A computer that works

--
JD Austin IV
Cell: 480-231-8312
Twin Geckos Technology Services
http://www.twingeckos.com

>> Face it - most people just want to use a computer
>> that works - they aren't interested in the economics,
>> politics unless/until they are forced to.
>
> 1) Can't back up my files -- image creation chokes on symbolic links.
Why? What are you using besided tar/gz and puting those on tape/cd?

> 2) Unable to get my palm pilot to sync since moving to Linux.
Been doing it for years.. look up jpilot or one of the other palm desktop
equivalents. Only hard part is setting up /dev/pilot (ln -s /dev/????
/dev/pilot).
> 3) (Forget my digital camera)
Cant comment there, if your camera uses USB maybe, otherwise depends on
whether the company that made your camera will release the specs.
I had no problem with most of the USB devices I plugged in or my USB
digital camera.
> 4) Installing a new font takes two pages of instructions.
I assume you had to install the font server/etc, something you do once.
After that you can put new fonts in the font directory/etc.
> 5) Samba is opaque to me. The Win boxes were networked up in 10 minutes.
Samba rules.
> 6) Rpms: dependency hell. Solution: "ignore warnings."
For me, solution.. Use Debian :)
> 7) Mozilla arbitrarily stops communicating with the web.
Are you using a really old version? How old is your version of Mozilla?
Current is version 1.5 (www.mozilla.org).
> 8) I keep System Monitor running so I can kill Nautilus when it hangs.
Thats the great thing about linux :) I don't run KDE,Gnome, Nautilus, or
any other bloated X app :) Try IceWM as your default window manager; if
you have KDE/GNOME installed it will inherit their menu's when you install
it.
> 9) I need deep knowledge of the filesystem in order to install anything.
Windows may be computers for dummies, but if they didn't enforce the
'program files' model you wouldn't know where anything went.
Actually you can install things anywhere you want in linux.. they just
have to be in your path when you try to run them. There are other things
like library path/etc that you need to understand too.
> 10) If I upgrade GNOME to the latest release, would my system get more
> stable or less? Any bets?
If your system is unstable I would examine things a little closer.
Are you swapping?
Look at your logs (/var/log), see any weird errors/etc?
Is your system an off the shelf machine or something from
Dell/Gateway/HP/etc they often cut corners using integrated components
that arent 100% compatible with their off the shelf siblings.
Almost all of the machines I have ever seen running Linux that were
unstable had one of a few conditions:
1) Not enough ram (128M at least if you're going to run KDE/GNOME)
2) Non standard or iffy hardware - cheap windows only devices that shipped
with special drivers. Usually even though it has the same chip as the
original device it isn't quite the same.
3) Iffy ram
4) Siezed fan, Open your computer and check for dust bunnies, make sure
the fans are working.

> 11) Open Office is cheaper -- I'll say that for it.
It works, getting better all the time.
> 12) Formulas in Calc sometimes just refuse to calculate. Unlike their
> more compliant neighbor cells, these prefer staying text. Deal with it.
> 13) Python IDEs are better on Windows.
> 14) How many variations on "cut and paste" do I need to learn? Answer: 1
> (until I moved to Linux).
>
I only use the select/middle-mouse-button method :)
It is annoying that each application can have different key-mappings,
windows has the same issue it just isn't so widely spread. Most windows
developers use their tools and inherit the default window behaviour which
includes the ctl-c ctl-v cut and paste. I still see programs occationally
that don't follow the rules. I remember when F3 meant 'cancel' before
Windows came around, they made it 'find'. Back then ctl-c meant cancel
too (still does under DOS).

> "Most people aren't interested...until they are forced to be" could
> easily be interpreted as imputing laziness to people like me. I think
> that is too simple an interpretation. Why blame anyone for picking up
> the tools they need to get their work done?
>
Very true :) I learned everything I know about linux since 1994 because I
needed to. I can only say it has gotten better and better every year.
Don't give up on linux, although it has a steep learning curve there are
plenty of resources out there to help.

JD