what I thought would be a simple laptop to to convert to Linux (ASUS eeepc 1000hd) and was very disappointed. It came preinstalled with windows XP and I wanted to take advantage of all those Linux performance enhancements.
The fact was that no “distro” of linux I installed, even the ones supposedly designed for the eeepc, worked with the hardware. The installations were noticeably slower and far more convoluted than installing XP. I could never get the wi-fi working no matter what I did and I tried many many suggestions by on-line experts without success. All the hardware worked fine (and faster) running XP. If you want to get any real work done and need to run real software packages, don’t believe any of the nonsense about Linux being better than any version of windows with the exception of maybe 3.1.
Learning ubuntu coming from windows? Worth it? Very much so. For those of us not able to afford Windows (and believe it or not there are many millions in the US that fit that description) Ubuntu is a fit. I have built many computers and installed Ubuntu on them for people who can’t afford Windows and can’t afford the many applications others would then purchase and install in Windows. They need free stuff that works. Ubuntu Linux provides that. And for many folks low income folks that are new to computers, The transition is that much easier as they haven’t accumulated years and years of Windows habits.
This is a good guide. Thanks for helpin out.
What a bunch of negative comments! OK – AutoCad don’t do a Linux version, complain to AutoCad not Ubuntu. Linux is an operating system and a damned good one, its no less of a system because AutoCad doesn’t run on it. maybe it doesn’t suit your needs – fine, use something else. It is used by a lot of people and is growing, I run a small company and it uses Linux – there are businesses out there that don’t need Autocad.
for someone just trying out Ubuntu, this was extremely useful. thanks!
For those of you who still need windows specific applications, there is always Wine.