| wIndependence Day Essay: Linux is a beautiful creation . . . |
by Jon Larabee (July 25, 2002)
Linux is a beautiful creation. An operating system that is free to use, free to implement ones dreams and not just a concept, but a way of life. What Linus once started and then gave to the world, was a gift that would keep on giving to millions of people I am one such person. What Linux gave a young kid was an education. An education not just in how to use a computer, but what this digital age can bring into peoples lives. Not just valuable IT skills and system administration savvy, but the willingness to work with others. Not just an ideal, but a way to live ones life.
Why would anyone in their right mind decide to switch from Windows to the radical and dangerous Linux? It was something my father could simply not understand whatsoever, when I picked up my first copy of Slackware Linux. Linux Slackware 3.4. I had to admit it. I had the bug. I remember sitting on IRC a young ninth grader full of naivety. The old Pentium 133 megahertz machine with a 28.8 modem (A winmodem nonetheless!) and a two gig hardrive. My uncle had given me the real opportunity. My father would have nothing to do with this potentially dangerous OS. He was adamant about not partitioning his drive to allow me to perhaps have one gig of space in order to install this incredible operating system of which I had heard. When my uncle gave me that two gig drive and my father let me put it in, it was a short jump to allowing him to let me run Linux on that drive. My first experience was on my birthday when I turned 16. I failed the first time miserably due to some bad floppies and a misunderstanding of what I was doing. I could not get the boot-disks to boot the machine! I was completely downtrodden and it did not help that it turned out that I was unknowingly scheduled to work that day. I came home to an amazing surprise. My own father, whom had opposed this from the start, had taken the entire day playing around to try and create those boot and root-disks for me. One must understand that this is a man who cannot normally get his email to work! He had realizing how much I wanted this, taken a good four hours to learn how to use rawwrite. The most amazing thing of all was, it worked. I had a boot and a root-disk. From that point on it was the beginning of an amazing learning experience. Why did I start using Linux? Curiosity, freedom, and the desire to understand things far beyond me at that time.
When it came to using Linux things came slowly. As I read the HOWTOs, I came across mind bending projects. I learned about networks, about NAT, about programming, about servers, about clients, and most of all about patience. Linux is not something you just walk into and expect to find all your answers. If using Linux teaches you anything, it teaches you that you must learn to find answers to things on your own through patience, dedication, and willingness to work with others. I cannot begin to think about the number of people who I have consulted upon when working with my Linux machines. From programming, to apache compiles, to networking, I had questions and I needed answers. Finding these answers can be quite daunting. If anyone is thinking about switching to Linux, that person has to be willing to work with people. Some of the greatest friendships I have made, I have made through helping people understand how to use Linux in their lives. Many 'newbies' have come to channels on IRC looking for help with their machines. These are the people who end up learning. Those who are patient, are willing to read through the documentation, and are willing to try generally get there. People will often find in the Linux community, especially on IRC, that most savvy users are willing to guide a person, but will not do the work for them. Linux teaches independence, and an independence that can lead to the obtaining of valuable skills. Getting past such problems as having a winmodem that would not work under Linux, how to compile new kernels, and how to set up networks are common problems that nearly every Linux user needs to overcome. How do you do it? You do it through being patient, being willing to work with others, and most of all, being willing to do that work yourself.
Every newbie has the tinge to want to turn back to windows once in a while, especially after your up at two a.m. in the morning staring blankly at the screen in horror as you realize you typed / not /tmp in attempting rm -rf. These are indeed the times that try a person's soul. Linux was not made for everyone, but it is slowly becoming something that is usable by anyone. Why? Why would anyone be willing to take on such a great challenge? The rewards. The rewards of using Linux do not just lie in the skills obtained, but in the sense of accomplishment. Not everyone has a web-server of their own. Not everyone has an elaborate Linux based system to track weather data. Not everyone understands what happens with RSA encryption. Aristotle was called back in the Middle Ages, the ‘Master of those who know’, Linux is the master Operating System for those who want to know! The benefits of reading the documentation provided by many Linux programs are immense. While the documentation at times can be hard to follow, that which it relates is often far more than most manuals ever get into. As it is true that not everyone needs to know how an mp3 encoder works, there are some people whose minds revel in the simple fact of knowing. To these people, myself included, Linux is a doorway into a fantastic realm of understanding.
Nearly five years from installing Linux, through numerous kernel upgrades, networking schemes, programs and other projects, I still embrace Linux. It stands for freedom from closed doors. It stands for really knowing what your software is doing. It stands for believing in a system, working on that system with others, and most of all it stands for pride. I am proud to use Linux.
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Please note: The opinions expressed in this essay are those of the writer, not of the management or staff of DesktopLinux.com.
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