Linux wins over new fans

While it is hard to estimate how many everyday users have defected from Windows or Apple software to join the open-source movement, Ubuntu (pronounced oo-boon-too) has emerged as one of the Linux desktop packages of choice for those looking for a basic desktop alternative.

Open-source software generally refers to programs such as Linux and Firefox where the source code can be modified upon the request of users or other developers.

Researcher IDC recently surveyed more than 5000 developers from 116 countries, and found the use of open-source software to be "pervasive, used by almost three-quarters of organisations and spanning hundreds of thousands of projects".

Government IT departments looking to cut costs associated with proprietary packages software are also being encouraged to embrace open-source software and, last week, India's communist-run Kerala state announced plans to reduce Microsoft's dominance in schools by promoting the use of Linux.

Popular flavours of Linux include Red Hat and SUSE and, while these are gaining traction at the enterprise level, a strong belief persists that the operating system is not ready for ordinary desktop users.

To set itself apart, Ubuntu markets itself as "Linux for human beings" and, while those who have joined the movement praise its easy installation and the range of pre-packaged software, James Dumay, a member of Sydney Linux User Group, said it hadn't always been the case.

"Until recently Linux desktop applications were not ready for consumption by the general public because a lot of people were writing a lot applications to do various tasks and these didn't conform to any one standard. This caused problems with usability and inconsistency across applications," he said.

However projects such as GNOME have introduced new guidelines to ensure consistency across common desktop operations, he said.

Ubuntu can be downloaded or shipped in disk format free to users. Also bundled with the OS is the OpenOffice software suite (which includes word processor, presentation and spreadsheet applications), the Firefox browser, email and instant messaging tools, media player software and support for a wide range of peripherals such as webcams and printers.

However not all popular applications are available out of the box, especially when it comes to graphics and gaming. Although users can choose from an enormous range of applications for the OS, such as image-editing program The GIMP, or Cedega for running PC games on top of Linux, these must be sourced and downloaded individually.

Full story at SMH