Comments on: Linux is definitely not ready http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/ Random thoughts and ramblings Sat, 12 May 2012 17:02:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Martey http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-247 Martey Tue, 01 Nov 2005 22:37:54 +0000 http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-247 nikkiana, while the Gentoo "portage" installation system does include a lot of software, it certainly does not include <em>everything</em> on SourceForge. In Gentoo, Debian-based distributions like Ubuntu, and virtually every distribution of Linux, it is possible to compile software from its source code. This is harder in consumer-friendly distributions like Mandriva and Ubuntu that use packaging systems like RPM or APT, I think, because their developers include lots of patches in their software to include more functionality/make it more user-friendly. Gentoo's portage does not suffer from this problem because the packages in Portage are compiled from source anyway, I think. It might be because I have been using Linux for a while, but I do not find its user interface problematic/annoying. I do find the lack of hardware support frustrating, though (ATI's Linux graphics drivers break suspend support on my laptop, for example). I really like Ubuntu because it is easy enough for people who have never installed Linux to install, and it has very good hardware support. I switched from it to Gentoo because of flexibility issues - compiling my own kernel was far more difficult using Ubuntu, and I never really got it working. nikkiana, while the Gentoo “portage” installation system does include a lot of software, it certainly does not include everything on SourceForge. In Gentoo, Debian-based distributions like Ubuntu, and virtually every distribution of Linux, it is possible to compile software from its source code. This is harder in consumer-friendly distributions like Mandriva and Ubuntu that use packaging systems like RPM or APT, I think, because their developers include lots of patches in their software to include more functionality/make it more user-friendly. Gentoo’s portage does not suffer from this problem because the packages in Portage are compiled from source anyway, I think.

It might be because I have been using Linux for a while, but I do not find its user interface problematic/annoying. I do find the lack of hardware support frustrating, though (ATI’s Linux graphics drivers break suspend support on my laptop, for example). I really like Ubuntu because it is easy enough for people who have never installed Linux to install, and it has very good hardware support. I switched from it to Gentoo because of flexibility issues – compiling my own kernel was far more difficult using Ubuntu, and I never really got it working.

]]> By: nikkiana http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-246 nikkiana Mon, 31 Oct 2005 00:37:35 +0000 http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-246 Your criticisms of Linux pretty much coincide with many of mine... Honestly, in the realm of UI, most Linux distros are lacking something... I've yet to find a desktop environment that I'm terribly fond of.... Gnome reminds me of Windows 3.1.... KDE reminds me of Windows 95 and better, but it looks like something went wrong with it... and of course there are others... What didn't impress me about Ubuntu and Debian is that they've got their own packages for everything... and if they don't support a certain piece of software, well... I guess you can't get it. Or at least, that's the way I understood it. I wasn't terribly impressed with the community supporting either project.... Maybe I just ran into bad people, but if you had something in mind that you wanted to do on your computer, and you didn't know how to go about doing it, and you asked somebody, there seemed to be this whole, "Why on earth would you want to do that?" attitude and no one would help you. My fiance is currently running Gentoo with the Enlightenment desktop on his desktop... Gentoo is extremely flexible, but it lacks an easy install at the moment, but it's extremely difficult to install and setup.... The community surrounding it seems to be a lot more friendly than what I've encountered with Ubuntu and Debian, and I've yet to hear anyone ask, "Why would you want to do that?" and Gentoo has this LOVELY command called emerge which allows you to install anything off of sourceforge. Overall, I think Linux has a long way to go before it's really for mass consumption.... It just lacks in the UI department... and I guess I'm a little discouraged because I've heard more excuses from the Linux community as a whole on their UI issues than I have solutions. Your criticisms of Linux pretty much coincide with many of mine… Honestly, in the realm of UI, most Linux distros are lacking something… I’ve yet to find a desktop environment that I’m terribly fond of…. Gnome reminds me of Windows 3.1…. KDE reminds me of Windows 95 and better, but it looks like something went wrong with it… and of course there are others…

What didn’t impress me about Ubuntu and Debian is that they’ve got their own packages for everything… and if they don’t support a certain piece of software, well… I guess you can’t get it. Or at least, that’s the way I understood it. I wasn’t terribly impressed with the community supporting either project…. Maybe I just ran into bad people, but if you had something in mind that you wanted to do on your computer, and you didn’t know how to go about doing it, and you asked somebody, there seemed to be this whole, “Why on earth would you want to do that?” attitude and no one would help you.

My fiance is currently running Gentoo with the Enlightenment desktop on his desktop… Gentoo is extremely flexible, but it lacks an easy install at the moment, but it’s extremely difficult to install and setup…. The community surrounding it seems to be a lot more friendly than what I’ve encountered with Ubuntu and Debian, and I’ve yet to hear anyone ask, “Why would you want to do that?” and Gentoo has this LOVELY command called emerge which allows you to install anything off of sourceforge.

Overall, I think Linux has a long way to go before it’s really for mass consumption…. It just lacks in the UI department… and I guess I’m a little discouraged because I’ve heard more excuses from the Linux community as a whole on their UI issues than I have solutions.

]]> By: Martey http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-245 Martey Mon, 31 Oct 2005 00:29:38 +0000 http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-245 As for fonts, did you try the <a href="http://corefonts.sourceforge.net/" rel="nofollow">corefonts</a> package? As for fonts, did you try the corefonts package?

]]> By: Chris http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-244 Chris Sun, 30 Oct 2005 15:34:11 +0000 http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-244 I appreciate the help there. I understand Linux isn't meant to be as plug-in-play as Windows, but main, couldn't someone come up with a GUI for ndiswrapper and wpa_supplement configuration so it is all available with 1-2 clicks? Maybe I am trying to make it sound easy to do, but it shouldn't be that difficult to script a GUI with a couple of console commands. Also there has to be an easier way to connect to wireless networks (and no, editing a file is not the way to do it). <a href="http://people.redhat.com/dcbw/NetworkManager/" rel="nofollow">NetworkManager</a> looks promising, but I couldn't figure out how to install it and use it. I appreciate the help there. I understand Linux isn’t meant to be as plug-in-play as Windows, but main, couldn’t someone come up with a GUI for ndiswrapper and wpa_supplement configuration so it is all available with 1-2 clicks? Maybe I am trying to make it sound easy to do, but it shouldn’t be that difficult to script a GUI with a couple of console commands.

Also there has to be an easier way to connect to wireless networks (and no, editing a file is not the way to do it). NetworkManager looks promising, but I couldn’t figure out how to install it and use it.

]]> By: Niran http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-243 Niran Sun, 30 Oct 2005 03:41:02 +0000 http://chrisgonyea.com/archives/2005/10/29/linux-is-definitely-not-ready/#comment-243 The reason Linux can't be that easy is because many manufacturers don't provide Linux drivers. People with Centrino-based laptops are blessed with a beautifully working set-up out of the box, because Intel provides (mostly) open source drivers for their wireless cards, so Ubuntu and other Linux distributions can provide them. Other manufacturers, such as Broadcom, are notorious for particularly bad Linux support. These cards can still be made to work under Linux, but it's a little more difficult. <a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HowToSetUpNdiswrapper" rel="nofollow">This how-to</a> explains the process pretty well. Also, there are <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/community/lists" rel="nofollow">mailing lists and chat rooms</a> full of people willing ot help you out with any problems you run into if you ever give it another try. The learning curve can suck, but it's definitely worth it. The reason Linux can’t be that easy is because many manufacturers don’t provide Linux drivers. People with Centrino-based laptops are blessed with a beautifully working set-up out of the box, because Intel provides (mostly) open source drivers for their wireless cards, so Ubuntu and other Linux distributions can provide them. Other manufacturers, such as Broadcom, are notorious for particularly bad Linux support. These cards can still be made to work under Linux, but it’s a little more difficult. This how-to explains the process pretty well. Also, there are mailing lists and chat rooms full of people willing ot help you out with any problems you run into if you ever give it another try. The learning curve can suck, but it’s definitely worth it.

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