Linux Question

[obscurus]

I think the partition tables and MBR are fucked up. I have used Morphix to re-partion and format the drive, I'll see what happens.

 

Yoper was a quite user friendly distro - I got it installed without referring to any manuals or anything. My biggest problem is the fact that my only connection to the internet at the moment is via a Winmodem, and no Linux distros I've tried so far have the Linmodem equivalent included. Vector detected my winmodem nicely, but instead of installing a driver for it, it gave me a url. How convenient. Here is the website to go to to get your modem working so you can use the web.

The biggest problem I have with Linux is the fact that there are so many versions of it. I would rather that there were just one or two versions of Linux as a pure operating system, under which every Linux program could run as a binary, rather than recompiling things to run on umpteen different versions. Until Linux sorts out the problem of their basic model of having a bazillion different versions, it won't ever replace Windows as the primary OS of choice for most people. At least with Windows I know that all of my software will work with minimal fuss, it is stable and easy to configure, it is intuitive and doesn't ask me to edit config files or type arcane commands into a CLI, and is supported by the majority of hardware and software manufacturers.

Sure there are some distros like SUSE or Mandriva that are supposed to be very easy to use, but SUSE is just as expensive as Windows, and twice as bloated, and mandriva ain't free either, and it still doesn't run the full range of softwware I can get for Windows.

 

Until Linux starts running with a model that can compete with that, I just don't see it taking off in the mainstream. It can be a great OS, but it is let down by too many problems at the moment.

[sparhawk]

My biggest problem is the fact that my only connection to the internet at the moment is via a Winmodem, and no Linux distros I've tried so far have the Linmodem equivalent included.  Vector detected my winmodem nicely, but instead of installing a driver for it, it gave me a url.  How convenient.

 

Winmodems are not regarderd well in the linux community. This is for a simple reasons. Normal modems are devices designed to do some task. Winmodems are a real cheap trick of the hardware business to offload the hardwaer onto the user CPU. IMO Winmodems exist solely for money mongering and AFAIk most linux users despise them.

 

The biggest problem I have with Linux is the fact that there are so many versions of it.

 

There are not many versions, there are only different distributions. The core is usually the same in most cases.

 

I would rather that there were just one or two versions of Linux as a pure operating system, under which every Linux program could run as a binary, rather than recompiling things to run on umpteen different versions.

 

That's exactly as it is. The differences are most likely in paths, not because of binary issues. There is a project to unify the paths and most of the majro distributions are adhering to these standards.

 

Until Linux sorts out the problem of their basic model of having a bazillion different versions, it won't ever replace Windows as the primary OS of choice for most people.

 

You seem to confuse somethign here. There are no bazillion different versions. The linux versions that can really be considered as different version will you probably never see, because they are there for specific reasons, like running in embedded hardware or perforiming realtime tasks. If you stick to major distributions you should have no problem, and once you know Linux you may choose to use some different distribution when you are able to appreciate the differences. This is not a problem of linux it is a problem of your knowledge.

 

At least with Windows I know that all of my software will work with minimal fuss, it is stable and easy to configure, it is intuitive and doesn't ask me to edit config files or type arcane commands into a CLI, and is supported by the majority of hardware and software manufacturers.

 

Freedom always comes with a price. I always prefered that I can configure linux and adjust it to my needs. In Windows you are limited to the software available, and if it can't do what you need you usually are screwed.

 

Sure there are some distros like SUSE or Mandriva that are supposed to be very easy to use, but SUSE is just as expensive as Windows, and twice as bloated, and mandriva ain't free either, and it still doesn't run the full range of softwware I can get for Windows.

 

Where can you download Windows for free? Just as expensive? Download your ISO and start using it on more than one computer and you will see how expensive Suse in comparison to Windows is. I didn't know that Microsoft also offered free ISO downloads for installing Windows on an unlimited number of machines.

 

It's not SUSE's fault that printed manuals costs money. And one other thing. If you compare the prize of the SUSE distribution and the prize of the Windows OS, then you should include also the software that is available on the disc you purchase.

 

Lets see.

 

Windows XP professional costs 139.90 Euro, Suse professional 9.3 costs 78.99 Euro

 

Browser and email is included in both.

Webserver is not included in Windows. Linxu it is included for free.

Compiler for Windows Visual Studio costs about 2000 Euro. In Linux the compiler is free and included on the disc.

Mailserver you have to purchase for Windows, in Linux it is for free.

Image processing software like Photoshop costs 920 Euro, GIMP is for free.

 

I guess you can continue the list of software and how much you get for your money in Linux especially and open source in general, compared to Windows and how much you get from closed source software. And I'm not even talking abuot stabillity and security.

 

If Windows offers the better choice then use it, but don't act as if Linux is crap just because you can't use it or don't want to learn it. And that easy usabillity of Windows is a myth. When I showed my Linux to my wife she was surprised that it was just as easy to use as Windows. If you use the right distribution this is no problem at all.

[oDDity]

Can you run Windows software on VAX machines? What a silly question.

Well there's your problem, poeple don't want to give up their plethora of leet windows apps and games just for 1% more stability. And my XP is perfectly stable thank you very much, I never have any problems with it. I keep mine in top condition, and it was also as free any any linux distribution.

I literally can't think of one single benefit from switching to linux for your average joe, but I can think of many a pain in the ass.

[sparhawk]

Well there's your problem, poeple don't want to give up their plethora of leet windows apps and games just for 1% more stability. And my XP is perfectly stable thank you very much, I never have any problems with it. I keep mine in top condition, and it was also as free any any linux distribution.

 

We are back to evolution. It depends on your environment wether this 1% stability makes a difference or not. Assuming it would be just 1%, which of course it is not.

 

As for Windows being free. You are wrong on this. You either bought it with your machinhe, in which case the price was already included in the calculation for the machine as whole or you downloaded a pirated version, in which case you may have not paid it, but it is still not free. Or you may have gotten it for a present in which case you also didn't pay it, but it still was not free.

[oDDity]

I would like to see equal competitors for the PC OS though, I would like a choice, but it has to be a genuine choice between equals.

[sparhawk]

There is a project named ReactOS, which strives to recreate the Windows NT 4.0 on an open source basis. They mad good progress, but they suffer from the same problem that many open source projects have. Namely manpower.