Re: Ease Of Use and Hardware Support (WAS: Linux Laptops)


Subject: Re: Ease Of Use and Hardware Support (WAS: Linux Laptops)
From: Ben Stanley (bds02@uow.edu.au)
Date: Wed Mar 06 2002 - 23:25:09 MST


Hmmm... I read a howto once that suggested starting with a nice cup of
your favoured beverage before you started whatever the howto was
suggesting, because it was going to be hard... and harder if you're not
relaxed to start with. Perhaps it would be good if we all took a break
from this for a little while and came back to it in a day or two feeling
well rested.

I used to try to sit down and solve all the problems with a machine in
one sitting. I'm learning now that it's best to just make a list of what
doesn't work, and work with the list over a few days on one or two of
the things that doesn't work. As the days go by I find out more and more
and surely the things on the list get ticked off. And I manage to get
other work done too.

Unfortunately, my list currently contains some very tough nuts which
will require some dilligent efforts to crack:

* Linux hfs support is buggy (kernel filesystem quite unstable; hfsutils
has slight problems)
* Linux hfs+ support non-existent
* mol doesn't support mounting CDs
* mol and MacOS 9.2.2 have problems with eachother (not mounting second
volume which is hfs)
* mol doesn't support MacsBug (screen colour depth not supported)
* artsd sound doesn't work (although apparently there is a fix for this
if I download the right RPMs - I think I'll wait for YDL2.2)

I don't expect that Terrasoft has the resources to address all these
problems. Both hfs and mol seem to be without maintainers at the moment.
The best thing that people could do is to start working on some of these
things, as programmers. Unless someone does, these issues won't be fixed
and we'll be stuck with them. Unfortunately I am not in a position to do
any work on hfs or mol (although I wish I had time).

I feel it is unfair to berate programmers who have volunteered their
time to put together the software in the first place and get it as far
as it is. And I think that people would do well to consider that before
starting out with Linux. I also understand that incomplete software
frustrates people, but please remember: we have what we have mostly
because volunteers built it in the first place. How would you feel if
you built a toy car and gave it to a friend, only to have it thrown back
at you because the power windows don't work? You did give them the car
in the first place... perhaps you'd feel sorry that you'd given them the
car.

Terrasoft is really only assembling the pre-built bits into a complete
package, and ironing out a few bumps. (And probably writing a few small
missing packages.) If the bits didn't exist to begin with, then
Terrasoft would be unable produce YDL by themselves.

Ben.

Justin Christopher wrote:

> That's right, it's just FUD. We're just making it up that sound
> doesn't work, etc. for the fun of it because we have nothing better to
> do.
>
> On Wednesday, March 6, 2002, at 09:22 PM, Robert Brandtjen wrote:
>
>>
>> I think they are all people pushing fud - I have'nt had any bad
>> experiences
>> with Linux - and my route to it was via mac classic > mac os x server
>> (1.x) >
>> Mac OSX 10.x
>> --
>> Robert Brandtjen
>> --------------------------------------
>> Web Site Creation and Hosting Services
>> Hostmaster@prometheusmedia.com
>> www.prometheusmedia.com
>>



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