I finally built my new desktop machine and debated whether I should install Slackware or slap Ubuntu on there and really put the odd-named distro through its paces. After hearing the LugRadio guys praise it repeatedly, I finally settled on Ubuntu, downloaded version 5.04 (aka Hoary Hedgehog), and installed it.

The long and short of it is I think I’ve finally found a distro for my old man. I’ll explain.

My dad is somewhat computer savvy, but I often have to drag him kicking and screaming into the latest technology as he becomes very set in his ways. Windows XP was a huge transition for him, and he nearly wiped it and installed Windows 98 on a brand new machine, mostly because it “just looks wrong.” He also has a lot of trouble with spyware, and will often vent several profanities when I try to help him through removal over the phone.

I knew Linux would be a good way to solve his spyware problems, but the next problem was finding a distro that he could be comfortable with. He hates learning new things, so installing new software and updating current software will have to be at least as easy as on Windows. He also needs to be able to play audio and video files and mess with his digital photography.

Ubuntu is the first distro that makes all of it easy. Most distros cover most of the bases, but what seals the deal is the Synaptic package manager and the Ubuntu repositories. If he needs a new software package, he can just fire up Synaptic, search, check a box, and boom, he’s got his new software. Updating is just as easy with the Ubuntu update manager. I’m about to order him a free copy of the CD via Ubuntu’s ShipIt program, which even covers the cost of shipping.

As for myself, I’ve been happy with it. It’s got the software I need, and it “just works” out of the box without extra tweaking and configuration. I’m currently laid off and spend the bulk of my time on job searches and trying to make a few writing deadlines, so I didn’t lose several hours on configurations and compilations.

My chief complaint involves packages, and it’s not necessarily a Ubuntu-specific problem. I tend to be fairly anal about updating software, and the packages in some of the repositories, especially unofficial packages, tend to fall behind. For example, I installed Liferea, a feed reader, and found it was version 0.9.0 while 0.9.3 is current. MPlayer and the mplayerplug-in are also behind, and even Firefox, while patched for security, is behind. I only discovered the latter while trying to install an extension.

However, the package issue is not enough to kill the deal for me, so Ubuntu will likely grace my desktop for the foreseeable future. I highly recommend you give it a try. You’ll have to download extra packages to get mp3 and other restricted formats working (plenty of help here), but again, the package manager makes this a snap and it’s quick.