Linux proselytizing thread

I wouldn't recommend Linux to anyone who didn't have time to learn a new OS. It's definitely not an easy OS to master. Then again if something fails (registry, dll file, etc.) in Windows you're pretty much relegated to reinstalling the OS. Under the Linux if you know what you're doing you can get your system up and running without resorting to a full reinstall. But yeah, if you aren't a person who customizes and messes with your system in order to get the most performance out of it, Linux is not for you.

Oh I love customisation and learning new things, I tend to pick 'em up fairly quickly; I have plenty of spare time in order to learn new things as well.

It's just I really don't need a new OS as I don't press Windows anywhere near breaking point, so I'd rather spend my time doing more interesting things than learning to work a new system.

I can certainly see the attraction though, system stability, open source software and some of the Linux desktops/themes are approaching artwork levels of design and style.

I've read that it's pretty good for networking too, in terms of security, eh?

I tried it, but partitioning didn't work right for me. If I could get a complete guide for partitioning on Ubuntu here, I'd be happy. Oh, and getting my wireless card to work. The software for it isn't recognized.

If I could get help on those 2 things, I may use it. I really like Ubuntu, its great.

I like Linux.
I'm not sure at which point I'll be able to say I've become a full convert; maybe when Wine's DX compatibility covers more ground (just older games, really).

My distro of choice has been Ubuntu for some time now, and I was running it more than Windows until I inevitably broke it through a stupid move :) Actually I don't reckon it should be hard to fix, I've just not had the time lately to boot back into it and fiddle around.

Also:
As of 0.9.25 WINE has support for WoW without the need of patches.

And there's a fork of gaim called gaim-vv that worked on voice and video capabilities, and while it's no longer being developed (they're merging it into the main trunk of gaim) the packages are still available (though they're based off of an older version and not the new gaim 2 betas).

And I've been looking at KVirc as an alternative to mIRC (just playing with the windows version) and from what I've seen of it the similarities are striking. I've not had much luck with mIRC running under Wine how I'd like it to, and I get annoyed at the lack of simple features in Xchat that I have to write a script in a language I barely know to get to work. KVirc actually has an internal scripting language that seems to look and act a lot like mIRC, except with a lot more power. It's interesting (and completely cross-platform as well as open source).

I think the main problem with Linux is that it doesn't have a killer app (the Mac's is everything Just Working, and its superiority at graphical processing). There's nothing you can do in Linux that you can't do in Windows, so basically you're moving to an OS where you have to make sacrifices.

The only advantages I can think of in Linux are:
* Free as in speech and collaboration (though most people really don't care about politics, they just want a computer that works)
* Shell-based power tools - which you can use in Windows with Cygwin
* Lack of viruses and spyware - which are a non-issue if you're educated enough on computers to think of installing Linux in the first place and
* The fact that it costs nothing (but let's face it, how many people just pirate everything....)

I honestly want Linux to succeed and improve. But those are the reasons I think it's stalled a little so far. It needs a killer app or at least a killer ability that is attractive to the masses.

FWIW I have a Windows box (main PC), Ubuntu Breezy box (bedroom PC) and Powerbook. So I do use each of the big three OSes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cloudane

(but let's face it, how many people just pirate everything....

---

*raises hand*

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cloudane

There's nothing you can do in Linux that you can't do in Windows, so basically you're moving to an OS where you have to make sacrifices.

---

SSH server. You can do it in Windows but it's not pretty. There are tons and tons of other things, but they probably only appeal to programmers.

The thing about Linux apps is once they're good / popular enough, they get ported to Windows anyways. Gaim, Firefox, Gimp etc. (Not sure if Firefox started as a Windows app, actually. But it clearly has roots in Linux.) So Linux has some killer apps, they just aren't Linux-exclusive for long.

Also Amarok is a killer app in my opinion. I have not seen its like in Windows. (Admittedly I have not looked very hard.)

The main thing about linux (and as I've noticed this afternoon, osx) is that people don't bother with it. If there were more than just the zealots and hardcore nerds working with it and developing for it, there might be a reason for everyone else to use it. Right now, they're working on it, but it's slow, but then windows has been standing still for a long time, so if vista leaves a bad taste in enough people's mouths, they'll have even longer.

(also I wish I had enough time to fiddle with osx to make it Just Work. it's nearly as irritating as ubuntu sometimes!)

I thought the whole thing with OSX was that "it just works". I use Macs at work and they seem totally competent to me.

We all know Macs will take over the world. Apple are just pouring new versions out, each getting better and better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dr Unne

[qq=Mirage]It simply doesn't have what I need on my desktop and laptop[/qq]

Like what, aside from gaming?

---

Aside from gaming? I don't want to set aside one of the things I like the most.

I also like Photoshop. Gimp wasn't my thing, really. Ofcourse, I could install Linux, set up WINE or WMware, then tweak them some in order to make Photoshop run (probably less effective) under Linux. But why, when it works right out of the box under Windows XP, an OS that hasn't really given me any problems.
Getting wireless LAN to work on my laptop is supposedly a bitch too. At least that's what a friend of mine said, and he seems to know a lot about linux. That was a while ago though, things may have changed. Furthermore, I don't know how well Linux will like my integrated ATI graphics adapter.

Quote:

---

Mirage: I guarantee you that if you were to get a group of people to look at a Windows desktop (as heavily modified as you could get it) and at a Linux desktop (using Beryl), nine out of ten people would be more impressed with the Linux desktop. Better font rendering, bigger icons, smoother window decorations. Not to mention 3D desktops, blur effects, animation effects and transparency effects. Hell I could make it rain on my desktop as an entirely useless feature, but it looks awesome.

---

Half of those things you mentioned are things I would never let near my computer :p. So yeah, subjective. I prefer my GUIs to be minimalistic and effective.

WLAN is a nightmare on Linux. It's been getting better lately, but it's still a nightmare (as is Bluetooth)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mirage

Aside from gaming? I don't want to set aside one of the things I like the most.

---

I didn't mean to imply that gaming isn't important.

I see, I misunderstood then.
As long as I need windows for my games, and windows can do what I need, I don't see Linux being installed as my primary OS in a long time, and I don't care for dual boots, because I like keeping my computers online all the time, and not having to restart it just to check something real quick in FFXI.

Sad but true :(.