Discussion on:

Linux: The big misconceptions

I love the IDEA of Linux. I use it on personal, redundant systems for its reliability and because it's simply very robust. In the business world, learning curve = $$. The reality is that OS's like Windows and OS X are the standard at this point. As a developer, MS makes it very attractive to use Visual Studio because of it's ease of use.

It seems that most people (average computer users) are not really aware of the choices they have. You see a bunch of Apple and Microsoft commercials and ads. In stores the systems come preinstalled with OSX and Windows. You have to ask or inquire about Linux and even then you most likely still get a machine with Windows installed on it. Let's take someone who has heard of Linux and actually wants to investigate what it can do and if it's right for them. They have to do some work, by searching and finding various distributions, each with different choices, learn new lingo, etc. it can soon become overwhelming. With Mac and Windows you are guided down a path to a destination (marketing), with Linux you have to be a seeker that wants to find your own path.

Looking back to the days of punch-cards, it seems like everyone has gotten "soft" and "spoiled." I resisted switching over to "Windows" years ago, complaining that it was just a fancy "overlay" running on top of DOS. Well - it was! As a few months passed, Windows became the norm. We all cussed about the "limitations" - and I still do. What people seem to forget is we all had to learn Windows. If you look at the first sentence, you can tell that when I was taking Comp-Sci, Bill Gates hadn't thought of Windows yet.

I've been using Ubuntu for a few months on a machine I've got next to my Windows machine (I still have to use Windows for AutoCAD because I need speed & efficiency - plus, I've never looked to see if there's a version that runs under a Linux distribution - I'm too cheap - and lazy.)

I have worked through "interfaces" that allow me to use a Linux machine in a Windows environment - not too difficult once you start digging. I have found that Gnome is as easy to use as Windows desktop - just "different." People complaining about applications and installation haven't used a Linux machine enough - it's really very easy.

I don't have to worry about Microsoft screwing up Windows anymore. I'm running XP and AutoCAD on one machine and don't need it for anything else. Open Office will run spreadsheets with Excel macros with no problem...

Try it, you'll like it!

Update: I installed WINE on the Ubuntu machine and am now able to run Autocad on it. Since it's a Windows emulator, it's not as "smooth" as a native Windows machine but it seems to work well. I wouldn't use it for productivity but could use it in a pinch, if necessary.

Update: 10/25/12 - I installed "Synergy" on a "Windows XP" machine and an "Ubuntu" machine - two monitors, two boxes (1) Keyboard (1) mouse. Works exactly like an external monitor on a laptop or a dual monitor setup - or like a KVM switch without the 'delay.' You just have to be on the same 'network...'

I learned Windows years ago, picked up some Apple, and came into Linux/Unixa few years ago. I think that at the heart of the matter, is that Linux allows you more choices over the closed platforms. I think all 3 OS's will do most of what you want, it is just that there way of going about it are different. I think that most people are one or the other because that is what they know. I think Linux is a bit different because a lot of people, like myself, become converts after being told for so many years that there is only 1 way, when in reality, there are many ways.This issue is also on the smart phones as well.

I think Apple does a great job of making things easy, pretty, and idiot proof. Microsoft does allow for a bit customization, and delivers a solid product that has given most of us on this site jobs. Linux has it's pluses and minus.
The big plus is you have as many choices as there are available, or you can create. The biggest minus is there is not one major company that pushes the product to the masses to let them know they do have a choice.

Linux needs a Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. Where is our open source savior?

There are many forums but no spokesperson. Any volunteers? I'm not smart enough to figure this one out...

I do agree with the concept of the Ford, Chevy, Dodge argument. However, many make their choices based on familiarity and ease of getting help. That being said, it becomes even more important for Linux to make more than a 1% or 2% inroad into the OS marketplace. A number of applications that I wish to use simply will not be available to me on Linux. That leaves me with the decision on whether for my necessary work (not play and education), I wish to deal with different OS'es. Sad to say, I usually don't. Hence, I end up in the MS Windows fold, which may not be my first choice if not for the application dilemma.

choices are pretty much the same, based on familiarity and ease of getting help. Plus once you own one, you want to defend your choice.

...a prerequisite to switching was to begin following this rule: when all else is equal, choose cross-platform, and if all else is still equal, choose open source. I began this process about two years before a very screwed up XP partition led me to start considering reinstalling XP, installing Win7, or installing Linux (the time cost would be the same since I was going to need to reinstall the OS and all applications one way or the other). Since I'd begun replacing software two years prior, by this time a large amount of the software I was using was already cross-platform, which made switching very easy with minimal impact. I was actually more locked into a .Net scheduling program than I thought (didn't run right on Linux and wouldn't export my data in a standard format) so I ran it side by side with a replacement using VirtualBox for three months until I didn't need its data anymore. For the smaller stuff like optical disk burning software and the like Linux had plenty of comparable or better alternatives to what I was using so that wasn't an issue either. Investing the time into removing vendor lock-in is a very worthwhile investment. Sooner or later every piece of software needs to be replaced (it gets upgraded, discontinued, bought out, no longer suits your needs, incompatible with something else, etc.) and you're going to pay the vendor lock-in price then, perhaps with little warning. Beginning now to pay it upfront (and factoring in lock-in removal cost when making any future software decisions) will pay dividends later on. In my case, I ultimately chose Linux and got just about all of the features of Win7 vs. XP plus all of the major features in Windows 8 two years earlier for free. I also get to avoid the Metro mess and the uncertainty a lot of Windows developers find themselves in over MS changing preferred programming interfaces again and whether things like Silverlight still have a future, not to mention the Metro software store lock-in (or out depending on how you look at it).

Well, Gates and Jobs were Chairmen/CEO types. When you speak of "Linux," there's no equivalent here. You're not talking about a company. Moreover though, you're not just talking about an OS either, but really an entire culture -- and an extremely fragmented one at that. There is no unifying entity around whom/which all factions can rally.

Linus Torvalds himself would be the obvious choice, except for the simple fact that when the young Finnish student decided create this new operating system kernel, it was FREE -- a personal project -- just a hobby. He's the titular "head" of Linux, but no more than the Queen of England is the British sovereign authority. He has a job, and it's not at Linux, Inc. His bottom line is not impacted by sales of Linux.

I suppose Richard Stallman would tell you he is the one true saviour of open-source, but a self-made proclamation and a neckbeard do not a messiah make. I mean, sure he has a cool monogrammatic moniker and a foundation, but he wields no real power.

People listened to Gates and Jobs because they were both charming & geek-chic in their own quirky ways, and yet they were both very shrewd, cut-throat businessmen that took their shareholders along on a fantastic voyage to the top. Every geek wanted to be them, and their names became ubiquitous in every household.

Ubuntu's Shuttleworth is probably the closest candidate for the saviour job right now. He's pretty enough, but Unity and the Trinity are entirely different concepts...

The real problem is that the landscape has wholly changed, and as it stands, we'll never see an "open source saviour," per se. In our brave new Goog-Tube-Face-Twit-Amaz-ulu-Wiki-flix-Bing-hoo!-world of 140 characters or less, I don't think our culture as a whole has the attention span to devote to a single saviour.

No, if you want an industry-defining savior, you have to follow the money. Make no mistake, that is where the cult of personality is born. By it's very nature, however, "open-source" is decentralized and moneyless.

Ergo, there is no single eye of this hurricane from whence a savior shall arise. Sorry, but there will never be one single Linux distro to rule them all because it would inadvertently have to become a proprietary platform, and that whole GPL thing kinda throws a gorilla-sized monkey wrench in that.

As for me, I neither want nor need an "Open-Source Saviour." I'm a man who knows a thing or two, you know what Im saying? I'm Oppan Gangnam style...

if you want.

...some of Linux's spokespeople are really detriments. Richard Stallman appears to have Aspergers, obsesses over word definitions, trashes Steve Jobs before the man is buried, is an uncompromising extremist, etc. He's very smart, but a horrible spokesperson. Linux Torvalds is also very smart and occasionally says some very wise things. By his own admission he's a man of few words though, and often those words are four-letter tirades against someone. Recently he suggested the OpenSUSE security team should "go kill themselves" and also said "F*** you, NVidia!" with a raised middle finger during an interview. No, Linus is a smart and wise man who also lacks communication skills and never attempts to temper his speech. He's rather like Joe Biden in that respect, of whom it's said that you'll always know what he's thinking... because he's just said it.

Stephen Fry the actor/comedian/author is using Linux and once made a video for its anniversary and could probably make a very charming spokesperson. I also wish we could sway Steve Wozniak over to our side... he recently revealed that he fought at Apple to make/keep things more open, but lost.

that has to be an issue with his upbringing as he's a lot more obsessive than most people with Aspergers.

Edit to add - if you want someone who's obsessive, look at Gates and his desire to have Total Vendor Lock-in and how he's gone about working it in by stealth and lies over the last 20 years

...although a lot of GNU groupies refuse to admit that there's anything wrong with Stallman's behavior. I prefer to think of MS-era Gates as "ruthless" rather than "obsessive". But now that he's turning that ruthlessness against malaria I'm all for it.

Several of my units are set up dual-boot with Linux in various (mostly UBUNTU 12.4) flavors. It is my 'safety - net' for when (not 'if') MS goes 'belly-up'. Yes, Linux reads everything that is 'MS' although the reverse is not necessarily true. My Acer netbook is set up dual-boot Win 7 Ult / UBUNTU 12.4 on individual partitions. After everything is up and running, No Sweat.
BUT: Getting there is 99% of the battle. After numerous installs on numerous units I'm still insecure on the initial set-up and I would really like to see a basic checklist for this. (1) Download & burn to CD/DVD/USB-'stick' the ISO of the distribution you want. (2) Prep the Hard Drive - Create separate partition for Linux - Min size and format with what? (ext-4?) and also create a Linux 'Swap' partition (what size). (3) what are these 'SDA' things, etc.? (4) Having completed this, (with numerous 'boo = boo's'), Installation of Linux itself is usually fairly simple. (5) (Finally) on boot-up, you are confronted with a 'boot menu' (GRUB). The first (and default) choice is Linux. You can 'Arrow' (NOT Mouse) to other options. (Windows, etc.). My challenge here is, Can I edit the GRUB Menu? i.e,, Can I move Windows to the default position? Can I delete unwanted lines? Can I add false or misleading data (honey-pot)? (6) One of the really great things in UBUNTU (& other distro's) is the multiple screen feature. You can do different stuff on different screens. With 12.4, however, the multiple screen selector moved from the 'Task Bar?' to the selection panel on the left side. This is (IMHO) very difficult to use (hard to get to). Also, how do we edit the content and position of the items on that left selection panel? This is really a sticking point in daily use.
Jack, these and other comments from other readers should give you fodder for many new articles for the next year. - Have a good day, and thanks for the article.

We'll have a replacement already in use, until we have that replacement in use, MS is not even close to belly-up, regardless of what they do.

I am a little curious as to why you consider converting someone to Linux a win. Do you feel they really get an environment that serves their needs better, or is it just that you are a Linux bigot, or perhaps an anti-Microsoft bigot.

The fact that Linux is free is wonderful but the cost of the hardware that most people use far outweighs the cost of a desktop copy of Windows which is usually bundled into the cost of the machine. So to me the thing that matters most, and always has, is helping someone get the most use and/or enjoyment from their system regardless of the OS running on it. My use of Linux finds nothing in it that makes it better than Windows, the newer are also not worse, especially for someone that already knows how to use Windows.

If I find someone with a machine that doesn't have or can't find a legal copy of Windows and or the machine is a little older so maybe Linux will run better and I think Linux will serve their needs I will put one of the Linux distros on the machine for them. But not to win another Linux convert rather to serve the needs of my user.

OK Linux fan-boys have at it, flame me and eat me up to blow off steam that I dared to talk against your beloved OS.

or even anti-Microsoft if you wish, it is a personal choice.

But as a hardened Linux user myself I'd have to agree with Jack. Anyone converted from a Windows system is a win, simply because they are being given something that will do what they need. Not even sold something that might, but given.

Linux can do anything the hardware can do, where Windows can only do what its currently programmed for. Unless you can buy a program to increase its abilities, thats all there is with Windows, and programs are only produced if it's worth it financially. There is a lot of open source software for Windows, yes, but it still can only do what Windows can do, and that is not negotiable like it is with Linux.

Linux on the other hand is designed to be customised for free, and there are many, many specialised distros out there if a general one wont fit the bill. Some are written simply because one person needs a feature that doesnt exist anywhere else - that doesnt happen if its proprietary, ever.

I love Linux, because my work is highly experimental and Windows just wont let me poke around in my computer's guts to make things work better. Linux lets me, its that simple.

There is however one exception, which is the likes of our dear Loverock, who has no need for Linux whatsoever. If a person is happily entrenched with Windows, and all they ever do is Windows things, then trying to convert them is, well, pointless.

If Windows already does what they (or I) need, why bother? Why spend the time rebuilding a functional system?

Linux may be customizable for free, but no neophyte user has the skills necessary to do so. Sure, they could pay someone else, but they could also pay someone to develop a custom Windows app too.

I often read Loverock, just to see what nonsense he's going to spout next.

Its not just the time, you've paid for the license you might as well use it.

But it does come to a point where you might as well spend the money on getting what you need from Linux, when it comes to it. And you only have to do it once, with Windows you'll be paying for a new version AND a rewrite to go with it. Every few years...

Thats if Windows does whatever it is you're asking. A Windows program is a series of calls to Windows routines, and if there isnt a Microsoft endorsed routine to do it, you are boned. Long gone are the days where you could run unsigned code on bare metal unless you take very deliberate steps to circumvent Windows itself.

Linux CAN be completely free (of charge), but a professional system will usually cost something. There arent any free lunches...

usually done instead of a total rebuild of a totally crashed Windows system - thus it's NOT doing what they want at the time I convert it. In a way it's a bad option as the people I convert only every call me back when they want me to upgrade some hardware, instead of every few months to fix another virus or software stuff up like the Windows clients do.

>If Windows already does what they (or I) need, why bother? Why spend
>the time rebuilding a functional system?

The anthropic principle... of course Windows does all you need it to do now or you wouldn't be using it. But that doesn't mean it's doing all the things you originally wanted it to do.

There are many intrinsic benefits to Linux including increased security, much smaller target vector for malware, and the last remaining major desktop OS that retains user control over the system once Windows 8 and its Metro app store hits. It has a more rapid cycle of development that leads to new technologies being adopted earlier (for instance, no native USB 3 drivers in Windows 7, which can make install on a nettop or thin client quite a pain). It can access many different disk file systems, leading to increased compatibility in the multi-device, multi-platform world we increasingly find ourselves in. Thanks to package management one tool can update not only the OS but all the software on the system. Drivers are present in the kernel and the users don't need to hunt for them either, nor do they need to wait once a month for security updates. Resource use is lower, an effect even more enhanced by not needing to run real-time virus scanners. Tom's Hardware found a system running Ubuntu and the ext4 file system could copy large files around the hard drive a whopping 20% faster than the same system running Win7 and NTFS. Every Linux system is inherently multi-user without needing to purchase a server edition. One doesn't need to run an "ultimate" edition of Linux to get necessary features like full disk encryption (vital for laptops). Users can run portable versions of their systems from flash drives (legally) and not worry about a change in their hardware requiring product re-activation or using their OS disk to make virtual machines. In fact, because the drivers are in the kernel, they can often make radical changes to their hardware and expect the system to boot back up nicely, something impossible with Windows.

That's just a few things off the top of my head without even getting into issues of choice and customization.

Linux doesn't erect a walled garden. There's nothing holding you back from doing what you wish (even dangerous or destructive things). When I was evaluating Windows 7 vs. Linux I tried installing Win7 to a separate hard drive. It kept failing and telling me there was no room on the drive even though the drive was empty. I did some homework and found out what was happening. Since I wasn't installing to the boot drive, Win7 decided without telling me to create a boot partition on the primary drive. I did NOT want to do that, as it would mess up the existing system on that drive. Fortunately there were no more free primary partitions left, causing the failure. I needed to temporarily change the boot order of the drives to "trick" Windows into installing onto the second drive. A poor soul with the same problem needed to open his case and disconnect the main drive to get Windows to install where he wanted it!
When I installed Linux, it saw what I was doing, told me it might lead to an unbootable system, and then ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO DO IT ANYWAY. That was the moment I began to understand what Linux was all about. The install also gave me the option of not installing any file it had selected for install or adding others. It displayed a list of every single thing it intended to do before beginning and gave me the opportunity to change any of them. It even helpfully highlighted possible destructive changes in red. The difference between this and the Win7 install (no customization, no clue what was going on, no respect for my own wishes, the belief it knew better than me) was day and night. Linux had me sold at the INSTALL process as the better operating system before I even got to a desktop.

A system that doesn't presume to think for the end user and lets one go as far as their desire, effort and imagination take them is a boon for any user. Windows is only going to get more radically locked down in Windows 8, including forced use of Metro and the prevention of any Metro apps being installed any way other than the new Microsoft software store... which of course has in place an additional set of restrictions on the type of software they'll sell, what licenses can be used, how the programs need to behave (e.g. start up in 2 seconds or less), etc. Keeping control of one's system in the hands of the user should be something we should be promoting to everyone. Corey Doctorow put it correctly in the title of a recent talk of his: "The Coming War Against General Purpose Computing".

>Linux may be customizable for free, but no neophyte user has the skills
>necessary to do so.

Really? A neophyte user (which I was two years ago) can't create new virtual desktops or activities in KDE, rearrange and add widgets, install things like FTP servers or samba shares?

One doesn't need programming skills to add DKMS,share files over a home network, radically customize the desktop, activate a VNC server to allow remote logins to their system, etc.

Looking at your third paragraph, there's almost nothing there I'm interested in doing. I'm not worried about malware; I haven't had an infection in the over 20 years I've been running Windows, and good anti-malware software is free these days. While drivers may not be in the kernel, Windows does a pretty good job of finding them on the web, so they're more likely to be newer than the ones in the kernel; and why take up hard drive with drivers you may never use? I don't have multiple users. I believe you can legally run W8 from a flash drive (although I don't plan on doing that or running W8 so I can't confirm). I doubt many average users are interested in booting multiple OSs, or are interested in overriding the 'safety' features. Obviously they don't care about walled gardens; see the popularity of the iDevices.

As to customization, most of what you've listed are customizations to the desktop or apps, not to Linux itself. My comment was in response to those who claim open source programs are customizable because the user has the source code. My point was regarding those users inability to read, understand, alter, and recompile that code.

Don't get me wrong; I think Linux is a great OS. I understand how you feel, but I don't think the average schmoe is any more interested in getting the most out of his computer than he is in tuning his engine or making his own clothes. There's no motivation for me to bother replacing Windows, finding replacements for my existing applications, putzing with an emulator for those apps that don't have Linux counterparts, etc. It already does what I need (or want, if you will). At home (as opposed to at work), I'm interested only in USING my computer with as little effort as possible. I drive an automatic transmission for the same reason; I'm aware I'm sacrificing some performance, but it isn't worth it to me. I suspect most home users feel the same way.

"Linux can do anything the hardware can do, where Windows can only do what its currently programmed for."
You can only do what the available tools let you do.
You might be able to write your own tools, but most people can't.

I wanted to strip some corrupt jpg headers off of some pictures.
I had the same options in Linux and Windows (i.e. download a tool to do it).

"Unless you can buy a program to increase its abilities, thats all there is with Windows, and programs are only produced if it's worth it financially. There is a lot of open source software for Windows, yes, but it still can only do what Windows can do, and that is not negotiable like it is with Linux."
What commercial programs offer the features that Process Explorer and Process Monitor offer and why would I buy them?

IMO, the extra features that Photoshop offers over GIMP, doesn't justify the $1000 price.

"I love Linux, because my work is highly experimental and Windows just wont let me poke around in my computer's guts to make things work better. Linux lets me, its that simple."
That's why my friend swapped to Linux (~12 years ago).
Most people have no interest in doing that.

How do you permanently attach a HDD using the GUI?
I had to do it the hard way:
- issue blkid
- create a directory to mount it
- edit fstab
- change the group and owner

In Windows, you just plug the HDD in and format it.

What Linux are you using then, that you cant just plug in a hard disk?

Unless you are using one of the unfriendly ones (and they do exist, I sometimes use Arch, and thats awkward) you just plug it in and boot up.

Just plug it in if its a Sata, no need to reboot even.

Linux has had a plug-and-play aware mechanism for a few years now, its part of the Debian repository and everything based on it - like Ubuntu, probably the most popular distro out there.

'Most people have no interest in doing that'

Yes they do. Have you heard of a little computer called a Raspberry Pi?
Unless you buy a working SD card off the foundation you'll be rolling your own distro out of Debian or Arch repositories from a terminal. Using tools like DD and PartEd to build the system.

Yes. Teenagers are learning to roll distros, and once you've done it a couple of times you can do it in your sleep. Cambridge Uni are offering a free course in writing an OS from scratch, in Assembly. They wouldnt do that if there wasnt an uptake for it, so I beg to differ with you.

"What Linux are you using then, that you cant just plug in a hard disk?"
I'm using Ubuntu 10.04 and I have multiple HDDs (each has multiple partitions).

"Unless you are using one of the unfriendly ones (and they do exist, I sometimes use Arch, and thats awkward) you just plug it in and boot up."
My friend swears by Arch.
He embeds Linux in devices (and writes the drivers for them) as part of his job.
You should hear him curse when I need help with Ubuntu (he absolutely hates Ubuntu).

On my PC, Ubuntu does not auto-mount ext4 partitions (and definitely not NTFS ones).
You can manually mount them (or use Nautilus).
I want certain partitions loaded during boot up (some NTFS and an ext4).

Once mounted, the partitions were RO until I chown-ed them.

"Yes they do. Have you heard of a little computer called a Raspberry Pi?"
I have heard of the Rasberry Pi.
Until 900M+ users are using them (like Windows), I stand by the statement that most people aren't interested in tinkering with their OS.
Apple sells millions of iPads and IIRC, you aren't allowed to tinker with iOS.

Most Linux users might be interested in tinkering though.

"Unless you buy a working SD card off the foundation you'll be rolling your own distro out of Debian or Arch repositories from a terminal. Using tools like DD and PartEd to build the system."
What a horrible thought, building an OS using the Terminal.
It's horrible enough having to install software if it isn't in a GUI repository.
I can't imagine the average office worker or iPad user doing that.

"Cambridge Uni are offering a free course in writing an OS from scratch, in Assembly."
I sure there are places that offer courses in writing operating systems (people must learn how to do it somewhere).
Given that the Linux kernel has millions of lines of code in it (IIRC, Windows has even more) I can't imagine there is a massive demand for a course about writing desktop operating systems in Assembly.

It's fortunate that there are people willing "to suffer the torments of the damned" so that everyone else has software to use.

Linux GUIs are easy enough to use if you are only interested in clicking on the available icons (e.g. FF and OO or LO).
If you want to do anything slightly more complex, you have to master the Terminal.

However its only become that way because of Microsoft.

There was a time when you did have to learn some particularly dense symbolism just to make your computer go 'beep', and in reality nothing much has changed. Cutting edge problems in computing still require mathematics out of the reach of the average person - its actually got little to do with a desire to fiddle.

Microsoft somehow managed to redefine computing to mean checking email and similar domestic tasks and provide the desktop experience for it so there isnt a demand any more.

An entire generation grew up geeking out on those old systems just like I did though, and used the experience to build what we have today, so I'm a little sad that you're so dismissive of anyone actually learning how to use a computer and not just Windows or at least a GUI.

'Windows GUI is easy enough to use if you are only interested in clicking on the available icons (e.g. IE and MO or MW).
If you want to do anything slightly more complex, you have to master the Linux Terminal.'

Sorry, but I couldnt resist that...

Reasonable, given that a lot of Windows users don't even know how to do that properly (although they'll click on everything once they open an Internet browser ).

That said, I almost never have to edit the Registry to fix problems.
I don't have to "jump through hoops" to add a new HDD.

I'm not suggesting that Windows is perfect.

Word is glitchy as hell (and the GUI is just awful).

MS seem incapable of making a version of Windows Explorer that:
- Will allow you to "Safely Remove" USB drives 100% of the time.
- Doesn't have weird bugs (like auto-scrolling in W7).
- Doesn't crash for no apparent reason.

In fact I reinstalled W7 last month to fix some weird glitches:
- Broken network tool (couldn't set a static IP address).
- Broken calculator (display was broken).

Since then, Windows Explorer has crashed more times (in the last couple of weeks) than the previous 3 years!

"An entire generation grew up geeking out on those old systems just like I did though, and used the experience to build what we have today, so I'm a little sad that you're so dismissive of anyone actually learning how to use a computer and not just Windows or at least a GUI."
That wasn't what I meant.

I used PCs back in the DOS days (80's) and I could get most tasks accomplished.
I have programmed using BASIC, APL, C, Assembler and I've written batch files, VB and BASH scripts.

There was an article (last month?) by a Linux "traitor" that summed it up.
He basically said that he just wanted to do tasks without having to tweak things first.
I'm in the same situation, I don't want to have to battle with glitches in Linux or Windows (have you noticed how they always occur when you don't have any time to fix them?).

IMO, it's the same situation with cars (oh no a car analogy ).
Some people love tinkering with cars (I used to) but most people don't.
They just want to get in the car, start it up and drive away.

Reasonable...

Interestingly enough, my experience has been almost opposite!
All my windows systems performed flawlessly and rarely crashed doing things they were made for - everything from playing card games, writing docs and drawing. I did manage to crash it pretty regularly by the time I was using XP, because by then I was trying to get at system devices that it would rather hog for itself.
Things like sampling an 11khz audio stream should be possible in VB without having to make a disk file. Its fast enough on a decent machine to directly poll the audio, but you cant do DMA or access it another way unless you go to C++ and bare-metal it. Windows utterly hates code that runs outside of its control, which is why it tends to be unstable doing anything I'd consider powerful. I dont hate it, it doesnt have its own routines for what I need and wont let me make my own without the Microsoft Waltz.

Oh yes, the car analogy. Well it does ring true with computers too. However, have you looked under the um, hood is it? of a car lately?
I used to lovingly restore the old Morris Travellers at a classics garage as a young man. I specialised in the woodwork, but got to strip everything off them anyway. I can still get my head around the wiring, and even the workings of its old A series engine, but my mum's Hyundai appears to have alien technology in it. I couldnt repair it if I tried - cant buy the tools or parts, and its also illegal now here in the UK to work on a vehicle at the roadside unless its a repair to move it from where it fell. Call the AA, in other words.

Windows has become very similar in that respect.

There was a big push many years ago to stop software directly accessing the hardware.
It is supposed to make machines more stable (eliminate/reduce access conflicts).

I had a problem with an update in August and I think it broke the network tool.
The calculator broke last year when I changed the screen settings to 125%.

I might just use FreeCommander for all of my file management (instead of Windows Explorer).
It has more features anyway (the mass renaming tool is excellent).

I used to use AVG and I decided to try Avast, so the Windows Explorer crashes may be related to that.
I notice Avast tries to scan everything that starts or stops.

>You can only do what the available tools let you do.
>You might be able to write your own tools, but most people can't.

You don't have to. So long as anyone, anywhere in the world, has the same need as you do and the ability to make the change, you're set. With Windows and OS X that's not an option.

>I wanted to strip some corrupt jpg headers off of some pictures.
>I had the same options in Linux and Windows (i.e. download a tool to do
>it).

That's not really what we're talking about. I wanted to install Windows 7 to a second drive and use my motherboard's boot menu to boot it. The Windows 7 install disk decided that that was not permissable and it was going to put a boot partition on my primary hard drive without telling me or, in my case, just refuse to install because there wasn't enough room for the boot partition. I tried to do the same thing with an OpenSUSE Linux install disk and it told me it didn't think what I wanted to do would work (it obviously couldn't know about my motherboard's boot menu) but then asked me if I wanted to go ahead and do it anyway. THAT'S what we're talking about. There's no artificial limitations imposed on the user or "we know better than you do what you want to do".
Someone proposed adding something called DKMS to my distro which has to do with automatically recompiling binary drivers after a kernel update. My distro declined to do so because they thought newbies would be concerned at the extra boot time that would take place when DKMS needed to do its thing on system restart. Since they don't control my system, however, someone packaged up DKMS and I was able to add it to my own system quite nicely. If it was Cupertino, Jobs would have just forbidden it be installable because it would conflict with his vision on boot times.
Similarly, my distro upgraded to a virtually rewritten version of the PIM suite I was using even though it really wasn't stable enough in my opinion for day-to-day use. Again, one person packaged the old version and I had no problem telling the installer not to install the new version and then installed the old version myself. If it were Windows, I'd never have been given the option to customize my install in the first place and the new software would probably have been forced on me like Metro will be on Windows 8 users. THAT'S what we're talking about.

>What commercial programs offer the features that Process Explorer and
>Process Monitor offer and why would I buy them?

Here's a more apt example. Right now (for security reasons?) Microsoft is only letting the Visual C++ (and .Net?) runtimes access certain parts of the new WinRT library. The problem? That means other compilers can't create Metro apps since they obviously don't use Microsoft's compiler library! The Delphi Pascal and C++ compilers are for the moment locked out of being able to generate Metro apps, which are supposed to be the future of Windows 8. Embarcadero, the compilers' developer, have made Metro-like controls for Metro look and feel, but since it doesn't use WinRT they can't be sold through Microsoft's new app store. End result: unless you use Microsoft's own Visual Studio IDE and compilers, you're somewhat screwed when it comes to Windows 8 software development. Microsoft is similarly locking out other browsers on their ARM-based tablets and only allowing their own software to use the desktop interface on them. THAT'S the kind of crap we're talking about.

>That's why my friend swapped to Linux (~12 years ago).
>Most people have no interest in doing that.

Maybe more people would have an interest in that if they knew it were even possible? When a system holds your hand too much you don't grow in your abilities or worse, never even learn there's more you can do than what you're being offered.

>How do you permanently attach a HDD using the GUI?

I have to second the request about what distro you're using! If you're using OpenSUSE and its YaST management tool you can specify where you want a new drive/partition to be mounted without ever touching the fstab file.

"You don't have to. So long as anyone, anywhere in the world, has the same need as you do and the ability to make the change, you're set. With Windows and OS X that's not an option."
I don't see the difference.
If you can find someone who knows how to do it and they are willing to tell you (or provide the file/script/tool) you can do it in Linux, Windows and OSX.
Believe it or not, you can even replace Explorer with KDE.
The solution is the same in each case, scour the Internet.

As I implied (in the very 1st post in this thread) the problem is finding a good help site.
I've lost count of the number of times I've seen:
Q - "How do I do X?"
A - "Don't do that, do Y."
After a couple of pages, the OP's question hasn't been answered and the original problem hasn't been solved.

A classic example involved Net Manager; a person wanted to reset it.
"Expert" after "Expert" wanted to know why and suggested that he do something else.
After two pages of "solutions" that didn't work for the OP, the "Experts" all disappeared.
Not one of them told the OP to delete the config file.

"The Windows 7 install disk decided that that was not permissable and it was going to put a boot partition on my primary hard drive without telling me or, in my case, just refuse to install because there wasn't enough room for the boot partition."
You should have been able to do that.
Always pre-partition and format the drive (using GParted) to avoid the worthless boot partition.
Make sure the HDD you're installing to, is the only one connected during the install procedure.

That said, I agree that there are things that Windows just refuses to do.
When I encounter those, I use a Live Linux CD to bypass the restriction.

"Maybe more people would have an interest in that if they knew it were even possible? When a system holds your hand too much you don't grow in your abilities or worse, never even learn there's more you can do than what you're being offered."
Apple sells millions of iPads and IIRC, you aren't allowed to tinker with iOS.
http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-395191-3705351

"I have to second the request about what distro you're using! If you're using OpenSUSE and its YaST management tool you can specify where you want a new drive/partition to be mounted without ever touching the fstab file."
Drives/partitions listed in fstab are mounted during boot up.
http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-395191-3705351

"THAT'S what we're talking about."
No that is what you are talking about.
How many people want to build their own update packages?
Assuming that every Linux user does that (and they don't), that only comes to 10M-20M users out of 1000M desktop users.

BTW, Metro and WinRT are awful.

Amen! When I posted on here about my earlier experience requesting help getting WiFi working with SUSE 10 Pro, I was told 'Don't use SUSE 10 Pro', even after I had delineated explicitly why I needed to use SUSE 10. Which is the same thing that happened 2 or 3 years ago when I first tried. Just as you say, I said, "I need to do X", only to be told, "Don't do X, do Y".

I thought it might be a good idea to explain a few things.
I can only speak for my world, and it may not be one you've thought about much.

I'm a carer for a disabled adult, so I dont work for a wage. I do however voluntarily help the disabled sector in return for the benefits I'm on instead because I hate being thought of as a scrounger.

I build hardware and write software to help the community I'm in, and this ranges from sanitary aids to communications robotics and AI. The community is vast, and isnt served very well by the industry, which mass-produces one-fits-all solutions that do very well for the average able bodied and able minded person.
They do not do very well for the disabled sector, and need modification to work for them. Windows used to be brilliant - I went through 3.1, 95, 98 and XP and was able to provide speech recognition and synthesis and control systems usually by writing around Windows, certainly in the later versions. When Vista came out, I was suddenly locked out of all the subsystems I was used to coding for, and had to negotiate with Windows for resources instead. It was a nightmare until I learned Linux's subsystems well enough and dumped Microsoft completely.

Since the iPad came out, there have been a range of things springing up, like communications tablets that speak, translating languages like PECS and Makton into English, and lately control systems that interact with things that a disabled person has trouble with, but Windows remains resistant.

There is a large, and growing sector of the public that needs something that Windows doesnt do, and that is invisibly adapt to a wide range of applications - this is why Linux is in your TV, in your router, your phone and your home control systems.

...and my actual job title is Linux Engineer...so it's not like I'm a Window's guy. Datacenter needs and typical desktop needs are two different things. Why there's some sort of effort to create converts is completely beyond me. Just use what the heck you want to use, and let everyone else do the same.

I gotta tell you, I suspect we're entering an era where OS wars over PC's is going to become even more pointless than it's always been....and that's pretty pointless.

Joe User doesn't care about switching. He's not ever going to care. He's comfortable with what he does, and any attempt to make him change is going to result in resistance.

Its like trying to make a chav wear something that doesnt have L*nsdale on it.

Some people use Windows because their mates use it and no other reason. You shouldnt try to change them because you arent giving them what they need unless its got that badge on it.

I'm assuming these are cultural references I haven't been exposed to.

for a sector of our culture noted for wearing brands such as L*nsdale.
One is British, old chap.

I starred the name because I figured the spam filter would probably have a fit, it wouldnt be the first time I've had posts rejected because they contain words like h a n d b a g and s u n g l a s s e s...

What are the cultural messages being sent by wearing that branded gear? I haven't heard of it on this side of the Puddle. Heck, I couldn't tell you the social implications of the brands that are popular over here.

There was a problem with the spam filter here once. It would block posts with the word 'suggestion' because of the 'U G G' in the middle (a popular brand of shoes).

Unless its simply a herd or pack mentality, which is what I was actually alluding to when mentioning them.

I wouldnt wear overpriced clothes for their company logo unless they were paying ME to advertise. Newspapers and magazines do very well on this principle, selling space to manufacturers to tout their crap.

Why some wave it like a flag is completely beyond me, and that goes for computers too.

Have a good weekend...

I've used Linux a lot for about 7 years now, I bought a cheap dual core kit from Tiger a couple of years ago and run Mint on it, and I'm running Puppy on an old Dell C610 laptop - the laptop is MUCH faster on Puppy that it ever was on Windows 2000 or XP.. I have had a few issues but a little sleuthing on the net usually turns up a solution. I've used the forums and there is always somebody ready to help.

You may have to use the terminal for somethings but once you get used to it it's not bad. the modern distro's are really very good. I have a couple of coworkers that use it and between us we can usually find a solution to most problems.

The best thing is your not funneling money into Redmond, they have enough already!

I'm turning 70 tomorrow. I love Linux and also have Windows 8 preview on my laptop. Haven't seen the full version of Win 8 but rest assured, it will not be easier (tho it is not difficult) than Linux. I expect the people who struggle with either have always struggled with whatever OS they were using.... and eventually learned enough to work comfortably.

I am always amazed/perplexed by comments that say: 'I can't get Linux to work on my system.'
I have been using Linux (without Windows) since 2006. I have installed it on four personal laptops, from Dell, Lenovo, Averatec and LinuxCertified. I installed, or assisted installing Linux on many other laptops (and desktops, too). I can vouch for the successful installation with the distros of the Debian strain, Mint (my distro of choice for the past 4+years), Ubuntu, Bodhi, Kubuntu, etc. These have all installed and identified and used all hardware, keyboard extra inputs and accessories.
I know there are hardware manufacturers who do not support Linux. This is not Linux's problem, specifically, but it seems to be when it is YOUR hardware! So please try Mint, Bodhi, a new up-and-comer, Zorin for a better chance at your hardware problems.

I'm always amazed when people don't realize there's a 'Reply' button directly beneath each comment, one that will append their reply directly to the same 'branch' as the one they're responding to, and far away at the bottom of the page.