Linux

[Max Peck]

Linux? Oh yeah, that's the Penguin thing the've been saying "This is the year of ..." for the last 15 years, isn't it?

 

[pparks1]

Linux? Oh yeah, that's the Penguin thing the've been saying "This is the year of ..." for the last 15 years, isn't it?

Yeah, they keep touting it's going to be a viable desktop in the coming years. Although it certainly hasn't made a huge dent, it certainly does exist. And from a server platform standpoint, it's got a rather significant piece of the market.

 

[Thenight]

Arch Linux user over here : )

 

[ctt1wbw]

I have used Ubuntu since version 4.10. It's gotten so good lately, it's amazing.

Let's see:

OS X Snow Leopard full install $30.
Windows 7 Professional full install $300
Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Fedora/et al full install $FREE.

Gotta love that.

That price of $30 for Snow Leopard is a bit misleading. If you didn't have any copy yet of Apple and had to go retail, it's $169 for the Mac Box Set...that's the full install.

The Windows 7 Professional Upgrade price is $199.

No, I just bought the full install of Snow Leopard for $30 from Apple. I reformatted the drive and then installed Snow Leopard. So that's a full install.

 

[pparks1]

Alright, well I stand corrected. You can also install cleanly with a Windows upgrade disk...but that's certainly a lot more expensive than SL.

 

[Dinesh]

Today I installed Linuxmint 9 using mint4win (Wubi for Linuxmint).

 

[Dark Nova Gamer]

Today I installed Linuxmint 9 using mint4win (Wubi for Linuxmint).

How is it compared to the current Ubuntu? I've seen users at Linux Mint's forums a bit peeved that there wasn't really much difference between 8 and 9. Aside from adding Mint4Win back.

 

[Dinesh]

Today I installed Linuxmint 9 using mint4win (Wubi for Linuxmint).

How is it compared to the current Ubuntu? I've seen users at Linux Mint's forums a bit peeved that there wasn't really much difference between 8 and 9. Aside from adding Mint4Win back.

I have just installed it now. I need to reboot to complete the installation. I m still sitting in Windows 7 so I will get back to you on this once I finish the installation.

 

[Dark Nova Gamer]

Today I installed Linuxmint 9 using mint4win (Wubi for Linuxmint).

How is it compared to the current Ubuntu? I've seen users at Linux Mint's forums a bit peeved that there wasn't really much difference between 8 and 9. Aside from adding Mint4Win back.

I have just installed it now. I need to reboot to complete the installation. I m still sitting in Windows 7 so I will get back to you on this once I finish the installation.

Heh, 'bout to reinstall Windows 7 anyways. Will check this thread when I'm done.

 

[Dinesh]

OK now I m into Linuxmint 9. Changes-- I dont see any. LOL.

 

[Dark Nova Gamer]

OK now I m into Linuxmint 9. Changes-- I dont see any. LOL.

Hmm then.

Eh, I'll just install Ubuntu then. At any rate, off to do a joyful install of Windows 7!

 

[Dinesh]

OK now I m into Linuxmint 9. Changes-- I dont see any. LOL.

Hmm then.

Eh, I'll just install Ubuntu then. At any rate, off to do a joyful install of Windows 7!

For some reason, I find Ubuntu a bit painful. When you eagerly want to play a youtube video, you 1st need to install flash player, IF you want to play an MP3 song, 1st install the necessary codecs, etc. Whereas, Linuxmint is a complete package.

 

[Dinesh]

Well I also noticed that Linuxmint 9 gives AERO effect like Vista and 7 by holding Windows Logo Key+Tab.

 

[Dark Nova Gamer]

Well I also noticed that Linuxmint 9 gives AERO effect like Vista and 7 by holding Windows Logo Key+Tab.

Screenshot?

 

[Dinesh]

The problem is that when I hold the win+tab key, it gives the AERO effect but then it wont let me capture the screenshot. I have tried to do Print screen but it didnt work.

 

[pparks1]

For some reason, I find Ubuntu a bit painful. When you eagerly want to play a youtube video, you 1st need to install flash player, IF you want to play an MP3 song, 1st install the necessary codecs, etc. Whereas, Linuxmint is a complete package.

Well, that is because Ubuntu is remaining true to only incorporating and using OpenSource software in their distribution. Unfortunately, these other technologies and codecs are not open in their implementations, and thus have restricted the distribution of these technologies. Also the reason that systems like Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X are simply not given away..as they have to license the use of these technologies within their products.

The beauty to me of the Linux system, is that the end user has complete control to easily change and rectify what isn't to their liking. Thus, with Ubuntu, if the end user chooses to download and use these technologies, the OS will allow it. In fact, it's even well documented on the Ubuntu site how to add these features into your OS.

For the board's reference, on Ubuntu 10.04 (the current release), here are the quick and easy steps to rectifying these issues. These things are super easy when you know exactly what to type. Just copy and paste these into a terminal and you are all set.

Getting multimedia working
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Installing VLC movie player
sudo apt-get install vlc
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/install-css.sh

Installing Sun Java Support and Firefox Java Plugin
sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ lucid partner"
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install sun-java6-bin sun-java6-jre sun-java6-plugin

 

[Max Peck]

Linux? Oh yeah, that's the Penguin thing the've been saying "This is the year of ..." for the last 15 years, isn't it?

Yeah, they keep touting it's going to be a viable desktop in the coming years. Although it certainly hasn't made a huge dent, it certainly does exist. And from a server platform standpoint, it's got a rather significant piece of the market.

Over the years I have installed various distros (usually Ubuntu or Fedora) onto test machines to play with it. I am usually turned-off within a couple of hours at how backward the thing feels. I installed the latest Ubuntu into a VM a couple of weeks back just to observe its progress. It still felt like I was going back in time about 12 to 15 years. The GUI is functional, but it just doesn't seem well refined. Going back to Win7 after such an experiment is like climbing out of a 1962 Volkswagen Beetle into a Lexus.

I've developed software (mostly for Microsoft platforms) for close to 35 years now. As far as I'm concerned (and the market seems to agree with me) Windows is the only game in town. Linux may have made an impact in the server room but, from what I'm hearing, it's not gaining ground there any more either.

I'm certainly not against the concept of Linux: if that's your cup of tea, then go ahead and use it by all means. You'll just have to be content with what you can find out there on the web because you certainly aren't going to find anything for it at Office Depot or Best Buy. (The last time I saw any kind of Linux on a store shelf was at a CompUSA about 8 years ago!)

You also aren't going to find a market with Linux if you're a freelance software developer. You can probably count your customers on two fingers if you draw a 200 mile radius circle around your present location!

-Max

 

[pparks1]

Linux may have made an impact in the server room but, from what I'm hearing, it's not gaining ground there any more either.

Hmmm....not so sure about that statement. My company is about 60% Linux on our web servers and hosted applications. And we are currently retiring and removing as much of our Windows stuff as we can in order to reduce licensing costs for our Microsoft platforms. Even with volume license agreements and such, these servers are far from cost free to implement.

You'll just have to be content with what you can find out there on the web because you certainly aren't going to find anything for it at Office Depot or Best Buy.

I don't think that is an issue for most people. I get all of my software from the web on my Windows machines as well...with the exception of the random video game that I buy. And even many of them are available via the web these days.

You also aren't going to find a market with Linux if you're a freelance software developer. You can probably count your customers on two fingers if you draw a 200 mile radius circle around your present location!

However, a web developer will undoubtedly run into Apache and Tomcat all over the place...talking to mySQL or PostGres databases. And why spend the money to license Windows for the server and then turn around and run software which is primarily developed for and runs fantastic on Linux platforms on Windows instead?

 

[WindowsStar]

OK now I m into Linuxmint 9. Changes-- I dont see any. LOL.

Hmm then.

Eh, I'll just install Ubuntu then. At any rate, off to do a joyful install of Windows 7!

For some reason, I find Ubuntu a bit painful. When you eagerly want to play a youtube video, you 1st need to install flash player, IF you want to play an MP3 song, 1st install the necessary codecs, etc. Whereas, Linuxmint is a complete package.

For those reasons you dislike Ubuntu I like, I like a light load of Ubuntu, so if you don't need flash or codecs you don't load them. - IMHO

 

[xarden]

Has anyone used the Linux Media Centre Edition?
Last I tried installing it, I got funky errors when it saw my tv capture card, (Haupaugge DVR4000?) and kept crashing at 97%. Havnt touched it since, and that was about 2 years ago.
So I've heard it does everything from picking up local weather, streaming TV/Radio, remote CCTV...
Wondering if anyone else has had a play with it??