Linux Desktop Summit Re: [SGVLUG] Hello from San Diego

[Alex Roston]

Hallelujah! Sing it brother!

Now don't get me wrong. I love Slackware, and I use it on the desktop - 
with a custom version of IceWM, including a custom theme, because the 
themes that come with IceWM suck, not to mention the rewritten 
configuration files... I built XDCRoast with "configure," "make" and 
"make install," just like I built several other desktop components. I 
also use a heavily customized version of Idesk for icon management, and 
only turn Nautilus on when I desperately need to, because the latest 
Nautilus is becoming more and more bloated and Gnome-centric... most of 
my file management is done the old-fashioned way, by booting a console. 
CD-Roms are lovingly mounted by hand, the old fashioned way, and I've 
set my printer up with LPD, using a command-line application called 
apsfilter, because CUPS is an unreliable piece of garbage that dies at 
the drop of a hat.

etc.

And etc. again.

At the end of the process, Slackware became an extension of my will.  
But it took a couple years, and I dread the day I have to upgrade.

But would I reccommend Slackware for a newbie? Or a corporate office? Or 
someone who doesn't like to tinker? No way in hell - not unless they 
were willing to pay me to customize it first.

Alex



Dustin Laurence wrote:

>On Tue, Apr 25, 2006 at 09:43:35AM -0500, sean at seanodonnell.com wrote:
>
>  
>
>>I have to agree w/ matti... "linux is definitely got a LONG way to go on the
>>desktop. Sad to state this."
>>
>>Things that would help make MY life easier on my Slackware Linux Laptop
>>(slacktop)...
>>    
>>
>
>Stop.  Stop right there.  Put the Slackware disk on the table slooowly.
>Keep your hands where I can see them.  OK, now step away...no, keep
>those hands in plain sight....
>
>Slackware is basically irrelevant to discussions of the Linux desktop.
>It can be one, just like OpenBSD can be one, if you have the knowledge
>and like doing things yourself.  When people talk about "The Linux
>Desktop" they are talking about either
>
>(1) The Xandros/Linspire/Mepis style distro.  Mandriva may be in this
>category, not sure.  Aimed at individual Microsoft Windows users,
>essentially.
>
>(2) The Novell/Red Hat desktops, aimed at corporate deployments.
>
>(Yeah, they'd both probably fuss about the individual/corporate labels,
>but that is how I interpret their differences.)
>
>As an example, all of the above try do do as much for you as possible
>and give you fancy graphical administration tools for the things they
>can't automate.
>
>Slackware is, well, exactly the opposite--simplicity means "don't create
>a complex automation system or a GUI for something that can be fixed
>with vi and a text file".
>
>Try Xandros or SuSE and we'll talk about the Linux desktop--otherwise,
>Slackware just assumes you're the expert and will do what you tell it
>to.  Simply. :-)
>
>  
>
>>1) A CD/DVD Burning GUI (or even a simple command-line app) that works!
>>(cdrecord/dvdrecord just plain suck (imo), although it's more of a lack of 
>>my
>>own patience and understanding, and lack of time to rtfm).
>>    
>>
>
>See, that's the sort of attitude that Slackware punishes mercilessly.
>:-)
>
>My experience is that once cdrecord is configured properly, it Just
>Works.  Like this:
>
>    $ cdrecord I_stole_this_from_the_internet.iso
>
>However, configuring it sucks.  Not the least because Schilly (the
>author) is about as socially adjusted as a rabid stoat and refuses to
>cooperate with anyone.  Too bad he's the guy who did the heavy lifting
>to make burning work, cuz we're stuck with cdrecord.
>
>  
>
>>NeroLinux could be a good alternative, but I don't feel the need to pay 
>>for such
>>an application, as (imo) it should be part of the operating system
>>'desktop-stack' or whatever the marketing einsteins would call it.
>>    
>>
>
>It is--cdrecord.  If you don't like it as-is, use a GUI shell.  Pretty
>much every graphical burner app on Linux calls cdrecord behind the
>scenes.  I agree with the K3B and XCDRoast suggestions.
>
>  
>
>>It really all comes down to the hardware manufacturer's lack of support, and
>>Commercial Software Developers who perceive that the Linux Desktop Market is
>>simply DWARFED by the Microsoft Windows Desktop Market, and that it's not
>>within their stock-holders (or their own) interests to support an open 
>>system.
>>
>>The fact is, I don't want to use linux as a desktop if EVERYONE else is 
>>using
>>it, and imo, the commercialization of linux will be it's inevitable downfall
>>(primarily in terms of security).
>>    
>>
>
>So what you're saying is that as soon as Linux is ready for the desktop
>to your satisfaction, you'll quit using it?  That seems like a recipe
>for frustration. :-)
>
>I can't see how this is a big worry--"Linux" doesn't exist in the sense
>Microsoft Windows does.  If Xandros/Linspir/Mepis/whatever makes a bad
>security decision, that won't affect what Debian an Slackware ship.
>Those companies don't write most of the software--the LKML crowd and the
>community and enterprise distros are moving toward more security, not
>less.
>
>Dustin
>
>  
>