Much ado about Ubuntu (Part Deux)
No spoiler this week, but I have a nice rant for you guys in order to make up for it…
Continued from this post.
My transition away from Windows Vista has been a deeply rewarding experience. Since my last post on the subject, I have completed my 100% switch to a native Ubuntu Linux (version 8.04 Alpha 4 "Hardy Heron") installation. In all fairness to Microsoft, they still serve a purpose. I had been extremely reluctant to do away with my Windows partition and go exclusively Linux. For a while, I had adopted the temporary solution of dual-booting Windows and Linux on separate partitions. For a while, this satisfied my needs, however it soon became apparent that there were many drawbacks to such a setup. These problems were not limited to MBR (master boot record) issues, lack of interoperability, and the fact that I still had a Vista partition on my computer.
I was prompted by these realities to approach alternatives to dual-booting since I relied on (and still do) Photoshop CS2/CS3 in order to do the weekly scanlations. I had tried running CS2 in Wine and was less than satisfied with the performance and results. It was buggy as hell and had a lot of focusing issues. I had tried Gimp as an alternative to Photoshop, but personally, I felt that it wasn't a sufficient solution. While a sizable chunk of scanlators do use Gimp, I found that replacing Photoshop wouldn't be worth it considering that Gimp lacks key features that I have made extensive use of as a scanlator. On top of that, I didn't like the interface. Furthermore, shame on Adobe for refusing to port Photoshop to Linux.
About 2 weeks ago, in lieu of everything I had since learned about mixing Linux and Windows on a single machine, I finally decided to wipe my Windows partition and go exclusively Linux. Fortunately, it wouldn't be a painful jump. I had discovered VirtualBox (10x better than VMWare) and the magic of virtualization. In a nutshell, virtualization allows me to run an install of Windows XP from within Ubuntu (or vice versa). The end result is a lightning fast Windows install that runs within Linux and with practically native speeds. The main reason I use VirtualBox instead of VMWare is because of the the ability to run Windows seamlessly with Ubuntu and sharing desktop space instead of using a separate window. Additionally, VirtualBox doesn't require capturing the mouse cursor nor does it limit the amount of virtual disk space you have.
Overall, I am happy with my new setup. The only thing I use my Windows virtual machine for is Photoshop and only Photoshop. As I mentioned in the first installment of "Much ado about Ubuntu", I don't have to deal with humongous printer/scanner drivers. With XSANE, scanning is now faster and easier. Additionally, Compiz-Fusion (the successor to Beryl) is not only aesthetically beautiful, its features also allow a person to increase their productivity.
If you'd like information on how to liberate yourself from the tyranny of Windows, I am more than welcome to provide information and materials to guide you in the right direction. Just hit me up with an e-mail or leave a comment.
