The Mac Girl Opensource Challenge is back! I started it off mid-way through the summer but then life got in the way. If you’re not familiar with the concept here is the intro write-up.

If you’re not very geeky-minded skip the stuff in cursive.

I installed Linux on a virtual machine. This kind of defeats the purpose since a virtual machine business would already scare half the non-techs away. Or about 80%. Secondly there’s a software issue. Mac OS comes only with bootcamp, which is officially for installing windows (yuk!) and indeed you have to do that first to then install linux. Plus it partitions the drive and it’s a whole lot of hassle. Then there’s Parallels and VMware – the virtual machine software. The latter comes free for Windows and Linux. Mac version, VMware Fusion… you have to pay for. Why, oh why? One of the appeals of Linux for a non-tech is that it comes for free, we’re really not willing to pay. And I’m sure Fabian would point out, that is because we already over-paid for our Mac machines.

I freedom-fought both VMware Fusion and Parallels (which by the way, your honour, has nothing to do with downloading the serial number off of a torrent). Install-wise Parallels are more user friendly and prompt you to chose how much RAM you’re willing to dedicate before the install, which is important. DO NOT attempt installing Linux using 256 RAM, it will take you 36 hours. However once installed VMware sorted the issue of networking an internet connection. This is important, there is few things more frustrating than fighting with your Internet configuration. All in all, VMware fusion it is. It goes for £49.95 on Amazon (Parallels 10 quid cheaper). But you’ll saw much more than that on the free software that either comes with or you can download for your Linux.

So now me, the young Jedi, descends on the freedom fighter path directed by talk like Yoda he shall mmmm Dan (if you freaked out by the amount of geeky references don’t worry, I’ll stop now. And watch Star Wars).

However dear friends it’s not that easy. Once you choose between many different versions of Linux there’s many versions of every version (in case of Mint they come in form of what Dan refers to as a call girls list: Elyssa, Daryna etc etc). Then there’s 6 editions of Elyssa alone. If in doubt, I say, go for whatever says Main or Standard or For-the-illiterate.

Figuring this stuff out took longer than one would have thought. My main issue so far is the terminology and the fact that things never have really generic names that would be descriptive. I mean, iPhoto is pretty self-explanatory. Even Photoshop. How about GIMP though? What the hell? The software installation tool (very handy indeed since I can search directly for what I need to install given application on Mint) is called “software portal” – now, this will be misleading for any one who comes from the Windows side of things (program manager is an entirely different thing). There is no tutorial at the first launch of the operating system and even though I have to admit I skip tutorials on everything possible and never look back unless everything else fails – this time I could have done with one.

to be continued.

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