Lately, there has been a “Why linux isn’t ready for the desktop” article every 3 days. Most of the time, these articles originate from a lack of understanding or acceptance of the open source system. I’d like to try to address some of the common arguments against linux here, and try to help people understand why linux probably won’t be on your desktop for a while.
Keep in mind, I am a linux user (yes, on the desktop) so you will DEFINITELY see some bias here. I believe the points are still valid though, so think before you flame me.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed below are largely the author’s opinion. You may disagree, and we look forward to any debate.
Linux isn’t as easy to use
Isn’t it? How many of you used linux as your first computer? I’m guessing very few. As we all know, “different” isn’t “harder”. I’ve been doing research on this topic, and I’ve taught brand new computer users on linux (GNOME) without any trouble. But this is not the point. The key thing to look at when criticizing open source is to remember that Open Source is still largely made up of volunteers. As much as they want to help you, you have no right to demand ANYTHING. For a very long time, people were still trying to get basic functionality in Linux. Now that that has been accomplished, people are finally able to devote their time to “ease of use”. Linux is improving. I am a relatively new linux user (a year and a half), and in the short period of time I’ve used linux, It’s improved leaps and bounds in usability. It’s fine if linux isn’t perfect for everyone yet, it’s getting better. These things don’t happen in a day, and whining every week is just insulting to the developers.
It’s ok to criticize, though. People’s comments really do help, but most of the articles simply say, “linux isn’t as easy as Windows”. If you have a specific feature that you think would help usability, submit a bug report to KDE or GNOME. You will be surprised at how quickly they may address your problem. Remember, “easy” is subjective, so help us all out by being specific.
I would go into more detail, but I am still conducting research. There are already lots of studies out there though, and many show that Linux is very easy for completely new computer users.
Linux isn’t as polished
What does “polished” mean? In my opinion, it means that the inner-workings of the OS are hidden from the user, and a user is presented with an environment they feel is consistent. This is against the philosophy of linux, or at least has been for a long time. Linux is about being open, and letting the user tinker with everything. Saying that Linux shouldn’t do that anymore is a hard thing to convince people of. Luckily though, this same spirit has allowed people to take linux, and make it whatever they want; in this case, “polished”. Taking away “features” is a lot easier than adding them, and once again, I have to say, “patience”. These things take time. No one in their right mind would say that Linux isn’t moving towards polish. If you want to help, write something and give it to KDE, GNOME, or your favorite desktop distribution.
Linux is fragmented
In my opinion, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Linux has one of the most tightly knit communities I have ever seen. There are a few sub-arguments that go with this “fragmentation”. One is the oft-heard “There are too many distributions!”. All I have to say is, Why? Why are there too many distributions? What is forcing you to use every single one? Nothing is. All distributions ARE united, so its not like there are 100 different operating systems. What unites linux distributions? For starters, they all use the Linux kernel. They all use the GNU tools. They all use XFree86. They all use glibc. You get the point. Maybe one or two distributions (embedded probably) don’t use these things, but if 95% of the distributions do, I wouldn’t complain. Linux distributions are united because they all use most of the same software. The only “custom” software is installation and package management. Installation is something few people will have to do, so it’s not that important for compatability, especially if the “desktop” goal is to get it pre-installed on machines. Package Management isn’t that important either, because all package management systems do basically the same thing. They manage packages. You just have to learn the new commands, and even then, “apt” is a prevailing system among distributions, so learning that is usually enough. Windows98 is different from WindowsXP. Things change, and if it’s only slightly (like between distributions), it’s not hard to adapt.
Some people say there should only be one or two distributions. This is illogical. Linux has a wide variety of uses, and its openness allows you to create specialized versions. Off the top of my head, I know we would need a firewall distribution, general purpose distribution, server distribution, embedded distribution, intermediate-level distribution,”from scratch” distro, etc, etc. It is ridiculous to say that I should use Fedora on a cell phone or Gentoo should be used by the complete beginner.
Also, it makes no sense to believe that everyone would like a certain distribution. People have different tastes, it’s that simple. I believe most people realize this. Many people do not like Windows, so why be like it and give people “one size fits all”? It clearly doesn’t fit all, and thats why many of you are switching, or looking to switch.
Now that there are “too many distributions”, people complain that it’s impossible to get a package for your distribution of choice. The only place this is a problem is in closed source applications. The beauty of open source is that all the developer has to do is release a source tarball, and let the package managers package it up for them. An online download system comes included now in almost every major distribution. Surfing to a website, and downloading by hand is becoming archaic. Is this different than Windows? Absolutely, but it is better. I use a smaller distribution (ArchLinux), and I have every piece of software I could want in the repositories. This exists, even though I have yet to see a website that distributes Pacman Packages.
Then there are people who do not see the point of both KDE and GNOME, and programs like that. They just say people should work together for the “greater good”. This is simply unrealistic. Not everyone can get along. If society worked like this, we’d all drive fords (thank you to someone who made this comment), and all eat Chocolate Ice Cream. Competition is good, even if it sacrifices compatability. Because it is much easier to take two feature rich programs and make them compatible (freedesktop.org) than to try to take a program and add lots of features while keeping it stable.
Linux moves too fast
This is probably the argument that has the most validity. Linux moves fast. It’s always changing, and always improving. The question is whether it is “too fast”. Personally, I find this speed a good thing. Patches are quick, and new features are always being added (for free). But someone might rather have a system that only changes once every 2-3 years (like Windows). People say this isn’t possible in linux, and developers won’t be able to create applications because the APIs are always changing. Luckily, there is already a perfect solution for this, Debian Stable. You only have to upgrade every few years, and it is well tested and as the name implies, stable. Now, for developers, this won’t be a solution, because you can only support a library that is two years old. This only plagues closed source developers though, because if the application was open source and really good, people would help you port it. This has been proven by the many forks of otherwise dead OSS projects.
Linux doesn’t support commercial software/idealogy
Now, you can’t repackage software with closed source applications. Is this a problem, yes. But once again, you have to remember why the GPL (which most linux software is released under) was created. It was created to help promote a completely free(dom) system. Closed Source software goes against this belief, so it naturally isn’t very compatible. This is an ideological stance, and no one has a right to say that the “open source idealogy” is wrong. People with different beliefs will just have to get along. There are different religions, and while they don’t agree with each other fundamentally, many manage to “mesh”. And just like the real world, sometimes two groups simply won’t be able to get along. When choosing linux, you must keep this in mind, and if you truly disagree, you shouldn’t be using GPL software.
Then comes people saying that Linux/Open Source would ruin business. Let’s assume for a minute that the entire world used nothing but open source applications. How would a business make money? Simple, through services. Another popular one will be customizing already available open source applications for a specific companies needs. Both of these are not “temporary” and would provide a source of income. This is once again, different. We have to remember that Linux is and will always be ideological, at least in part. The idea is to change society, not just fit in with it. I’m sure many of you are afraid of change, and that’s ok, we all are. But Open Source is helping to usher in a new economic scheme. This will obsolete the current system of “shareware” and proprietary software. Please remember that it is not societies job to support an economic model. Do not feel bad if it puts a few people out of work. People will have to adapt, but few can say society would be a worse place if software was free(dom). The Open Source movement parallels many things in society, including its increasing globalization. We are one world, and I for one want to support that. You may call me a zealot, but I try to think things out rationally, and my opinion may change in the future.
There are too many zealots
As I’ve been repeating, Linux is in part, ideological, and this can not be avoided. People care greatly about this operating system because we’ve all invested our time, money, and code into making Linux great. There is nothing wrong with having pride in something you do. This is an advantage though. People are proud of their work, and don’t want to see it fail, so they will try their hardest to make it the best possible. Companies like Microsoft could care less if they make the best product, as long as they make money. Eric Raymond has discussed this greatly, and you can read “The Cathedral and The Bazaar” for a more in depth look.
Are there people who believe linux is without flaws? Yes, but there are people like that for every operating system. The majority of people simply want to make linux better. As an end user, you have thousands of people DOING WORK FOR YOU, all out of the goodness of their hearts. Could you ask for more?
But alas, I’ll throw in some zealotry, and try to appeal to your moral nature. Ignore this paragraph if you don’t like getting preached to. There are people who will say something like “I only use what product works best, I don’t care about politics” for a reason to choose Microsoft over Linux on the desktop. This is what causes monopolies and other problems in the first place. In a society driven by money, EVERY purchase you make is inherently political. When you buy something from a company, you are saying “I Support what you are doing”. Microsoft is very well known for its unfair tactics and extreme amounts of FUD. Even if Windows is the superior platform, you can’t just ignore the problem and say that you don’t want to get political. Now is a wonderful time to stand up and really think about whether you want Microsoft controlling your computer. You may decide that you are comfortable with that, but there is no reason not to think about it.
Linux is slow
There is really no “argument” to this, it’s opinion. But I’d like to clear up one thing that is often thrown around. “X is slow”. X11 is a protocol, and can’t be slow. Only a specific implementation can be slow. If you feel XFree86 is slow, please provide some evidence, because I haven’t seen any proof of this. The problem is that many distributions like to turn everything on by default. I was playing with someone’s Mandrake installation earlier, and they had 3 different servers running on a desktop system. This was obviously making things drag.
In my experience, the default install of Windows is rather bloated as well, but you often hear people saying, “If you just turn off unneeded services, windows flies!”. Please take this attitude with linux as well, to be fair.
There Are No Drivers
Yes, there are. Linux supports more hardware than Windows, it’s that simple. The problem lies in supporting common “desktop” hardware. For a very long time, this was difficult because companies would create cheap hardware to save money. This cheap hardware wasn’t as compatible, and didn’t conform to standards. I’m reminded of the HP LaserJet1000 (not the 1012), WinModems, and WinCams. Luckily though, the tide is turning. Many companies have pledged to improve linux support, and I believe them. But if you expect a driver CD for linux, you aren’t seeing the big picture. Ideally, the drivers would be allowed in the standard kernel (and be open source), allowing you to get full hardware support “out of the box”. Linux already has out-of-box support for much more desktop hardware than Windows. If you want proof, it comes with your new hardware. Windows probably won’t support your brand new video card at a decent resolution, or it might not even recognize your sound card. Windows simply doesn’t ship with enough drivers, so you are forced to use a CD. I have a modern system, and all my hardware is supported with the standard linux kernel, no extra driver needed. And yes, this is a commercial system, so its not a “half baked” home built box. That said, I understand “it works for me” isn’t enough.
No Applications
Have the big name applications been ported? No, they haven’t. But, the idea is to create something better, something open source. Ideally, we want a replacement, not a port. With open source programs, you rarely have these porting issues, as some volunteer will port the app if it’s good enough. You don’t depend on a single company for new features/fixes. For normal desktop work, Linux is there. Web browsing, word processing, email, and PIM are already mature and stable. There are of course parts where linux drags behind, but it is improving every day. Saying that there are “no applications” is false. Located here is a great table of replacement apps. There are many other tables like this as well.
I know what you’re thinking. “But {insert expensive proprietary app} isn’t available!” Well then, Complain! Write to that company, and ask them to port the software. They won’t port it unless they know people care. Applications are something that will come in time. Linux is still “emerging”, and the process will be slow. First, the foundation has to be laid, and that is what the main focus should be on. As linux as a development platform matures, we will see the big names finally cower under the pressure. 😉
Conclusion
I want people to take one thing from this. That is to remember that linux is coded by regular human beings. They can only do so much, so quickly. Linux will come to the desktop, eventually. Please do not try to force it. Like the IBM commercial says, “Linux is open….The Future is open.” Linux can be whatever you want it to be. There is nothing stopping you from helping out with one of the Desktop Linux distributions or your favorite Desktop Environment/Utility. If you lack coding or technical skills, money is always appreciated(and for some, beer). 😉
Lastly, you might be saying, “I already knew this!”. These ideas are just a compilation of all the flame war’s I’ve read. Feel free to respond, just PLEASE not with another “linux isn’t ready for the desktop” article.
Bravo! You two seems to get the point: Linux improves much faster than any other OS, and Windows benefits from piracy — I doubt that MS will ever try to stop it — It will be like a shoot on their own feet.
Give the Free Software developers a little more time and money and Linux Desktop will rock — When Windblows Longblorn comes out, it will have a REALLY hard time against Linux.
First of all, where and how you spend your money *is* a choice, and it is a political choice. Second, money hasn’t made us less political, unless by that you mean “we’ve become less aware that our choices are political.” I don’t know whether that’s true or not. Different groups at different times have been more and less aware of the power-relationships that affect their lives; but those who have been aware have often been so in very financial terms. An example might be the generation of North American plantation owners alive at the time of the revolution that led to the formation of the United States. They were extremely aware politically; and we can see from what they fought to have added to the U.S. Constitution – namely, the three-fifths compromize and the fugitive slave clause – that they well understood the connection between politics and economics. Hell, liberal theory from Hobbes and Locke on down is all based on the protection of property. How can money *not* be political in modern democratic government?
As for the issue of what Bill Gates does with his cash, I’ll hedge my bets. I’ll admit that I delighted in watching him shame the U.S. government into spending real money to combat AIDS in Africa. But I’m not convinced he’s done more harm than good; monopolistic business does harm to many, many people. I’d rather save what money I can and send it on to the causes I favor without Microsoft taking a cut off the top in profit.
“you have no right to demand ANYTHING”
Unless you’ve purchased a support contract which is what they hope you’ll do. The media tends to forget that Linux is a hobby that just now is also turning commercial.
“It’s improved leaps and bounds in usability.”
It has indeed. I just checked out a couple of embedded movie trailers on this my SuSE9/KDE3.2/2.6.1 box and I’m impressed! The Linux desktop may never be as good as Windows. But it will reach a point where many will say: I’ll take the Toyota – I don’t need the Mercedes.
“Linux doesn’t support commercial software…”
Not true. But maybe not viable in the long run. Still, I could make a closed source Qt app and charge for it if I wanted to. SoftMaker does it. Hancom does it.
Have you considered installing a more standard desktop distribution, perhaps one that is considered to be vaguely user-friendly (Red Hat, Suse, Fedora, Mandrake, something like that)? Doing a Knoppix hard drive install may be simple, but it also dumps a lot of crap on your system. It isn’t exactly what I’d call a “clean” install, not by any stretch of the imagination. I think you’d be much better off learning in a cleaner, more standard environment. You’d have much more coherent documentation that way as well. For instance, detailed Red Hat manuals are available online at their web site. And I don’t use Suse, so I don’t know if their good docs are available online, but if you’re up to shelling out $80 or so, their Suse Professional box comes with some thick manuals.
Don’t get me wrong — I’m all for Linux users learning how to read man pages and use google, and I’m not a big fan of distribution-specific books. But it sounds like you’re new to Linux, and you might find those books to be pretty accessible — that’s what they’re written for. Once you get used to Linux, and you’re a little more up to speed — if you still want a Debian-based distro, install Debian.
distros: theres no ‘too many’ linux distros. on distrowatch theres 200 in the list 70 on waiting list?! give me a break. 80+ based on redhat 50+ debian 50+ is CD based.
less than 10 linux companies is really in the game:
suse (ibm,novell,ximian)
redhat (oracle,red flag, miracle)
sun java desktop(suse based consider 200 million desktop contract in china and 500000+ in UK)
when desktop linux is really really here. those small companies like mandrake, lindows, xandros will easily wiped out by those big players.
if desktop linux is alraedy here, redhat would put in all the efforts they can to create a polished, just work linux system. yet for now theres too many unsolved issues:
1.dependency
2.more ‘out of the box’ software application. (mostly in multimedia apps better quicktime and windows media streaming, dvd…)
3.better hardware support. out of the box sound hardware experience (5.1 digital out…) and of course many many more external peripherals.
linux as my os because im ‘ready’ for linux.
im capable of making everything as stated above works.
i check for linux compatibility on web before i buy the products so all my hardware works out of the box except tablet i need to ‘tweak’ it in order for it to work.
if i cant get my favorite software from rpm i compile it myself.
for audio video streaming quicktime windows media real dvd i install some rpms from web and tweaking still needed
apollon for kazza p2p
video editing (mainactor im using suse)
so for me desktop linux means tweak tweak tweak.
for now lindows and xandros are the answer for desktop linux.
the fact is linux isnt ready in desktop domain for EVERYONE.
First of all, if you’re new to linux, you probably still have some learning to do before being able to post an article that is worth reading. Don’t get me wrong, it took me a long time to really understand the way that things work in linux. I’ve been using it for close to ten years and I still don’t think that I’d be up to writing a good article.
Second, I want to take you up on your XFree86 isn’t slow bit. Everybody who’s used linux in the past knows that XFree86 is a big bloated, and slow. Why in heck do you think that Xouvert was created( there were other small projects who tried to do the same but failed ). They want to remove the bloat and create a better server. As for X being a protocol, I agree with you but the problem with the protocol is just like with Windows, the god damn message passing. You have messages passing through 3 or 4 layers depending on what WM and Desktop Environment you use. That’s what makes it slower. Sure, if you run on a P4 or an Athlon XP, you won’t see the difference but on my main box, a PII 300, I can see the difference if I run GNOME, KDE or if I use a simple WM like IceWM, Fluxbox, Openbox, Hackedbox, WindowMaker, etc. If I were you, I would stop writing articles, grab some more books, FAQs, HOWTOs, etc and learn a bit more.
I’m sorry my ignorance, but what “zealots” means?
Zealot: person or peoples who defend and stand up for something they believe in. they also attack th “mis-informed”
not a good thing might I say
AMD RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ha ah ahah a ha
That was a quote, NOT my text.
Darius: KDE let’s you (dis)activate visual stuff etc. without “hacking” or reading boring tweaks articles. Just use that config tool
Posted By Software:
Linux is missing on GAMES, everything Adobe, something real close to MS Access, MS Frontpage, and the list goes on and on. And don’t talk about CrossOver, that’s only emulating Windows, the evil you, oh so want to get rid of.
_______________________________________________________
Yea , Linux really misses the superb Frontpage !!
That must be the funniest thing I ever heard 0_o.
Most web designers know Frontpage is crap, only amateurs use it. There are better WYSIWYG for the newbies, but they just use Frontpage because they already got it with Office, doh.
sadly what will stop me from using GNU/Linux all the time is the POSIX bit and the Linux history. I wan’t an open source system with the advantages, but I don’t want a case sensitive file system.
I don’t want /usr and the like, even if they are hidden. Heck, I’ve played with 5 distros but don’t know where the equivalent of ‘My Programs’ is. Just in case I wanted to back up an .ini file or something.
Guess I’ll wait for SkyOS or it’s friends…
I assume you have not used Xandros, Suse or Lindows. When you use those you will find out that that you don’t need to use the command line so you don’t have a problem with the case sensitive file system.
I mean I have given away so far 50 machines preloaded with Lindows and once you get them over the inital shock of not using Windows applications and can show people Linux applications that can do the same things like Star Office. They get comfortable and work with it.
I think if someone came up with software like Video Professer (Which are are programs that teach you how to use Windows and Office) I think this could go a long way in teaching people how to use Linux and Open Office etc.
http://nami.videoprofessor.com/411/index.php?ID=403&K=133999
I mean Mac OSX uses the same Posix system but I don’t see people complaning about it. (Because Apple has billions of dollars to make OSX look good!)
RE: Darius
Look here:
http://www.monroeworld.com/pchelp/xptweaks.php
Show me a similar article that will allow me to tweak Linux and/or KDE/Gnome in
the same manner.
Those tweaks either involve settings that you can easily change in Linux or
restrictions that Linux doesn’t even have. Your point is moot.
RE: RunJorel
I am appalled at the fact you make Package Management seem like just another
commonalityin linux and between distributions. I think this is a big problem.
RPMS, DEBS, Ebuilds, OLM’s…etc. Even if I do know my distribution is an RPM
distribution, I most likely have to find not only a Distribution specific RPM,
but the Distro Version specific RPM.
That is not a problem to the average user. Thousands of binaries are available
to common desktop users of any major distribution. Anyone who even needs
something that is not available under the distro-specific package manager
probably know enough to install from source or search for the package anyways.
Hmmm, last time I check 99% of all Windows software (freeware, shareware, and
commericial) I have installed ran without requiring me to download some library.
The 1% that did had the library on their website to download or they packaged
it.
That’s exaclty what causes Windows to have DLL hell. Different programs with
different versions of the same library. I prefer the method of having the
package manager install the latest library instead of installers overwriting
DLLs with older libraries that break other applications.
RE: Kelson
In CompSci, we measure that in such notation as
Big-O or Big-Theta. If a protocol is inefficient in the way that
it formats data, or the algorithms used, it is inherently slow,
regardless of the implementation. An implementation of a slow
protocol may be as highly optimized as possible, but it is still
limited by the protocol definition.
True, but X11 is not slow. X10 maybe but X11 is a pretty efficient protocol.
So I guess in the end you could say that specific implementations of X could
posibley be slow but X11 itself is not.
User what you want to use. Windows and Linuxs fits different needs of different people. There is not BEST choice.
Microsot has built their products based on the RFC’s for the primary standard out there. They might extend them for additional benefit, but they support the RFC’s requirements (think: DNS).
XML, SOAP, WSDL, BEPL, LDAP (working with IBM on that), etc…
You might want to find a new horse – that one has been beaten to death long ago… 🙂
What about java or html? Those two alone cause a lot of problems. This day and age most people are on the web and encounter both java and html everyday.
All I ask is that IE supports style sheets correctly and they get rid or ASP. I shouldn’t have to use a crappy browser just to view certain pages. In fact I don’t. I refuse to support any site that is IE only.
I was forced into doing a cold reboot on my Mandrake Dist. The system came up, ran a check, and then it told me that there were some problems due to open files, etc. from the reboot. I was alerted that I could go ahead and do the repair but that I might lose some data. Naturally I went right ahead because in all my 12 years of using windows I have never lost anything by running chkdsk/f. So next thing I know, the system can’t find inittab. So I launch from recovery cd and copy the file over. Next I get a whole bunch of errors (they flew by) and I’m at the command prompt with the booting sequence still incomplete. I check my directories and lo and behold, the /var directory and the /home directory (each on a its own partition) are completely empty. And yes, I had some production work on this machine. But yes, I am also stupid. I bought into the myth that linux is more stable than windows and I didn’t back up my work. So where does that leave me? Really upset. The last thing I wanted from linux was a reason to feel affinity for my cursed windows machine.
I switched to GNU/Linux (dual boot) in 1999…full time in mid 2001 so suffice it to say I have used both for roughly an equal period. OT for a sec…We are all human and all we create (software, cars, houses, clothes) reflects that humanity at it’s core. That core? We are imperfect. All we create is imperfect. Most products hace warranties right? Software is no different. It is imperfect. Created by, not companies, but imperfect human beings. My point? I have to be proactive in my life. Hom many full service gas station are there still? Every put in washer fluid? Oil? How needing a jump start? (What can I say my “lights on” buzzer don’t work no more and warranties expired) Would ya buy a car with the hood welded shut? IMHO that what your buying with Windows. Just as the autoparts aftermarket, I wanna have options for maintaining my imperfect product (OS/software) built buy imperfect people. I don’t wanna be force fed another’s meal at their discretion. Give GNU/Linux a try there’s a whole community a google away willing to help, to give you the option to choose.
I skimmed many of the comments but didn’t see one driving force that has caused Linux and open source to be accepted by many corporations, individuals, and even countries (S.A. China , Germany, Brazil, and India). This is the cost and flexability that their support structure (with programmers and such personel available) already exhists, the switch is a very large financial incentive. Training for the desktop or other use in their position is at best nominal.
Estimates I have seen say that one third of all “Third World” computers will be using Linux or other “open source” operation system because of cost issues.
It’s been called ………. LindowsOS ! A “Linux for everyone’s desktop”.
This OS has already surpassed clearly the ease of setup, programming and use of any Windows OS. The ease of it all is simply beyond compare. Yet, the good work still goes on in the spirit of open source! Version 5.0 is on its way although 4.5 already rocks. Nothing easier for the home and office user with a decent internet connection.
Lindows based on Debian has addressed a lot of the ease of use questions. You can get computers preloaded with Lindows from many places now, even laptops. Visit http://www.lindows.com and check it out.
”Show me a similar article that will allow me to tweak Linux and/or KDE/Gnome”
One word: hdparm
“it took me over an hour to just install Audacity on Mandrake 9.2, a simple but cool sound editor,”
I don’t know what you did but I read your post and ran:
# urpmi audacity
To satisfy dependencies, the following packages are going to be installed (8 MB):
audacity-1.2.0-0.pre2.1mdk.i586
libsndfile1-1.0.5-3mdk.i586
libwxgtk2.5-2.5.0-0.cvs20030817.1mdk.i586
Is this OK? (Y/n) y
installing /mnt/linbak/mdk9.2/Mandrake/rpms3/libsndfile1-1.0.5-3mdk.i586.rpm /mnt/linbak/mdk9.2contrib/./libwxgtk2.5-2.5.0-0.cvs20030817.1mdk.i586. rpm /mnt/linbak/mdk9.2contrib/./audacity-1.2.0-0.pre2.1mdk.i586.rpm
Preparing… ##################################################
1:libwxgtk2.5 ##################################################
2:libsndfile1 ##################################################
3:audacity ##################################################
It took 34 seconds to install in mdk9.2 and it works perfectly.
> And on the topic of open source. That is much less important
than open standards, formats, and protocols. I don’t have time
to sort through the source for every application, but I do expect
them to follow standards to enable interoperability. That is what
the companies such as IBM mean when they talk about the future
being “Open”, not the source code. The only people who really
care about ‘open source’ are coders who want to tinker. It is not
inherently better, just different, and to many of us, irrelevant. <
No, NO, HELL NO!!!
It may not appear to matter for you right now, but I think it’s darn stupid to believe that the availability of open source code is not very important.
I can immediately give you several reasons for why the unavailability is a Bad Thing:
a) vendor goes out of business (ok, with open formats you’d be able to get a replacement app programmed, but that would take very LONG)
b) backdoors
c) dependence on vendor to fix bugs in time (Micro$oft, anyone??)
I’m sure there are many more reasons…
(but I’m too lazy to cough them up 😉
So while open standards (partly!) solve a) and c), b) still fully persists.
In other words, openly available source code is preferrable to open standards (but those are also “ok” as an intermediate thing, and of course they should have been mandatory from the beginning in all company and government contracts).
Linux has been my desktop at home and work for over 4 years now. No reason why anyone can’t use it
“If you want people to use Linux then you better fix the sound drivers. ALSA is terrible. I can’t listen to any sound files for more than 3 seconds without hearing it skip. And this isn’t just limited to mp3s, its wavs and others. Support is another factor which is lacking. I’ll join a channel of 100 people on IRC, does my question get noticed when I ask it? Nope. Do I have time to RTFM for every little problem I have with Linux? Nope. So you see, Linux really isn’t ready for the desktop if you are requring anything to do with media.”
The latest ALSA distribution is fine on my Red Hat 9. You should be specific about Linux distribution as I had an issue with sound driver on Red Hat 9. Also, make sure your kernel runs the right driver.
There are some people out there that are still using their 486 machines with Windows 95. They don’t care that their systems are outdated and that there are more holes in its security then a piece of swiss cheese. They are happy that their systems do waht they want. Well, you have to realize that with time software gets better. Microsoft doesn’t control the universe, although it thinks it does, upgrades don’t have to cost you money and you don’t need to buy a new system just to keep up with you operating system. Linux is great because it is open. Security holes are fixed quickly. Software is free. If you have a slow internet connection then you are able to buy a boxed version of your Linux Distrobution or pay a few dollars for a cd from distrowatch.com . The point I am trying to make is that Linux is so much better than Windows. No tightly integrated middle ware (ex. Internet Explorer) you have the freedom to choose what you want. After all you spent all that money, shouldn’t you control your computer. If you couldn’t be bothered with all the great choices, just install the defaults.
Sorry to start off in such a high manner, but I think I need to put in my time here as I am sick and tired of all you darn, whiney, Linux doo-sniffers. You’re the same bunch of lamers who stick of for the snot-nosed anti-social kid in the corner who for “some reason” is the target of all negative attention.
“Linux isn’t as easy to use”
—————————-
That line alone should have been the opening and ending statement to that paragraph. He was absolutely right. It isn’t as easy to use -as Windows-.
If I hear another Linux fanboy say Linux is easier if you discard your Windows knowledge and start with a fresh slate I think I shall puke.
Try telling that to my mother who can barely use a computer, nevermind begin to understand the workings of Google, the internet and apt-get. She can however, throw in a CD-rom and enjoy the merits of auto-play with onscreen prompts encouraging you to hit next, with a default install path chosen specifically for the less ‘computer-literate’ fortunate.
How about : your girlfriend wants to go out for the night. The fancy restaurant site she’s on just happens to require flash, and afterwords she wants to watch some movie trailers online to descide which movie to go see that night. Would you like to explain to her why she can’t without a good 3 hours work, and in some cases maybe not at all; or would you just like to run an already feature-rich and easy to use OS where ALL of your plugins are automatically installed when requested?
Linux requires work just to do something Windows has been capable of since Windows 95. Multimedia. Not one of Linux’ strong points. Nor is software management, intuitive directory design, or multimedia performance.
Ever tried installing your SB Audigy 2 with digital output under Linux? Even with your ALSA tarballs, each Linux distro has its own installation quicks.
Anyone!?
//—>
mkdir -p include/linux
touch include/linux/workqueue.h
<—//
And my mother could learn this to get her soundcard to work, let alone “su: ./configure –prefix=/usr/whatever –snd=emu10k1 make; make install (not 100% correct ./configure statement, but hey .. I can’t even remember the line I need and I am by far computer literate.)
“Linux isn’t as polished”
What does “polished” mean?
Polished .. you idiot, refers to the intuitive and professional design of the interface. Aka, your desktop. Linux’s “start menu”is a complete mess, so is its directory structure compared to Windows. /Program Files anyone? Or wait, how about /usr ? /etc ? /home ? where the hell are my files? Not that it matters, its ALL where you can easily find it on your start menu -in Windows anyhow-. I NEVER need to search where a program is installed to in Windows. I do however after installing many -not all- applications under Linux, even when using an RPM.
Polished .. you idiot, refers to the ease of use as a whole.
Polished .. you idiot, refers to the fact that when I need to write something in my notepad, I reach for my notepad -I’m not talking about the Windows notepade here .. but as an interesting note, hey what would you know .. the thing called notepad in Windows is ACTUALLY that!-. Not my emacs, or my pico or my vi or my vim, or my kate editor. What the frig is that?
Seriously .. these Linux fanboys need to learn to SPELL.
“Linux is fragmented”
I’d like to see my next sweater knitted by a bunch of grandma’s each 20,000 miles apart. I want it red, white, grey and blue. I DON’T want it to be : Ferarri red, dark red, mauve, white, 3 tones of grey and 5 tones of blue.
Thats what you get with Linux; the same ideas (and ALOT of them) with 50 slightly different implementations; and as a whole a big piece of losely knit shit.
“Linux moves too fast”
Almost as fast as I switch to different distros trying to find atleast somethign to write home about, and back to Windows again.
You’re right .. it does move too fast. Good point
“Linux doesn’t support commercial software/idealogy ”
Wrong. You have it backwards doofus. Commercial software/idealogy doesn’t support Linux.
Big difference.
Almost like supporting those whiney Mac users who think they’re the Ferrari owners of the computer industry. More like Suzuki Swift owners with a Ferarri fiberglass body kit.
“There are too many zealots”
Good point. You amaze me.
“Linux is slow”
I see you’ve switched to Windows and now agree with the rest of us who are sane in the head.
“No Applications”
We all know thats untrue. There are a million .. but they all suck. Otherwise they would be generating income from their creations
“There Are No Drivers”
–Yes, there are. Linux supports more hardware than Windows, it’s that simple.–
I would hate to meet you in person; I’d pummle you for your stupidity.
Linux has more drivers than Windows. Yes, more USELESS drivers than Windows and not enough of the important ones.
Linux supports more hardware .. like what? Amature radio equipment!? ahahahaha. How about my LOGITECH MX500 bud!? Support a friggen Amature radio card (where the heck do you buy those anyhow?) but not my 2 yr old MX500 mouse?
It is that simple. You’re a fanboy thick and through.
“Conclusion”
Windows is coded by human beings as well; yet their -Microsoft- products don’t seem to suck half as badly.
Linux has been around as long as Windows. What the hell is this “Linux is coded by humans” … perhaps we should hire monkies to bring it up to pace with the state of Windows (and dare I say it, OSX).
I shall make my own conclusions. The only thing that I love about you Linux Fanboys are the following :
1) You’ve made Microsoft take notice of you and make effort to improve Windows, while at the same time helping to make you dorks pay for Linux; or if you’re a developer get out of your mommies garage and make some money
2) I will admit .. I run SuSE 9. Pretty fun OS to get up and running; quite pleasing because like anything Linux just getting things to work like Windows does without hassle is quite the accomplishment. SuSE 9 is also a good reminder why Microsoft is where they are today .. and no thats not because people hate their software
Only snot-nosed losers in the corner hate MS and Windows. Remember the snot-nosed kid made fun of in the corner? After being made fun of all their lives they rebel … I bring you Linux. Peace and love .. bunch of hippies. Love would not exist without hatred, wake up … put 2 and 2 together.
3) I love making fun of morons. No better way to end a day. I feel great now
hahaha
Cya boys,
Don’t let Linux in behind you
always cover your ass, as you never know who or what will jump up inside it.
> Interesting that the author chooses to point out that services is where the money is with linux. It seems that if so much consulting is needed with linux vs. existing desktop technologies this is a checkmark in the negative column.
> That is one of the benefits that companies such as Apple and Microsoft have. Their software is engineered to be usable out of the box vs. bringing in an army of consultants ala IBM…
WOW, idc, that is one stunningly inaccurate piece of commentary. Try this: open your local yellow pages, find the “computer support” section, call them up, and see what they “specialize” in. My prediction: 80%-90% will say “supporting Microsoft products and platforms”. Or perhaps you’ve missed 15 years of Microsoft’s #1 marketing goal: convincing potential support personnel, small tech companies, etc., that there’s money to be made in Microsoft support (quite true, of course). Have you heard of MS technical certification programs (including loan programs for getting certified), small business support and certification programs, MS TechNet, etc., etc., etc? Just an amazingly [insert perjorative here] comment you made there, really.
Peter Yellman