Your Linux Experiences

[damunzy]

Mine: I just loaded up Suse Linux 9.1 Professional. Overall I'd have to say that it isn't shabby (understatement). The X windows system that it uses by default, KDE, is very nice and stable. I have had the interface crash on me but since that was my second log on I just logged off of it and went back to the original (I was doing some work as root and was finished anyways).

What I wish:
1. I wish that XMMS, a winamp like program, allowed me to have scrolling titles in the taskbar area. I also hope I can someday find a plug-in for it that will allow me to use hot keys to change songs. Configuration of the program is a little different than that of winamp but I have been able to set everything but the scrolling of the song title so far.
2. I wish that Control+Alt+Delete would bring up a MS Windows Task Manager-like program.

What I really like:
1. KDE wallet: A built in password keeping program. Great Idea!!!
2. Pretty much everything is built in. Need to write a paper/give a presentation/balance the books? Gotcha covered with Open Office. Need to edit some images? GIMP. Browse the web? Konqueror (which has a spell checker built into it BTW). Compression? Lots of programs for that. CD burning / DVD burning, Real Player, Flash, Java Runtimes, TV, play AVIs, MP3s, OGGs, MPGs? Done!
3. Suse trimmed down the default load of the system to just a few programs total, unlike Mandrake which throws in the kitchen sink along with 15 programs for each subject. Simple is sometimes better.

Cost: The version I loaded up costs about 90 USD but you can get a personal version for 30 USD and down the free version for FREE.

Something very bad: For some reason my Audigy2 was muted by default. I ran the system for two days with out sound until I chatted online (IM program included in the distro) with a linux experienced friend. He pointed me to a command line program, alsamixer, and I unmuted my card. It was very nice to finally hear sound.

 

[stormbind]

Terrible!

Linux looks great on paper. It's not perfect, but it has all the features I could need. I've only tried it once and that was years ago (SuSe 6.1) but I couldn't get it to load a GUI

I followed the manual, several times, and each time I succeeded in logging in but not loading a GUI. With only a Command Prompt, and most of the manual being about use of the GUI, I was utterly stumped and forced to return to Windows.

I'm guessing SuSe 6.1 didn't support my graphics card or something, despite having every piece of hardware clearly marked as supported on the box. Bah!

Windows is, for me, fast and stable. This very computer hasn't shut down in months. The only thing that really bugs me about Windows is the non-standard support for third-party programming languages. It has most of the same open-source programs like GIMP, Mozilla and OpenOffice.org, and others which cannot be ported to Linux, like Miranda-IM (which I use). I hope it's not too much of an oxymoron to promote open source apps on a closed source OS

If I were to design my own ideal operating system, it would be something of a cross between MacOS and JavaOS with some unique ideas which are 100% my own (I know this 'cause I designed it already, lol) ... I guess that means I don't hold Linux or Windows in that high-a-regard

 

[yaroslav]

I work on Linux. In my house I've windows and not linux, basicaly for games - because I don't do serious work in my Home Computer, and in I case I'd need to do, I'll use the laptop the company gives to us, the workers. In work, where I'm paid for programming, Linux is much better than Windows. The gcc compiles is wonderful and the GUI, a very old version of Gnome is good enough - specially the multi-desktop feature.

 

[Black Fluffy Lion]

munzy: regarding scrolling songnames - right click on the songname in XMMS and there is an autoscroll songname option...or do you want it to scroll in your taskbar?

My experiences with linux have been nearly 100% positive. I installed gentoo about 8 months ago and have never booted into windows since. the only two negative experiences I can recall are the gentoo installation killing two of my CD-ROM drives (which were then fixed by updating the firmware), and kahakai (a now dead window manager) segfaulting. Aside from that, I am very happy with linux.

 

[damunzy]

@Stormbind: Sorry to hear you had a bad experience! I had that problem a lot with older versions of Mandrake. I remember one version of Mandrake, 8 maybe, I got working with my video and all was good. I went back to Windows because I was heavy into games at the time. I later went to try out Mandrake again, version 8.1 or maybe 8.2? Well, I couldn't get the graphics to work and it was the exact same system! Scary enough it is the same system I am now using!

@BFL: Yeah, I am trying to get it to scroll in the taskbar <- I couldn't remember the name.

I just can't believe all of the quality stuff that Linux comes with out of the box. I bet that MS likes this in some ways because they don't have to worry about getting sued for putting in everything when they can point to Linux doing the same thing. The only thing I can't give up so far is Opera. It allows me to configure it much more than Konqueror does and I can't go back after using it for so long on MS windows.

 

[yaroslav]

munzy, Linux doesn't come with so much software... Linux distribution come with it, and each Linux distribution can include their own software, and different distributions include different software, so I odn't think the MS case, where if you want to use Windows you're forced to get it with some Applications, can compare. In fact, if you want, you can download linux for free, without, say, the X system, for putting a xtreme example

Fun sig, BTW

 

[damunzy]

True, yaroslav. I understand the difference between Linux and distros. I was just using Linux the way that people generally do.

On whether MS can use Linux to defend themselves from packing in software: I guess we are talking about two different parts of the case. I was talking about them being blamed for putting other companies out of business because they bundled software with the OS for free (Internet Explorer vs Netscape, Windows Media Player vs Real Player). What you are bring up is the fact that you cannot use the MS OS without having those pieces of software on it because MS has bundled the OS (and kernel) so closely with the programs and even the GUI. I have no problem with MS doing that - in fact I think it is a good business decision. The thing that I think is a bit stinky is how anti-competetive they are.

About the sig: Thanks, I love the line.

 

[Comraddict]

terrible experiences, if you try to do anything. basically you have to set up verything before you use it. the thing is, you may not know how to do so.

 

[yaroslav]

True, yaroslav. I understand the difference between Linux and distros. I was just using Linux the way that people generally do.

On whether MS can use Linux to defend themselves from packing in software: I guess we are talking about two different parts of the case. I was talking about them being blamed for putting other companies out of business because they bundled software with the OS for free (Internet Explorer vs Netscape, Windows Media Player vs Real Player). What you are bring up is the fact that you cannot use the MS OS without having those pieces of software on it because MS has bundled the OS (and kernel) so closely with the programs and even the GUI. I have no problem with MS doing that - in fact I think it is a good business decision. The thing that I think is a bit stinky is how anti-competetive they are.

About the sig: Thanks, I love the line.

Oh, I see your point. But well, I don't know if MS can use Linux as an example becuase the different distro and the competition between them. But MacOS will be the perfect example for that... How much software come bundled with MacOS? I've no direct experience, but I guess it's a lot..

 

[Solver]

MacOS has quite some bundled software. But, as a Linux user, I am deeply satisfied with the amount of software that KDE packs. Nice little gadgets for many things I need, including instant messaging, sort of an alarm clock, KNotes, OpenOffice, etc., that's all a very good package!

 

[Chairman Meow]

2. I wish that Control+Alt+Delete would bring up a MS Windows Task Manager-like program.

Go into the KDE control panel, under Accessibility, you will find "Keyboard Shortcuts." In Keyboard Shortcuts, under Desktop, you will find "Show Taskmanager." By default this is set to Ctrl+Escape. Change it to Ctrl+Alt+Delete (although you may have to change Logout first, since it is usually set to Ctrl+Alt+Delete).

 

[Plexus]

In my experience, it's not worth the effort to run and maintain a Linux machine. Windows is fast, stable and easy to use. I'm perfectly alright not being an elite hax0r. While I admire the concept behind Linux, the execution is very far from perfect.

 

[damunzy]

Thanks Chairman Meow. After you told me about Ctrl+ESC I tried it but it didn't work. I ended up changing it to Alt+ESC and leaving Ctrl+Alt+ESC as the log out option.

 

[lord_yoshi]

Mandrake for two years, then Slackware 9.1 for 8 months. Will probably not install it for my new FTP machine though (trying out Xandros 2.0.1)

 

[LordKestrel]

I've been playing with various Linux distributions since 96 or so, and have become quite familiar with it. I use a stripped down version of Gentoo these days for my main linux system, with the other two linux boxes I have running Fedora Core2.

The one gripe I have with it, is the still somewhat flaky power management. One of the Fedora boxes is a laptop that I use to play nethack, and the current acpi drivers don't report the remaining battery life left on that laptop. I just have to remember not to leave it unplugged for more than two hours or so.

Linux can be very nice, but it's still a long ways from being a viable alternative to Windows on the desktop.

 

[t92300]

2. I wish that Control+Alt+Delete would bring up a MS Windows Task Manager-like program.

try ctrl-esc very similar to xp iirc

oops Chairman Meow already answered that

 

[stormbind]

Xandros is the former Corel-Linux?

Corel made the best distro, it was Windows-like and good for newbies. Is Xandros equally user friendly?

 

[FireBall]

Linux is a real pain to instal as far as my experiences go. I used to have a distro of SuSe, I think it was 8.2, then I decided it wasn't worth it because the GUI ran uber-slowly and I found myself using the command lines within the GUI most of the time anyway. Now I mainly use Gentoo, command line version for themost part.

Its nice and stable, though I do wish that Linux in general could get more into the GUI business, like Windows or even Mac. Now, in order to change an option or instal a program you have to go through command line. Though the things you have to input into the command line are not very long or complex, I foudn myself having immense touble at the beginning of my Linux 'career', if you will.

 

[Grisu]

good experiences. I user Windows on my PC but have a Gentoo Linux installation on my homeserver. Gentoo takes ages to install (if you decide to compile everything and don't use the precompiled files), but after that you propably have the most stable system. What I especially like in gentoo is the emerge tool, which allows you to install pretty much every available software by typing "emerge whateversoftwareyouwant".

I still don't use linux on my desktop since I want to play my games but as a server, linux is pretty much unbeatable (unless you have unlimited funds).

 

[crystal]

Linux (particularly Debian distro) is superb for server computers. On desktop computers it is an average OS, methinks.

For example, you can upgrade the whole OS by typing: apt-get update; apt-get dist-upgrade