This post was written almost 2 years ago when I was trying to start yet another blog. 

—

Today, after getting my netbook reinstalled I decided to write about my history with linux and how things changed from back then. Hope you enjoy it.

My first contact with linux was Slackware 3.6 by the end of 1999.

A friend came with these disks for this very cool operating system, “hacker stuff”.

I managed to install it somehow on my desktop pc but couldn’t figure out what to do with it. In the next three years I tried Red Hat, Conectiva, Mandrake and then was back to Slackware again, now on version 7.1.

When I got it installed I could feel the difference from the first time I had tried it. As I was hardware aficionado and wouldn’t let go of my reliable ISA boards for some “soft” stuff (I remember how proud I was of that ISA 56.6Kbps USRobotics modem and its jumpers) it actually worked pretty much out of the box. I mean, the hardware got all recognized. Then it was a week of fun trying to get the monitor resolution right, the connection scripts for the modem and that Yamaha YMF724 soundboard. It was fun.

Almost ten years later I’m writing from a ASUS netbook with Slackware 13.1.

I haven’t touched a single configuration file and I have a dual monitor setup done by just plugging my TV to the pc and a few clicks after being asked what configuration suits me better because a new monitor was found.

Linux hardware support has evolved to a level I wouldn’t dream of 8 years ago.

The graphical user interfaces also evolved and became very charming and intuitive.

Of course we still have problems, mainly with commercial products. Video boards don’t have linux drivers that can use their full power and software and game producers don’t really seem to care for the linux user market share, even though every now and then some special soul thinks of us. With the constant changes in the linux kernel we can see some piece of hardware that stops working for a couple until someone gives the a shout to the kernel people. Yeah, kernel upgrades. That might still be a problem for a lot of people.

Lots of people might say that even with all those improvements linux still is not ready for the common user. I say we are ready and with the recent improvements and the ones still to come more and more people are going to be more aware of the possibilities of Linux.

Just for the record, I’m not telling you to drop your Mac or Windows system (or whatever else you use) and join the happy linux fanclub. I just want you to know you actually have a choice.