Linux Fails The Family Test BADLY! 2803

Robert Strunk

Ah, yes... I forgot that element of the usual posts... a second post that complains of how badly the "Linux community" treats the poster. Oops, my bad...

Well, I had to put the DVD into the drive, and then boot up the computer. Then I had to respond to some questions concerning my keyboard, language of choice, and so on. I had to tell SUSE that my video screen was an LCD. I had to choose parbreastion options and to also choose the software packages I wanted installed. Then I had to wait about an hour while the install program did its thing. Then I was up and running.

Oh, I *did* have to choose a user name and pbuttword, as well as a root pbuttword.

Note that, when I was done, I not only had an OS on my computer, I also had a whole pile of software. With Windows, I'd still have to be digging up all the program CD's and installing them, each with its own settings or other options... you get the point.

The issue you're discussing now concerns individual programs or plugins, which may or may not be included with IE. If they're not built in, then you (or your kids) would still have to install them. If you have your system set to install automatically, then you are just begging for trouble; so in any event, unless you are choosing to be highly insecure, you still have to do the installation.

This is not a fault of Linux, but of the Webmasters and of the companies who offer little, if any, support for Linux. This is gradually changing, as more people speak up and ask for support. The more enlightened companies are beginning to accommodate Linux users; the rest, may go the way of the dinosaur. Or perhaps there will always be enough Windows users to keep them going. Time will tell.

True. Microsoft refuses to honor any standards, and I suppose I'd do the same in their shoes. Still, if you do without the frills, you can easily convert to RTF (from Microsoft products), and that does seem to translate very well. Also, Open Office 2.0 works much better than the 1.X - they've got the formatting almost perfect, I'm told. Actually, I haven't had any problems with either version, but I've heard many other people complain.

This is true, as long as you're using the same *version* (or close enough). Microsoft has a nasty habit of changing their formatting between versions, possibly as a ploy to force you to upgrade. The newer version can understand the older, but the older won't (always) be able to handle a file created by the newer. During collaborations, it is important that everyone have the same version, or else that everyone uses the same version level. Otherwise, you have the same problem, but it's even worse - the old program sometimes can't even open a newer file.

Not so. There is a Windows version of this program. Also, I know of a company that was seriously considering using OO exclusively, because of the licensing greed of Microsoft. I don't know whether they made the switch, because I stopped consulting there, but it was a serious proposal. That would have been a few hundred people, if they went through with it.

It's crashed on me a couple of times - ironically, it did so once while I was installing the big security patch (SP2, was it? I forgot. About 75 megs of "oops!").

I haven't managed to crash Linux, but I've certainly gotten it hung up on occasion with some runaway process or other.

Well, it wasn't *Linux* that failed, because I have had much success with it, doing the things you describe. It could have been your computer, or your own errors or misunderstandings. Or some of your needs might have been different. I don't know, but it's been easy for me (that is, SUSE 9.3 Professional has been easy; some other versions have given me fits, I'll say).

No your not. You deliberately elicit these responses, with your inflammatory comments and subject lines (oh, yet another common trait of think I'll start keeping a complete list. Might be fun...

Anyway, have fun with Windows. If you've got the money to pay for all that stuff, and don't care about the viruses and whatevers, it's ideal. Just make sure you don't put any personal information on that computer, if it's ever going to be connected to the Internet...

... unless you're like me. I'd *love* someone to steal my idenbreasty. It would be the perfect punishment for them, to be stuck with it. Talk about poetic justice.

-- Insanity is the final defense ... It's hard to get a refund when the salesman is sniffing your crotch and baying at the moon.