Recently on a Slashdot posting about the old Linux vs Window argument a Linux support wrote:
All that said, I've been using Unix (then Linux, etc) both professionally and personally since ~92. I run a Linux based web server, mail server, etc. out of my house and have done so since around '99 and I just switched to Ubuntu 9.04 for my everyday desktop. Here's some real world experience for you from the last few weeks.
No need for drivers? Well the relatively recent ATI Radeon 3200HD card that came with my new system that I just bought doesn't work with Jaunty. There are "open source" drivers but they don't do accelerated 3D graphics. The proprietary drivers do 3D accelerated graphics but don't work with dual monitors and cause X server crashes because 9.04 decided to use the latest X server. With no solution in sight I just dropped ~$100 on an Nvidia 9500 GT card. Got it home and it does more but I still can't run compiz (says Composite extension not installed). Speaking with people on the forums and they're telling me I have to add stuff to /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Tried that, even rebooted, didn't work. Some say use "Composite: 1" others say no, no it's "Composite: Enabled". Uppercase, lowercase? Who knows, no error messages are generated - it just doesn't work. Running regedit is easier compared to this!
Wanted to run Boxee. Sorry, no 64 bit version of Boxee is available. Search the forums. Pointed to a post that describes how to build Boxee from scratch given patch files, etc. Download them and the source. Attempt to compile. Oops, need to install gcc - was gonna do that anyway... Compiling... Oops missing package X. Install that. Recompile... Missing package Y.. Install that... recompiling... Looks like it's getting somewhere. Oops linker died - missing libraries. Gee why wasn't this in the build instructions? Oh yeah, right, because I'm doing bleeding edge building now... Finally after a few hours of this I get a 64 bit version of Boxee!!!
Try to run it. Buzzt! Sorry, won't run on the ATI card - needs accelerated 3D graphics!
Last night install new Nvidia card and try to configure it. Get the 3D graphics going. Start Boxee. Play an MP3 file... Segv! Wonderful! Try a video. Wow, plays OK. Try an online video from Comedy Central? Hangs. No way to get out of this full screen application. Can't reboot, can't get to a terminal! Have to power cycle machine! OK run Boxee windowed from now on. Try again. Video plays at double speed, no sound at all! Crap. Try another one. This one plays, for about a minute and then goes to double time/no sound. Wonderful. Let's try Music again. Oops! Hang again. Kill the window. Restart. Try again. Segv.
Don't let anybody kid you that Linux is without it's problems, trials, tribulation and frustration. On the plus side you can compile and configure things to your liking. On the negative side, except for us pinhead, geek, jerks (of which I count myself) your on your own!
With Linux there's always one more resource, google the problem and you'll find a forum somewhere with the answer, even if it means you'll have to recompile something. It's better to recompile than to fall back to reformat and reinstall...You just got through saying you don't have to google forums for answers and now you do!
All that said, I've been using Unix (then Linux, etc) both professionally and personally since ~92. I run a Linux based web server, mail server, etc. out of my house and have done so since around '99 and I just switched to Ubuntu 9.04 for my everyday desktop. Here's some real world experience for you from the last few weeks.
No need for drivers? Well the relatively recent ATI Radeon 3200HD card that came with my new system that I just bought doesn't work with Jaunty. There are "open source" drivers but they don't do accelerated 3D graphics. The proprietary drivers do 3D accelerated graphics but don't work with dual monitors and cause X server crashes because 9.04 decided to use the latest X server. With no solution in sight I just dropped ~$100 on an Nvidia 9500 GT card. Got it home and it does more but I still can't run compiz (says Composite extension not installed). Speaking with people on the forums and they're telling me I have to add stuff to /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Tried that, even rebooted, didn't work. Some say use "Composite: 1" others say no, no it's "Composite: Enabled". Uppercase, lowercase? Who knows, no error messages are generated - it just doesn't work. Running regedit is easier compared to this!
Wanted to run Boxee. Sorry, no 64 bit version of Boxee is available. Search the forums. Pointed to a post that describes how to build Boxee from scratch given patch files, etc. Download them and the source. Attempt to compile. Oops, need to install gcc - was gonna do that anyway... Compiling... Oops missing package X. Install that. Recompile... Missing package Y.. Install that... recompiling... Looks like it's getting somewhere. Oops linker died - missing libraries. Gee why wasn't this in the build instructions? Oh yeah, right, because I'm doing bleeding edge building now... Finally after a few hours of this I get a 64 bit version of Boxee!!!
Try to run it. Buzzt! Sorry, won't run on the ATI card - needs accelerated 3D graphics!
Last night install new Nvidia card and try to configure it. Get the 3D graphics going. Start Boxee. Play an MP3 file... Segv! Wonderful! Try a video. Wow, plays OK. Try an online video from Comedy Central? Hangs. No way to get out of this full screen application. Can't reboot, can't get to a terminal! Have to power cycle machine! OK run Boxee windowed from now on. Try again. Video plays at double speed, no sound at all! Crap. Try another one. This one plays, for about a minute and then goes to double time/no sound. Wonderful. Let's try Music again. Oops! Hang again. Kill the window. Restart. Try again. Segv.
Don't let anybody kid you that Linux is without it's problems, trials, tribulation and frustration. On the plus side you can compile and configure things to your liking. On the negative side, except for us pinhead, geek, jerks (of which I count myself) your on your own!
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