Background:

Embedded Hardware/Software and Windows software developer.

Volunteer as IT support at local community centre.

 

Linux:

My first outing with Linux was a bit of a disaster. I think it was pre 2000 and I was trying to install Redhat on the computer I had at the time. Just couldn't get it to work so I didn't look at Linux again for a long time.

 

At the start of 2013 though I got a 'Raspberry Pi' which reawakened my interest in Linux and when I was given an old Dell C640 laptop with WIndows 2000 on it I decided to put a Linux distro on it. I opted for Lubuntu because of the laptop's limited resources and the OS installed without any problems. I also dual booted Kbuntu with Windows XP on my main computer at home. Again no installation problems.

 

With support ending for Windows XP I decided to upgrade my main computer to Windows 7 because I needed to run Visual Studio but I had other machines running XP so I wondered what to do with them. I decided I'd have a look at LinuxMint as I liked the look of the desktop so I installed 'Petra' on one of my machines and had a play. I liked it. :-)

 

I'm also looking after a number of PCs at a community centre. Five of these had Windows XP. They're normally used by the youth club though so I thought I'd put a Linux distro on one and see how the kids got on with it.

I initially tried Edbuntu but I just couldn't get on with the desktop so I installed 'Maya' (because it had LTS) with some of the educational packages that are installed in Edbuntu. (Thought about creating a new distro called MintEd :-) ). Result - kids loved it. The woman that runs the youth club even wants me to put it on her brand new Windows 8 machine!! I then saw that 'Qiana' would be out soon which also has LTS so I thought I would hold off deploying to the other machines until the official release.

 

16 May 2014: 'Qiana' RC

Dual booting Cinnamon with Windows 7 on one machine and complete install on another machine.