Mother and Ubuntu

I have a new job at Canonical.

Before I started, rather than inflicting a new way to interact with a computer on my own life I thought I should test Ubuntu out on my mother. In her own words: “I can be your lab rat” – very nice of her I am sure you will agree. Thank you mother!

Now, all my memories of ever building or re-building any machine are always connected to a very late night, the odd trip to a friend’s to download something I forgot to get before I started… general, unwanted, pain. I was extremely reluctant to start and procrastinated enormously.

Torn between a reluctance to inflict pain on myself and a desire to accept a job fully informed, I finally capitulated.

Let’s not dwell on the instructions for creating an Ubuntu Live CD. I did get it wrong the first time but not the second.

The Live CD idea is extremely useful. I got to have a proper play and it made me more confident about the install process. After all, if the Live CD works well, why wouldn’t the install? I started my little project at 9.30 pm (ish).

Now, those of you in regular contact with me will, of course, appreciate how important my mother’s computer is to her. She was referred to as ‘Techno mum’ while I was still at University (that is nearly 15 years ago. 15!) and her delight in engaging with uses for her computer has remained. I emphasise the uses bit as she never ever installs anything. Ever. If I am away she has no qualms about phoning my friend Andrew and making him come round.

I digress.

My point is that her first response whenever I attempt to ‘make her computer better’ is “will my emails be ok?” or “what about my letters?” and, as a dutiful daughter I do not like upsetting my mother.

I checked the backup was OK. Googled her printer to make sure there were drivers. I started.

The process really was very simple. I followed the on-screen instructions making notes of a few slightly less than delightful moments in the experience and, by 11pm mother was sitting in front of her PC which now runs Ubuntu.

She checked that the Internet was still there – Firefox was quickly identified. She started a letter to her friend Michelle (she writes her a letter every day!?) and – I loved this bit – the printer already worked (I had, of course, forgotten to check).

Then “where is Freecell?”

My heart stopped! What will she do when she can’t sleep? How will she compete with her friends in the ‘have you solved Freecell number xxxx’ game? I am a terrible daughter.

Fear not for my immortal soul my friends, freecell was already there. Phew!

Mother has now been running Ubuntu for a few weeks:

• She has managed to move the top panel to the bottom of the screen – “It is more like what I had”
• The printer seems to want to print everything in red (I really must look at that. It’s an HP 1410, anyone?)

Most importantly – the quote from Day 2: “This is bloody brilliant. Much faster than that other s**t!”

One happy mother. Check.