No thanks, I already own a penguin

IN his 1975 short story “Remembering Needleman,” Woody Allen recounts the enigmatic last words of the eccentric professor, Sandor Needleman, after he was tapped on the head by a wrecking ball on his lunch hour. “No thanks, I already own a penguin.” For some strange reason, the line has stayed with me all these years. Now I finally have an excuse to use it. Perhaps the question to Needleman’s cryptic last words was: “Want to install an expensive, proprietary operating system?”

In an earlier post, I talked about how I would work to encourage people to switch to free and open source software one PC at a time. I was gratified to receive comments and e-mail from people who had made that switch. This week, I thought I’d create an interesting way to keep track of my progress.

The artwork that accompanies this article was created using the Linux version of Xara Xtreme, an illustration package that makes it very easy to add elements to a drawing and to introduce extremely tiny details in the graphic. So this is what I decided to do: I’m going to add a penguin to the graphic for every e-mail or comment from a reader who tells me he or she has made the switch. If anything I’ve written helped you make the switch, I’d really like to know. To make things even more interesting, I’ll add the reader’s name to the new penguin. You won’t really be able to make out your name at the size and resolution of the graphic, of course--you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Count me in.  I’m switching my net cafe/DTP business to Linux and the small school where i’m maintaining their PC’s.

Hi Rean, Thanks! You can find yourself in the graphic on the panel on the right. Good luck with the migration!

Me too! Linux user # 364495

Hi Christopher, check out your penguin!

count me in.

i just installed feisty fawn beta on my work pc.

Hi Jheric,
Welcome aboard!

I want to switch from hugging windows to hugging penguins, but I don’t know where to begin.

This is my first visit and I find myself impressed and laughing. You are good, very good.

Thanks Frank,

Here are some useful links that might help you get started…

Screencasts of how to download and burn the Ubuntu install disk and other goodies:
http://doc.ubuntu.com/screencasts/

Absolute Beginners Talk (Forum)
http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=73

The Beginner Team
http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=215

Hope that helps, and if you do make the switch, do drop me a line!

Hi sir,
Create a cute penguin for me . I made a switch after reading your posts as well as Dominique’s (ubuntuliving.blogspot.com) and Connie’s.

Hi Max, you got it! Congratulations on making the switch. For that you get your own Blue Max penguin.

How about a penguin for the cheerleader?

Been ubuntu user since last year but get me a penguin anyway.....Jerry

I want my penguin!

I’ve just installed Ubuntu 5.04 to my desktop computer. Installation wasn’t as hard as I thought. But it’s the actual operation that puzzles me now. Heck, I can’t believe I have to go through stuff like repositories and drivers just to access my other partitions (NTFS). I can’t even surf the Net because I have no idea just how to set up my connection. And I get messages like “needs plugin support for mp3 playing”. It’s quite a shock for a “newbie”, I must say. But the funny thing is I find the whole process rather enjoyable and rewarding, pretty much like the pleasure you get from treasure hunting.

I hope the newer versions of Ubuntu will make things easier. I ordered 6.10 and Fiesty Fawn several weeks ago. Can’t wait to receive my copies.

elo Joseph!

I have CD intallers of Dapper, Edgy… and in a few days, the Feisty version of Ubuntu.  From where are you and I might send you one? 

Email me privately at .

Good luck to your Ubuntu adventure!

Dave

Joseph, pahabol!

If you think its unbelievable that you have to go to the repositories and drivers (which are known as modules in Linux) just to access your NTFS partition… how about going back to Windows and wonder how the hell it can’t even access the linux partitions by default?

Come to think of it…

Welcome Clair, Jerry and Joseph!

Could you do one for me?

A penguin with eyeglasses and a pigtail would do, if that’s ok with you :D

Hello.  I made the switch to Linux back in ‘94.  I was introduced to the wonder of Ubuntu Linux in 2005 and haven’t looked back.  My passion is making Linux and open source software work for others - and it’s been my business for the past 8 years.  I’m a lucky fellow, because, in addition to great job satisfaction and being able to sleep at night, my passion also makes me a reasonable living. 

Your article on MS’s $3 “deal” is what led me to you site - it’s brilliant (your article, not the “deal"), and I’m very pleased that the internet makes your words visible the world over.  All the best to you, and to all those who have entered a brave new world of freedom, humanity, and constructive creativity that will soon leave the sullied world MS that inhabits behind.

Dave

Hi Nik, your penguin’s got glasses, but sorry, I don’t do pigtails. Dave, I think you’ll spot your penguin rather easily.

Can I also have my penguin?  Got hooked with Linux because of Bayanihan Linux, then tried out Mandrake 10.1, then finally Ubuntu courtesy of Claire.. never looked back!

Can I have a penguin that has a small mole?  That’s me!

Hi Dave,
At this size, you won’t see the mole… but it’s there!

I started with Ubuntu Edgy Eft in February and just upgraded to Feisty Fawn.  I have a dual boot system but I can’t remember when I last booted Windows.  Would putting a top hat on a penguin be too much?  I’m a magician.

Hi Dave with the hat. Find your penguin!

Hi, sir! I finally installed Feisty Fawn after reading enough of your blog, as well as some stuff over at psychocats.net.

Who knew that installing a new OS would give this kind of mental thrill?

Yesterday, I tried to edit the xorg.conf file to fix my screen resolution. There was an error and Ubuntu couldn’t detect my MONITOR. I tried to fix it again, but nothing worked. I panicked and reinstalled. :p

Maybe a few years ago, I would have gotten fed up, gone back to Windows, and maybe even cried. But now I just find it hilarious, and I can’t wait to try again. I don’t think I’ll be bored this summer.