Every eight-or-so months, I get a strong geek urge to install Linux on my computer. It's not that I'm planning to make the Big Switch, I just find the revolutionary aspects of free software very interesting. Okay: exciting. Yes, I admit to being a big fat nerd.
Same thing always happens: I never get everything to work. (This time it was the soundcard.) And so I recompile the kernel, edit files in /etc, run modconf, break the system, reinstall, repeat 10-15 times. And then I give up. It's not worth the hassle. At least I didn't hose my (not-backed-up) Windows partition.
Sorry my entry's so boring today. Here's a non-nerdy question:
* What is the name of the bird that advertises Coco Puffs? And: what species of bird is he? A cuckoo?
Same thing always happens: I never get everything to work. (This time it was the soundcard.) And so I recompile the kernel, edit files in /etc, run modconf, break the system, reinstall, repeat 10-15 times. And then I give up. It's not worth the hassle. At least I didn't hose my (not-backed-up) Windows partition.
Sorry my entry's so boring today. Here's a non-nerdy question:
* What is the name of the bird that advertises Coco Puffs? And: what species of bird is he? A cuckoo?
how i know these things is beyond me
Linux is not a desktop platform. Never was and it's still a long way from being one.
I use Linux as desktop. I deal with the fact that quicktime streaming doesn't work. That all movie format need to be downloaded then played in mplayer (which can play just about anything except 1/3 of the quicktime movies on SG...)
The Sound, Graphics and Modem are pains in the asses. No way around them except to get a kosher Sound Card (anything Guenuine Creative), Graphic (ATI, Matrox, nVidia) and Modem (Hayes compatible modems with serial interface.)
Everything else is a kludge. It'll remain so until hardware manufacturers decide that Linux drivers are a Good Thing ™.