The reason for your AVI (and other multimedia problems) is because practically every single Linux distro is skiddish of software patents and proprietary codecs. (Some of these codecs are Windows.dlls that are emulated through Xine/Mplayer! Definately can't ship those.)
Some distros now aren't even shipping with MP3 support "out of the box". Sure, the encoder (lame) and decoders are GPL, but they still won't ship due to fear of being sued into oblivion.
The only way you are going to get a Linux desktop with everything like this working, is if you pay for it. I'd suggest Linspire or something. If you aren't going to pay for Linux, then you're going to pay for your time in setting it up.
It's sad, but thats why you pay a premium for Windows and Mac OS X, while I get Linux on Bittorrent (legally). I'm cool with it.
-- Free Software fan and Kubuntu Linux user.
Now back to your regularly scheduled Gnome vs. KDE flamefest. (You know its bound to happen.)
If you use KDE, try Apollon. It links up to Gnutella, Fasttrack(Kazaa), and OpenFT. Three for the price of one, and has a wayyyyy better looking GUI than Gtk-Gnutella.
Lets see, everytime I try to use Transparency or drop shadows (in KDE 3.4.2) it wouldn't work. It wouldn't crash, just give me an error message.
Haven't tried it yet with 3.5.. no point really. My system gets bogged down if I'm running amaroK and something else thats big. I do like the new mouseover effects on the taskbar (hover mouse over clock when you upgrade. Thats cool.) As far as speed goes.. feels just as fast as 3.4. I've only had it installed for about 4 hours, so.. I'll find out the little quirks later.
Big selling point: Konqueror ad-blocking. Now I can use that instead of Firefox, which is slow. Plus Konqueror handles media types better than the mplayerplug-in hack that Firefox uses (launch in Kaffeine).
Actually, you can if you have the w32codecs installed. It worked fine in Mplayer, but the NSV format doesn't allow fast-forwarding or any kind of seeking. Given that the movie is over an HOUR long, and there are some parts that drag on.. its kind of limited, but yes: It works.
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I will give them props for at least supporting Firefox and Safari, but not supporting Opera specifically is just...wrong. Has anyone got Opera to render the page anyways? Does it look horrible? Looked fine in Firefox...
The source code on this website may damage your hardware. It is *UNTESTED* and *BROKEN* !
Okay, I'm all for free drivers, don't get me wrong. But I am not about to use drivers that may damage my expensive piece of hardware, just for the sake of "Freedom". After all, I am not a programmer, and source code is alien to me.
I am primarily a Linux user, and I love to play 3D video games. I want them to "just work". This is where nVidia comes to play. They make drivers that work, and are easy to install (In my opinion, milage varies).
So, in this case, nVidia gets my money, not ATi. Let me know when there is a video card on the market with free drivers that are fast and stable, and supports common OpenGL so that all my games continue to work, then I'll switch. Until then, I will continue to recommend nVidia to anyone who asks about graphics cards.
P.S.: Not a flame, I am just not an idealist. I wish the r300 project the best of luck. We do need free drivers, after all.
Yes. KoToR II was a great game.. until the endgame. Man I was disapointed. KoToR I is considered on of my favorite RPGs next to Planescape, BG, and Final Fantasy VI, VII, and X.
There is a mod project going on right now to sort of "finish" the ending using assets that were "deleted" yet not implemented or finished in the final game. I look forward to their completion so I can play KoToR II and not feel.. empty.
As far as that mod project, I forget the URL.. google it or scan the Obsidian forums for it.
AVG is still Free/beer. (See other guy's post below mine or beside it for link) You just have to look for it on their website.
ClamWin (based on ClamAV for Linux) is Free/libre Opensource and GPL'd if you prefer that. I haven't used it (Still using AVG) but I am considering trying it out myself.
You have a point, however isn't the Mac/Linux/Unix demographics against being spied on or monitored by outside forces, period?
Here's a question: If this software was released for GNU/Linux (but instead of Anti-virus scanning as the benefit, something like a rootkit detector, or other unix-y malware scanner), would people install it then? Then again, how many would say "fsck that" and go and compile the latest F/OSS version without the monitoring/spying?
I'm willing to bet something like this would be chased away with pitchforks and torches from the Linux community.
As far as the Mac community... anything goes. They probably have the same stance about spyware as the rest of us. Voluntary or not.
Jedi Academy (JK3) is my life addiction. I'll be playing that until I die probably (multiplayer, not singleplayer.). Heretic/Hexen are pure gems to remain immortal in the days to come (Not Hexen2/Heretic2.. both are good, but not as good as the Doom1-engine originals). I've heard from several friends that X-Men Legends is kick ass (I plan to play it eventually).
Raven Software ranks up there with the greats of Video gaming. Unless something really fucks up, this game will kick ass. I hope TTimo pulls a Linux client to go with it.
"I know in linux you can, for instance, open a terminal, su, and execute a GUI app as root while in an X session not as root. However, there's no general linux way for doing this for a nonCLI user."
Observe, The KDE solution: K --> Run Command --> kdesu program_name
The Gnome Solution (I Think): Gnome Foot --> Run --> gksu program_name
Also, you can set program shortcuts in either the K/Gnome/XFCE/icewm/wtf wm you desire/ menus to start off with the gksu or kdesu to launch an app as root.
Also, if you have a lax sudo set up, a "sudo app_name" works as well.
I got rid of it ten minutes later when I realized they still hadn't added an option to get rid of that idiotic "Move here, Copy Here, Link Here" dialog that 'helpfully' pops up every time you drag something in the file manager. When I move something, I damn well mean to move it. Doubling the number of clicks required to accomplish such a simple task is not the path to efficiency.
I, actually, like that feature. There are times that I tend to get a little "hyperactive" while messing around with a filesystem (with tendencies to do stuff I don't want to do), and alot of times, I simply want to just copy something, not move it. So yeah, I like that "move/copy/link" feature.
Strangly though, I still tend to use Midnight Commander inside Konsole to do my heavy-lifting filemanagement. Feels faster to me, and I like the almost instantaneous browsing of compressed archives. (I am well aware of the "MC" profile for Konqueror as well. Problem is, I never use a mouse for MC, so that profile is useless to me.)
Anyways, about that option to remove "the idiotic Move here, copy here, etc" dialog; maybe they should add that option. KDE has options for practically everything else.
Get a copy of SuSE 9.3 Pro when it comes out. I've used SuSE over the years and it usually comes with most every concievable type of software you need, all on about 5-CDs or a DVD. I usually never have to go and download extra software unless I want something that is much more uncommon.
Plus, YaST and SuSE's slick desktop (KDE) is a great selling point.
Re:Don't beat up on Ahead. . .
on
NeroLinux vs. K3b
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
I completely favor the idea of commercial software on Linux--especially games.
Now that I got that out-of-the-way, let me go on and say that, in order for any commercial application as trivial as CD/DVD burning to compete with what we already have, it needs to be beyond kick-ass. I mean, it has to beat the crap out of the F/OSS alternative.
Windows switchers may use this program, sure. Judging by how they want you to "pay" for it, it seems that they are giving this software away if you buy the windows version. I see this targeted to dual-booters who either already own Nero or planning on buying it. And that, is actually a good idea.
Side by side, K3b most likely (I haven't tried nerolinux yet) owns. Because of that, Nero cannot compete with that financially. So they sell the Windows version, and offer a Linux-port to those who dual-boot or have Linux and Windows boxen for free.
For the rest of us, this isn't too much to get excited about. Keep using K3b until NeroLinux starts doing things cdrecord/cddao/k3b cannot do. Or better yet, use what you feel comfortable with, I don't care. For me, I will still continue to use K3b.
If you throw out your mail as soon as you read it, how are you keeping letters written by deceased relatives? Are they sending you mail after they die?
Actually, yes. I did recieve a letter from my grandmom a week after she died. Snail mail works very slow indeed.
Reading the letter was strange. The content wasn't strange, just the feeling you get from recieving information from a dead person. That's all I'll say about it.
I'm curious whether there is any good Open Source anti-spyware. Personally whenever I use windows, I go with Spybot, but I'd feel much more confortable with a OSS one, instead of one that is proprietary.
P.S.: I know "Linux" is a F/OSS anti-spyware. Save it, you'd be speaking to the converted anyway.:)
I never keep emails, or archive IMs or any other form of communication. Once a email is read, it is deleted. Same goes for normal old-skool mail, I read it and then trash it. The only exceptions are of letters/email of some importance such as information I need to keep handy, or if it has some kind of sentimental value (letters from deceased relatives for example.)
Sure, HDD space is cheap; but I tend to equate people who archive every single form of written communication to those who have an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, in that they hoarde everything in sight: newspapers, snail mail, magazines, boxes, etc..
Commit to memory and destroy the evidence. Thats my way of handling archives.
Slashdot Mirror
The reason for your AVI (and other multimedia problems) is because practically every single Linux distro is skiddish of software patents and proprietary codecs. .dlls that are emulated through Xine/Mplayer! Definately can't ship those.)
(Some of these codecs are Windows
Some distros now aren't even shipping with MP3 support "out of the box". Sure, the encoder (lame) and decoders are GPL, but they still won't ship due to fear of being sued into oblivion.
The only way you are going to get a Linux desktop with everything like this working, is if you pay for it. I'd suggest Linspire or something. If you aren't going to pay for Linux, then you're going to pay for your time in setting it up.
It's sad, but thats why you pay a premium for Windows and Mac OS X, while I get Linux on Bittorrent (legally). I'm cool with it.
-- Free Software fan and Kubuntu Linux user.
Now back to your regularly scheduled Gnome vs. KDE flamefest. (You know its bound to happen.)
If you use KDE, try Apollon. It links up to Gnutella, Fasttrack(Kazaa), and OpenFT. Three for the price of one, and has a wayyyyy better looking GUI than Gtk-Gnutella.
Haven't tried it yet with 3.5.. no point really. My system gets bogged down if I'm running amaroK and something else thats big. I do like the new mouseover effects on the taskbar (hover mouse over clock when you upgrade. Thats cool.) As far as speed goes.. feels just as fast as 3.4. I've only had it installed for about 4 hours, so.. I'll find out the little quirks later.
Big selling point: Konqueror ad-blocking. Now I can use that instead of Firefox, which is slow. Plus Konqueror handles media types better than the mplayerplug-in hack that Firefox uses (launch in Kaffeine).
Its pretty cool. Hasn't crashed yet. If you are running Kubuntu, you can go to this site: http://kubuntu.org/kde-35beta1.php and get the hookup.
No, but they can pay them to use it.
Actually, you can if you have the w32codecs installed. It worked fine in Mplayer, but the NSV format doesn't allow fast-forwarding or any kind of seeking. Given that the movie is over an HOUR long, and there are some parts that drag on.. its kind of limited, but yes: It works.
I will give them props for at least supporting Firefox and Safari, but not supporting Opera specifically is just...wrong. Has anyone got Opera to render the page anyways? Does it look horrible? Looked fine in Firefox...
Damn, they didn't even BOTHER to change the UI. Looks exactly the same as Gaim-win32 does.
From the r300 website:
The source code on this website may damage your hardware.
It is *UNTESTED* and *BROKEN* !
Okay, I'm all for free drivers, don't get me wrong. But I am not about to use drivers that may damage my expensive piece of hardware, just for the sake of "Freedom". After all, I am not a programmer, and source code is alien to me.
I am primarily a Linux user, and I love to play 3D video games. I want them to "just work". This is where nVidia comes to play. They make drivers that work, and are easy to install (In my opinion, milage varies).
So, in this case, nVidia gets my money, not ATi. Let me know when there is a video card on the market with free drivers that are fast and stable, and supports common OpenGL so that all my games continue to work, then I'll switch. Until then, I will continue to recommend nVidia to anyone who asks about graphics cards.
P.S.: Not a flame, I am just not an idealist. I wish the r300 project the best of luck. We do need free drivers, after all.
-- Mishura
I will vouch for this. Q3A does run noticiably faster on Linux than on WinXP on the same machine.
Doom3, does not really; nor does UT2k4. UT99 however is significantly faster on Linux and brighter (UT99 is pretty dark on windows).
It all depends on the quality of the port. Q3A was a great quality port. RtCW and ET as well (both are Q3A engine games).
Yes. KoToR II was a great game.. until the endgame. Man I was disapointed. KoToR I is considered on of my favorite RPGs next to Planescape, BG, and Final Fantasy VI, VII, and X.
.. empty.
There is a mod project going on right now to sort of "finish" the ending using assets that were "deleted" yet not implemented or finished in the final game. I look forward to their completion so I can play KoToR II and not feel
As far as that mod project, I forget the URL.. google it or scan the Obsidian forums for it.
I got *3* lines before I lost. THREE. Normally when I play tetris.. I can get to level 9 w/o losing. What a bastard... :)
AVG is still Free/beer. (See other guy's post below mine or beside it for link) You just have to look for it on their website.
ClamWin (based on ClamAV for Linux) is Free/libre Opensource and GPL'd if you prefer that. I haven't used it (Still using AVG) but I am considering trying it out myself.
You have a point, however isn't the Mac/Linux/Unix demographics against being spied on or monitored by outside forces, period?
Here's a question: If this software was released for GNU/Linux (but instead of Anti-virus scanning as the benefit, something like a rootkit detector, or other unix-y malware scanner), would people install it then? Then again, how many would say "fsck that" and go and compile the latest F/OSS version without the monitoring/spying?
I'm willing to bet something like this would be chased away with pitchforks and torches from the Linux community.
As far as the Mac community... anything goes. They probably have the same stance about spyware as the rest of us. Voluntary or not.
Jedi Academy (JK3) is my life addiction. I'll be playing that until I die probably (multiplayer, not singleplayer.). Heretic/Hexen are pure gems to remain immortal in the days to come (Not Hexen2/Heretic2.. both are good, but not as good as the Doom1-engine originals). I've heard from several friends that X-Men Legends is kick ass (I plan to play it eventually).
Raven Software ranks up there with the greats of Video gaming. Unless something really fucks up, this game will kick ass. I hope TTimo pulls a Linux client to go with it.
"I know in linux you can, for instance, open a terminal, su, and execute a GUI app as root while in an X session not as root. However, there's no general linux way for doing this for a nonCLI user."
Observe, The KDE solution:
K --> Run Command --> kdesu program_name
The Gnome Solution (I Think):
Gnome Foot --> Run --> gksu program_name
Also, you can set program shortcuts in either the K/Gnome/XFCE/icewm/wtf wm you desire/ menus to start off with the gksu or kdesu to launch an app as root.
Also, if you have a lax sudo set up, a "sudo app_name" works as well.
Konqueror 3.3 did the exact same thing to me. You might as well took that screenshot from my desktop.
I wonder why Konq wanted to download something? Firefox didn't do that.
Save me, evolution?
Oh wait..
O great Natural Selection!! Select SOMEONE ELSE!!
:P
I, actually, like that feature. There are times that I tend to get a little "hyperactive" while messing around with a filesystem (with tendencies to do stuff I don't want to do), and alot of times, I simply want to just copy something, not move it. So yeah, I like that "move/copy/link" feature.
Strangly though, I still tend to use Midnight Commander inside Konsole to do my heavy-lifting filemanagement. Feels faster to me, and I like the almost instantaneous browsing of compressed archives. (I am well aware of the "MC" profile for Konqueror as well. Problem is, I never use a mouse for MC, so that profile is useless to me.)
Anyways, about that option to remove "the idiotic Move here, copy here, etc" dialog; maybe they should add that option. KDE has options for practically everything else.
Get a copy of SuSE 9.3 Pro when it comes out. I've used SuSE over the years and it usually comes with most every concievable type of software you need, all on about 5-CDs or a DVD. I usually never have to go and download extra software unless I want something that is much more uncommon.
Plus, YaST and SuSE's slick desktop (KDE) is a great selling point.
I completely favor the idea of commercial software on Linux--especially games.
Now that I got that out-of-the-way, let me go on and say that, in order for any commercial application as trivial as CD/DVD burning to compete with what we already have, it needs to be beyond kick-ass. I mean, it has to beat the crap out of the F/OSS alternative.
Windows switchers may use this program, sure. Judging by how they want you to "pay" for it, it seems that they are giving this software away if you buy the windows version. I see this targeted to dual-booters who either already own Nero or planning on buying it. And that, is actually a good idea.
Side by side, K3b most likely (I haven't tried nerolinux yet) owns. Because of that, Nero cannot compete with that financially. So they sell the Windows version, and offer a Linux-port to those who dual-boot or have Linux and Windows boxen for free.
For the rest of us, this isn't too much to get excited about. Keep using K3b until NeroLinux starts doing things cdrecord/cddao/k3b cannot do. Or better yet, use what you feel comfortable with, I don't care. For me, I will still continue to use K3b.
If you throw out your mail as soon as you read it, how are you keeping letters written by deceased relatives? Are they sending you mail after they die?
Actually, yes. I did recieve a letter from my grandmom a week after she died. Snail mail works very slow indeed.
Reading the letter was strange. The content wasn't strange, just the feeling you get from recieving information from a dead person. That's all I'll say about it.
Cue the "I read dead people's email" jokes..
I'm curious whether there is any good Open Source anti-spyware. Personally whenever I use windows, I go with Spybot, but I'd feel much more confortable with a OSS one, instead of one that is proprietary.
:)
P.S.: I know "Linux" is a F/OSS anti-spyware. Save it, you'd be speaking to the converted anyway.
IRON CLAD? Iron-Clad in ANY software description makes me run for the hills!
Of course, I would too. You need Mithril-clad spyware protection. Hey, it protected Frodo against a freakin' 10-foot spear.
I never keep emails, or archive IMs or any other form of communication. Once a email is read, it is deleted. Same goes for normal old-skool mail, I read it and then trash it. The only exceptions are of letters/email of some importance such as information I need to keep handy, or if it has some kind of sentimental value (letters from deceased relatives for example.)
Sure, HDD space is cheap; but I tend to equate people who archive every single form of written communication to those who have an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, in that they hoarde everything in sight: newspapers, snail mail, magazines, boxes, etc..
Commit to memory and destroy the evidence. Thats my way of handling archives.