Switching family and friends to Linux

Chris Brentano

ctb@fourone.org

Creative Commons Licensed

Switching: Who, Why and How

Who: Family and Friends

• Parents, siblings, close friends or neighbors
• People with:
  • basic needs: Web, Email, IM, etc.
  • older computers
• *Insert Your Own Reason Here*

Switching: Who, Why and How

Why: Cost, Maintenance, Commitment

• Linux is free and Open Source
• Low risk of viruses/malware/spyware
• Runs on older hardware, low system requirements
• Mature desktop environments (Gnome/KDE/XFCE), many applications, and of course games
• Doesn't require a lot of care and feeding
  • Easy to administer remotely

Switching: Who, Why and How

How: Distributions, Applications, Support

• Many Distros:
  • Ubuntu
  • Fedora
  • SuSE
  • etc.
• Applications:
  • Firefox & Thunderbird
  • OpenOffice.org & KOffice
  • The Gimp
  • Pidgin, Ekiga, many more...
• Support: You
  • I don't know about you, but I don't enjoy hearing about poor experiences with support centers, or having to constantly fix recurring problems.

Potential Pitfalls

Some people aren't ready for change: start slow.

• Identify cross-platform open source apps they can use on Windows:
  • Internet Explorer => Firefox
  • Outlook Express, Eudora => Thunderbird
  • MS Office => OpenOffice.org
  • Graphics Editor => The Gimp
  • iTunes/Windows Media Player => Songbird

Hardware support

• Wireless support can be a PITA
• Lack of hardware vendor support / Specialised equipment
• If in doubt: Check HCLs, Blogs, Google

Potential Pitfalls

(Re)learning Curve

• Familiarization
• Interface subtleties (folders, shortcuts, UI widgets)
• Adding/removing software
• Error messages

You must be patient, helpful, and available to your new convert. Help educate and empower them. Remember the old adage:

Catch someone a fish and they eat for a day, teach them to fish and they'll eat for a lifetime.

Case Study: My Dad

Case Study: My Dad

Scenario:

• Windows 98se
• AMD Athlon 1700+, 512 MB of RAM
• Main uses:
  • Email
  • Web browsing
  • Word processor, spreadsheets
  • FreeCell Solitaire
• Main issues:
  • Viruses/Malware/Spyware
  • Slow, crash prone
  • Unsupported by MS - no more security patches
  • XP Upgrade would cost around $99 (XP Home) or $199 (XP Pro)

Case Study: My Dad

Preparation

• Ubuntu 6.06 LTS
• Switched to Firefox and Thunderbird last year
  • Profiles are portable, which is a huge time saver
  • http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/profile
  • http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder
• Will switch to OpenOffice.org from Office 97
• Games (FreeCell Solitaire) => FreeCell included with gnome-games
• Backed up existing system with g4u
  • In case he wants to switch back, and for disaster recovery
  • http://www.feyrer.de/g4u/

Case Study: My Dad

So far?

• It's been three weeks
• Email and browsing largely the same
• "Feels much faster than before"
• Some minor problems
  • Printing envelopes in OpenOffice
  • Playing WMV files that people send
  • FreeCell is more difficult than the Windows version
  • "Familiarity is my biggest problem" - but not a show stopper

In Summary

• For basic needs or casual computer use with commodity applications, Linux is a great replacement for Windows, especially when cost is of matter
• Linux runs on older hardware
• Some people take time to want to switch — try suggesting open source replacements for commodity applications on Windows
• Linux, like Windows or Mac OS X, isn't perfect, but can be easier in some cases to run and maintain (Sometimes more complex)
• Be ready if they want to switch back
• Be there to support your convert, but help educate them as well — encourage and empower them

Resources

• http://mozilla.com
  — Home of Firefox and Thunderbird
• http://openoffice.org
  — OpenOffice.org
• http://songbirdnest.com
  — Songbird
• http://ubuntulinux.com
  — Ubuntu Linux
• http://fedoraproject.org
  — Fedora Project
• http://theopencd.org
  — TheOpenCD, open source applications for Windows

Resources