Ubuntu Linux with Compiz Fusion = awesome!

It all just worked - including the integrated wifi, bluetooth, sound, mic, and integrated 2 MP web camera. I only had to do manual config to get hibernate/resume working, see details. Bought a new Dell Studio and upon booting Windows Vista for the first time, I discovered Vista is a pig consuming ~1 GB just to boot up. Had already been playing around with Ubuntu for many months and liked it, however, I wasn't sure it would support all my needs. I was wrong.

I installed Ubuntu with Wubi. Ubuntu only takes ~350 MB to boot up. I added the Compiz Fusion composite window manager and enable 3D for productivity and the sheer enjoyment of using it. Can't keep my kids off my computer now. I configured the Evolution mail client for my various mail accounts and am quite pleased. Installed Skype, Java 6, Maven, Ant, Apache Tomcat, JBoss, GlassFish, MySQL, Eclipse, and NetBeans so my development environment is mostly good-to-go.

With Eclipse, NetBeans, MySQL, FireFox, Evolution, and Skype all running simultaneously Ubuntu is still under 1 GB with 0% swap space consumed. Microsoft - what is wrong!!!

Windows Vista as it came from Dell without Office or Outlook and no additional third party programs other than FireFox consumed ~18 GB of hard disk space. The default Ubuntu with FireFox, and Open Office along with the addition of Skype, Java 6 SDK, Maven, Ant, Apache Tomcat, JBoss, GlassFish, MySQL, Eclipse, and NetBeans, and a few other utility programs installed still consumed < 6 GB of hard disk space. Microsoft, WTF!

Now if those few Windows only websites and programs would just get with the program. Anyway, I'll just run Windows under VMware so I can continue to test applications on Windows and use my Windows only programs and access Internet Explorer only web sites. I'll also use a VMware image for Oracle since that is a pig too.

Thanks to Davis Ford for opening my eyes to a better world.

Cheat sheet
Compiz Fusion - 3D desktop
GnomeDo - search/launch agent
Wubi - windows installer within NTFS partition
LVPM - Loop mounted Virtual Partition Manager (LVPM) can move wubi install to dedicated partition
sudo - super user do
apt-get - install, update, remove utility

Moving wubi install to dedicated partition
Sofeng's Blog
Create separate home partition
bcdedit - to edit Vista boot loader, boot.ini is gone as of Vista
bcdedit /delete {} to remove previous boot entry

Comments

Pieter said…
Hehe, spread the word brother!
October 26, 2008 at 11:20 AM
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