Tjarda’s Blog

Using Linux @ work

I started working at Componence in January 2009. Apart from being supported to blog, they are very open in what laptop/OS to use. Colleagues use MacBooks, some other brands of laptops, and most of them run some flavour of Windows. At home I started running Linux quite some years ago, but I inherited my laptop at work running Windows XP. It became slower in the following months, although I tried to install as few applications as possible. End of March I decided to upgrade to Ubuntu (8.10).

First tip: Don’t try this on a Sunday evening! Linux runs fine, but these windows app’s cause the problems. I have to work with the MS Office suite, and like to work with Enterprise Architect. Apart from that I liked to work with tools like Evernote, but already decided I can live without. Office and EA are a must. So I bought CrossOver, a commercial flavour of Wine, I had good experiences with 3 versions ago. Not this time. Office 2003 refused to install decently, mainly Service Pack 2 to be more exact. EA did not run either, but that can be caused by the fact we have a windows license, not the Linux/Wine one.

The alternative was using some virtual solution. I like VirtualBox, but ran into issues running USB like additions. VMWare player 2.5.x won the compatibility contest on external connectivity, and network connectivity (bridged networking if needed, VirtualBox expects one to do the bridging themselves, which is too much risk in running a business laptop).

After some fiddling with aticonfig I got my xorg setup under control serving my second screen and eventually got my wacom pen-tablet in a relative (mouse-like) manner.

I really enjoy my Ubuntu business proof, fast performing laptop. the only disadvantage is Evolution, or depending on the perspective, the fact that my company uses Exchange OWA 2007. There still is no good solution for that, so I am still using web mail through a web browser…