Florin Andrei wrote:
On Thu, 2003-01-23 at 08:48, Thomas Dodd wrote:I'm happy for her. That's better luck than the people I know have. What do they do when windows breaks?
They wouldn't be using 3rd party modules, unless I or a sysadmin had set them up.This is how Linux is supposed to take over the world? By asking the
At which time they would ask me or the admin for help.
sysadmin for help at every step?
On Windows, i install it for my grandma, explain her how to
download/install a program, explain her how Windows Update works, and
walk away confident that the two aforementioned things will work
together peacefully on grandma's computer.
So they install a game that installs DirectX9, but that breaks because there's no DX9 driver for the video card?
If they install much software, and worse, remover a lot, soon the registry get's trashed, and the system becomes unstable.
Windows is definately not as easy as you make it sound.
On Linux, i explain her how to click on the blue/red "pill" in the RedThen she didn't READ the requirements before she downloaded the file.
Hat panel to update her system, i explain her how to download/install
RPMs, then lo and behold! i get calls from her every week because:
- she downloaded an RPM that "requires another RPM" and she's puzzled
numb because of the dependency
Similar to the DX requirement for many game demos. Sure, the CD has the correct DX, and it will be auto installed for you, without telling you it might break something else, but the downloadable demos don't.
- she clicked on the "red pill" to update her system, and it told her itI see that as a VMware issue. The startup script for vmware should tell you that the driver is missing, and to run the config program. It cold even offer to run it for you. But, I don't want it to do so without asking first. Again you blame Red Hat or linux, when the app should handle it, like the above game, that installs the new DX for you, only it may not even ask before doing so.
was going to update "the kernel or the nucleus or something like that",
but that killed VMware, so now she cannot use an application that was
important for her. Oh, you mean i had to run vmware-config.pl AGAIN? Why
the hell should i do that? Wasn't enough to do it once?
See the difference? You're very excited about vendor support andExcept you can't., you can only do what M$ want you to do. Case in point: I use sun workstations alot. So I'm used to the 'Control' key being under the 'Tab' key, and 'Caps Lock' under the 'Shift' key on the left side of the keyboard. I can change the keyboard layout in linux by editing 2 files, one for X11 and one for text mode( I still use run level 3, and virtual consoles, try that with Gates wear).
sysadmin help, but that's so narrow. Linux DOES have usability issues,
and those things cannot be mitigated by vendors or sysadmins; the users
will just say "thanks, but i'll stick to Windows because i can do
anything i want on that platform". Bummer.
The incompatibilities between the plethora of kernels is a seriousIt's not that bad. Turn off module versioning. That's CONFIG_MODVERSIONS. The config option help file even says " If you are going to use modules that are generated from non-kernel sources, you would benifit from this option." Now, Red Hat turn it on, because it's safer, and they don't support 3rd party modules, or any other modules they don't ship in their kernel package, like the "Memory Technology Devices", "Kernet HTTPD", "EtherLinkMC", and several WAN device drivers.
plague, and the cause is the shortsightedness of the kernel developers.
It is they who must come up with a scheme to avoid the pains caused by
"a minor kernel upgrade" that breaks everything on grandma's PC. A MUCH
more stable upgrade path must be devised.
And for the RPM hell... Don't even get me started on that. It'sfreshrpms.net has Red Hat packages for lame, the best MP3 encoder for linux.
ridiculous. Right now, your J. Average User is completely unable to do
what he's been used with for years on Windows: fire up Mozilla, go to
tucows.com, perform a search for "MP3 encoder", download it, install it,
use it. No hassle. It simply works. Well, it works on Windows, 'cause
Linux is light years below that.
No I guess that means you must:
1) know about freshrpms.net. Then again how did you user know tucows.com?
2) know that lame is the right program. But freshrpms.net list it and what it does (it in apps/multimedia)
Arguing against this description of the state of affairs would simplyFo 90% of people linux distribution ship with waht thet need, unless there are legal reasons preventings it.
mean a serious lack of understanding of how Linux is doing on the
desktop now. So don't.
That's the case with MP3 players, MP3 encoders, and DVD players. At least you get ogg-vorbis which sounds better at low bitrates/smalle file sizes. You also get several web browsers, mail tools, and "Office" type apps. I didn't see where M$XP includes more that one web browser, or mail tool. And the box on the store shelves around here doesn't include "Office" or "Works."
As has been said befor "Unix is user freindly, it's just picky about who it's friends are."But even if i'm a desperado, i won't stick my head in my rectum. Linux is FAR from being user-friendly, in the Windows sense (and so much more in the MacOS sense). There's a lot of serious work needed to fix that. Architectural changes need to be done. No amount of vendor/sysadmin support can replace it.
Windows and Mac are both like modern vehicles. They are great when they work correctly, but wait untill it breaks. Then you are in for a hard time. Unix, like old cars, allow you to do it your self or pay someone else to do it, while M$ and Mac, or new cars, force you to pay or do without.
Oh yeah here's one for joe-user. You want to upgrade you PII/K62 system to a P4/Athlon. So you buy a CPU and mother board, maybe new memory if needed. With linux, I swap the MB/CPU and reattach the disks and other cards. It boots and runs. Sue a few tweeks migh help for the new CPU type, but it's faster than before. Try that with M$-Windows. I'll bet you end up re installing the OS, and all your apps, before it runs reasonably stable.
-Thomas
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