Number 212 - January 2001

Linux, Is It Ready For Prime Time?
by Laura Balsam, NYPC Bytes!
I started hearing about Linux several years ago, but it seemed like a fringe operating system. In the last year momentum has started to build. At the same time my frustration with Windows 95/98 has increased. I felt I needed to make a move, either to Windows NT/2000 or to Linux.     As a result, I decided to go to Linux World (www.linuxworldexpo.com) which was held at the Javitts Center (www.javitscenter.com/ homepage/ home.html) in January. What I saw there impressed me. The show reminded me of one of the early Internet expos. Both the show goers and the exhibitors were excited and enthusiastic about Linux. In addition, companies like: Inprise (www.borland.com/linux) (formerly Borland), Dell (www.dell.com/ us/ en/ bsd/ topics/ linux_linuxhome.htm) IBM (www.ibm.com/ software/ is/ mp/ linux), Compaq, Computer Associates (www.cai.com/bpp/ linux_ca.htm) and Corel (http://linux.corel.com) were exhibiting.     I left the show with the feeling that Linux was going to be the "next big thing" in computing.     This feeling was reinforced by a Corel Linux event I attended several weeks later. I met people there who had traveled from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, etc. because they were frustrated with Windows and wanted an alternative.     At the time I am writing this I am making a career change. Once of the avenues I have decided to explore is Linux. Now that I have had the time to "play" with Linux a bit, I would like to share my initial impressions.     I decided against using Corel Linux because it is so different from all the other Linuxes out there. Corel's Linux, it is intended for end users, it's installation program does not require any technical knowledge and the installs I have observed ran smoothly to completion. You can now purchase Corel Linux bundled with their Office 2000 suite for $100, the deluxe version comes with Paradox ($150). The deluxe version comes with 30 days of telephone tech support, the base version only comes with e-mail support. If you are new to Linux, pay for the support (you'll need it).     Based on several recommendations and magazine reviews, I initially purchased SuSE Linux (www.suse.com). One of the primary reasons was that they offered 60 days of phone support while the others offered 30 days (or n one at all). What they do not tell you is that their tech support is only open Monday and Thursday from 12 noon - 6 pm EST. On the other hand, the price is only $30.     A week after I bought SuSE they came out with a new version, 6.4. It turned out that the version I purchased, 6.3, did not support my video card. My schedule did not jibe well with their tech support schedule, so I decided to try Caldera Linux (www.caldera.com), which contained the update to support my video card. I did not have all the hardware details I needed, but after several attempts (and an hour or two on the phone with tech support), I got Caldera Linux up and running.     The Caldera people were knowledgeable but they clearly intend to provide only the minimal tech support to get you up and running. When I asked for help with getting a new Plug & Play ethernet card working, they referred me to a number of sources of documentation. Instead if info on installing and troubleshooting P&P under Caldera the documents were about how Plug & and Play works under Linux.     I could have spent a week or two reading numerous articles and piecing together the information I needed. I could also have called people I know who are Linux fans and "evangelists" and picked their brains. I have gone this route before and it is educational, but also very time consuming. I also hate repeatedly imposing on people, I save that for emergencies.     The Caldera distribution came with an offer from Multi-User Solutions (www.multiuser.com). They offered 3 months of unlimited phone support for Caldera Linux for $175. I called them and asked them about what the support covers, i.e. is it just operating system installation? They will answer whatever questions I have for 3 months, the only downside is that it is not an 800 number. I figured I can get a lot done in 3 months and adding the price of the support to the money I spent to purchase Caldera, I was still spending only a little over $200.	Multi-User Systems has been great. The technician even called back to see how I was doing. I have already spent several hours on the phone with them and I am only 2 weeks into the support contact. I look at paying for support as a telephone tutorial. I always learn a lot. The technician was very informative and helpful. In my opinion, spending $175 to save weeks of time is well worth it.     With the exception of the Corel distribution, Linux is not easy to install, even for those of us who consider ourselves technically adept. It requires a lot more knowledge about your hardware and a willingness to do research. Linux is similar to DOS in that it is based on a command line interface. Various graphical users interfaces can be installed and used, but if the command line intimidates you, forget about Linux for the time being. I suspect that even those people who choose Corel Linux will find themselves using the command line interface from time to time.     Linux is based on UNIX and was written by computer geeks for computer geeks. The various companies that sell commercial distributions of Linux are all trying to make the installation process easier. These installation programs will improve over time. The current Linux "kernel" does not support Plug and Play. The next major release of the kernel should incorporate this feature. Once the operating system directly supports Plug and Play installation should get easier.     There is a great deal of information and documentation online for Linux "newbies". However, much of it is very technical. The Linux community is mostly computer professionals and serious hobbyists. You will not get answers spoon fed to you. Expect to either pay for tech support or to do a lot of reading. The good news is that the Linux user community is very dedicated to helping people get started. In many areas of the country local user groups hold regular install fests, where people are invited to bring their PCs and Linux gurus assist newcomers in getting Linux up and running.     Linux users love to spread the word. Many of them will go out of their way to help you over the phone and online.     Linux is more than an operating system, it is based on a philosophy called Open Source. There are many books and web sites devoted to Open Source. Basically the idea is that if you allow everyone to see and modify the source code, you will have programmers around the word reviewing, fixing and updating your software. This leads to more stable software and faster development time.     The president of Red Hat Linux makes the analogy of a car with the hood welded shut. The owner can't see what is going on inside, and therefore cannot fix or improve anything themselves. Only the manufacturer or licensed mechanics can work on it. But how many people want to or have time to be their own mechanic? After spending a great deal of time working with Microsoft to resolve problems for my clients, I am convinced that most of their tech support people don't know how their products work.     I saw a panel discussion on Open Source and one panelist made a point which hit home for me. Since we "live" more and more through our computers and online, do we want to live in a world were we cannot understand how that world works? Or would we rather live in a world where those of us who care to can learn how the infrastructure works, and those who want to can change that infrastructure?     My conclusion is that Linux may be the "next big thing", but for the moment it is too difficult and time consuming for the average user to install. If you enjoy playing with operating systems and have a spare PC to install it on, go for it!     For the time being I am going ahead with teaching myself Linux. I plan to update this article from time to time. I will add links to Linux resources soon and I will revise the text as I learn more and the Linux landscape changes. Progress Reports     When I started working with DOS and Windows I found it both instructive and encouraging to read about problems other people were having. From time to time I will update this article and add progress reports here describing some of the difficulties I encountered and how I resolved them.
Number 212 - January 2001