No 100% distro
 

After more than 5 years I can't find a distro that has everything; only a few (Xandros and Mepis) had satisfying multimeddia support but there was other problems along the way of some kind or other.

Ubunto won't install. (Don't like the look anyway) Bad multimedia support.

Mepis install but doesn't allow for koffice og gnumeric. OpO.org is too slow and I experience blled throug: That is data copies itself to other sheets.

XP is still the only 100% solution. (Have never had a virus/hack).

I don't want to play my money on a paid distro; I am not encouraged.

gues its usd100 for another XP :-(

By the way, I have earlier biught Suse, Red Hat and Mandrake and they also lacked among other things multimedia one thing or another.

Linux is still a play of chance.

Hey! don't give up yet. You can easily install koffice on Mepis, the new version of Ubuntu was released today and it's much better than the old one, Xandros isn't really free though.
Give Ubuntu or Kubuntu a chance, it might not have booted because it was a bad cd. The will send you the CD for free. Go too http://ubuntu.com
BTW, XP is NOT the 100% solution, why else would there be thousands of people using Linux, including myself?
Give Linux another chance.

If XP is perfect for you, then that's great. $100 is a small price to pay for something that suits you. I haven't experienced the same problems as you have with Ubuntu, and for me XP falls far short of the mark. So I guess my experience is the opposite.

Yeah, I'd say that if Linux doesn't suit you after "more than 5 years" of using it, you are probably much more geared for using Windows. Still, there are about three or four hundred distros out there so there might be one that fits your needs and style. If not, Mr. Gates would probably be quite proud to see you return. ;)

Either way, good luck with it! :)

5 Years and all you have is "bad multimedia support" and "dont like the look anyway"....

Well if that is as far as you have looked in that time then no wonder it can't do what you want, you havent given it a chance, if you mean by 100%, that it does it all automatically, then no, you are not going to find that in Linux. Anything can be achieved with a little research and learning. If you aren''t prepared to do that, it's pretty much a non starter.

Linux is about 90% for me, i use it whenever i can, the only thing i have XP for is gaming, and i can't blame Linux for windows only games.

I've just sat here for 5 minutes wondering whether to delete this and look for someone else to help, i decided to keep it, but i think it's a shame that people expect a computer to do everything for them, this is detremental to learning and doesn't bode well for future generations.

Computers are dumb, you need to tell it what to doLinux can do what you want, if you can't configure it correctly, who's fault is that?

Your multimedia problems make me laugh, i've seen people solve all their codec etc. problems in an hour, 5 years!?!?!

Fine. Goodbye. I hope you have better experiences in Windows.
Seriously, apparantly Linux doesn't work for you. That's just fine. Nobody is forcing you to use it. Not everything is for everybody. What I don't get is why you are telling a group of users who are happy with Linux why you aren't. It's pointless. You don't like Linux so we should dislike it too?? It doesn't make any difference to us, we gain nothing from you using it. Have you ever thought that maybe Linux doesn't have the same goals as Windows? That maybe our goal isn't to make things easy for new users? Do you expect a distribution to do all of your tasks for you automatically with no intervention? Can you realize that maybe Linux is not like Windows, that they are both different and unique and require you to actually do your homework for full understanding? Are you expecting us to feel bad for you and solve your issues for you? Do you hope to get us to all use Windows or something? After five years of something not working out for me, I'd hope I'd eventually figure out that I'm probably not suited towards it in the first place.

Personally, I've never had a problem with "Multimedia" under any distro.
Sounds like a case of PEBKAC to me.

(Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair)
Whatever floats your boat. For me, XP is horrible. After all these years, Windows still can't multi-task properly.
Maybe for you. For people who actually read the documentation and spend the time to properly learn how Linux works, it is a wonderful experience.

Approximately once or twice a month people post comments here saying that they've tried Linux and it is crap. Fine. Go back to Windows. Don't expect the people here to miss you.

Read this on your way out:
http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm

Rants go in General. As I say every single time I move on.

Between The Ears
 

I've always referred to that as a grayware problem. But I like that description too.

It's a little hard to tell from your English (not your native language?), but it appears you are willing to spend $100 on Windows but $0 on Linux. :rolleyes:

Regarding other statements, I cannot recall running across a computer that would not install Ubuntu--or Kubuntu for that matter. But hey, I haven't seen everything.

I understand the point regarding multimedia play, though. Linspire plays everything except DVD movies out of the box. To play those, you need to purchase their DVD player, which licenses you to legally play the encrypted DVDs. You need to subscribe to their CNR warehouse to get it, though. Ah--more money. It may almost be up to the amount you spend on Windows. Can't have that. ;)


Edit: correct typo.

Oh, I almost forgot to add that Windows XP won't play DVD movies out of the box either. Hmm. Bad OS!! :tisk: I guess it's not "100%" either. ;)

Geez, yet another one of the whiny posts? I have had no problem with multimedia in any distro I've used and I've used a great many over the past 10 years or so.

No Linux distro is going to be perfect "out of the box". It's up to you to make it what you want it to be. But then, Xp can't do much of anything either until you add third party apps for DVD, CDROM burning, etc. Try burning an iso image in Xp without adding some third party app first.

What you're really saying here is after 5 years you still haven't learned how to set up and use Linux properly. You sound like a prime candidate for Redmond to me.

I think Thulemanden has a point. In Windows, everything is already installed out of the box: Codecs for all media types, Realplayer, QuickTime, Java and all drivers for every piece of hardware as your SoundBlaster, Nvidia/ATI cards, Webcam, Scanner, printer and etc. Hmmmmm.... wait a minute, none of those things are installed in Windows either. And if anything, I never had to search for a driver for Linux for my scanner, network card or printer. In Windows I have to (and also reboot everytime a new driver is installed).

Seriously though: I don't think you understand that Linux is a "free" Operating System. Mixing "free" programs with non-free formats (as mp3) don't go very well. I hope one day you will understand that and when you do, you will realize how pointless your thread was...

I think peter_89 is very attractive.

I joined this LQ On line to learn some things about LINUX and what I found and have learned so far..

If you want to WALK on WATER you first must get out of the boat.

Don't throw rocks at the TIGERS, poke at snakes with short stick.

Put your pet FOX in the neighbors hen house.

If it does what you want it to do, then keep it.

If you want to RUN you must first learn to walk and before you can walk you have to crawl..

And the best for last. If they give you the DEER in the headlight look! Shake you head from side to side and roll you eyes and walk quietly away.....

No, they don't. Please provide evidence to support that assertion. No, it doesn't. Let's say all the forum users here really did think Linux was perfect. Do you think that would really hinder Linux development? Sorry. Linux forum members are not necessarily (and, in fact, are usually not) Linux developers.

If I posted a thousand times "Ubuntu is perfect. It does not need to be improved," Mark Shuttleworth would still be paying his developers to come up with new releases every six months with more graphical features, better hardware detection, and fewer confusing options. Every Linux distribution's new release has almost always been better than the previous release, and guess what--that usually has nothing to do with whether a forum member thinks Linux is perfect or not.

Press these Linux advocates, though. Rather than attacking Linux, just ask, "How do you think Linux could be improved?" I'll bet you get a ton of answers and none of them will be "Linux is just perfect as is. In fact, I will never upgrade my version of ___________ distribution because there's no way it could improve for the next version."

Most die-hard Linux advocates I know actually file bug reports, which does a lot more for encouraging development than whining on forums does.

There are only a handful of ways one can improve Linux, and none of them is complaining on a forum or threatening to leave and use Windows:

1. Donate money.
2. Contribute code.
3. Write documentation.
4. Help new users.
5. File bug reports.

The OP is right, there is no 100% distro. I just did a google search and checked distro watch and http://lwn.net/Distributions/. The name does not appear to be taken. That can be remodied, though.

Boy, am I stupid. Someone please kill me LOLOLOLOLLLOLOLOMAOROFL!!!!114.

Only towards pointless whiny posts.

Find me a single Linux user who has posted this.

Huh? This line doesn't even begin to make sense.

Ok, so what distro are you going to be installing in order to follow your own "advise"? According to your profile you're another Windows fanboi posting (trolling) on a Linux forum so exactly where are you really coming from, Sir Troll?

If you actually looked at some of my older posts instead of generalizing like you are with everything else, you would have realized that I completely agree with you.
It appears that you are the unobservant flamer here.

This Google search: turned up only seven results...

From The Fundamental Differences Between Linux and Windows: From BIG WTF? to SUSE 10.1 developers: From Why linux is still not up to the job for desktop and home users.: From First time Linux user, soon to be last time.. : From Apple OSX vs. Linux: From So many to choose: From need 2 remove kernel fat from boot and fine tune what's left: In every single one of these contexts, the speaker is either explicitly saying Linux is not perfect or that Linux is perfect in the sense of being perfectly suited to a particular user's needs, not perfect in the sense of not capable of being improved.

I've provided my evidence that your assertion is without merit. Please provide your evidence that it has merit.

P.S., Here are several hundred posts by Ubuntu enthusiasts, detailing what they like least about Ubuntu. I haven't seen anyone propose that Linux cannot be improved... i.e., that it's perfect.

Edit: Retracted comment about "pure troll BS."

Atleast Maritime retracted his message after seeing how horribly wrong he was. Redeemable maybe?

Embarassed, definitely.

That retraction makes me respect Maritime a bit more, actually, so I've made my own retraction.

what does 100% mean?

peter_89, I retract all flames against you. It was mistake, and quite an idiotic one at that. :D And so, please, if you'd like to flame me for making those comments, please do so. In fact, I personally invite anyone to flame me. It should be fun.

Now then, I will reword my argument:

It's not worth the energy to reply to posts such as this one. Rather, they should be ignored, or, if they have any value at all, be used to improve Linux.

And, a few Linux users are closed-minded. Only a few. There are probably many Windows users, actually, who are just as close minded. And Mac OS X users. And probably users of every other operating system.

Evidence:

http://digg.com/software/Microsoft_O...ining_required (read buried comments)

http://digg.com/software/20_Things_Y..._Windows_Vista (read buried comments)

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/06/02/1243248 (speculative accusations of FUD)

Now, let the flaming begin. Also, please be sure to point out any inaccuracies of any posts I have made along the way. And moderators, if any banning is necessary, I'm all yours. <3

Edit: Added second digg page.

LOL! A complete turn around. Now this is interesting. Is this some form of masochism? You seem to have a twisted sense of loyalty. You are'nt borderline are you?

I think you have about 2-3 posts before someone responds with this.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Agreed.

All I can say is, I've never had a Windows system (I have immediate, legal, access to any current or ancient piece of Microsoft software - as we're Microsoft partners and get all their software for free) that's as fine as my current Ubuntu Dapper installation.
What are you talking about?
Ah, come on. Ubuntu installs on nearly everything.
You're having a bad taste. ;) Anyways, under Linux, you can change the look & feel by just a few mouse clicks.

After all, I tend to think I'm replying to a troll. :(

They have already de-trolled him. Please do not fan the flames.

I didn't expect this at all. Things started to get extremely quiet after my last post. I didn't even get any takers on my flaming offer! Aren't you all ready to flame me? Isn't it time for me to get punished for my wrongdoing?

No one is even responding to my evidence. Is it credible? Is it relevent? Do you agree? aisyu, of all users, I expect at least response from you regarding the matter. Why the sudden change?

Anyway, I will respond to some of your comments while I'm writing this post.

Goodness no. Not in the least. This is a message board! I personally feel sorry for anyone who feels embarrassed by posting anonymously over the internet. For one thing, they could just come back under a new name and start everything over!

Actually, I don't think I'm wrong at all. I maintain that I'm correct, except I toned down my argument a bit.

A complete turnaround in what way? Again, I retain my argument, but this time I'm not flaming anyone. I do agree that was not the smartest (actually just a really dumb) move.

No, we end your vicious cycle now. We're not going to let you manipulate us into posting things that will hurt your feelings. You're outfoxed now.

haha. I will not get my feelings hurt by posts on a message board. Of that I can assure you. I appreciate that though, even though I probably don't deserve it.

And that still doesn't explain the lack of response to my evidence. I'll just assume it's lack of interest then.

peter_89, please keep your comments such as to not sound like you speak for everyone, because you don't.

Maritime, just cram it.

Now, on to the orignal post:

As for not being able to play everything in Linux, that is a work in progress. The developers have to reverse engineer most close-source things to get them to work, which is alot of work.

You can get win32 codex from the Mplayer website (I don't have it handy, but google it and you'll find it somewhere).

That spoken, I would suggest a dual-boot (if you feel you can do such a task) of Windows/Linux. Maybe try SuSe, and get the codex. It has a good set of documentation, and can do quite a bit if you'll spend the time to configure it properly. The multimedia support for it is OK. Not the best in the world, but then again, I refrence my first real paragraph on not everything working.

Personally, I'm happy with Linux. I only keep Windows around for a few programs (Kazaa, Yahoo/AIM/MSN for video/voice chating, and Winamp for some files that won't play under amarok/xmms/juk/ect, plus gaming).

Another thing you could do is download the third-party patch to Windows (or find a CD burning program) and make a cd of Knoppix. If you use the ISO burner patch for XP, I suggest a burn speed of 1x, maybe 3x. it will take a little while but the chance of a bad burn is almost nill at 1x, but still possible.

As for Ubuntu not working, it was probably a bad burn. It does happen.

One important note: Don't download Linux files under Windows (ISOs do work under it, though, and so wil a few others, but alot of the time Windows will try to convert the file into a known format, thereby destroying it) unless you have to. Windows has a habit of corrupting things.

If this seems like to much work to you, then stop whining and stick to 'doze. Linux requires knowledge and work to use cleanly and effectivly, but at least I for one think the security, stability, and general utility of it excedes Windows many times over. A good compiler in Windows cost money, unless you get Cygwin, which is really just a Unix emulator, but in Linux, gcc comes free, and is usually in there stock, or easily accessible.

With any new OS you take up, there is a learning curve to it. Ubuntu is a good choice for a newbie, and I personally think SuSe is as well because of install support and the documentation. It will autoconfigure some things, but you have the option of what all to do with it, and it will nativly partition into a reasonable partitioning scheme for someone new to linux.

P.S. I've called you a newbie since you seem to have less knowledge of Linux then I do, and I've been using it for many 6 months, and can at least give a semi-decent post on what is wrong with my system.

Windows does that? I've never seen windows trying to convert one kinda file to other when downloading.

Yes, if you use Internet Explorer. You should be fine with Firefox.

As a test, I downloaded the Debian business card iso (because it is the smallest thing I could think of for a test) using IE on a Windows XP machine. As near as I can tell, the file (debian-31r2-i386-businesscard.iso) downloaded just fine.

I have had it happen a time or two when Windows tried to figure out what it was looking at. I use Firefox (actually, I forgot where IE is, lol) for all my browsing needs, and I keep from downloading Linux software into Windows anyways because of that. I may have done something to cause it to convert it, but I don't remember that exactly. I still don't suggest it if it can be avoided.

FC4 is my fave linux distro for a desktop. For live-cds, I use Knoppix 3.9/+. And for really old systems, I use DSL.

FC4 takes forever to boot, but has just about everything I need, and looks ok (i like KDE more)

Knoppix is pretty quick, lots of software I need, but also lots of crap that I don't.

And DSL has a completley different GUI feel compared to Windows, but it is xcellent for the size and speed. It also has a (apt-get if not mistaken) downloading thingy. That is a big +.

I don't care for DSL personally. I'd rather remaster Knoppix w/ a 2.4 kernel (unless you really do need something that takes only 50MB) and remove KDE/Gnome and just use IceWM/Flux/Open/Blackbox, but thats just me.

Knoppix does have the fault of alot of useless software. Too many games (seriously, it doesn't even have patience, yet it has like, 30 games on there), plus putting OO 2.0 BETA seems like a waste of space to me, but again, that is just me.

I've got Slax, DSL, and Knoppix on CDs here for working with (mostly using them to fix installs of other OSs), and I personally think that Knoppix is a good base, but with all the extras in it, it seems overly bloated.

But, thats just my opinion

I've never used IE expect for when there's no choice.

Nobody should have to use Internet Explorer.
How much software do you expect to run the same version of for the next seven years?
None. Common sense would tell me that somebody running the same version for that long really needs an upgrade! But somehow, we're all still running an operating system (Windows XP) that was being written in 1999, and a web browser that was being written in 2000. Why? Because Microsoft figured out that as long as you own the entire market, it doesn't matter how much you charge people for your product, and heck, you don't even have to innovate.

Hey, they still make patches for IE. They've stopped shipping updates for awhile. (probably workin' in vista, IE 7, WMP 11 (12?), SP3 for xp home and pro, etc)

I only go on ebay, google, wikipedia, my school's stuff, LQ. Nothin' bad there. If you go to the .biz sites, and pr0n, etc, then your going to get some nasty stuff.

Off-topic: peter_89,
Please do not disinform.

Internet Explorer, seven years ago, was of version 4.0. The current version is 6.0.

- IE's important to many companies' infrastructures - much more than you think.
Firefox, in contrast, plays a role of hm, exactly none, null, in my business life.

As sad as that is. On the other hand, this spares (not only) me *lots* of work.

[offtopic]By the time Vista is released, which is when we will all get to use Internet Explorer 7, it will have been six years since its release. By the time Internet Explorer is in majority use, it will have been a conservative seven years and a more realistic eight or nine years. And either way, how does Internet Explorer's importance in business infrastructures effect it's quality or age?[/offtopic]

I'd say something, but I do not want to get in a flame war.

Please explain this for those of us who don't understand what a non-standards compliant web browser could possibly contribute to business. As I see it, everything which works in IE should work in any other browser. If it doesn't, then that application is broken.

The www is becoming more standards compliant (as opposed to Microsoft compliant). This is evidenced by the lack of "sorry you're running a non-compliant browser" messages I've seen in recent years.

So, I really don't understand why anyone would be dependant upon IE.
Now I'm confused. IE still doesn't have tabs, yet you're claiming that it increases your efficiency?

I think what he means is that some companies have yet to see beyond the M$ fog that IE is a couple hundred megabytes of crap. My router and modem are support to be repaired via IE, which I "released" from my desktop, and guess what, Firefox works great to fix them.

Some bussneesses these days may use IE so they can back-hack your system and log what you do, hence their reliance on it.

Thats just my :2cents:

I wouldn't want to produce a flamewar. Moreover, I'm one of the few Windows developers who tries to write code independant of Internet Explorer.

- Being asked for that, I'll introduce into typical tasks that have been accomplished by using Internet Explorer:

1. Embedding a HTML display component into your application (without that IE toolbars, etc.). Displaying formatted HTML (or, i.e., XML) within it. Sending commands to it, like "navigate", "back", "print preview".
Remark: With Firefox, now, something similar is possible, too. Anyways, IE provided that 5 years earlier and, moreover, Firefox' technology ain't less proprietary, in any way.
Java provides an alternative, too, but the IE control is greatly superior to that.

2. Providing a fully-fledged, WYSIWYG, HTML editor (wow! - and out-of-the-box).
Remark: Firefox (resp., the Gecko engine) now provides that feature, too, as well as Java does (see 1.).

3. Remote interaction with the server, without reloading the page. IE provided a feature called Remote Scripting as of (I think) year 2000 or 2001.
Remark: That's quite what AJAX is. At that early times, the technology already existed. What makes AJAX popular these days is not Firefox supports it, too, but there are common frameworks now to faciliate programming context menus, dynamic trees, etc.

4. HTA: HTML Applications. - These are having the file extension .hta, and they're HTML files besides from they're running in standalone windows (like EXEs), and with administrative permissions. - Most current Microsoft setup applications are HTAs - you can script most parts of them in HTML and JavaScript - but interact with C/ActiveX code or anything on the machine it's running on.

5. Not to mention what I found on companies' intranets: Anything being related to HTML, JavaScript or DHTML is clearly tailored to IE's needs. (I'm aware this was / has been an issue when no browser was standards-compliant.)

6. Using ActiveX controls (in companies' intranets).
Remark: There are also Java applets - however, ActiveX controls don't live in a sandbox, and are acting with the user's rights. As there are security risks with that, there are also advantages.

7. Inherited impersonification = integrated authentication. If you aren't sure what that means to the life of some (non-technical) employee, please don't talk back.

- My point is not to tell that using IE is desirable. It's to tell IE, in businesses, has been used extensively, and to provide (at least) some reasons why.

Before you cry out - or attack - please learn - for the sake of Linux -

and if you're missing something with your favorite browser (from the perspective of a business programmer / employee), please add it to the TODO list.

Thanks

I have to disagree with sundialscvs. Windows is inherently insecure. IE and all the other MS programs reach the innards of the OS more than any other software. Their trick to make then "faster" backfire because vulnerabilities in these programs compromise the whole system. If you want to secure a Windows box (only a subjective perception because the OS doesn't help to make this stuff deterministic), then block all Internet access to MS programs, disable plugins in IE and use tripwire to protect your executables and an antivirus to protect new data. I'm currently compiling the new KDE 3.5.3 in FreeBSD 6.1 and all I can say is that speed and stability I get from Unix systems is impossible with Windows. Both the new versions of qt and arts as well as kdelibs and kdebase integrate perfectly with the old 3.5.1 apps still installed and even this KOffice behemoth is behaving well. With Windows I can't never be sure of anything. If anyone thinks that by hiding details of what's going on plays something in this perception, then use either MacOS or Windows. A 100% Linux distro for me would be a mix between the stability of Debian and the source based philosophy of Gentoo (portage lacks speed).

Getting slightly off-topic: Only problem with Debian is that their stable release (and testing somewhat I think) are dated. It would take a small army to keep something like Debian, or any *nix-based OS for that matter, up to date while still maintaining a nearly flawlessly working system. I've recently switched to Gentoo, so I know to a point Portage's speed. It does have its problems (Why emerge cann't upload the last package list as a pack.list file is beyond me to speed up search), the time-consuming part isn't with Gentoo, but with your compiler/computer. Compiling everything from source is a HUGE task for any PC (especially with things like KDE/Gnome, and OOo), so you have to be willing to sit there in KDE/Gnome watching a compile scroll by while watching your favorite forums.

As for robberts comment, IE was, for a moment, something good, but with the rise of other browsers such as Firefox and Opera, making an IE-based app is a growingly annoying job on the users end, especially for Linux users.
Not saying you are this, the fact you say you try to make browser-independend apps is a great thing, and I applaud that, but alot of programmers are lazy (at least in the Windows community. The Linux community doesn't seem to take well to poorly created software), and hence instead of doing some for of work, they decide that since 90% of the market has IE, they go on and make apps that rely on IE features (or lack there of) to minimize their coding work (Personally, I think a new compiler that can expand code from libraries/dll files into a more-or-less OS independent system would help with this, but thats something M$ will NOT allow if they can do ANYTHING about it), and hence more or less forcing the use of an outdated and (IMHO) useless pile of binary that someone slaps a version number and name on, when it cann't even come close to matching what other browsers are capable of (I mean, come on. Tabs is something pretty much anything in Linux has if opening multiple docs would be something one would do).

But, thats my :twocents: worth on both previous post.