Linux is Not Windows
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Linux is Not Windows
1–10 of 97 posts
Re: Linux is Not Windows
#2You know, to a certain extent, unfriendliness is what I like about Linux. I like "friendly" systems for browsing the web, email, and watching video. But for hacking, Linux simply can't be beat. I really don't see why Linux needs to be an OS for Joe Internet User. What's wrong with Linux being a server/development OS?
Re: Linux is Not Windows
#3I'd be interested to see a more concise and less sarcastic modern summary of how Linux is Not Windows.
This reads more like a rant at how windows people Just Don't Get It more than a genuine attempt to be helpful.
edit: Here's an example of a more helpful style, comparing linux and BSD, and he even self-deprecatingly files it under rants: http://www.over-yonder.net/~fullermd/rants/bsd4linux/01
Re: Linux is Not Windows
#4You know, to a certain extent, unfriendliness is what I like about Linux. I like "friendly" systems for browsing the web, email, and watching video. But for hacking, Linux simply can't be beat. I really don't see why Linux needs to be an OS for Joe Internet User. What's wrong with Linux being a server/development OS?
I like orthogonal, compose-able features. I like self-documenting configuration. I like grep. I like multiple desktops. I like managing my configuration using revision control (though the move towards using databases is making this a bit more difficult). I like the thorough and reliable documentation in man pages. I like transparency and the ability to read the source of most any aspect of the system. I like my distribution's massive package repository and the ability to provision entire systems with a few simple commands. I like not having to maintain a repository of license keys and original media to reinstall software in case my system ever crashes, or worry about some sort of online authentication.
Re: Linux is Not Windows
#5You know, to a certain extent, unfriendliness is what I like about Linux. I like "friendly" systems for browsing the web, email, and watching video. But for hacking, Linux simply can't be beat. I really don't see why Linux needs to be an OS for Joe Internet User. What's wrong with Linux being a server/development OS?
It doesn't need to be "friendly," but if it's not going to be such, pushing it on normal people who don't know any better is probably a bad idea.
That said, friendliness is not incompatible with "hacker-friendly."
Re: Linux is Not Windows
#6[deleted]
Re: Linux is Not Windows
#7You know, to a certain extent, unfriendliness is what I like about Linux. I like "friendly" systems for browsing the web, email, and watching video. But for hacking, Linux simply can't be beat. I really don't see why Linux needs to be an OS for Joe Internet User. What's wrong with Linux being a server/development OS?
There is nothing wrong with a Linux distributions being focused on fulfilling server or development roles. That is not the role a Linux distribution like Ubuntu Desktop is attempting to fulfill however. Critiquing Gentoo or Arch or what not against the traditional desktop incumbents is unfair, Ubuntu Desktop, not so much.
Re: Linux is Not Windows
#8Linux will win the desktop when everything moves to the browser. Programmers want only a good terminal and a good browser. Non-programmers want only a good browser. Linux has a best kernel and will win on that fact alone in the next ~20 years.
Though likely, when Linux wins the desktop, no one will notice the difference.
Re: Linux is Not Windows
#9You know, to a certain extent, unfriendliness is what I like about Linux. I like "friendly" systems for browsing the web, email, and watching video. But for hacking, Linux simply can't be beat. I really don't see why Linux needs to be an OS for Joe Internet User. What's wrong with Linux being a server/development OS?
It doesn't need to be "friendly," but if it's not going to be such, pushing it on normal people who don't know any better is probably a bad idea. That said, friendliness is not incompatible with "hacker-friendly."
I agree on both counts. I find Ubuntu to be a good mix of hacker-friendliness and user-friendliness.
What I'm getting at is that everyone seems to think Linux has to succeed on the desktop. Perhaps that was a good goal in the Windows XP days, but it's not as big a deal now.
I don't see why Linux needs to be a mainstream OS.
Re: Linux is Not Windows
#10The problem that I continue to see is, people have this image of Linux and the "Linux Desktop". That image, that tons of "hacker" types that love OS X seem to have, hasn't changed in years and is extremely out of date.
I hear people talk about problems or applications that haven't been standard linux fair for years now, but they haven't tried it and by-golly they're unbelievably attached to those memories they have of how hard it is to use.
Aw, already with no explanation? That's fine. Let's play a game. Let's count the number of posts that make it seem completely obvious that Linux is "so wildly unusable". Then let's count the number of posts that actually describe any task that is vastly different or categorically harder to do in Linux. Let's see which count is greater.
My phone works as a modem out of the box in Ubuntu. I can do internet connection sharing to my Xbox in less than 5 clicks (it required registry editing and manual editting of UNIX files in use in OS X), and I've yet to get my phone working as a modem in OS X, period.