Today I learned that trying to configure Linux to your preferences can make it not work. At all.
Plus I haven't really learned how to do backups in a modern Linux (last time I did backups on a Unix style operating system other than Macos was in the early 1990s using tape ...)
On the plus side I now have Ubuntu 7.10 running on my DIY computer build!
It boots off a 500gb SSD, with a 1TB spinny HD as data drive (I have half a tb of Dropbox files alone).
Moving from Mac to Ubuntu: Software
Only things missing from my mac are screenflow, Apple apps such as Keynote (browser apps are not as good), and iMessage.
Not bad!
Programming Python on Ubuntu
It is very nice using the same OS as my development server.
For IDE I am using PyCharm Professional. It has built-in Github and SFTP, as well as the usual auto-complete and color formatting, and such.
Next Steps
This machine was originally intended as a Hackintosh, and might still go that way, but I am going to attempt to run VirtualBox first .... wish me luck!