For me, the decision to switch to a Linux-based operating system was fueled by the freedom it gave me. I had “played with” Linux for many years already, first installing it from floppy disks on an ancient IBM computer an elementary school had tossed out. At the time, Linux was thrilling, but not necessarily fulfilling.

Several years later, having watched from the sidelines as Linux gained in popularity and usability, I made the decision to exclusively use Linux on my work PC for at least a month — to force myself to use Linux-based versions of the programs I had grown to rely on for web browsing, emailing, word processing and even connecting to and controlling Microsoft Windows-based computers.

It wasn’t nearly as painful as I thought it would be, and it had unexpected results: I became a convert.

Years ago, if I wanted to run a Windows program that couldn’t run under Linux, I had to reboot my PC and load Windows just long enough to complete the task. Now, when I need to run a Windows-only program, I run Windows as a “virtual machine” using another free Linux program called VirtualBox.

For example, since I currently use Quickbooks for my business, whenever I need to create an invoice or run a report I simply “boot” Windows XP using VirtualBox and run Quickbooks that way. Windows remains confined, appropriately, to a window on my desktop — all while I’m still using Linux for the rest of my work.

I’ve settled on a distribution of Linux called Ubuntu. It’s great for both beginners and experts, and it’s highly versatile. There are different “flavors” of Ubuntu, depending on the type of interface you’re most comfortable with. Ubuntu uses a graphical interface called “Gnome” that many people enjoy. (It reminds me of the Apple operating system.) I prefer Kubuntu, which uses the “KDE” interface and resembles Microsoft Windows more closely. Programs that work under Ubuntu typically have no issues under Kubuntu, and vice versa. You can even install both and decide which interface you’d like to use right at the login screen, then switch back and forth whenever you’d like.

Unless I’m supporting a client who uses it, I don’t use Microsoft Word or Excel. I use OpenOffice.org instead, both under Windows and Linux.

I have no need for expensive graphic programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Instead, I use “The GIMP” (”GNU Image Manipulation Program”) and Inkscape.

I browse the Web securely and safely using Mozilla Firefox. I access my e-mail using either Mozilla Thunderbird or Evolution.

For my clients who need a server on their network but prefer to avoid thousands of dollars in licensing fees, I install an appropriate version of Ubuntu, often using a spare PC that is no longer appropriate to use as a workstation.

My family’s little file server runs Kubuntu. One component of our entertainment center runs Mythbuntu. For Windows games, my kids switch between Ubuntu and Windows on their laptops, and I do the same on my laptop and PC. None of this costs us a dime.

If you’ve toyed with the idea of trying Linux but didn’t feel you were “geek enough,” have no fear. Ubuntu Linux is fast, friendly, easy to use, highly customizable and quite powerful — with thousands of programs available for you to install with the click of a mouse — all for free. You can download the latest copy of Ubuntu and create your own “Live CD.”

Boot up to the Live CD and try Ubuntu all you want on your own computer without having to install a thing. If you decide you like it, the installer will walk you through everything you need to do — even resizing your hard-drive partitions so you can “dual-boot” between Ubuntu and your current operating system.

If you don’t like the Live CD, just reboot your PC and you’re back where you were before you began.

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Kevin McDonald: Writer and professional computer/network administrator. He lives in Amarillo with his wife and children, and owns and operates Definition Computers. E-mail Kevin at askthegeek@definitioncomputers.com with questions you’d like to see answered in this column.

(This article was originally published in the Amarillo Independent newspaper.)