Ubuntu for now.

Originally I didn't like Ubuntu as much as I did Debian. I can't remember all the reasons I didn't like it, but I know the biggest reason was the whole having to type "sudo" in front of everything instead of logging into the terminal as root. Also, I didn't like the idea of not having a master root account and password. Being able to use the same password that I logged on with to act as root seemed like a security risk to me and bothered me as well, sudoers file or no. I guess to an Ubuntu system administrator, those two reasons for having a problem with Ubuntu would definitely show my ignorance on the subject, but until I learn otherwise, it will still bother me a little bit.

Anyways, I now have an Ubuntu box joined to the domain at work, and my wife and I have a laptop that we run Ubuntu on as well, because we didn't want to pay for another Windows 7 license (I really like 7 as well, it is so far Microsoft's best in my opinion... I hate Vista!). Both my wife and I really like it. I probably like it way more that she does.

Ubuntu just has a great look and feel, and is easily customizable. I love how I have pretty much complete control over every aspect of the operating system, and if there is anything I don't know how to do, there is a great Ubuntu community online, and the answers are within easy reach.

The linux command line syntax is intuitive and simple. It's funny, I find myself trying to use linux commands in the Windows command prompt. Just FYI, ls -a doesn't work in Windows. I know you cared. No really, you did.

Anyways, I have been recommending Ubuntu on Facebook, and to any one who will listen as an operating system. It's free, it's easy to install, and it does everything most people will want it to do.

After playing around with Ubuntu for a while, I think I will see what Fedora is like. After that... I don't know... SuSe is mentioned a lot, as is Slackware and Mint. we'll see!

Shedding the Chains

Well, we are one decent tax return closer to being out of debt! I am very excited! This really helps our goal of being out of my parents house by the fall. It feels really good to be able to breathe a little easier.

Debt sucks. What makes it suck even worse for me is that I have absolutely nothing to show from the debt my wife and I have been in pretty much since day one. I wish I could at least say I had a really sweet car, or a big screen T.V., but I can't. I guess the health of my family is something to show, but it's not as visible.

And I guess the other thing that I have to show from this is an intense desire never to be in debt again. At least not for the stupid stuff. And definitely not more that we can handle. I think it was really good to learn this lesson early on, rather than twenty years down the road when I am trying to retire, and I realize that I can't because I am in too much debt!

In other news, my grandma and grandpa came down this weekend and helped us do some remodeling of the kitchen. Grandma brought down a few computers from the Family History Center in her stake. They upgraded to new computers just recently, and she had a few that were still worth something. She gave one to mom and Les to use in their bedroom so Les could do homework down there, and she gave two to me to play around with. I am very excited! I already have Ubuntu Linux on the one, and once I get a power supply for the other one, I plan on putting Fedora on it. Maybe Debian again, but probable Fedora.

It is really neat for me, now that we are very close to being out of debt, to realize that school really is a reality for me this fall. I have a little bit of money left to pay BYU-I and then they will release my transcripts. Not only that, but this fall we will be able to pay some extra costs if we have to, like books and supplies. It has been 3 years since I attended BYU-I, and I am ready to get back into the college game. If I work hard at it, I could probably at least have my bachelors by the time I am 29, and that is ok with me.

I am coming to realize that 30 isn't that far away, and it really isn't that old either. If I have my degree by the time I am 29, and a Masters/PhD by the time I am 31 or 32, I will be very happy with myself. There is a lot of life left after 30, assuming nothing drastic happens.

I haven't felt this hopeful very often. Things are starting to turn around, and I think this is just the beginning.

It's been a refiner's fire for sure. It's not over yet. Honestly though, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Less sleep, more Linux

I am driving my wife crazy with Linux. I don't know what she is complaining about...

... Ok, ok, I may have spent a lot of time messing around with it... maybe...

Truthfully, I have a bit of a one track mind. I'm a lot like my dad in that way. I will get really excited about something, and for a while, it is all I can think about of talk about. So yeah, I drive my wife crazy with it sometimes. And most likely the rest of the world too.

Anyways, I have spent the last week and a half playing around with my laptop on Linux. I have broken it at least twice now with my meddling, but I think that is the fun part! It helps me to learn when I destroy things. I like having a laptop that doesn't contain anything majorly important to mess around with. So I have had to reinstall Debian at least twice now.

I am now a member of 3 Linux forum communities.

I have 3 versions of Linux installed on my 2 computers to mess with.

I went to Barnes and Noble to look at Linux books.

I haven't been to bed earlier than 12:30 am in the past week and a half at least because I am messing with Linux.

Do you think I'm obsessed or excited? I would lean more towards obsessed. But it has cooled down some. After breaking my installation so many times (Now that I think of it, it may have been 3 or 4 times now...) I have finally decided what I like and don't like, and have set it up that way. No more heavy duty experimentation... for a while at least.

T. Adam Martin