So.. I had a problem, at work we had a PC to use but no one could access it, it was just an old work station we were using for email. Problem was someone had managed to password lock it up… then leave for pastures new…
Bugger… Now I know there are ways round this and IT would probably have it sorted in no time, but what with all the WFH they are super busy, and also I suspect the solution would be that we didn’t need the computer anyway.
So I nuked it…
I mean that sounds a bit Tech Bro, what i did was toddled down to Smiths and got a copy of Linux Format and bunged the cover disc in the CD drive. (Yes it still had one, I’ve got some floppy diskettes somewhere).
I answered yes to all the prompts and it got on with the job of installing Ubuntu…
This Is where I was hoping for a massive struggle, but everything was fine, I can see why switching from windows, or mac, might be problematic, if you just need to get something done, but honestly if you started out on Linux its no more of a learning curve than anything else. (I started on a ZX81, so make of that what you will).
Time to get some work done, luckily I work for an academic establishment, so finding all the settings for Email accounts was fairly straight forward. ( I don’t think we muggles are supposed to stray from the “path of windows” but if your an academic you are expected to want to run weird software so Thunderbird is positively tame).
So email OK.
Now to get all my Google stuff up and running. Bit more tricky as you have to install chrome from the web site, but no worse than windows. (By the way if you dont want to be bothered with installing stuff Ubuntu (and lots of other flavours of linux) comes with loads of software all ready to go).
So far so good, did my emails , updated a spreadsheet, and even had a microsoft teams meeting!
Time to hit the net and see whats out their for linux virgins…
You will have seen above that I date back to the home computer era, Ive fought in the trenches of the Spectrum/BBC Wars of the 80’s, I still get flash backs of phycadelic llamas, and The Hall of the Mountain King, Ive loaded The Hobbit from cassette tape, i can still here it screaming in my dreams…
Therefore it comes as no suprise that “YOUR (sic) DOING IT WRONG”, but bloody hell has (some of) the linux community got some serious “judean peoples front” energy going on. ( and im a scifi loving trade unionist so its not like im new to the game).
Thing is, for most people a computer is just a box for doing stuff, they don’t care about the nuts and bolts they just want email, Facebook, and Amazon, they are not “POWER USERS” they don’t care that if they learn all the hot keys they can save 30 seconds on opening a cat pic from their Mum, and judging by what I’ve seen they don’t care that much about viruses and backups. Maybe they should, but they don’t.
I am going to try to learn how this all works, not least because if i get the hang of the terminal, I may finally be able to stop using a mouse with my laptop.
Peeking Over The Parapet... 