[Computerbank] The future of Linux on the desktop

[Mark Clohesy]

O
> >
> > Yes David it does make an opinionated read, one that as a Linux newbie I
> > agree with. I have been fixing computers for 16 years on a hardware level
> > and all though not a software guru, I don't class my self as totally
> > stupid. I've only been playing with Linux for a couple of months but
> > think it is stupid that I have to spend hours searching howtos to get my
> > scanner or burner working, and even then I find out from someone more
> > versed in Nix "oh it didn't mention but you have to do this this and this
> > as well... to get it to work," Don't get me wrong I like Linux but I
> > don't see how any person can honestly say it doesn't have some way to go
> > before it is ready for the general user, with no Linux experience.
> 
> This statement is nonsense.
> Firstly you are confusing computer users with computer installers or 
> administrators.

Firstly, it is my Opinion created by my personal experiances, so in your
eyes I guess that makes it nonsense, okay Ill along with that....

Second yes I am very sorry for not making a definitive line between end
users and users that are involved in installing administering computers
even those MS ones



> The majority of people who are quite competent to do word processing or
> use 
> spreadsheets are no more competent to install Windows or Dos for that
> matter 
> than they are to install a Linux distro.

Whole heartdly agree, I know I get calls from said users


> Secondly you speak as if Linux is something monolithic that takes the
> same 
> amount of effort regardless of who packages it.

Sorry to make that inferrance, I have tried to install Redhat... it didnt
like me or maybe I am just destined to be a blithering windows user all
my life


> I can only speak from experience on a reasonably modern box. (Duron
> 850meg)
> For ease of installation:
> 	1. Mandrake 8.2
> 	2. Windows 98SE
> 	3. Debian Woody
> For stability
> 	1. Debian Woody
> 	2. Mandrake 8.2
> 	9. Windows 98SE - yes it's out of sight behind the other 2.
> Maybe it's harder on the older h/w, I just don't know.

Thats why I want to use Linux, I am tired of the instablity

 
> I'm glad you mentioned scanners my wife has a parport Cannon which is 
> unseable in any version of Windows because it is not compatable with most 
> printers, expecially those made by Cannon. As for printers my son had to
> buy 
> another because his Cannon printer is unsupported under Windows XP.
> I admit they did not have to waste their time looking up HOWTO's. There
> were 
> none to be had.

Okay granted there is hardware that does not work in all flavours of
windows/linux take your pick, but when I go out and buy hardware that is
listed on the :Linux site/Windows site to suit that particular version of
a particular OS then i expect it to work, I dont mind installing a driver
or application to make it work just as I have to in windows, but to have
tp spend an hour or more editing files, enabling IDE-SCSI emulation, that
I cant understand, again maybe destined to remain a windows idiot


 
> I think that after 16 years in h/w, I can only suppose that you had a
> fairly 
> heavy involvement with Windows. Maybe expecting that you will as
> comfortable 
> in Linux as in Windows after a couple of months is unreasonable.

I manged to pick up Novell in  a weekend


> Certainly I find that after 9 months experience (very little of it doing 
> installs on a large range of hardware) I still have a hell of a lot to
> learn.
> 
> Generally when I do not get what I need from a HOWTO it is because I have
> not 
> read it with enough attention. 
> 
> So if you find a defective howto, why not just weigh in with a
> correction? 
> That is how everything in OS was produced.

I would if I knew the solution, then I wouldnt have a problem and I would
certainly let others know about it



> 
> >
> > The OSS community prides itself  on how it is not limited to corporate
> > decision from a higher power to be (read Gates) yet they cant get
> > together and just make my scanner work when I plug it in, or just make my
> > burner work.
> 
> And the average Windows user can do this, come on. Ok maybe the burner
> but 
> forget the scanner.

The average windows user may not be able to open a case to install a
burner, but my wife who has no computer knowledge until 2 years ago, a
windows OEM user if there was ever one, managed after reading the
instructions to get our scanner working, went to website (we didnt have
the cd) dloaded driver installed it (harder then apt-get sane) plug it in
to a free USB port and it worked Suprise suprise

why forget the scanner under linux , it is a modern one, USB that is
listed as being completly Linux compatable, okay I dont mind installing
sane, dloading drivers, all as the site told me but it still wont work


> 
> > Yes Linux has moved forward on the desktop, yes it is starting to make
> > headway against other systems, but it does have a way to go
> >
> > and yes this is MY Opinion which makes me an individual..
> 
> Yes it can get easier to install - try Knoppix for one example.
> But once installed it's no harder than Windows for most jobs.

Knoppix balks at all my hardware which is less then 6 months old, it
doesnt like the scanner, the burner or the multihead display, Hey granted
neither does win XP (only the multi head it likes the scanner burner) so
I dont like knoppix either, Hmm maybe this is saying lets go back to the
Typewriter at least it worked all the time

 (DVD ripping possibly excepted).

Well actually just watching DVD's unless you want to break the law, but
that isnt a fault of the programmers ect but of the film companies so no
hard feelings about that one to Linux, just the film giants

At that Im going to end my part of this discussion, as I agreed it is an
opion, it is how I feel, it may not be right, it may be blatently out of
line but it was my feelings that was all, thanks for the feedback, I am
going to keep reading this howto and see what I missed......
-- 
  Mark "Zaney" Clohesy
  Aurally Challenged Australians
http://aca.twistedsouls.com
For Deaf and HoH Australians and their families

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