# Sorry people, but Linux sucks! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 21, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501 "2003-11-21T15:03:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/81 "2003-11-27T05:17:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sportshoe \* > **Yesterday I installed my Ipaq handheld computer with microsoftr pocket pc onto my windows xp professional. I installed the software via my memorystick. Then I synchronised my mail, then printed it out with my bluetooth printer, synchronised the adresses in my contacts and then transferred them to my nokia phone so I had all my contact phonenumbers. Oh and I did it all wireless.** [Zaurus](http://mailman.lug.org.uk/pipermail/wolves/2002-November/000417.html). > [@](#): > > **And now I’m going to shoot some bad germans online with my shoot them up game that runs perfectly under windows xp.** [WineX](http://www.transgaming.com/gamepage.php?gameid=167). > [@](#): > > **TRY TO DO THAT WITH LINUX** Next? > [@](#): > > **Besides and you can correct me if I’m wrong, only the nerds here at the office are always the ones praising linux.** “Nerds”? Is your office in a junior high school? > [@](#): > > **Its reliable you say? ok if I just install a fresh windows and just install office, its also going to be stable.** Yes… if you shut it down every night, it will probably run fine for several months. Let me know when you’re running a web server, file server, database, SSH server, email, IRC, games, web browsers, etc. on the same system for several months without ever shutting it down. > [@](#): > > **its all the extra’s that you cant find in linux that make it unstable.** And which “extras” would those be? SuSE comes with 5 gigabytes of software, right out of the box. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/82 "2003-11-27T08:22:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sportshoe \* > **TRY TO DO THAT WITH LINUX** Here’s a little tip: Just because _you_ can’t, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/83 "2003-11-27T16:08:23Z")
Mr2001: quote]Yes… if you shut it down every night, it will probably run fine for several months. Let me know when you’re running a web server, file server, database, SSH server, email, IRC, games, web browsers, etc. on the same system for several months without ever shutting it down. [/quote] Just like derleth, you’re full of shit. I live in a house full of computers. Half of them built by me, half of them built by a major manufacturer. All of them run Win2KPro or higher. All of them run 24x7x365 running multiple services and acting as standalone desktop systems. THey get a reboot maybe monthly or bi-monthly, and that’s mainly due to software installs/upgrades, and even then, only due to the software companies’ insistance. Only one of them crashes, and it’s the fucking HP. And it’s hardware related. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/84 "2003-11-28T02:07:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GaWd \* > **Just like derleth, you’re full of shit. I live in a house full of computers. Half of them built by me, half of them built by a major manufacturer. All of them run Win2KPro or higher. All of them run 24x7x365 running multiple services and acting as standalone desktop systems. THey get a reboot maybe monthly or bi-monthly, and that’s mainly due to software installs/upgrades, and even then, only due to the software companies’ insistance.** Rebooting every 2 to 4 weeks is not “24x7x365”. BTW, you don’t need to reboot Linux to install or upgrade software or drivers, unless you’re replacing the kernel. Let me know when you have a 120 day uptime. ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/85 "2003-11-28T05:41:31Z")
Like I said, it is at the software author’s insistance, not the OS. 9 times out of 10, I ignore the request to reboot because it’s not necessary…been that way since 1999. If my software NEVER changed, I’d never reboot. I’d also like to point out that the occasional reboot for new software isn’t having to shut down every night. I have much more than 120 days of uptime, trust me. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/86 "2003-11-28T13:47:58Z")
By **uptime** you mean penis and by **days** you mean inches. Right ? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/87 "2003-11-28T18:47:35Z")
How’s about this: Even though I have this little forgotten box that has been sitting around on my desk, unused but running for about half a year(since the last power outage), I’ll just agree with you guys about having to reboot every night since Bill is Evil and you linux geeks never listen. K? Sounds good. Sam ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/88 "2003-11-30T16:38:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Me: the problem is… > Them: Get the latest Nvidia drivers, then open up #%#%# and reboobulate the combobulater by typing somefuckedupcommand/load/load/load/fstab/libraryx/blahblah-345./45645/dfgert/57645674567### > Me: ??? Yep, sure know that feeling! Thanks to the Brave New World of MacOS X, those of us who use Macs get to experience this from time to time ourselves. I love having the power of sendmail but I sure didn’t love trying to configure it. And the first time I set up XFree86 (in the days before Apple’s own X11)? wow… ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/89 "2003-11-30T16:59:23Z")
I’ve got this Novell server that’s been running without a reboot since '89… that help any? ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/90 "2003-12-01T15:40:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > \*\*Rebooting every 2 to 4 weeks is not “24x7x365”. > > BTW, you don’t need to reboot Linux to install or upgrade software or drivers, unless you’re replacing the kernel. Let me know when you have a 120 day uptime. \*\* Sorry, but Windows is pretty good. I’m still running 98 and I haven’t had the system freeze on me in over two years. I shut down the system anywhere from weekly to tri-monthly, no schedule just based on moods and never because of performance concerns. Linux has no appeal to me whatsoever. Who cares if you can run your system forever? I wouldn’t do that whether I had Linux or not. I just want something easy to use, that doesn’t crash on me and has a wide variety of applications available. Windows does all that, which is why when I get a new computer in a year or so it will have the latest Windows program installed on it. It’s the perfect OS for what I need. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/91 "2003-12-01T22:53:28Z")
Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie beat you to it: [http://artists.mp3s.com/artist\_song/1241/1241156.html](http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/1241/1241156.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/92 "2003-12-02T03:33:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > **Linux has no appeal to me whatsoever. Who cares if you can run your system forever? I wouldn’t do that whether I had Linux or not. I just want something easy to use, that doesn’t crash on me and has a wide variety of applications available.** Well, it’s good that Windows doesn’t crash on _you_. You’re one of the lucky ones. OTOH, there are thousands of people like me, who aren’t so lucky when it comes to Windows. My XP box tends to get stuck at a blue screen if I leave it unattended for more than a few hours - not the infamous BSOD, but a light blue screen that could be the background for the Welcome screen. Windows 2000 and XP are the most stable versions of Windows I’ve seen, and in fact I was quite impressed with XP for the first couple months. But since then, I’ve had many crashes and hassles that are unique to Windows. One application locks up, which causes another app to lock up, and so on, and the “End Task” button in Task Manager has _no discernable effect_. That kind of disobedience simply doesn’t exist in Linux, IME. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/93 "2003-12-02T06:49:45Z")
I don’t care if your XP box has an uptime of 3 years, is running third party firewall software and an FTP server, a http server, and a telnet server. I don’t care that you have the latest version of Office XP and Photoshop running and your machine never crashes. For you to run that stuff (legally) on a Windows box, you will invest at least $1000 on software. To run that stuff legally on a Linux box, you need not spend a penny. That’s the real reason Linux is awesome. It is the perfect choice for a cost-conscious company, but the exact same starting materials are available to any hobbyist out there. Whether your interests are setting up a secure corporate intranet or photoshopping (actually GIMPing) the head of George Bush onto Ron Jeremy’s body, you sacrifice no quality while saving a bundle of money. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/94 "2003-12-02T07:33:46Z")
What linux needs for desktop suitability is Standards. And I don’t mean the [LSB](http://www.linuxbase.org/). Instead of differentiating linux by simply the kernel version, a system should be devised to identify a permutation of core components like kernel 2.4.13 / gcc 3.2 / glibc 6.0 / xfree 3.3…etc And then software should be released with compatability defined in terms of these permutations. The complementary step here would be for distributions to also be identified in terms of such numbering. Such a numbering system would be complex to devise, but I think it can be done. The kernel is just one part (although core) of the OS. It is not the OS. And end-users are not interested in verifying or updating their systems to gcc 3.2 or systools-1.4 (or whatever) These presets as communicated by software vendors and implemented by distributions will go a long way to get the software running out-of-the-box, and which happens to be a major hurdle in linux usability. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/95 "2003-12-02T07:55:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sportshoe \* > Yesterday I installed my Ipaq handheld computer with microsoftr pocket pc onto my windows xp professional. You installed your LPAQ to your Windows XP Professional? What? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/96 "2003-12-02T08:21:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UnuMondo \* > \*\*Linux may suck for you. Fine. It’s exactly what I was looking for. Something I could tinker with, something which was extremely close to the machine, something where I could find my own place to pitch in. > > Linux should be an elite community. I don’t like the increasing flood of dumbasses who want it to be “easy” and “simple”. Why can’t they just buy a Mac? Linux doesn’t need idiots who want everything done for them and who refuse to contribute anything because they don’t know how to code. \*\* So in your world, technology should be a closed system available only to those who know how to program? Average users don’t deserve access to more sophisticated tools than whatever Microsoft decides to put in a box? ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/97 "2003-12-02T08:35:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by edwino \* > \*\*I don’t care if your XP box has an uptime of 3 years, is running third party firewall software and an FTP server, a http server, and a telnet server. I don’t care that you have the latest version of Office XP and Photoshop running and your machine never crashes. > > For you to run that stuff (legally) on a Windows box, you will invest at least $1000 on software. To run that stuff legally on a Linux box, you need not spend a penny. > > That’s the real reason Linux is awesome. It is the perfect choice for a cost-conscious company, but the exact same starting materials are available to any hobbyist out there. Whether your interests are setting up a secure corporate intranet or photoshopping (actually GIMPing) the head of George Bush onto Ron Jeremy’s body, you sacrifice no quality while saving a bundle of money. \*\* While it may work for pseudo-talents who do work for the Web, the GIMP is a piss-poor product for real graphic design work. It’s CMYK support is shoddy and it lacks many of the dazzling new features found in Photoshop 7 and CS. It’s a prosumer toy compared to the professional tool that is Photoshop. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/98 "2003-12-02T10:35:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by edwino \* > \*\*I don’t care if your XP box has an uptime of 3 years, is running third party firewall software and an FTP server, a http server, and a telnet server. I don’t care that you have the latest version of Office XP and Photoshop running and your machine never crashes. > > For you to run that stuff (legally) on a Windows box, you will invest at least $1000 on software. To run that stuff legally on a Linux box, you need not spend a penny.\*\* Right, because there are [no](http://outpost.agnitum.com/) [free](http://www.zonelabs.com/) [software](http://www.kerio.com/us/kpf_home.html) [firewalls](http://download.com.com/3000-2092-10247416.html?tag=lst-0-18) for Windows. [Or](http://www.aclogic.com/) [FTP](http://www.guildftpd.com/) [servers](http://www.greatfreeware.com/Network_and_Internet/FTP_Server_Tools/4052.html). There’s no [Windows port of Apache](http://httpd.apache.org/docs/windows.html) or any [other](http://savant.sourceforge.net/) [free](http://www.keyfocus.net/kfws/) [HTTP](http://www.aprelium.com/) [servers](http://www.imatix.com/html/xitami/index.htm). No free [telnet](http://sam.jpk.net/telsrv.cgi), either. There’s no [Windows port of The Gimp](http://www.gimp.org/~tml/gimp/win32/downloads.html) or any other [free](http://www.pixoid.com/) [graphics](http://ccambien.free.fr/qv/) [editors](http://www.ab.wakwak.com/~knight/) that aren’t comparable to Photoshop. And, of course, there’s no port of [OpenOffice.org](http://www.openoffice.org/) for Windows. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/99 "2003-12-02T12:18:50Z")
And even if it were possible to run Office XP and Photoshop under Linux you would still need to buy licences. I think the ideal combination is Windows 2000 or XP combined with open source applications, which are now generally good enough for most people’s needs. If I want to play games or I need professional grade software like Photoshop, the option to buy them is open to me, and I don’t have to dual boot or jump through the necessary hoops to (sorta, maybe, probably not) get them working under WINE. Best of both worlds. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501/100 "2003-12-02T14:36:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > **Well, it’s good that Windows doesn’t crash on _you_. You’re one of the lucky ones.** Actually, I think you’re just unlucky. Nearly everyone I know runs Windows of some sort (except my mom who is a Mac freak), and none of them has ever had their computer crash due to MS software on anywhere near a regular occurrance. Even my dad who is so stubborn he’s using 95 still and would be using DOS if we didn’t force him to switch 7 years ago doesn’t have any problems > [@](#): > > **OTOH, there are thousands of people like me, who aren’t so lucky when it comes to Windows. My XP box tends to get stuck at a blue screen if I leave it unattended for more than a few hours - not the infamous BSOD, but a light blue screen that could be the background for the Welcome screen.** Sucks for you. I’ve never even heard of that. And there may be thousands like you, but there are millions like me. Don’t get me wrong, if you like Linux better then that’s what you should use. But I’ve never had a problem with Windows and I’m willing to pay what they charge for the convenience and ease of use it provides to me. I don’t want to fiddle with my computer, I want it to quickly and easily install and then run the applications I tell it to when I click on an icon. And Windows does it. If I was really into computers and code, then I’d probably go with Linux. But I’m not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-people-but-linux-sucks/214501.md?page=6)