Never ending list of non-working distros

rm6990 · 10-22-2004, 04:27 PM

Well, another distro to add to my never-ending list, Ubuntu. Believe it or not, I have to reinstall the NVIDIA drivers every time I restart my computer. I am getting pretty damn close to installing Linspire and being done with it. It is the only distrothat has the slimmest chance of going mainstream at this point, because no non-computer literate person is willing to work the kinks out of the other ones, even if they are free. It is getting ridiculous, I used to think Windows did bizare things but I have seen probably 10 times the amount of odd things on Linux. I honestly don't know why I keep trying.

Anyways, does anyone have any clue as to why a driver would uninstall itself every time the system is shut down.

Another gripe I have too...so many of these distros have problems...and yet instead of these programmers joining the distros already around, they form their own and make the list even longer and scarier to newcomers. If the Ubuntu developers and all these other developers of these distros that each have an install base of 50 people would just join Slackware and the major 10 or so distros...Linux would be twice the OS it is today.

I'm not saying this to attack the community or anything...I am just getting bloody sick and tired of the problems...I can honestly say I would be happier on Windows right now...and this is after not even booting into Windows for over a week.

My predictions are that as the virus attackes get worse and worse against Windows and Linux keeps forking and going down the road its going, OS X is going to be the last viable choice left. Apple has to be loving this. Because until the Linux community solves the problems I have pointed out, Linux will never go mainstream and never be more than a niche OS. Which is good I guess as the virus writers won't care about it. With any luck the major distros will get so popular they will choke the life out of the smaller ones and we'd be left with around 20 distros. That would be perfect. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and give FreeBSD a shot...I have heard many good things about it. Or else resize my NTFS partition over the rest of my harddrive and just save up for a Mac, I could even sell this computer.

homey · 10-22-2004, 04:53 PM

If you are having that much trouble with so many different versions of linux, did it ever occur to you that there might be something odd about your computer? Anyhow, my view on linux is they are all pretty much the same just a different overcoat on some. I hope the big boys DO NOT choke out the small distros as that is too much of an MS strategy.

Here's my list of distros and I haven't found one yet which doesn't work.

Code:

Adios linux (cdrom)	3.10
Adios linux (cdrom)	3.0.1
Adios linux (cdrom)	2.00
Adios linux (cdrom)	1.33
Alt linux	2.0
Arch linux	0.6
Arch linux	0.4
Arch linux	0.3
ASP linux	9.0
ASP linux	7.3
ASP linux	7.2
ASP linux	7.1
Atomic linux	.02
Basilisk linux (cdrom)	1.3
BBC linux (cdrom)	2.1
Beehive linux	6.0
Beehive linux	5.0
Berry linux (cdrom)	0.48
Blag linux	9000
Blin linux (cdrom)	1.3
Blue linux	1.0
Buffalo linux	1.2.0
Byzantine linux	20030614
Caldera OpenLinux workstation	3.1.1
CDlinux	0.5.3
Censornet linux	3.2
Censornet linux	3.3
CentOS Enterprise linux	3.1
Clarkconnect linux	2.2
Clarkconnect linux	2.1
Clarkconnect linux	2.0
Clarkconnect linux	1.3
Clarkconnect linux	1.1-2
College linux	2.3
College linux	2.1
Conectiva linux	9.0
Conectiva linux	8.0
Conectiva linux	10
Cool linux (cdrom)	2.3
Cool linux (cdrom)	2.01
Corel linux	1.2
Coyote linux (floppy)	2.0.3
Debian linux	3.1
Debian linux	3.0
Demo linux	3.01
Dynebolic linux (cdrom)	1.3
Dynebolic linux (cdrom)	1.0
E-smith linux server	6.0
E-smith linux server	5.6
E-smith linux server	5.5
Easilix linux	1.1
ELX Power Desktop	1.0
Feather linux (cdrom)	0.5.8
Feather linux (cdrom)	0.5.6
Feather linux (cdrom)	0.5.0
Feather linux (cdrom)	0.4.2
Feather linux (cdrom)	0.4.0
Feather linux (cdrom)	0.3.9
Feather linux (cdrom)	0.3.8
Feather linux (cdrom)	0.3.7
Fire linux (cdrom)	0.4a
Fredora linux	Core 2
Fredora linux	Core 1
FreeBSD	5.1
FreeBSD	5.0
FreeBSD	4.7
FreeBSD	4.5
Freesco linux (floppy)	031
Gentoo linux (cdrom)	1.2
Gobo linux	006
Helix linux (cdrom)	1.5
Icepack linux	2.5
Icepack linux	1.9.8.1
Immunix linux	7.0
Insert linux (cdrom)	1.2.8
Insert linux (cdrom)	1.2.7
Insert linux (cdrom)	1.2.14
Insert linux (cdrom)	1.2.13
IPcop linux	1.3
Jamd linux	0.6
Jamd linux	0.4
JBlinux	2.2-1
K12ltsp linux	4.1.0
K12ltsp linux	4.0.1
K12ltsp linux	4.0.0
K12ltsp linux	3.1.2
K12ltsp linux	3.1.0
K12ltsp linux	3.0.1
K12ltsp linux	3.0.0
K12ltsp linux	2.1.2
Knoppix linux (cdrom)	3.6
Knoppix linux (cdrom)	3.6
Knoppix linux (cdrom)	3.4
Knoppix linux (cdrom)	3.3
Knoppix linux (cdrom)	3.2
Knoppix linux (cdrom)	3.1
Kurumin linux (cdrom)	3.0
Kurumin linux (cdrom)	2.02
Lamppix linux (cdrom)	1.0
Libranet Classic linux	2.7
Libranet linux	2.8.1
Libranet linux	2.0.2
Lindows linux	4.5
Livecd router (cdrom)	1.9.3
Luit linux (cdrom)	0.3.3
Luit linux (cdrom)	0.2.0
Lunar linux	1.0
Lycoris linux	75
Lycoris linux	71
Lycoris linux	46
Lycoris linux	127
Magnux linux	I4
Mandrake linux	9.2
Mandrake linux	9.1
Mandrake linux	9.0
Mandrake linux	8.2
Mandrake linux	8.1
Mandrake linux	8.0
Mandrake linux	7.2
Mandrake linux	7.1
Mandrake linux	7.0
Mandrake linux	6.1
Mandrake linux	6.0
Mandrake linux	10.0
Morphix (cdrom)	0.4-1
MSC linux (cdrom)	12/02
Mulinux (cdrom)	14r0
NetBSD	1.6.1
NetBSD	1.6
NetBSD	1.5.2
OpenBSD	3.4
OpenBSD	3.3
OpenBSD	3.2
OpenBSD	3.1
OpenBSD	3.0
OpenBSD	2.9
OpenBSD	2.8
OpenBSD	2.7
OpenBSD	2.6
OpenLinux eDesktop	2.4
Operator linux (cdrom)	3.3.09
Peanut linux	9.6
Peanut linux	9.5
Peanut linux	9.4
Peanut linux	9.3
Peanut linux	9.2
Peanut linux	7.5
Phat linux	4.0
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.9.2
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.9.0
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.8.6
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.8.5
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.8.4
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.8.0
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.7.8
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.7
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.9.4
Puppy linux (cdrom)	0.9.5
Redhat linux	9.0
Redhat linux	8.0
Redhat linux	7.3
Redhat linux	7.2
Redhat linux	7.1
Redhat linux	7.0
Redhat linux	6.2
Redhat linux	6.1
RIP linux (cdrom)	10.6
RIP linux (cdrom)	9.0
RIP linux (cdrom)	8.9
RIP linux (cdrom)	8.7
RIP linux (cdrom)	8.5
RIP linux (cdrom)	8.4
RIP linux (cdrom)	8.3
RIP linux (cdrom)	8.0
RIP linux (cdrom)	7.8
Securepoint Linux	4.0p3
Skol linux	1.0
Slackware linux	9.1
Slackware linux	9.0
Slackware linux	8.1
Slackware linux	8.0
Slackware linux	7.1
Slackware linux	7.0
Slackware linux	10.0
Slax linux (cdrom)	4.1.4
Slax linux (cdrom)	4.1.2
Slax linux (cdrom)	4.1.1
Slax linux (cdrom)	4.0.8
Slax linux (cdrom)	4.0.4
Slax linux (cdrom)	4.0.1
Smoothwall linux	2.0
Smoothwall linux	1.0
Sol linux	18.00
Sol linux	17.00
Sol linux	16.00
Sol linux	15.00
Sol linux ( OoL )	17.00
Sol-diag linux (cdrom)	1.1
Sot lba-linux	R1
Sot linux desktop	2003
Sot linux desktop	2002
Sot linux server	2003
Storm linux	2000
SuperRescue linux (cdrom)	2.1.2
SuperRescue linux (cdrom)	2.78
SuperRescue linux (cdrom)	1.3.1a
SuSe linux	9.1
SuSe linux	8.2
SuSe linux	8.0
SuSe linux	7.0
SuSe linux Server	8.0
System Rescue (cdrom)	0.2.15
System Rescue (cdrom)	0.2.9
System Rescue (cdrom)	0.2.8
System Rescue (cdrom)	0.2.14
System Rescue (cdrom)	0.2.13
System Rescue (cdrom)	0.2.12
System Rescue (cdrom)	0.2.11
System Rescue (cdrom)	0.2.10
Timos rescue linux (cdrom)	0.9.8
Tinysofa linux	1.0
Tomsrtbt linux (floppy)	2.0.103
TRK linux (cdrom)	1.1
Trustix linux	2.0
Trustix linux	1.5
Turbo linux server	8.0
Turbo linux workstation	7.0
Turbo linux workstation	6.0
Ultimate Boot CD	2.4
Ultimate Boot CD	2.3
Ultimate Boot CD	2.21
Vector linux	4.0
Vector linux	3.2
Vector linux	3.0
Vector linux	4.3
WhiteBox Enterprise linux	3.0 FR
Xandros linux	Open Circulation Desktop
Yellowdog linux	3.0
Yoper linux	2.1.0
Yoper linux	3.4.0
Yoper linux	3.3.3
Yoper linux	3.2.2
Yoper linux	3.2.1
Yoper linux	2.0.9

windowsrefugeeX · 10-22-2004, 04:54 PM

Well i agree w/ u that somethings don't really work as they should, but then again i've done something else that screws them lol. But remember its "Free" so u r bound 2 have some bugs here n there. Have u tried Gentoo? it appears 2 b good n u my Linux-User have the horse power 2 install it fast. As 2 why don;t the developers work 2gether i dunno, but have u mention that 2 them? i mean emailed them n/or contrubiting 2 the community(instead of nagging, please take no offence). Yes i've had my moments where i was like F**k linux, but u know what i've learned soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
much more using linux than windoze. N 2 b honest i prefer linux than windoze

, why? because Linux incourages me 2 learn more, rather than windoze it is simply done 4 me.
That's my two cents
I respect ur opion, u have the right 2 think what u think. But don't give up on linux so easly

foo_bar_foo · 10-22-2004, 07:32 PM

linus is just linux -- it's up to you to make it work !

95se · 10-22-2004, 10:03 PM

If you don't want to spend the time learning linux, and just want it to work like windows... there is a solution, it's "Windows". Windows is a good product (I'm sorry if you don't think so). If your using linux cuz it's not windows, your using it for the wrong reason. I think most people here just wanted to dig a little deeper into their computer. If you read the Abouts on many small distros, it usually starts with the guy saying he made the distro just for fun to learn about linux... Not to make life easier for you. Choking the life out of smaller distros? I think you have missed a few major points of linux. It is OPEN SOURCE. You can't really choke the life out of all the smaller distros. In the closed-source world one competitor can spend tons of money make an amazing product, and leave their compeitors behind scratching their bottoms. With open-source, the competitors get to see the code, and can then implement it in there product. Any improvements made to their product by their competitors, they can use in theirs as well. This can or cannot be good, but it has been working so far. Hell, all these smaller distros are just branch-offs from larger distro. One dies off, another person can just modify slackware and release it. They also usually aren't getting paid for making their distro, they are doing it for themselves and letting you download it.

EDIT: Also, are you loading the driver when your computer starts? There should be a rc file that loads all your drivers, and there should be a line like: modprobe nvidia

Goldsticknt · 10-23-2004, 01:17 AM

Though linux, IMHO, has definite advantages, such as the freedom afforded by the GPL, and the abundance of free software available for it, in many cases, people don't care. For example, at school, a lot of people like to print out their homework. They don't care what OS their homework is printed on. They want to get credit for their homework with as little work as possible. Even though Microsoft overcharges their users and make them endure such procedures as WPA and the like, they (and people who write drivers for their monopoly) do provide relative simplicity when getting things setup.

A windows installation may take (on average) 2 hours or so. One can get a printer set up in Windows in as little as half an hour. It's as simple as popping a CD in the computer and running the setup program. Installing a word processor will take about the same. Couple that with the fact that most get Windows preinstalled, and you might be looking at less than an hour of setup.

In linux, one almost always has to install it oneself. Assuming that one get's a system with linux and XWindows already installed, installing a printer is still considerably more complicated. If the printer is supported one has to find the appropriate driver and install them (20 minutes maybe). Installing CUPS may take about the same, as would installing a word processor.

Though, for me, it might take around the same amount of time to install a working system on either platform, it's far less straightforward on linux. Windows setup's are generally self explanatory. In linux, the actual time it takes to get a system up may be considerably more as one has to actually learn what CUPs is, and not everyone automatically knows that they can go to linuxprinting.org.

I happen to like going through these loops. It's fun for me. However, most people at school just want a working system ASAP. Most people in the real world just want to get their work done, and they only see the computer as a tool to accomplish that. They do not view linux as practical. There is one thing I do have to give linux. Once one get's it set up, it works every bit as good as Windows (if not better).

I do, however have to argue against the argument that there are too many distros. Each distro is still, fundamentally, GNU/Linux. They can all be made to read the same file systems, and one can generally, given a similar kernel and libraries, get the same programs compilied on those distros. True they do have separate utils, but pretty much anything that can be done with a distro util can also be done at the command line. Those utils should, given good design, would make it simpler for the end user to set up their system. That's what Linspire does. I don't think that a large number of choices will ever hurt the ease of use of the systems themselves. The competition can only make things better. In addition, the individual distro's provide something different for everyone. Someone who want's a well supported ``easy'' version of linux might prefer Red-Hat or Mandrake. Security consious people may prefer OpenBSD (okay it's not linux, but it's still a choice.) If one likes customizations and optimizations and choices up the wazoo, then gentoo's your distro. This also makes choice a good thing. Pretty much everyone can get what they need out of their computer using Linux. That's also part of why there are so many distros.

Personally, I perefer linux. I can only hope that these ease of use problems regarding linux will go away with time as the distros try to get more users. The trend that I've observed, however, even in the two years I've used linux, is still visible. Linux is getting simpler for the end user. I expect this to continue into the future.

cadj · 10-23-2004, 02:16 AM

gnu / linux is great fun, like writing cron scripts to update my ad blocking hosts file, and having a transperant KDE bar, and XFce for a game of ut2004

ive been 100% linux for about 3 months now, before then i was like you. an on and off linux user.

u must know its good, because you keep trying

Tamsco · 10-23-2004, 02:43 AM

The main distros like Fedora, Debian and Gentoo are going strong, new ones come and go.

Remeber, linux encourages diversity of thought so thousands of half baked distro clones is a natural consequence. I just ignore them, unless they have something really worthwhile to offer.

Tamsco · 10-23-2004, 02:44 AM

By the way, Mac will be the only viable alternative, but they will increase their price by another 1,000 and put espresso machines in their new models because they seem content on never getting more than 3% of the market.