Part III: An Inconvenient Choice
A Letter of Introduction
Part I: Birth of a Nerd
Part II: A Choice is Made
It is all too easy for me to wax poetic about the joys of my operating system while forgetting of the trials and tribulations that switching to Linux entailed. Many, if not all, prospective switchers are concerned about compatibility with both hardware and software. In short, my experience is that compatibility out-of-the-box (so to speak) is lower than Windows, and generally speaking can be improved to a level comparable to Windows, but not always 100%. This is of course a very rough sketch, and is highly context-dependent. That being said, I think that the most useful information I can pass to the prospective switcher is that your best bet when faced with a compatibility issue is to follow a few general principles:
- Do your research
- Pick a few short-list candidates
- Make a choice
- Don’t be afraid to change your choice
These are of course skills that are just as useful on Linux as they are on Windows; however, at least in my experience, it is easier to run Windows and never really need to make use of them, either because the compatibility is already there, or because a Windows user can just call a telephone number or two and get some help. Unless you have a local Linux expert who will take full care of your system, or for whatever reason you never run into any issues, you ought to be willing and able to hone both your troubleshooting skills and Linux familiarity throughout the tenure of its operation.
* With help from others, you will be your own support system – and the people you talk to will be better than anyone on the other end of a tech support line.
Hardware compatibility with Linux is a mixed bag. While older hardware generally is well supported, newer hardware can pose problems. I have encountered variable levels of compatibility:
- Hardware that works perfectly out of the box
- Hardware that works perfectly but needs a little work (e.g., downloading and installing a driver on my own)
- Hardware similar to #’s 1 and 2 above, but works imperfectly (e.g., core features may work, but other features may not)
- Hardware that does not work at all (it may work for people with different systems, or it may not work for anyone)
Of course, the ideal situation is to choose hardware that is compatible with Linux. This requires an additional step of research beyond what you would normally do for purchasing new hardware (such as comparing price, specs, etc.). There are a number of general and distribution-specific hardware compatibility lists (HCL’s) that serve as an excellent starting point.
* When buying hardware, do your research. Apply the same principles of thorough research, short-listing, and making a choice. You will be rewarded by having smoothly running hardware and will avoid frustrating experiences trying to make your expensive new piece of hardware functional.
But not everyone can afford new hardware, and many of us already have hardware that we would like to use. The same general principles apply. Do your research on the various HCL’s, forums, wikis, and bug trackers to see what other people are doing. This is not a bulletproof advice, and it will surely turn off many prospective switchers. It’s just the way it is.
* Sometimes, no matter what you do, you won’t be able to get a piece of hardware or software working. It might be that something else in your system is in conflict with it, or that better drivers or new bugfixes are needed. It might even be possible for you to fix it, but you just don’t have the time or inclination to do so at the moment. If this happens, you can:
- Buy new hardware
- Leave Linux, or
- Grin and bear it.
I personally have never been inclined to resort to #1. Several times, I have nearly gone to #2. For several years, I lived with #3, but my patience was rewarded with excellent drivers released earlier this year.
Many Windows users enjoy having access to a large selection of software, especially games. The prospective Linux switcher can essentially make one of two choices:
- Run the same Windows software under Wine or VMWare Player, or any number of other similar software packages, or
- Experiment with different Linux programs that provide similar or identical functionality to find a solution.
I don’t have too much experience with #1, and suggest that you explore the Wine compatibility database for a better understanding of their state of affairs. The reason I have not needed Wine or VMWare is that #2 has always worked for me.
* Many Linux distributions come with access to very large software repositories. This means that you can search, download, install and update software through a single program. This is a fantastic way to install 3-4 different programs of a similar nature and play around with all of them, and lets you easily uninstall the ones you don’t want.
* If your distribution’s repository doesn’t have the program (or program version) you want, you can download it directly from the software developer’s website. Depending on your Linux familiarity and the nature of the program, this can be easy or it can be more involved.
If there is one thing I can point to and say, “THAT is why I run Linux,” it would be the concept and implementation of repositories. I cannot speak highly enough of them.*
Software installation on Ubuntu (click to enlarge)
One last point: things can break. You may have your system up and running nicely, and a software update may end up causing a bug. This is, unfortunately, a normal (though not regular) part of the Linux experience. Linux ownership is active ownership, and you as a power user must be involved keeping your system running smoothly.
* When things break, you must either return to the past or move to the future. You can return to the past by rolling back your software update to its prior state. You can move to the future by seeking out a newer version of the offending software – one that hopefully does not have the breakage.
Note: Software repositories are not a feature exclusive to Linux, but in the desktop computing world, they are certainly absent from Windows and OSX. Back