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My Linux Experience

I really don't know how I want to write this one, but hey, I'm not a professional writer.

For the longest time I thought there were only 2 PC opperating system: Windows and MacOS.

I started using computers with windows 3.11, skipped to 97 (R.I.P. Ski Free), then moved on to 2000, XP, 7, and 10.

I never ended up buying a Mac, and when I tried using my brother's Mac Mini, I found the interface was deplorable. This was also before Windows and Mac's played nice together.

My college had signed a contract with Apple right before my freshman year started and replaced all of their HP or Dell computers with whatever Apple was the "Hot new thing." The engineering department did not like this as most of the software did not run well, even when running Windows. Also, the computers were dualbooting MacOS and Windows, upon reset, it seemed to be random which OS it would boot to.

I haven't mentioned Linux yet, as at the time it was my thought that since MacOS was based on Unix, and so was Linux, that they were the same. How nieve, but also very simply put.

Yeah, I was wrong.

At one point I got interested in Linux, and I was just so lucky to stumble upon a few articles about Ubuntu and how beginner friendly it was. This was around 2008-2009, one of my more tech-savvy friends helped to walk me though putting the .iso on a CD, then helped me set my computer up to dual boot. After all, I couldn't be without certain programs (at the time).

Ubuntu was a great start with Linux. I mostly utilized the Gnome GUI over the terminal. I was pleased to learn that the Synaptic Package Manager was pretty cool, there was a lot of linux versions and similar copies of programs that I was familliar with on Windows. Eventually I took a few computer science courses where I ended up learning more about Linux. Of course it wasn't exactly part of my major, but I really enjoyed parts of it. SSH seemed like a crazy weird thing when using Putty. I also ended up getting back into my favorite MMORPG as there was a native Linux client: EVE Online. I started geting more into linux, and went as far as making a bootable USB with Damn Small Linux (DSL).

Unfortunately I ended up leaving Linux behind for a while after I dropped out of college. The native EVE client was discontinued, and at the time, I had no known reason to use Linux over Windows.

I hadn't given Linux another thought for a while, I was mostly more concerned with gaming and general internet browsing, Windows sufficed for me.

My intrest piqued again in a similar manner, when I learned about Linux Mint. I made a bootable USB and typically used it on my girlfriends laptop, she didn't want me hidden away in the office on my computer all the time. I was mostly using it to not effect anything on her system, and I also couldn't stand the tablet interface that Windows had, of course I didn't look up how to change it, but I figured I wouldn't touch her software, it worked for me. At some point, I wanted to try Ubuntu again, Unfortunately they totally borked the UI, and Cannonical got in bed with Jeff Bezos.

Again, Linux kind-of faded away.

Unfortunately my desktop PC decided to have a nasty case of a broken CMOS battery holder. To compliclate things, I don't have enough time to flex my soldering skills to replace it, despite purchasing a package of replacements.

To go into more detail from my about page, I had a helluva time installing the OS from the USB that I had used years prior. It ran just fine on the USB, but when I tried booting from the SSD I kept getting a blank screen with just a cursor. Sometimes I could get it to log me in, but Cinnamon wasn't loading or something. After about a week or two of frustrations, I decided to make a new bootable drive while using the other USB. Mintception. This did the trick. I belive the problem started when I tried to upgrade the distribution from 19.x to 21.1. I haven't gotten around to setting up the dock with the two extra monitors. Sometimes I feel like I might not even need them, but I do miss having the extra real estate.

I've made a few changes, because I can, because Linux! I somewhat followed DistroTube's 'Newbie to Poweruser' video. Never wanting to "burn bridges" I always leave breadcrumbs so I should be able to revert changes that I made. For the most part, I like the changes. One thing that I'm not too fond of his bold claim with that video title is that he assumes that his viewers will have the same workflow as him. Maybe I could as I continue expanding my knowlege of Linux, but that'll take time and unlike DistroTube, I haven't been consistently using Linux for a decade.

I've enjoyed my delve into Linux each time. It's always interesting, and things can be different. I also like that I don't need to have a computer science degree to make changes. I'm hoping to influence my daughter to learn how to use a computer on a Linux machine, we'll see if the Chromebooks will still be "King of the classroom" by the time she gets to that point. My wife looks at me like I'm a 1337 haxx0r when she sees the screen with a dark theme and an unfamiliar (to her) display. She doesn't have any intrest in it... yet? Wishful thinking.

Oh, I do still have that USB with DSL, I ran it on this machine for fun. It brought back some memories. Sadly that distro is dead, but that happens. DistroTube also did a video about dead distributions, DSL included. I wonder when Mint will die? Or go the way of Ubuntu and screw everything up? What will be next? Until then, I'll keep on learning and enjoying what I've got.

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