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Do you run a linux DESKTOP?

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114 replies

by jdclyde

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114 replies

by nath-uk

I Use an old PII-266 laptop with 256Mb RAM with SuSE 9.1 simply for surfing the web wirelessly. I don't really use it for anything else at the moment. The biggest pain in the backside was configuring wireless and maintaining connectivity with my router. It was rather a protracted process identifying a chipset that would work with the O/S and then getting hold of a wireless card with that chipset. Now it's all configured and works fine. It takes a while to boot, but once KDE is up and running it provides me with a quick wireless internet connection I can use anywhere in the house. I am thinking of buying a 64-bit box and banging SuSE 9.3 on it as it sounds like it should be a flying machine, so I can then migrate my data crunching activities from Windows XP.

by oz_media

DO you have KDE 3.3 installed? I found it increased onsite boot times a bit.

Check the Novell/Suse site, I THINK they have KDE 3.3 for v.9.1 if you don'talready have it installed.

by ed.k

Firefox runs OK, but if I try to use any of the options in the set up dailogue box, it simply quietly crashes!

by ed.k

I had no idea that SUSE were offering this. I will try to find out more. Any ideas where to start, or shall I simply go to the SUSE site?

by apotheon

I recommend joining a LUG for help with SuSE Linux. You can find LUGs by geographic location at the following URL, and joining the mailing list might be the smartest thing you've ever done related to computers.

http://www.linux.org/groups/

LUG mailing lists are invaluable resources for help with Linux-related issues. Most lists are quite good, and on good lists people are friendly and helpful (at least until they get to know you). Be respectful, of course, and don't start your questions with ranting complaints, or you might not be received as well as you'd hope. Just let 'em know you're new to LUG mailing lists, and they're likely to cut you slack and give advice when needed on not only how to get Linux working, but how to get good help on the list, too.

Be willing to look stuff up for yourself on Google and with manpages as a first step. If/when you don't find what you seek, [b]then[/b] ask the list, and give an idea of what you've tried. One of the most impressive ways a LUG can help you is in teaching you how to find information for yourself related to Linux problems.

by peter_es_uk

Linux still has a way to go until it will match ms ease of use - and this is fundamental to acceptance on the desktop. I introduced a client to Fedora 3 and she liked it a lot but I couldn't get a Casio exilim to work so I re-installed win xp.

What surprised me was she breathed a sigh of relief and admitted that she liked some of the linux features but found the system more 'scary' than windows xp.

by peter_es_uk

As far as desktop support goes, Linux is certainly getting there but limited native driver support in areas like wireless, digital cameras etc cotinues to be a MASSIVE inhibitor to widespread support. Your comment ending ... for those not very skilled with Linux .. is spot on. Using a windows wrapper that is difficult to configure and use just does not enter the mind of the average (or even failry gifted) home user.

by apotheon

It's not difficult to configure and use ndiswrapper at all. It's just not something many people are familiar with, so it seems difficult before they begin, and as a result they tend to give up before they start. I pretty much went from zero to expert in two hours with ndiswrapper.

Keep in mind, also, that most people that complain about the difficulty of drivers under Linux are comparing pre-installed Windows with all drivers in place to Linux they're trying to install themselves.

It's more the impression of difficulty than actual difficulty that is a "MASSIVE" inhibitor.

by jaqui

that can be put on the hardware manufacturers.
they refuse to write drivers for linux.

so the linux community has to buy the hardware, then write drivers by probing the hardware and seeing what the signals are then building the code needed to make use of it correctly.

figure from release of hardware to stable driver is usually 6 months.
wireless, because of the number of different protocols used, is a bit harder.

go figger, blame the os for the hardware manufacturers problem.

by michael_orton9

I have run SuSe pro on a 200 Mhz MMX P1 with 128 meg of slow RAM ( all the bits from a computer recycling place, you know you have to sort through trashcans for a 32 meg video card!)
It didn't seem to be much slower than an overclocked 2.4 ghz P-IV with 512 meg DDR ram.
But hit was triple boot 98se/xp/suse, so it may not be a fair comparison.
Usually I suggest that prople switch to Linux rather then buying a new PC for XP.
As a rule of thumb, Linux runs on PCs that are only fit for the skip (Including KDE desktop, which actually works on a 4 meg video card, which struggles to run 98se.)
If you have ever run win 3.1 and dos, Linux seems very easy, its much easier than the CP/m that we used to run at work. And its much more difficult for amybody to mess up a linux desktop system.
It seems to run very well on a 1ghz AMD.
Normal AGP x8 video cards seem to have no problems, Suse finds them and sets them up, Windows demands an installation CD.

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