Specifications

70 | august 2008 www.linuxjournal.com
The Real Customers
Now, let’s talk about the users of our
Linux desktops. I’m a teacher as well, so
I have to use Linux in the same way our
teachers and students use it. That said,
I’m a geek, and sometimes we geeks
need to see the world through the eyes
of a typical user. Personally, I love using
Linux! I’m using it right now to type this
article, and never do I think, “Oh, how I
miss Microsoft Word.” Never!
In fact, it’s when I’m in a Windows
environment that I find myself missing
this feature or that feature. This is
why the argument that says Linux is
playing catchup with Windows is so
flawed. Sure, Linux uses a mouse and
icons and menus exactly like Windows
does, but what else would we use?
Is a hybrid car not innovative just
because it uses a steering wheel like
every other car? I say, “hogwash!”
Many features found in open-source
software are innovative, many of
which only recently, if at all, have
found their way into Windows. For
example, I love my multiple desktops,
and my productivity suffers without
them. I love tabbed browsing and
have used it for years. I love KDE, but
even more important, I love how the
desktop environment is not welded to
the operating system. Users can chose
KDE or GNOME or IceWM or have
no GUI at all (great for servers and
robots). I love, love, love the power of
the Bourne-Again shell (Bash). I could
spend the entire article sharing wonderful
features that are unique to Linux. However,
let’s get back on track.
My experience has been that
average adult computer users don’t
understand or even care about the
power of multiple desktops, scriptable
shells and so forth. For them, using a
computer is a means to an end. They
have a job to do, and the less the
computer gets in the way, the better.
The challenge comes when adults are
faced with the unfamiliar. I stress
adults here, because working with
children and teenagers has been a
totally different experience. Second-
graders come into the lab and, with
ease, use Linux to perform any task
they would in Windows or Mac OS X.
Teenagers line up and ask me to burn
them Linux CDs for their home com-
puters. However, most of you reading
this probably deal with adults, and we
adults are often old dogs.
They say that you can’t teach an
old dog new tricks. I don’t agree with
that, but sometimes old dogs do
growl and fuss and even bite when
forced to learn those new tricks. This
can be especially true if the users
aren’t very computer-savvy to begin
with. This means they are relying on
icons, menus and options being at
specific places and doing specific
things. For this reason, many open-
source programs try to replicate the
feel of software with which the
majority of adults are familiar. This is
understandable, and it makes the
transition easier than you might think.
Although I had a few instances of
resistance when we first switched to
open-source software, most of the
staff adapted quite well. Training is
needed, but that mechanism already
should be in place, regardless of
what software an organization uses.
Software and user interfaces change
over time, and users find themselves
adapting, regardless of whether the
switch is to Linux or the latest version
of Windows. Although adults often
resist change, they can change.
Actually, after a little time, they
become comfortable with the change
and may even be glad for the change.
I know many average computer users
who now sing the praises of
OpenOffice.org Writer, for example.
It has probably become apparent
that during these last five years, I’ve
become an advocate for Linux and
open-source software in general.
However, it would be dishonest of
me to sing praises only without
revealing the pitfalls I’ve encountered
over the years.
The Downside
As the system administrator, a real
thorn in my side has been hardware
compatibility. I’ve had little problem
installing Linux on a variety of com-
puters, but peripherals such as print-
ers, scanners and Webcams can be a
serious pain in the neck. Too many
hours have been wasted trying to
get unsupported hardware to work.
However, the lesson here is to buy
only from vendors who support Linux
with drivers and/or detailed specifica-
tions. As more organizations adopt
Linux, vendors either will have to
support Linux or lose their business
INDEPTH
Figure 3. Stellarium is an example of the quality programs available in open source.