Oh, dear, you've opened the door... <disclaimer>I am a Linux whacko. However, I mean "whacko" in the sense that I am whacko nuts about Linux, not that I am a whacko zealot about other people's OS choice. I will, however, try to convince people to use Linux at the drop of a hat.</disclaimer>
So,if you are used to Mac OS X, and, more importantly, *like* Mac OS X, it is very possible that you will not like Linux at all. Also, if you are deeply entrenched -- with apps, mostly -- into Mac OS or Windows, say, then it can be quite difficult in the short term to switch to anything else, let alone to Linux. So this is going to be a non-linear rambling about the pros and cons. With Linux, there is, unfortunately, a lot of misinformation. A lot of OLD information, a lot of FUD, a lot of apples-to-oranges comparisons. So lets try to get a couple of things out of the way. - Ignore any description of Linux that is older than 2 years. - Try to stick to one distribution, and ignore comparisons or descriptions of others, for the time being. I suggest Ubuntu, or, possibly even better, Linux Mint, which is like Ubuntu++, but is just a bit less well known. I'm going to start saying "Ubuntu" in the rest of this diatribe. - Ignore any descriptions or comparisons involving the *installation and setup* phase. This, IMO, is one of the biggest points of FUD about Linux. The point that is most often missed is that Mac OS and Windows users *don't ever install their OS*. Also, this phase is either going to be insanely easy, or next to impossible. 95% of new uesrs will actually find it to be *insanely easy*. - Ubuntu is just plain different in the way it is put together. It is not so different, though, at, a 30 thousand foot level. Point, click, mousy mousy, window window -- all modern OSes are basically the same. But the subtle differences will be frustrating at first. It doesn't make Ubuntu harder to use, just different, much like riding a motorcycle is not harder than a car[1], just different. Okay, not a motorcycle, say, a manual transmission vs an automatic one. That's probably a better analogy. Ok, so, step number 1: throw out all your old apps. Just forget they even exist, they will not work, period. That's probably the hardest step. If you cannot get over that hurdle, then stop right there. Step two: try before you buy. Download Ubuntu live CD and try it. It won't install anything or mess up your current computer, but you will be able to preview a fully functional Ubuntu desktop. Step 3: find an old computer to install it on, or try dual boot The best thing about Ubuntu, IMO, is the massive ecosystem of free apps, of which Scribus is just one. Maybe step (0) is: migrate to all free apps on your current OS. The GIMP, Inkscape, Scribus, Firefox, and MANY other "standard" Ubuntu apps have MAc OS or Windows ports. Hey, I said this was non-linear. Speaking of non-linear, I have a nozzle platypus hose beam. Yachting prospectus? Okay, thank you, and have a good night. Seeya. > > I would like to make the switch from Macintosh to a good Linux > distribution because I like Apple's choices less and less these days. > However, the Mac OS is deeply embedded in my life and I don't have much time > to explore other options these days. I imagine that the Mac OS will continue > to be my main OS for at least the next five years. > > Best, > John > > > _______________________________________________ > scribus mailing list > scribus at lists.scribus.info > http://lists.scribus.info/mailman/listinfo/scribus > [1] Well, ok, it is harder than a car. -- JDS -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.scribus.info/pipermail/scribus/attachments/20090801/32c1352b/attachment.htm>
