I Am Linux

In brief, I am a Junior Systems Administrator at a web hosting company that uses Linux both on the tech floor, and for the servers (a remotely web-savy individual can probalby figure out which one, but this blog is not associated with the, nor is it necessarily reflective of their views and opinions).

In 2003 I purchased a new, top-of-the-line machine. At the time I had an old Pentium with Windows '98 on it. At the time I was frustrated with Windows, but I didn't hate it. As an aspiring computer nerd I was becoming increasingly interested in Linux. A few attempts to install it to my little Pentium had failed miserably. I enrolled in a communit class on Linux and learned the basics of a Linux installation. But when the new computer arrived, I installed Windows XP. I was used to Micorsoft, I wanted something to fall back on if Linux became too hard. Just after the XP installation my old pentium died, hard drive failure. But that wasn't a problem because I was almost set up with the new machine. There was just one problem, the network card didn't work. By "didn't work" I mean that Windows XP didn't recognize it. The driver discs that came with the machine didnt' help and with no internet connection I had no way of finding the drivers. At school I ran a few searches but didn't come up with anything that worked.

At this point I went to do my installation of Red Hat 9 alongside Windows XP. This I did, mostly, because I had nothing else to do with the darn computer. The installation went completely smoothly, and to my surprise, once it had completed, everything worked! Everything, including the network card. I made a few more half-hearted attempts to find a solution for XP, but ultimately abandonded the installation. I've been a very happy Linux user ever since.

Now I'll grant you that things don't always work out so nicely with Linux. I do have an old XP installation on a few laptops that came with it, and Windows 7 on a laptop. I also have a Mac Mini at home. But when it comes down to every-day tasks, I use Linux. The Mac is a toy that runs iTunes and plays movies for me. My XP boxes are for school where a TA will take one look at your desktop and refuse to help you, no matter what the actual problem is. Windows 7 is for...no give me a sec...ah, for when I have nothing else on hand.

If you choose to run Linux, you will need a bit of know-how, or you might need a helping hand from a friend. Things might not always run smoothly. But as you read the posts in this blog, you will hopefully get an idea of what a computer experience can really be like. Linux is fast, flexible, stable, pretty, and often free. I am Linux.