I find most of my "family" support time is devoted to pops-ups, spam, updating and patching windows, and virus eradication...
I used to do that. Now, if I touch anything on a Windows system outside of work, I make sure that the software isn't a petri dish waiting for a plauge. Firebird has been a welcome replacement for IE, and OpenOffice is also something folks tend to appreciate.
Discussing the problems with HTML email and how spammers abuse it also helps.
When they load on crap spy ware, I tell them not to do it -- remove it *once* -- and then if it happens again tell them to remove it themselves. The only help offered are pointers of where to go and a reminder why they really really don't want to load crap. Less is more for most Windows users.
Along the way, you bet I mention that these problems aren't a problem for me -- ever -- and why they aren't. Facts not propaganda.
why the hell would anyone NOT want to give all those things up especially on a box that is most used to surf the net and read emails?
Well, you're not really helping them by fixing these problems so often. They don't see much of a downside if you're thier tech support -- after all, you are the one dealing with it.
I know it's hard not to "help", though you have to ask if you are helping or drug-dealer-like providing a quick "fix" leaving the core problems intact.
Replacing Windows would be ideal, though in the short term get them to use software that isn't motivated by the pushy-salesman's idea of being helpful. Most open source projects are there to be helpful, not to sell you an upgrade and special 'deals' with partners through spam, deception, or simply changing all your default settings.
Remember to tell them you can't keep fixing thier computer if they can't use it properly. If they protest that they are ignorant and you are such a great computer guy -- ignore it and teach them the right way. If they protest the lessons do not cave in, cut them off!
I agree with most of your points. But the fact remains that it isn't newbie friendly, its getting close but not there yet.
Worked well enough for my little sister. She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Everytime I have tried to switch to Linux I have had to come back to Windows in a few days due to some reason or the other. I must have done that more than 25 times now (I'm not kidding). I even had problems with Mandrake which I found easiest of them all. And I consider myself pretty tech savy person (no really I am:-).
Well, that's good that you're tech savy since I'd be nuts to be ~your~ tech support -- you are jinxed!
I have all sorts of hardware and Linux doesn't work for me that well yet. For example I spent three days figuring out how to use my tv tuner card with linux but to no avail.
Did I mention that you might be jinxed?:)
On a serious note, grab Knoppix. It requires no commitment, and can be handy for fixing problems and testing out machines even if you don't use it as a Linux desktop. The 11/03/2003 release is a bleeding edge release and has OpenOffice 1.1, though the 09/24/2003 release should be more stable.
Knoppix is only slightly lightweight, and you don't compromise much by using it except for the fact it's a boot CD and isn't as snappy as a hard drive based one. You can even test out your TV card and other hardware if you want. 256MB RAM is not required but is a realistic minimal amount for full use of what's on the disk.
Closing your eyes to the reality doesn't change it.
Good words. While the person you were commenting to was a bit over the top, if you're willing to use your eyes to read, I'll touch just a few scant details about Linux that you might not be aware of.
I'm not promising a comprehensive overview -- you'd get borred looking through Windows at a similar level *if* Windows had this level of detail and it simply doesn't. That might sound arrogant. Maybe it is...see for yourself.
Even if [Windows XP] doesn't have the drivers all I have to do is to pop in the driver disk and all is taken care of.
Linux distributions typically include modules ('drivers') to support all hardware; no need for a driver disk, and no need to compile a kernel like days of old. Like Windows, some advanced features can be added by getting specific upgraded drivers or -- as is common with scanners -- using a non-kernel driver package that is typically installed by default.
Point: Needing to tweak or add modules is the exception not the rule. 5 years ago, yes, it was the rule, and back then I did it...5 years ago.
All those modules plus the kernel weigh in at about ~26MB (pre-made, binary, not customized). The ~26MB breaks down like this: ~22MB for ~750 modules plus a couple more meg for the kernel. Each module that supports hardware tends to support multiple models of similar devices -- for example there are 11 categories of radio hardware supported alone.
A fraction of the modules are for non-hardware specific support. That support covers a wide variety of features from not so booring file systems (including encrypted and network distributed) through to advanced features like the NSA's own security enhacements -- yep *that* National Security Agency.
Each module is tuned to the kernel and the processor it's used on; ia32, ia64, or any of the dozen other non-x86-Intel-style processors.
Hmmm.. you haven't heard of Winamp, (and several other equally good free players) have you?
The point with this is that with Windows, you get so little. A stock Windows setup compared to a stock Linux distribution are amazingly different. XMMS (a fork of Winamp BTW) is included automatically with most distributions, as are CD and DVD burners, integrated into the file browser. Office software, vector graphics editors, TV tuner programs...the list goes on, and nearly all of it is installed by default and ready to use. No searching. No looking. No asking around. There. Installed. Done. The biggest problem is the awesome quantity and quality, though most of that is being handled by careful layout of the 'start' menu just to make it easier to find.
I'm trying to figure out if that is an observation or a conclusion.
Especially considering that on any given week we have a report on slashdot about some large project forking. Hell we have more schisms than the Christianity.
As for Windows, it comes with very little, and most of it is not very handy. To make it useful, you have to drag along extra tools typically including expensive basics like office software unless you know where to find the no $ cost ones. Linux distributions don't have the same attitude as Microsoft so you tend to get a lot of everything and most of it is good (some dreck -- hell I have 926 packages (not 1:1 for apps!) installed here).
If you take just the Windows text editors available at places like Tucows you're still talking about 50+ for that task alone. Now, look at the desktop modifiers and extentions. A lot of them, eh? There are even complete replacements (Litestep, Blackbox, Bluebox, Cloud9ine, Geoshell) and commercial products like Stardock's Object Desktop.
If there were one best way to do it, these tools wouldn't be available for Windows either.
This is both an observation and a conclusion. It's hard to disprove what exists, so I'll even dare to call it a fact.
The great thing about standards is there are so many to choose from.
M$FT can not make a stable and secure desktop, how in the hell is M$FT going to make a stable and secure server???
While Microsoft's offerings typically aren't as stable as Unix or Linux, I don't think you're giving them enough credit. Properly administered, they are doing a much better job.
I remember the first demos that Pixar showed at Comdex. From the begining, they kept dragging people away from the tech and back to the artistry, to the fact that they had good people doing the animation and that computers were secondary. Truth be told, they didn't have to drag that much. The demos were and are still excellent. I only thought about the fact that computers were used to do the animation before and after. While they were playing, it was 100% entertainment.
OK, maybe I'm a little too harsh. Maybe it's closer to 'PC Magazine'.
When I was a kid, Popular Science magazine facinated me because it talked about all the interesting stuff that's 'comming real soon now'. As I understood more, I realized that most of it was just puffed up press releases, prototypes that usually were never released, and wishful thinking.
Very little of it had to do with science. Most of it was invention and technology. While there can be overlap, technology isn't science it's one application of science and then usually only partially.
The biggest issue for home users is support. They want someone who will answer dumb questions about their computer when they don't have any idea what the problem is.... Currently, they use Windows, and they get support from the place they bought the computer, and these places tend to be really bad at Linux support.
The places that sold them the computers didn't sell them computers with Linux on it. For the most part, you can get support for Linux that matches and exceeds that which is available for Windows.
It all depends on who you pay and how much; pay little for a Windows white box, and you won't get much support. Spend more, and you'll get a little more. Spend a lot for a Windows OR Linux support contract, and your support will likely be excellent. (Obvious? Not obvious?)
If you bought a laptop from http://linuxcertified.com, or http://www.linuxvoodoo.com/store/product_info.php? products_id=305, chances are you'd get support for Linux because that's what they installed. Lindows even sells pre-installed desktop systems (though I'm not a fan of the Lindows way of doing things). Sure, this isn't Dell or all of IBM's full hardware line, though "chicken and the egg" they have to know the market exists before commiting to it since they are likely to irk Microsoft and they know how large that market is. These off-brand machines are nice, though.
As far as many of the projects out there are concerned, there is one good way of doing things; the way *they* are doing things -- that's why they chose that one good way!
The great thing about standards is there are so many to choose from.
I'm not much of a gamer anymore though. If it does happen to be free and I'm just missing a few marbles, please correct me.
I know some of the 'history', if you can call it that. I admit to a specific bias on this, so take it for what it's worth.
When all versions of TuxRacer were open, nearly nobody contributed to it. At the same time, it was the #1 download at SourceForge. Since it was so popular, and he was getting little help, the owner of the code removed the parts that weren't his, and relicenced it so he could sell it.
There were gripes, but mostly from folks who didn't understand what the GPL is and how copyright works. These folks took it as a personal snub, though the GPLed open source branch was not taken away or lessened at all.
The sad thing is that Sunspire Studios commercial offering was bad mouthed by the same people who didn't understand copyright, didn't contribute, and didn't understand the GPL. Personally, I bought 2 copies; one for a niece of mine, and one for myself.
The open source branch still exists and lives on as OpenRacer.
As for the character "Tux", the video game version, is not quite the same as Larry Ewing's Tux. I haven't heard Larry complaining, so it's probably not an issue for him either.
And it pisses me off when I walk through an office/computer retailer and all the monitors have their screensavers frozen with a dialog asking for a password. What's the point of displaying a computer if all the customer can see is a bloody screensaver?
It annoys me too, though I think that that's intentional. You can't muck with the system (irking the sales staff) and you have to ask a salesman to take a look at it...leaving them a chance to 'sell' you on a product. I could be wrong!
I still stick with my statement about baby steps not being enough.
OK. As an active user, I have a different opinion.
Serious strides need to be made in the desktop arena.
Yes, and there have been, though I thought we were talking about games. Games -- there are a few thousand that work under Linux -- will always end up in the "never enough" category. There will always be a game that won't be available no matter what you use (exclusive console games, as an example).
As for desktop use, I've been comfortable using Linux exclusively on all my machines (except the Suns and the AIX box). My little sister used it (till she destroyed her one and only computer by not using a good power strip).
X desktops -- since this applies to any OS using X not just Linux -- have rough edges. There are some damn nice features, though, that don't exist elsewhere. People complain about the cut-and-paste features for X, though I find them invaluable.
My biggest complaint about X desktops are that they aren't consistant yet. The same can be said about Windows, so that's mostly a toss up (ex: use of universal resource locations on a network when doing either scripting/cli or using the GUI...many things don't work unless you map a resource to the local machine. Bad KDE. Bad Gnome. Bad Windows.)
X is entirely practical for daily work and there's plenty available. Choosing is the biggest problem, though that's like complaining about having a pile of diamonds and having to pick which one to put on a ring.
As for OpenGL and hardware, this also is comming along. The Nvidia drivers I'm using are stable and have quite a few features, though they weren't stable last year. Bottom line: the devices that don't get used much often don't get supported. The only exceptions are the companies that refuse to release hardware details, though those companies are starting to get it and few now refuse to fork over the details or even some code. The hardware that does get good support -- typically server-grade hardware -- gets support very quickly if not on release of the hardware. The motivation is there; don't support Linux (and to some degree BSD) and you will not sell your hardware.
As for Red Hat, they are a stock company so they have to maximize profit. Server software is more profitable no matter what OS you're talking about...so, they're focusing on it. That's neither a surprise nor a problem for X on the desktop. By not having to protect a trade mark, though, the Fedora project may actually take off.
Your true zealots give the same marketing campaign for Linux as they do for snake oil.... I'm not saying Linux can't do anything, I'm just saying that it can't do everything.... It's easy enough to get the initial attention, it's much harder to get people to come back.... Don't go preachin' the gospel until the religion is written.
There are people that oversell Linux, just as there are people who oversell Windows or Mac. These people are usually ignorant of each platform. Ignore them. They either know only one OS or they are new and looking for a savior.
While I'd like to have more people use Linux purely for selfish reasons I'm not that interested. For example, reciently I had a chance to create a Linux server to provide a client a search engine. Half way through my initial plans, someone mentioned a way to get the same thing done -- allow the client to search -- without setting up yet another server. That was a no brainer, so I mentioned it to management and they dropped the setting up the new Linux server. Job done, next.
The increased desktop use of X will take time, and it is happening. Windows has quite a bit of innertia, and will have it for years. People are motivated to switch or just use X desktops for practical reasons. They already are using Linux, though most don't know it. The applications on the desktop that you're looking for are pr
The rotating controls are one way of getting the right control for each game, and it looks like it's low-hassle for those playing a game. I can't say I've seen it anywhere else...so cudos to anyone with enough inventiveness to dream it up.
The other ways are to make 1 set of controls with as many buttons/dials/joysticks as possible (this is typical), or make a drop-in module that is specific to each type of game (I've not seen this yet, though I think it's obvious).
Neverwinter Nights is not an unknown title. The expansion packs such as Shadows of Undrentide are made available at the same time as the Windows and Mac versions.
Transgaming supports quite a few Windows games under WineX and they run well.
More titles are on the way.
Most of the old titles are from the last big expansion and bust -- and a nasty one at that. Baby steps are exactly what is needed; it shows what the market actually will support.
Who cares about me? I wouldn't buy a Linux game now, but I am a potential customer. They better care about me. Otherwise, I'm an opportunity they passed up. I bet there's a whole lot more of people like me than people like you out there.
While I _did_ have a:) at the end of my original comment. If you do have some real interest, look at a couple of the Linux gaming sites...
What needs to be worked on, like I said before, is making a market for Linux by establishing a desktop presence and get some key companies supporting Linux. Until then, the handful of Linux gamers will have to settle with what little they have while the rest of the world has some fun.
Erm, I'm having plenty of fun here, and I honestly have no problem spending my limit on Linux games. Go read. Go play. See what's actually out there.
"Enable the firewall by default"? Why not just disable the services by default?
Exactly; 'process over product'. I try and drive this same idea home to people I talk with, and the few that get it truely get it. The rest are puzzled that enabling a firewall won't solve all security issues...or they are happy to leave it at "the firewall will protect us, right?".
The problem here is the fact that people have gotten so used to the "free beer" aspect of Linux that they're having trouble reaching for the wallet even when they should.
While I appreciate not having to shell out $30 each for a boat load of tools I get gratis on Linux, I'm not cheap. My stack of games is quit thick (starting with almost all of Loki's titles).
The main problem is volume, not cheapness. The more Linux users, the more that will pay to play those games...though not necessarily just because they run on Linux. My current fling is Savage and I am '' close to buying it. The lag issue (not exclusive to Linux) is a real problem in the demo. If there were less lag, I'd buy it now.
Right, but my point is that this is such a small victory that it really doesn't mean anything. If their names meant something, sure, a plus for Linux. But, they are no different from the slew of other independent game makers.
LGP is like BASF; they don't make the games...they just make them possible. They are resellers at the core, not a development house. For companies that have Linux versions, but don't want to sell them for some reason, LGP takes care of some of the hassles.
Now, I'm not worried about LGP's name recognition; I've known about them for quite a while and I'm the person who would buy Linux games. If you're not...who cares about you?:)
Loki marketed themselves, sold top-notch, name-brand uber-popular games...and went out of business. It wasn't profitable to put in substantial resources to buy/licence, develop, and then sell those games at a profit for Linux. Now, it is getting to the point where that is no longer a problem (Savage is a nice one), though it is unlikely that there will be a large stack of titles there are more games then I can play.
If there's a list like, "And the winners are, Bink, Shputz, GBR (goober), _Splong_, VORKO, and Dwinky!"
You misspelled "Spoing".:)
But DON'T, for God's sake, tell fans of the products that they projects might benefit from name upgrades, nooo.
Agreed. One of my recient favorites is referred to as "DCL" at work. Calling it by it's full real name Double Choco Latte would not get any management sign off. DCL, though, sounds like a serious product. Though the logo for Double Choco Latte is nice, I've whipped up a replacement one; very booring, only text, in the corporate colors.
Recursive acronyms are great for geeky projects (geek is a positive, of course), though I hope fewer projects do this unless the users are only going to be geeks.
Here's my take on the names of the winning entries;
GNOME & KDE -- Both OK, but not great. The foot and gear logos are nice. That said, "Windows" and the "window" logo are pretty dumb. OSX and the Mac logos are damn nice.
OpenOffice -- Good and to the point; it's an office suite, and it's open.
Zope -- Cool; in a class like "Exxon". Zope is not a simple thing to explain, so it's OK that it's name does not mean anything intutitive.
GIMP -- Wilbur is a good logo/mascott, though the name requires explanation.
Plone -- Not cool like "Zope". Reminds me of "prone" (a sign of weakness) and "clone" (just another project).
Slashdot Mirror
I used to do that. Now, if I touch anything on a Windows system outside of work, I make sure that the software isn't a petri dish waiting for a plauge. Firebird has been a welcome replacement for IE, and OpenOffice is also something folks tend to appreciate.
Discussing the problems with HTML email and how spammers abuse it also helps.
When they load on crap spy ware, I tell them not to do it -- remove it *once* -- and then if it happens again tell them to remove it themselves. The only help offered are pointers of where to go and a reminder why they really really don't want to load crap. Less is more for most Windows users.
Along the way, you bet I mention that these problems aren't a problem for me -- ever -- and why they aren't. Facts not propaganda.
why the hell would anyone NOT want to give all those things up especially on a box that is most used to surf the net and read emails?
Well, you're not really helping them by fixing these problems so often. They don't see much of a downside if you're thier tech support -- after all, you are the one dealing with it.
I know it's hard not to "help", though you have to ask if you are helping or drug-dealer-like providing a quick "fix" leaving the core problems intact.
Replacing Windows would be ideal, though in the short term get them to use software that isn't motivated by the pushy-salesman's idea of being helpful. Most open source projects are there to be helpful, not to sell you an upgrade and special 'deals' with partners through spam, deception, or simply changing all your default settings.
Remember to tell them you can't keep fixing thier computer if they can't use it properly. If they protest that they are ignorant and you are such a great computer guy -- ignore it and teach them the right way. If they protest the lessons do not cave in, cut them off!
Worked well enough for my little sister. She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Everytime I have tried to switch to Linux I have had to come back to Windows in a few days due to some reason or the other. I must have done that more than 25 times now (I'm not kidding). I even had problems with Mandrake which I found easiest of them all. And I consider myself pretty tech savy person (no really I am :-).
Well, that's good that you're tech savy since I'd be nuts to be ~your~ tech support -- you are jinxed!
I have all sorts of hardware and Linux doesn't work for me that well yet. For example I spent three days figuring out how to use my tv tuner card with linux but to no avail.
Did I mention that you might be jinxed? :)
On a serious note, grab Knoppix. It requires no commitment, and can be handy for fixing problems and testing out machines even if you don't use it as a Linux desktop. The 11/03/2003 release is a bleeding edge release and has OpenOffice 1.1, though the 09/24/2003 release should be more stable.
Knoppix is only slightly lightweight, and you don't compromise much by using it except for the fact it's a boot CD and isn't as snappy as a hard drive based one. You can even test out your TV card and other hardware if you want. 256MB RAM is not required but is a realistic minimal amount for full use of what's on the disk.
Tip: If you don't get a desktop, or the monitor doesn't sync up properly, use the option screen=800x600;
More details here if you want to tweak it more. It supports USB and floppy drives to store desktop information and program settings.
I almost forgot about PM! Can I have cheese with that Alien? :)
Good words. While the person you were commenting to was a bit over the top, if you're willing to use your eyes to read, I'll touch just a few scant details about Linux that you might not be aware of.
I'm not promising a comprehensive overview -- you'd get borred looking through Windows at a similar level *if* Windows had this level of detail and it simply doesn't. That might sound arrogant. Maybe it is...see for yourself.
Even if [Windows XP] doesn't have the drivers all I have to do is to pop in the driver disk and all is taken care of.
Linux distributions typically include modules ('drivers') to support all hardware; no need for a driver disk, and no need to compile a kernel like days of old. Like Windows, some advanced features can be added by getting specific upgraded drivers or -- as is common with scanners -- using a non-kernel driver package that is typically installed by default.
Point: Needing to tweak or add modules is the exception not the rule. 5 years ago, yes, it was the rule, and back then I did it...5 years ago.
All those modules plus the kernel weigh in at about ~26MB (pre-made, binary, not customized). The ~26MB breaks down like this: ~22MB for ~750 modules plus a couple more meg for the kernel. Each module that supports hardware tends to support multiple models of similar devices -- for example there are 11 categories of radio hardware supported alone.
A fraction of the modules are for non-hardware specific support. That support covers a wide variety of features from not so booring file systems (including encrypted and network distributed) through to advanced features like the NSA's own security enhacements -- yep *that* National Security Agency.
Each module is tuned to the kernel and the processor it's used on; ia32, ia64, or any of the dozen other non-x86-Intel-style processors.
Hmmm.. you haven't heard of Winamp, (and several other equally good free players) have you?
The point with this is that with Windows, you get so little. A stock Windows setup compared to a stock Linux distribution are amazingly different. XMMS (a fork of Winamp BTW) is included automatically with most distributions, as are CD and DVD burners, integrated into the file browser. Office software, vector graphics editors, TV tuner programs...the list goes on, and nearly all of it is installed by default and ready to use. No searching. No looking. No asking around. There. Installed. Done. The biggest problem is the awesome quantity and quality, though most of that is being handled by careful layout of the 'start' menu just to make it easier to find.
One example of the quality and features common to Linux desktop applications: The CD and DVD burner software included with most current Linux distributions.
Sure, you can close your eyes and believe whatever you want to. You are free to use whatever works for you and so are others.
Agreed. Closing your eyes would be a bad thing.
Especially considering that on any given week we have a report on slashdot about some large project forking. Hell we have more schisms than the Christianity.
Freshmeat shows ~30,000 projects, while SourceForge shows over 70,000. Obviously some overlap, and many aren't for Linux, though I'll guess that most can be run under Linux.
As for Windows, it comes with very little, and most of it is not very handy. To make it useful, you have to drag along extra tools typically including expensive basics like office software unless you know where to find the no $ cost ones. Linux distributions don't have the same attitude as Microsoft so you tend to get a lot of everything and most of it is good (some dreck -- hell I have 926 packages (not 1:1 for apps!) installed here).
If you take just the Windows text editors available at places like Tucows you're still talking about 50+ for that task alone. Now, look at the desktop modifiers and extentions. A lot of them, eh? There are even complete replacements (Litestep, Blackbox, Bluebox, Cloud9ine, Geoshell) and commercial products like Stardock's Object Desktop.
If there were one best way to do it, these tools wouldn't be available for Windows either.
This is both an observation and a conclusion. It's hard to disprove what exists, so I'll even dare to call it a fact.
(Which is also quite an old joke. You can even Google for it. :)
While Microsoft's offerings typically aren't as stable as Unix or Linux, I don't think you're giving them enough credit. Properly administered, they are doing a much better job.
As for the $ sign, well...
I remember the first demos that Pixar showed at Comdex. From the begining, they kept dragging people away from the tech and back to the artistry, to the fact that they had good people doing the animation and that computers were secondary. Truth be told, they didn't have to drag that much. The demos were and are still excellent. I only thought about the fact that computers were used to do the animation before and after. While they were playing, it was 100% entertainment.
When I was a kid, Popular Science magazine facinated me because it talked about all the interesting stuff that's 'comming real soon now'. As I understood more, I realized that most of it was just puffed up press releases, prototypes that usually were never released, and wishful thinking.
Very little of it had to do with science. Most of it was invention and technology. While there can be overlap, technology isn't science it's one application of science and then usually only partially.
The places that sold them the computers didn't sell them computers with Linux on it. For the most part, you can get support for Linux that matches and exceeds that which is available for Windows.
It all depends on who you pay and how much; pay little for a Windows white box, and you won't get much support. Spend more, and you'll get a little more. Spend a lot for a Windows OR Linux support contract, and your support will likely be excellent. (Obvious? Not obvious?)
If you bought a laptop from http://linuxcertified.com, or http://www.linuxvoodoo.com/store/product_info.php? products_id=305, chances are you'd get support for Linux because that's what they installed. Lindows even sells pre-installed desktop systems (though I'm not a fan of the Lindows way of doing things). Sure, this isn't Dell or all of IBM's full hardware line, though "chicken and the egg" they have to know the market exists before commiting to it since they are likely to irk Microsoft and they know how large that market is. These off-brand machines are nice, though.
As far as many of the projects out there are concerned, there is one good way of doing things; the way *they* are doing things -- that's why they chose that one good way!
Does Outlook have anything like Evolution's Vfolders yet?
I know some of the 'history', if you can call it that. I admit to a specific bias on this, so take it for what it's worth.
When all versions of TuxRacer were open, nearly nobody contributed to it. At the same time, it was the #1 download at SourceForge. Since it was so popular, and he was getting little help, the owner of the code removed the parts that weren't his, and relicenced it so he could sell it.
There were gripes, but mostly from folks who didn't understand what the GPL is and how copyright works. These folks took it as a personal snub, though the GPLed open source branch was not taken away or lessened at all.
The sad thing is that Sunspire Studios commercial offering was bad mouthed by the same people who didn't understand copyright, didn't contribute, and didn't understand the GPL. Personally, I bought 2 copies; one for a niece of mine, and one for myself.
The open source branch still exists and lives on as OpenRacer.
As for the character "Tux", the video game version, is not quite the same as Larry Ewing's Tux. I haven't heard Larry complaining, so it's probably not an issue for him either.
It annoys me too, though I think that that's intentional. You can't muck with the system (irking the sales staff) and you have to ask a salesman to take a look at it...leaving them a chance to 'sell' you on a product. I could be wrong!
That's interesting. Here's another link for CMP, Ziff Davis, and other news outlets. If someone has a better link, post it. From what I've read, CMP Media (owners of Information Week) are fairly clean, with some strong business dealings with AOL.
OK. As an active user, I have a different opinion.
Serious strides need to be made in the desktop arena.
Yes, and there have been, though I thought we were talking about games. Games -- there are a few thousand that work under Linux -- will always end up in the "never enough" category. There will always be a game that won't be available no matter what you use (exclusive console games, as an example).
As for desktop use, I've been comfortable using Linux exclusively on all my machines (except the Suns and the AIX box). My little sister used it (till she destroyed her one and only computer by not using a good power strip).
X desktops -- since this applies to any OS using X not just Linux -- have rough edges. There are some damn nice features, though, that don't exist elsewhere. People complain about the cut-and-paste features for X, though I find them invaluable.
My biggest complaint about X desktops are that they aren't consistant yet. The same can be said about Windows, so that's mostly a toss up (ex: use of universal resource locations on a network when doing either scripting/cli or using the GUI...many things don't work unless you map a resource to the local machine. Bad KDE. Bad Gnome. Bad Windows.)
X is entirely practical for daily work and there's plenty available. Choosing is the biggest problem, though that's like complaining about having a pile of diamonds and having to pick which one to put on a ring.
As for OpenGL and hardware, this also is comming along. The Nvidia drivers I'm using are stable and have quite a few features, though they weren't stable last year. Bottom line: the devices that don't get used much often don't get supported. The only exceptions are the companies that refuse to release hardware details, though those companies are starting to get it and few now refuse to fork over the details or even some code. The hardware that does get good support -- typically server-grade hardware -- gets support very quickly if not on release of the hardware. The motivation is there; don't support Linux (and to some degree BSD) and you will not sell your hardware.
As for Red Hat, they are a stock company so they have to maximize profit. Server software is more profitable no matter what OS you're talking about...so, they're focusing on it. That's neither a surprise nor a problem for X on the desktop. By not having to protect a trade mark, though, the Fedora project may actually take off.
Your true zealots give the same marketing campaign for Linux as they do for snake oil. ... I'm not saying Linux can't do anything, I'm just saying that it can't do everything. ... It's easy enough to get the initial attention, it's much harder to get people to come back. ... Don't go preachin' the gospel until the religion is written.
There are people that oversell Linux, just as there are people who oversell Windows or Mac. These people are usually ignorant of each platform. Ignore them. They either know only one OS or they are new and looking for a savior.
While I'd like to have more people use Linux purely for selfish reasons I'm not that interested. For example, reciently I had a chance to create a Linux server to provide a client a search engine. Half way through my initial plans, someone mentioned a way to get the same thing done -- allow the client to search -- without setting up yet another server. That was a no brainer, so I mentioned it to management and they dropped the setting up the new Linux server. Job done, next.
The increased desktop use of X will take time, and it is happening. Windows has quite a bit of innertia, and will have it for years. People are motivated to switch or just use X desktops for practical reasons. They already are using Linux, though most don't know it. The applications on the desktop that you're looking for are pr
The other ways are to make 1 set of controls with as many buttons/dials/joysticks as possible (this is typical), or make a drop-in module that is specific to each type of game (I've not seen this yet, though I think it's obvious).
The list of Star Wars games that do work (if you don't mind a little tweaking) or have a chance to work are;
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Star Wars Insiders Guide
Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
The Phantom Menace
Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith
Galactic Battlegrounds
Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2
Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
Rebellion
The devil is in the details, so take a look before leaping.
Wine (main branch, not Transgaming's) has made some substantial updates over the past few months to support DirectX function calls.
Moderators...mod that comment up. It's a 5.
You're right.
Savage is brand new.
Neverwinter Nights is not an unknown title. The expansion packs such as Shadows of Undrentide are made available at the same time as the Windows and Mac versions.
Transgaming supports quite a few Windows games under WineX and they run well.
More titles are on the way.
Most of the old titles are from the last big expansion and bust -- and a nasty one at that. Baby steps are exactly what is needed; it shows what the market actually will support.
While I _did_ have a :) at the end of my original comment. If you do have some real interest, look at a couple of the Linux gaming sites...
The Linux Game Tome
Linuxgames
...and a place to buy them.
What needs to be worked on, like I said before, is making a market for Linux by establishing a desktop presence and get some key companies supporting Linux. Until then, the handful of Linux gamers will have to settle with what little they have while the rest of the world has some fun.
Erm, I'm having plenty of fun here, and I honestly have no problem spending my limit on Linux games. Go read. Go play. See what's actually out there.
Exactly; 'process over product'. I try and drive this same idea home to people I talk with, and the few that get it truely get it. The rest are puzzled that enabling a firewall won't solve all security issues...or they are happy to leave it at "the firewall will protect us, right?".
While I appreciate not having to shell out $30 each for a boat load of tools I get gratis on Linux, I'm not cheap. My stack of games is quit thick (starting with almost all of Loki's titles).
The main problem is volume, not cheapness. The more Linux users, the more that will pay to play those games...though not necessarily just because they run on Linux. My current fling is Savage and I am '' close to buying it. The lag issue (not exclusive to Linux) is a real problem in the demo. If there were less lag, I'd buy it now.
LGP is like BASF; they don't make the games...they just make them possible. They are resellers at the core, not a development house. For companies that have Linux versions, but don't want to sell them for some reason, LGP takes care of some of the hassles.
Now, I'm not worried about LGP's name recognition; I've known about them for quite a while and I'm the person who would buy Linux games. If you're not...who cares about you? :)
Loki marketed themselves, sold top-notch, name-brand uber-popular games...and went out of business. It wasn't profitable to put in substantial resources to buy/licence, develop, and then sell those games at a profit for Linux. Now, it is getting to the point where that is no longer a problem (Savage is a nice one), though it is unlikely that there will be a large stack of titles there are more games then I can play.
You misspelled "Spoing". :)
But DON'T, for God's sake, tell fans of the products that they projects might benefit from name upgrades, nooo.
Agreed. One of my recient favorites is referred to as "DCL" at work. Calling it by it's full real name Double Choco Latte would not get any management sign off. DCL, though, sounds like a serious product. Though the logo for Double Choco Latte is nice, I've whipped up a replacement one; very booring, only text, in the corporate colors.
Recursive acronyms are great for geeky projects (geek is a positive, of course), though I hope fewer projects do this unless the users are only going to be geeks.
Here's my take on the names of the winning entries;