OT: Is Linux too hard?

[Miuku.]

Windows because there are still too many things that I do that I cannot do in Linux!

586107424[/snapback]

Apart from gaming, name one thing I cannot do in Linux that you can do in Windows?

[alsheron]

I found the following:

Linux is good for specialised tasks such as providing the base for a web server.

For day to day everyday tasks such as web surfing, Internet communications and ease of use when performing these tasks, Windows is much more familiar to most users and therefore much more appropriate and useable.

Linux = Excellent for specialised tasks, if you're use to Windows and don't need this leave well alone. Having to compile drivers and installers is one step too far for most Windows users.

Windows = Good for everything, excellent in some areas. Often insecure, ofen unstable.

The End.

:ninja:

[cyberfrem]

Apart from gaming, name one thing I cannot do in Linux that you can do in Windows?

586107476[/snapback]

1. I cannot interface with my Motorola v500 mobile phone.

2. I keep personal files encrypted on a USB stick so that I can access them at work or at home (I've only access to Windows at work).

3. I cannot watch "TV Gold" (an Internet TV channel available thru' WinAmp)

4. I cannot figure out what services are running so that I can stop those I don't want.

5. I cannot interface fully with my Creative Zen Xtra Jukebox. I know that gnomad exists and I've tried it but it's not as fully featured as Creative MediaSource (in particular I cannot edit tags once the files are on the Jukebox).

6. I cannot figure out what packages I really need and which can be removed.

7. I don't know if I can interface with my Pocket PC?

8. and others I can't recall at the moment...

[Miuku.]

Those are things _you_ cannot do, however that doesn't mean you can't accomplish them.

You should've said "Things I don't know how to" - rather than you can't.

[kaffra]

Those are things _you_ cannot do, however that doesn't mean you can't accomplish them.

You should've said "Things I don't know how to" - rather than you can't.

586107548[/snapback]

linux is great for you, congrats. other people might not care to spend hours to attempt to configure basic connections.

[Miuku.]

linux is great for you, congrats. other people might not care to spend hours to attempt to configure basic connections.

586107574[/snapback]

Yeah it's really hard. Oh wait, it's usually 3 commands or less. :rolleyes:

Perhaps if people weren't so inept with computers things wouldn't seem so hard?

[cyberfrem]

Yeah it's really hard. Oh wait, it's usually 3 commands or less.  :rolleyes:

Perhaps if people weren't so inept with computers things wouldn't seem so hard?

586107580[/snapback]

I've an honours degree and recently achieved MCSA - so how can I be inept?

I foresee a need to be able to support linux at work but the transition is not easy. It may be for a naive Windows user who just runs applications, but not for a systems administrator that needs to be able to competently, comprehensively, and capably support linux based servers.

[blik]

Yeah it's really hard. Oh wait, it's usually 3 commands or less.  :rolleyes:

Perhaps if people weren't so inept with computers things wouldn't seem so hard?

586107580[/snapback]

Out of interest, what are those 3 commands you speak of?

One of the things I struggled to get right was mounting images in linux :/

[+BudMan MVC]

One of the things I struggled to get right was mounting images in linux :/

586107650[/snapback]

Image of what? And ISO?

mount -o loop -t iso9660 filename.iso /mnt/iso

Where is the struggle?

http://www.google.com/search?q=mount+iso+linux

[blik]

^^ Iso's were easy... bin/cue, .img, .nrg i had problems with

[markwolfe Veteran]

Split off these posts from: https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=335702

EDIT:

Windows = Good for everything, excellent in some areas. Often insecure, ofen unstable.

586107497[/snapback]

alsheron,

I find it strange that you praise Windows so highly by saying it is good for everything and is excellent in one breath, but in the next one you state that is it often insecure and unstable. :ermm:

Edited June 23, 2005 by markjensen

[Barney T. Administrators]

linux is great for you, congrats. other people might not care to spend hours to attempt to configure basic connections.

586107574[/snapback]

Sorry to say, but everything I have used from the distros I have selected have been configured right out of the box........... :yes:

Seems like lots of comments are by people who have little or no experience or insight into how these distros work....

Barney

[markwolfe Veteran]

^^^ It can be hit-or-miss for different people. For example, I am able to use my Canon IX-4015 scanner that cannot be used in Windows since 2000/XP. I didn't have to compile anything. It just worked.

But not everyone has the same experiences with Linux (or with Windows, for that matter).

[+BudMan MVC]

1. I cannot interface with my Motorola v500 mobile phone.

2. I keep personal files encrypted on a USB stick so that I can access them at work or at home (I've only access to Windows at work).

3. I cannot watch "TV Gold" (an Internet TV channel available thru' WinAmp)

4. I cannot figure out what services are running so that I can stop those I don't want.

5. I cannot interface fully with my Creative Zen Xtra Jukebox. I know that gnomad exists and I've tried it but it's not as fully featured as Creative MediaSource (in particular I cannot edit tags once the files are on the Jukebox).

6. I cannot figure out what packages I really need and which can be removed.

7. I don't know if I can interface with my Pocket PC?

8. and others I can't recall at the moment...

586107525[/snapback]

1) What exactly do you mean by interface? That phone supports bluetooth does it not? Why can you not interface with your phone using bluetooth? Linux supports bluetooth..

2) Huh? :wacko: I fail to see an issue.. I access usb sticks all the time with linux.. Shoot I even boot linux off usb sticks..

3) TV gold? I watch streaming video on linux all the time.. Again I do not see the issue.. As to this specific channel..

4) chkconfig --list will give you a list of services and the runlevels they start in, etc.. Webmin could be used to give you a pretty gui to this sort of stuff.. "chkconfig --list | sort | grep ':on' | less" would give you a list only the services that are on

5) huh? So one piece of software you fine to work with your zen does not allow you to directly edit the mp3 tags? Did you think to edit the tags - and then reload them to your device?

6) Read the documentation of whatever packages your interested in.. Cleary documented..

7) Yes it can

Im with DaPhoenix on this - you listed things you do know how to do..

edit: Hey Mark could you move this.. seems you split the thread.. Now this is in wrong place ;)

[markwolfe Veteran]

^^^ Regarding #2 issue, I think that the problem is the 'encrypted files' part.

[+BudMan MVC]

^^ Iso's were easy... bin/cue, .img, .nrg i had problems with

586107690[/snapback]

http://cdemu.sourceforge.net/ can be used for bin/cue files - as for .nrg can be converted to standard iso http://gregory.kokanosky.free.fr/v4/linux/nrg2iso.en.html

as to .img pretty sure

mount -o loop file.img /mnt/whatever

would work just fine..

[cyberfrem]

1) What exactly do you mean by interface? That phone supports bluetooth does it not? Why can you not interface with your phone using bluetooth? Linux supports bluetooth..

586107936[/snapback]

My PC doesn't have Bluetooth. I use a USB cable and the 'mobile phonetools' package to transfer photos and mp3s between my PC and phone.

2) Huh?  :wacko: I fail to see an issue.. I access usb sticks all the time with linux..  Shoot I even boot linux off usb sticks..

586107936[/snapback]

OK then wise-guy:

How can I access files encrypted by a great Windows utility (AxCrypt) in Linux?

I have yet to find a similar utility with the same functionality that runs under both Windows and Linux so that I can access the secured files at home and at work!

5) huh? So one piece of software you fine to work with your zen does not allow you to directly edit the mp3 tags? Did you think to edit the tags - and then reload them to your device?

586107936[/snapback]

Why should I transfer them back and forth in Linux if I want to edit them when I didn't have to in Windows? I thought you linux-lovers advocate that linux is 'better' than Windows?

[markwolfe Veteran]

I thought you linux-lovers advocate that linux is 'better' than Windows?

586107995[/snapback]

I think BudMan is multi-OS. *I* would be the "Linux lover" :p

But let's not let this thread get into argument mode, or else it makes a lot of extra work for me. :ermm:

[hornett]

How can I access files encrypted by a great Windows utility (AxCrypt) in Linux?

I have yet to find a similar utility with the same functionality that runs under both Windows and Linux so that I can access the secured files at home and at work!

http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/faq.htm#Doe...pt_run_on_Linux

Says on their site that some people have sucessfully run it under WINE. Maybe worth a try?

[cyberfrem]

Believe me, I don't want to cause a 'religious' argument - I would love to 'embrace the penguin'.

I've tried different distros and settled on Mepis as it the first one that's really started to work for me.

I've got at least half a dozen Linux books.

But even with these it's still not an easy transition to make.

What I want is a book that goes through each thing that can be done on Windows XP and tells me how to do the equivalent in Linux, eg. networking, services, all elements on the control panel. I haven't heard of such a book - has anyone else?

[cyberfrem]

http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/faq.htm#Doe...pt_run_on_Linux

Says on their site that some people have sucessfully run it under WINE. Maybe worth a try?

586108043[/snapback]

But don't I need to be comfortable with Linux first before getting into Wine? I don't know. How easy is it to install/configure/use Wine?

[msg43]

^^ Iso's were easy... bin/cue, .img, .nrg i had problems with

586107690[/snapback]

somone on a forum maybe this one asked about those and theres this program I have not yet tried but here is is the link http://cdemu.sourceforge.net/ this appears to be a bit harder because you have to compile your own kernel but I found the kernel easy to compile.

In the early stages for me it was hard. I was switch distros about every two or so. Then I found out about slackware which I sticked to for a while though I was about to scream then I found arch linux and after about 4-5 months I know how to use linux quit well.

[kl33per]

There are lots of things in Linux that can't be done easily, where on other operating systems (such as Windows and Mac OS X), can be done much easier.

For example, there is no really good music playing software on Linux. XMMS is nowhere near good enough. There is no satisfactory equivalent to foobar2000.

[CaKeY]

there is no really good music playing software on Linux.

:blink:

[CaKeY]

My PC doesn't have Bluetooth.  I use a USB cable and the 'mobile phonetools' package to transfer photos and mp3s between my PC and phone.

Have you even tried it with Linux?? I'd bet dollars to donuts that any modern distro will mount that phone as a regular external drive. No extra software needed. Just plug it in.