Arguments for (and against) Ubuntu

Ubuntu, unarguably, is one of the most popular distributions of linux for PCs.(1, 2, 3). The reasons for this are best argued with a live CD in hand. The simple reason is that Ubuntu works. It takes linux out of geekland and puts it right in front of the average user. I am no expert. I am a trainee surgeon and I have been using Ubuntu for the past 2.5 years. I have had my fair share of 'glitches' but nothing that the Ubuntu community did not have a solution for. Ubuntu has allowed me to learn more and do more of what I love (computers, duh!). I am comfortable using and tweaking Ubuntu and that is the most important reason why I feel confident I can pull this off in Ethiopia.

The second reason is the lack of IT skills or support in the places that these computers are installed. Their knowledge of any environment (Windows or Linux) was extremely limited. For many of the staff at these health centres the computers that I had installed last year was their first and only exposure to IT! They had nothing to lose or unlearn/relearn with Ubuntu. The learning curve would be similar with Windows or Ubuntu. And, with non-existent local technical support, a broken system was a broken system, be it Windows or Ubuntu.

Thirdly, I had decided to present all the content through a web browser. Apart from a few minor multimedia compatibility issues, the operating system should make no difference. Most of these issues are fixable.

All of the above are really reasons for 'why not Ubuntu'. However, there were several reasons why I feel Ubuntu may actually be better for this scenario.

As I described in an earlier post, the Windows environment in Ethiopia is riddled with viruses and other malware. Ubuntu would be relatively safe from these and hopefully remain secure.

It is exceedingly easy to corrupt a Win2K system. Restricting a user meant creating user accounts and such, for which I had no time last year. All installs allowed the default 'administrator' access - a recipe for disaster. However, Ubuntu's default user has no admin privileges and all administrative tasks require a password. This by itself is a deterrent and easy to teach - if the computer asks for a password, don't do it!!! Except, of course when you logon!

Ubuntu is (and will be) free. This has significant cost implications for us. With Win2K obsolete and WinXP nearly there, I need a dependable platform that I know will remain free/cheap for the foreseeable future. As these computers were old, I always have the option of switching over to an alternate lightweight distro should Ubuntu get too bloated in future.