Isn’t that kind of the point? Remembering a billion different filenames where configuration data is stored (especially when there’s no consistent naming convention) is a lot harder than GUI configuration. The OP isn’t complaining about OSX’s configuration file names because he doesn’t have to interact with them directly—as it should be.
I know. The point is Windows is designed with the home user in mind, whereas Linux is not. The GUI configuration is something that Windows does right that Ubuntu does not.
Because it makes Ubuntu unsuitable for a home PC, which is what this thread is about.
There shouldn’t be a difference. At some point, the executable bit needs to be set on either.
That’s because DOS had no notion of multi-user operation (and the security it entails), so it could just execute anything it found in it’s PATH (assuming it ended with .EXE or .BAT, IIRC). A minor difference also as far as the PATH is concerned; most Linux distros won’t automatically search the current directory, which I think DOS/Windows does (again, a security feature, unless you set it otherwise).
As for your rant and followup posts, some of it is right on. For instance, I wish you had started a thread about the dual-monitor thing; as I mentioned in Alice the Goon’s thread from a while back, Ubuntu was just flat out, infuriatingly broken. Worse, there was no indication that it was broken…and they deserve some serious flack for crap like that. I got it to work, though, and would’ve been more than happy to help you out.
On the other hand, some of your tirade is either (misdirected, although understandable) venting or (perhaps) simple ignorance. But then, my take on operating systems is that of an engineer (even though I’m a computer scientist) – use the right tool for the job. Linux doesn’t work for you on the desktop? OK…it matters not a whit to me what you use, although I’d personally be positively hobbled if I were forced to use Windows or, to a lesser degree, Macs (after all, there’s always fink) for the work I do.
Well, OK but how come so many people paid for Windows ME, which was a steaming pile of shit. People paying for something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good, or that it’s better than the free alternatives, or even that they, as customers, understand what the hell they’re doing when they hand over the notes.
This thread clearly isn’t the place for me to sing the praises of Ubuntu, but I’ve had very little trouble with it - certainly less trouble than I’ve had with Windows in any equivalent period of usage. However, my needs are fairly modest - in terms of configuration and setup, so maybe I’m just not running into the big bad problems so much as others.
I really don’t get the OS hate. Use a UNIX variant on the desktop, and you get what you deserve. Use Windows as a back end enterprise server, you pretty much get the same.
I run Windows on my home machine and my laptop, and I run Ubuntu, Redhat, AIX and Solaris in the datacenter. They all have caused me issues because they all deviate from their standards differently. They all have good point, and bad points. Use the wrong one for the wrong thing, and, well, what do you expect.
So one can hardly be forgiven for thinking that Ubuntu is being marketed quite clearly as a desktop OS. Nor do the no-doubt well-intentioned tales of hitch-free installations really help, coming as they do with the mild implication that it’s the user who is at fault when it goes wrong. Yes, great, so Ubuntu worked perfectly for many people; it’s the sheer ball-twisting nightmare you get when it doesn’t work perfectly that is the problem, and that has always been the problem with Linux on the desktop.
Not that I hate Ubuntu, mind - not a bit of it. I have it running nicely at work, and certainly prefer it to other distributions I’ve used (I dabbled in FreeBSD in one particularly masochistic period). I assume that the OP, like me, has simply been driven into a murderous rage by the intractability of some of the scrapes you can get into over what ought on the face of them to be trifling problems, whilst simultaneously being told (directly or otherwise) that Linux is great and everything is fine.
People like you are the reason that many developers abandon free software projects. They aren’t being paid enough to put up with the whining and abuse of the mob.
Tell you what; you come here and fix my computer since it’s apparently so easy, and I’ll get on with working on the three different open source projects I contribute to. Then I’ll have a stern word with myself about how I’m letting the side down, and how I’m very disappointed with my own attitude.
Thank you for opening my eyes you supercilious cunt.
As a poor ignorant Brit, I’d still rather be a slave to Microsoft’s Windows than a pawn in Linux’s attempts to take over the world ! Come to think of it, I’d rather claw out my brain and eat it than spend any more time trying to fathom what kind of sad geek would prefer to fiddle around with Linux code rather that just click on a time tested GUI. Basically, Linux, and its spawn of (intentionally?) frustrating apps is SHITE!
Not only that, but his comment is even less relevant now than it was back then.
I understand some of the complaints in this thread, and i contributed some of my own on the first page, but in the three intervening years since this thread was active, Ubuntu has become even more user-friendly. I run it on my netbook, and have had not a single problem with WiFi. I run it on my desktop, and it handles two monitors of differing resolutions with complete aplomb, using a GUI that is straightforward and easy to use.
About the only thing that would prevent me from using it all the time, as a complete replacement for Windows, is my preference for using Photoshop and Dreamweaver for image manipulation and web-page writing. And i admit that i still prefer Microsoft Office to LibreOffice, although getting Word set up in Wine isn’t too hard, and if you want it done professionally you can always pay for Crossover, which works very well by all accounts.
I’ve used various Linux flavors for over 10 years now. I like it far more than the windows experience. However, if you are not an uber-programmer, you must follow some simple steps.
–Before installing, validate your hardware for compatibility. All of it, down to the level of your wifi chip and drive type. Ask another geek on a linux board “hey, what hardware are you running?”. They’ll be happy to brag about it.
–Test with a Live CD first before installing.
–Never do a day-1 upgrade, wait for the storm to settle. I always wait at least a month or two before rolling a major version.
When I’ve followed these steps, I’ve never had a problem. When I’ve become complacent and impatient (“oooh, beta version 8.3.2.1.1a has periwinkle pointer support!”) I’ve been bitten just like the OP.
