Operating Systems > Linux and UNIX
Linux to Over take Apple on Desktop
solo:
I have been reading this thread and psyjax, I'm sorry, but I wonder about your sanity as of this moment. I have suggested Linux to a lot of my friends and those that have had the opportunity to install it have completely been able to use it. Don't tell me the user interface is bad (tho xfree sucks) because it does not, we have full anti-aliased fonts with alpha-blended PNGs for graphics and most distros come with a theme to die for. Don't tell me KDE/GNOME are hard to use because they most definitely are not. In Windows to add a shortcut on the desktop I right-click, click New and wait about 20 seconds as it loads that crap, and click New Shortcut. Then I add the command line and name options. In GNOME I right click the desktop, click New Launcher add the information and click OK. In Mac it's the same.
Don't tell me application installation is hard. I downloaded apt which took me about 1 minute, double-clicked it, RPM installed it, no dependency problems at all. Went to Redhat->Run Program and typed apt-get install synaptic and then clicked Redhat->System Tools->Synaptic. Then I downloaded massive hordes of software and when I didnt have a certain needed dependency it would tell me and mark it for auto-install. I would then click Proceed and it all goes quickly and easily.
How about games? Linux supports OpenGL completely, and nVidia and ATI provide their own binary 3d-accelerated Xfree driver. A lot of the other 3d xfree project drivers are already accelerated. Bottom-line on driver support is that the number-one person responsible for missing drivers are the companies themselves. The second would be Xfree for not adding the functionality in quick enough. As for do we have any games? You are very very funny. I can play UT2k3, RTCW, Quake3 Arena, RTCW:Enemy Territory, Unreal, Unreal Tournament,
Quake 2, Duke3D, Vendetta (its in beta stages tho), and a lot of games are supported in Wine[X]. I would not be whining if I was a gamer and I had Linux because RTCW:ET keeps me satisfied *alone*. Not to mention Linux has a lot of very-fine games, take a look at Frozen Bubble as a very small example. That thing is tripped out! Talk about high-quality production. Not saying its the most powerful or addictive game but undeniably it's a very well-designed game.
quote:
I recal a case in KDE were I had to actually add a \zip folder under my usr\dev directory, and then add a few things to some .conf files to get it to recognize it. Same goes for my vfat partition. This occured in Redhat 8, but Mandrake 9 and Redhat 9 recognized both with no problem so kudos there
--- End quote ---
LOL!! WOW! With all-due-respect (to which there is plenty of respect due), you really are stereotyping Linux *to* *death*. If you want to add a Zip *file*, you just open up Ark (Redhat->Accessories) and add your files, click File-Save and save it as a zip. If you are talking about a zip drive, Zip drives are automatically detected, just go to /mnt/ if a link to it isnt on your desktop already. Redhat has a very robust filesystem finding mechanism. And also, if it does not work in Linux it is not Linux's fault it is Iomega's fault for not supporting Linux. Don't tell me they don't want to open source their code because I have a non-GPL kernel module in my kernel called `nvidia' right now and it works just as well as all the other ones.
Hmm how about uninstalling an application. I have two choices. I can go to Redhat->System Settings->Add/Remove Applications, which provides a nice GUI with descriptions and real names (not just package names). Or I can go into Synaptic and get the exact same thing. So not only does Redhat COME with an easy way of uninstalling software, but if I have a distro that doesnt (albeit that uses RPM) I can just use synaptic. I wouldnt be complaining child.
What about the kernel? Isn't it monolithic and very core-centric and unmodular? Any programmer can write a Linux kernel module. Any of them. Of course they may not be able to write a secure or useful one, or may not know how to access kernel internals but that infos all there and developers can learn. I have a basic grasp on Linux kernel concepts myself...
As for it being "monolithic", Tell me how a kernel supported by computing enterprises world-wide, that supports more hardware types than almost any OS available, and has been deemed many times as a great solution for enterprise computing? I think the only thing that Linux is missing that you are truly whining about is Aqua. Trust me, that's coming, but make sure to breathe before you see it in the news because there's still a long way to it.
quote:
Not to mention the fact that a kernel update is needed like every other day due to bugfixes and new drivers.
--- End quote ---
I have *never* had to update my kernel in my entire life. I *have* updated my kernel, but I have had no reason to. Mostly because I never see or experiences bugs in the kernel at all. In fact, I never even come close to hearing about as many security fixes as I see on Windows and even Mac because I never see any at all. Sure bugs are fixed but none of them are major obviously.
For instance the only time I have ever had a kernel panic was when my hard drive was not plugged in correctly and i was booting from a boot disk. But obviously Windows would have a problem with that too *IF* windows could fit it's kernel onto a floppy disk. Same with Mac, altho I bet Macs *could* get their kernel onto a floppy disk but they dont have floppy disks so oh well. The only reason I have a boot disk at all is because theres something wrong with my hard drive that wont let the MBR work right, I have an NTFS partition but its useless because it couldnt get the XP boot stuff to work right and it just said error loading NTLDR.
Installation? Puh Lease. Not only is Linux the easiest thing to install since putting a candy bar on the counter but it's the fastest. I installed RH9 in 25 minutes on my pretty 1.7ghz processor with a western digital. It took about 20 minutes to get the base XP stuff on my hdd (of course i couldnt continue install because the mbr's fucked and wouldnt get into windows to continue). Also, all my hardware is detected, the only thing I have problems with is my audio card being really quiet on my altec speakers but im not all too sure thats a linux problem. Everything installed perfectly, with no setup at all. It found my mouse and selected it for me. Sure it asked me 'is this right' but i didnt need to change anything, just clicked next.
To date, the only thing that I cannot get to work is my Gravis Xterminator Dualshock. The joystick driver says its supported but I can't get it to work.
As for multiple apps for multiple purposes: in Redhat/KDE, the KDE programs mostly get preference over GNOME ones in the KDE menu. in Redhat/GNOME, the GNOME apps get preference over the KDE ones in the GNOME menu. So it's all a matter of which set of tools you like better (that is *if* you chose to install KDE, otherwise *one* set of tools is installed, just like on Windows and Mac).
How about apps looking differently? Sure this is slightly annoying but I'm sure you've noticed that Redhat includes Bluecurve for GNOME,Metacity,KDE,Kwin,GDM, and even XMMS for fuck sake!! A default install of Redhat, everything looks very similiar. Albeit there are slight differences, especially with Mozilla but please, mozilla doesnt look the same on *any* platform.
im tired of typing too
suselinux:
I was gonna be mean and quote all of that
but any way, Right on dude!
I'm one of these idiots who never reads the how to's
I just do it and Linux is great for that, its a very logical system
I think the reason that people see it as being confusing is that everything is so customizable.
so many choices can bog down a person, but the more you get into it the more you learn to appriciate it.
its like cars
luxury cars have always been stereotyped as having the entire dash clutered by switches and gizmos, making it too hard to pick out the clock the gas and the speedo.
and hey, the faster the car, the harder it is to drive :D
jasonlane:
Wow! this has to one of the fastest threads I've ever seen on this board. Don't have time to read through all the 'arguments'..... So, yes great, I hope it does. OS X in my opinion is great, so is Linux.
Touch
excyle-the-art-fag:
Well I would like to point out that Free Software is litterally unstopable. And it opposesses capitalism very much.
Image what we could do if what had a Free Music Foundation, share music and make really cool shit. A Free Porn Foundation ( ;) ), a free internet foundations, a free industry foundations, as these could form we could turn capitalist markets into socialist markets, slowly converting the world.
Thats what we could do.
Because all the things are what people want, if we take them all and make the more innovative, better we could be ahead millions of years. The world would be right again.
Its not going to take effect now, or next year, but if we do what is right for our fellow human, if we share, give and help oneannother we can change the world and convert it into a open and perfect enviroment.
suselinux:
That was beautiful
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version