Using Linux at Work
I’ve been programming since a younger age, and Linux has all the time appeared like a pure development, particularly as my growth surroundings is PHP/MySQL/Apache. Some time in the past, this was all executed on a Red Hat put in system, utilizing the “Plesk” internet interface. Although I spent fairly just a few hours on the console checking out issues, Plesk hid the true nitty gritty from me and I used to be typically simply following “How Tos” to be able to get issues mounted. In saying that, I did handle to put in writing a wrapper script that mounted a compatibility between MailMan and Plesk, so I wasn’t doing too badly. However, I’d hardly say I felt assured in Linux, and utilizing it for my day after day work appeared unusually horrifying.
They say that necessity is the mom of invention, and this ties in vastly with productiveness. Windows has all the time executed all the pieces I’ve wanted it to do, and shifting OS supplied little or no profit to my productiveness. It was simply loads of trouble and a steep studying curve.
However, round 18 months in the past, I constructed a file server for my LAN, utilizing a VIA Epia 800MHz motherboard and a few 200GB arduous drives. With Windows put in, it was so sluggish that I had 10 or 20 second delays when making an attempt to entry the share throughout the community. The overhead of Windows was simply too nice for it to work successfully – odd for such a minor job. Finally I had the need and I made a decision to present (linkout:http://fedora.redhat.com) Fedora Core 4 a go. Fedora is the free model of Red Hat, and is definitely used on many internet servers (together with this one). It’s use on internet servers was a key purpose to selecting this, as I wished an surroundings that was just like the Red Hat field I used to be used to, whereas additionally studying expertise that could possibly be transposed instantly over to internet server administration. Interestingly, a Fedora is the kind of hat proven within the Red Hat brand (one thing a girlfriend of mine needed to level out to me), so it’s actually just a little play on phrases.
Installing Core 4 was painless and earlier than I knew it, I had arrange a completely safe file server that was virtually on the spot to entry. It was wonderful how a lot distinction in efficiency there was. When mapped as a community drive, it felt prefer it was a drive in my laptop.
One of the good issues about Linux, is its flexibility. If you’ll be able to suppose it, you are able to do it. So immediately, I began including extra performance to my machine. Remote entry, streaming MP3 servers – I may even test the temperature of my arduous drives by way of an online browser. Although a lot of this was executed by way of the console, I nonetheless began to get a very good really feel for the GUI utilizing VNC.
About six months in the past, I made a decision that I used to be lastly snug sufficient with Fedora to present it a go as my workplace machine. Down got here an ISO of Fedora Core 5, and I ready a machine. The machine I constructed was a 3.06GHz Pentium 4 with HyperThreading, an ATI Radeon 9200 and 2GB of reminiscence. By immediately’s requirements, a reasonably low-end machine. But greater than sufficient for my wants.
Installing Fedora was no downside and I felt immediately at dwelling. One of the advantages of Fedora is “yum”. Using this, I can set up purposes with out having to search out the supply and compile it. From the console, “yum install firefox” would obtain and set up the most recent model of FireFox, compiled for my system. By utilizing the yum system, you’ll be able to periodically run “yum update” and any newer packages might be downloaded and up to date. There can be a GUI entrance finish to yum, must you be afraid of utilizing the console.
Yum is much from excellent although. New packages can typically kill your set up from incompatibility and rolling again to a earlier model isn’t precisely apparent. Each package deal will even have dependencies on different packages. When putting in this isn’t a difficulty, as it’s going to additionally obtain the opposite packages wanted. But this will make eradicating applications just a little difficult. I as soon as tried to uninstall CUPS, as I wasn’t utilizing a printer on this machine, and it tried to take away everything of Gnome (the default graphical interface in Fedora).
There are additionally a number of repositories that may battle. Unlike Windows Update nonetheless, you’ll be able to replace all the pieces – not simply the bottom OS.
Very shortly I had sufficient purposes put in to go about my day by day duties. For e-mail, I used Thunderbird. I discovered this to be notably good, as its assist for IMAP was a lot better than Outlook. For occasion, I may cache e-mails beneath a sure dimension – an choice I’ve not seen in Outlook.
For looking, I naturally used Firefox. I did nonetheless want to put in a package deal of ordinary fonts that many websites use. This made a giant distinction.
For on the spot messaging, I got here throughout aMSN. Unlike GAIM, this has virtually the entire performance of Microsoft MSN Messenger, together with file transfers and Avatar footage.
For workplace work, I take advantage of OpenOffice. Quite actually, there may be nothing I do every day that may’t be executed utilizing this suite and extra individuals ought to think about using it. The solely concern I had was when creating the graphs for our graphics card evaluations. Although it labored high quality, it was rendered in another way and I wanted it to match.
The piece of software program I’ve been most impressed with, is GIMP. I’ve all the time used Paint Shop Pro, and by no means actually preferred Photoshop, however I couldn’t imagine how shortly I obtained used to it and the way highly effective it truly is. For reference, I lower out the photographs in latest evaluations of the Port Ergostation and the MACS TEC Cooler utilizing GIMP.
I used to be fairly stunned at what number of items of software program are already ported to Linux, equivalent to Skype and Picasa. Much of this could possibly be resulting from software program being coded for Mac use as effectively, which is simpler to port to Linux than Windows code.
Recently, Fedora Core 6 was launched and with it got here some quite fancy trying desktop results, which use OpenGL to render them. I upgraded my Core 5 set up and set it up utilizing yum. I would add that I initially determined to do a graphics card improve and tried a Radeon X1600 and a GeForce 7600 GT. Both of those playing cards gave me horrible driver points and by no means obtained both of them working fully. However, getting the Radeon 9200 to work was very simple and amazingly, carried out effectively. This is odd, as I’ve usually heard higher issues concerning the nVidia Linux drivers.
The new desktop results renders all 4 desktops on to a 3D dice that may be spun round. Other results embrace wobbly home windows, the place home windows wobble as they’re moved, maximized or restored. You can even alter the transparancy of any window (though it did battle when making an attempt to take action with Mplayer..). You can even zoom in, or have each window open represented on one display screen so you’ll be able to choose what you need.
For an instance of what XGL does to the look of Linux, check out this third occasion YouTube video. As effectively as the consequences described above, it simply usually makes the interface really feel nicer – just a little like OSX. When I turned it off, I actually missed it and the entire interface felt flatter and fewer alive.
Although I’ve dabbled in doing a little complicated issues utilizing Linux, virtually all the pieces I do, or have executed utilizing Fedora might be executed by way of the GUI. Installing software program is straightforward, and conserving a workstation going can be very simple. I’ve actually grown to love the XGL 3D results and will probably be attention-grabbing to see what Vista does to compete.
I’m by no stretch of the creativeness a Linux skilled, however my general expertise has been wonderful and I shall proceed to make use of Fedora for my day after day work. My productiveness has not been affected in any respect, and anybody who needs to strive one thing totally different, or take a less expensive OS route, ought to take into account a have a look at Linux – it’s actually not that scary.
Using Linux at Work
When I started using Linux, I wondered when I would get to actually use it “on the job”. It wasn’t easy sometimes to work with a Windows-based computer—when there’s a skill set available that can help you do things faster on the computer. This skill set is the Linux command shell, but as mentioned your computer runs Microsoft Windows. What can you do??
At one job, I was able to install Perl. At another job one had to submit a request (with business justification) to add software to a workstation. Instead of Perl I thought “why not Python?” Since both times it was a Windows XP Environment, I used the DOS command line (or “CMD” app) to execute the Perl or Python programs.
I used the DOS CMD because (at that time) I did not know about Cygwin. Using the DOS CMD to execute programs is easy. The difficult part is dealing with case-insensitivity (which hurts portability) and using a shell to navigate folders with spaces in the names is a real pain.
Using the DOS shell to execute programs is not the same as using Cygwin. Cygwin is command shell that emulates a working Linux environment. Installing Cygwin with the base packages is simple and will provide a good “starting point” for learning some shell commands.
Want to use Linux but your work computer is Mac OS-X?
OS-X (like Linux) is Unix-based. It has a shell that’s known as “Terminal” and it is in the Applications/Utilities folder. You can also (if the OS is 10.5 or later) use keystrokes (apple + Space bar) to show the “spotlight search” box at the top right and start typing Terminal. When search finds “Terminal” then press ENTER and voila! Say hello to the Darwin Terminal.
Darwin handles the basic stuff really well. It’s capable of helping you learn Shell commands. But it doesn’t do everything that a regular Linux distro does. Darwin’s limits can be overcome by installing apps and libraries. Most likely you will need your System Administrator’s help to get and install X11, MacPorts, or Fink to augment the BSD-derived Darwin environment.