"You don't have a Linux port - you don't exist!"

[ephemeros]

You browse the web for software you're interested in, you find one with delightful features, go to the "system requirements" page: surprise! There are 2 options: a Windows version and a Mac version. What do you do?

edit1: of course option 1 means using another (Linux) alternative, i could not write more characters on the line to explain that.
edit2: this poll is open-source, feel free to duplicate and modify it to your favorite Linux forum :D.

[mhancoc7]

You browse the web for software you're interested in, you find one with delightful features, go to the "system requirements" page: surprise! There are 2 options: a Windows version and a Mac version. What do you do?

You can try and run the program with Wine (http://www.winehq.org/) or you can use vmware server (http://www.howtoforge.com/ubuntu_vmware_server) to create a virtual windows environment to run all off your windows programs. Hope that will help. :)

Jereme

[maagimies]

I chose "I download the demo/trial/full Windows version and try to emulate it with Wine, hoping it will work."
But ONLY if a Linux compatible alternative program isn't available.
If the program is something I really don't care about, I'll just say "whatever" and don't use the program.
If I really like the program, but it doesn't work in Wine, I'll boot to Windows to use it.

[tribaal]

I don't have a windows partition anymore, and use VMware for visual basic (it's a school requirement).

Other than that, I don't like using windows, so if an application is not available on linux, then too bad.

- trib'

[ephemeros]

@mhancoc7: heh, ok, vmware means to have windows/mac installed (true, not necessary on another partition), so you may choose the 3rd option, IMO. never used that, anyway.

[Circus-Killer]

personally, this is why i stopped playing gunbound and shot-online. i admit i tried to run both under wine. and since i didnt succeed, i just stopped playing completely.

pity, if either made a linux client for their games, i'de play them like crazy.

[mhancoc7]

@mhancoc7: heh, ok, vmware means to have windows/mac installed (true, not necessary on another partition), so you may choose the 3rd option, IMO. never used that, anyway.

Yeah, I did not know which to pick. I don't really view my virtual windows as really being windows. I know that really doesn't make any sense. :-k I really only use it for testing my websites in IE. I only use Wine when I absolutely have no other alternatives. The fact is that so far I always find a linux program that will do what I need.

Jereme

[AlphaMack]

Precisely why I'm stuck with dual-boot setups. ](*,)

[Lord Illidan]

I dualboot to play Battle for Middle Earth.

[jc87]

For me the only software i need and dual-boot is usually games:rolleyes:, for the rest there are always great alternatives

[Klaidas]

Something between number 3 and 4. ;)

[funkenstein]

again, just for playing non linux-native/cedega´able games, and a couple o´ther progs... also when I want flash sound synchronised... :P

[NiklasV]

The first thing I do is try to find an alternative for Linux.
If there is none, I email the developer requesting a Linux version (if they don't know there's demand for a Linux version, there's an even smaller chance they will make one.)
Then I try to get the program to work under Wine.
If that doesn't work, I go on without it.

[IYY]

I've used dual boot in the past to do the following:

- CMYK in photoshop.
- Macromedia Flash
- Old PC games like Fallout

[aysiu]

You browse the web for software you're interested in Browse the web? How primitive. I open up Synaptic Package Manager and browse that.

[Christmas]

I'd try it with Wine, that would be the only alternative I'd have. However at the moment I have almost all the applications that I need and I managed to make WarCraft III work with Wine which is a great strategy game. No need for other applications/games.

[AndyCooll]

I voted for the first one since I don't use ******* on my pc's, and Linux has software for almost everything I meed.

I have a VMware XP image but I only use that to play FM2007.

Having said that when I was trying to make a backup copy of one of my wife's music video CDs this afternoon and K3B was refusing to play along, I came very close to seeing if there was any XP tool that would do the job. The first time I can ever remember getting to that stage of thinking!

:cool:

[ephemeros]

The first thing I do is try to find an alternative for Linux.
If there is none, I email the developer requesting a Linux version (if they don't know there's demand for a Linux version, there's an even smaller chance they will make one.)
Then I try to get the program to work under Wine.
If that doesn't work, I go on without it.

yup, i do the same things, usually without result. take for example silo 3d, they even have a thread on the forum for a linux port, but the version 2 beta was released for mac and win, only. many guys said that it would be their preferred 3d modeler if it would run on linux. i think this says some things about the company :\.

[Shay Stephens]

The only windows software I try to get to work with wine is the stuff I already have and still rely on. I don't look for or try new windows software, to prevent me from continued and never ending dependence on windows.

If they don't have a linux version I drop all interest and keep searching for a linux app.

[weasel fierce]

most of the time I just shrug and ignore it. I have the app's I need, and I mostly game on my PS2.

[PrinceArithon]

Because I hate wine, and because I think if these companies can't see Linux as viable to make something for it, then I couldn't care really. Yes I do have a windows partition for now....unfortunatly it's my bigger partition.....that will change when I buy a bigger hard drive 160 gig :p

Anyway, if they don't support Linux then I don't care, because I already have Linux doing what I want it to do 90%. So what if I have to go over to Windows just to play Rise of Nations. So I will keep a 40 gig partition available to Windows at all times until these idiot companies start making these games available for Linux.

[earobinson]

most of the programs I want dont exist in windows or linux yet

[aysiu]

most of the programs I want dont exist in windows or linux yet
You mean like the cool program in CSI where you can click your mouse two times and suddenly get amazing resolution after zooming x100 an image in the reflection of someone's eye from a blurry security camera shot?

[Tux Aubrey]

I guess I have recently taken to strategy 1 - find a Linux alternative or do without the program. I started my Ubuntu experience with dual boot, wine and VMWare and after six months found I hadn't used any of them for weeks. So I freed up the diskspace.

Seems that people here are mainly concerned about games. A valid reason, but personally, after half a lifetime chasing the great gaming experience, I must have reached that age where:


Any game touted as having "awesome graphics" tends to make me nauseous after about five minutes; or

I get bored with the gameplay within a session or two; or

I've seen it all before.


Sad really in someone who nearly wrecked a marriage when Civilisation and Doom first came out.

[Cyraxzz]

Only if it is necessary software...

[ephemeros]

^ just keeping this poll alive, those guys should learn a lesson :-k

[StarsAndBars14]

The only games I'll dual boot for are America's Army and Dark Age of Camelot.

[doobit]

The only game I have is Doom and it works in Linux. Otherwise I don't care for games.
Every other type of app I use works in Linux.

[shining]

You browse the web for software you're interested in, you find one with delightful features, go to the "system requirements" page: surprise! There are 2 options: a Windows version and a Mac version. What do you do?


When I look for softwares, it's firstly in apt-get/aptitude/synaptic, and then in google where I always add the term linux, or in linux forums, so that nearly never happens to me.
However, I regularly run into apps (not looking for them), or hear about good windows apps, or windows games and applications that I liked before. I often try them in wine, just to check if it runs or not. If it does, I'm happy, and if it doesn't, I generally don't care.

[jimcooncat]

You mean like the cool program in CSI where you can click your mouse two times and suddenly get amazing resolution after zooming x100 an image in the reflection of someone's eye from a blurry security camera shot?

I can't handle tech on most TV shows. "He's good -- he's got the file encrypted in 128 bit PGP. Just a minute -- OK! We're in!" That's sickening.

I want a Mass Spectrometer like Jordan uses though, USB-connected please. "Let's see, my sample contains lead, arsenic, and corn!"