What keeps you going?

[RobyX]

I am <--> that close to going back to window's which I really dont want to do but in some other way I do.

What keep's you going at using Linux? I mean.. all I can tell you about me being on this OS is frusteration,headaches and I dont know help me before I wipe out Linux and install xp again.

[manicka]

I must admit that when I first started using Linux about 8 yrs ago I see-sawed between it and windows regularly. Something about linux just kept drawing me back though and now I run it exlusively here. SuSE 9.1 was the clincher for me in terms of useability and reliabilty. I've since moved on to nicer distros like Ubuntu and Arch, but remember the frustrations and headaches I experienced in learning a new OS, which is really what it is all about.

Learning Linux takes time but is a joy once mastered. I'd suggest going down the dual-boot path and using Linux when you have the time and feel ready for new challenges. Eventually you'll find that things will become easier and then you'll know what keeps us going....

enjoy :D

[htinn]

Windows is what keeps me using Linux. Every time I see someone using it, I shake my head in pity. As bad as my problems are, they're nothing compared to what a Windows user has to put up with.

[derjames]

I am still using Windows, I reckon, but only when I have to use a computer in my University's lab!!.... however at home I only use LINUX, and I can tell you that since I did install Ubuntu on my computer now I am more productive.

-I don't have to scan my computer for viruses
-I don't have to use MS-Antispyware every week
-I don't have to restart my computer every time I get an update.Basically my computer has been turned on for three months 24x7 (with no reestarting at all)
-I don't have to pay for a licence
-Everything works fine

etc, etc, etc...

Well that is why I am with LINUX...

cheers

[snellgrove]

I too, found lots of frustration at first. But my first linux distro was Red hat 7 or something, and it didn't work with my sound card, my modem, etc etc - it was cack.

But I too always came back to using linux after putting windows back on, to 1) see how it was progressing (tried Linux every 6months or so, briefly) and 2) theres something about it, that I cant put my finger on, isn't there :mrgreen: Breezy was the first time I fully switched over, I cant remember why I did - windows must have really upset me, as I play a lot of computer games (well, used to :p )

I still have to use Windows @ work, and it feels pretty slow and my work PC is a far superior spec to my home PC (3.2ghz P4 HT vs my AMD Athlon XP 2600!) both have 1GB RAM, ...I do admit my home PC has a 10,000rpm WD Raptor though to help things along :mrgreen:

[stoeptegel]

Yeah most users who start using linux describe they have to take a hill, but when they reach the top their vision and experience changes.
This applies for the information, but the mind has to adapt as well. (wheither one likes this or not)

[kabus]

What keep's you going at using Linux ?

The fact that it is free software, which makes some inconveniences acceptable for me.

[helpme]

What keep's you going at using Linux?

Apart from me really linking the ideas behind free software, it simply works for me.
It does all I want it to do, it does so reliably, I can get a bunch of great software for free and last but not least, it's the system I'm most familiar with.



I mean.. all I can tell you about me being on this OS is frusteration,headaches and I dont know help me before I wipe out Linux and install xp again.
Ugh, sounds terrible.
Seriously, if all you get from Linux is frustration, headaches, etc. and XP does what you want to do, it would be silly to use Linux.
If for some reason you don't want to give up on Linux as a whole, at least dual boot and do your work in the system that works best for you, which in your case seems to be XP.

[PatrickMay16]

I am <--> that close to going back to window's which I really dont want to do but in some other way I do.

What keep's you going at using Linux? I mean.. all I can tell you about me being on this OS is frusteration,headaches and I dont know help me before I wipe out Linux and install xp again.
Things work great for me. It's mostly smooth sailing, though sometimes with horrible problems. I couldn't get hardware 3D accelleration working properly for ages... for six months, then I found the solution to the problem I was having by accident. It was a GREAT feeling to have it finally work.

Woooooorgh!!!!11111

But, RobyX, you should use what works for you. If Linux is giving you problems and XP was fine for you, you should probably just use XP. But of course, maybe you could keep Linux around on a second partition/hard disk, and play around with it now and then?

Don't be discouraged. Linux is very nice when you get it working.

[Sheinar]

Everyone who tells you they enjoy Linux is either lying or masochistic. I'm the latter.

[helpme]

Everyone who tells you they enjoy Linux is either lying or masochistic. I'm the latter.
No, you got it all mixed up.
I'm a sadist. By telling people that Linux is enjoyable I want to make them suffer. :twisted:

[darkmatter]

What keeps me going is that I was born and bred on everything BUT windows.

For me... the unices are a dream... windows is like pulling teeth :p

[Kvark]

What keeps me using Linux is that it gives me less trouble then Windows did. I just click on the program icons in the panel and use the programs to do stuff. Once Ubuntu is installed I don't have to mess around with it at all.

The install isn't hard either for me. All my hardware except 3D works out of the box and 3D needs only one install with Synaptic plus one command. The only config file I have to edit is to remove "#" before the right lines in sources.list which is easy. All the programs I need except w32codecs and java are available in Synaptic so it's easy to get them. w32codecs was easy to get and I didn't bother with Java because it sounded like more trouble then it's worth.

Of course when I first started using Linux I didn't like that it didn't default to giving me root powers all the time like Windows did. And on top of running into all the weird differences I also used Wine, got programs from other sources then Synaptic and did a couple other stupid things that are sure ways to get more trouble then it's worth. But after a couple months I started to like the Linux way of doing things and I also learned to not give myself trouble unless it was absolutely necessary.

[Tedd]

I'm a dual-booter. I use both, and I would never think of going fulltime to Windows. This is so because as such my parents are divorced- two different computers. At dad's this one is all mine, therefor dualbooted. At mom's I only use Windows which gives me nothing but problems. So I guess that's your answer.

[_simon_]

nothing!

I don't need to be "kept going".

I'd never go back to Windows having experienced Ubuntu.

[mostwanted]

Everyone who tells you they enjoy Linux is either lying or masochistic. I'm the latter.

Please don't speak for me or anyone else, as I quite enjoy Ubuntu. I like XP as well, but it doesn't have my favourite applications and apps mean everything to me.

[Sheinar]

Please don't speak for me or anyone else
Too late. I already did.

[Randomskk]

Upgrading to the latest betas of everything keeps me going :D

..yet I'm still on Breezy..:neutral:

[fuscia]

Everyone who tells you they enjoy Linux is either lying or masochistic.

whip me. beat me. make me write bad checks.

[Mr Wrath]

I use both...I have only been using Linux for about 8-9 months now [windows for 9 years] and Linux, to me (only an opinion), is far more superior. I have used soooo many programs for Windows (75-80% used for blocking viruses, worms, parasites, trojans, etc... (which this should be a great hint of what to look forward to when switching over to windows again)), with Linux...it's straight...you can customize everything...or almost everything to your liking, or personality. Right now I am researching VMware and may soon switch to that as a solution for my issues [Linux host, XP guest]. Oh...and my main reason for liking Linux so much...IT'S FREE!!!

[Mr Wrath]

edit: Virus-free environment
Help from everywhere---if you describe the problem right using the right
terms.
Similar programs as to Window but with one difference...IT'S FREE!!!
FULL CONTROL OF YOUR COMPUTER...need we (forum) say more.

[bonzodog]

Well, for me Linux is far easier to use, install and maintain than windows which I found nearly impossible to use. I have been in Linux now for nearly 10 years, and it's second nature to me. Not just that, but I am a massive Open Source advocate, and push people to use Open Source wherever I go. Windows I found difficult to understand, and it was a PIA installing software, nothing would go anywhere sensible. I found the idea of software duplicating libraries just stupid, and I solidly believe that all software should be more linux like, with shared libraries all stored in one sensibly placed directory. I used to install software in windows then break it cause I put all the dll's together in directory, seeing as they are all libraries.

[mostwanted]

Too late. I already did.

OMG UR SUCH A REBEL! :O

[Qrk]

Because


sudo apt-get install microsoft-word

Doesn't work very well, and neither does


sudo apt-get remove my-doom-virus

[Stormy Eyes]

Everyone who tells you they enjoy Linux is either lying or masochistic. I'm the latter.

I'm not lying, and I'm a sadist, not a masochist. I enjoy Linux. If I didn't, then I would have bought a Mac years ago.

RobyX; none of us can give you a reason to continue using Linux. You have to find your own reasons.

[Mr Wrath]

Very good point Stormyeyes...everybody has there reasons of staying or leaving the great open-souce plains of the Linux world. Just remember that time changes everything...including the difficulty of learning a new OS. Linux is growing at an amazing rate...let time change things...hopefully, you'll get used to it...try dual boot or VMware before giving it up cold turkey.

[aysiu]

A mistake newcomers to Ubuntu (or any Linux distribution, really) make quite frequently is the assumption that everyone has (or even most users have) experiences similar to what any given newcomer's experience is.

The experiences vary greatly, depending a lot on hardware compatibility, prior knowledge about computers / Windows / Linux, expectations, time available...

I had a very easy time installing and using Ubuntu. Others have had incredibly difficult installations. It really all depends. Nothing "keeps me going." If Ubuntu were difficult to install and use, I wouldn't use it--plain and simple.

[Sheinar]

OMG UR SUCH A REBEL! :O
And completely awesome too.


No, you got it all mixed up.
I'm a sadist. By telling people that Linux is enjoyable I want to make them suffer. :twisted:
You're absolutely right. How could I have overlooked that?

Now I must go whip myself for making such a mistake.

[not28]

I don't see all of the problems of Windows that you people do. I've been able to run it for over a year without any problems at all. In fact, the only time I had to reformat was due to problems caused from trying to dual boot with Linux.

I'm using Linux out of pure curiosity. I'd like to teach myself to be proficient in it. However for me it has a long way to go to achieve the ease of use that OS X and (gasp) Windows have.

[IYY]

Everyone who tells you they enjoy Linux is either lying or masochistic. I'm the latter.

You can't assume that. I enjoy Linux very much. I enjoy it because it lets me do what I want, the way I want it. I enjoy it because instead of blindly clicking on buttons, it teaches me things. I enjoy it because when something breaks, I fix it with my mind, not random actions. I enjoy it makes me much more productive when coding. I enjoy it because once configured correctly, it never crashes. I enjoy it because I can quickly install software from apt-get or source without worrying about viruses and spyware. I enjoy it because I have a decent command line with good shells, and that enables me to do things faster and in a more automated fashion.I enjoy it because the more I use it, the better I become (with Windows, you reach your prime in two weeks or so and don't go anywhere from there).

And you know what else? For me, Linux is easy. Easier than Windows, at least. I've had enough of weird wizards that keep going around in circles when I'm trying to do something simple and obvious that should be done in a few keystrokes. Windows treats me like an idiot and gets in my way.

Quite frankly, there is nothing I miss from Windows-world. I mean, there are hardware incompatibility issues, but once they are fixed and the system is up and running, it's perfect, forever.

[htinn]

IMHO, your comfort level in using a computer is pretty much dictated by one thing:

Control

Windows takes away your control and gives it to Billy G. This is an exhaustingly painful and humiliating experience beyond compare in the computer world. If you actually enjoy that, you must be a masochist.

Ubuntu, on the other hand puts the user in the driver seat. It make take you a while to figure out how to use the clutch (so to speak), but you actually make it do everything it does do. Nothing Microsoft offers you comes anywhere near that experience. Microsoft is a joke compared to that.

[Biltong (Dee)]

For me it was all or nothing. The one day I had Windows Pro on the computer, the next I had Ubuntu Breezy.
What I have discovered so far is that the last two weeks have been a challenge - but it has been FUN!
Perhaps I have been lucky having few problems (unlike others), but then again, being a newbie I study the beginner forum carefully and learn.
Perhaps there is less chance of a train-smash if you see the train coming?
It's also a case of patience - I know that I will not master Ubuntu in 14 days.
On the other hand, give me a year...:-)

[AndyCooll]

For me it has been three things that have kept me going: the learning process, the philosophy, and the fun.

Many say that M$ products are easier. I'm not sure how true this is for there are distros which make the introduction to Linux almost pain free (thinking of Linspire and Xandros here).
However the problem I found with XP is that you never really learn much about your computer. You can learn the basics of how to use a computer and even how to fix stuff, but it doesn't give you any true technical IT skills. I've learnt more about computing and the technical side of things in thes last twelve months than with 10 years of M$ OS's.
It's like saying that with M$ you can drive the car but you can't look underneath the bonnet. With Linux you can just drive the car too (if that's all you want to do), but if your curious you can also look at how it works and then tweak it. Indeed ultimately you can even learn enough such that you bulid your own if that's what you wanted to do!

I've kept going because I'm also a big supporter of the open-source philosophy. I like the idea of freedom and choice. I don't like being dictated to how and where I use something that I own (or perhaps I don't own it all, I just thought I did, in actual fact I find after all this time that I'm only "loaning"). I'm not against M$, proprietary software, keycodes and such per se. Fine they say I need to put in a code to install the software to prove I bought it. I can put up with that, but when I then have to ring them up if I reinstall too many times, or I'm not allowed to make changes to my hardware. That my friend is pushing me too far. Trusted computing? If I've paid a small fortune to buy your product and given you the honour of installing your product on MY computer, you need to prove that I can trust YOU, not the other way round.

And finally I've kept going because in spite of times of frustration, I can honestly say that it has been fun!

:cool:

[BoyOfDestiny]

The fact that it is free software, which makes some inconveniences acceptable for me.

Agreed, I'm glad to say I've overcome them now (thanks to the forums and messing around with stuff ;) )

Linux has made things fun again. Windows ran fine for me (I've had it wiped from my machines since last year), the differences were ideological.
I'm a fan of the GNU (www.gnu.org) philosophy.

Anyway, it's been great to use commandline again, and not feeling dread toward new OS releases. I look forward to them (I mean look how many great features dapper has implemented: http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/dapperbeta), and I have fun tinkering if problems arise.

I'm free of Windows, I don't have to worry about their new copy protection schemes, phone home activation, DRM, HDCP, protected audio path, fragmentation, malware scans, virus scans, etc.

I'm on the outside looking in, and I like it. :KS

[benplaut]

i'm pretty much an elitist...

i find the command line very efficient and easy to use
i love the speed boost
my friends would laugh at me if i suddenly changed my beleifs on such an important issue :P