Windows, XWindow & Me

Just like many others, I too started computing with Microsoft Windows. It was Windows 98 an OEM pack. That time, at office I was using Novell 3.11 and DOS based applications. To be specific FoxPro 2.6 for DOS. I really liked FoxPro mainly because of its simplicity and flexibility. But it lack the full functionality of an RDBMS.

One day I heard about a new Operating System. That was "Linux". One of my friend who runs a computer training center had a copy of Redhat Linux 6.0. I lend that CD from him and tried to install on my home computer. My friend Girish also was with me. But we couldn't complete the installation, as the HDD partition are was confusing. We were afraid of the data lose in Win partition.

Later with the help of my training center friend, I partitioned my 4.3 GB hdd and installed Redhat. Some days later I found from a bookstall, PCQuest an IT Magazine, has Redhat 6.2 version in its current release. I bought that CD and installed 6.2.

I started experimenting on the new OS. Since I am from Windows world, I never had the habit of reading manuals, docs etc. I expected every thing possible thru mouse clicks :-)

That time Chip, another IT Magazine shipped a version of Corel Linux which was based on Debian. I encountered with a new package management system called .deb in Corel. The boot loader was graphical where as RHL had command line :boot

Installation also was far better with Corel. I had dialup connection from Dishnet. I failed to connect internet through Linux. I understood that there is a user community in Kochi called
Indian Linux User Group Kochi. I contacted the organiser of ILUG-Kochi. He told me that
there is a person who is expert in Linux at Kakkanad. His name is Raghavendra Bhat and he
uses Linux only in his home PC. I called Mr. Bhat ( We call him Bhat Sir) .

GNU is Not UNIX

Bhat sir aka ragu was using Debian GNU/Linux. He was kind enough to teach me the basics of the GNU Operating system. I came to know about GNU, Richard Stallman and GPL. That was a new world of information. The idea of Free Software facinated me. I was always a freedom lover.

I bought a copy of Debian GNU/Linux Potato from him and installed on my machine. I could configure dialup and I started using internet through my GNU box.

I started using vi, mutt, fetchmail, exim. I joined the Linux India mailing lists. Guys there helped me a lot. I started learning Linux. I went through the howtos, guides etc available on internet. Bhat sir also used to give me the documents he reads, cut in a CD.
That helped me to avoid huge telephone bills :-)

I removed Windows from my HDD. I started using Debian for all of my computing needs.

I documented my experiences with GNU/Linux and hosted in my site, www.kumarayil.net.

Days past, I am now part of Free Software Foundation - India. I volunteer as FSF-I Webmaster. I am in the working group also.

Thus I moved from Windows to Window (X window) , then to CLI (command line interface) and lived happily there after.