Members niomosy Posted July 13, 2007 Members Share Posted July 13, 2007 I assume you mean that you've disabled security updates etc... on the windows box. That's the only way it seems to me you can go for more than a few days without rebooting windows. Most every time something is installed in windows (such as those endless security updates), it requires a reboot. If I install something on Linux (including updates), you just start using the program. In fact, my nightly yum update does it automatically and just e-mails me in the morning to tell me what it's done. Rarely does an installation/update require a reboot (with the obvious exception of updating the kernel). As for the shell, I'm not talking about compiling. I often find it much more convenient to use the shell for a lot of things. Also, using the shell means untold extra power. For example, I'm a keen amateur photographer and have an online "gallery" of some of my shots ( http://www.savannahsoftware.com/PhotoGallery). To create this gallery, I just put the photos into a directory, and run one shell command. This one command resizes the photos, orients them correctly, sharpens them, creates a decorative frame, superimposes a copyright notice in the bottom right, creates a matching "thumb" image in that directory, and assembles an html page to display them. All from one command in the shell. How many mouse clicks and how much typing would that require in windows, or any window manager? I love having that sort of power available to me. Personally, I think that very often, the mouse-driven paradigm is lacking and people don't realise it because that's what they're used to. I'm a computer programmer and web designer and I use the VI editor for all my work. I can easily spend hours working and not touch the mouse once. I'm far more productive in that environment. Now, having said all that, I'll be the first to agree that Linux isn't for everyone - and I feel for lokidecat with his tablet problems. Of course, most of the hardware/peripheral issues with Linux is down to the manufacturers refusing to give out APIs or develop a driver for Linux. I have to think that with more acceptance, that will change. It is a system that requires a bit more understanding at the beginning - mostly because we are so entrenched in windows, but personally, wild horses wouldn't get me back using a windows machine now. YMMV . Like I said, I'm a Unix admin, 13 years. I live on the command line all day at work. At home, I just don't have much use for it. Most of my time at home is either web surfing or playing games. If not that, I'm just sorting pics or dumping movies from the camcorder, converting, etc. That and maybe some Photoshop work. Most of that requires a mouse and I've got software to auto-rotate everything for me on the pics, I don't really need any other special conversion done. No, I don't have auto-update turned on on any Windows box I've got. Never have. As for Linux updates, I don't have them turned on, either. I'm an admin and take that mentality home to a degree so I update rarely, unless there's a need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members niomosy Posted July 13, 2007 Members Share Posted July 13, 2007 MAC BABY! At this point, I'd rather save the cash and use Linux. It runs on the same computers I build to run Windows and I don't have to give the money to Steve Jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members allan grossman Posted July 13, 2007 Members Share Posted July 13, 2007 ...As for Linux updates, I don't have them turned on, either. I'm an admin and take that mentality home to a degree so I update rarely, unless there's a need. Me neither. I'll do automatic updates on something I don't care about but never on a *nix box or any server. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tim in WV Posted July 13, 2007 Members Share Posted July 13, 2007 Linux isn't a cureall/fixall and there are a lot of neat things on it, but man.. just configuring it is what I do on my machine. I've suspended graphic design, web development, writing my book and various other activities because all I can do when I'm home is.. well.. configure the computer. which is why computer poeple really dig linux in the first place. Endless {censored}in around with computers = nirvana! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members misterhinkydink Posted July 13, 2007 Members Share Posted July 13, 2007 which is why computer poeple really dig linux in the first place. Endless {censored}in around with computers = nirvana! Perhaps to some but I use it so I don't have to {censored} with it. I install it, set it up and leave it alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members niomosy Posted July 17, 2007 Members Share Posted July 17, 2007 Perhaps to some but I use it so I don't have to {censored} with it. I install it, set it up and leave it alone. I find that I'm still having to screw around with things. Even if I'm not screwing with things, I often have to go out and try to find a reasonable application for whatever function I'm looking for, then hope it's in a nice tar.gz file for a basic install, or has been built for my specific distro (either a download from the software site or somewhere in one of the distro repositories). Many of the distros seem to have gotten better at catering to the end-user. Ubuntu, Fedora, and PC Linux OS are the ones I've tried thus far and all three are pretty good, PCLOS being the best thus far, Ubuntu needing the most work, but having tools like EasyUbuntu to do most of that for you. With EasyUbuntu, Fedora requires a bit of work to add in some media support (though it does come with some media support at the start). Still, I find myself annoyed with the installation methods for most Linux software. You seem to end up with either installing from a repository that's going to install things where it wants, not really prompting you for anything, or you've got some kind of zip file that's just going to extract the files (hopefully in a separate directory) for you to put wherever you want. Then you'll have to add in icons and such manually. I tend to prefer Windows app installs, which mostly use the same installer. You get to click Next a bunch of times and you even get to tell the installer where to install everything. Better, it typically puts icons in the Start menu and possibly on the desktop as well (I'm a big user of desktop app icons, I almost never go to the toolbar and don't use the quicklaunch in Windows). PC Linux OS has been pretty decent thus far. It, along with Linux, still have odd quirks but most everything seems to function. Better, with PCLOS, I really haven't had to do much of anything other than the typical minor tweaking of the gui to set up the options I like, set up my background, etc. I'd do the same thing in Windows. It's missing some software, such as camcorder capture/editing/conversion tools that Fedora Core 6 came with. I'd really like to see them make an install DVD. I don't really need a LiveCD and it's missing some apps due to space limitations. Still, it's been pretty good at attempting to get everything in, the camcorder thing being a pretty obvious negative for what's supposed to be a home/end-user distro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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