Humorous 2nd part to that article
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| dotmatrix Jan 06, 2017 9:39 AM EDT |
The first question is: Q: Why don't more people use GNU/Linux? A: People don't see a need for it. The second question is: Q: My old netbook runs too slowly using the newer Microsoft software. A: Make sure your anti-virus software is efficient and reduce add-ons to IE. *** Too funny! Of course the answer to the second question should be the same as a corrected answer to the first question: A: Install GNU/Linux and your computer can be configured to run on leaner hardware for longer and possibly forever... including all security updates into the future. |
| mbaehrlxer Jan 06, 2017 10:18 AM EDT |
linked from that article is this interesting page: https://itvision.altervista.org/why.linux.is.not.ready.for.t... this lists a lot of problems. it does look genuine. at least i can't see anything that would be obviously false. greetings, eMBee. |
| dotmatrix Jan 06, 2017 11:38 AM EDT |
@mbaehrlxer: The page you listed has several factual errors and/or old information. I can give examples in a future post if someone doubts this statement. Of course, I'm a GNU/Linux fan... However, many of the problems listed are either very minor or buggy features that exist only in GNU/Linux... meaning some items on the list are desirable features that simply do not exist in other OSes. Thus, it would be difficult to accept listing such problems as a reason why GNU/Linux is not ready for the Desktop. And I've run into some of the problems listed myself. As far as broken video drivers and strange things like 'flashing login screens' and other problems that may seem to render a given system entirely unrecoverable... A useful hint is to always install the base OS with sshd enabled. Most desktop systems I've owned have an included ethernet port, and most modern GNU/Linux distros have a generic NIC driver that 'just works' at least enough to get a medium or slow speed connection. So... if your system is connected via ethernet and you've enabled ssh access, you should be able to login through ssh using another system on your network. I've never had this method of debugging/fixing broken video drivers fail. In regards to the above 'hint'... I've also run into entirely unrecoverable video driver problems with MS Windows. For example, upon a fresh install of Windows sometimes the installation provides a generic video driver which simply does not uninstall or disable properly once the 'real' video drivers are downloaded and installed. I have many MS Windows friends who give lists such as the posted website... However, it's not that GNU/Linux is 'perfect' and 'always just works', it's that nothing is 'perfect' and nothing 'just works'. Nearly every problem I run into on a GNU/Linux system can be fixed by me with enough time invested in figuring it out. However, I've run into problems on MS Windows that simply can not be fixed... this is especially true if a 'fresh' install is required after a piece of nasty malware deletes some system file or another. Many times, especially on laptops, the system never functions properly again because the system came with some specialized firmware or driver that is simply unavailable from any source. Most times when discussing "why don't you use GNU/Linux on the desktop?"... it all comes down to: "I like the look and feel of MS Windows." And that's fine, but let's not pretend that 'show stoppers' don't exist everywhere on all OSes. It's about preference and willingness to find a solution to a given problem. Most MS Windows fans I know have no problems paying someone else to fix whatever ails their computing platform. I, however, like to tinker. I like to understand what is going on under the hood... for all things -- cars as well as house plumbing as well as computers and computing platforms as well as the Internet as a whole. GNU/Linux is definitely not for everyone. However, it does have significant benefits for reuse and re-purpose of older hardware for which no other modern and updated OS will install and run without major problems. |
| claudiom Jan 06, 2017 8:23 PM EDT |
I actually bit the bullet and commented on there (signed up and everything using a throwaway e-mail address). Of course, because I included a YouTube link to Lunduke's "Linux Sucks 2016" video, it was not approved. Not one thing I said was offensive unless facts are offensive. Kind of ironic that my comment was not approved because of that URL considering all of the author's links were shortened URLs to who knows where (am I supposed to trust that it's pointing to the right location and not to some malware site with cryptoransomware on it?) Anyway, Mr. Alexander's page says he "follows consumer and business technology trends, and writes a weekly question and answer column for consumers". Calling him a reporter for technology is quite a stretch. As I said elsewhere, asking this guy for Linux information is like asking a mechanic for medical advice. All this guy probably did was use a search engine and grab the first few hits that came up without even thoroughly checking them. Even the site he links to says that this is in no way to bash Linux, but to bring up the flaws that need to get fixed. The site even says Windows is worse off than Linux in terms of flaws and those may never get fixed. Mr. Alexander should just stick to stock tickers or just local reports on kitties stuck in trees. When it comes to technology, even Leo Laporte runs circles around him with his "The Tech Guy" podcast and radio show. |
| jdixon Jan 06, 2017 8:36 PM EDT |
> ...even Leo Laporte runs circles around him with his "The Tech Guy" podcast and radio show. The times I've listened to Leo he's been halfway good and at least he knows something about Linux. Kim Komando.otoh, is terrible. |
| claudiom Jan 06, 2017 8:49 PM EDT |
I'd say Mr. Alexander is one step below Komando. :-) |
| mbaehrlxer Jan 07, 2017 2:10 PM EDT |
dotmatrix wrote:it's not that GNU/Linux is 'perfect' and 'always just works', it's that nothing is 'perfect' and nothing 'just works'. Nearly every problem I run into on a GNU/Linux system can be fixed by me with enough time invested in figuring it out. However, I've run into problems on MS Windows that simply can not be fixedhear hear! so very true. of course it is also true that not everyone is able or willing to make that effort and for them the problems might just as well be unfixable. in that sense it would be nice to have a genuine list of common linux desktop problems that, even though they are fixable do prevent adoption. dotmatrix: i'd love to see your examples. not that i doubt you, because i don't, but i still don't know what of that list is real and what not. claudiom: would you mind to post your rejected comment here? btw: i am a fan of lundukes self-critical style talking about linux. it is neither "all is wonderful" nor "all is horrible" and it does provide some grounding. come to think of it, he might be the right kind of person to maintain a list of common problems. claudiom wrote:All this guy probably did was use a search engine and grab the first few hits that came up without even thoroughly checking thembut shouldn't a problem reported by a user be taken at face value, regardless of whether the problem is real or not? if i am selling a product and users complain about something with it, then i have to take that seriously and address it regardless of whether the problem is real or imagined because otherwise users will stop buying the product. if the perception is that desktop linux is buggy, then that perception is what needs to be fixed. it's not enough to just fix bugs. claudiom wrote:The site even says Windows is worse off than Linux in terms of flaws and those may never get fixed.ok, i think you have convinced me not to take this list seriously. anyone can put together such a list and claim that it is what stops adoption, but unless it is contrasted with an equal list of windows issues it should probably be put with all the other on-sided reporting by linux naysayers... greetings, eMBee. |
| mbaehrlxer Jan 07, 2017 2:24 PM EDT |
dotmatrix wrote:I, however, like to tinker. I like to understand what is going on under the hood...as an aside, i have seen this argument used for the popularity of macs among developers: Quoting:(paraphrased) because i like to tinker, i use a mac, because it is close enough to linux to be comfortable but i know that i can't fix its problems, and so i won't even try, thus preventing me from wasting countless hours on fixing issues instead of getting work done. personally, i don't like to tinker as much, i'd rather that things just work. but if they don't then i like to have the comfort of knowing that if the problem becomes serious enough that it impacts my work, then i can make the effort to fix it. but i balance the cost of fixing a problem with the cost of ignoring it, and i don't start fixing things until the cost of ignoring becomes higher than fixing. on windows or mac i can't make that balance because the cost of an unfixable problem is infinite, and the cost of ignoring a problem ends up being despair. greetings, eMBee. |
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