Ubuntu on the Desktop, Day 2

Ubuntu on the Desktop, Day 2

Encountered my first hurdle, if you will using Ubuntu on the desktop. Adobe F-l-a-s-h. Seems FireFox needs Flash to properly render the Ubuntu One Music site. Despite multiple clicks and tries, I couldn't get to a screen that would allow me as a poor little user to install the proper Adobe Flash plugin.

Ok Linux, I was thinking you'd throw me a hard one.

Time to dust-off the ol' terminal fu-skills.

Here's how I "solved" my f-l-a-s-h dilemma. Your mileage may vary:

- Login as "root"

- Launch a terminal session (keyboard shortcut, Ctrl +Alt +T)

- Type "sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer" without the quotes and press the Enter key

- Launch Firefox to confirm Flash Player by visiting http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

Nice, Linux!

Using Ubuntu on the Desktop

Using Ubuntu on the Desktop

So I've decided to make a concerted effort to use Linux on the desktop.  Why not Ubuntu?  Heading over to Ubuntu's website, two offerings for the desktop are available:  12.04 LTS or 13.04 9 (for those wanting the latest features). Of course, I want the latest features!

The ISO download at 794MB goes pretty quickly.  I fire it up in VMware workstation, creating a new VM using the default selections with dual core processor, 2gb ram and 20GB allocated disk space.

Soon enough, Ubuntu finished its' install routine and I was up and running.

First, I signed-up for the free Ubuntu One cloud service, to automatically sync between my Linux desktops.  It's actually billed as the, "the personal cloud that brings your digital life together! With Ubuntu One you can: Backup and sync all your documents, files, music and photos across your devices; Access them from anywhere; and get 5GB of storage for free" Ok. With that in mind, I'm eager to see if the hype is true.  

Next up was to check to ensure I had the latest version of all my software.

After setting my TimeZone parameters, my thoughts turned immediately to thinking, hey this Linux stuff is pretty cool, but what about the applications? Everyone knows Linux has no "real" software for getting work done, right? That's why we all use Microsoft Windows isn't it? I was pleasantly surprised to find a full-fledged Office Automation productivity suite, in the form of LibreOffice.

For system monitoring, Ubuntu has a nice built-in app to stay on top of CPU, Memory and Network utilization areas. Very cool.

Finally, I do a lot of work by remoting into various workstations and servers. Would Ubuntu support this requirement. Unequivocally, Yes. 

I'll close this first post by summarizing the Ubuntu setup and configuration process as very easy. There is no reason why the average tech enthusiast shouldn't be using Linux on the desktop in 2013.