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Old 09-07-2002, 01:16 PM   #1
awdoyle
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Top 10 Things Wrong With Linux, Today


If this link has already been covered in the forum, I must apologize, but what does everyone think of the arguments on this page?
Top 10 Things Wrong With Linux, Today

Andrew
 
Old 09-07-2002, 01:37 PM   #2
Bert
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Re: Top 10 Things Wrong With Linux, Today

Probably guilty as charged. Linux distros have to decide how to handle what may be the toughest choices yet - keeping themselves unbloated whilst offering essential end-user functionality. Most distros are still not end-user systems although an expert can make them emulate an end-user system.

Bert
 
Old 09-07-2002, 03:59 PM   #3
Mara
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It requires much coding, but MDK is getting closer.
 
Old 09-07-2002, 08:08 PM   #4
jburford
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Top ten things....Sound

I use a soundbaster Live card with digital speakers. It appears Creative have released drivers for this, but this means a I need to recompile the kernal, and even then, I have doubts whether digital speakers will work.

Recompiling a kernal to get a standard soundcard to work!!!!! YUK!

I know this is largely an issue of support for LINUX from hardware manufacturers, but it is a large barrier for ordinary users. I am relatively new to LINUX, but I have worked through a number of similar issues in the past. I estimate I will spend a week or twoo looking through documentation, preparing, and a week or two actualling installing, reinstalling, swearing, reinstalling the whole OS, then try a bit more and either give up to succeed.

You need to be interested in the OS, the PC and so on - and not that many people are, so this is a large barrier to entry to LINUX for most people.

James
 
Old 09-08-2002, 02:24 PM   #5
zLinuxz
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well, the dude who wrote that has some points...but he is not completely writing objectively, so you can go ahead and disregard several things he says, specially in the browsers sections.
I do agree with the resolution change...there should be a quicker way to change resolution, and even more...beign able to have SEVERAL default resolutions where the physical screen wont be smaller than the virtual screen. In other words, just to have a clean switch between resolutions, and having the resolution fit the entire monitor.
Other than that...what he said were just wishful things which eventually should be added on to Linux, but nothing which is necessary.
I think he indeed failed to realize that the true power of linux is in the command line, not in the gui interface.
 
Old 09-08-2002, 03:36 PM   #6
vdorta
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Quote:
Originally posted by zLinuxz

I think he indeed failed to realize that the true power of linux is in the command line, not in the gui interface.
I think you don't get the point. You're speaking either as a longtime Linux user or as a technically-oriented person, but most people aren't like you and all they want is a tool to work with, not to work through. My personal experience with Linux is negative; two or three years ago I tried Mandrake and went back to Windows 98 after my screen almost exploded. I am waiting until the next versions of Red Hat and Lycoris are ready to try again, and the fact that I am browsing this (and other) Linux websites speaks for itself. But kernel compiling to use an OS as a work tool? Give me a break.
 
Old 09-08-2002, 03:39 PM   #7
markus1982
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well I just looked at the RedHat Beta "null", looks like the installation is easier than before also ... looks pretty much like an Windows XP install now, looks really neat
 
Old 09-08-2002, 04:17 PM   #8
jburford
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Sound

I retract a some of my earlier post - I got sound working in a few hours, which still isn't wonderful,but no need to recompile kernel, which would be a real turn-off to new users.

James
 
Old 09-08-2002, 04:30 PM   #9
NGraphiX
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I think one of the main issues is software installtion.

1. The current distro's (as of mandrake 8.1 & rhat 7.1) are chock full of programs no one uses anymore that are automatically installed, but have plenty of great programs that you would never think of looking for by yourself.

2.there is no method of automatically installing the requiered packages (rpm) you sould be able to say install "program_name" and let your box automatically update the requiered depen.'s

P.S. maybe we should group all the complaints and start working on way's to fix them... (a worthy cause :-) )
 
Old 09-08-2002, 04:45 PM   #10
bubba169
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My biggest problem with Linux is getting X to work the first time (like windows does). What I would like to see is a simple newbie friendly almost fool-proof distro. I say this because most average users want to only boot-up type a document & print it or E-Mail it not but point & click, easy to use, easy to install, easy to configurer hardware (modems, scanners, etc., etc.), thaks to Microsoft. Now I've only been messing with Linux since April or May of 2002, so I don't know exactly how hard Linux was in the past, from what I have read it was alot more difficult than it is now. I am currently running RedHat 7.2 & Mandrake 8.2 both of these are not to hard to install & setup on my newest computer, & they both have what I need CDburning, office, games, E-Mail, Web Browser (Galeon is great). I would like to see a Linux distro as easy as Windows BUT as stable as Linux. I still have alot to learn (Command Line, Samba, administrator, etc.).

I guess what I am trying to say is that average users want something easy, simple, & just works. They don't care how it works just so it has the eye candy & does what it they want it to do, most users will hear recompile the kernel and will be scared away from Linux.

My $0.02

Bubba169
 
Old 09-08-2002, 04:45 PM   #11
markus1982
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yes there should be definatly a grouping of those there so let's complain about everything and then work to get it fixed
 
Old 09-08-2002, 11:36 PM   #12
zLinuxz
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The first time I heard "you need to recompile your kernel", I was just like "WHAT???"
I know what it is to not know JACK when you are a first time Linux user!
The friend who got me into Linux, back in highschool in my Junior year, 6 years ago, one day said "you should try linux", I'm like "what is linux?"
He handed over a package of Slackware 3.1 Linux. I was like "???"
I went home, and followed the very explicit 1page instruction, "DAMN", make a boot disk using the rawrite command!, ahh! what the hell is that!
"make a partition in your hardrive using Fdisk"???, oh man this is for like rocket scientists, just what the heck are they talking about...I must just be stupid or something for never having heard this before, I thought.

It just so happens, you need to do something MOST people now adays DON'T like to do...and that is READ A BOOK! (linux book that is)
Linux is not harder than Microsft Windows, it's just different. You do things in a different way.
It is like learning Windows for the first time in your life...only you are already used to Windows and you want other things to be just like Windows because you are just so used to it.

It took me two years to figure out how to make my Cable modem run with linux...back in 1998 because it was so new that very few people used it, and all of them used Windows...so there was no documentation on it. And yes, I went back and forth between Linux and Windows. I would get discouraged MANY, MANY times, and would end up playing starcraft in Windows, since you need WINE to run starcraft in linux...and up until now I still don't have a clue how to use WINE to run Windows applications. Damn..I still haven't been able to run Quake3 in linux with my Riva tnt2 3d card!, the stupid drives at Nvidia never worked...but eventually I'm sure I'll make it run. But I only use that when I play games...not when I'm running Xwindow. So, I take it as something good so I don't waste time in playing some dumb game.
But the point here, is that I feel people complain about Linux because they hear that Linux is better than Windows...and that IS TRUE indeed, but what people don't understand is that this NEVER implies that it is used the same way Windows is used.
It's Linux, not Windows. You want something as automated as Windows, as "user friendly" as Windows, as intuitive as Windows?, well isn't that why you are using Windows?? then you already got what you want!

But if you like challenges, and are a tenacious person, then stick around and get your questions answered, problem solved, and your Linux box working like never before!!

zLinuxz
 
Old 09-24-2002, 07:52 AM   #13
R2RO
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Are we trying to compare Linux whith what that "works"?
I choose Linux because promotes "Creativity" for everyone.
And I think that we already have to much regulation on our creativity in many aspects of our lives. Can you imagine how it would be without LINUX? So if we have 10 complaints let it be. Don't worry, they will be improved.
 
Old 09-24-2002, 09:26 AM   #14
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listing the problems with linux, is topromote
creativity by fixing them...
 
Old 09-24-2002, 11:52 AM   #15
jetblackz
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ROFLMAO, Adam Wiggins - Chief Software Architect - TrustCommerce. Keyword, "Chief Software Architect". That's about the same position Bill Gates is in.

I don't speak for everyone. He sounds like he does. I'm going to try as best as I can to "fix the problems".

1. No 'best' browser.
Mozilla is the best browser for me on both Windows & Linux. I use it all the time on Wintel. It's compatible with most, if not all, Websites. Can do certificates. Can let me check yahoo mail & hotmail.

Konqueror is a good one for me to do something quick. It acts like File Explorer in Windows.

The guy compared orange to apple. IE is, Adam, listen, MIDDLEWARE, as MS calls it. It can't be uninstalled, except on XP WITH SP1. Some have reported the files are still hidden.

Konqueror is a subset of KDE. You don't install KDE. You CAN still run Linux. On command line or many many other WMs.

Try that with Windows.

2. Prompting for a filesystem scan.

Letting you stop a scan IS a big mistake. It drags the already broken system down the hill. Eventually, either you call the tech support in your co. or call MS or torture your computer-literate friends.

Well, that explains $$$ Norton Utilities, etc.

3. Printing needs to be easier to configure.

Agreed.

4. Make it easy for the user to find out how to do things.

Define user for me.

5. Cleaner redraws.

The way Mac draws dots on the screen is entirely different from PC's. It's been discussed to death. Some say Mac's is superior. Others disagree.

On my family Celeron, Konqueror shows up in one piece. No gray boxes. I guess he's talking about Slack 3.1.

6. Die stray processes, die!

Again, talk about people who don't RTFM. Keyword, kpm. News for you, Adam, you CAN'T kill a system process if you're on a school's, co's W2k box. You have no permissions. Same for XP. Except maybe for a home setting.

7. Easy way of sharing files.

Agreed.

8. Sound support.

ALSA is on most recent distros.

9. No common editor which supports "soft wrapping."

Can't confirm this cuz I'm a command line kind of guy. I use pico.

10. No easy way to configure X - especially change resolution on the fly.

Don't make me laugh. Since you don't bother reading even an X kick-start, here's how, software "architect".

CTRL ALT +
CTRL ALT -

I solved most of the "problems". I don't call me an architect. I'm a Linux user. Always has been. If there's one thing I learned in life, that's nothing is perfect.
 
  


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