LINUX is NOT easy!


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Within a day of installing Mandrake 9.1 I'd managed to configure it as a gateway to share my net connection with my XP box, setup SAMBA so I could access my XP shares, and installed Opera as my default browser...and I've only been using computers for 2 years (ME/XP). Had a few hiccups, but I'm reading magazines and forums and if I could be a lot more bothered I'm sure I'd have picked more up. Using Mandrake 9.2 now, much nicer boot screens......

Well hopefully the people will be more helpful than
You think its too confusing to use? Good - thats one less idiot we have to help.

I wasn't being entirely serious when I posted that, and if you check my other postings in this forum you'll see that I'm normally quite helpful when it comes to newbs... Its just that this is a point where Linux is grossly misrepresented - it's not that its more difficult, its just that its different, and not what you're used to. I think Roadwarrior said it well in his previous post.

Most Linux application are genuinely difficult to use because they were developed by people who shouldn?t be developing the font end of applications.

I can't think of an popular desktop app that's any harder to use in Linux than it is in XP. Open Office? XMMS? MPlayer? All of the common ones are pretty self explanitory.

And when I talk about interface I am not talking about pictures, colours and rip-off gradients in the caption area, I am talking about things like dialog design, hci and other similar aspects..

Yeah, and the default Windows one is terrible compared to IMO, Gnome. I won't even use the explorer shell in Windows.
For the super-nerd that has all day to scroll though huge amounts of documentation to figure things out that?s fine, but I can?t see why the hell I should.

I don't see how solving a problem in Linux is any harder than solving a problem in Windows.

For most people I would say, make a list of the 10 most common tasks you do in Windows, and then see how to do them in Linux. My guess is at least 8 of them will be almost the same, 1 will require you to learn a fairly different piece of software, and 1 will require you to actually learn how to do something new and exclusive to Linux.

I've tried a couple distros of Linux... Lycoris and Lindows. They were both very user friendly, and definite steps in the correct direction. However, for a user such as myself who uses many Windows applications to which there is no Linux equivalent, making such a move is not feasible. I just installed the Linux operating systems to play with them, and learn a little bit about them, which I did. I also experience severely slow loading times in both distrobutions when opening a Konqueror window from the desktop to view My Computer, or My Documents, etc, and same with opening applications.

Lycoris, I feel, was a better step in the direction of dominating the home market because of its simple Windows-like program installation with RPM packages. Lindows is slightly more complex, and the only way I figured out was to use Click-N-Run, which, regardless if you download the Click-N-Run Express CD, you need an internet connection to operate, which the computer I tested it on did not.

In conclusion, Linux isn't bad. Linux is awesome, just not for everyone. :)

When was the last time anyone who knew what they were doing caught a virus/worm on their PC? Patch and run AV/firewall...not terribly difficult.

I just got a worm after a year and a half of being virus/worm/trojan free. know what it came with? Windows update...straight from the microsoft site. Patching, having a firewall and av does good, but some things can and will get by it

i been using it at least 20 hours, i can't get a single program install! I HATE YOU RPM's!!!!

Well... what goes wrong? Is there an error message? Dependency failure...?

Also, if you hate RPM's so much, you can simply download the source of an application you want, compile it, and make your own install. ;)

Well... what goes wrong? Is there an error message? Dependency failure...?

Also, if you hate RPM's so much, you can simply download the source of an application you want, compile it, and make your own install. ;)

dude, that sounds way harder! why don't they have a simple execuation file to install stuff? like in windows and apple, make my life easier.

Well... what goes wrong? Is there an error message? Dependency failure...?

Also, if you hate RPM's so much, you can simply download the source of an application you want, compile it, and make your own install. ;)

dude, that sounds way harder! why don't they have a simple execuation file to install stuff? like in windows and apple, make my life easier.

Ok, first things first: How exactly are you trying to install RPMs? Are you using "rpm -Uvh xxrpmnamexx*.rpm" or something else?

Secondly, many people believe compiling and installing from the source is much easier.

Finally, if you really believe that Linux is not for you (too hard, trouble installing things), whatever the reason, and you are not thinking of giving the OS another chance, you should seriously consider going back to something like Windows/OS X. By the way, a curious little fact, OS X is Unix based ;)

personally i love Linux, though sadly i am on windows right now.. the reason being that i cant get my nforce2 digital audio output to work.. or rather the entire set of the audio drivers.. ive tried everything including the OSS (open sound) drivers.. nothing seems to work.. if ne1's runnin a linux box w/ an nforce2 mobo w/ digital audio workin.. tell me how u did it please.. that's the main reason i have both linux and windows installed.. with my digital audio working there'd be nothing else to lose by going to linux.. I LOVE IT

it does take time.. i have used linux (in total, including various distros) for approx. 1 week straight.. and i have learned so much.. not by cryin over not being able to do something.. but rather seeking resolution to it.. so just be patient anyone who just starts using it.. save you that im not calling myself an expert.. but although a week seems nominal.. i feel like my knowledge and love of linux has increased exponentially many times...

but if ne1 could help me out with my audio predicament on the nforce2 then PM me or post here or somethin.. thnx..

I just got a worm after a year and a half of being virus/worm/trojan free. know what it came with? Windows update...straight from the microsoft site. Patching, having a firewall and av does good, but some things can and will get by it

Windows update installed a worm?

Well... what goes wrong? Is there an error message? Dependency failure...?

Also, if you hate RPM's so much, you can simply download the source of an application you want, compile it, and make your own install. ;)

dude, that sounds way harder! why don't they have a simple execuation file to install stuff? like in windows and apple, make my life easier.

Ok, first things first: How exactly are you trying to install RPMs? Are you using "rpm -Uvh xxrpmnamexx*.rpm" or something else?

Secondly, many people believe compiling and installing from the source is much easier.

Finally, if you really believe that Linux is not for you (too hard, trouble installing things), whatever the reason, and you are not thinking of giving the OS another chance, you should seriously consider going back to something like Windows/OS X. By the way, a curious little fact, OS X is Unix based ;)

i know that OSX is UNIX base, so WHY can't it be as easy as OSX??? can't people write auto installers? i hate compliing, that sounds compliccated. like i have to know programming or seomthing. why can't they just make a complied file already that i can just download?

Stop. Smoking. Crack. ;)

You're comparing one of the most stable OSs in the world to something that is, and I quote, as stable as "an elephant balancing on a toothpick."

I. Am. Not. Smoking. Crack.

Linux. Is.

No seriously, just listen to me - I have found (personally) that Linux is very unstable. The number of times that I have been able to actually boot out have been rare, and the constant lack of GUIs is infuriating - unless I type the exact character in every exact place, all the programs run unstable! Also, I can never seem to get a network running, nullifying half of what Linux is.

I'm sorry if you disagree, but these are just my personal experiences.

Well... what goes wrong? Is there an error message? Dependency failure...?

Also, if you hate RPM's so much, you can simply download the source of an application you want, compile it, and make your own install. ;)

dude, that sounds way harder! why don't they have a simple execuation file to install stuff? like in windows and apple, make my life easier.

Ok, first things first: How exactly are you trying to install RPMs? Are you using "rpm -Uvh xxrpmnamexx*.rpm" or something else?

Secondly, many people believe compiling and installing from the source is much easier.

Finally, if you really believe that Linux is not for you (too hard, trouble installing things), whatever the reason, and you are not thinking of giving the OS another chance, you should seriously consider going back to something like Windows/OS X. By the way, a curious little fact, OS X is Unix based ;)

i know that OSX is UNIX base, so WHY can't it be as easy as OSX??? can't people write auto installers? i hate compliing, that sounds compliccated. like i have to know programming or seomthing. why can't they just make a complied file already that i can just download?

You don't have to know how to program to compile from source. :p

Secondly, RPMs are precompiled binaries, but I recommended compiling and installing from source because you're having trouble installing RPMs. Also, you still haven't answered my question: How are you trying to install RPMs?

i know that OSX is UNIX base, so WHY can't it be as easy as OSX??? can't people write auto installers? i hate compliing, that sounds compliccated. like i have to know programming or seomthing. why can't they just make a complied file already that i can just download?

Actually RPMs are essentially the same as installers. The problem you've run into is that few include everything a program needs to run, whereas many Windows programs do include everything needed. Several people have already told you some ways to help with that so I won't talk about it any further.

Good news is compiling is easier than you think, if things don't go wrong it's three steps.

./configure

make

make install

Programming thankfully isn't required :)

I'm actually screwed right now too, the rpm command gives me a segmentation fault EVERY time i run it right now, so apt won't work for me and thus neither will it's gui frontends - good news I can still use it to resolve dependencies.

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