13 Reasons Why Linux Won't Make It To A Desktop Near You

[markwolfe Veteran]

^^^ Ummm... You do realize, don't you, that samba has nothing to do with NTFS?

[Kreuger]

I'm pretty sure most distributions in their next release at latest will be including out of the box support for NTFS handling. I'm pretty sure Ubuntu will with Gutsy at least.

[markwolfe Veteran]

I'm pretty sure most distributions in their next release at latest will be including out of the box support for NTFS handling. I'm pretty sure Ubuntu will with Gutsy at least.

Others, like Red Hat/Fedora avoid the potential patent issues that NTFS support may be encumbered with. You will see a division like this amongst distros. But, with Fedora, it is just a yum install ntfs-3g away, should the user decide they are licensed or that the patent doesn't apply in their country or such.

[Pc_Madness]

As for the "overwhelming requests", I am very curious as to how many sales this has translated to in the real world.

I think the head of Dell said it was about 20,000.

[PGHammer]

Others, like Red Hat/Fedora avoid the potential patent issues that NTFS support may be encumbered with. You will see a division like this amongst distros. But, with Fedora, it is just a yum install ntfs-3g away, should the user decide they are licensed or that the patent doesn't apply in their country or such.

Ubuntu has supported read-only NTFS access directly since Dapper Drake (and as standard fare).

RedHat Linux has supported it as far back as 7.3 (remember, it's been an option in the 2.4.x kernels for a while), but you had to custom-compile it in, The biggest reason for needing or wanting read-only NTFS support is to access Win32-based OS partitions (especially dual-booting); for dual-booters, NTFS support (even read-only support) is a plus (if not a must).

However, you have a point regarding installations/distributions intended for standalone (as opposed to dual-boot) use. Ubuntu and derivatives is decidedly aimed at dual-boot usage (even to the extent, that with projects like Wubi, it's installed entirely within a Windows partition); that isn't the case with more traditional Linux distributions.

[PGHammer]

One step closer to becoming usable then (assuming it actually works as intended) :p

Now I guess why that's not installed by default.

The menu is fixed there. Even if you use the windows key you still have to move the mouse down there to access the menu items.

It's not just a windows issue, it also happens on KDE and GNOME, but fortunately there are other WMs/DEs available.

Actually, you can use the arrows on the keyboard to navigate the Start menu, no matter how you launch it; that's been true since 9x/NT 4, and it's still true in Vista (and even GNOME and KDE) today.. While mousing around is decidedly *easier*, it's not necessary to move around the Start menu in Windows, and hasn't been since Windows 95 was in beta.

[ichi]

Actually, you can use the arrows on the keyboard to navigate the Start menu, no matter how you launch it; that's been true since 9x/NT 4, and it's still true in Vista (and even GNOME and KDE) today.. While mousing around is decidedly *easier*, it's not necessary to move around the Start menu in Windows, and hasn't been since Windows 95 was in beta.

But that's even slower.

[tiagosilva29]

Ubuntu and derivatives is decidedly aimed at dual-boot usage

Nope. Ubuntu is decidedly aimed as to be a complete Windows replacement.

Ubuntu (et al) intent to actively take over Microsoft market share in favor to free software/open source solutions.

[markwolfe Veteran]

^^^ Quoting an amusing bug?

Try looking at their actions. Making a great slider for partition shrinking - geared to making it easy to dual-boot. Automatically setting up dual booting.

By your logic, Microsoft doesn't want to co-exist with Linux (despite their current actions) because they said Linux was a "cancer" years ago.

[tiagosilva29]

^^^ Quoting an amusing bug?

Try looking at their actions. Making a great slider for partition shrinking - geared to making it easy to dual-boot. Automatically setting up dual booting.

By your logic, Microsoft doesn't want to co-exist with Linux (despite their current actions) because they said Linux was a "cancer" years ago.

^ All true?

Except for the slider thing, as I don't know what are you talking about... 0_o

Automatically setting up dual booting... not new to Ubuntu?

[EduardValencia]

Love when linux zealots jump to critizice the article immediatly,i agree with this article

Simple/almost no technical reason,but true

nice how they are related with each other.

Good Day all

[markwolfe Veteran]

^ All true?

Except for the slider thing, as I don't know what are you talking about... 0_o

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Graphical...mp;target=6.png

From install guide here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

Love when linux zealots jump to critizice the article immediatly

Almost as much as I love it when people jump in to post flame-bait by labelling people "zealots".

Goodbye Eduard. You used to be more reasonable to talk to, now you just seem to like to stir up stuff when it comes to Linux. Feel free to come back when you get that chip off your shoulder.

[EduardValencia]

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Graphical...mp;target=6.png

From install guide here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

Almost as much as I love it when people jump in to post flame-bait by labelling people "zealots".

Goodbye Eduard. You used to be more reasonable to talk to, now you just seem to like to stir up stuff when it comes to Linux. Feel free to come back when you get that chip off your shoulder.

I am but i?m overwhelmed how polarized is this community man,people just blatanly come to a microsoft topic,and bash it until they get tired of it.so whats the point,i could agree with you under some circumstances,but im just tired of this BS,so why not having some fun,and giving some of the same medicine? without insult of course.

Obviosuly it wasn`t aimed at you,since you have valid points in supporting a free open source computational world.and have proved not just to me,but formany here on neowin.

In othe hand,yes i agree with this article,let?s say it`s not a technical article,but it describes with popular language,things that has put back linux since the beginning,and well i think it will still be like that in the next decades at least.

I apologize markjensen ,i dont have means to insult you,since i know your knowledge about this topic.you still remind me always of being a PRO-intelligent debate member about articles,that?s good

[rson451]

im just tired of this BS,so why not having some fun,and giving some of the same medicine?

and we wonder why this always continues back and forth. i agree, the bashing of either side is ****ing stupid, but i also see that its only a select few that poke their heads in other people's business. if those few overzealous fanboyish poeple on each side would keep to their own support forums this would be a better community. at least thats the way i see it. im glad at least one windows user agrees with me :)

[tiagosilva29]

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Graphical...mp;target=6.png

From install guide here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

Oh, that! Sorry, but I always use the alternate version so I don't know much of the live installation procedure.

That is what I usually call an user's anchor. If you're trying something new... you have to do it bit by bit and not to swallow the entire package and get the goods stuck in your throat.

Free Software means Business - Georg Greve's (Free Software Foundation Europe's president) Presentation at the Free Software Forum in Lisbon (hosted in our faculty).

Provided under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (by-sa) license

[Cloud Geek]

I tryed ubuntu linux on a vm after months of this GAY linux user (Ralan) bothering me and right away as expected printer problems not that I do alot of printing anyway I look around the ui is similar but looked horrible (default settings) maybe and the applications that came with it did not look all that great not a big deal because my windows applications should have worked with wine NOPE many of my managment programs for windows had issues corporate software school software so I go back on msn <snipped>and received no help so I deleted the vm

thats my first and only real time playing with linux

I admit I know little to nothing about linux and thats why I asked ralan a long time user

Ubuntu is advertised to be easy but if it was simple things should have worked.....

linux has a long way to go before I will use it or recomend it

lots of work has been done to it and it seems to be getting better

Edited October 26, 2007 by Barney

[markwolfe Veteran]

and we wonder why this always continues back and forth. i agree, the bashing of either side is ****ing stupid, but i also see that its only a select few that poke their heads in other people's business. if those few overzealous fanboyish poeple on each side would keep to their own support forums this would be a better community. at least thats the way i see it. im glad at least one windows user agrees with me :)

You really wonder why? Eduard's post is a perfect example of why it doesn't die. He saw someone troll, so decides to do the same thing back? What does that solve?

Nothing.

In fact, it might inspire 10 Linux-zealot Anti-Eduards to troll back in re-revenge. :no:

You can't solve trolling with trolling. Be glad for him, if you must, but I see actions like that as part of the PROBLEM, not the solution.

I tryed ubuntu linux on a vm after months of this <snipped>bothering me and right away as expected printer problems not that I do alot of printing anyway I look around the ui is similar but looked horrible (default settings) maybe and the applications that came with it did not look all that great not a big deal because my windows applications should have worked with wine NOPE many of my managment programs for windows had issues corporate software school software ( I teach teachers computer maintenance and troubleshooting) so I go back on msn with the [<snipped> and received no help so I deleted the vm

thats my first and only real time playing with linux

I admit I know little to nothing about linux and thats why I asked ralan a long time user

Ubuntu is advertised to be easy but if it was simple things should have worked.....

Wow. Just "wow". :blink:

Awful choice of adjectives there, buddy. (N)

Edited October 26, 2007 by Barney

[Cloud Geek]

Wow. Just "wow". :blink:

Awful choice of adjectives there, buddy. (N)

I'm not in anyway Insulting linux it did not do what I want or need I could not get any help and decided to get rid of it

ralan after some of the things he said I would like to beat the crap out of him and hes only 14

after months of him complaining about windows and saying linux is so much better I tryed it

I did not like it I did not come here and say linux sucks or linux is stupid.....

the problem could have been me I have been a windows users for MANY years

I found no reason for me to switch thats all

Edited October 26, 2007 by MvT Cracker

[markwolfe Veteran]

I'm not in anyway Insulting linux it did not do what I want or need I could not get any help and decided to get rid of it

ralan after some of the things he said I would like to beat the crap out of him and hes only 14

after months of him complaining about windows and saying linux is so much better I tryed it I did not like it I did not come here and say linux sucks or linux is stupid

Maybe it is just your age, and what kids these days say as their expressions... I know, because I have kids ranging from 13 on down.

But instead of saying "buttons were too large" or "I didn't like the orange color", it was just "GAY, GAY, GAY". Not descriptive of the problems at all. Possibly insulting to members here who happen to be gay. Just didn't make for any good points to discuss. It didn't work in a VM is about all we know.

[Cloud Geek]

Maybe it is just your age, and what kids these days say as their expressions... I know, because I have kids ranging from 13 on down.

But instead of saying "buttons were too large" or "I didn't like the orange color", it was just "GAY, GAY, GAY". Not descriptive of the problems at all. Possibly insulting to members here who happen to be gay. Just didn't make for any good points to discuss. It didn't work in a VM is about all we know.

fair enough like I said I'm new to linux only used it the one time I tryed to find help online asked ralan (someone who knows more about linux) and did not find help and I decided I would not use linux untill some things change

in windows everything I need to do works and if there are problems I know how to deal with them or find the answers online

some things in linux did work for me some not so well....

I'm sorry if anyone is actually gay anything else I said would have been blocked.....

[saiya]

Wow. have ou guys ever just stop and think?

I've used Windows, Linux (Mandrake, and Ubuntu), and the MAC (my G5)

but really...serisouly...honestly? the only conclusion i've made is this.

With Linux all I felt was the rush of being some of you linux users and not supporting Windows

With MAC I had the feeling that "so this is what designers are raving about"

With windows...I seem to have everything I need and I can understand and communicate with 80% of ppl using computers. Its not a perfect platform. But it was someone vision that became a reality. Sure he must of taken some ideas here and there. but we bash on him cause he's famous. i've done work for other ppl and used someone elses ideas and no one cared. cause i'm that little guy. I dont favor any one OS but i think its just the lack of sleep that sparked this comment. but every OS does the same thing for me. It takes me to neowin.net. If i wanted to play a game i use my xbox. if i wanted to make a design for my site, just use Photoshop. doesn't have be on a MAC, my windows laptop runs photoshop just fine.

so...what was the argument again?

[toadeater]

In othe hand,yes i agree with this article,let?s say it`s not a technical article,but it describes with popular language,things that has put back linux since the beginning,and well i think it will still be like that in the next decades at least.

That's what I thought last year. Linux looked dead in the water, from all the bickering over licensing and KDE vs. Gnome, the lack of 3D support for gaming and multimedia, and the lack of browser plugins and drivers. Since then, Linux has made immense strides.

This year, something else happened, Linux achieved mainstream acceptance in several countries. Much of the EU, Russia, China, well, the whole world really--except for the UK for some reason--has started backing Linux development for the government and public institutions. Russia is now completely standardizing their education system on Linux! That kind of thing is going to give Linux a boost like it has never had before.

OSes don't rise linearly, they have to achieve critical mass, then they take off and are unstoppable. Linux will reach critical mass in 2009 or 2010, and it will become a mainstream OS that is as familiar in business and schools as Windows is today.

You also have to remember that OSes have become unnecessary for most tasks, they're only needed really for games at this point. Everything else can easily be hardware-agnostic. Why do you think Microsoft is sweating? They know that once you can put their entire product in a virtual machine, cross-platform virtualization of applications, and managed applications (as a service), is the next step.

On the server side it looks even more grim for Microsoft. There's is very little reason to run Windows Server anymore, especially considering the cost compared to free Linux and client software run in virtual machines. What's the Windows "advantage" anymore? Ease of use maybe.

[Denis W. Veteran]

On the server side it looks even more grim for Microsoft. There's is very little reason to run Windows Server anymore, especially considering the cost compared to free Linux and client software run in virtual machines. What's the Windows "advantage" anymore? Ease of use maybe.

Now that you mention it, does anyone find those "The. Highly. Reliable. Times." ads on Neowin's news sections a bit corny... and annoying? Surely MS's marketing department can think of something better other than showing some case study and zooming in on the Highly Reliable Times text.

Mind you, they're still not up to the level of Apple's childish marketing just yet. :p

[Cloud Geek]

That's what I thought last year. Linux looked dead in the water, from all the bickering over licensing and KDE vs. Gnome, the lack of 3D support for gaming and multimedia, and the lack of browser plugins and drivers. Since then, Linux has made immense strides.

This year, something else happened, Linux achieved mainstream acceptance in several countries. Much of the EU, Russia, China, well, the whole world really--except for the UK for some reason--has started backing Linux development for the government and public institutions. Russia is now completely standardizing their education system on Linux! That kind of thing is going to give Linux a boost like it has never had before.

OSes don't rise linearly, they have to achieve critical mass, then they take off and are unstoppable. Linux will reach critical mass in 2009 or 2010, and it will become a mainstream OS that is as familiar in business and schools as Windows is today.

You also have to remember that OSes have become unnecessary for most tasks, they're only needed really for games at this point. Everything else can easily be hardware-agnostic. Why do you think Microsoft is sweating? They know that once you can put their entire product in a virtual machine, cross-platform virtualization of applications, and managed applications (as a service), is the next step.

On the server side it looks even more grim for Microsoft. There's is very little reason to run Windows Server anymore, especially considering the cost compared to free Linux and client software run in virtual machines. What's the Windows "advantage" anymore? Ease of use maybe.

microsoft is not just about operating systems and linux and osx have a long way to go before microsoft is out microsoft has been talking about cheaper streamed applications and a CLOUD os based in a data center something I have not heard from apple or linux so theres more to come

linux probably will become more popular and it has become a better opertating system than it was years ago

direct x 10 is one of those big things linux needs to overcome......

[Hak Foo]

fair enough like I said I'm new to linux only used it the one time I tryed to find help online asked ralan (someone who knows more about linux) and did not find help and I decided I would not use linux untill some things change

in windows everything I need to do works and if there are problems I know how to deal with them or find the answers online

some things in linux did work for me some not so well....

I'm sorry if anyone is actually gay anything else I said would have been blocked.....

The problem was app support. With OpenOffice, much of that is gone, at least on the home and business desktop. (Yes, gamers will whine). But the problem now is still hardware support.

Workable hardware support has to come in one of two ways:

-Pack-in drivers

-On-disc installers which work.

This is especially true for stuff like network cards; "download a new distro/driver" doesn't do any good if you have no network access.

I was impressed that Ubuntu 7.10 finally worked with the provided config tools and my wireless card. Sadly, both new hardware (a new HDTV tuner) and old hardware (an older Canon scanner) failed to work.

I admit, these are peripherals not explicitly supported, but with Windows, you generally don't have to care. (this is most true with XP, though-- 2000's support is getting spottier, and Vista's is still full of holes, especially 64-bit).