Anyway. I have read the reviews, seen the screen shots, and I think I have a pretty good understanding of what their doing, I just don't think it's worth it. What, you say?
Showing posts with label Windows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2009
Google - Chrome - Chromium OS or whatever its gonna be called
Anyway. I have read the reviews, seen the screen shots, and I think I have a pretty good understanding of what their doing, I just don't think it's worth it. What, you say?
Saturday, November 7, 2009
DROID phone and Other New Tech
Wow it has been a long time since I've done this. Got distracted by a few things. Trying to get back on to new and exciting technology.
First up is the new DRIOD phones, well to be more accurate "Android" based phones. I like 'em so much I ordered myself the Verizon version. They have at least 2, the DROID, and the DROID eris. They have some really cool, and fun apps, like the screen fogger. You start the app and it makes the screen look like it's fogged over. Then you draw on the screen with your finger, you know, like you used to do the storm door or the car windows in the winter when you were a kid. To make the screen "re-fog" you blow in the microphone. Yea, I know stupid, but it's kinda funny. There's a "shotgun" app that simulates using a pump action Shotgun. Then there's a barcode reader app. This thing will read the barcode of a product and then search for prices! COOL! no more wondering if this or that store has the best price when you run up on something in a mall! Those who like to shop will like that one. Google maps, and various other apps I never got to play with. My only bone to pick with Verizon is that they undercut their brick and mortar stores with the instant online rebate if you go to Verizon.com. I think they should let the stores do that as well, 'cause if they did I'd already have mine. I've had bad experiences filling out rebate forms and mailing them in, so I don't do that crap any more. Anyway, more on that when it comes.
First up is the new DRIOD phones, well to be more accurate "Android" based phones. I like 'em so much I ordered myself the Verizon version. They have at least 2, the DROID, and the DROID eris. They have some really cool, and fun apps, like the screen fogger. You start the app and it makes the screen look like it's fogged over. Then you draw on the screen with your finger, you know, like you used to do the storm door or the car windows in the winter when you were a kid. To make the screen "re-fog" you blow in the microphone. Yea, I know stupid, but it's kinda funny. There's a "shotgun" app that simulates using a pump action Shotgun. Then there's a barcode reader app. This thing will read the barcode of a product and then search for prices! COOL! no more wondering if this or that store has the best price when you run up on something in a mall! Those who like to shop will like that one. Google maps, and various other apps I never got to play with. My only bone to pick with Verizon is that they undercut their brick and mortar stores with the instant online rebate if you go to Verizon.com. I think they should let the stores do that as well, 'cause if they did I'd already have mine. I've had bad experiences filling out rebate forms and mailing them in, so I don't do that crap any more. Anyway, more on that when it comes.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Google's garbage had to go
Well, I finally upgraded to Firefox 3. I have been holding out waiting for Google to get off its duff and update the Firefox extensions. If you remember I ranted about this in an earlier post. Well, I finally said forget it. I found out one of my biggest problems with Firefox on Linux was Google's fault!! The toolbar was the problem all along. The problem? I could not open more than 2 Firefox windows without the whole app freezing up on me. I would have to completely shutdown, and restart Firefox to get anywhere else. So, I've rid myself of Google's extensions altogether.
I replaced my Book mark sync with Foxmark, and all my other extensions, except my Favorite theme, work fine with FF3. So, good riddance Google. And yes, if they want to shut me out of mail and blogging I'll go somewhere else with that too. I think its completely bogus that they can come out with a hundred and one new apps every year, and can't be bothered to keep the apps they've won people over to up to date!
On a positive note, I'm finding FF3 to be very fast compared to FF2, and not *that* much different on the appearance and features list. Meaning, if you think you're going to get lost in the new interface don't worry, this isn't MickeySoft and Office2007.
Oh, I haven't blogged in a while because I've done quite well at embarrassing myself with how I handle my bike. I have let it fall over twice now. The first time I'm still not sure it was anything I did, I think there were other factors involved. The second time was just my stupidity, I think. The problem there was by the time I tried to catch the bike (not too far over) my leg said "forget this" and just gave out on me. It has happened twice now, but the first time I wasn't really tilted enough to cause it to fall all the way over. This morning it hurt my leg. I'm not sure the bike got that far off, or whether it was too far I just couldn't believe how my leg reacted. You have to understand my legs have always been my strong point when it came to that sort of thing. I guess being 41, they just aren't going to take it anymore.
I replaced my Book mark sync with Foxmark, and all my other extensions, except my Favorite theme, work fine with FF3. So, good riddance Google. And yes, if they want to shut me out of mail and blogging I'll go somewhere else with that too. I think its completely bogus that they can come out with a hundred and one new apps every year, and can't be bothered to keep the apps they've won people over to up to date!
On a positive note, I'm finding FF3 to be very fast compared to FF2, and not *that* much different on the appearance and features list. Meaning, if you think you're going to get lost in the new interface don't worry, this isn't MickeySoft and Office2007.
Oh, I haven't blogged in a while because I've done quite well at embarrassing myself with how I handle my bike. I have let it fall over twice now. The first time I'm still not sure it was anything I did, I think there were other factors involved. The second time was just my stupidity, I think. The problem there was by the time I tried to catch the bike (not too far over) my leg said "forget this" and just gave out on me. It has happened twice now, but the first time I wasn't really tilted enough to cause it to fall all the way over. This morning it hurt my leg. I'm not sure the bike got that far off, or whether it was too far I just couldn't believe how my leg reacted. You have to understand my legs have always been my strong point when it came to that sort of thing. I guess being 41, they just aren't going to take it anymore.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
New Kubuntu 8.04
There has been some controversy about the latest version of (K/X)Ubuntu. They decided not to tag the Kubuntu part as LTS (Long Term Support) because of the incoming version 4 of KDE. I think it was utterly stupid considering they'll have to take some kind of stand regarding KDE over every variation of Ubuntu if that is truly their stand. The question I have yet to get answered is "What happens if I add KDE to Ubuntu LTS?" Here's the scenario, I have an Ubuntu LTS install straight from the CD. I add all the repositories, and then decide I want to run a KDE 3.5.9 app. What now? I have installed the KDE libraries, and a KDE app, if KDE was the reason the LTS tag was withheld from the Kubuntu variant then I'm now no longer supported long term on my Ubuntu install. I'm sure a business which has set this up is going to love to hear that. If I were them, I'd go to Mandrake, or SUSE, neither of which would have a hard time supporting KDE Long term.
However, since I have no concern about how long its supported, because I'm at home, I upgraded to 8.04. It was very uneventful. Which, I guess, is a good thing. Except for the fact that it tried to force Firefox 3 beta on me. Firefox 3 is going to be a great browser, you can tell that, just like KDE 4 is going to be a great Desktop environment, but not one of my extensions works with it. Google is especially crappy because they talk big and even at times act big, about open source, but don't really seem to follow through. I think the problem is the childish mindset of the company as a whole. They need to grow up, and realize that you can't just keep jumping from this to that and forget the first part, and not support it because your running around trying to whip up the next "cool thing". Anyway, Google needs to get off its behind and get focused on Firefox extensions that equal in number and quality the windoze only extensions. And, oh yes, I haven't said lately just how much I do not like windoze.
Mom and Dad just recently bought a new Dell, and they want me to transfer every thing over from the old PC. The problem is windoze. I wonder at times just how much money and man hours they put into studying and programming user irritation features. The more exposure I have to virus vista the more I love Linux. Once you get past the pretty face it's ugly to the bone! I've got to bring the new box down to the house so I can get things working, and all patched up.
Ahem, back to the Kubuntu saga. Well, I have tried KDE 4 and it lacks so many of the things I really like about KDE that I am steering clear of it for as long as I can. If they were to force me to upgrade or go to Gnome, I'd get used to Gnome. If I'm going to have to work in a way I don't like them I'm going to snub my nose at those who try to force me to do it, and go somewhere else. Kind of like the Bike Dealer who wouldn't sell me a Bandit. I think KDE 4 was released WAY TOO early, and with WAY too many things not even at that level. Good grief your PIM suite isn't even at 4 yet. I understand that they think they've come up with a "better" way to work, but I like the way my desktop is now, and if they can't accept that, I'll find another environment that will. Not to mention that lately all my appointments created on Google calendar are showing up in Kontact an hour OR MORE, off! Evolution doesn't have a problem, my Nokia N810 doesn't have a problem, and even my virus outlook at work doesn't have a problem, and they are all synced. So, I've been looking at Evolution anyway, 'cause I despise the way Thunderbird handles folders that house lists (it doesn't at all without an extension).
So, I'm now on 8.04 and it looks just like 7.10 although I'm sure something under the covers got changed / improved. Oh, I have noticed now that my WiFi light doesn't light up any more. Oh, my wireless is working fine (using it now) but for some reason the WiFi light on my Dell E1705 no longer shines when connected. Oh, well, as long as it works I don't care. Everything else seems to work / not work just as it did before. I'm about to try the VOIP software and see if any of the sound driver's capabilities have improved. (I doubt it).
Well, talk to ya' later.
However, since I have no concern about how long its supported, because I'm at home, I upgraded to 8.04. It was very uneventful. Which, I guess, is a good thing. Except for the fact that it tried to force Firefox 3 beta on me. Firefox 3 is going to be a great browser, you can tell that, just like KDE 4 is going to be a great Desktop environment, but not one of my extensions works with it. Google is especially crappy because they talk big and even at times act big, about open source, but don't really seem to follow through. I think the problem is the childish mindset of the company as a whole. They need to grow up, and realize that you can't just keep jumping from this to that and forget the first part, and not support it because your running around trying to whip up the next "cool thing". Anyway, Google needs to get off its behind and get focused on Firefox extensions that equal in number and quality the windoze only extensions. And, oh yes, I haven't said lately just how much I do not like windoze.
Mom and Dad just recently bought a new Dell, and they want me to transfer every thing over from the old PC. The problem is windoze. I wonder at times just how much money and man hours they put into studying and programming user irritation features. The more exposure I have to virus vista the more I love Linux. Once you get past the pretty face it's ugly to the bone! I've got to bring the new box down to the house so I can get things working, and all patched up.
Ahem, back to the Kubuntu saga. Well, I have tried KDE 4 and it lacks so many of the things I really like about KDE that I am steering clear of it for as long as I can. If they were to force me to upgrade or go to Gnome, I'd get used to Gnome. If I'm going to have to work in a way I don't like them I'm going to snub my nose at those who try to force me to do it, and go somewhere else. Kind of like the Bike Dealer who wouldn't sell me a Bandit. I think KDE 4 was released WAY TOO early, and with WAY too many things not even at that level. Good grief your PIM suite isn't even at 4 yet. I understand that they think they've come up with a "better" way to work, but I like the way my desktop is now, and if they can't accept that, I'll find another environment that will. Not to mention that lately all my appointments created on Google calendar are showing up in Kontact an hour OR MORE, off! Evolution doesn't have a problem, my Nokia N810 doesn't have a problem, and even my virus outlook at work doesn't have a problem, and they are all synced. So, I've been looking at Evolution anyway, 'cause I despise the way Thunderbird handles folders that house lists (it doesn't at all without an extension).
So, I'm now on 8.04 and it looks just like 7.10 although I'm sure something under the covers got changed / improved. Oh, I have noticed now that my WiFi light doesn't light up any more. Oh, my wireless is working fine (using it now) but for some reason the WiFi light on my Dell E1705 no longer shines when connected. Oh, well, as long as it works I don't care. Everything else seems to work / not work just as it did before. I'm about to try the VOIP software and see if any of the sound driver's capabilities have improved. (I doubt it).
Well, talk to ya' later.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
New Ramblings Laptops and Taxes
Wow, that title says alot. Well I have quite a bit I haven't said anything about lately.
I found a donor for a new Laptop! The US Govt., well the IRS to be precise. I don't know about you, but I like tax time. Always have. I struggle through the year, and pay a little bit too much, so that I get a nice refund each spring. I know, I know, you should set your taxes up so you don't have to pay, or get paid so the Govt. doesn't use the interest for free. Well, I have a theory on that. I believe that there's nothing wrong with letting the Government use my money for free for a year! Sorry about all you greedy, bitter people who are more worried about Government waste than you are your own waist. (Both are expanding! HA!) Anyway, I don't mind them getting to use what little extra I pay in a years time, for the ability to have a nice bonus to start each year off with, do you? I've discovered through looking at various interest rates that money would have earned me, and I found out that I have lost no more than 2 dollars a year. That's right, the MOST, I could be giving up is 2 dollars. BIG WHOOPEE! So, for 2 dollars the Govt. holds my money, and processes my paper work, and gives me a nice Check each year. Not a bad deal I don't think. Anyway, I'm getting enough back, along with what I've saved here, there and yonder, to buy a nice laptop. Now if HP would just ship it. :-D. I'll tell ya' about it when it gets here.
The nice thing about the modern age is HTML and XML, and SSL, and all the other L's that make doing your taxes online possible. I tried Turbo tax, and I tried TaxCut. Taxcut will let you run in Linux, if you setup the browser ID to fake being in Windoze. Turbo Tax will allow you to try to get in, but evidently they do something that's very Windows specific this year. Taxcut was very much a pain, very many things changed since last year, and I could never convince it to allow me to remove them. It was trying to get me to file a Schedule C and all that business stuff. However, we never made any money off of any of the business stuff (and didn't spend any in 2006 to make it worth fooling with on taxes) so I just shut the stuff down. Well, Taxcut never asked me if those things were still valid, never asked me how much I made off of them, or anything. However, considering they were in last years TurboTax file, it was determined to error out on it.
So, I go to Turbotax.com (after booting into Windoze YUK) and it works perfectly neting me an extra 500.00 dollars! It allowed me to clear out all the stuff from last year that I didn't want to repeat this year. Needless to say, as soon as the IRS will let me, I'll be e-filing my return and awaiting a direct deposited refund! Gotta love it.
Now, after ordering the New Laptop from HP ( a very nice one at that with [hint] the AMD Dual core TL-60 64 bit proc) I have the misfortune of having to wait. I know, boo hoo. I can hear you now, "you poor slob", "I'm reaching for ya' I just can't get there.", or "I feel your pain". However, I'm not alone in my misery (it does love company you know) my wife is waiting for the hand-me-down crapshiba I'm using now. She's still got full reign over the AMD 3000+ Desktop, with a 19" flat monitor, but now she'll also have this laptop. I don't know how much of a blessing that will be, but if she avoids using firefox 2.0 on Edgy Kubuntu she'll be fine.
By-The-Way: I found out that Firefox 2 is responsible for all the lockups I've had since converting to Edgy and FF2. I've been running Seamonkey for sometime now, and its running without a hitch. (SeaMonkey is Mozilla's latest Browser suite that replaced "Mozilla" proper, and Netscape). The problem is you can't get the Google toolbar to work, or the Forecastfox add-on to work. I really liked both of them. There is some suggestion on the Kubuntu user list that Forecastfox is actually to blame for the lockups which are caused by run away processes. I don't know, 'cause my browser / KDE session would lockup so fast I could never diag the problem. Another problem was that it would lockup so fast that it would never right any error info to any of my logs. That makes it difficult to figure out. Well, everything is fine now. I may try removing forecastfox to see if that helps any. I think forecastfox is a victim of Firefox's poor add-on handling.
Well, anyway that's most of the rambling. I have also found a fairly cool website for IMing in a web browser: Meebo the IM client. Check it out. Its like GAIM for Linux only in a browser.
I found a donor for a new Laptop! The US Govt., well the IRS to be precise. I don't know about you, but I like tax time. Always have. I struggle through the year, and pay a little bit too much, so that I get a nice refund each spring. I know, I know, you should set your taxes up so you don't have to pay, or get paid so the Govt. doesn't use the interest for free. Well, I have a theory on that. I believe that there's nothing wrong with letting the Government use my money for free for a year! Sorry about all you greedy, bitter people who are more worried about Government waste than you are your own waist. (Both are expanding! HA!) Anyway, I don't mind them getting to use what little extra I pay in a years time, for the ability to have a nice bonus to start each year off with, do you? I've discovered through looking at various interest rates that money would have earned me, and I found out that I have lost no more than 2 dollars a year. That's right, the MOST, I could be giving up is 2 dollars. BIG WHOOPEE! So, for 2 dollars the Govt. holds my money, and processes my paper work, and gives me a nice Check each year. Not a bad deal I don't think. Anyway, I'm getting enough back, along with what I've saved here, there and yonder, to buy a nice laptop. Now if HP would just ship it. :-D. I'll tell ya' about it when it gets here.
The nice thing about the modern age is HTML and XML, and SSL, and all the other L's that make doing your taxes online possible. I tried Turbo tax, and I tried TaxCut. Taxcut will let you run in Linux, if you setup the browser ID to fake being in Windoze. Turbo Tax will allow you to try to get in, but evidently they do something that's very Windows specific this year. Taxcut was very much a pain, very many things changed since last year, and I could never convince it to allow me to remove them. It was trying to get me to file a Schedule C and all that business stuff. However, we never made any money off of any of the business stuff (and didn't spend any in 2006 to make it worth fooling with on taxes) so I just shut the stuff down. Well, Taxcut never asked me if those things were still valid, never asked me how much I made off of them, or anything. However, considering they were in last years TurboTax file, it was determined to error out on it.
So, I go to Turbotax.com (after booting into Windoze YUK) and it works perfectly neting me an extra 500.00 dollars! It allowed me to clear out all the stuff from last year that I didn't want to repeat this year. Needless to say, as soon as the IRS will let me, I'll be e-filing my return and awaiting a direct deposited refund! Gotta love it.
Now, after ordering the New Laptop from HP ( a very nice one at that with [hint] the AMD Dual core TL-60 64 bit proc) I have the misfortune of having to wait. I know, boo hoo. I can hear you now, "you poor slob", "I'm reaching for ya' I just can't get there.", or "I feel your pain". However, I'm not alone in my misery (it does love company you know) my wife is waiting for the hand-me-down crapshiba I'm using now. She's still got full reign over the AMD 3000+ Desktop, with a 19" flat monitor, but now she'll also have this laptop. I don't know how much of a blessing that will be, but if she avoids using firefox 2.0 on Edgy Kubuntu she'll be fine.
By-The-Way: I found out that Firefox 2 is responsible for all the lockups I've had since converting to Edgy and FF2. I've been running Seamonkey for sometime now, and its running without a hitch. (SeaMonkey is Mozilla's latest Browser suite that replaced "Mozilla" proper, and Netscape). The problem is you can't get the Google toolbar to work, or the Forecastfox add-on to work. I really liked both of them. There is some suggestion on the Kubuntu user list that Forecastfox is actually to blame for the lockups which are caused by run away processes. I don't know, 'cause my browser / KDE session would lockup so fast I could never diag the problem. Another problem was that it would lockup so fast that it would never right any error info to any of my logs. That makes it difficult to figure out. Well, everything is fine now. I may try removing forecastfox to see if that helps any. I think forecastfox is a victim of Firefox's poor add-on handling.
Well, anyway that's most of the rambling. I have also found a fairly cool website for IMing in a web browser: Meebo the IM client. Check it out. Its like GAIM for Linux only in a browser.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Tired of Fighting P2
Ok, Now that my pressure for other activities has past I want to follow up.
Some year or so ago I used SUSE, and back then, (as I assume now) there was the big argument about MP3 players. Well, I got tired of the argument then too. Here's the rant I never sent to the mailing list:
'<'terribly irritated person beginning useless rant'>'
To be honest I'm getting tired of fighting all this crap. I'm tired of fighting the Linux drivers to keep my network up because I can't use the native drivers without locking my system up. I'm tired of seeing black menus and having to reverse engineer packages to make them look proper, and reverse engineer the icon directories and index files because some extra package decided to blow them away. I'm tired of lame license / legal excuses for not having basic MP3 and DVD playing support. Its not just SUSE its all of them. Linux isn't any better than windows for one simple reason: PROBLEMS are problems even if they are different!
I may not have any viruses in Linux, but God knows I have had a multitude of other stupid problems to fight that I could have avoided altogether on windows. Windows Crashes, but so far I'm not seeing any better on Linux. EVERYTIME I shutdown KDE I get the old crash window that I also have to close. Uptime? Whenever I mention it in a local user group I get excuses (usually related to security and patches) as to why their boxes haven't been up for more than 2 months! Which is no better than the Windows servers I support. Patches? I'm constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY, getting notices from Novell and SUSE about patches, no better than windows there. Cost? My time trying to get Linux running at all is equal to or greater than the time I spend fixing a windows problem.
Someone tell me PLEASE that there is a version and/or distro of linux that just runs! WHY, pray tell, do I have to add a special repository to keep Gnucash up to date on SUSE 10 and cannot rather just download the stupid thing from gnucash?? Why do I have to spend so freaking much time resolving hardware and software dependencies? Last of all, WHY can't I run "setup" to install an application, ANY application? You want to know why people don't flock to Linux? Because its just as time consuming, just as costly, and just as big a pain in the butt as every other operating system!! Just because it don't have problem x doesn't mean it doesn't have problem y!
The real problem here is that I can't stand MS crap, and would LOVE to see Linux do great! I think linux has the potential to make every other OS bite the dust, and is great simply because it gives you choice and freedom. I love it because I can make it what I want, not what some vendor wants for me. Also because I know that many of the hardware (and software) issues aren't
Linux's problem. I know that Hardware vendors will not support Linux fully, if at all, and I know that MS writes crap just so that no one else can work with it. What I don't understand, and what I know is inherent in Linux is the lack of a simple setup executable that prompts me for information and copies the files where I want it. NO I will not accept the HORRIBLY long rpm
commandline to relocate files as an excuse, or "work around" for this lack. I downloaded the citrix client just the other day, and ran install.sh, and guess what? It installed, (ie copied) all the files to the location I specified, and ran. It was a completely distro agnostic install routine! figure that! Why continue to propogate these "package managers" as "cool" or useful? They are neither if you are a software developer!
here's how to fix this:
1. Create a software products repository of some kind (similar to the registry in windows but only for a list of what's installed).
2. Create a software installer that checks that list for things that it needs, asks the user basic questions about where and for who, etc., and copies the files and modifies configs appropriately.
3. Create a central (single) icon directory and icon format that doesn't require a complicated index, and forty subdirectories and voodoo to make work!
4. Create a driver interface api (or whatever the equivalent is these days) so vendors DON'T have to GPL their trade secrets (if its not already there) and a driver install routine that doesn't require making sacrifices on a full moon.
There you have it. The four things I KNOW, absolutely KNOW, will make linux the 21st Century operating system of choice! If someone were to do this Linux would become the OS you could go to Wal-Mart and buy applications for off-the-shelf!!!! Yes I said buy, I don't think its of the devil to get paid for your work. I'm just glad there are highly skilled volunteers who do such
good work for nothing.
'<''/'END terribly irritated person's useless rant'>'
Well, that was in November of 2005. Guess what? Little has changed. KDE has become more stable, and I understand the DVD issues a little better, but little else is any different. Firefox on Edgy in Kubuntu, constantly locks up. OpenOffice.org crashes on occasion just because I logged in! I can't get VNC to work, Wireless is useless on the Thinkpad because the hacked broadcom drivers don't support WPA or LEAP. Some of this is NOT the fault of Linux, or any of ITS programmers. I also know, please don't write ranting on me, that these guys do what the do for free on some occasions. I know too that Sun, Novell, IBM, RedHat, and others pay Open Source developers, so there not all volunteers.
I also want to tip my hat to all those guys who work hard, and aren't whiners. I have read and heard about several of them, and I say may God bless them! However, those who think we should bow to their feet and just live with whatever they put out because they're putting it out for free need a good dose of reality! I don't like using crappy software, even if it is free.
Anyway, enough ranting. My irritation subsided, I'll go back and figure out how to fix my problems.
Oh, I was going to mention Alien.
Here's the deal. Back in OpenOffice.org 1.x there was this GREAT setup routine, that would work no matter what distribution you tried it on. (I used it on Debian, SUSE, and Mandrake). Then Some LOSER at Sun dictated going to package management, and dumping the installer. There was no explanation given, there was no rationale behind it, as I asked several times on the OOo lists. So, now users are required to know how to install with RPM. If you don't use RPM sorry about your luck! The problem with using Alien on something like OOo is that there are several things that just don't get done. Like, Mime type updates, icons for the desktop etc. Not only that but if you use a debian based distro you lose the ability to stay up to date on other dependencies. And, Finally, you have to jump through a hundred hoops read pages of howtos to do something that should be as easy as starting "setup"!!!! WHY DO WE MAKE THINGS HARD ON PEOPLE and then turn around and get mad at them for complaining that we've made it hard on them!?!?! The best justification for this on the OOo list I could ever get was, "its free so you should just be glad you have it." Whoop-de-freakin'-do! I'm sure that'll cause a lot of MS Office users to convert, don't you?
Some year or so ago I used SUSE, and back then, (as I assume now) there was the big argument about MP3 players. Well, I got tired of the argument then too. Here's the rant I never sent to the mailing list:
'<'terribly irritated person beginning useless rant'>'
To be honest I'm getting tired of fighting all this crap. I'm tired of fighting the Linux drivers to keep my network up because I can't use the native drivers without locking my system up. I'm tired of seeing black menus and having to reverse engineer packages to make them look proper, and reverse engineer the icon directories and index files because some extra package decided to blow them away. I'm tired of lame license / legal excuses for not having basic MP3 and DVD playing support. Its not just SUSE its all of them. Linux isn't any better than windows for one simple reason: PROBLEMS are problems even if they are different!
I may not have any viruses in Linux, but God knows I have had a multitude of other stupid problems to fight that I could have avoided altogether on windows. Windows Crashes, but so far I'm not seeing any better on Linux. EVERYTIME I shutdown KDE I get the old crash window that I also have to close. Uptime? Whenever I mention it in a local user group I get excuses (usually related to security and patches) as to why their boxes haven't been up for more than 2 months! Which is no better than the Windows servers I support. Patches? I'm constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY, getting notices from Novell and SUSE about patches, no better than windows there. Cost? My time trying to get Linux running at all is equal to or greater than the time I spend fixing a windows problem.
Someone tell me PLEASE that there is a version and/or distro of linux that just runs! WHY, pray tell, do I have to add a special repository to keep Gnucash up to date on SUSE 10 and cannot rather just download the stupid thing from gnucash?? Why do I have to spend so freaking much time resolving hardware and software dependencies? Last of all, WHY can't I run "setup" to install an application, ANY application? You want to know why people don't flock to Linux? Because its just as time consuming, just as costly, and just as big a pain in the butt as every other operating system!! Just because it don't have problem x doesn't mean it doesn't have problem y!
The real problem here is that I can't stand MS crap, and would LOVE to see Linux do great! I think linux has the potential to make every other OS bite the dust, and is great simply because it gives you choice and freedom. I love it because I can make it what I want, not what some vendor wants for me. Also because I know that many of the hardware (and software) issues aren't
Linux's problem. I know that Hardware vendors will not support Linux fully, if at all, and I know that MS writes crap just so that no one else can work with it. What I don't understand, and what I know is inherent in Linux is the lack of a simple setup executable that prompts me for information and copies the files where I want it. NO I will not accept the HORRIBLY long rpm
commandline to relocate files as an excuse, or "work around" for this lack. I downloaded the citrix client just the other day, and ran install.sh, and guess what? It installed, (ie copied) all the files to the location I specified, and ran. It was a completely distro agnostic install routine! figure that! Why continue to propogate these "package managers" as "cool" or useful? They are neither if you are a software developer!
here's how to fix this:
1. Create a software products repository of some kind (similar to the registry in windows but only for a list of what's installed).
2. Create a software installer that checks that list for things that it needs, asks the user basic questions about where and for who, etc., and copies the files and modifies configs appropriately.
3. Create a central (single) icon directory and icon format that doesn't require a complicated index, and forty subdirectories and voodoo to make work!
4. Create a driver interface api (or whatever the equivalent is these days) so vendors DON'T have to GPL their trade secrets (if its not already there) and a driver install routine that doesn't require making sacrifices on a full moon.
There you have it. The four things I KNOW, absolutely KNOW, will make linux the 21st Century operating system of choice! If someone were to do this Linux would become the OS you could go to Wal-Mart and buy applications for off-the-shelf!!!! Yes I said buy, I don't think its of the devil to get paid for your work. I'm just glad there are highly skilled volunteers who do such
good work for nothing.
'<''/'END terribly irritated person's useless rant'>'
Well, that was in November of 2005. Guess what? Little has changed. KDE has become more stable, and I understand the DVD issues a little better, but little else is any different. Firefox on Edgy in Kubuntu, constantly locks up. OpenOffice.org crashes on occasion just because I logged in! I can't get VNC to work, Wireless is useless on the Thinkpad because the hacked broadcom drivers don't support WPA or LEAP. Some of this is NOT the fault of Linux, or any of ITS programmers. I also know, please don't write ranting on me, that these guys do what the do for free on some occasions. I know too that Sun, Novell, IBM, RedHat, and others pay Open Source developers, so there not all volunteers.
I also want to tip my hat to all those guys who work hard, and aren't whiners. I have read and heard about several of them, and I say may God bless them! However, those who think we should bow to their feet and just live with whatever they put out because they're putting it out for free need a good dose of reality! I don't like using crappy software, even if it is free.
Anyway, enough ranting. My irritation subsided, I'll go back and figure out how to fix my problems.
Oh, I was going to mention Alien.
Here's the deal. Back in OpenOffice.org 1.x there was this GREAT setup routine, that would work no matter what distribution you tried it on. (I used it on Debian, SUSE, and Mandrake). Then Some LOSER at Sun dictated going to package management, and dumping the installer. There was no explanation given, there was no rationale behind it, as I asked several times on the OOo lists. So, now users are required to know how to install with RPM. If you don't use RPM sorry about your luck! The problem with using Alien on something like OOo is that there are several things that just don't get done. Like, Mime type updates, icons for the desktop etc. Not only that but if you use a debian based distro you lose the ability to stay up to date on other dependencies. And, Finally, you have to jump through a hundred hoops read pages of howtos to do something that should be as easy as starting "setup"!!!! WHY DO WE MAKE THINGS HARD ON PEOPLE and then turn around and get mad at them for complaining that we've made it hard on them!?!?! The best justification for this on the OOo list I could ever get was, "its free so you should just be glad you have it." Whoop-de-freakin'-do! I'm sure that'll cause a lot of MS Office users to convert, don't you?
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
First Blog Post
Well, Here it is. I've decided to put this up because so much happens you want to communicate about, but never have a central place to put it. So, here it is.
There are some things most folks need to know.
1. I'm a Baptist Minister. I was saved in Mainz, Germany in Sept. of 1986 in an Independent Baptist Church called Calvary, while I was in the Army. Since then, I have been ordained as a Southern Baptist Minister, and currently pastor Missionary Ridge Baptist Church in BonAqua, TN.
2. I'm a Sr. System Engineer. I have been professionally employed since 1993, and I've used everything from DOS 3 to Linux 2.6. I have experience in Windows (3.1 - 2003 Server), OS/2 3 - 4, NetWare (3.1x - 6.5 OES), eDirectory, GroupWise (4.1c - 6.5), AIX (5L), Tivoli Storage Manager (ADSM 3 to TSM 5.3), RedHat, Debian, and Kubuntu (most recent).
3. I'm a Veteran! I served in the US Army for 3 years as a Chinook Mechanic, Stationed in Mainz-Finton (205th Avn) for most of my time. I did Basic at Ft. Dix, NJ, and AIT at Ft. Eustis (Charlie Company) (Even Uncle Sam Thinks It Sucks). I called it Fort Useless. Needless to say I think people who don't appreciate the freedom we have in this country should take a long walk off a short pier!
What this means is that When I post about Religion or life, it'll come from a Baptist perspective. If you don't like that, TOUGH! I am who I am, and by the grace of God I'll get over it one day in glory. I'm NOT going to argue with anyone about what I believe. I'll state my opinions as such, but when I believe its not my opinion I'll state it that way as well. Either way, if you don't like it, go somewhere else. I say that because there are too many good places for you to go and enjoy yourself rather than get frustrated trying to "correct" me.
I believe the Bible IS the Word of God, for English speaking folks I believe that is found in the King James Version (1769 ed.). However, as you'll find out I'm looking at an updated version that has great promise! Because I believe that, I also believe it is without error, and is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice. God said it, that settles it, and I believe it.
I believe Salvation is by Grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone! Jesus Christ's work on the cross was all I needed to find forgiveness and full salvation. Repentance and Belief are required as "fruits of faith" however, neither the prayer, nor any other action in and of itself has saving grace, neither does Baptism, Communion, nor any other Religious Rite or Ceremony.
Now, on to Technology, (don't want to reveal too much all at once :-).
I'm a Linux fan. I run it on my Home PCs as the primary OS. I've been running it that way since a little after Y2K, I think I finally converted everything over in about 2002. Yes Linux IS ready for the Desktop. I've used SUSE, Debian, Mandrake (now Mandriva), and currently run Kubuntu Edgy.
I believe in Freedom, and that's why I run it. I also enjoy the extremely reduced chance of getting a virus, or malware app on my PCs. That, along with the reliability and cost of Linux, make it a no brainer in my book.
I use OpenOffice.org for my daily Office Suite needs, BibleTime 1.6 for my Bible Study application, along with some WebSites (I'll hopefully get around to posting all the links when I get this BLogging thing figured out).
I'm not a die-hard, its gotta be completely open source, kinda guy. If I could get the proprietary ATI Driver to work on my Laptop, I'd probably use it. However, because Toshiba's STINK really badly, I use the ati driver. OH, did I mention that I think Toshiba's laptops are HORRIBLE? Ok, I thought I had.
Last of all, I don't like Windows. Yes, I'm an MCSE (NT 4), however its not up to date, and wasn't really my thing to start with.
Well, that's enough for now. I've definitely got more to say. Especially after seeing the moms who are so careless with their children! ARGGGHH!
Well, I'll write more later.
There are some things most folks need to know.
1. I'm a Baptist Minister. I was saved in Mainz, Germany in Sept. of 1986 in an Independent Baptist Church called Calvary, while I was in the Army. Since then, I have been ordained as a Southern Baptist Minister, and currently pastor Missionary Ridge Baptist Church in BonAqua, TN.
2. I'm a Sr. System Engineer. I have been professionally employed since 1993, and I've used everything from DOS 3 to Linux 2.6. I have experience in Windows (3.1 - 2003 Server), OS/2 3 - 4, NetWare (3.1x - 6.5 OES), eDirectory, GroupWise (4.1c - 6.5), AIX (5L), Tivoli Storage Manager (ADSM 3 to TSM 5.3), RedHat, Debian, and Kubuntu (most recent).
3. I'm a Veteran! I served in the US Army for 3 years as a Chinook Mechanic, Stationed in Mainz-Finton (205th Avn) for most of my time. I did Basic at Ft. Dix, NJ, and AIT at Ft. Eustis (Charlie Company) (Even Uncle Sam Thinks It Sucks). I called it Fort Useless. Needless to say I think people who don't appreciate the freedom we have in this country should take a long walk off a short pier!
What this means is that When I post about Religion or life, it'll come from a Baptist perspective. If you don't like that, TOUGH! I am who I am, and by the grace of God I'll get over it one day in glory. I'm NOT going to argue with anyone about what I believe. I'll state my opinions as such, but when I believe its not my opinion I'll state it that way as well. Either way, if you don't like it, go somewhere else. I say that because there are too many good places for you to go and enjoy yourself rather than get frustrated trying to "correct" me.
I believe the Bible IS the Word of God, for English speaking folks I believe that is found in the King James Version (1769 ed.). However, as you'll find out I'm looking at an updated version that has great promise! Because I believe that, I also believe it is without error, and is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice. God said it, that settles it, and I believe it.
I believe Salvation is by Grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone! Jesus Christ's work on the cross was all I needed to find forgiveness and full salvation. Repentance and Belief are required as "fruits of faith" however, neither the prayer, nor any other action in and of itself has saving grace, neither does Baptism, Communion, nor any other Religious Rite or Ceremony.
Now, on to Technology, (don't want to reveal too much all at once :-).
I'm a Linux fan. I run it on my Home PCs as the primary OS. I've been running it that way since a little after Y2K, I think I finally converted everything over in about 2002. Yes Linux IS ready for the Desktop. I've used SUSE, Debian, Mandrake (now Mandriva), and currently run Kubuntu Edgy.
I believe in Freedom, and that's why I run it. I also enjoy the extremely reduced chance of getting a virus, or malware app on my PCs. That, along with the reliability and cost of Linux, make it a no brainer in my book.
I use OpenOffice.org for my daily Office Suite needs, BibleTime 1.6 for my Bible Study application, along with some WebSites (I'll hopefully get around to posting all the links when I get this BLogging thing figured out).
I'm not a die-hard, its gotta be completely open source, kinda guy. If I could get the proprietary ATI Driver to work on my Laptop, I'd probably use it. However, because Toshiba's STINK really badly, I use the ati driver. OH, did I mention that I think Toshiba's laptops are HORRIBLE? Ok, I thought I had.
Last of all, I don't like Windows. Yes, I'm an MCSE (NT 4), however its not up to date, and wasn't really my thing to start with.
Well, that's enough for now. I've definitely got more to say. Especially after seeing the moms who are so careless with their children! ARGGGHH!
Well, I'll write more later.
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