In other news...
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:10 am
Switching Over to Linux
I haven't had as much free time as I used to these days but I have decided to switch my old computer over to linux and learn how to use it. Unimpressed with the first version I tired, Debian, I boldly launched into what is generally considered one of the hardest linux distrobutions to use, Gentoo. Most people don't recommend learning linux by installing Gentoo from scratch but, after three attempts and many hours I've managed to get it working.
Unfortunately "working" means it works, but doesn't mean it does anything useful. Another few hours and I got a windowing system installed, Xorg, which provided a bit of an adventure to finally see some sort of graphics. But alas that's where I am now, many more hours are needed to get gnome and then firefox and then my instant messengers working. Why am I bothering? I dunno, I was curious. I've seen what it can do and it's impressive, but getting there is a fucking bitch and a half.
My conclusions? Linux isn't ready for the average desktop user. Don't bother with it, leave it to the nerds and keep using winblows, keep dealing with all the stupid bugs and security holes of microsoft crap because, unfortunately, in the end its the most practical option. Sure, you can get an easy version of Linux (like Debian) working on your computer with no trouble. That's not the hard part, but once it's there it is still too confusing to be worth your time unless you're like me and enjoy tinkering. Perhaps the worst part about linux is installing and uninstalling software. It's messy and, if you ask me, it needs a lot of work. You have to do a lot of reading to figure out what goes where and even more reading to figure out how to remove something without breaking something else. The only reason to use linux that I can see is if you have a crappy old computer and you want it to run smoothly. Windows is bloated but linux works just fine on that 10 year old beige clunker you found in the closet.
I haven't had as much free time as I used to these days but I have decided to switch my old computer over to linux and learn how to use it. Unimpressed with the first version I tired, Debian, I boldly launched into what is generally considered one of the hardest linux distrobutions to use, Gentoo. Most people don't recommend learning linux by installing Gentoo from scratch but, after three attempts and many hours I've managed to get it working.
Unfortunately "working" means it works, but doesn't mean it does anything useful. Another few hours and I got a windowing system installed, Xorg, which provided a bit of an adventure to finally see some sort of graphics. But alas that's where I am now, many more hours are needed to get gnome and then firefox and then my instant messengers working. Why am I bothering? I dunno, I was curious. I've seen what it can do and it's impressive, but getting there is a fucking bitch and a half.
My conclusions? Linux isn't ready for the average desktop user. Don't bother with it, leave it to the nerds and keep using winblows, keep dealing with all the stupid bugs and security holes of microsoft crap because, unfortunately, in the end its the most practical option. Sure, you can get an easy version of Linux (like Debian) working on your computer with no trouble. That's not the hard part, but once it's there it is still too confusing to be worth your time unless you're like me and enjoy tinkering. Perhaps the worst part about linux is installing and uninstalling software. It's messy and, if you ask me, it needs a lot of work. You have to do a lot of reading to figure out what goes where and even more reading to figure out how to remove something without breaking something else. The only reason to use linux that I can see is if you have a crappy old computer and you want it to run smoothly. Windows is bloated but linux works just fine on that 10 year old beige clunker you found in the closet.