Slashdot Mirror
Linux Needs More Haters
Corrupt brings us a ZDNet column by Jeremy Allison, who says Linux could benefit from more "tough love" in order to improve its functionality and popularity. Excerpting:
"As Elie Wiesel said, 'the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.' LinuxHater really doesn't hate Linux, despite the name. No one takes that much time to point out flaws in a product that they completely loathe and despise. The complaints are really cries of frustration with a system that just doesn't quite do what is desired (albeit well disguised). A friend pointed out to me that the best way to parse LinuxHaters blog is to treat it as a series of bug reports. A perl script could probably parse out the useful information from them and log them as technical bug reports to the projects LinuxHater is writing about. Deep down, I believe LinuxHater really loves Linux, and wants it to succeed."
The only thing wrong with linux is lack of availability of 3rd party shrink-wrap type applications and games. I would love to give up XP, but linux can't run the video editing software that I need and games that I want.
You can have my SIG when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
Most bug trackers are smart enough to send e-mail to a developer, or a list of developers.
I think 99% of all submitted bugs are read (or at least glanced at), however the bug trackers are often way behind and (gasp) sometimes those e-mails are just ignored or forgotten.
Sometimes its as simple as a language barrier, sometimes just very busy people .. or sometimes you happen upon a developer who is 300x more sick of the program than you are :)
There are far, far less unique drivers needed than there are printers. In many cases, several models from the same line will actually use the same driver, but you have to list all of them because the average user won't have any way of knowing they're all the same. For that matter, there may well be cases where one companies printers simply use the same control codes as another, better known brand. As an example, years ago I had a dot matrix printer from Star Micronix. Even though it was a minor brand, I never had driver issues because I knew (having taken the time to RTFM) that it was Epson compatible and that the standard Epson driver was all I needed.
Good, inexpensive web hosting
Ah, I bet you have tested Ubuntu.... because your feelings are such....
I have used Mandriva and what I do, is I right click the directory and select "Open as root".
Windows application and/or driver installation requires the application/package and a double-click. You then choose a typical install which does literally everything for you or a customizable one. Done.
Here's a better simplification of the process:
1. Open web browser
2. Search (modern browsers, the search bar, older browsers, navigate to google.com) for "calendar program"
3. Find program web site.
4. Find download link and download.
5. Double click EXE
6. Click Next, Next, Next, I Agree, Next
7. Choose "Simple" or "Advanced" install. Assume Simple install for the rest:
8. Click Next, Next, Next, Next, Reboot prompt.
9. Wait for reboot.
10. Configure program.
No Linux distro I have tried has EVER followed as simple an installation process. Fedora, Mandriva, Ubuntu, DSL- Each had its own quirks, almost all of which required shell commands. (In fact, I believe all required it.)
Obviously you've never used any of the distributions you listed. Here's an Ubuntu example:
1. Click System, Administration, Synaptic Package Manager
2. Type password
3. Search for "calendar"
4. Install sunbird (or other desired program)
5. Open program in the Applications menu and use.
If Linux developers could all agree on an install process that was 100% GUI compliant
You mean like this? Most average people would probably see AT MOST two different UI styles, if they happen to install both KDE/Qt and GNOME/Gtk programs, and they're not even dramatically different paradigms by default. If you even look more closely, the linked screenshot consists only of Microsoft applications; way to go, demonstrating there's no such thing as consistency in Windows (ironically, the most "standard" Win32 UI in that screenshot happens to be Notepad).