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The end of the Linux desktop wars
IT World ^ | 1 June 2011 | Brian Proffitt

Posted on 06/02/2011 5:51:46 AM PDT by ShadowAce

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To: for-q-clinton
Wow--so your argument boils down to "I hate linux because ancient versions don't work with my new hardware"

In that vein, then, I hate Windows because Win98 doesn't support USB3.0 like Linux does, NTFS, and mapping network drives is a real PITA!

21 posted on 06/02/2011 9:33:57 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: for-q-clinton
...my laptops are replaced every 18 months and are typically higher end so the drivers often don’t exist for Ubuntu until I’m about ready to upgrade to a new laptop.

Wrong, again. I bought a new laptop in March with 8G RAM, dual 500G HDD (and HW RAID), nVidia 460M graphics, wirelss, bluetooth, USB 3.0, and a core i7 CPU.

Linux runs on it perfectly, with no driver issues at all.

Perhaps you buy sub-optimal laptops?

22 posted on 06/02/2011 9:37:33 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: ShadowAce

How about actually ask why and learn before assuming stuff.

Go back in time to when I was doing this on my build of a laptop and see how “easy” it was trying to get the wireless stuff to work.

I’m sure some people could do it, but not someone who isn’t living and breathing linux everyday. But a thorough search of the interent didn’t reveal any clues as to how it would be easy.

But that’s the point...everytime I try linux based on promises of it’s easy—it never is. Sure it’s gotten better, but it’s a jungle out there. Find an app you like...oh wait it’s not ready for your build and flavor and version of linux. Sorry you have to wait or learn how to compile the software. Oh wait, you don’t have the libraries? Now you get to compile...and hunt...search backwards looking for the right libraries.

But but but RPM takes care of all that for you. No it doesn’t...not when you want newly released software. You have to wait until someone else decides they want it for your same flavor of linux with the same build and everything else to match.

Linux is great for people with lots of time on their hands or who love to tweak and do command-line stuff. And poor. I don’t hate it...it works, but there’s no way I want to live with it. Maybe if they could standardize on one flavor and work to a common build then I’d use it.


23 posted on 06/02/2011 9:38:05 AM PDT by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
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To: ShadowAce
The Java thing and this HTML5 thing sure seem to be similar, don’t they? :)

Not even remotely.

24 posted on 06/02/2011 9:49:04 AM PDT by cynwoody
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To: ShadowAce

How the hell am I wrong? Fact: I had a new laptop—thinkpad which was loaded for it’s day. The SATA driver had issues at first, but I got that worked out. Then the wireless driver was non-existent. Had to go hardwire.

Now how am I wrong? I installed Ubuntu. Either it had the driver and worked or it didn’t. It didn’t work...but that means I’m wrong. See that’s what I mean...Linux isn’t ready for primetime yet.

But go on keep telling youself everyone else is wrong when linux fails. Let’s put the technology first and the people last-—and Linux will continue to be in last place on the desktop.


25 posted on 06/02/2011 9:51:34 AM PDT by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
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To: ShadowAce

What are you talking about ancient version don’t work on my new hardware?

This was 3 or 4 years ago when I tried ubuntu...with the latest and greatest version of ubuntu at the time. Granted I didn’t have my linux time machine to go into the future and find a version of ubuntu that would work with my new hardware, but I did try the latest and greatest at the time...end up needing one or two version prior with a tweak to make it work. but never could get the wireless stuff working.


26 posted on 06/02/2011 9:53:40 AM PDT by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
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To: for-q-clinton
And I was trying to do it under a version of ubuntu that was from 3 years ago...

Perhaps it was the way you phrased it. The above sounds like a recent attempt with an older version.

My apologies for misreading your post.

27 posted on 06/02/2011 10:01:51 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: ShadowAce

Also if ubuntu is ready out of the box you may want to read this:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1071920&mode=linear

Why is this even needed if it’s ready for primetime. Yeah, I don’t see common users going through this to get their network working. or even this https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/Ndiswrapper


28 posted on 06/02/2011 10:01:57 AM PDT by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
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To: for-q-clinton
As I mentioned in a previous post--I don't like Ubuntu. They make things harder than they should, and I think it is a crippled version of Linux.

They "cripple" it in order to appeal to clueless users who will probably not use the features they've heard that Linux has. That's my belief anyway, based on personal experience.

Stay away from Ubuntu.

29 posted on 06/02/2011 10:04:37 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: for-q-clinton
That post is from 2006.

Also, a little bit of background--Broadcom has been notorious for not supporting Linux well. I've heard that they're starting to come around, but since I no longer use those wireless chipsets, I don't know from experience.

Don't take Broadcom experience (which is well documented) as a fail towards an entire OS when it's really a vendor issue.

30 posted on 06/02/2011 10:06:58 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: ShadowAce

No what I take as a fail of the Linux community is NOT pointing that out up front. And assuming things as you did earlier.

This article is from 2006 and is relevant...my experience was from circa 2007/8. But as I said everytime I try there’s always a gotcha. I will admit every 3 to 5 years I try linux on the desktop again and everytime there’s a huge improvement.

BTW: Broadcomm sucks in the windows community as well.


31 posted on 06/02/2011 10:12:22 AM PDT by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
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To: ShadowAce

But 3 or 4 years ago Ubuntu was all the rage and the linux heads swore by it. I guess now Mint appears to be the one getting all the hype. which do you prefer? I may give it a go in the near future.


32 posted on 06/02/2011 10:17:12 AM PDT by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
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To: for-q-clinton

There is a zen mastery level I think you need to get past to run linux successfully. I’ve been as frustrated as you at times in the past with previous attempts. But in the last 2 years or so things just all of a sudden to be sorting themselves out. The problem is that at some point the people that are able to get everything up and running may not be able to tell you what you’re doing wrong. It’s like any other complex activity that human beings engage in.

Maybe a bit like auto mechanics or something like that. To an experienced mechanic changing out the brakes or maybe changing the shocks or struts is reasonably straightforward. Sure they might encounter a problem or a snag along the way but chances are they can size up the situation and improvise a solution without maybe even consciously thinking about what they did to get there. To a newbie something is going to snag them every time. Might be any number of things and it might be a real design issue with the part or the car or whatever - or it might be because they did something that wasn’t all that recommended. But either way what should have been at most a 2 hour job ends up being a nightmare.

What’s really hard to explain is the process of going from newb to reasonably experienced mechanic or linux user. There’s not some magic light that comes on. It’s just that things all of a sudden are going easier, taking less time, causing far less aggravation, and you’re making better decisions and for better reasons. The flow is just way better.

I’m not going to say that linux is for everyone - it may get that way someday. But I guess my main point is that there is an invisible line or divide between when in the life of a linux user things go from being very hard to very easy. Maybe not everyone would agree with me but that’s how I see it.


33 posted on 06/02/2011 10:19:04 AM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten (Welcome to the USA - where every day is Backwards Day!)
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To: SoftwareEngineer

Nice description - I’ve dabbled in Java but much more of a C guy - not even C++. But that’s how I see things as well. Java has its role in life but it certainly hasn’t taken over the world. But then again, very few things have. A few years ago you might say the x86 architecture has but now ARM and others are giving even it a run for its money.


34 posted on 06/02/2011 10:22:50 AM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten (Welcome to the USA - where every day is Backwards Day!)
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To: for-q-clinton
...which do you prefer?

I prefer Fedora--but it's a bleeding-edge distro. It's not for everyone.

35 posted on 06/02/2011 10:25:45 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: ShadowAce
1. Install the repositories:

2. Install the codecs:

That seemed to work just fine. It's run everything I've thrown at it so far.

I found a set of instructions on the net last week that kept downloading old packages (prompts to use newer ones), blah, blah, so by the time all was said and done it was probably 30mins or so before I got what I needed codec-wise.

I came across this too - http://easylifeproject.org/ - Looks promising but I haven't tried it yet.

36 posted on 06/02/2011 2:15:53 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Socialism works great until capitalism hits a rough spot)
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To: VeniVidiVici

I had not seen that one before. It does look interesting.


37 posted on 06/03/2011 4:36:59 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: for-q-clinton; ShadowAce

Check out Knoppix 6.4. I’m dual booting it on a Windows 7 machine and installed Knoppix long after I’d loaded Windows 7.

The first time I dual booted a Linux/Windows 7 machine it took a lot of work to get it to work.

Knoppix 6.4 was easy. Caveat, it takes a little bit of knowledge but not a lot.

Knoppix is designed to run from a CD or DVD. It now comes with a point and click interface to install it on a computer.

I’ve not done anything special to get Knoppix to recognize any hardware. Knoppix even recognized a dual display display port video card.


38 posted on 06/04/2011 6:00:48 PM PDT by stylin_geek (Never underestimate the power of government to distort markets)
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