Making Linux A Genuine Windows Replacement

• March 12, 2013
• By :Er.Somesh Bhardwaj

With Windows 8 casting a long shadow over the PC industry and Valve committing to create Linux-based gaming PCs, there’s never been a better time to start using Linux. For many users, the Linux desktop is now there — so many applications have moved to the cloud, hardware support has improved, and the desktop has been polished. You can even watch Netflix and play a variety of games on Steam — two big holes that have been filled recently.

We’ll be starting with Ubuntu 12.10 for this tutorial. Ubuntu 12.10 is a more complete desktop than Windows out-of-the-box, coming with the LibreOffice office suite, Firefox and Thunderbird for web browsing and email, Transmission for BitTorrent, and applications for everything from watching videos and playing music to instant messaging and tweeting.

Installing Ubuntu

While installing Ubuntu, you’ll be asked whether you want to install some third-party software. This package includes Flash and codecs for listening and watching a variety of common music and video formats. Unless you have an ideological objection to installing closed-source software and patent-encumbered codecs, be sure to install this.

Once you’ve installed Ubuntu and rebooted into your new system, ensure you install the latest updates using the Software Updater application that appears.

Videos & DVDs

First we’ll look at ways to play videos — either from your hard drive, DVDs, or the cloud.

• VLC: You may also want to install VLC, although the default Movie Player application (Totem) should work fine for most users. If you want VLC, open the Ubuntu Software Center after rebooting into your installed Ubuntu system, search for VLC, and install it.
• DVD Support: Ubuntu — and other Linux distributions – can’t play DVDs out-of-the-box. All commercially produced DVDs are protected with CSS encryption, which only licensed DVD players can decode normally. However, the CSS encryption is incredibly weak, and it’s trivial to break the encryption whenever you insert the DVD into your computer — breaking the encryption will allow you to watch the DVDs you legally own and have paid for. However, breaking the encryption — yes, even to watch DVDs you’ve paid for — is a crime in many countries. The Ubuntu wiki has instructions for installing DVD support, but you should check your local laws before installing it.
• Netflix: While most web apps will work normally in Linux, Netflix won’t — it’s using Microsoft’s Silverlight for its video player. In spite of Microsoft’s promises about Silverlight being cross-platform, they’ve refused to cooperate with the Moonlight project on this. If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you’ll want to install the Netflix Desktop app so you can play Netflix. Netflix Desktop contains a patched version of Wine that has Microsoft’s Silverlight plug-in working properly — however, it’s a very slick and easy-to-use solution.

To install Netflix Desktop, open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ehoover/compholio
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install netflix-desktop

You can then open the Netflix Desktop app from your Dash and follow the instructions. Press the F11 key to toggle between full-screen and windowed modes.

You may also want to install the excellent XBMC media center, which you can grab from the Ubuntu Software Center.

Web Browsers

Ubuntu’s default Firefox browser is okay, but I’ve preferred Chrome for a long time. If you also prefer Chrome, visit Chrome’s download page and download the DEB file for Ubuntu. Double-click it and install it — you can then open Chrome and log into Chrome sync with your Google account details. The Linux version of Chrome supports web apps, extensions, and all the other good stuff the Windows version supports.

If you’re an Opera fan, you’ll be happy to know that Opera also provides an official Linux version.

Instant Messaging and Voice Chat

Ubuntu supports a variety of instant messaging and voice chat applications, from Google Talk to Skype.

• Pidgin: Ubuntu’s default Empathy instant messaging client is okay, too — but I’ve always preferred Pidgin. Like most open-source apps you might want, Pidgin is available from the Ubuntu Software Center. It’s cross-platform, so you can easily move your Pidgin settings between Linux and Windows.
• Google Voice and Video Chat Plugin: The voice and video chat plugin allows you to participate in Hangouts, have voice calls, and call phones from within Gmail.
• Skype: You may also want to install the official Skype for Linux. However, Skype for Linux has always been a bit behind the times — even before Microsoft purchased them.
• Mumble: The Mumble voice chat program, often used  by gamers, also has an official Linux version. You’ll find it in Ubuntu’s Software Center.

PC Games

Steam for Linux was recently released, and it’s now in open beta — you can head to the Steam website and download the installer package for Ubuntu. Steam for Linux currently offers about 62 supported games. If you’ve purchased Humble Indie Bundles, you should have quite a few games that already support Linux — although the Linux versions may not have been added to Steam yet. Even if you’ve never used Steam before, Team Fortress 2 is free to play and works on Linux.

Expect to see many more games come as Valve releases their own Linux-based console, porting all their own games over and giving third-party developers a good reason to support Linux.

Cloud Storage

These days, almost everyone has some sort of cloud storage service they use — if only to transfer files between a few computers or other devices. Many cloud storage services offer official Linux clients:

• Dropbox: Dropbox is the most mature cloud storage service in many ways, so of course it offers a Linux client. You’ll want to install the Linux client if you use Dropbox.
• Ubuntu One: Don’t count Ubuntu One out — it works great on Ubuntu, where it’s preinstalled. However, Ubuntu One also offers Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS clients, so you can use it almost anywhere.
• Google Drive: This is a sore spot — Google promised the Linux version of Drivewas “a priority” but it hasn’t materialized in the nine months since. If you’re a Google Drive user, your best option is probably the third-party Insync client for Google Drive.

SpiderOak and Wuala also offer official Linux clients.

Office Documents

Ubuntu and most other Linux distributions come with the LibreOffice office suite, which is based on OpenOffice, already installed. It’s a great package of software that will be fine for most people. You can even use it on Windows to save money on Microsoft Office. However, its compatibility with Microsoft Office documents is not perfect. If you don’t like LibreOffice, you have some other options:

• Office Web Apps: Microsoft provides free Office Web Apps. They run in your browser, so they can be used on Linux. If a Microsoft Office document isn’t loading properly in LibreOffice, you may want to give the Office Web Apps a try.
• Google Docs: My personal solution of choice. If you don’t care too much about compatibility with Microsoft Office documents, Google Docs works well on Linux, too.
• Microsoft Office on Linux: If you want the real Microsoft Office, you can use Wine to install it. Wine allows you to run Windows programs on Linux — however, it’s also not perfect. If you have a more recent version of Microsoft Office, it won’t work in Wine. All versions of Office will run perfectly in a virtual machine like VirtualBox, so that may be your best, most stable option. (See below for more information about VirtualBox).

Tools of the Trade

As a tech blogger, I need a few tools that you might be interested in, too:

• GIMP: It’s no longer installed by default, but GIMP is the most powerful image manipulation program for Linux (short of running Photoshop in Wine). As a fan ofPaint.NET on Windows, I gave the Paint.NET-inspired Pinta a try — but Pinta just isn’t powerful enough for me yet. You’ll find GIMP and Pinta in Ubuntu’s Software Center.
• Shutter: Shutter is a powerful screenshot-taking tool that you can install from the Ubuntu Software Center. Most users will probably fine with the screenshot tool included in Ubuntu, though — press Print Screen or search for Screenshot in the dash to activate it.
• VirtualBox: Virtual machines allow you to run other operating systems in a window on your desktop. If you don’t want to play any Windows games, this is a great solution for running the occasional Windows program on Linux. VirtualBox is in the Ubuntu Software Center

That’s about it for my Linux desktop — between web apps like Rdio for playing music (there’s a Spotify app for Linux if you’re a Spotify user, however), and the default apps for everything else (Gedit can take the place of Notepad++ as a solid text editor), Linux is a better alternative to Windows than it’s ever been. The one dark spot is still games, but there’s Wine for installing Windows games if you want to get your hands dirty. We’ll be seeing many more games with Valve’s Linux-based Steam Box on the horizon, too.

For more great Linux applications you might be interested in installing, check out our list ofthe best Linux software. If you’re interested in learning more about Ubuntu, download our free beginner’s guide to Ubuntu.

Are there any other must-install applications you use on your Linux desktop? Leave a comment and share them!

4 Strange And Disturbing Linux Distros You Probably Won’t Be Installing

Linux is the operating system of choice for those who decide to go their own way. The open source model means the building blocks are there for you if you decide that you need your very own operating system.

This has resulted in more Linux distros than you could ever imagine. There are tiny distros like Puppy, chunky distros like Debian and some altogether more sinister efforts, which is what we’ve got here.

I’ll be saving the very worst for last, so prepare yourselves…

Ubuntu Satanic Edition

The distro of choice for satanists the world over, Ubuntu Satanic Edition is proof that there’s an Ubuntu distro for everyone. Based on Ubuntu 10.10, the team behind Ubuntu SE really don’t seem to like Unity. In fact, they consider Ubuntu 10.10’s rustic GNOME 2 desktop environment to be “the pinnacle of Ubuntu development” though the developers appear to be closer to dark theme fetishists than true devil worshipers.

If you’d like to try out Satan’s own OS then you’ll have to download a live CD, which the team have predictably dubbed the “undead CD”, though I can’t really see why you’d be doing that. Aside from a tasty dose of eye-strain from the red-on-black-on-blood skinning choices, Ubuntu SE is more a novelty choice than a serious OS. Sure, there is more heavy metal and pentagram wallpapers than your average open source project, but the software (Firefox, Gedit and so on) remains largely the same.

Ubuntu Satanic Edition has received numerous complaints and messages of discouragement. A quick glance at the news section reveals that Ubuntu SE 666.10 “Necrophiliac Neuromancer” doesn’t go down too well in the web’s Christian circles.

Hannah Montana Linux

While most people won’t find Hannah Montana Linux anywhere near as “offensive” as the previous distro, it’s still probably not going to be your OS of choice unless you watch way too much Disney channel. To cut the project some slack, the author has admitted: “I thought – what would attract young users to Linux? So I created this idea after a lot of reading and work.”

So it’s designed to attract young children to Linux, a task many of us would dread I’m sure. The distro itself is little more than a re-skinned Kubuntu, and boy what a skin! The standard KDE menu has become the Hannah Montana Menu, the background is a sickly pink and according to one reviewer the lack of GIMP, LibreOffice or KOffice is a bit of an oversight for an educational distro.

Ok, so it’s not particularly disturbing or offensive but there’s no denying it’s a strange project to pour all that time into.

Red Star OS

The first of the politically charged distributions on this list, Red Star OS is the Linux distribution of choice in North Korea. The project began in 2002 in a bid to replace the country’s dependence on Microsoft Windows, which was the primary OS of choice in the country up until then.

The OS only comes in Korean and features a modified version of Mozilla Firefox called Naenara. This web browser connects to the country’s intranet known as Kwangmyong, a walled-garden approach which has no bridge to the standard Internet we know and love.

Red Star OS uses KDE 3 and is currently in its second version. It can be found in universities, libraries and other institutions across the country, though private computer ownership is not common in North Korea.

Apartheid Linux

And the award for the worst Linux distribution ever to grace the Internet goes to Apartheid Linux, a distribution that’s as offensive and disgusting as it is pointless. As you can see from the slightly modified banner above, this is a racially-charged Linux distro for ignorant white people.

I really am struggling to see why a group of self-professed “white nationalist” require their own operating system, but a look at the release notes reveals the distro is based on PCLinuxOS, comes with Tor installed (I wonder why) and mostly comprises of swastika wallpapers and other such offensive material.

I’m not going to be linking to the website responsible as I’d loathe to provide them with traffic or downloads. Of all the flavors of Linux on the web, this has to be the strangest and most disturbing I’ve ever seen.

Conclusion

I’ve used Linux extensively in the past, and I must say those days are behind me. However, if I was going to use it again I’d probably not choose any of the above. While Hannah Montana Linux, Ubuntu Satanic Edition and Red Star OS are more obscure than they are disturbing, there’s no denying that Apartheid Linux is just plain wrong.

Do you know of any similar obscure distros? Have you heard of any of the above? Maybe you’ve used one? Add your thoughts, shock and disgust to the comments below.