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Off the topic of music but in keeping with this website I’ve recently started to use Ubuntu studio more and more.

To be honest I’ve not always been a fan of Linux due to it’s difficulty in setting up.

That opinion changed though.

A few months ago I acquired a tired old laptop, XP had clogged up it’s arteries and it was pretty much in it’s final death throes.

In an attempt to revive it I decided that Linux, Ubuntu Studio* in this case may be the way to go.

1. It possibly saves a tired old laptop from the junk yard.

2. It gives me the chance to mess around with Linux’s open source music software.

3. I finally get to scratch the monkey that Linux has been.

In fact this very article is in itself testiment to Ubuntu Studio and Linux’s open source software being that it is written using ‘Drivel’ a software program designed to conect to blogging software to write and publish posts/articles.

Let’s see if it works…

Well it would seem that it works and very nicely as well, although images would have to be uploaded seperately which is a pain but hey small details really.

Now if you’re reading this wondering what’s the point in all this the here it is.

I’m always going to be tied to XP, I refuse to entertain Vista but XP fit’s all my software.

I’d love to change over to Ubuntu Studio but I can’t because of my UAD and Powercore cards.

Linux is great and support for older hardware and most new hardware but the above cards have a protection dooby that only works within Windows or Mac based OS’s.

Also some of the software that I’m tied to make the choice harder still. Dreamweaver and my music software being the main points of contention.

But the positives are this, internet connection once you’re wireless card is set up, is excellent.

Start up from scratch is faster than my newer laptops running XP and Vista.

Internet connection seems faster for some reason also.

I also found in the 3rd party freeware an email software that equals Outlook and Office based software that equals Microsoft Office even being able to open and save Office documents.

My advice is this, if you intend to try out Linux then use an old computer, please don’t try and install it on your main computer. I’ve done this before and lost everything.

Groovy.

* I installed unbuntu studio due to my interest in it’s music software, I’ve used some of the programs without getting really into them. I do know that the Behringer UCA202 USB audio interface works very well. I intend to increase my interest in that side in things in the future months.