[Tfug] ubuntu

Tue Apr 15 08:49:49 MST 2008

I am the itinerate newbie regards to linux. I have been interested in it for
over a decade, but haven't hadn't loaded it on my main computer until just
recently, primarily because of the because of the difficulty involved in doing
a dual boot, but also due to a lack of anyone to hold my hand to degree
neccessary to get past first base. I can hear the chorus already saying 
that it
is so much easier now with this application and that, but to me it is still
written in Greek for all I know.

I don't know how to use linux, I don't know what applications are 
available for
it, and frankly, after a decade of watching this whole thing, I have gotten
pretty disgusted with it. The promise of linux is unfulfilled. I don't like
Microsoft, but at least I can understand it.

You want to attract more than just techies to linux? Make it is 
sooooooo freakin
simple I can understand it. I don't care one iota how little functionality it
has, I really only wanna push one button, and then have the damn thing 
work. If
it can't do that, it is too complicated.

Because such simplicity is abhorent to many techies, I really doubt linux is
going anywhere. It is a lost cause. I suppose I will be sticking with the
spyware, malware, constant updates, NSA backdoors, and anticompetitive busines
practices of Microsoft as long as I live, cause you people can't grasp 
just how
stupid and lazy I am.

Quoting Earl <earljviolet at juno.com>:

> I used virtual box with 98 for a while and it worked OK for the 
> limited testing I did.  I finally deleted it because all I did was 
> update spyware and virus programs and run them.
>
> Earl
>
> "God made man, Sam Colt made men equal."
> "The fates guide him who will, him who won't they drag" Spengler
> "I want to change the world but they won't give me the source code" 
> Unknown Linux Geek
>
> -- Malcolm Schmerl <mjs355 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Jim March wrote:
>> On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 10:22 AM, Jeffry Johnston <tfug at kidsquid.com
>> <mailto:tfug at kidsquid.com>> wrote:
>>
>>     > He told the other that it wasn't as nice as windows, but it
>>     worked pretty good.
>>
>>     Probably running Gnome... KDE is nicer than windows ;)
>>
>>     Jeff
>>
>>
>> The real indicator as to whether or not somebody is going to jump
>> cleanly into Ubuntu or any other newbie-friendly distro is whether or
>> not they have somebody experienced to help with initial tuning and
>> setup.  Multimedia support for starters, DVD playback, MP3 codec, all
>> that happy $hit :).
>>
>> Gnome v. KDE means a lot less in my opinion.
>>
>> For REAL success, get VirtualBox running with an XP VM for those few
>> programs or times we still need Windows.  A LOT of users will have at
>> least one such app, in my case the ones I need most involve playing
>> with election databases.
>>
>> This works with surprisingly little horsepower.  I'm pulling it off
>> with a single-core Celeron 1.6 lappy, lowly Intel945 video and 1.5gigs
>> RAM.  And it'll work in a lot less than that.
>>
>> Oddity on that score:
>>
>> I rented a video recently that flat wouldn't play under Ubuntu.  I
>> tuned and tweaked and tried VLC player, updated LIBDVDCSS, etc.  No
>> joy.  If anyone cares, it was the video-only final conclusion to
>> Stargate SG1 :).  Finally I said "screw it", loaded XP, downloaded VLC
>> for that and watched my friggin' video :).
>>
>> But here's the kicker for a newbie:
>>
>> You explain that when they're on the 'net in Ubuntu,
>> EMail/web/whatever, they're basically immune from
>> viruses/spyware/crapware.
>>
>> THAT they get.  Bigtime.  The number of newbies getting hammered by
>> malware is just crazy...that is BY FAR the number one reason a
>> non-techie will consider Linux.
>>
>> You also have to explain that running XP or whatever as a VM task is
>> much safer than dual-boot because Linux shields Windows.  You lose 3D
>> video support and gaming, but short of that it works.
>>
>> Jim
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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> Jim,
> The problem with Windows, as I see it, besides the mal-ware problem, is
> that you get caught in a constant cycle of hardware and software
> upgrades. We use an old copy of Quickbooks, which is perfectly adequate
> for our business and which ran perfectly well on Windows 98, but has
> problems on XP and will cost $200 to upgrade. I use an old machine (AMD
> 750) which works just fine with Ubuntu. Will Virtualbox work with
> Windows 98 or ME? This really sounds like a way for me to go. Thanks for
> the idea, Malcolm
>
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