Linux without virus

OKaY! So you’re sick of the old computer and want a new one. You have it all figured out a nice processor with a lot of RAM, an elegant TFT screen and of course, a huge hard drive to store all your ‘stuff’.

You go to the store, give your specifications, browse the models and the options for operating systems.

Going all legal is an expensive proposition. Windows itself costs a great deal of money and once you add on an office package, anti virus software and a firewall (with paid renewal every year), you realise that you haven’t really budgeted for all of it.

What if you could find a way to keep software costs down and spend your money on hardware and that sleek 22 inch TFT monitor?

Ubuntu joy

Enter open source. Many years ago, Bruce Perens published the ‘Open Source Definition’, outlining a philosophy of software development that gave anybody the right to possess, install, redistribute and re-engineer software free of charge.

Ubuntu, tagged ‘Linux for human beings’, is becoming popular among home users. You can order a free Ubuntu installation CD with free shipping at www.ubuntu.com (Yes! You will not be charged even for shipping.)

Installing Ubuntu is simple. Its installation, by default, includes the Mozilla Firefox web-browser and Pidgin, an instant messaging client that lets you use Yahoo, MSN AIM and GoogleTalk in a single window.

The package comes with OpenOffice, with a word processor, a spreadsheet and a database programme and a presentation tool. Evolution Mail, an Email programme is also a part of the default package.

No virus!

You do not need an anti virus package because most computer viruses are designed to attack Windows computers.

Once the initial install is done, your computer can connect to the Internet and download all the updates.

In case there is any hardware on your system that you don’t have drivers for, Ubuntu will download them automatically.

Your Internet enabled Ubuntu computer will be able to connect to a global repository of over 20,000 Linux applications from where you could download and install any programme you like, absolutely free of cost.

The add-ons

Playing MP3s and movies require some additional work. You will have to install the MP3 codec via Synaptic Package Manager. Media players like VLC and Totem that play all video and audio types can be performed via the Package Manager without having to visit any product websites.

There is a programme called WINE (www.winehq.com) that allows you to use windows programs on Linux. This works well with Microsoft Office and some games, but other programmes may not perform as expected. If downloading is your thing, Azureus and Limewire are available for Linux.

One of the advantages of being on Ubuntu is the vast support network available.

There are thousands of pages of information out there on virtually every problem that you can encounter.

Volunteers offering help will be patient with you if they know that you are a total newbie.

Make it a point to join one of the discussion groups and put your questions to the more experienced users.

Teething trouble

So, Ubuntu is free, all the applications are free, you don’t have to worry about virus, hey, that’s like having a supermodel girlfriend who is a cordon bleu chef and has a PhD in particle physics, right? Not quite.

Ubuntu comes with some constraints. A majority of the world’s computers run or Windows or a related platform. Many business applications do not have a Linux version simply because it will not be worth anybody’s time to produce.

Also, the idea of paying for software goes against the essence of Linux and Open Sources.

If you’re looking for a computer that you can use to surf the Internet, check Email, chat, listen to music and watch videos, Ubuntu is for you.