The Free Software Directory from the Free Software Foundation (only for free operating systems)

The Free Software Portal from Wikipedia

And let’s not forget the venerable SourceForge.net.

Now, there are many other sources of “free” software and some of them are very good. Google offers some great stuff, WordPress, CNET’s Download.com, and SoftPedia to mention a few. But I wanted to bring to your attention a couple of sites that index software that is totally free in all ways; free to use, free to share, and free to modify.

If you know of other sources of free software, please leave a comment and share.

The story was a not so pretty on the HP Pavilion dv9000 laptop. The performance is good. But I had two key issues. First was was getting the right video drivers to work with Nvidia GeForce graphics card to work and second was getting the Atheros WiFi adapter to work. I now have both issues resolved to a level I can live with….sort of.

First, I configured the Nvidia drivers so that I can extend the desktop across two monitors. However, this setup is not capable of using the software that provides the special graphics effects that makes using your computer a little more fun if not actually more efficient. Just take a look at Gnome-Look.org to get an idea of what’s possible at no additional financial cost.

The second issue with no WiFi was a big one for me. This may have been a real deal breaker for me, expecially with a laptop. While looking for some information about another topic, I stumbled onto a solution that got my WiFi working. So I’m a pretty happy camper.

But here’s the rub for most people. Both these solutions required a series of commands at the command line interface (terminal) that required root access. It’s not the root access that’s an big inconvenience. Window Vista asks for the administrator password all the time. But most people, including myself, don’t really have a working level knowledge of the OS command line language. And this, my friends, is why Windows dominates. And Apple? You know Apple is built on Linus, right? Apple has done a great job of developing a graphical interface that most people can use. The catch for most people is the price.

So, here’ my conclusion about Linux. It’s a great operating system capable of going everything Windows or Apple systems do. It’s free, not only to acquire but also to adapt to your own purposes if you have the requisite programming skills. Linux is more secure than Windows with a lot less effort and expense. But is it for everyone? I doubt it. With that said, let me tell you, it may be for more people than we think. My friend Richard asked me for some advice on what to do with his aging laptop that was just about useless with it’s bogged down Windows XP OS. I suggested he might want to try Ubuntu Linux since he was about ready to dump the old laptop. I gave him a copy of the Ubuntu CD and sent him on his way. An hour later he called me to tell me how good his computer was running. Two weeks later he was raving about how he now has an Ubuntu family after he installed it on his wife’s laptop. Granted they are doing the basic task many of us do; using a word processor, surfing the web, using email. For them, Ubuntu Linux worked without a hitch.

If you are at all curious about escaping from some of the pitfall of Windows, test driving Linux is not that hard. You don’t even have to install it on your hard drive. Just download it and burn the ISO image to a CD. Then you can run it right from CD to see how it works with your hardware. I encourage you to visit Ubuntu.com to read about it yourself, download it, and take it for a spin. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised at what you see.

By the way, did I mention I’m writing this post using my Ubuntu installation? Sweeeet!

1.    An old Dell Dimension 4600 with an Intel Pentium 4 2.8Ghz CPU, 80GB hard drive, and 512MB RAM
2.    A 1 year old HP Pavilion dv9000 with a AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL60 2.0Ghz CPU, and 3GB RAM

Here’s my conclusion so far in comparing Windows to Ubuntu Linux. When it comes to productivity, I think it’s a draw. If I had as much experience with Linux as I have with Windows, my productivity would be about equal. One thing Ubuntu has yet to do is make software installation drop dead fool proof. But the one thing Windows does not do is give you the depth of control over your OS and computer that Ubuntu can, and that’s where the learning curve is.

But how does this relate to web design? I believe it boils down to productivity and efficiency. Productivity in getting the work you need to do as quickly as you can. Efficiency in how much time and money you spend getting your work done. There are free programs available for Ubuntu for office applications such as Open Office, graphics, web design, audio and video editing, and much more. One of the glaring shortcomings of Linux distributions is the complete lack of Adobe software.

The most obvious benefit of Ubuntu is that it does not cost anything and you can adapt it to your purposes as best you can. Although no OS is 100% immune to virus and malware attacks, Windows is much more susceptible for several reasons, the most obvious of which are it is a huge target and in its underlying architecture, the way it’s built and operates. Make no mistake; I’m not making the case here for the use of one OS over the other because they both have strengths and weaknesses. So, why not use both if for no other reason than to be able to use your computer when a malware or virus hoses your Windows? The Ubuntu installer can set up a dual boot arrangement so you can choose which OS you want to use. I’m not ready to forsake Windows but I may be using it a little less. Stay tuned as I continue my journey of discovery into Ubuntu and please feel free to share your experience by leaving a comment to this blog post.