Simplifying the Setup: Dual-boot no more

Posted by Daniel Stout on Mon 27 Aug 2007 at 7:07 AM

I’ve been running dual-boot systems since December 2005. On both my desktop and laptop, I had a Windows partition and an openSUSE Linux partition. After using that basic setup for the past year and a half, it’s become clear to me that using two dual-boot systems is just not worth the effort. It’s simply too much work to keep four operating systems alive.

To that end, I’ve simplified my setup recently. I’ve gone to single boot setups with Windows XP on my desktop and the 64-bit version (x86-64) of openSUSE 10.2 on my laptop. And I must say it’s been a relief. Rather than needing to decide which operating system I was booting into each time, I can simply turn on the machine and go.

My goal in all of this was to get rid of Windows, but I haven’t quite gotten there. It’s useful occasionally for certain things. But overall, I think this split of duties has made a lot of sense. My laptop is the computer I take with me into the world. I use it for a variety of purposes – ranging from coding websites to doing email and writing. My desktop I use for similar but slightly different purposes. I do more multimedia production type activities on my desktop, and for that I find Windows to be a better solution.

So instead of getting rid of Windows entirely, I think I’ve hit upon a solution that, for me, balances out the different uses I put my desktop and my laptop to. I recently discovered too that the processor in my laptop is capable of running the 64-bit version of Linux. It came pre-installed with a 32-bit version of Windows – obviously not taking advantage of the capabilities of this laptop. At any rate, I installed the x86-64 version of openSUSE, and it’s been working great.

I don’t know why but running Linux seems to fit more in my mind with the “down in the groove” feeling I’ve been having lately in general. I’ve been listening to records a lot more and just feeling a lot more retro around my technology. I’ve always had vinyl, and it just seems natural. Linux I got into back in 1994 in college, and now it just seems natural to run it. My record player now is much more technologically advanced than the turntable I had growing up. And Linux has come a very long way since 1994. But both represent best-of-breed for me. Vinyl sounds awesome, and it’s just fun. I love the cover art of vinyl. And Linux just works plus it’s a technical platform – it takes special knowledge to run, and I have that knowledge.

Tags: dual-boot · linux · opensuse · vinyl · windows · x86-64

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