Goodbye Linux

[Beamerboy]

Well I have been using Ubuntu for about 8 months now as my only OS (no dual boots), but the time has come to revert back to the dreaded windows, for several reasons:

Firstly, I have 2 NVidia cards with VIVO (video in/video out) which I bought for the sole purpose of watching my tv on my PC without requiring a seperate TV Card. I have Sky TV so I just want to run svideo out from the decoder box, to Svideo in on my Nvidia Cards. Using a seperate tuner is redundant as I don't need a tuner, just video in. This works fine in windows using wdm drivers but there is no support for video in with newish NVidia vivo cards for Linux. I have been patiently waiting for RivaTV to include support for these newer cards since NVidia opened up the I2C bus some time ago, but it just isn't happening. The RivaTV project (which is the official project for NVidia VIVO support) just isn't going anywhere and I need the space that the tv is using up in my office.

Secondly, I am not happy with the attitude of some of the Ubuntu "staff" on freenode irc network. There are one or two who do nothing but abuse their position (Seveas being the primary problem). It basically goes like this, if you don't kiss his *** or happen to disagree or criticise him, he bans you from the channel. I have yet to see Seveas do anything BUT ban people who have the nerve to criticise him. This, in my opinion, goes against the ethos of Ubuntu and has left me no longer wanting to be involved in the community.

I have spent a great deal of my time helping other users with many things in Ubuntu, particularly with XGL/Compiz and maintaining my HOWTO for XGL/Compiz. But I also refuse to sit back and watch people abuse their position without calling them up on it, so the time has come for me to leave.

I hate windows and I have a lot of reasons for not wanting to run it, but I have to swallow my pride and go back to it, until such time as there are changes with projects like RivaTV and changes to the egotistical attitudes of people like Seveas.

Goodbye all, have fun.

Beamerboy
(Paladine on IRC)

[PatrickMay16]

Yeah... Seveas is no good. I tell you, when he bans people on IRC, it would hurt them so much that they would cry out AGH!!!!!!!
So it would sound like this (http://dusthillguy.netfirms.com/002_agh.mp3), you know what I'm saying?

[muep]

I understand the first point, but not the second one.

You shouldn't let one person to represent the whole community. There are thousands of people involved, and there are and will always be some people who are not as nice as the others.

It's the same thing in real life, too. You don't want to exit it though, do you?

[Dinerty]

Goodbye mate, I for one used your xgl/compiz guide to get some help while running into a few problems installing it.

Hope you come back soon

[Beamerboy]

I understand the first point, but not the second one.

You shouldn't let one person to represent the whole community. There are thousands of people involved, and there are and will always be some people who are not as nice as the others.

It's the same thing in real life, too. You don't want to exit it though, do you?

I am a very community orientated person and spend most of my time in real life fighting against unethical laws and organisations (like the MPAA/RIAA). When I get excluded from a community resource because of the actions of someone who does nothing but abuse their position, I take exception to that.

Anyway, as I said, the Seveas issue is only part of the reason I am leaving. I wish everyone all the best and I will continue to monitor progress with RivaTV, if at any point it does move forward again, I will seriously consider reinstalling Ubuntu and once again getting involved in the community.

But I will say this, to anyone at Canonical who might read the forum, you seriously need to look at the people representing your distro and coming up with a way to make them accountable for their actions. Until you do, then problems will remain. I know dozens of people who share my views on people like Seveas and many of them have switched to other distros like Gentoo specifically because of this.

To everyone else I have got to know and worked with (like DBO), I respect you all and hope to keep in touch.

Beamerboy

[Kilz]

I will say that people at Canonical do not look at the forum much, if at all. You may have better luck with the mailing lists.

[bonzodog]

Sorry to see you go mate...you were the one that introduced me to slackware all those years ago, although you always had that windows box in the corner.

Maybe you can go back to slack on Dual-boot?. I know it's not like you to get rid of a linux install completely, considering you've run it longer than I have (6 years and counting).

Seveas (dennis kaarsmaker) can be an idiot at times, which is why I don't use the #ubuntu channel at all, and only hang around in #ubuntuforums.

will catch you in our other community....

[mips]

Seveas (dennis kaarsmaker)...


That should be Kaarsemaker http://www.kaarsemaker.net/personal

[H.E. Pennypacker]

I don't understand why you can't dual-boot. It is especially important that Linux users like you do not leave Linux, because users like you are fundamental in bringing about a change. If everyone who has a need that Linux doesn't yet fulfill leaves, how are developers going to take notice?

Stay and keep pushing for a change. Do this while using Windows, but do not leave Linux forums and websites. Continue to advocate change, and ask that whatever it is you need is implemented.

This is very important, so please do not leave, especially when you don't have to. When you know you're not watching TV on your computer, use Linux, and report issues you may have.

[Rhubarb]

Not really a fix, but you can get LCD monitors nowadays with analogue s-video inputs (and TV tuners for that matter).
Either that, or you can get a s-video to RGB converter, and an RGB switchbox.
Bit irrelevant though, as you bought the nvidia vivo specifically for TV.

Please come back and visit Tux sometime soon.

[yaztromo]

Overall TV support in linux is still pretty sketchy. I have to use silly hacks I needn't use to get my TV card working, and for some reason the reception is much poorer than in windows with the same frequency settings.

TV support, and video input support is definately something that needs work.

[maniacmusician]

I don't understand why you can't dual-boot. It is especially important that Linux users like you do not leave Linux, because users like you are fundamental in bringing about a change. If everyone who has a need that Linux doesn't yet fulfill leaves, how are developers going to take notice?

Stay and keep pushing for a change. Do this while using Windows, but do not leave Linux forums and websites. Continue to advocate change, and ask that whatever it is you need is implemented.

This is very important, so please do not leave, especially when you don't have to. When you know you're not watching TV on your computer, use Linux, and report issues you may have.
exactly...for every person that leaves a blemish on the face of the ubuntu community, we need 5 more to take their place. You, a long time linux user, would be invaluable as part of this community. Understandably, you have to go back to windows, but that doesn't mean you have to leave...so like Pennypacker said, please don't.

[Brunellus]

obviously Linux is less ready for the desktop than it ever was.

[DoctorMO]

Be the change you want to see in the world - Ghandi

[John.Michael.Kane]

Beamerboy what i don't understand is why your letting one man's "opinion" ect make you leave.

Also if TV support for you is mandatory then like others have said dual boot use a tvcard that has linux support or find viable linux tv software that works with what you have now.


No one will always see eye to eye. sometimes you have to let things lay where they be,and keep going. leaving like this does no good.


Just my thoughts

[mips]

Would it be possible to install ******* in vmware and use the tv software that way ?

[DoctorMO]

No what I would do is help the developers, prod them, damnce around and create a lot of noise until something snaps.

I'd also develop the damn thing myself too, but thats because I'm a programmer.

I always buy bt878 cards because their 1) very cheap at £5 each and 2) always work with Linux and Video4Linux.

Consider pushing your issues further with the tv card, if nVidia really did release the specifications then it shouldn't even be hard to finish off the project.

[em3raldxiii]

MIPS that was exactly what I was going to ask :D. On that note, do you have a "reliable" howto on that subject? I haven't yet tried any of them out there, but I would really like to give it a go. Just for funzies and all that (mostly for my dad on HIS computer actually).

Now to Beamerboy: I truly understand your pain, my friend. But you know, I want to encourage you (much like others here) to stick around. I understand the frustration with hardware, but when you couple that with very difficult people can be incredibly discouraging. I agree whole-heartedly that we should have some kind of accountability for those with any sort of administrative powers. And posting on this forum can help too (though I don't always advocate posting usernames for obvious reasons), because it raises awareness in the community and can help from a peer-pressure point of view.

I really appreciate the work you have put into the Linux community, with Compriz + XGL (among other things), and I think the Ubuntu community is losing a valuable user if you do as you say and go back to the Dark Side with Windows and all it's WindowsCrazyThings(TM).

But whatever you decide to do ... all the best :D

[mips]

MIPS that was exactly what I was going to ask :D. On that note, do you have a "reliable" howto on that subject?...

Nope, I have no howto on this. It's just a thought that crossed my mind while reading this thread, sorry.

Maybe someone should try it and see if it works :!:

[maniacmusician]

i have xp and vmware but no tv card. it would be an interesting project i suppose.

[mips]

The Riva TV project might work, http://rivatv.sourceforge.net/

[maniacmusician]

hehe have you been reading the thread? ;) he tried that and it hasn't worked for him, which is pretty much the reason for the trip back to windows.

[mips]

hehe have you been reading the thread?

:redface: ](*,)

[Beamerboy]

It isn't possible to use my capture devices in windows as a guest OS under vmware mainly because the guest OS does not have direct access to the I2C bus. Whereas windows does have a WDM driver, this doesn't work when it is installed as a guest OS (I have tried).

I have windows installed now and I am hating it already, I miss my wobbly windows and trailfocus. I will see how I feel in a couple of days, I daresay Bonzodog will be working day and night to get me back into linux now.

Just for the record, the first thing I did when I reinstalled windows was install vmware server and then install Ubuntu as a Guest OS so I still hanging in there in some respects.

As BonzoDog correctly said, it is not like me to not have a non windows machine in the corner somewhere and I still have my freebsd server.

Thanks for all the support though, it's appreciated.

[.t.]

Goodbye then Beamerboy, and may you someday beam again.

[Beamerboy]

No what I would do is help the developers, prod them, damnce around and create a lot of noise until something snaps.

I'd also develop the damn thing myself too, but thats because I'm a programmer.

I always buy bt878 cards because their 1) very cheap at £5 each and 2) always work with Linux and Video4Linux.

Consider pushing your issues further with the tv card, if nVidia really did release the specifications then it shouldn't even be hard to finish off the project.

Catch me on IRC please mate, I have a bt878 card and need to ask you some question about it.

[Beamerboy]

Well I managed to modify some hardware to hack together a solution for the video capture issue. I haven't tested it yet in Linux but the bt878 drivers are working fine with dscaler in windows so I am confident mythtv will work with the relevant modules in linux.

Not the most stable of solutions though. The bt878 card I have doesn't have an adapter for the coax cable so I had to remove the chasis plate from the back of the card and plug the card into the PCI slot without any support. The piece of paper between the coax connector and the chasis (to prevent any unwanted earthing on the chasis) is a little dubious too. But it all works so I will give it a go tomorrow in linux and see how it goes.

If anyone in the UK knows where I can get hold of an adapter so I can replace the chasis plate and secure the card properly, I would appreciate it.

Beamerboy

[maniacmusician]

kudos on that hack, let us know if it works.

[John.Michael.Kane]

Beamerboy thats the spirit chap. where there's noway make one.

As to the PCI slot issue. If you have an old slot cover you maybe able to mod that to hold the card right.

[prizrak]

Beamerboy,
You are one crazy mofo, in a good way. Best of luck to ya and go kick the RivaTV devs in the butt to make em work on getting the support implemented.

[Beamerboy]

Well I have to say I feel somewhat humbled and a little silly. Its been a long day, I uninstalled Ubuntu which was hard because I really do love the experience I have had with it (with the exception of video capture issues.) I reinstalled windows XP pro and have hated every minute I have spent with it, no wobbly windows, no trailfocus and most of all no feeling of security.

I hated it so much that I butchered an old cheap video capture card determined to get it to work and to my suprise succeeded to the point where I am confident it will work in Linux.

But the most important thing I learned today was the overwhelming respect this community has for each other. This thread has been a string of people encouraging me to stay, I have received PMs on the forum and countless messages on Freenode all doing the same thing.

I never realised I was really known in the community, I am a relative newcomer to the Ubuntu (about 8 months) and although I have tried to help as many people as possible both on IRC and with my HOWTO, it is such a large community and so many people working to help others, I really didn't think I had been noticed. Clearly I was wrong and I feel quite touched.

There are some people here I have known for many years, like Bonzodog, but most of you don't even know my name, let alone who I am. I have made some good friends in the community and really enjoyed the time I have spent here. Most of my time is taken up battling people like the MPAA, fighting for consumer rights, raising my 9 month old son and trying to keep a roof over my family's head since I lost my job in March. My life is rarely easy but my time at my pc doing something I enjoy, takes the edge off, humanises me and allows me to get away from the burdens I have to deal with everyday.

The last 2 years have been tremendously difficult, with the MPAA lawsuit, the TV interview which got me fired, the difficulty finding work because of the publicity that has surrounded me during this time. Even when I decided to go back to university to become a teacher again, the first thing that the head of department mentioned was the MPAA case and TV interview. Seems it will always be a shadow over me, albeit one I proudly wear.

So what now? Well I am hoping I have resolved my video issues with a temporary fix until I can afford a fancy tv card or RivaTV moves forward to support my existing hardware. That really only leaves me with one reason to leave and when measured and compared with countless members of this community who are decent, supportive and friendly people, it seems like a very silly and very selfish reason to leave.

So I guess tomorrow, I need to suck it up, break out the dapper cdrom and redo everything I undid today, so I can continue to be part of this great community. Thanks to everyone for making me see sense and helping me to realise what I was going to give up. I was wrong, I over reacted and I am man enough to admit it, pick myself up and get on with it.

Thank you all.

Beamerboy/Paladine/Alexander Hanff

[BHSPitMonkey]

Good to have you back, Alex. ;)

I think this thread, however brief, is a testament to the power of the linux community to pull together to help one another. An inevitable bad experience caused Beamer to lose sight of that power. While unfortunate, we've seen how such a situation can resolve itself in less than 24 hours; for this, I have to admire what's going on here. =D>

Ubuntu, indeed.

[spockrock]

I also wish I could get my 7800GT's video in working, I know its not linux or ubuntus fault I wish nvidia (granted doing a better job than ati in terms of drivers) to get video in working. I know how you feel when I was setting up my brothers computer for his new place he needed video in and there wasnt a cheap alternative that had linux support for what he needed, because of that I ended up putting windows on it.

[hanzj]

goodbye beamerboy

[croak77]

Not to derail the thread, but what the status of the lawsuit?

[Beamerboy]

Not to derail the thread, but what the status of the lawsuit?

To my knowledge it is still ongoing. unfortunately with the case being heard in US courts and me being a British citizen living in the UK, I never hear anything until it is too late to do anything about it. It seems part of the MPAA's tactics are to give the defendents no information just to keep us wondering wtf is going on, which just adds to the stress factor obviously.

[mips]

Thanks to everyone for making me see sense and helping me to realise what I was going to give up. I was wrong, I over reacted and I am man enough to admit it, pick myself up and get on with it.


I don't think you were wrong at all. We all get frustrated at some point and would like things to work, thats just human imho.

[Beamerboy]

MM200PCTV working in Ubuntu. Took me 5 minutes to setup and worked first time with no problems :)

Now I just need to try and save up for a Hauppauge PVR150 so I can get hardware encoding :)

Currently running under TVTime man what an easy app to setup. Will install MythTV sometime over the weekend when I have a little more time.

[maniacmusician]

congratulations :) and welcome back.

[Beamerboy]

Thanks, good to be back, if anything the last 24 hours reminded me exactly how much windows sucks.

[maniacmusician]

heh heh, yeah,

but that was a pretty crazy hack you put together....seems like a very linux-user-ish thing to do. it's a good example of creative solutions at the very least, very respectable

[Brunellus]

heh heh, yeah,

but that was a pretty crazy hack you put together....seems like a very linux-user-ish thing to do. it's a good example of creative solutions at the very least, very respectable
Linux users seem to be a pretty frugal, "mend and make do" bunch. An endearing quality.

[em3raldxiii]

I'm only mend-and-make-due if I get to use my angle-grinder. Makes modding and "rigging-things-to-work" much more entertaining ;)

[EdThaSlayer]

Sorry to see you leave...
Good luck ^_^

Hope you return soon ^_^

at least stay on the Linux forums!

[maniacmusician]

^ it pisses me off to no end when people read just the first post and reply to it.

[twist2b]

what wrong with virtualbox...... i mean i have xp on it and it runs 100% good and fine.... Vista should be no diffrent...... i dont understand his mind...... also whats wrong with dual boot

[-grubby]

you realize this thread is over a year old right?

[twist2b]

yea! hahahahha i was bored! and now peeps will see that dont understand... that you can use virtualbox and stuff like that!