For a few fleeting moments last night, I was watching TV on my home-built PVR ( read: TiVo like contraption ). And I owe it all to Ubuntu Linux. Like I’ve said, Slackware has been like a brother to me over the years, but software installation has never been easier with Ubuntu. Albeit, perhaps I never gave Slackware’s package management a fair shake. But if it was anything like Synaptic Package Management, I wouldn’t be having this conversation with… myself. I think with a few more hours work this weekend I can have an up and running MythTV based PVR.
There’s a social life somewhere in here, I swear!
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Archive for June, 2006
I have been a Slackware fan since 2001. I have downloaded, configured, compiled and made install various kernels, desktop enviornments and a lot of software. I have enjoyed much of it. But as I have heard much been made of Ubuntu Linux, a newer Linux distro based on Debian, I thought I should give it a shot. I must say, I enjoy it. I downloaded the Desktop CD of version 6.06, which was actually a LiveCD that also has the install on it. The install took about 20 mins and was pretty simple. Die hard linux fans who enjoy the download, compiling and so on might not be impressed with Ubuntu. It doesnt give you a whole lot of choices during the initial setup of what packages to install. Also, you can tell underneath it all, Ubuntu is not as nicely setup as slackware as far as where stuff is. And after the initial setup, there is very little need to go and download sources and compile everything from scratch. I installed it on my laptop and everything “just worked” fine. I would expect nothing less from Linux. Ubuntu also has a pretty good package updater that watches several respositories and can update your system automatically.
Ubuntu has also put the wind back in my MythTV sails. There is plenty of documentation for getting a MythTV PVR up and running with Ubuntu.
Will I put Ubuntu on my desktop? Maybe. I just cant walk away from Slackware and Dropline Gnome. They have been good to me. But I’ve done my time in the configure, make, make install world. If I need to, I know what I can do from the terminal.
I read it in a newsgroup, but the following sums up my thoughts on the subject:
If you want to learn Ubuntu, get Ubuntu.
If you want to learn Linux, get Slackware.
