That's quite true. Out of the box, Windows doesn't have squat. No office software, no nothing except Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and Wordpad. Oh and Paint. Heh.

Pretty much every default Linux install out there comes with OpenOffice, K3B or GnomeBaker for CD burning, the GIMP for photoshop-class photo editing, a lot more games than Solitaire and Pinball, more instant messaging compatibility than Windows Messenger, and Evolution or Kontact for e-mail, scheduling, and all the other cool stuff that costs Windows users another couple hundred bucks so they can buy Outlook. Even single-cd distros like Blag and Ubuntu/Kubuntu give you a lot more than a default install of Windows.

In many cases, anyone not on AOL could probably be cut over to Linux. It'll handle e-mail, scheduling, IM, web browsing, office docs, photo editing, MP3 management, CD burning...pretty much everything Windows users do.

There's really only 2 areas I find Windows superior. Commercial gaming is a big one...not gonna change until Linux has some equivalent API to M$'s DirectX. THe other is MP3 management...Linux CAN do it, RhythmBox is a good program, but RealPlayer and MusicMatch Jukebox for Windows are just better at it.

I guess it is just a matter of point of view. I built my system for win 98 compatibility, when I installed win 2000, it did'nt have drivers for my onboard USB so I had to get a USB pci card, it did'nt have drivers for my cd burner so I got a new one, it did'nt have drivers for my scanner so I got a new one, and it told me I had an unknown monitor but managed to use it just fine anyway. None of these pieces of hardware were an issue for knoppix, or SuSE. My canon pixma 5000 even has a driver through turboprint.

It works both ways, if you take this "newbie windows user", place him in front of a fresh install of a windows box, let him setup Internet connection (probably not knowing about firewalls). then a worm or virus comes in off the wire and rewrites the registry rendering parts of the system or the Internet connection useless.
Now tell him he needs to fix it. I give it 1000 to 1 odds he will pop the restore CD in, pack it up and haul it to a pro or go get a refund.

In my view, the windows registry and much of linux hardware and software installation are similar monsters in respect to difficulty level. The difference is that Microsoft registry is constantly being hijacked by malicious code forcing you to live with stuff you don't want which continually slows the system down, or hack your own registry to fix it.

with Linux, once it is setup....... it just works.

**Flame**

Well ATTENTION PLEASE ALL MEMBERS & Linux Geeks.

I think 'e-buzz' is frustrated because of ATI graphics card is a big issue with most of Major Linux Distors.

Though i don't say any bitter word regarding Linux. But GUYS , i am so disappointed too today because

I purcahsed new computer system today only with the intention of running it on SuSE Linux only , i determined before i bought new system that i will discard Windows totally under the great influence of SuSE Llinux
( I AM ADDICT TO SUSE LINUX)

But Destiny took place, SuSE 9.3 x86_64 does not install ATI Graphics, and i had to read tons thread regarding it on LQ. I also left a thread about my ATI Graphics problem on LQ but nobody answered me. I reagrd this forum as my ultimate guide. But when no expert comes forward to help then where i should go.

Though i am using Linux From 5 years, but still i usually feel feared myself when i get a new hardware for my system , thinking that whether new hardware will be welcome by Linux or not.

Just because Linux is unable to install my ATI Graphics , i have to login to Windows again

But , yes, after such a bitter experinces , i still love Linux, and appreciate it's features. It is NO DOUBT a very powerful, stable and strong Operating System. What makes LINUX a Great OS is ' Open Source'.

No issue of License , No Virus, No Hacking no Cracking etc. etc.

Without any doubts, Linux is a PowerFul OS ,but it need to be improved further, since there is always possibilites of improvement.

Windows can NOT COMPETE with Linux in any respect. Windows is OS for Childrens, Linux is for Experts and Professionals.

Regards.

Can any one tell me that if one's thread is not replied on LQ then what should one do ?

DId you download the generic Linux driver installer from www.ati.com ?

The drivers are free to download, just require you to execute a simple .run file which you execute from the command line and then it's done.

Run fglrxconfig to configure it. That's all.

Here is the official Linux driver page at ATI.com

https://support.ati.com/ics/support/...uestionID=1176

Installation guide
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/linux/installernotes.html

Dear " Harishankar " ,i have done this not only 1 time , 2 time or 3 time but several time. EXACTLY THE SAME STEPS.

But nothing happen, Linux remains on

' VESA FrameBuffer " Graphics Card Driver , 1024 x 768 Resolution (BUT MY MONITOR [PHILIPS 170S] SUPPORTS 1280 X 1024 rSOLUTION MAXIMUM ) and 16 BIT Colors with this configurations Monitor gives me a very blurry and faded display.

I tell you in explain. I downloaded the 'ati-driver-installer-8.14.13.run' file from www.atil.com.

While working in KDE , i opne ' Konsole' and run this file with command

./ati-driver-installer-8.14.13.run

it executes and i followed the wizrads. i chose custom. Installation finishes completely succefully.

after that i run flgrxconfig. though there were a few settings about which was uncertain but i completed the configuration.

I rebooted the system but as a result it did not enter into 5 RUNLEVEL Mode ( Graphical Mode)

then have to enter into 3 RunLevel and start sax2 again

and set to it default which is "VESA FrameBuffer Graphics"

I don't know what to do.

Please let me know where i make mistakes.

i afraid that fglrxconfig does not write configuration to /etc/x11/xorg.conf file

Any way, what should i do.

does uninsalling " fglrx " which is installed by default in system make differnce.or i can be left intact.

-Regards.

Dear " Harishankar " , i am really sorry, i forgot to mention two things VERY VERY IMPORTANT.

First, i visited on the link of (Installation Guide) and read the installation instructions very carefully.And I GOT SURPRISED when i saw the second picture of Installation Wizard shown in installation guide page.

Click and Visit on this page and Look yourself at the following section shown on installation guide page....

" Generate Distribution Specific Driver Package Option "'

on Second JPG Picture the following is shown.

> Package Generation > ATI Packages > ATI/XFree86-4_1_X & ATI/XFree86-4_2_X

The point is : these ***** ATI/XFree86-4_1_X & ATI/XFree86-4_2_X *******

options are not shown on the wizard on my system.

Second important thing, Can you tell me that

after these steps which you prescribed in your thread WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ?

I mean after installing ATI driver and after fglrxconfig settings what are the necessary steps.

Please Reply and Help Me.

Deep Regards.

lol. this one may get the prize for the biggest crybaby whine rant of the year.

to the OP, nobody cares. if you don't like it, don't use it.

please see copy bellow this driver will work (sorry I am not abel to help with this a I am only a new at this but see this all try this this camand (apt-get install cupsys-driver-gutenprint gutenprint-doc gutenprint-locales)

I all so have problems with the printer it is using the correct driver
PIXMA iP 4000 - cups + Gutenprint v5.0.0-rc1 But it will not let the papper selection come from the bottom tray and ther is no option for CD printing labels or printabel CD's

Thanks

Brent

Brent,
Welcome to LQ, and happy first posting!
Just so you're up-to-date on all the hot topics:
1- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way.
2- Search LQ.
3- Spell check.
4- Fill in your user profile so we know at least what disro you're using, you can see I use Slackware 10.1

See this is the problem you have misinterperted Linux and now that it doesn't act like Windows, you are upset. No where in the hype have I heard that Linux is a full out replacement for windows. Its not. Linux is not Windows. Companies are talking about moving to Linux because it may be cheaper than their current solution, not becuase Linux = Windows.

Again, Linux has not ever been, and is not currently a competitor to Windows. Linux is an alternative to Windows. There is a difference. You will find very few people that think Linux is the answer for everyone and there are some of us that dont promote it as such. Linux doesn't exist to take over the desktop from windows. It simple gives you a choice.

Again Linux is not Windows or MAC. Its a alternative Operating System. It is not meant to destroy Windows, or become the De Facto standard on the desktop. It was never meant to be Windows. Please dont treat it as such.

I personally believe the only place Linux might excel on the desktop is in the business world, where someone sets up the PC and the employees just access a few programs. They never have to configure anything or install programs, or have to troubleshoot.

Now as far as your "unified" comment. If MS opened the source code to Windows, there would be 999 versions of windows. If Linus had not opened the source code to Linux, there would only be one version Linux.

The blame DOES rest with the hardware manufacturers, just as it does with BSD's and Solaris's sorry state of hardware support.

Why? Because when open source groups contact manufacturers for specs for writing drivers, they're told simply "we don't support Linux" or "we cannot disclose that information due to proprietary blah blah blah"

How can the blame rest on the open source developers (kernel, X.org, ALSA, MythTV, etc) when the hardware manufacturers are unwilling to cooperate?

And the few who DO release Linux drivers often release binary-only drivers and do not maintain them to remain compatible with the latest kernels. In my Pentium 4 workstation I have a motherboard with an on-board network port and on-board sound, yet I am using a Netgear PCI network card and Hercules Game Theater XP sound card because Realtek and Intel have not done anything to maintain their drivers. I could downgrade to the 2.4.x kernel and lose compatibility with X.org's DRI, or use add-in cards.

Back in 1993 I learned to code some X86 assembly because I had a Diamond Stealth 32 (based on the ET4000 chipset) and wanted to run XFree86 at resolutions other than 640x480 and bit depths higher than 8-bit color. The ET4000 chipset would not run with Xfree86's ET4000 X server (driver) due to Diamond's refusing to release "proprietary" info (which was basically: they won't tell what address the X Server had to talk with to set the clocks) so I wrote a routine which would hit one address starting at the beginning of the video range (A000 I think?) through the end (C7ff) at a reasonable rate so I could hit the spacebar when the X display came up. It then logged the last few hundred addresses and values it sent and based on that I was able to (finally) find the address and values which worked, and from there I could write a routine which would run in the startx script. I finally got X up and running, but that was thanks only to sweat and determination, and no thanks to Diamond MultiMedia.

A lot of good keeping that info proprietary did DiamondMM. They ended up going bankrupt because their sales nosedived due to their piss-poor support (I know they're back, another company bought their assets including trademarks - it's NOT the same company today). They were shortsighted, plain and simple, and word of their lousy support spread quickly.

ATI is only marginally better today. I hope they go the way of Diamond (Bankruptcy). Nvidia is much better because a) they cooperate better with Linux users and B) they actually maintain their drivers and C) their cards perform very, VERY well under both Windows and Linux.

Hardware vendors are solely to blame.

My eyes hurt after reading all comments on this thread. I might not agree entirely with both opinions, so i'll just write my own.

Speaking only with my experince with linux, it's surely a long term curve. I don't mind that cause i decided to use it and give it a shot, up to the point that when i switched jobs, the first thing i did was to install FC4 on the machine and start working after that.

I am currenly running into some problems, but, as i have learned only in the computer world, everything has a solution. So, whenever i have an unaswered issue with linux, i know it can be fixed, all i need to do is find the solution. I can do this because i like linux, i like computers, i don't feel like dedicating my spare time to learn linux is a waste of time and i decided that no matter what, i would try to use windows less and less (please note this is a personal-made decision, not influeced by other opinions nor sending a message to others).

Bottom line is i made a decision to stick to linux because i wanted to quit windows (based on my personal thoughts to leave windows behind) and well, after dealing with it, it still gets on my nerve, which i can handle quite well after reading the written wisdom from some people in this forum. As you might see so far, i am no expert using linux. But i am one striving person when attempting to achieve something.

The only comment i will make about what i read here, is that some people have shorter fuses, if a month and a half was enough for someone to get upset with the os, then that's ok. Maybe the challenge is not what he was looking for, or there wasn't enough time to do so. Either way, my personal experience here is that i switched to linux about a year ago, and up until now, have i learned enough to at least manage around with less step backs. Of course, i have much to read still and much to learn from people who really know about linux.

Just so you can compare people, the little plot you got with regular users and geeks that use linux, i have a degree in software engineering, i have worked 4 years in the business and i surely do not fit into the pimple face nerd that dreams in digital category. And very important as well, keep in mind that i am no linux expert. So, where do i fit in? Perhaps i am just easy going and dedicate my mind to learning what i want to learn, help and be helped, and worry about what's important to me. Fact is, after reading everything and writing my own thoughts, i now have grown fonder of what linux represents and will stick to it with a tighter grip.

Good post, Might I interest you in a used copy of Windows2000? I have no need for it anymore. But it looks like you are in the market though

Linux is too hard. Waaaaaa.

Notice they make lots and lots of Dummies books for windows?

Hmm Linux is not Windows. It is much easier to install than Windows.

I recently installedOpenSUSE beta2 on my Dell Latitude C600, put in the first disk accepted the EULA, click install KDE desktop >Ok and watched it install everything, had to switch disks, but I did not have to hunt all over the place for drivers disks.

Downloaded the ATI driver, ran it and poof my ATI card works just fine. I don't see what the big fuss is about.

If someone doesn't like Linux or doesn't have the time to learn it, then windows or a Mac is where they belong. It doesn't mean they are stupid. Linux may not be the right fit for them. A person has to choose the OS like the computer that fills their needs.

Why does no one remember how hard windows was to use the first few times they ran it? What about installing new hardware in windows? Yeah that's fun. Actually installing windows on a new system? Better have ALL of your driver disks handy and know where to look on the disks for the appropriate driver.

Debian works great on my desktop. I use it for webdesign with NVU and Quanta+, photo editing with GIMP, listening to streaming music, play dvds, and I have over 150+ Linux games including really cool ones like Battle for Wesnoth, fillet, and The Ur-Quan Masters, I can even play Diablo2. So what could I do in windows that I can't do running GNU/Linux? Besides get viruses, spyware, and trojans?

Linux is the future, it is the fastest growing OS in the world; even with 99.9% of PCs bundled with windows.