How Do I Install Software?
Every user migrating from Windows to Linux has asked something along the lines of “why is installing applications in Linux like pulling teeth, when it's so easy in Windows?” But is the process in Windows really that user-friendly? To install most programs and applications in Windows, you must acquire and then double-click on an .exe file in order to run a setup script as an executable. With Linux, you simply go to Add/Remove Applications in the Applications menu to add and remove applications. To a total novice this would be a natural place to check. To a more advanced user, this is automatically discarded as a semi-effective removal-only tool, as it is in Windows.
One of the reasons that Linux is less prone to viruses and malware in general is because there are no .exe files. While an .exe holds not only the application data but also the means to install itself, Linux “packages” only hold the application data. You must run package-management software to install programs and applications. Due to strict user-account controls, you are prompted for your password whenever a package manager tries to install a package. The screen will shade and a dialog box will appear and ask you to enter your password, just like when we updated the system. Nothing will install to the root file system without your password being entered each time, meaning malicious software can't simply install itself into your system as a background process.
I'm sure that your next question is “where do I find and acquire packages?” With Windows, you can go to the store and buy software or download it from the Web. In Linux, open your package management software and you can browse the available software by category or search for a specific title in the search box. The package-management software that comes with Ubuntu is linked to a software repository database or “repo.” The Ubuntu repos have all the software packages that have been tested as compatible with your version.
If you are looking for a specific title that is not in the official repos, you can still find packages online. Ubuntu's .deb files are the closest thing to an .exe. You can download and double-click on a .deb just like you would an .exe file in Windows, while doing so will simply open a package manager. Gdebi is the package manager that will open to install .deb files.
While Add/Remove Applications is the most user-friendly way to install programs and applications, Synaptic Package Manager in the System/Administration menu can install any package (programs, applications, libraries, codecs, plug-ins, etc.). Synaptic Package Manager has all the functionality of Add/Remove Applications and then some. When you are more comfortable with Linux, you'll want to use Synaptic for package management.
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If you forget your username, you are plain stupid. But it is not an issue. Boot up in safe mode/recovery mode or whatever. Once at the recovery mode screen, choose to start terminal as root. You can type "ls /home" to list users. You're username will be there.
Type "passwd yourusername" hit enter and type in your new password type. Remember it this time dummy. Confirm it by typing again. Remember linux is case sensitive.
You've succesfully changed your password and recovered your username. Type "exit" funnily enough and boot into Ubuntu.
You win!!!
I tried out Ubuntu Ibex (dual boot with vista) for a little while a couple of months back. It was simple to install and I loved the GNOME desktop but I found that some of the software I installed didn't work and my wireless wouldn't work. I searched a lot on line (wired access of course) but every suggestion I tried didn't solve my issues. Since I loved the GNOME desktop so much though I recently tried out FEDORA 10. It's working perfectly for me (only had it a week but used it a lot already). I haven't booted to vista since bar once just to check that I can actually dual boot. I'll probably use Fed for my work and vista only for my games when I'm bored with my PS3.
I love Linux, I've been using it since my college days (actually, I needed it, along with Unix, for engineering work). I think it's a bit complicated for the average Joe that just does not know any better than to point and click, especially if you have to play with it in the cli and the actual inner workings of the OS. Linux has come a long way but it still needs to polish some rough edges associated with the OS. Some of these issues are not the OS fault for example gaming, proprietary drivers, patent ridden codecs, etc. I hate it when I have problems with my video card drivers (yeah ATI), I hate it when a printer is just not supported (yeah Lexmark). Anyways, Linux is in the way up and I think this (rough edges) is going to change soon. I will continue to use Linux for a long time, heck I never actually used Windows ME or XP as my primary OS, Linux was my primary OS before that (Debian 2.0 rings a bell, ha)
Other people may well disagree, but the last time i tried ubuntu (8.04) It took me over 30hours to get my wifi card working, and that's depsite fllowing letter for letter guides written by other people.
I wouldnt mind but I consider myself extremely knowledgeable most of the time I used to install fairly complex multi-server networks, and the card that wouldnt work is a netgear wpn311 - not even an uncommon model.
Windows - literally plug and play, less than 5 minute job including shutdown and reboot, clearly linux has a way to go before it is acceptable for everyone.
I want to love Linux, I really do, but overall Windows makes things easier. In this day and age we shouldn't need to go to a CLI, I haven't really done that in anger since I used my old BBC Micro. I hate the fact that when I finally figure out how to get one of the many different package types to finally install, I then can't find where the program has actually gone. At least with Windows you say exactly where the program is to reside. Lets be honest, most people don't care about /usr /home /var etc etc. Outside of the Linux (UNIX?) world it means nothing and adds nothing but confusion. OK it does make sure everything is in its place but it also adds complexity. If I want to install a program on Windows I double click the install program and off it goes, installs and then adds a shortcut to the start menu. Simple. Windows even now asks for authorisation before running an executable. It isn't perfect, nor as secure as the Linux way, but a darn site easier. As I said, I want to love Linux, I want it to be easy to use and simple from an average users perspective. I love computers, always have, but I like using them, not fudging around 'under the hood' when I just want to install a simple program. Until that day I am resigned to using Windows with all the risks that go with that
What people generally confuse themselves with regards to drivers is that it's not a Linux issue. The problem is with the manufacturers of the hardware. They restrict themselves to creating windows only drivers, which means the Linux community have a hard time trying to reverse engineer those drivers to make one that will work with Linux. If the manufacturers of hardware were to release Linux drivers then these issues would simply disappear.
So for those people with misconceptions about problems with hardware and drivers, think for a second where did your windows driver come from?
People fail to realise that drivers under Linux for the vast majority have been painstakingly created from little or no knowledge of the underlying hardware. For the drivers that do work flawlessly and lets come on and admit it there is a lot of them now, hats off to the dedicated developer community for persevering.
Don't get me wrong I love Windows XP, and before that Windows 98/se but I have used linux for over 5 years and the progress these developers have made is truly amazing. I am no Linux fan boy, I have been using a Mac for more than 2 years now but have other machines that run a gamut of OS's.
smartroad, the thing is, if you want to install something in ubuntu, you can do it with a gui too. Just go to System, then Administration (I don't really know the english version of it, so I might as well be wrong), and then click synaptic. Then, you will be able to search, select and install/update whatever packages are listed on your repositories. If you want to have all your applications to be in a specific location, then you should compile from source. That won't be as easy and will require a cli, unless someone writes a script for it.
But I don't think we should be afraid of cli, there are many thing you can do a lot faster in a terminal than using a gui. There are gui tools for just about everything you will need using linux, it's just that using the cli is faster and easier on experienced users, that's why we are trying to teach the cli to newcomers.
I'll switch to Linux when Adobe release their software on it.
kthxbai
I have now actually switched to UNR on my NC10 and to be fair it is a much better experiance then I was expecting. There are a few nags I have, unlike windows it doesn't simply switch to my external monitor when I plug it in, for one thing. But on the whole it is a much better and easier experience then when I first used SUSE linux back in '98
I also want to love Linux, and the only reason I still stick with Windows, is its ample game support... but that is not Linux's fault, off course...
~ Mortov Molotov