I have this installed on my computer and it feels like old times. Ubuntu is a great operating system and I have missed many things about it. This is a big orange I can get behind. 

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Farewell Dual Boot

I just gave Windows 7 the boot in favor of a Linux based Ubuntu on my new to me laptop. I figure I can do what I need to do in my computing life without Microsoft. Of course there will be a website or two that doesn’t work well with Linux but that’s not a serious issue. I love open source stuff and Ubuntu works with me.

Surfing and blogging on the web with Ubuntu 14.04. I have dual booted Ubuntu and Windows 7 operating systems on my new to me laptop. Oh how I have missed you my Linux based friend.

Mozilla has issued the latest update to their Firefox browser, and unlike most recent releases this one packs some very significant changes. (via Mozilla Firefox 29 Released With Brand New Look | OMG! Ubuntu!)

I am using Firefox because its still a great browser and because there needs to be balance in competition with the other browsers.

Podcasts I’m Listening To

I have very nerdy tastes when it comes podcasts. I like to listen to things that inform and entertain me. As you see this list is kind of eclectic and uniquely me. If you want addresses for these podcasts let me know. 

New Operating System – Xubuntu

I am trying out a new Linux operating system and so far I like it. Xubuntu 13.04 is a flavor of the wildly popular distro Ubuntu.

It features many popular Open Source programs such as Firefox, Thunderbird, Gimp, Abiword and more. It also comes with access to the Ubuntu Software Center so you can download thousands of other programs too. It uses Xfce as its GUI environment which has the feel of earlier distros using Gnome 2.

I have had it on my computer for a couple of days and there is some learning to do but its a part of trying something new. Its a speedy desktop OS that does much of what you need it to do. To all the other Computer OS geeks out there I will share more as I go along. 

Reinstalled Operating System

I reinstalled my computers operating system. I kind of missed Ubuntu 12.04 so I am running with it for awhile. Lets see how it runs this time. 

Firefox and Tumblr

Is anyone having problems uploading photos to Tumblr using the Linux version of Firefox?

Ubuntu 12.10 A No-Go For Me

Today I downloaded Ubuntu 12.10 for kicks. I installed it on another laptop I have thats an older machine but does perform some things better than my primary laptop.

I installed it on that laptop and its slow as mud. Really I think Ubuntu is going backwards in creating a speedy environment for different configurations. Eventually many of us who have older systems will have to get machines that are more up-to-date and can handle the processes that new software demands. There are several things I didn’t like about Ubuntu 12.10 including not being able to install proprietary drivers out of the box and it seems to be a memory hog too. 

So, for me I will stick with Linux Mint 13 which is running well and has provided me a great desktop environment in MATE. I just hope they will keep the bloat to a minimum. 

No Ubuntu Update For Me

For the first time in ages I am not downloading an update to Ubuntu. On Thursday the 12.10 version was released to the masses and from what I have read its a good release with lots of bells and whistles. They have further refined the Unity desktop to interact more with the Web. However I am sitting this update out.

Since switching to Linux Mint a couple of months ago I have been very happy with its performance on our slightly older hardware. There is something good to be said about the MATE desktop environment. I am very pleased with Linux Mint and how it has a classic feel of earlier Ubuntu releases with all the power of the long term supported Ubuntu 12.04 at its core.

Ubuntu is going onward and upward in features and technology which seems to be slowing it down a bit. They have abandoned the 2-D version of Unity which is what I used on my laptop so it would run at its best. 

It wants to compete with Windows 8 and I think that’s great. Microsoft and Apple need some competition. However they need to be sure the widest array of hardware configurations can run the operating system with little problem so that they can a much bigger adoption. I like what Linux Mint has done by offering multiple desktop environments so it can be something for everyone.

What happens in the future will be interesting to watch. As for me I will continue to download updates and keep Linux Mint 13 (Maya) going as good as I can.