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@page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in }P { margin-bottom: 0.08in }- >For the past year, I have run a one-man web site design business from my home. My setup was based upon the Windows XP operating system along with Dreamweaver, FrontPage and host of other application software. This setup served me well, but as time went on, I began noticed a steady erosion of performance and a gradual decrease in the stability of my computer. I regularly scanned my system for viruses and spy ware. I suspected that the many security and DRM patches automatically downloaded and installed by Windows were slowly strangling the life out of my machine. I longed to have a stable, secure, flexible, and reliable desktop platform with which to create and maintain web sites. In addition, I wanted to spend as little money as possible, since, I had already made a significant investment in Windows software.
There were two realistic alternatives to Windows operating system: Macintosh OSX, and Gnu/Linux. Macs have a reputation for high quality, ease of use, usability, and aesthetics. However, I could not really justify the added expense for the new hardware and software I would need, so I eliminated the Mac as a potential web development platform. Macs are less expensive and more powerful today than ever before, but my Dell Optiplex PIII still had some life in it.
This left me with Gnu/Linux, a powerful UNIX-like multi-user, multitasking, network-centric operating system and user environment. Linux is an operating system kernel: the software which manipulates the computer hardware at the bequest of the software and ultimately the user. the Gnu part of Gnu/Linux represents the user-land or system of applications through which a user actually accomplishes work or play with a computer.
While Linux has its roots in Bell Labs Unix which was invented over 30 years ago, It is a thoroughly modern operating system capable of powering everything from trade show kiosks, cell phones and PDAs to mainframes and massive data farms.
Linux is one of the crowns of the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) movement. Linux is available free ( or for the cost of media and shipping) on the Internet. the source code for the Linux kernel and much of the Linux user-land is freely available. anyone who is willing and able can download, study, and modify the source code to correct bugs or to add functionality. Linux benefits from the contributions of developers from around the world. while many contributors are volunteers, a significant number of Linux developers are employed by companies such as IBM, Novell, SGI, Oracle, Sun Microsystems, and others.
After the decision was made to go with Linux, the next step was to select distribution or brand of Linux. I would compare this to buying a car from General Motors. many GM cars share a common chassis and drive train. This is analogous to the role of the Linux kernel. the same chassis can be the base for a sedan, a convertible, two-door or four-door, sporty, luxurious or economy vehicle. likewise, Linux distributions are tailored to the needs and expectations of different types of users. some distributions are geared as server: some distributions are optimized for gaming, software development, multimedia or document production. some distros are designed to be easy to install and to support a wide range of hardware. some distros are geared toward knowledgeable geeks who want a powerful but flexible base for their special needs.
The web site Distrowatch (http://distrowatch.com/) has useful information and links for over one hundred distributions or distros . I chose the current number one distribution, Ubuntu. I figured it had to be the most popular distro for a reason. Distrowatch provided me with the link to download the latest Ubuntu Linux iso, 6.06 LTS (Long-Term Support), which I then burned it to a CD and began the installation process.
The first decision you must make when installing any Linux distro is whether or not to devote your entire hard drive to Linux or choose to create a dual boot setup which preserves your existing Windows environment. Of course if you choose the former, you will lose Windows system, applications, and all your data. Due to a recent virus scare, I had already been forced to reformat my my drive and reinstall windows. In the process, I created two partitions, one for applications and system software, the other for data. I decided to install Linux on the data partition which was contained only a few gigabytes of data. the data is still safe and accessible since Ubuntu Linux is able to read and copy data stored on Windows partitions.
I decided to install Ubuntu using a dual booting configuration. next, I turned my attention to the software I would need in order to create and maintain my websites- the whole point of my endeavor. Straight out the box, Ubuntu has FireFox 1.5 browser, GIMP Image manipulator, and Gedit, a simple text editor. This is a start, but in order to replace my windows setup, I would need much more.
Here is the list of software I needed to accomplish my goals.
- An HTML and Programmers editor
- A WYSIWYG Web Page editor
- An FTP Client
- A PIM/Contact/Calendar Program
- A working LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) environment
The biggest hurdle to jump was finding a Dreamweaver replacement. Not to give a free plug, but there is no single Web Development package available which can match Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver gives you What you See Is What you get (WYSIWYG) web page developing in addition to excellent HTML coding capability and site/project management. there is no Linux version of Dreamweaver.
Since there is no single Linux program comparable to Dreamweaver, I set about collecting a bundle of Free and Open-Source programs which would give me the same functionality as Dreamweaver. For free WYSIWYG web page editing, there are Mozilla/Seamonkey Composer and NVU. NVU is a fork of Mozilla Composer which includes additional editing and site management features. NVU allows me to quickly create prototypes or edit existing web pages. while in no way a complete substitute for Dreamweaver or even FrontPage, NVU is a very useful program.
In addition to humility and a WYSIWYG editor, a great web site designer needs a good HTML/Programmer’s editor. Bluefish is a powerful free, open-source HTML editor. Bluefish also is an excellent programming editor with support for PHP, JavaScript, Python, CSS, and more. In addition, Bluefish has a simple site management system, a help and reference system, and built-in hooks to TIDY, Javac, various other external local and network utilities.
Next, I have to have a way to upload my finished work to the web server. there are many FTP clients available for Linux, ranging from terse command line bash shell scripts, to easy to use GUI-based file transfer programs. I chose gFTP which most closely resembled Filezilla, the client I used with Windows. gFTP is simple, lightweight, robust, and just works.
Email communication is an essential tool if the web site developer. Ubuntu Linux installs Evolution as the default email client application. there are many other good email clients available: Mozilla Thunderbird is one of the more popular ones. My needs go beyond a simple email client. I also need the additional functionality of a Personal Information Manger (PIM). Evolution is the Gnu/Linux answer to Windows Outlook. Evolution includes a contact manager, a task manager, and calendar. Evolution is a highly refined program which is easy to setup and and administer.
It is crucial to my web design business that I be able to rapidly and easily test my PHP/MySQL web pages. To accomplish this, I need a LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL and PHP) environment set up on my local development machine. though there are many Howtos on the Internet which provide instructions on how to set up LAMP, I have personally never been able to create a stable and reliable system. Fortunately, there is XAMPP, a suite of programs which creates a turnkey LAMP environment. now I can test my scripts thoroughly on my own machine before placing them on the server.
Finally, I need a good image editor. Ubuntu comes with the premiere FOSS image editor, Gimp, already installed. with some technical limitations – which are important mainly to printer projects – the Gimp is an able PhotoShop replacement. Gimp allows me to edit clip art and photos, create banners, and even GIF animations.
In the early days of the World Wide Web, nearly all web pages were static and contained mostly text and a few graphics. Times have changed. Multimedia – sound, video, Flash – is considered essential to attracting and keeping surfers at a web site. A complete web site development environment must have the tools necessary to create, test, and incorporate multimedia objects into web pages. In the past, this was been the weak point for Gnu/Linux. apart from the technical challenge developers have of creating multimedia players and developing applications, Gnu/Linux is also encumbered by Digital Rights Management (DRM/Intellectual property) legal obstacles.
The technical problem of Gnu/Linux multimedia capability has been solved – at least for Ubuntu – with the availability of a script called Automatix (www.getautomatix.com/) . Automatix “automates” the installation of multimedia applications and codecs and allows Ubuntu users to have a world wide web media experience comparable to that enjoyed by Windows users. the legal issues – especially for U.S. citizens – pose a dilemma yet to be resolved.
In conclusion, with a little time, research, and some trial and error, it is possible to create a low or no cost, a powerful, virus/spyware-free, secure, and efficient web site design and production environment using the Gnu/Linux operating system and free and open-source software. besides cost or lack there of, an advantage to free and open-source software, is that it is in constant state of refinement. many users world-wide are reporting bugs or suggesting new features for the software the use. Programmers from around the world are volunteering fixes and enhancements which raise the level of quality, functionality, usability, and security for the applications I have come to depend upon. and as a welcome bonus, both Ubuntu and the development software runs quite well on older hardware, such as my Dell Optiplex GX1 PIII. now if I could just find a replacement for Adobe/Macromedia Flash…..
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