JerryOSF Loc: Bristol, VA

Can a professional use linux in photography? Read here.
https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/photography-and-linux

delkeener Loc: SW Rhode Island, USA

I charge SPAM by the minutes it steals.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

That is an interesting article with good references.

Anyone interested in a Linux workflow, can get a good idea of what that involves, by reading the article.

Thanks for posting the link.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Interesting article, I have used most of these applications and was also a previous follower of PSE and LR. Yes I accept that if you have a HP printer only the software comes with most versions of Linux, everyone else uses a cloud based converter (which I struggle to come to terms with so print on my wife's PC.)
To be honest I prefer Linux programs. There is much more choice and as I have said before, most file formats can be PP'd using the best of many programs rather than depending upon one or two alone. Not all programs do all things whatever the OS you use. 'Free programs' are always worth looking at.If only for the 'odd' sliders and effects that they contain.

I would question the authors take on PC needs though. My PC is AMD 4 core with minimal Ram. It works as quick as I can and, without a direct comparison, image to image, I am happy with the results and time it takes to process. Possibly those that end up with so much PP 'file size' may know better.Not being either a professional nor a prolific photographer, my need for 'batch processing' is minimal to none existent.

The other plus side is the wealth of other programs that are also available 'free to use'. A simple search through the repositories (Arch,Community or OS) will meet all of anyone's needs. Download and updates are automatic, free and regular. Not quite what MS and Mac want you to know. Even the Kernel of the OS (Latest Version) gets updated rather than re-installed if you go for the Long Term Support (LTS) versions available. And it is beta tested so is known to work before release !
Coding....I have used the terminal probably three times in four years...each time I have had access to a Wikki or forum to discuss my problem and advice on how to fix it. All free and no phone calls.

Considering you can run Linux and Windows on the same PC (in a partition) I can think of no reason for anyone to to decide not to take advantage of it.

Merry Christmas

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Linux requires a minimum level of computer savvy, just to get started. And it requires a lot of work to get an efficient office set up, and then more maintenance is required after that to keep it all going.

For those who like to hack and compile their own softwares, who enjoy that part of the work, then it's great.

JerryOSF Loc: Bristol, VA

That is a very common misunderstanding of those who don't use linux. It is often easier to accomplish tasks in linux than in Windoze. It is also faster and has a lower hardware requirement.. Try it before you knock it!

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I am not knocking Linux. I am simply saying that setting it up, getting it all to work, requires computer skills and time, above what the average user can/wants to devote.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Very interesting - thanks for posting.

CaptainEd

That was a good read, thanks for sharing. As Windows becomes more and more "connected" to the mothership, examining and sharing my every move while using my compute resources to do it, I've started to become more drawn to Linux.

For me it started a few years ago, when I had a hard drive fail in a way that no Windows based recovery utility could get to it. I found a Linux utility that showed potential and created a bootable image to run it. It was then that I realized how far along the efforts had come to make Linux usable for the average Joe/Joan.

For grins about a year and a half ago, I setup a virtual machine image of the latest and greatest Ubuntu as a local development server for a web project. I started playing around the with the graphical interface, the Ubuntu version of the application "store", and the Ubuntu versions of OpenOffice and was impressed.

Most recently, I acquired an old Dell machine from someone I was doing an upgrade installation for. Even after a total cleanup and re-install of windows, it was dog slow. It had 4GB of RAM and the motherboard maxed out at 8GB, so it was deemed obsolete. I decided to experiment with this machine and installed Ubuntu on it. The install was simple. It found the wireless network, and even an HP multifunction printer that was on that network and auto installed the drivers. The only part that was a bit "sketchy" was support for the scanner on that machine, but there was a quick fix for that easily found on the web. In short, the machine has a new life. Even with only 4GB of RAM, it ran great, but I added another 4 to max it out. Everything auto-updates, it has never frozen or given me the equivalent of a "blue screen of death". Updates are automatic and rarely require a restart.

For context, I have been in IT since the 80's as everything from a programmer to salesman. I still have an old Sun SPARC workstation buried somewhere in the basement, so technology does not intimidate me. I think it is because I have dabbled in Unix over the years, and have heard Linux declared "ready for the mainstream" a number of times that it clearly wasn't that I'm impressed on where it is today. I can totally see it being used by "novice" users for everyday tasks such as browsing the web, streaming, document editing, spreadsheets, etc.

I gave the machine to my brother, 63, and he loves it. It runs, it browses, it prints, it streams Pandora and YouTube. That's all he needs out of it.

It may not be for everyone, but it has come a long way. I've hunting for another "throw away" to bring back to life for myself, but after reading that article I may "Go Geek" and build something for photo/video editing and run it alongside my all Adobe system for a while to see how well it all works together.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

Don't know about all the software mentioned, but you can't beat GIMP for a full-feature editing program.

Problem with Linux is printer compatibility. I use Linux Mint (based on Ubuntu) and I have gone through torture to get my Canon multifunction color laser and Pixma inkjet printers to work.
In addition to a driver from the printer maker (if there is one), a whole lot of "dependencies" had to be found, with great difficulty and luck. Setup was so bad that I gave up on my thoughts of dumping Windows.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

A good article and great for someone just starting out and wanting to keep prices at a minimum. However, if one has spent years working with, writing internal apps, and modifying applications to meet one's needs, Jumping to another platform is not always an option easily accomplished. The time spent on recreating those apps and mods would be better spent doing photography.
--Bob

cochese

The days of "hacking and compiling software" for Linux are pretty much past. Depending on the distro you choose, you can look up the software on the distro's form of software management, then download and install that software with one click. The part that doesn't exist is any form of payment, and you never have to enter a license number. Most distro's today require little to no "work" to set up and work out of the box. As far as computer savvy, yes you need to make a bootable disc. There is a learning curve, but there is an egually large learning curve for Adobe products... and how large would you learni g curve be if you had never used any form of Windows or OSX? I'm guessing you are responding to decade old comments and have never actually used Linux.

JerryOSF Loc: Bristol, VA

Some hardware is not compatible with linux. It probably will be in time. Some hardware in Windoze will NOT be compatible in time. How many people upgrade and find their older scanners, printers, etc will not work with the newer version of Windoze? If it is popular hardware someone will probably add it to linux in the near future. There are updates all the time which do not require a shutdown, usually finish within minutes and happen when the owner wants them done. A major (kernel) update can be loaded anytime but doesn't take effect until the next reboot. If you don't want to use linux, then don't. However, if you haven't used a recent version of linux please don't spread ignorant rumors.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Wrong on so many levels....Since windows 7 the doss emulator (Terminal)disappeared for most people. I had a minimal computer savvy predating doss 6(win 5(?).....if stuck call a friend was my default.

If you struggle to download and write to a CD then there is the option to buy a CD of the OS from linuxshop or most PC repair shops will make one for about £5. Installation is as simple as everything else. Pop the CD into the drive and follow the prompts Think about what it is asking and if in doubt go with the default setting (you can change any or all later,)

Downloading programs is simply.... look in the repository (that comes with the OS) click on program you want and it will auto install. to get rid of it go to repository and highlight it and press remove. Job done....no need to run any clean up program....linux does it for you.

Now...some linux OS have a 'end date' and you have to re-install the next kernel (OS version upgrade) Others offer Long Term Support (LTS) and these auto update for free. So yes you can make life difficult for yourself by downloading the cutting edge versions or you can go for a LTS version.

Arch Linux and community programs may or may not run simply by downloading. But there is help available. The programs shipped with your OS have been tested to work with your OS.. so again you get a choice as to 'risk' of the program crashing...nothing ventured nothing gained....if it don't work uninstall it...what is the problem?

I used Windows for years....I even bought the books...not that I understood them. In truth, windows is not as user friendly as suggested. With 10 it seems even the updates are 'iffy' at best.

Linux has come a long way from being a program for Geeks......The fact that you can use it 'as a Geek' is a plus not a minus. It allows 'those that can' (not me) to to create a customized set up. For us that are not 'Geeky' it allows us choices of OS and programs to fit our needs without breaking the bank.

Office now is in the cloud....Libra Office isn't. To Buy Office you also Have to buy all of the rest of the programs that it used to come with separately - excel access presentations etc. Libra office has all of those and more... freeware. Libra Office allows you to open and 'save as' MSoffice etc etc. Microsoft doesn't.... what are they afraid of?

Sorry to prick your balloon....Can I suggest that you spend a little time reading about 'how easy' Linux has become and how stable most versions are. You may be surprised

have fun

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

Yes, I use Linux...Mint 18.3 and 19.1, so you know I'm not an enemy. I use Windows too...10, 7 and even XP.

Corrections:

Windows 10 still has the DOS Prompt, and Powershell for the more savvy folks. Use of the Terminal/command line in Linux is necessary, and numbing for the non-geek.

Linux software repositories make it easy, IF what you need is in the repository. If not, you resort to Synaptics package manager, or downloading from an independent site, where the download may well not have instructions on how to utilize it. Absolutely not as easy as downloading a Windows .exe, .msi, or install package and just running with a double-click.

Yes, both Linux distros and Windows versions have end-of-support dates, after which many (security, program, OS functions) updates are no longer available.... Either one requires installing a new version to maintain "support". Linux does not make it any easier than Windows.

Both Linux and Windows are very usable by non-geeks, and offer much to occupy the mind of the geeks. It depends on what you want to do, in either environment.

Your comments on MS Office are confused. You can use MS Office/365 as an installed-on-the computer suite, OR as a cloud-based suite.
LibreOffice's default file-saving format is Open Document formats (.odt, .ods etc). MS Office defaults to .docs, .xlsx, .pptx, etc. BOTH Suites can save in EITHER system and open files created in either system. So cross-compatibility is there. No sweat.

To add, someone wanting to switch from Windows to Linux, or start from scratch with Linux, must understand that not every Windows application has a Linux version or a comparable program.
Yes, SOME Windows apps can run under Wine in Linux, or virtual Windows within Linux. But this has its own complications. Printer drivers/installations have been nerve-wracking, and unsuccessful too.


What is the problem with getting behind the concept that both Windows and Linux (and Macs) are good? They are just DIFFERENT!

The two biggest differences between Windows and Linux are: 1. paid versus free, and 2. Availability of help when you need it. I very often search for help with Linux, only to find, if at all, more reliance on the command line than I can deal with. This is a big reason I gave up the idea of switching from Windows to Linux.

Linux requires too much geek-type knowledge to be the answer for everyone. It just isn't as user-friendly as Windows. No question about it.