Life Retooling Life in Perpetual Beta

My Rocky Love Affair with Linux

I've had the desire to use Linux for years, I've pretty much bounced between Windows and Linux since Win95.  My geeky roots, love for Open Source, and the need for a challenge has driven me to reformat my computer and try once again to move my computer life to a Linux one.

However, the first time I know that I can do something so much easier in Windows, I run back to that comfortable environment.  I had a short dabble in OS X, but when I lost a job opportunity because I didn't know enough Linux, I gave my PowerBook to my wife and tried again to immerse myself into the OS.   Only to go back to Windows when I couldn't do what I wanted to do.

So, what's my problem?  Why am I unsatisfied with Windows?  What is the deal with Linux?

......The first part of this post was a couple months ago.  To continue....

I haven't stuck with Windows because I know the OS, there is no mystery for me.  Basically, I'm bored with it.

Linux is that new thing, the shiny unknown that taunts me with, "Windows is evil; it's closed source.  Every time you launch Windows, a kitten dies.  Linux is open source, we are happy, shiny, and don't judge.  We have everything you want from Windows, in a guilt-free package."

However, Linux doesn't offer everything for me.  Where Linux is free and open source, there is a lot of tweaking I need to do to make it an environment I would be comfortable to use.  I can be working on a project, and then notice something that I would want to modify, change, try to make it better that has nothing to do with the project.

I have that same feeling with Windows, but I can get there much faster.  There are plenty of utils that can make Windows look completely different.  I have found the ones I want in Windows (by the way, we are talking XP -- Vista takes up too many resources)  and it is a comfortable environment.

Since I started this post, I have gone through 3 different distros and finally went back to Windows.  There is still a strong appeal to go back to Linux, but I literally did nothing but tweak Linux, I got nothing done.

It's time to get stuff done.