Windows Update

[frayadjacent]

Well, I thought I was going to become a Windows person for about 18 hours there, but the installation was so frustrating I gave up.  I could spend the weekend figuring out which drivers I needed to install and in what order.  Because without the drivers there was no way I could see to find out what kind of adapters my computer has and therefore what kind of drivers I need.  See how much sense it makes? 

Or I could just install Ubuntu, which I'd been debating doing anyway.  I harbor no illusions that this will be generally easier to learn or use than Windows, but I'm a lot more motivated to improve my knowledge and skills with Linux than with Microsoft products.  I already know some of the basics through work, though I've never had to deal with admin stuff before.  (Or been permitted to, for that matter.)

Still, within 5 minutes of inserting the Ubuntu install disk, I had functioning internet, and 2 hours later I've already installed VLC, Cinelerra (sorry, thirdblindmouse! I fear Blender), and some work-related apps. 

:D

Comments

[natmerc]

I think in your situation, Ubuntu's the much better call. It's a pretty good system. Don't have it primarily as I haven't had a laptop in years, but if I picked one up secondhand (and maybe even firsthand), I'd strongly consider it or a dual-system. Windows habit of discontinuing support for systems that are old but still functioning is annoying.

[quarter_to_five]

Mucking about with Linux at least feels like you're doing/learning/achieving something. Window's is just frustrating. I used Ubuntu for a while on my old laptop - can't say I ever got entirely, 100% comfortable, but I do plan to go back sometime. (Every time I started really settling in I'd need to switch back to windows for something or other and I'd get declimatized again.)

[umadoshi]

I've had better luck with some versions of Linux than others, but I've never regretted dropping Windows as my primary OS. (Freudian typo: I wrote "primary POS" there. ^^;) Although in my case, the differences haven't so much been different distros as that I vastly prefer the KDE environment to the Gnome environment, even though the last time I updated KDE (quite a while ago) it had made some changes I disliked. So I'm using Kubuntu these days (on both my desktop and laptop), and am mostly very happy with it. ^_^

[luzula]

I do recommend Ubuntu! And IMO it may very well be easier to learn than Windows.

[ladysorka]

I've been using exclusively Linux for about six years now, and while yeah, it requires doing all your own tech support and occasionally googling exact error text or 'thing whatever linux', I've had a lot of luck with it for the kinds of things I primarily use a computer for. Even gaming is pretty decent these days, so long as you don't mind primarily indie games.

Cinelerra, however, can be, uh. Interesting.

[littleheaven]

Good choice! I run Linux Mint on my little old Asus Eee netbook. It gets me online and I can surf, email, chat, all the important stuff. Mint is good for ex Windows users because it looks and feels similar, minus the crapness. I'll forever be a Mac girl at heart, though. If only Sony Vegas was available for Mac, I'd never have to use Windows again. They even got me an iMac at work! (being the design studio manager might have had something to do with that, lol)

[frayadjacent]

Thanks! Yeah, I feel good about it! The only thing I think I might miss is, ironically, MS Office, mainly powerpoint. Which I hate in many ways, but I've used LibreOffice-like applications on my machine at work and honestly I like MS Office better. Plus having a tough time opening MS Office documents will be inconvenient at times. I guess that's where my Mac will come in handy!

[frayadjacent]

Mucking about with Linux at least feels like you're doing/learning/achieving something.

EXACTLY.

Yeah, I'm pretty lazy about learning new computer stuff. I mean, my work requires me to write, edit, compile, and run FORTRAN code, so you think I'd be at least a little bit of a tech wiz, but I pretty much just learn what I absolutely have to. Also, we have the world's best System Administrator/Software Engineer. So I might never get 100% comfortable as well, though I do feel like I have the ability to learn what I need to. Though if vidding is involved, my interest in learning goes WAY up. :D

[frayadjacent]

Oh interesting! I don't know much about KDE vs Gnome -- I've only ever used the latter. I just read a short little summary and it sounds like KDE is somewhat more complex, which could increase functionality and make it more complicated to use? What do you prefer about it?

My only complaint about the environment so far is I haven't found anything like the OS X Finder, which I love, especially in column-view.

[frayadjacent]

It's been easier so far! It definitely seems a lot closer to OS X than Windows is. And I'm really glad I'll have the terminal to work with. Sometimes I just don't want to deal with a GUI, and I have zero experience with DOS. So yeah, maybe this will be easier!

[thirdblindmouse]

I found Ubuntu easier to learn to use than Windows, because Windows doesn't have APT or man pages. (I still don't really know how to use Windows, but luckily they replaced my Windows machine at work with a Mac, so I won't have to.)

Sad to say, you are right to fear Blender. It's an insane program to use for video editing. But it will still be there if Cinelerra doesn't work out for you...

[frayadjacent]

Nice! I don't game, at least not yet! But my partner does, or at least he used to, which is why we have this computer in the first place. But he seems to have lost interest! Still, it's good to know that'll still be an option if he feels like it in the future.

[frayadjacent]

What I'm enjoying about Ubuntu so far -- besides, you know, functionality -- is that it's not as Windowsy and more OSXy. Which is much more familiar to me.

They even got me an iMac at work!

Nice! Just about all the faculty in my department have iMacs. I'm so jealous of my advisor's, with that great big gorgeous screen.

If only Sony Vegas was available for Mac

It looked like you were looking into FCPX for a while there? Any luck? It seems like the biggest issue is what file types and codecs the video editor will handle? Final Cut is so picky! That's actually the main reason why I'm doing this -- I wanted to at least try out a video editor that would handle VOBs and whatnot, so maybe I wouldn't have to clip! Though I've used FCP 7, maybe X is better on that front?

[frayadjacent]

Windows doesn't have APT or man pages.

OMG, I couldn't believe how easy it was to install Cinelerra! I mean, I had to look up on the web how to do it, but still. It boded (is that a word?) well for the OS, I think.

I'm not sure I'll ever learn how to use Windows now either.

I might still end up trying out Blender, but for now I'm happy to start with Cinellara. (And for now I'll be using FCP on at least two more vids, cause I've already dumped hours into clipping for them.)

[umadoshi]

It's hard for me to pin down the differences I prefer, because I'm SO not tech-minded and it's just this sort of gut-level preference. But I can say I don't find KDE complicated to use, other than a couple of things that got tweaked in the last update I actually installed (my system is in desperate need of an update, but I'm a huge slacker about that). Unfortunately, that was long enough ago that I don't remember what tweaking I did to get it more in line with what I like. ^^;

I just...like the feel of KDE better. And I did give Gnome a real shake--a couple of years ago I worked in Toronto for a few months, and at that point I was running a Gnome version of Mint on my laptop, so it was my main system. I was so glad to get back to my KDE system when I came home, and my current laptop and desktop are both running Kubuntu.

[thirdblindmouse]

man, apropros, and apt-cache search are the keys to everything. *_*

[littleheaven]

I did flirt with FCPX but again, it came down to the file types it would handle. Sony Vegas will edit pretty much anything, without need for conversion. And no pre-rendering required to preview (unless you files are so huge that it gets laggy).

It also has loads of neat little shortcuts, like being able to point your project settings towards one of your media clips and it'll automatically match it. And there are some cool third party plugins like NewBlue FX that you can get. I've been using it since 2003 so I'm kind of struggling to change. I also have Premiere Elements but haven't really given it a good try out yet. I made Dance Across The Floor on a trial version of Premiere Pro and it wasn't too bad, but I can't afford the full version. Vegas just has so much bang for buck, it's hard to go past.

[beccatoria]

Ubuntu! YAYYYYY! I've used it exclusively for about four years and never looked back. I technically dual boot but I couldn't tell you how long it's been since I logged into Windows.

I see above you were looking for an alternate file browser with features more similar to Finder? I'm not a Mac person so I can't speak from experience, but I've heard that either Marlin or Pantheon are good alternate file browsers with features more like Mac. Instructions on installation here: http://askubuntu.com/questions/185454/how-can-i-colour-code-my-files-like-on-a-mac/185503#185503

The thing about Linux in general - as you're learning - is that it's absurdly customisable. Some patient searching and you'll probably find a programme that's more "comfortable" for you than the default. For instance, I hate the more touchscreen/tablet style default "Unity" desktop it comes with, so I install the gnome-classic desktop (you just choose which desktop you want to log into by clicking the cog next to your name when you're logging in and then it remembers for next time), but then mess about and install a Mac-like dock instead of panels. And you've already been discussing things like KDE vs Gnome upthread! I use Gnome but with Compiz dekstop effects enabled so my desktops rotate on a cube, etc., cus, um, bling?

Anyway, good luck, I hope it goes well for you. I was actually just updating my Cinelerra tutorials page because talking to someone else about it made me realise some of it was out of date. So not to self-rec cus I have no idea what you already know/what will be useful to you, but they are all here if you're interested.

SOON, WE WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD. :p

[frayadjacent]

FCP (7, at least, and FCE) doesn't require pre-rendering...if you have the right file types and codecs! So, yeah. Not hardly helpful.

One of the main reasons I went down this road is because I wanted to give Sony Vegas a try, for exactly the same reasons. But it looks like I'll be going with Cinelerra instead. Which, hey, free is good! Like you say, this shit's expensive. And it sounds like Cinelerra is like Vegas in terms of being happy with a bunch of different file types and codecs. Which is awesome.

[frayadjacent]

Oh, wow, I'd never heard of apropos. (Or, I probably did a long time ago and forgot.) Hooray!!

[frayadjacent]

OMG -- self rec away!!! THANK YOU. I will be using these tutorials tons. Do you mind if I hit you up in the future if I have questions or problems? I promise to search the internet first, heh!

And also thanks so much for the info about file browsers, desktop customization, etc. Hooray!

I actually don't need Cinelerra or anything else on the new-to-me machine right now, because I have clips for the current vid and another one already made for FCP, and my thesis is on my work computer, but I still just want to PLAY WITH MY NEW TOY.

[littleheaven]

Yeah, Premiere Pro didn't need to pre-render as long as the file was Mac-friendly, which meant converting all my .vob files to .dv, which did affect the quality. I know Becca uses a really cool lossless codec for Mac, but it's quite expensive to purchase. If I had that, it would be much more of a close contest.

I'm quite keen to try Cinelerra at some stage. I don't have a computer that can run it at the moment, but I guess I could set up a virtual machine on my Mac Pro, via VirtualBox or Parallels.

[beccatoria]

You can totally hit me up! :D I can't promise I'll actually have any answers, but I shall do my best! :)

And honestly, not being totally reliant on it is probably the best way to learn; that way setbacks won't feel like monumental fail panics. ;)

There are some other vidding software options too, if you don't get on with Cinelerra, that aren't as advanced but are probably more stable. Plus soonish there should be a more usable version of Lightworks for Linux (currently in beta stage and usable but still not as advanced as Cinelerra, though eventually it'll surpass it).

Go forth and play with your toy!

[frayadjacent]

Oh yeah, that would work too. I'm sure I'll post about Cinelerra once I start using it!

[frayadjacent]

Thanks!

not being totally reliant on it is probably the best way to learn; that way setbacks won't feel like monumental fail panics

Good point!

Yes, I'll definitely keep an eye on Lightworks. It sounds like a very cool project! I remember you mentioning that Cinelerra isn't being maintained much, so at some point I might switch to that.