Getting people you know to try Linux

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I got a friend to try Ubuntu a couple months ago because he is tech-savvy like me and I want(ed) someone to discuss Linux with on a regular basis through Pidgin (I helped him solve problems too). Unfortunately, he decided that he didn't want to boot into it very long because he uses a lot of Windows stuff that he can't run under WINE. I also let my parents try Ubuntu a year ago or so and it was a disaster. I'm not very good at arguing the positives about Linux anyway.

Anyone else got stories to share about promoting Linux?

My sister, brother and mom all use it now. I have a friend thats switched over too now.

People need a reason to change. Catch them when they are mad and frustrated with what they have. Dont bad mouth windows or OSX though, and dont promote linux through fear.

In the case of my friend I did bad mouth windows. Eventually he got frustrated with licence issues and installed it himself. It just took him some time, and hes currently frustrated with linux as well.

He feels a little caught in between operating systems, but hes really taken with the open source movement.

I myself dual boot mandriva 2009 x64 and vista. My stepdad is running a dual boot of xp and ubuntu now, I got one of my friends to let me install mandrake 7.1 or 7.2 i forgot which (it was years ago) but i messed up the boot loader so it got stuck loading windows and didnt give him the option of booting linux and I didnt have time to redo it because I had to leave and I haven't actually been to his house since. Also if it counts, I have my biological father running ideneb 1.3 (I know its technically BSD but still I got him to do it).

My one complaint about Linux, or any *NIX for that matter: You have to use terminal commands to perform certain tasks. That's it. With Windows or Mac OS, you never have to enter a single terminal command (though you can in OS X if you want to) for 99% of the things that you can do. Sooner or later, you WILL have to enter a command, and it only raises frustration and headaches if you're a novice user.

So yeah... Probably not a good idea for a person who uses a computer for more than web browsing, but not is techie by any means.

For day to day use? I cannot think of any. Can you list them?

Over and beyond that...
Install graphic drivers? nope. Install flash video? nope. Java? nope. Mp3 and dvd? nope. Configure wireless? nope.

General software? nope. There are three techniques for doing that before you need the fourth, the command line.

I tried to get an ex of mine to switch but when I tested a Kubuntu live CD on her crappy Packard Bell laptop the wifi card wasn't detected so I just said to her "fine, keep windows" or words to that effect

Never said it was for day to day use.

YES...I could even get it to install.


Wow, they must have massively overhauled Linux since I last used it...4 months ago.

The command line is vastly more efficient than the GUI for certain tasks. I see this as a strength of Linux, not a weakness. Of course, distros like Ubuntu will allow you to do everything graphically if you want to. On the rare occasion when a non-technical user would "need" to use the command line, it's typically just copy-pasting from some instructions.

In Ubuntu, click "Applications>>Add/Remove" then type "Ubuntu-restricted-extras into the search box. Check the box next to it to mark it for installation, apply the changes, and restart your browser. You now have flash video. This works for i386 as well as AMD64.


Well, Linux does advance quite rapidly. Ubuntu is considerably easier now than it was when I first started using it a little over a year ago. Back then, I needed to install my wifi drivers manually via Ndiswrapper. I honestly find Linux easier to use than either Windows or OSX... it's just sometimes harder to set up than the other two.

My step-brother has the stereotypical view of Linux. It's crap and games don't work on it. Even Windows XP can't handle games designed for non NT based systems, even with compatibility mode enable to anything and everything.

In my eyes, a GUI without a command line interface anywhere is a bad OS, but one which can and will enable you to do everything via command line is much better. I mean, after all, your mouse may die and the shops could be shut and you don't have a spare.

I just wish vendors would recognise Linux and release drivers for whatever hardware has drivers for Windows on it.

in Ubuntu, click "Applications>>Add/Remove" then type "Ubuntu-restricted-extras into the search box. Check the box next to it to mark it for installation, apply the changes, and restart your browser. You now have flash video. This works for i386 as well as AMD64.

Thanks, you saved me a post...

Actually, I still do some things in DOS, because it has features that the GUI may not have. If you're looking to get a job with linux, or do support, the commands may help quite a bit.

As I've always told people, 'there's 3 ways to do everything'. One of this is command lines, which isn't for everyone, but it's good to have it, even if you don't need it.

As well as java, mp3, all sorts of things.. except for dvd playback, but there is a reason for that. And you dont need the command line to get that either.

I thought DVD playback was included in restricted extras? It can't be an issue of legality in the US, since distribution of other packages in there is also restricted. I know I had DVD playback in Ubuntu, and I don't remember installing any special codecs outside of restricted extras.

I'll have to try. I know i have never watched on on this computer. On the other hand, to get a motley crue dvd to play on my sisters computer, I had to do some extra stuff.

Orwell, the restricted repositories are hosted "offshore".

you probably had to install libdvdcss and w32 codecs to get dvd playback to work.

Only if it's encrypted DVD. Restricted extras includes playback of non-encrypted DVDs (I checked). But libdvdcss does need to be grabbed separately, from a non-US server.

Thanks Canada, for letting me download software that is illegal in my country!