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Linux's Achilles Heel Apparently Revealed
ahab_2001 writes "In Information Week's latest 'Langa Letter', Fred Langa points to something that he calls Linux's 'Achilles' heel': 'New Linux distros still fail a task that Windows 95 -- yes, 95! -- easily handles, namely working with mainstream sound cards.' After lamenting his difficulties in getting a particular sound card to work with nine Linux distros, he concludes that his experience 'empirically shows that, despite its many good points, Linux still has some huge, gaping holes--holes that Windows plugged almost a decade ago.' (Oddball note: Information Week prefaced the e-mail alert pointing to this article by saying 'Occasionally, we have news or analysis of such importance that it warrants a special alert to you.' Hmm...)"
I agree with you and I agree with the article, BUT:
what sound card he used? I couldn't find it in the article! it's a on-board card? It's a so brand new card, just hot from the factory that nobody could write a driver yet?
the only info: "utterly mainstream Intel motherboard with an on-board Intel sound system" from "brand new PC from a major vendor". really precise... I have spent almost a week trying to make my XP work with a very popular webcam from a major vendor... the OS is crap, the vendor, the webcam or I don't know nothing?
If I don't tell the the webcam was a Creative webcam-go that isn't supported under XP you can have all kind of conclusions...
and sorry, but the writer really don't know much about the mainstream linux distros... trying to use a soundcard as if it his life depends on it and didn't went for mandrake or red hat, the easiest distros to install, with a broad support for sound and graphic cards?
what is the magic hardware, that has driver for win95 but don't work with the newer distros of linux?
something is missing...
The funny thing is I've been using Linux for almost as long as you have, but I'd only agree with you about poor sound support up until about 3 years ago, and I run Linux extensively on PPC and Intel platforms, with all kinds of weird sound configurations. I've not had a driver problem in YEARS, though I agree that the sound daemons are crap. My theory on sound drivers for Linux? I think Linux users are the product of two alternate universes merging, where half are saying "sound drivers are shit" and the rest are saying "WTF are you talking about?" I suppose where there's smoke there's fire, but I'll be damned if I've seen the flames in the last five years.
I'd like to use OS X, but after a got burned yet again on another shoddily built Mac (a 400 MHz G3 Pismo laptop), I vowed that Apple would never again see another dime from me. It's a vow I've kept for 4 years, and I have no intention of breaking.
I know anything pro-BSD is consider a troll on /., but at least hear me out.
After having used Linux for a few years, I tried out OpenBSD, and hardware support was a major reason. It was operating system bliss compared to Linux or Windows.
The kernel detects your hardware when you boot-up, and loads the appropriate drivers
Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
> If they refuse or have no interest, make sure you get compatible hardware/software combination next time
Yes, I see you still don't understand the problem.
The average Joe shouldn't have to research what a compatible hardware/software combination is - he should buy a PC and install whatever distro of Linux he wants and it should Just Work.
Linux doesn't do that a lot of the time. Hence people run to the (Microsoft) hills.
"You heard the man, Tubbs.. get undressed."