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How Do You Advocate Linux in 5 Minutes?
xtracto writes "I just returned from buying certain Linux magazine. While looking at the 'Computing' stand in the library, and right after I grabbed a copy of the Linux magazine, a guy asked me if I used Linux. After that, the man told me he had tried to use Linux, but he had found it difficult. I told him the first things that came to my mind: that it depended on the distribution (he tried Kubuntu). I recommended him to look for a Linux User Group near his hometown (he told me he didn't live near a city). What would you tell these kinds of people? Not so long ago, and to my surprise, a relative who is completely computer illiterate started talking about Linux, but the general thought is that 'it is harder than Windows'. How do you advocate Linux to people who are more comfortable using Windows?"
Fiuuu, all that just instal WindowsME!!!!?!?!?!?!
Then GIVE THEM an Ubuntu livedisc or install Debian/Fedora/Mandriva/whatever for them. No, don't tell them "go download it", that's not going to work.
That's true. M$ has made it very difficult to burn ISOs lately. The last time I tried was two years ago using a friend's Sony Viao laptop. All the burning program would do is make a "data CD", there was no ISO option and Google searches turned up about an hour of frustration and bullshit. This, with a premium laptop! Having a CD ready is much easier. Tell them it may not work for various easy to fix problems and that you can help them if they want.
Seeing is believing.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
I'd tell 'em "stick with windows".
Seriously...I'm a fairly computer literate guy. I started off with DOS back in '91 on an 8086, and progressed from there. I can program fairly well in multiple languages, I run several LAMP servers, I can even dig through raw disc sectors and hex and generally achieve the result I want. Yet linux still aggravates the shit outta me. For some things it's awesome - I have a mini SLAX disc that I carry with me everywhere, and it's come in handy many times, and runs without problem on every computer I've ever tried it on. But EVERY time I try to install linux on my home machine, something goes wrong. And usually it's the stupidest things possible, which just aggrivates me more.
Take last night for example. I heard that Ubuntu was a stable and reliable distro, with lots of good software available, and a solid future. I prefer KDE to Gnome though, so I got Kubuntu. I go to install it, and find out that the build in partitioning tool isn't able to do what I need it to do in order to create a swap partition. Alright, not a huge problem, but I do need to boot into windows to fix it. So, half an hour later I'm doing the actual install. Everything copies over ok, I reboot, and it's good to go.
Well, the first thing I notice is that Kubuntu is taking longer to boot up than my Windows XP installation. Not a good thing to see after hearing about how much more efficient linux is. Anyway, after waiting a good 3 minutes to log in, I finally have my brand new desktop. Yay! Now to test it out....navigate to my MP3 directory...double click a song....what the hell?? What do you mean "Amarok cannot play MP3's"???? Who ever heard of an audio player that can't play MP3's??? That's the most retarded thing I've ever heard of!
Alright, click the button to download new software. What's this? "Restricted Software"?? What the hell? Now it's asking for my password. Well...I guess I got nothing to lose. Type in my password. Oh. Now I have to restart Amarok. Ok, do that.
WHAT THE HELL?? What do you mean "Amarok cannot play MP3's"???? I JUST INSTALLED THE GOD-DAMN.......oh, forget it. Try again. Click download, type in password, restart Amarok, and....great. It crashed. Well aint that just peachy. How about instead of sending you a crash report I just reboot back into windows?
Now, I realize that "Amarok" isn't Linux any more than WMP is Windows. However, as I've said, every time I've tried to install linux, SOMETHING goes wrong either during the install process, or within the first 5 minutes of booting into the GUI. EVERY time I've installed Linux it's been nothing but crashes and incompatibilities which usually take hours to resolve. So now, the first problem I encounter usually has me giving up in disgust and booting into windows instead. Say what you want about MS products, but I NEVER have these kinds of issues with XP. And that's without even going into all the other advantages that windows has over linux, such as more software and more current drivers. Personally, the ONLY reason I keep trying Linux is because of all the "benefits" I keep hearing about from the loser fan-boys on here. So far it hasn't even come close to living up to the hype.
Ubuntu can only boot from CD because it's not as powerful as Vista! Linux is OK for stuff like controlling a microwave oven but never would a serious scientist use it! Besides who is going to put all their important data on a CD?? CDs were only made for music and they are no where near enough reliable for data storage.
In Soviet Russia, Linux advocates YOU!
Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question