New Videos Coming Soon!

We've been working very hard to bring some new videos to our YouTube Channel!  The first couple of videos are almost out of production and should be hitting our channel within in the next days.  We will initially be covering Linux Mint (from installation to optimization post-install).  And will bloom out into other topics as they occur, or as watchers request more info on other topics.

As always, I want to know what you would like to see covered in future videos.  Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email at: ask_techie@gmx.com and I will be more than happy to try and oblige!

Be sure to swing by and checkout the channel and look for more video fun coming real soon!

Nerd On Friends!,

-Techie

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Ubuntu 11.04 Nearing It's "End of Life"

Well, it's that time again.  Another Operating System is nearing it's end of life.  And nope, I'm not talking about the April 2013 Doomsday for Windows XP users.  This time it is Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal".  For those are are unfamiliar with the "Natty" it was the first time user's saw the Unity Desktop.  From that day forward Canonical would either have people who loved Unity or those who didn't care at all for it.  Some of us use it and have become somewhat fond of it, but still care for the traditional look of the Gnome/Ubuntu desktop environment.

Either way, if you are still using the 11.04 release of Ubuntu it is time to upgrade.  No need to panic, as "Natty Narwhal" will continue to get it's updates and security patches until October 28th, 2012.  You can still use 11.04 past the 28th if you like.  However, you will not be able to get any updates and this leaves an open security issue that you definitely don't want.  You can use the system updater from within Ubuntu to upgrade your installation.

It is suggested for the best upgrade experience, that if you are still running Ubuntu 11.04, unless you are going to do a clean install of Ubuntu 12.04.1 it will not matter.  Just backup your files and install away.  However, if you are upgrading from 11.04 here is the path you need to take.
-First, upgrade to Ubuntu 11.10.
-Then upgrade the installation to 12.04.1.

Personally, I like to take the time to do a fresh install of my Operating Systems rather than upgrading.  It not only gives you a fresh start.  It also gives you back a lot of used storage space that you probably weren't utilizing anyways.  I mean, we all install packages and after a few uses, we move on to something else.  Then these packages are left behind taking up space.

The choice is yours, but either way.  To stay secure, you need to upgrade.

For more visit: Ubuntu.com

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HP Is Certifying Ubuntu on their Proliant Server Hardware

Mr. Mark Shuttleworth announced that HP will start certifying Ubuntu 12.04 LTS on it's Proliant Server product line.  What does this mean for customer's who are using Proliant hardware?  It means that HP will no longer invalidate a product warranty because you slap Ubuntu on it's storage as opposed to the standard Windows Server Operating System.

If you are familiar with Linux, you will know that Ubuntu is a great server operating system and it's demand and use is constantly growing.  So, kudos Cannonical; good job in getting some corporate backing.  Here's the kicker, HP's reputation hasn't been the greatest over the last while.  So hopefully this won't hurt Cannonical's decision.  And if you remember, this is not the first time a hardware company has jumped into the Ubuntu arena.  Several years ago, Dell offered a line of computers that came preloaded with Ubuntu (other companies followed suit to a small extent) and they publicized the fact that you could buy an Ubuntu powered machine from them.  However, that PR seemed to fade away about as quick as it showed up.  Hopefully, the same thing won't happen this time around.

And HP isn't just certifying Ubuntu 12.04 LTS on new hardware either.  This also applies to existing Proliant hardware that is already in the field.  So if you are an IT manager at your business and have a need for the Ubuntu Server OS and are running a Proliant product, you should be good to go.  So break out those Ubuntu guides, you may see a growing area in the IT world.

As a huge Linux fan and an Ubuntu user myself, I am glad to see companies like HP getting behind them.  As we near closer to the future of Windows, it is only evident that other options may be just as viable as Microsoft's server offerings as surely things in the Windows Server OS will start to evolve and change as well over time.  Maybe corporate user's will see the need to Ubuntu powered servers in their solutions.  This would be great for Ubuntu, and possibly even great for the open-source community as a whole.  Think about it, with Ubuntu Servers comes the need for companies to have staff who know how to work with it.  And with more "professional" backing, maybe a higher quality of open source software packages would become available to the Ubuntu community.

Here's to you Ubuntu!  Swing by Cannonical's website for more information: http://www.canonical.com/

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Video: Installing Media Codecs in Linux Mint 11

In our latest video we will step through the process of installing multimedia codecs in Linux Mint 11 'Katya'.  By default the version of Linux Mint 11 I used to install in our previous video does not include the Multimedia Codecs.  Simply put, no mutlimedia codecs = very limited support and playback of things like videos, music, and flash based content.  So, why use such a limited release?

There are several versions of the Linux Mint 11 'Katya' Live CD.  The reason a 'No Codecs' version was made available is for distributors such as magazine companies or disk suppliers who may not have the legal rights to the licenses for some of the 3rd party multimedia codecs.  So, Mint has a 'No Codecs' version which squeezes the operating system on a single CD-ROM without the multimedia codecs.  If you so desire, there is a full version which does include the multimedia codecs and some extra software packages preinstalled.  This version however is quite a bit larger in file size and is designed to fit a DVD.

So without further delay, feel free to checkout our video on installing Linux Mint's multimedia codec packages.

Install Multimedia Codecs in Linux Mint 11

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Linux Mint in Number 1 Spot?

So I was messing around this afternoon on Distrowatch (my favorite Linux website) and I noticed their Page Ranking section on the far right side of the page.  And something odd caught me eye.  The fact that Ubuntu was no longer in the very top #1 spot anymore.  What?!  Could it be that another distribution has made the jump to pop up the list a little ways?  Even over the Ubuntu giant?

Seems it's true.  As of this writing Linux Mint was now in the top seed.  This is pretty crazy, especially since Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu (at least one version of it is, the other is Debian based).  So my next thought is, why?  Did Canonical ripple the waters enough with the exclusion of the traditional desktop when they chose Unity as the default desktop environment?  Is Ubuntu outgrowing it's own community?  Who knows.

A screencap I took to convince my
eyes it's real!

I have my own reasons for why Ubuntu 11.10 isn't necessarily my first pick anymore when it comes to Linux Distributions.  However, regardless of my personal opinions there is a reason Ubuntu is one of the most used Linux Distro's in the world.  It's good, slick, and most everything works right out of the box.  I truly believe that some user's got fed up with Canonical's direction and decided to go looking elsewhere for their Linux fix.  Either way, this exposure is no doubt a big deal for Mint.  Especially with version 12 just right around the corner.

Kudos Linux Mint!

If you want to check it out for yourself, visit:
http://www.distrowatch.com
http://linuxmint.com/

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Video: Installing Gnome Shell 3

Our latest video has just gone live on our YouTube Channel and it cover's yet another alternate desktop environment for your Ubuntu 11.10 installation.  This video covers installing Gnome Shell 3!

The latest version of Gnome Shell brings with it some changes and some rather fancy looking eye candy as well.  I honestly haven't had a whole lot of hands on with Gnome Shell 3 since making the video, but I do plan on digging in this week and learning how to get around in it and I will chronicle my sessions with at least one Gnome Shell 3 Basics video.

Overall the new Shell looks pretty slick.  It's a very clean looking desktop with a lot of the usual screen clutter (i.e.: menu's, icons, etc.) all being hidden in the activities menu.  I kind of like the concepts behind it as well.  And my first initial impressions of Gnome Shell 3 are:
- I can't wait to try it out a little more in depth.
- It looks amazing, and with the right theme could look even sweeter.
- Seems to be very snappy and responsive under VirtualBox.

So without further delay, checkout our latest video on how to install Gnome Shell 3:

Ubuntu 11.10: Installing Gnome Shell 3

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Installing LXDE in Ubuntu 11.10

As we continue our search for alternate desktop environments for Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot' we now arrive at LXDE.  LXDE is short for the "Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment".  It's mission is a simple one: to be "extremely fast performing".  LXDE is great for older computers or computers with lower resources than most have by today's standards.  Running LXDE will give you the best of both worlds: a great experience as your desktop environment, and the latest advantages with Ubuntu.

The great thing about LXDE is that even if you don't use Ubuntu, you can install LXDE in other distributions as well.  Another perk for LXDE is it makes a nice desktop environment for people who are trying to migrate from the Windows world.  You can even customize LXDE to a certain extent as well.

So without further delay, feel free to give our video below a watch:

Ubuntu 11.10: Installing LXDE

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Video: Let's Install Xfce in Ubuntu 11.10

In this video we will cover how to install yet another alternate Window Manager using Ubuntu 11.10.  We will be installing Xfce.  Xfce can also be installed directly from a fresh install by using the Xubuntu release of Ubuntu 11.10.  But for those who maybe upgraded directly from a previous version of Ubuntu only to find out we were being force fed the Unity Desktop than you may not want to take the time to wipe and do a clean install of your operating system.

Why choose the Xfce desktop?  What'ts so great about it?  Well for one, it's pretty fast.  Xfce manages to cut a lot of the excess stuff out of it that you would normally find in a fresh desktop.  The menu effects and extra stuff that tends to use a little more resources is gone.  This is especially nice when you want to use the latest and greatest Ubuntu release, but have an older computer that maybe doesn't play as well with Unity.  The big downside for a lot of people would probably be the appearance of Xfce.  It definitely lacks the elegance and eye candy of other desktop environments.  However, what it lacks in cosmetic appearance it makes up for in speed and low resource usage.

*Note: I do recommend to make sure you have all of your files and data backed up before performing any major install or change to your system just to be on the safe side.  With that being said, we will use the Ubuntu Software Center instead of the Terminal to accomplish this install.

Installing Xfce in Ubuntu 11.10

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Video: Let's Install KDE using Ubuntu 11.10

If you have used or upgraded to the latest release of Ubuntu (being 11.10); then you are aware that aside from installing GNOME Shell 3 you are limited to only using the Unity desktop environment.  They did included Unity 2D for older machines.  But what if you aren't a big fan of Unity?  What can you do to make it less painful?

Easy!  Install a different Window Manager/Desktop Environment!  It's easy to do.  It does require a little bit of time but isn't very intrusive.  So this video will kick off a new video set where we will step through installing alternative desktop environments for Ubuntu 11.10.  After all, part of the joy of using Linux is being able to have choices right?

In our first video of this set we will install KDE.  Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date on when all of our new videos get posted!

Installing KDE in Ubuntu 11.10

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LibreOffice is Growing! Coming to Android & iOS!

Ever heard of LibreOffice?  If not, it is a free and open-source office suite that rivals the Microsoft Office Suite.  It has many comparable components and makes a great office solution for those who lack the pocket money to purchase MS Office, or those who just like using open-source software (I fall into both categories lol).  LibreOffice originated as a fork of the OpenOffice.org project and is simply outstanding.  Not to mention it is cross platform meaning you can use it on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems (it comes default with Ubuntu 11.04 and up)!

Just the other day the development team working on LibreOffice announced that they are aiming for a mobile client for both Android and iOS tablet devices (with phone support rolling out later); as well as offering an online counterpart to their offline software (probably something similar to Google Docs).  This is great news for the LibreOffice project because with expansion we see that the project is building steam among it's users (with a growing community as well).  Look for it heading to your mobile device late 2012 (maybe even early 2013).

If you haven't checked into LibreOffice yet, I would highly recommend doing so.  If you do check it out you may want to watch my previous video about how to set the default file formats to Microsoft Office compatible formats after installing to ensure everyone can open your documents.

Download: http://www.libreoffice.org/
My LibreOffice Video Post:
http://www.techiesmarts.com/2011/09/help-ubuntu-making-libreoffice-play.html

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Ubuntu 11.10 Now Available!

Yesterday marked the release of Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  So what is the big deal?  What's been changed?  For starters Unity has been updated, and GNOME 3.2 shows up too.  Mozilla's Thunderbird is now the default mail app as opposed to Evolution (from previous released).  The Ubuntu Software Center received a makeover along with Gwibber.  And Firefox 7.01 is the default web browser.

For those of you fellow 'Ubuntuers' (haha, I just made up a word); swing by the Ubuntu website and download the latest release at: http://www.ubuntu.com/download

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Netflix Will Be Coming to Linux In The Next 12 Months

What the crap!  Why does it take Netflix a flippin' year to do anything?  As if the Netflix/Android situation isn't bad enough.  Why has it take them this long to recognize not only other operating systems, but deploying on those systems.  You'd think that would be a no-brainer.  An idea like: "let's cover as many platforms as possible, to get as many subscribers as possible, to make money" just sounds absurd to me.

If Netflix is really planning for streaming to be the future of their company.  They need to understand the concept of change.  As that is the way many businesses are having to start operating.  As time moves on technologies grow and change.  Computing is the same way.  With Linux gaining steam over the last several years, I understand why we haven't had a native client before now.  But with one of the major operating systems in use being Ubuntu, now is the time Netflix!

Anyways, enough of my rant.  Read the entire story at: http://benjaminkerensa.com/2011/07/30/netflix-instant-is-coming-to-the-entire-linux-community/

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Help Ubuntu!: Overview of Some Default Apps in Ubuntu 11.04

Our latest video has just gone live over on our YouTube Channel!  Be sure to check it out.  It's entitled "Help Ubuntu!: Default Apps in Review".  And it covers a quick review of some notable apps that as a new Ubuntu user you'll no doubt come to find useful.

From the terminal to office software, and even multimedia software.  We touch on a little bit of everything to help get you comfortable with what Ubuntu has to offer.

So be sure to check out this video, and our previous videos either over at our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/techiesmarts or at our 'Help Ubuntu!' section here at TechieSmarts.com!

Help Ubuntu!: Default Apps in Review

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More New Content!

Since September has come and (just about gone with only hours left of it).  I wanted to announce that next week we will launch a weekly video feature that will be a short review of alternative (open source) software that can be used in place of commercial offerings.  With a new month will come new things!

Our focus will be what is it, how to get access to the software being reviewed, and what the major differences are between it and it's commercial counterpart, and whether or not it's worth making the switch.  If you have an application you'd like to see covered be sure to leave us a comment!

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Canonical Brightens the Future of Both Ubuntu and App Developers

Ubuntu is probably considered by most to be the most popular Linux distribution.  As of this writing, if you use Google to search the term 'Linux'; you may not be surprised to see that Ubuntu is the first hit to be returned.  And for good reason.  Ubuntu has been built up with great hardware support, ease of use for new users, and it has a higher chance of 'just working' out of the box.

One of the things that it seems like everybody wants more of are apps.  Whether it be on their iPhones, iPods/iPads, Android devices, and even some operating systems now include access to app stores or markets.  Even web browsers are getting in on the action.  So, it only seems to make sense that other operating systems try to further their application support.  And what better way to do this by assisting developers with creating, packaging, porting, and submitting their programs or applications to the Ubuntu Software Center?

That is what Canonical is aiming to do with the release of the Ubuntu App Developer Portal.  They even include a tool called 'Quickly' that is aimed at helping you build your app.  And what is even better, is it is free to use.  'Quickly' also helps with submitting your app to the Software Center.

What is even cooler?  You can either release your apps for free or for a price.  That's pretty cool.  I'm sure we'll start seeing the Ubuntu Software Center offerings grow as more people get turned on the the Developer Portal.

Check it out for yourself at: http://developer.ubuntu.com/

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Firefox 7 and the Rapid Release Schedule

Earlier in the year Mozilla announced that with the release of Firefox 6, they will start aiming at an 18 week development cycle.  Essentially meaning every 18 weeks the next version of Firefox will be released.  So, in the spirit of updating, I finally updated my Firefox to version 6.0.2 just the other day (I use many web browsers, so updating sometimes gets neglected).

And today, I decided to jump back into Firefox for a few minutes and guess what?  Yep, a new update is ready that will bounce my Firefox up to version 7.  What is included in the latest version of Firefox?

-On the web developer side, Mozilla has included some extra tools to help with HTML5 features using hardware-acceleration for things like games and animations, etc.  And developers now have access to native Firefox tools that will measure page load time versus traffic, user bandwidth, etc.

-An opt-in feature called Telemetry is now included.  This feature allows Firefox on a user's computer to feed data back to Mozilla concerning the way version 7 runs on the various types of computer hardware out there in the world. I usually turn this option off myself when other apps prompt for this type of feature.  But for those who choose to participate, you will essentially be providing benchmarks for Mozilla to consider when it comes to future releases of their web browser.

-User's will notice Firefox 7 includes more efficient memory management.  Not that big of a deal if you typically only open a tab or two and only casually surf the web.  But for those of us who populate our web browsers with tabs and open pages (my Chrome browser currently has 7 open tabs, and I'm just getting warmed up); will notice quicker navigation and tab switching.

So, with the release of version 7, we already have several decent updates (especially if you are a web developer).  Also, Mozilla is shooting for near perfect compatibility with Browser Add-Ons from version 6 with the release of Firefox 7.  Chances are you may have already downloaded it; however it you didn't be sure to click on:
1- Help (in the menu bar)
2- Click on 'About Firefox'

And the 'About Firefox' dialog box will check your version against the latest release on their servers and download accordingly.  And if you haven't downloaded Firefox yet, I'd highly recommend it.  So head on over to Mozilla.org or click on:







Happy Surfing!

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Fun with Ubuntu: Resetting the GNOME Panels in Ubuntu 11.04

Recently we post a video on how to install AWN in the  Ubuntu Classic Desktop using Ubuntu 11.04 'Natty Narwhal'.  In this video, we also covered how to reset the GNOME Panels back to default should you decide you didn't like AWN after installation (if you had deleted one of them).  This post is for the fed up Ubuntu user who just needs to bring back default GNOME and doesn't have the time to go through a whole video.


It's actually a funny story how I learned to do this.  Several years ago when I was new to Linux, Ubuntu was the first distribution I really tried to get into.  And I accidentally deleted one of the GNOME Panels when trying to customize it's look and feel (as a friend suggested I try to do).  So, I immediately rebooted the computer and reinstalled that version of Ubuntu to get my panels back.  Only afterwards did I learn I could have save myself some time and trouble by resetting GNOME (of course I was using my only computer at the time to try Ubuntu so I had no other way to look up how to reset GNOME).  So maybe this will help someone.


So, let's say you accidentally delete one of the GNOME Panels?  How do you get it back?  Easy, you simply launch the Terminal (Click Applications, drop to the 'Accessories' menu and click on Terminal).


Once terminal launches we need to type in three commands to resurrect our missing GNOME Panel.












Those commands are (hit the Enter key after each line) :
gconftool-2 --recursive-unset /apps/panel
rm -rf ~/.gconf/apps/panel
pkill gnome-panel


Now simply log off of your computer (by clicking the Power button in the top right corner of the screen). And log back into Ubuntu.  Now your panel's are back to their default settings and positions.


Great!  But sometimes you may be in a position where you can't get into the menu.  What is another way to launch the Terminal?


Simply press: Ctrl + Alt + T to launch the Terminal with the default Ubuntu shortcut.

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Help: Ubuntu! Video: How to Use AWN in Ubuntu 11.04

Our latest video is up and running.  In this video we will cover how to use AWN (Avant Window Manager) as a dockbar.  I will be running AWN from with Ubuntu 11.04 using the Ubuntu Classic desktop environment.

Why would you want to use AWN in the first place, we have Unity now?
Simple, Unity is kind of heavy on the resource side of things.  I have ran it on a few physical machines (older hardware) and on several virtual machines (using VirtualBox).  And in every case (except for my newer desktop PC) it caused the system to take a little longer to load, and in some cases even to use for daily/simple tasks.  I like the idea of using a dockbar.  Especially to mess with my friends who are Apple fans because with a dock and the right theme, it's extremely easy to get that 'Mac' look to the desktop.  Plus, it's just fun to play around with some extra customization.  Whereas, with Unity what you see if what you get with it.

Themes are pretty easy to find for AWN, and they are incredibly easy to install and use.  Plus, you can move the dockbar around the screen and you pretty much have a really simple way to add or take away applets from the dock with very little trouble.  And it's pretty stable as well, so there isn't as much of a worry about hanging up or crashing.

As always, be sure to swing by my YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/techiesmarts
There we have more videos and will be continuing our Help Ubuntu! video series for folks who may be new to Ubuntu or Linux in general.  Our next video will focus on some of the software included in the base install of Ubuntu and certain settings within them that will help ease some transition pains for new Ubuntu users.

Also find us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/techiesmarts
And our Facebook Page: TechieSmarts on Facebook! http://on.fb.me/qwpd4i







If you decide that the AWN dockbar isn't to your liking, and you want to reset your GNOME panel back to default (after a GNOME panel) than the following commands are used in this video to reset GNOME:

Open Terminal and type (after each line hit the Enter key):
gconftool-2 --recursive-unset /apps/panel
rm -rf ~/.gconf/apps/panel
pkill gnome-panel

And that should reset it for you.

Happy Surfing!

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I would use open source software if...

"If there were an open source program that I could use to replace ****  with, I'd give it a try; but there isn't."

This is one of the most popular arguments I hear when it comes to discussing open source software with people.  And I fully agree, I mean; why would you ever decide to stop using a program you know so well but costs an arm and a leg and start using a half designed free program that will only be extremely different than what you already use.  I understand, trust me.

Now, my respomse is usually something along the lines of "Do you know for sure there isn't something free to use out there that is potentially better in any way than your current solution"?  And most of the time, people have no clue.  Another common misconception is Open Source must mean Linux right?  Nope, just because it's an open source program doesn't mean you have to become a Linux user.  Linux is considered open source, and many open source packages or applications do have Linux versions.  But there are numerous projects out there that support at least Linux and Windows (if not Mac in some cases).

If in doubt, I like to visit: http://www.osalt.com

which mean 'Open Source as an Alternative'. It is a great reference if you are tired of forking over cash for software, you can search their site for open source alternatives to commercial software packages. Looking for an alternative to Microsoft's Office check their site and find links to great applications like Libre Office or OpenOffice.Org.

So before shrugging off open source, give it a chance.

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The Other Linux...

I am an avid Linux fan.  And whenever I speak with someone about Linux, one word always seems to pop up during the first part of the conversation.  That word is: Ubuntu.  Ubuntu is a wonderful Linux distribution; especially for those looking to get their first taste of Linux.  Why?  Simple, Ubuntu pretty much works out of the box with most common hardware.  If there is a need for a restricted driver, it will usually prompt you about it and make it fairly easy to fix.

Software is easy to come by and install via the Ubuntu Software Center.  And it has managed to keep a lot of the on-screen clutter away by default.  Nothing looks quite as snazzy as a fresh Ubuntu install.  However, with the introduction of Unity within the latest official release of Ubuntu 11.04 'Naty Narwhal' seemed to rub a lot of long time fans the wrong way.

I have been using Ubuntu for several years.  I usually give the newest releases a test spin and see how they work.  I must admit, I'm not much of a fan of Unity.  I know there are those out there that absolutely love Unity.  Personally, it doesn't quite do it for me.  That's just my taste.  I feel that Unity would be better aptly suited for a tablet or touch optimized implementation.  On the desktop, it gives me a cluttered feel.

So with Unity making it's debut (I know 11.04 came out several months ago, so I'm a little behind); I wanted to call attention to several other Linux Distributions that are more than competent distributions, just without Unity.

Linux Mint - http://5e08b5c6.tinylinks.co

Linux Mint 11 'Katya' is the most current release of Mint (as of this writing).  Linux Mint is based on the Ubuntu distribution so you get a familiar backbone for the system, but without Unity.  

What does Linux Mint do that makes it so special?  Easy, it's goal is to provide media codecs, DVD playback, and browser plugins out of the box.  Whereas with other Distributions you have to manually install these yourself.

The only drawback for me when it comes to Linux Mint, is the amount of the color green they tend to color everything with.  However, functionality wise; Mint is an outstanding distribution of choice.  And currently ranks 2nd in the list on Distrowatch's chart of Linux Distributions (second only to Ubuntu which is presently in first place).

Zorin OS - http://a5e406e5.tinylinks.co

If you're looking for another Ubuntu-based distribution, than Zorin OS may be the way to go.  Where Zorin OS excels is being a smooth transition maker from Windows to the Linux world.  Plus they feature some nice add-ons from their 'Look Changer' to the Splash Screen Manager to make your OS look unique to you.  I personally I haven't had much hands on with Zorin OS, but it comes highly recommended from the gentleman who got me into Linux several years ago.  

OpenSUSE 11.4 - http://b6f885b7.tinylinks.co

OpenSUSE 11.4 is an RPM based Linux distribution in the vein of the old RedHat operating system.  You'll notice it seems to be aimed more at business use; however, it is a tight operating system even for the home user.  It is currently a community effort sponsored by Novell.  It also comes in GNOME and KDE versions.

If you're looking for a rock solid Linux OS, than please at least consider this one.

Debian - http://cc51dfb2.tinylinks.co

When in doubt, why not go all the way back to where great distributions got started and jump into Debian (not to mention Ubuntu).  Debian has been the basis of so many different Linux distributions throughout the years, it is a great operating system.  With a lot of customization able to be accomplished, you get the familiarity of systems like Ubuntu, but grants a little more tinkering if you like to play with configuration files.

And with modest system requirements, Debian will run on even older hardware that you need to resurrect for other purposes.

I know there are plenty of other Linux Distributions floating around out there.  And some may even be more popular than the few I've listed here.  But if this article doesn't do anything other than remind you that there are other versions of Linux out there other than Ubuntu, than I have succeeded.  So if you're looking to jump into Linux for the first time, or even just looking for something fresh to play around with.  Swing by Distrowatch.com for a rather large list, and a great reference for Linux Distros.

Happy Surfing!

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