A Tryst with Linux

I had started using Linux as my primary Operating System after being ditched by Windows several times on several crucial occasions. Initially I found it impossible to survive without Windows but soon I got acquainted with this new OS, so much so, that I could proudly say that I had erased the older one from my computer forever and for good. I was introduced to Linux in real only last semester when I had begun my final year project. Though its admirations had reached my ears even before I had its glimpse, it did not appeal much to me at the first sight. Well, everything has its own pace! Thanks to my project, I started catching up pretty fast with it. First the basics, then I progressed to li'l bit of programming. Very soon, I began spending most of my time with Linux only, as the situation required me to do so. But somewhere deep within my heart, it pinched. I used Linux not for myself but only for my project! The denial to accept the new OS had its reasons. I could not access net on Linux, something I can't live without. This caused me to switch between the two OS's which was a pain in itself, in a dual boot system. Necessities give rise to inventions. Very true! Though need for Internet access was backed by my project too. It took me some 10-20 days to figure out how to configure Linux to use the Internet. Heck of a time! Internet is something but not everything. I knew that still I was missing something and that too terribly. How can a person survive in the hostel without his/her daily dose of Bryan Adams, U2 or Pink Floyd. I could not, certainly. After all everyone needs a break from studies. I was dead sure that I would find some pre-installed players in Linux. I was right as there were certain applications, Rythmbox Player and alike. Elated, I transferred some .mp3 and .rm files from my Windows desktop to my pen drive and copied it to Linux desktop. But what I see - an error message - 'We do not have codecs to play these files'. I was shocked; not a single player worked. God only knows what format they understood. This question is still a cipher for me. Nevertheless, I did not lose hope as I knew what I wanted. With the weapon called Internet in my hands, I knew I could conquer the whole computer world if I wanted to. So the search began. It was not difficult to get my hands on a .rpm of Real Player from the Internet. But then what, I didn't know what to do with it. After checking out a huge number of Linux forums and some exhaustive search, I got my answers. Music was taken care of but what about movies, TV series and videos. Real Player couldn't handle them all. So will I have to go and knock at the Window's door again? Well, I found out the solution to this problem too. The next puzzle that shot up was “File Sharing on a LAN”. Though with li’l bit of patience, I crossed this hindrance too, I had started to feel the the absence of our very own, easy to run and work on, OS, Windows.

My short journey with Linux, was very enlightening and I experienced many of its advantages over Windows. But it would take a little more time for me to get used to it since it’s a rather complex OS unlike Windows. The situation is that I have reverted back to the good old Windows and planning to study Linux in detail later when I get time.

Thank you Microsoft, without you learning computer would have been very thorny.

P.S: If anyone is having a tough time looking up solutions to the aforementioned problems in Linux, don’t hesitate to contact me. J