Some people have been wondering where I went. No, I did not get lost somewhere. For the past month, I have been compiling, configuring, and testing the Gentoo distribution of Linux. And to be honest, it is not in fully working condition. I installed it using the minimal method, which means that I started with almost nothing. It took me two weeks to get a desktop environment working and another 2 weeks to get certain things configured, such as my ATI video card. I tried to get XGL+Compiz working for those cooler than Vista effects, but that has been causing me some trouble. For now, I am focusing on getting the ipw2200, my wireless card to work with WPA.

But anyway, using Linux allows you to understand your computer. It also gives you control and customizations. If you don’t like something, you simply don’t download it. There is also a huge list of free open source software that is available. Most open source software is similar to the Windows software and some are even better. Choosing Gentoo was my mistake. It is not the easiest distribution to learn, but I felt that it was rewarding to have my desktop environment up.

For those who would like to try Linux, there are Live CDs where an installation is not necessary. Ubuntu will install without giving you any problems; it is tailored for noobs.

Check out: Ubuntu and Kororaa for more information if you’re interested in installing Linux. I’ve got a dual boot setup, so I can load Windows XP and Linux on my laptop. And hey, it free!

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 12th, 2007 at 7:18 pm, and is filed under Software. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.