Alex Richardson, Technology Editor

Open-source software tends to stem from ideas and principles inherent to Linux and its many, many variants. The idea of a community-driven computing platform is attractive to any person with a utopian vision and some time and knowledge on their hands. And any discussion about open-source software without mentioning Linux and its most popular derivative, Ubuntu, is more or less a waste.

Ubuntu is a free, open-source operating system. It’s built on Debian Linux, updates once every six months and has an emphasis on usability and accessibility. It’s a beginner’s system, and it functions with a minimum of the hassle traditionally associated with Linux-based distributions.

The operating system itself is pretty attractive and full featured. It’s ideal for lower-end systems since it’s not memory intensive and can function well on a lower-end computer while giving you access to a full suite of programs. The bundled music player is actually pretty nice and the latest messenger system, while not as full-featured as what it replaced (Pidgin), at least adds decent voice and video support. VLC media player is available, which beats out the preinstalled video player in quite a few areas.

The update process is astoundingly painless, and the operating system offers quite a bit of customization. The window manager has a secondary graphics program, Compiz Fusion, which can be tweaked and customized after you install the settings interface. From there you have a wide variety of options including an exposé-like feature, window reflections, window previews in the task bar and multiple desktops.

You can generally do what you want. When you find yourself needing a new function or software, generally the official software channel has what you need. Installing programs through the channel is completely unlike installing software in Windows. There’s an option in the applications menu to go to the Ubuntu software center, where you can search for software or browse by category, and then you’re one click and a password away from installing a program.

The process is easy like Sunday morning, and the list of software you search is all open-source and free. Outside of the software channel, the hassle increases, at least until you learn how to manage it. Programs will come in “tarballs”  (.tar.gz, .tar.bz2 being common), which are essentially zipped folders with the contents of a program in them. Occasionally the program will come compiled and you can run it once you unpack the folder, but you might have to compile and install it yourself, a process that poses a big hassle for the inexperienced and the lazy. The program might also come in an executable file, a .deb that works like a .exe in Windows.

The operating system can be broken down thusly:

Pros:

• It’s free.
• It’s lightweight and runs on systems Vista and Windows 7 would render useless.
• Compiz Fusion adds some cool touches to the interface.
• Installing  updates and programs is very easy.
• Bundled software is good and usable.
• It’s stable, continually updated and problems get fixed quickly.
• Buying CrossOver fixes a number of software compatibility issues.
• It comes with Ubuntu One, a free online storage drive.
• It boots really fast.

Cons:

• Linux doesn’t necessarily work with all of your hardware (most hardware is supported).
• Using the command line is generally the most effective recourse to your problems.
• Synaptic Package Manager is not user-friendly.
• All outside channel software poses a huge potential hassle to install.
• Flash is buggy and processor intensive thanks to Adobe making a poor Flash plugin.
• Empathy, the new messaging client, is not as good as what it replaces.
• CrossOver is not free and isn’t a complete fix.

It’s safe to say that if you want to take the plunge, you should get an Ubuntu disc ready and give dual-booting a try. Just request a CD (or download the disc image and use the suggested program to burn the image to a disc) and install it with their directions. You’ll lose a portion of your hard disc in Windows to the new Ubuntu-only partition, but you’ll be able to access your Windows files from Ubuntu. It’s not as scary a process as it sounds—the software handles the scary part for you. When you boot after you install, select what you want to boot, Ubuntu or Windows. This can’t really replace Windows, but it works fine as a substitute in most scenarios. It’s friendly and usable, but you won’t gain much from switching besides the feeling of superiority you get from not using Windows.