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josvanr
August 22nd, 2013, 10:45 PM
I've never printed a page in linux that gets printed at the actually right size. I thought I'd give it a try again, but after 3 hours and a stack of photo paper I'm back to windows virtual machine again. Just forget about linux and print photos

peyre
August 22nd, 2013, 11:14 PM
I've never printed a page in linux that gets printed at the actually right size. I thought I'd give it a try again, but after 3 hours and a stack of photo paper I'm back to windows virtual machine again. Just forget about linux and print photos

Funny, I haven't had that problem. I have had trouble with installed networked printers suddenly not working until I deleted and reinstalled, but that seems to have been largely a Lubuntu thing back when I was trying to use that on my laptop.

RadicaX
August 22nd, 2013, 11:31 PM
Get viruses, malware, spyware with little effort. Lol.

Seriously though, the advantages Windows has, is only because they tend to be locked in. Basically any OS can what every other OS can do if you program it to do that. Windows could do many things to be more secure. But they opt not to do those things. You can use the latest version of flash with most browsers on Windows, only Google Chrome has updated flash on Linux. But such things like that is not really the OS fault. So that kind of question would be pretty hard to answer.

jtarin
August 23rd, 2013, 01:49 AM
I've never printed a page in linux that gets printed at the actually right size. I thought I'd give it a try again, but after 3 hours and a stack of photo paper I'm back to windows virtual machine again. Just forget about linux and print photos

If you could specify the particular problem your having and the printer make and model perhaps someone could help. Printing in Linux can be very flexible, but at times also challenging until you get the hang of it.

Grinage
August 23rd, 2013, 04:35 PM
Wow, this isn't what I was searching for, but I saw it and had to attempt to read through the nearly 37 pages worth of comments, I kind of wonder if the OP had any idea what kind of can of worms that question would open. For my part Security was the biggest reason for switching from windows. Yes some games don't work, and there are some occasional irritating bugs, glitches, PEBKAC errors, etc., but, when I install any distro of linux vs any MSWIN product, the differences are immediately obvious. A clean install of a Microsoft OS will have a minimum of five restarts, before you can actually get around to installing the programs you need and functioning as security patches and bug fixes are applied. Linux is mostly secure out of the box unless I make it not so, and if there are security patches and updates they can download and install while I do other things, install other aplications, and go about the business that I need to get done without a single necessary restart or a message that pops up every five minutes that says you need to restart your PC to finish updates.

That's a long way of saying, that for the average user, end user or business user who doesn't rely on specialized software tied to Microsoft Products and Liscenses the biggest advantage of linux over windows is sustained stability. If you surf the web, watch videos, stream videos such as netflix, check email, and do some occasional word processing, linux is a cost effective and speedy alternative to any MSWindows available, without any of the issues a Windows OS causes. When you start diving heavily into photo editing, wine, games, and studio aplications, and custom gaming rigs, that's a whole other can of worms.

montag dp
August 24th, 2013, 01:58 AM
This doesn't directly answer the question, but I thought I would make this remark. Recently I've had to use Windows for some things. I found Windows can be made much more pleasant to use by installing:

* Dexpot for multiple workspace support, plus the needed "Scale" and "Exposé" views (though they're not called that). It also has a setting that allows the taskbar to work more like a dock, where clicking an icon for an app on a different workspace brings you to that workspace and shows the window you selected.

* Cygwin for a bash shell emulator.

* MinGW for GNU compilers.

* KDE for Windows so I can use Dolphin, Okular, Kate, and others which are simply better (IMO) than their Windows counterparts.

Once you install these things, Windows can get a little closer to being as nice to use as Linux (but still with a long way to go). ;)

montag dp
August 25th, 2013, 04:06 AM
But even so, it is so refreshing to get back to Linux...

Dragonbite
August 26th, 2013, 12:25 PM
Windows can make me have to upgrade my Windows 7 Home to Windows 7 Pro if I want to back up over the network, while Linux lets me do whatever I want so long as I don't mind putting some things together like and Ikea cabinet.

paul_c2
August 28th, 2013, 03:29 PM
For me, I find Windows is WAY easier to deal with when you have some issue, ie: just fixed my sound problem over HDMI, man that was some pain in the ... took me 2 days to find what was wrong, all the solutions out there were useless but one, and finding that one solution was real hard work and it was something VERY simple that still needed me to jump through hoops! For Windows, I usually find the right solution within minutes and I don't have to run to the terminal everytime!

Also there are a few softwares that I uses in Windows that are not working in Ubuntu : PPStream (works but it's quite buggy) & Baidu Player, it works with Wine but in Windows it also works within browsers but of course that particular feature is what I use and of course it doesn't work with Wine, so the Chinese TV website my wife uses is now useless and with PPStream being unstable I have quite a lot of insentives (read : presure from my wife) to switch back to Windows!

There are other minor things but for me those are the main "annoyances" that would make me switch back to Windows 7.

paul_c2
August 30th, 2013, 02:31 PM
oh well, I guess Ubuntu's God heard me ... Windows just kicked me where it hurts!

One of my laptops wifi "stopped" working, can't connect to any protected wifi (WPA or WEP) but can on an open network ... there was no updates or new software installed recently so it's either a virus (couldn't find one), a driver issue (that I couldn't fix) or one of those infamous Windows Gremlin!

Either way I'm only left with one option (after hours of Google search, driver install, reinstall and reboots), the "easily-fix-everything-solution-for-any-Windows" : a fresh Win 7 install! :(

mamamia88
September 1st, 2013, 11:43 PM
Work with pretty much any third party accessories that you buy. Granted that's because it's tested on it as a priority. For example I bought an snes adaptor for use with emulator but 2 of the directions on the dpad don't work in linux. wish i would have read about that before buying it.

monkeybrain20122
September 2nd, 2013, 08:24 AM
oh well, i guess ubuntu's god heard me ... Windows just kicked me where it hurts!



:p

jgooch
September 2nd, 2013, 04:08 PM
Linux just kicked me too, several times in one day. I upgraded Python from 2.7.3 to 2.7.5( from source, that was my mistake) and it was missing a lot of modules. At first, I tried to fix it by installing modules, but I hit a module that said it was installed, but all of the solutions to the error to me installing the module was the fix. Lucky 2.7.3 was still on my system , so I updated the PATH and python softlinks to point back to it and rebooted. The system go to the login screen but the keyboard and mouse didn't work. I remembered that I had run apt-get update and upgrade 2 days before, so I reverted back to a older kernel, installed kernel headers, and then it was back to normal...almost.

Virtualbox wouldn't start my VM's, and I had to recompile the VBox modules to match the kernel I was running( it needed those missing header files to recompile ).

All of this took hours because of the stream of errors and non-fixes from the Web that I had to deal with. Your experience with LINUX and Windows is going to vary based on your needs. There are programs in Windows that I cannot do without - Outlook, Adobe Lightroom, iTunes( and related programs like Amoeba,Bonjour, Visual Studio, Airport Express manager, active directory for my domain, etc ), and programs for LINUX that I won't give up - Plexserver,atorrent, plus it helps me at work, where many of my apps I manager run on Linux and on Windows.

To be honest , I don't think that I could give up either of them. I have 2 physical machines and several virtual machines, and they are about split 50/50 between LINUX and Windows. For games, I decided to retire from PC gaming this year and use my Xbox all of my gaming. My previous gaming/xbmc computer is sitting in the closet, waiting for something to do.

One day I'll try out an Apple computer...the Macbook Air will probably be my first Mac.

ssrr84
September 26th, 2013, 12:52 PM
windows is user friendly but lacks performance and security. This is a fundamental inconsistency between user friendliness and security. you most be geek to go for Linux because lots of straightforward tasks in windows, are quite complicated in Linux. For instance installing applications and drivers are much simpler in windows and you can install everything from a simple software such as a video player to a professional and sophisticated application such as CATIA in the same way. you just click some "i agree !", "next", "next" and "finish". but in Linux, its just not that easy and simple, most of the times you had to use terminal commands which is not an easy thing to do ( i mean there are a lot of commands that you can not memorize all of them and every time you want to install an application you have to search for the right commands on the net. But of course it is become much more easier these days. I am a long time windows user and i'm not a professional or programmer but i know a lot of useful stuff and my friends consider me as the Geek ! and i can solve almost any software and hardware related every day issues. But from the early years of my experience with computers, i was interested in trying Linux and i have tried a wide variety of Linux distributions (from RedHat 9.0 and start of Fedora project, first Ubuntu versions and SUSE and Mandrake) but after a couple of days or weeks of playing around these operating systems, i get frustrated by their complexity. I mean you could start learning all there is to know about windows just by playing with it and you do not need to be a computer specialist or programmer to work with windows in an advanced manner. For example i am a pharmacist and so i have almost no experience in programming or complicated computer stuff but i have managed to learn a lot by playing around windows and now i do not need any technical assistance in windows environment and actually i regularly help out friends with their computer problems. But in Linux environment i tried a lot to learn its complexities with no luck until recently when i decided to tray the latest ubuntu distribution (12.04 at the time) and i realized that in the recent years, lot of problems and complexities of Linux (specifically ubuntu) have been solved already. now i am very happy with it and i use it much more frequently. i have this vaio-sz series for about 5 years now. it was originally loaded with windows vista which you know its a pain to work with. so in the later years i have tried different windowses and even though sony provides drivers for 7 (32 and 64 bit) and windows 8 and even xp but in case of any of them i had to lose some functionality of my laptop such as functions keys not working, fingerprint sensor not supported, Bluetooth not recognized or web Cam not working. But with Ubuntu 12.04 i have managed to make all of them work smoothly and without a hitch. so i'm very pleased with this amazing hardware compatibility given the fact that laptops usually have a lot of eccentric and non-common hardware features which even in different windows OSs you could have a lot of problems about the drivers and functionality.

all in all, what i am trying to say is that current Linux distributions are just great, flexible and reliable for a daily use. For instance i had less problem with Ubuntu concerning usb connection of with my Galaxy S3 (with all those MTP problems ! ) compared to windows, which i had to install that piece of crap called Samsung kies !

the only problem with linux in general is that most professional applications which usually are extremely expensive such as Adobe products ( Photoshop, premier and so on) or engineering softwares (e.g. AutoCad, CATIA, Solidworks, Rihno, .... you name it ) and also popular high quality games ( EAgames's NFS, FIFA and a lot more) can not be found in linux simply because they are expensive and proprietary which has fundamental issue with Open Source ecosystem. these kinds of programs are very sophisticated and needs a lot of professional programming and effort to produce to cover all the expenses of production ( and of course they have to fill deep pockets of their CEO s) so i do not think that any time soon they offer their products on open source market. As the Games concerned, a lot of people prefer using professional game consuls such as Xbox, PS3 or Wii so you have good alternative for them which actually work better in those consuls compared to computers. But regarding those professional applications, there is still no simple solution at least for the time being. the other problem with Linux is that there is a lot of different distributions which are not very compatible with each other so developing those professional softwares for linux users is not a simple thing to do and they have to develop numerous different applications in order to work with every kind of linux. but if a specific distribution of Linux, let's day ubuntu becomes main stream and the number of its users increases significantly in order to be comparable with number of windows and Mac users, this could be intresting for those companies to offer their products in Linux format.

su:bhatta
September 27th, 2013, 07:49 AM
Ok, Honestly, I didn't read the 277 pages, so maybe this has been mentioned before, also, no way is this related to the last few posts:

Windows can take a lot of money from you to try & get you infected badly, tell your tall tales to whosoever pays them and forces nearly everybody to comply to their standards !
Linux can't do that! I guess its the philosophy!

Linux don't want to do that!

W7yt8kc
September 30th, 2013, 02:32 AM
I also have note read all the pages in this thread; but, best on the fact that this thread came up in a search for "office 2007" I suspect that others have found that it cannot run office reliably. I Know Linux is a great system for tinkering, for people who find beating th eproductivity out of the computer to be satisfying; however, I have work to be done and can not spend my days playing with the computer or using subpar/nonstandard apps (standard is determined by the environment, not some body, and the standatd is MS Office).

I tried using Libre Office for a few days, I noticed that the formatting was a mess and that for things I do I spent longer tryign to get th esame work done in Lebre Office. It is not only due to familiarity, there are differences in features I use.

deadflowr
September 30th, 2013, 02:43 AM
Ok, Honestly, I didn't read the 277 pages, so maybe this has been mentioned before, also, no way is this related to the last few posts:

Windows can take a lot of money from you to try & get you infected badly, tell your tall tales to whosoever pays them and forces nearly everybody to comply to their standards !
Linux can't do that! I guess its the philosophy!

Linux don't want to do that!

Of the 277 pages, this is probably mentioned in at least 200 of them.:o

W7yt8kc
September 30th, 2013, 05:19 AM
Windows can take a lot of money from you . . .

Of course, it can also save a lot of money. It does this by providing for significantly higher levels of productiveity.

AT th esite I am working at th esite manager is about to pull th eplug on all Linux. The reason is simple. The level of productivity of th elinux users is significantly lkess. Furhter, when a person switches to linux their productivity falls and does not return to pre-Linux levels.

I am really trying to make it work for me, yet again; but, the reality is that, as an experiment, it is failing.

david98
September 30th, 2013, 06:13 AM
http://ubuntuforums.org/images/icons/icon3.png What can Windows do that Linux can't?
Give you the blue screen of death' waste hardrive space get your system riddled with viruses,make microsoft billion's on a mediocre OS.

Mainly gaming though steam is coming a long way to help bridge the gap

theDaveTheRave
September 30th, 2013, 09:12 AM
It does this by providing for significantly higher levels of productiveity.

AT th esite I am working at th esite manager is about to pull th eplug on all Linux. The reason is simple. The level of productivity of th elinux users is significantly lkess. Furhter, when a person switches to linux their productivity falls and does not return to pre-Linux levels.

I am really trying to make it work for me, yet again; but, the reality is that, as an experiment, it is failing.

This is something windows does really well, it has been the 'household standard' for so long, and so many people have used it at home and at work that trying to switch to something else has become fraught with hazzard.

I compare it to driving.

The way a car works is exactly the same (the location of pedals is 'standard').

So now lets consider the differences.

Even if you drive in the same country, you can struggle with certain differences in car manufacturer due to placement of switches for lights, wipers etc. If you have been driving the same car for a long time, and it is getting late or you haven't had to turn on the wipers in a long time you can often grab at the wrong control.

If you drive in different countries trying to get used to the wheel on different sides can take a while. I still make the error in empty car parks of driving on the 'wrong side' ~ luckily it is only in car parks so nothing moves particularly quickly, one way streets are another one where I seem to often move to the left <shrugs>

This is like windows and linux software. The stuff if is of a much higher user complexity (shortcuts, menu items), and yet people expect to be able to manage al the differences in 30 seconds.

You wouldn't expect this with any other product.

Another thing is mouse or trackball.

I've used a trackball for ever, I much prefer them, I can use a mouse equally efficiently (or a touchpad), I'm not that good with a graphics tablet though. When other try to use my trackball, they are all a fumble, they so often don't want to try it that I have a mouse ready to plug in for occasions that a colleague wants to drive my pointer.

But have you ever tried using a mouse on an uneven surface, or carrying it in your hand whilst you do a presentation ~ a mouse fails terribly at this, and most people will move to a 'thumball' type device with built in laser pointer. With a trackball you don't need this extra device. You just need a semi solid surface (although nowadays I expect people should be using their telephones to control the scren).

In response to office being the standard.... standard of what.

Everytime I receive of send a word document to a colleague I feel I have to send a pdf copy at the same time, so as they can see it with the formatting that I have used. If I am using 'special' formatting for sections / tables etc, and they don't have these set on their system then it will return to the 'default' and then the word wrap etc is all gone.

Personally I would prefer to do it all in HTML, and have my colleagues open the document in a web browser, but then what happens when they want to modify it's contencts?
So the choice comes down to office 'open xml' (or DOCX in MS parlance) I have no problem with this, but now the size of the file is massive, and every 3 days the format changes ~ or breaks with every update from any sofware provider. and have you ever read the internal XML representation of the document ~ horid. Every paragraph gets its own dedicated style sheet, even it paragraph 2 uses the exact same 'styling' as paragraph 1.
If you create your own styles you are back to the same problem as with standard DOC files, If you don't send your file with the styly sheet then your colleague can't render it the same way as you, and if you do send the style sheet the file is massive, and your colleague has the problem of making sure that the main file and the style sheet are correctly linked together, and doing this is not an intuitive thing to have to do. The problem seems to be that the main file and the style sheet expect the 'path' to one another to be exactly the same on all machines.
So the standard is send as DOC, and send a pdf at the same time.
And what if you and your colleague both edit the same file on the network, and use the 'versioning' that is available in Office. The problem is just as bad. Even If you don't both have the file open at the same time, if one of you uses a different version of office the 'versioning' may be lost, and the file 'flattened' into a non versioned form.

google docs (however unhappy people may become with the idea of google having all your documents) will become the new 'standard'

su:bhatta
October 1st, 2013, 07:46 AM
of the 277 pages, this is probably mentioned in at least 200 of them.:o


Ahh, and its so true :)

gretenov
October 2nd, 2013, 05:13 AM
I'm not sure if this was already mentioned, as I don't have enough time to browse 277 pages of thread.

Most of those that Windows can do that Linux cannot are matter of tradition. Many people are used to doing things in certain ways that is based on the conventions and syntax of Windows. Many of these can be done in Ubuntu but in a lot of different way. That is why shifting from Windows to Ubuntu takes time and determination. Aside from that, most of the advantages of Windows is that several commercial software programs as well as FOSS are compatible with it, while Ubuntu is usually compatible only with other FOSS.

deadflowr
October 3rd, 2013, 08:22 PM
I'm not sure if this was already mentioned, as I don't have enough time to browse 277 pages of thread.

Most of those that Windows can do that Linux cannot are matter of tradition. Many people are used to doing things in certain ways that is based on the conventions and syntax of Windows. Many of these can be done in Ubuntu but in a lot of different way. That is why shifting from Windows to Ubuntu takes time and determination. Aside from that, most of the advantages of Windows is that several commercial software programs as well as FOSS are compatible with it, while Ubuntu is usually compatible only with other FOSS.

Whether a program is FOSS or not makes no difference if it is compatible with a system or not.
If a program is written to run on Ubuntu it will run on Ubuntu, regardless of license.

Windows just simply has a vastly larger selection of commercial software available and written for it.

64bitiso
October 4th, 2013, 01:58 AM
What can Windows do that Linux can't?



Well, it can show a GUI for starters. Linux cannot do that - it needs a window manager such as Gnome, since Linux is the kernel - the "core" of the OS, not *THE* OS.

Clopper Almon
October 4th, 2013, 03:04 AM
Borland C++ Builder has no version compatible with current Linux versions. Briefly there was a Linux version of Builder called Kylix, but it worked only on three distributions and no longer works at all as far as I am aware. I wrote with Borland Builder a number of programs -- such as G7 and Interdyme -- for building economic models, and these programs work only on Windows. I am trying to rewrite them with cross-platform tools, notably wxWidgets and Code::Blocks, but it is a big job. Meanwhile, I have to keep Windows on my computer solely to run my own programs.

Malsasa
October 8th, 2013, 01:12 PM
- All USB modems works perfect on Windows when in Ubuntu we usually need ppp/wvdial. Yes because all USB modems created for Windows.
- Matlab, no FOSS replaces Matlab perfectly.
- EAGLE, Protel, ISIS, Multisim, TINA, PSPICE, no one has perfect Ubuntu version.

ianp5a
October 9th, 2013, 09:08 PM
Having used Ubuntu since Karmic and seen many improvements along the way, one thing that is a really inconvenient experience, that has not been resolved in all this time, and is partly caused by the applications and no so much Ubuntu themselves, is the rotten '/home' folder with its half-hidden folders full of somebody else's junk.
I need a folder to put all my stuff. /home is certainly not the place. As it is used by any installed application to save it's settings. This is the problem: Many applications default their file open/save navigation to a folder full of junk. The junk is sometimes hidden and sometimes in your face. And is often huge. This is not a "how do I avoid this?" question. This is "how to change Ubuntu to avoid this mess?" One that is unnecessary.
Note: You, personally, may have learned to live with it, but do you think it is OK for newbies to fight against, and perhaps lose, when they don't need to?

theDaveTheRave
October 10th, 2013, 10:54 AM
is partly caused by the applications and no so much Ubuntu themselves, is the rotten '/home' folder with its half-hidden folders full of somebody else's junk.


This isn't someone else junk, this is your personal junk!

Each app will have a folder


.[nameOfApp]


This is where this application will store settings that are specific to you.
It will likely store temp files in the same place.

I'm sure that you already know this (after all you've been using Ubuntu since karmic). I understand that for a new user it may seem 'strange' but surely it's much better than the mess that you get with windows?

With regard to the default location to store your saved files, most apps will default to your personal home directory, often times you will find a setting for a default location (I admit that finding this setting is often not obvious).

With windows, you never know if the app you have installed is going to install into


c:\programs

or directly into the root


c:\

then of course your app may decide to create it's own directory into it's source directory, for including the details of your personal setting.

Remember here that windows is generally a single user system. So where the settings are stored is irrelevant, it is likely only you that will use this terminal.

Should you try to migrate your setting from one terminal to another, your going to have a lot of fun, as different apps store things in different locations. I propose that you try making use of the windows 'user settings transfer wizzard', even if you only use MS applications you don't get all your setting for word / xl / powerpoint etc.

In the linux world, you can simply tar up your home drive, and copy all the files to the new system, and your setting should be as they where. I've never had a problem with this, and I've done it a number of times, with re-installs of new systems (remembering to keep your home drive on a separate partition is easiest). and after a old system has died - simply pull out the old HDD, and copy all the 'hidden' folder onto the new.

Nothing could be easier....

David

monkeybrain20122
October 10th, 2013, 03:42 PM
.
- Matlab, no FOSS replaces Matlab perfectly.
.

What does it has to do with Windows vs Linux? Matlab runs on Linux natively.

Azyx
October 10th, 2013, 04:19 PM
To ianp5a (http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=365867)

" /home is certainly not the place. As it is used by any installed application to save it's settings."

I don't have more than user-folders and lost&found in my home-folder. But in /home/Azyx all my settings and files are there. If you add another user, it create another folder like /home/newuser, and thier application settings and file they add are there.

Sinixstar
October 12th, 2013, 10:56 AM
This isn't someone else junk, this is your personal junk!

Each app will have a folder


.[nameOfApp]


This is where this application will store settings that are specific to you.
It will likely store temp files in the same place.

I'm sure that you already know this (after all you've been using Ubuntu since karmic). I understand that for a new user it may seem 'strange' but surely it's much better than the mess that you get with windows?

With regard to the default location to store your saved files, most apps will default to your personal home directory, often times you will find a setting for a default location (I admit that finding this setting is often not obvious).

With windows, you never know if the app you have installed is going to install into


c:\programs

or directly into the root


c:\

then of course your app may decide to create it's own directory into it's source directory, for including the details of your personal setting.


That's simply a matter of convention. The vast majority of windows apps default to installing to C:\program files\ (or c:\program files(x86) in newer versions). This is where things are SUPPOSED to be installed, and that's where the system variables are pointed to.
User preferences are stored in user folders, $SYSTEM\Users\[username]\Application Data\ most commonly. NOT in application folders. Application folders are global for the system. User-specific data is stored in a user's directory because other users do not have access to those directories. It's actually a pretty decent system for keeping stuff sorted out - provided developers follow the convention. There's no reason why a developer couldn't throw random files all over the place in Ubuntu - other than convention. Provided you're installing decently written software in windows - it's not a problem. If you're downloading and installing joe blow's "my first open source app" - you may run into some messiness.



Remember here that windows is generally a single user system. So where the settings are stored is irrelevant, it is likely only you that will use this terminal.

This is a joke, right?



Should you try to migrate your setting from one terminal to another, your going to have a lot of fun, as different apps store things in different locations. I propose that you try making use of the windows 'user settings transfer wizzard', even if you only use MS applications you don't get all your setting for word / xl / powerpoint etc.


Yes and no. If you're on a domain - you can set up roaming profiles, and your settings will follow you anywhere you log in across the entire network. It's not nearly as difficult to transfer as you might think, if you know what you're doing. The transfer wizard makes life a whole heck of a lot easier though - especially moving between versions of windows. It's also not a matter of "different programs store things in different places" - it mostly has to do with the use of the registry. That's the main difference that I think perhaps you're not seeing. Where as with linux everything is file based, windows uses a registry for keeping track of a lot of settings and configurations. There's pros and cons to this that i'm not going to bother getting into here. That's a big part of what the transfer wizard takes care of - is migrating the registry settings for various apps that use it. If there was no registry - then you'd be able to just zip up the files as you can in linux.



In the linux world, you can simply tar up your home drive, and copy all the files to the new system, and your setting should be as they where. I've never had a problem with this, and I've done it a number of times, with re-installs of new systems (remembering to keep your home drive on a separate partition is easiest). and after a old system has died - simply pull out the old HDD, and copy all the 'hidden' folder onto the new.

Nothing could be easier....

David
I've done the same thing in windows? Just pull the drive and slap it in a new machine. It'll have to run some updates if you're dealing with massive hardware upgrades - but it's not the end of the world. I can't imagine you wouldn't run an update after doing something similar in linux - particularly if there's lots of new hardware?

Sinixstar
October 12th, 2013, 11:03 AM
Ok, Honestly, I didn't read the 277 pages, so maybe this has been mentioned before, also, no way is this related to the last few posts:

Windows can take a lot of money from you to try & get you infected badly, tell your tall tales to whosoever pays them and forces nearly everybody to comply to their standards !
Linux can't do that! I guess its the philosophy!

Linux don't want to do that!

A lot of that simply comes down to the user. I ran windows without anti-virus or firewall software for YEARS without a problem. How? Because I wasn't an idiot about what I did with my computer. I didn't surf porn, I don't just download and run random applications off the web, and I don't click on stupid .vbs attachments in emails. You can say whatever you want about an OS - but security ultimately starts and ends with the user.

A lot of the problems that I see people posting re: windows in this thread frankly haven't been issues for years, and some of them i question if they're even really issues. I mean, BSOD? I haven't had a blue screen in at least 7 or 8 years. The cost? Really? How often are you upgrading versions of windows that it's constantly emptying your pockets? Viruses - see above. On the security front- I find it kind of amusing. People talk about how un-secure windows is, but at the same time complain about how locked down and closed everything is? Well - those two things aren't compatible in reality. The security issues are largely caused by an excess of openness and trust within the OS, which translates into code being able to run that arguably shouldn't. That's literally the exact opposite of being locked down and closed.

The other funny thing is that aside from the BSOD problems, I think many of the complaints people have are far more fitting of apple than MS these days. Even on the cost issue you can get free versions of virtually every piece of MS software nowadays. Even visual studio and SQL Server have express editions. You really only have to pay for "professional" and "enterprise" editions (which let's face it, if you require fall ovre clustering and Team Foundation Server support - you're working in a professional environment and should be paying).

Sinixstar
October 12th, 2013, 11:25 AM
Attract major commercial software developers to create high-end multimedia editing programs or linux ports of already existing ones. If you determine professional standard programs by what the pros are using (a reasonable assumption), in the music business it's all Windows or Mac. Same with video (especially video - some colleges require their students own a Mac for film courses). In Wine the best audio program I've been able to run is Cool Edit Pro, which is miles behind the likes of Samplitude, Sound Forge, etc. Samplitude will install, but is severely crippled. Izotope Ozone will install, but you can't activate it out of demo mode. Etc., etc.

Love what Linux is. Looking forward to what it can be.

This is easily one of my biggest complaints. The original Final Scratch way back in the day ran under linux (Actually the very first "pro" edition came with a Vaio laptop running some linux distro, pre-loaded with Final Scratch). But it's been a long time since that was the case. Nothing like ableton, reason, cubase, etc runs on linux. The reason i've heard from companies like Native Instruments (traktor) and Ableton, is that the linux market is simply too small to justify the development costs. This type of software is hugely difficult and expensive to create, and adding support for another OS is simply not financially viable. Say whatever you want about the whole "open source" and "free software" concepts - but developers need to get paid, and it can take years to develop these software suites. Heck, for a number of years a lot of them weren't even available in windows. I think Digidesign (Avid, pro-tools, etc) FINALLY ported some of their software over for windows, but for years was only available on the mac for the same reason.

jrz
October 14th, 2013, 11:22 AM
The ONLY thing I ever found Windows to do that Linux doesn't do is keep me from getting necessary work done because of the time needed to maintain the OS. I just bought a new computer, and the first thing I did was wipe Win8 from both hard disks and install Linux Mint. Works like a charm now.

majukarma
October 19th, 2013, 12:56 AM
Hum,

I know what Windows can and Linux not...

With Windows you can have spywares, viruses, rootkits, malwares... A lot more easily than with Linux...

And What about this complementary question:
What can do Linux that Windows can't ?

tehowe
October 19th, 2013, 01:27 AM
Sinixstar said:


This is easily one of my biggest complaints. The original Final Scratch way back in the day ran under linux (Actually the very first "pro" edition came with a Vaio laptop running some linux distro, pre-loaded with Final Scratch). But it's been a long time since that was the case. Nothing like ableton, reason, cubase, etc runs on linux. The reason i've heard from companies like Native Instruments (traktor) and Ableton, is that the linux market is simply too small to justify the development costs. This type of software is hugely difficult and expensive to create, and adding support for another OS is simply not financially viable. Say whatever you want about the whole "open source" and "free software" concepts - but developers need to get paid, and it can take years to develop these software suites. Heck, for a number of years a lot of them weren't even available in windows. I think Digidesign (Avid, pro-tools, etc) FINALLY ported some of their software over for windows, but for years was only available on the mac for the same reason.

What about Renoise? Ardour? The KXStudio PPA? Something I've found out about Linux is that it can do everything you need to do (I gleefully wiped Windows a few years back from my systems) - but it's harder for developers to get the word out about their solutions, so it really just came down to scouring the web and installing a bunch of PPAs to get the best applications, many of which aren't in Ubuntu repos.

wlsemmens
October 21st, 2013, 03:32 AM
I have just wasted 13 days trying to get a computer to do what I wanted............................................ in Linux! I was setting up my media server in the hopes that Linux would work well for my wife who is bedridden most of the time and ******* would not let me customise my desktop as I needed, Linux, of course does! Being the good bloke that I am, I decided that it would be wise to have a consistent interface right across the house (three computers in regular use, and a few others). Once I got the video problem sorted (sort of - nomodeset and the generic drivers actually work better when plugged into the TV than the nVidia ones. This took me a week to work out. Nothing on the live CDs to tell the newbie what the issue might be. Now I find that playing video streamed across the network is less than satisfactory, a local HDD is constantly working (the video is coming in from wife's PC) so, I'm guessing that some form of cache is working overtime, the audio is not quite in synch with the video, works fine when in *******. Now, I cannot seem to convince the "Line In" of my sound card to talk to the output of same card!

******* ('cept for Missed Edition followed closely by Hissta) works out of the box. I have yet to explore CAD, as I have spent a lot of time developing stuff using Sketchup in recent times and from earlier experience none of the M$Orifice clones come close to duplicating the functionality of that package, I've spent years developing quite complex spreadsheets and word documents, which did not port at all, last time I tried it. I haven't even got to Access yet. Unfortunately, for many users, Linux of any distribution is still a bit 'hit or miss' as to it's suitability. Great for those who are willing to tinker to get it to do what you want, but for "plug and play", in the loosest sense of the meaning, you still can't beat *******.

davem1946
October 21st, 2013, 05:07 AM
I have built hudreds of applications and websites on windows over the years, but many of those are sitting on linux servers around the country. Windows and linux both have their place.

I just installed linux on a computer as a test bed server for web and desktop applications. It has been a five day hassle partly because of very different terminology. I can install windows xp, win7 or win8 much quicker and have everything(MY tools) up and going in 2 days including all my saved work. I don't do access or excel. I do very real, large and small databases with very large scale tools.

Windows has changed over the years, but later offerings store all the information you need in the registry. If you know how to use it you can find just about anything you need. It is a hassle though.

By the way, win8 is quite quick and very good, but like linux, you have to get used to it. It is nowhere near the server.

I also have a windows server on another computer for some of the other app testing.

&hiu)(@%
October 27th, 2013, 02:42 PM
In northern Europe there are several universities and colleges that use a distance learning system from Cisco and Tandberg. An additional feature of this system is that spectators who are not present in any classroom, should be able to watch lessons through a live stream solution via the internet. This system is designed specifically for Microsoft Windows Media Player (WMP) and Apple iTunes. WMP requires a special codec that is available to be downloaded, for those who have access to the distance learning system. Although there are alternative programs to WMP in Linux, such as Totem, Mplayer and VLC, and although these programs try to start properly when you log into the system, you can not install the necessary codec in Linux. I suspect Cisco deliberately avoids making any codec to Linux, but I will not claim anything about possible reasons for this. For some reason the playback works in iTunes without having to install any additional codec in Mac OS X, but the playback still does not work with alternative programs in Linux.

My point is that this is a typical example of a case where Linux is dependent on connecting to existing systems on other computers and servers, but where facilitation of compatibility lacks by the counterparty. In this way, users are forced to use commercial operating systems instead of operating systems based on open source. This is annoying.

And, in fact, gaming is a main issue in Linux, whether one likes it or not. Some game developers like Steam® are now developing future games for Linux, and have ported some existing games, like Counter-Strike. Rumors say that they do this because they're planning on making their own gaming console based on linux, and want to have their games ready when a possible release is ready.

Some programs seem to work properly. But for example Libreoffice, if you're editing too large and complex documents, with a large number of illustrations, equations, etc., the program runs unstable, and often terminates unexpectedly without any error message. Accordingly all work since last save or autosave is lost. This is also a typical example of things that happen in linux-programs, but are rarely heard of in e.g. Microsoft Office or Apple Pages. My claim of the cause for this, is that there are no professionals paid to develop and do good quality checks on software. Everything depends on voluntary effort, and therefore the results are only sufficient up to a certain level. When the use of the software becomes too advanced and complex, the software often encounter problems.

Linux has many positive properties, like the security level (almost non-existent in Microsoft Windows), the booting time, and the low number of background processes running by default. Also small functions, like the ability to scroll up and down in programs displayed behind your currently active program, without having to switch between the programs, is something that I appreciate a lot! If you read a guide in a web browser, and you're trying to follow it in a program on top of it, you can scroll down the guide by moving the cursor over the web browser and using the scroll wheel of the mouse, without clicking on the web browser first. This is just a small thing, but very useful. I don't think that is possible in Microsoft Windows. And the screenshot function provided in Ubuntu is very great! It is a very useful feature to take a screenshot of only a specific area of the screen, and not the entire screen at once.

However, Linux works great for most of my needs, but I'm dependent on great knowledge about it, to solve small everyday issues that arise all the time, for example when I've done an update or upgrade of some sort. Usually, these issues are just trifles if you know what's wrong and how to fix it, for example removing or editing an old file. But most people don't have that knowledge, and, for instance, you can't expect ordinary users to edit /etc/apt/sources.list or /etc/fstab by hand, if there should be anything wrong with the file. Thus I can't recommend regular people to port over to Linux completely unconditionally, because they need to be able to do such tasks before they use the system.

I could have written many examples, but I think most people in here will know what I mean, if they put their hostility to my opinions aside for a moment, and look deep into reality. Linux, especially the Ubuntu family have evolved very much, but it still has a long way to go before one can expect your parents/grandparents to start using it.

The Spectre
October 28th, 2013, 01:28 AM
Making me want to do what is pictured below after spending many hours working on someones Windows Computer removing Viruses, Spyware, Adware and Crapware so it would be usable again;-)

247311

CDR Services
October 28th, 2013, 06:25 PM
A simple and easy way to format a USB thumb drive! Ubuntu 13.04, 13.10 no simple way to just format a USB drive I still use 12.04 LTS for that reason. Yes I realize that startup disk creator will format a thumb drive but if I try to use it to actually make a startup disk it seems to error out almost all the time! Never have that problem in 12.04, also right click the drive in the task bar and select format! Duh! Why did they take that out???

8Qnf0bne
October 28th, 2013, 06:33 PM
Well what Windows does is allow you to play DVD's. Blu Ray, allow Itunes and downloaded TV/Videos to work from Itunes to work. You mention the time viruses etc, in the two weeks I trilled Ubuntu 13.10 I was constantly trying to remember the code to get the clock back, system shut down button. Now the question why would they disappear? The constant pain of trying to get Java and Silverlight (alternates to work) It was nearly the OS I wanted but these annoyances were enough to make go back to Win 7.

I enjoyed the speed do not get me wrong and the "securtiy" of reduced spyware etc but how secure is Linux? In Windows I know I can trust Avast & Comodo firewall and Malware Bytes. Clam AV? I couldn't.

trash1464
October 28th, 2013, 06:54 PM
Linux can't crash with a BSOD like Windows does!

deadflowr
October 28th, 2013, 09:12 PM
In Windows I know I cant trust Avast & Comodo firewall and Malware Bytes. Clam AV? I couldn't.

Can't trust?

Did you mean can trust.

8Qnf0bne
October 31st, 2013, 07:23 PM
Ok I've edited the post, you get my point

PeterRJG
November 1st, 2013, 11:57 AM
Linux can't crash with a BSOD like Windows does!

The things that cause Windows to BSOD half the time, i.e, bad RAM, will bring your Linux box to a grinding halt as well.

jedispork
November 14th, 2013, 03:33 AM
I've been wondering lately if its worth using linux at all. It feels like I'm doing something wrong when so many people seem to be able to do everything they need just fine on linux. Something that windows has and linux doesn't is mainstream support for just about anything on the desktop. I constantly run into niche programs that I have to boot into windows for.

I have one of the most popular printers on amazon yet I have to download user patched drivers so it will work and who knows what will happen with the next lts.

The at home vudu d2d so you can activate some of your older videos on your vudu account.

Amazon only allows me to download 1 mp3 at a time on linux. I have to rely on a buggy community supported method.

I also recently put together a cctv server. The best free software was windows only (xprotect go)

Those are just a few things. While I appreciate community support paid developers need to support their services / hardware on linux so the community can focus on other things. At around a 1% share on desktops I can understand why they don't support linux. Wasn't there a study a while back that most people at least have a dual boot or virtual box of windows? While having 2 operating systems isn't overly complicated especially with browser syncs and dropbox I do like the simplicity of a single os.

I've heard others say it doesn't matter if only 1% is on desktop linux but I disagree because no one will give it mainstream support. Ubuntu could blow away like a fart in the wind if Shuttleworth stops funding canonical. I goof around with a linux install once and a while but it eventually ends up just being a annoyance on the boot menu as I usually end up back in windows when linux doesn't have something.

I would like ubuntu to be my primary desktop but I could get about the same functionality out of a tablet if all I wanted was basic web browsing. Maybe steam for linux can help, or hurt if it fails.

I like to tinker at times but anymore I want something that just works for me (windows). Much better things to do than wait for the year of the linux desktop.

shashank.jax
November 16th, 2013, 12:17 PM
SAP GUI Does not allow Smartforms to run.

kingkratos
November 23rd, 2013, 03:11 PM
As has been posted multiple times, I don't view this topic as what Linux can do vs. what Windows can't do, but instead as what program run on Windows that don't run (or don't run well) on Linux. For example, I use Samsung Kies because it is the only way to upgrade my tablet firmware (the onboard upgrade function simply never connects, but kies will connect and update immediately). Yes I can get it to run using wine, but it is very limited, unreliable, and simply not a risk I am willing to take when modifying my tablet firmware. Therefore, I must boot to Windows to update my firmware.

Also, my Dell integrated webcam will function in Linux, but because the custom software Dell provides to allow users to graphically modify the streaming feed to add things like a hat, mask, backgrounds, etc to the video, I am unable to accomplish this within Linux. Again, yes I can get it to run using wine, but it is limited, unreliable, and irritating to use.

Other than the limited amount of programs that run on Linux compared to the vast sea of programs for Windows, Linux is much more reliable and best of all, open source! One thing I like the most is that if something isn't working correctly on my Ubuntu machine, I can find a way to fix it within the community and have it working properly rather quickly. If something isn't working in Windows, I have to wait for a monthly update and hope it was fixed in that.

Kratos

RangerK
November 26th, 2013, 01:18 AM
I've really been missing chess analysis software. Pychess and the generic chess game don't really allow for analysis of your games.

llanitedave
December 3rd, 2013, 05:06 AM
I just found something that Windows does better, and I was very disappointed to discover it. I have both a windows and Ubuntu partition on my laptop, and I decided to download and install Postgresql on each of them. The Windows version includes an installer that sets everything up, installs PgAdminIII, and has it all up and running and connected in minutes. I've been exploring off and on the various configuration files in Linux for several days now, and still don't quite have it running.

Oh well, at least it's more of a learning experience this way.

istvan3
December 6th, 2013, 01:48 AM
Windows first work for himself, then for the user. Try a PC with fan, and you will see that the fan works hard, as the cpu is working hard.. and you did nothing.

For example Lubuntu, works for me, no fan would work faster because cpu don't work so much.

I could see this charateristics on desktop pc and notebook.. brrr


Also what Windows can do and Linux not? More freezeing.

iamrandy
December 18th, 2013, 07:27 PM
I can watch network shows from the fios website on windows but not ubuntu

dimitri6
December 25th, 2013, 02:02 AM
I just been wondering what other users have found that windows is able to do that linux (more specifically ubuntu) cant do...

so far the only thing i have found that i cant do anymore is gaming and a few online videos dont work sometimes

also, add anything to the list that makes one better or worse than the other, such as linux being practically virus free

Linux like Windows is just a layer of software (OS) that sits between the hardware and the applications. We, users, interact with applications. Having said that, Linux can do whatever Windows does and trhe opposite is equally true. It depends if the applications you're looking for are available for the OS of your choice.

As for Virus... Linux is not immune to viruses. They are some viruses out there for Linux, rare, but there are. It's harder for a Linux machine to get infected.

frankx
December 27th, 2013, 05:41 AM
It can download software over wireless, unlike various ubuntu variants where Synaptic Package Manager and Ubuntu Software Center don't work on 12.04.
Or, they work once then a recovery boot is needed with a wired connection to get it to work again one time.....
Currently using Pinguy but have seen the same error reports on other ubuntu 12.04 variant distros also.ee

inthefold
December 27th, 2013, 04:45 PM
The only issue I've run into is not being able to use Rosetta Stone. I was able to install it and open it with wine, but it was not functional beyond that. That's why I keep a small partition for Windows specifically for Rosetta Stone. I've tried all sorts of different things trying to get it to work in Ubuntu to no avail. Also, I don't think there are any Linux equivalents to it. Other than that, you won't be able to play any of the big title games. As far as productivitiy software goes, it's very easy to find Linux equivalents which are almost always free and superior to their closed-source counterparts.

mickee384
December 28th, 2013, 02:20 AM
Ok, Honestly, I didn't read the 277 pages, so maybe this has been mentioned before, also, no way is this related to the last few posts:

Windows can take a lot of money from you to try & get you infected badly, tell your tall tales to whosoever pays them and forces nearly everybody to comply to their standards !
Linux can't do that! I guess its the philosophy!

Linux don't want to do that!

amen

monkeybrain20122
December 28th, 2013, 03:49 AM
The only issue I've run into is not being able to use Rosetta Stone. I was able to install it and open it with wine, but it was not functional beyond that. That's why I keep a small partition for Windows specifically for Rosetta Stone. I've tried all sorts of different things trying to get it to work in Ubuntu to no avail. Also, I don't think there are any Linux equivalents to it. Other than that, you won't be able to play any of the big title games. As far as productivitiy software goes, it's very easy to find Linux equivalents which are almost always free and superior to their closed-source counterparts.

There is no better way to learn a language than to practise with a native speaker (OK, I live in a very multicultural city, but not everyone has that kind of opportunity), after that there are many free resources, e.g the bbc has many excellent free language tutorials. I think RS is overpriced, over-rated.

tnob
April 25th, 2014, 06:17 PM
Greetings all,

For all it's worth: I'm a nomad, picking up what works best in Linux as well as in Windows.

Some five years ago, I wasn't even aware of any alternative for Windows. A decade or more awash with maddening Windows issues - one problem sorted, three fresh ones in place; non-stop - preceded a friend ultimately introducing me to Ubuntu. He even installed it on my PC. And I have never looked back since.

Somehow, Microsoft has led three quarters of the globe to believe that constant security scares, bugs, viruses, Trojan horses, crashes every five seconds and sticking plaster all-sorts bolted on all the time - until everything, inevitably, goes pear-shaped once again - is perfectly NORMAL. And the weird thing is that most of us are talking about all those things aforementioned exactly like that, over the water cooler: awkward, such a situation - but unavoidable.

In my very first (hardback) Ubuntu manual, buying a brand new computer with Windows on it was likened to buying a brand new car with the bonnet welded shut. In other words: in Windows, a major glitch developing can only be remedied after growing out of proportion and blowing the whole system up. In Linux, however, significant issues evolving will be dealt with at the root. And this is what I especially like of Linux generally and Ubuntu in particular: that it's utterly and totally reliable - something which Microsoft still has a long way to go with, as far as I'm concerned.

The basic rule of thumb as to application choice, however, is what'll work for me. Some people are into gaming, others into music - and so on: there's a whole range of interests out there. So no point in squabbling endlessly over merits of this application over that, to my mind, since personal taste will always be at the core of any such discussion. And this most of all - in my eyes, at least - defines (and decides) individual preference.

There are several areas in which Windows clearly has the upper hand. So in instances where Linux/Ubuntu lags behind, I'll be looking at Windows again.

Hence, for all fields important to me/relevant to me/of interest to me, I have Ubuntu 12:04 as main platform. But "feeding" into this are a select few Windows 7 applications for which Ubuntu doesn't have suitable alternatives available, or only offers solutions coming with considerable technical complications added.

And so I'll have the best of both.

tnob

LastDino
April 25th, 2014, 06:32 PM
Let me work on Auto-CAD. Linux alternatives are no where close to it, and understandably so.

Can't really think of anything else off top of my head.

Dragonbite
April 25th, 2014, 07:03 PM
It's all about the apps.

pretty_whistle
April 29th, 2014, 10:55 PM
I've noticed a few programs dont work on ubuntu that work in windows but then again i've had ubuntu since 2011 and havent had malware etc infecting my machine. Being infection-free since 2011 is something that makes it work for me so what's a few apps when I have security? Priceless.

As far as apps go Microsoft is bigger and dominates the market hence apps are made to work with windows. That's not the fault of ubuntu and doesnt detract from that at all.

I dont miss windows.

pfeiffep
April 29th, 2014, 11:50 PM
Ignore a vulnerability in Interent Explorer since version 6 - 11

Dragonbite
April 30th, 2014, 01:30 PM
I just don't like having to use PuTTY or WinSCP to ssh/scp files to-and-from the server. I like it being included (in Linux).

EnglishElectricAndy
May 5th, 2014, 09:01 AM
Cause me to use profane language out loud!

Dragonbite
May 5th, 2014, 01:49 PM
Cause me to use profane language out loud!

I do that even without a computer! ;)

pqwoerituytrueiwoq
May 5th, 2014, 02:02 PM
run notepad++ natively, i make do with geany (apt:geany) now days
it does work in wine, but that means installing all the 32bit libraries for a single program

i have never seen linux bsod, should point out i have had it lock up and not even allow REISUB to work a few times

consumes days from running virus scans, defraging, and cleaning the regestry

tick me off by not letting my copy/paste using the lazy linux method (highlight text -> middle click)
learned about that from using DSL (the distro)

run google earth without being a pita to make work if you can make it work (have not tried it in months, maybe it works now)

Dragonbite
May 5th, 2014, 02:29 PM
run notepad++ natively, i make do with geany (apt:geany) now days

What features does Notepad++ have that gEdit does not?

pqwoerituytrueiwoq
May 5th, 2014, 02:37 PM
better syntax highlighting

Alley_Oop
May 15th, 2014, 04:06 PM
Windows is good for wasting tons of my time and money. Although I do make some money back by repairing it for others, especially Rootkits.

I have been using M$ products since MS-DOS, then Windows, and in 1994 Linux. Since then I highly prefer Linux but at times would use Windows just to play some games. Usually (like now) I have a dual-boot, rarely even starting Windows except to keep it updated.

NOTE: As of June 2013, more than 95% of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOP500) run some variant of Linux, including all the 44 fastest.

mbott
May 16th, 2014, 12:48 AM
I keep a copy of Windows around just to do my taxes in the spring.

--
Mike

craig10x
May 16th, 2014, 12:54 AM
@mbott: If you use one of the tax services like turbo tax, tax act, etc...the web based versions work great...really no need to use the downloaded program...i use Tax Act myself and it is excellent... ;)

tfrue
May 16th, 2014, 09:25 AM
BLOATWARE FREE! You are not going to have to remove Norton, CyberLink, McAfee, Snapfish, or other bloatware from Linux. Vendor lock-in free! You don't need proprietary drivers to make your audio, video, ethernet, and other drivers work properly. Also, the native applications that come with Linux are fantastic! ( Like Thunderbird, Rythmbox, Nautilus, a FREE Office suite) You're also not limited with what you can do with your system by the version of Linux you have as far as Bit-Locker abilities (Encrypting the HDD), system administration task like GPO, and many other features are concerned.

Windows is far more user friendly than Linux, period; you're the only tech support for your computer and operating system in Linux. (Yes there are tons of support on-line for Linux, but things just usually work in Windows) With that being said, Windows is know by far more people than Linux; so if you were to deploy 400 computers in an environment, Windows would most likely be the better option because of how well known it is and Linux can be a steep learning curve for non tech savvy people. Doing things like network printer sharing, general network drive sharing, and general networking in Windows is far more user friendly than Linux since you'll have to download, configure, and manage the service in Linux rather than point, click, apply and done. In Windows, there is usually a GUI application for anything that you want to do so there is really no shell interaction unless you decide to start automating task, but in Linux, the shell is an essential part of setting up any server.

Dragonbite
May 16th, 2014, 01:30 PM
Windows makes you part of the (90%) herd.
Linux makes you stand out.

krust13579
May 16th, 2014, 03:45 PM
:p

hbutt875
July 6th, 2014, 12:47 PM
Gaming,applications and drivers support makes Windows better than ubuntu.

kurt18947
July 6th, 2014, 03:27 PM
Gaming

Probably. I'm no gamer so wouldn't really know.

applications

I can find applications to do what I need to do and don't have to pay $50/yr. ... forever (Office 365) plus have someone else in possession of my data. I can also see in the future where a new PC comes with a 3 year subscription to Windows. If I keep that PC for longer than 3 years (or whatever number MS chooses) I'd have to pay so much per year to use Windows. Or I could buy a new PC and get a new subscription plus have the 'latest and greatest' hardware. Think manufacturers would be onboard with such a scheme?

and drivers support makes Windows better than ubuntu.

Paying attention when shopping for hardware makes driver support no more difficult than Windows


I did find one issue that seems to have been resolved with Windows. I've had a Logitech keyboard that uses a unifying USB dongle. I recently purchased a logitech trackball also using a unifying dongle. I was able to get both devices to use one dongle but periodically I'd get a pause of about 8 seconds where the keyboard was not responsive and keystrokes were being buffered. I let Windows out of its cave, loaded Logitech's unifying software and re-paired both devices. Back in its cave for Windows. Fired up Ubuntu and it seems much better.

hbutt875
July 8th, 2014, 04:24 PM
But here in Pakistan the biggest drawback of linux is Gaming.:KS

noel6
July 15th, 2014, 05:10 AM
be on my pc any longer

LastDino
July 15th, 2014, 07:50 PM
Had to install Win8.1 again since Auto-CAD has no good alternative on Linux, but that is about it. There is absolutely nothing Windows does any better for me than Linux does. Actually, it fails quite often. Still the random update shutdown/startup delays and after using Ubuntu for last year or so, Windows fonts looks shockingly ugly in comparison. I say shockingly because this stuff is costly when Ubuntu costs nothing, and more than 90% of people use Windows, I wonder how something like that doesn't get addressed.

Dragonbite
July 15th, 2014, 08:51 PM
There is absolutely nothing Windows does any better for me than Linux does.

Except Auto-CAD ;)

LastDino
July 16th, 2014, 07:50 AM
Except Auto-CAD ;)


Indeed ;)
My words are mysterious.

Metallion
July 18th, 2014, 08:43 AM
Games. The simple reason why I still have windows installed. :) I really hope SteamOS can bring about a change in this over the next ten or so years.

Dragonbite
July 18th, 2014, 01:22 PM
Games. The simple reason why I still have windows installed. :) I really hope SteamOS can bring about a change in this over the next ten or so years.

That's one of the big things for me too.

I may be able to use Minecraft on Linux if I can get it to not drop to 3 or 5fps! I have to look at what can I do with the video drivers.

Then I can attempt World of Tanks through PlayOnLinux, but until then... I have to use Windows (on the same machine, so I know it COULD work).

eightbits2010
July 18th, 2014, 10:52 PM
Well, I don't play games. I do like to experiment with Linux (Ubuntu 12.04) and Python. But I will say, Linux can't run AutoCAD and I don't see any substitute that is affordable or that is not difficult to learn after working with Acad.

LastDino
July 19th, 2014, 10:55 AM
Well, I don't play games. I do like to experiment with Linux (Ubuntu 12.04) and Python. But I will say, Linux can't run AutoCAD and I don't see any substitute that is affordable or that is not difficult to learn after working with Acad.

Indeed, but correct thing to say would be that; Auto-CAD developers aren't interested in Linux platforms. Though, I've seen some semi decent 2D operating softwares on Linux, 3D is really a very big question mark.

krishna.988
July 21st, 2014, 12:46 PM
Indeed, but correct thing to say would be that; Auto-CAD developers aren't interested in Linux platforms. Though, I've seen some semi decent 2D operating softwares on Linux, 3D is really a very big question mark.

Why not try FreeCAD?

https://launchpad.net/~freecad-maintainers/+archive/ubuntu/freecad-stable

gordintoronto
July 22nd, 2014, 03:10 AM
Taxprep. Proseries, Doc-it, just about any software accounting pros use.

mcse2000ca
August 9th, 2014, 01:19 AM
Bluray playback direct from the disc would be nice.

Coder88
August 9th, 2014, 04:05 PM
Music composing is a weakness of linux--- I can not find anything comparable to Sibelius on linux with the incredible Sibelius Sounds library that comes with Sibelius; MuseScore is interesting but nothing close to Sibelius. I and many others have expensive libraries of composing sounds/instruments (sampled, not virtual/synth) like Symphobia, Cinematic Strings, EWQL Symphonic Orchestra, and there is not way to use these in linux, thus I and others need to use Windows/Mac for music composing and sequencing if we want real orchestral sounds. Linux has DAWs but without access to what I have described, the DAWs are not able to be used with the professional sampled instrument libraries.

linuxpusher2
August 12th, 2014, 05:39 PM
I did not Read the thread.
Gaming, Steam is working on that issue.

I would Love to be able to use my Garmin and Garmin Software with Linux.
Garmin needs to get with the times.
If anyone has a good work around without any Microsoft apps, I would Really like to hear it.

Adolfo_Sanchez
September 2nd, 2014, 02:38 PM
I don't know if this have been mentioned before since I did not read the entire thread.

But Linux in general doesn't have professional tools for Industrial Automation, PLC Programming software, Distribuited Control Systems, SCADA or HMI
As with most specific areas, is not Linux fault, it is simply that there is not enough marketshare to get developers like Siemens, Emerson, etc. interested in launching a Linux version for their software, which is a shame since I think that Industrial Networks could benefit for the security that Linux provide.

davevr
September 3rd, 2014, 09:55 AM
Music composing is a weakness of linux--- I can not find anything comparable to Sibelius on linux with the incredible Sibelius Sounds library that comes with Sibelius; MuseScore is interesting but nothing close to Sibelius. I and many others have expensive libraries of composing sounds/instruments (sampled, not virtual/synth) like Symphobia, Cinematic Strings, EWQL Symphonic Orchestra, and there is not way to use these in linux, thus I and others need to use Windows/Mac for music composing and sequencing if we want real orchestral sounds. Linux has DAWs but without access to what I have described, the DAWs are not able to be used with the professional sampled instrument libraries.

Yes indeed, that is the main issue for me, I don't care about gaming but I make music. So I miss a good DAW like Logic or Cubase...Ardour doesn't do it for me.

riverguy99
September 5th, 2014, 11:12 PM
What can ******* do that Linux can't? Well, after a wonderful year with 12.04 doing everything I ever need it to, I "upgraded" to 14.04 with a clean install. Now, after doing that, and after my dual-boot ******* 7 instantly found and configured my dual displays, I find out that 14.04 is no longer capable of that basic, simple task. And I always thought "upgrade" meant "improve." So yes, there's at least one thing ******* can do that Linux can't. Too bad.

sillyboy
September 7th, 2014, 12:57 AM
stamps.com will not run on Ubuntu 12.04, as far as I know. I have to use Windows 7 to run it.

8-)

timi2
September 8th, 2014, 12:53 AM
Ubuntu was created on a windows machine.

sammiev
September 8th, 2014, 12:59 AM
ubuntu was created on a windows machine.

lol ):p

Azyx
September 8th, 2014, 01:01 AM
Ubuntu was created on a windows machine.

What? How?

Azyx
September 8th, 2014, 01:51 AM
Does Garmin-app not run under wine?

aangelo
September 17th, 2014, 04:35 PM
Hi all!
For Windows OS I have the wonderful SW for tagging both audio and video files "Mp3tag".
For Linux OS there is no equivalent sw, but the most similar application id Puddletag, that comes with a limited number of features as compared with Mp3tag.
In addition, I read that Wine do not support Mp3tag.
Does exists someone able to "clone" the fabulous Mp3tag for Ubuntu? Thank you!

Dragonbite
September 17th, 2014, 04:44 PM
For Linux OS there is no equivalent sw, but the most similar application id Puddletag, that comes with a limited number of features as compared with Mp3tag.

Open source does "one thing and does it well" rather than throw in a huge amount of features people may or may not want to use.

What about a VM? Wine/Crossover/PlayOnLinux?

freakalad
September 18th, 2014, 12:05 AM
<ctrl><shift><esc> - a decent/good task manager. sorry, but linux equivalents just don't cut it.
windows explorer as a file manager is actually superb - nautilus is a somewhat pale comparison.

Dragonbite
September 18th, 2014, 02:43 PM
<ctrl><shift><esc> - a decent/good task manager. sorry, but linux equivalents just don't cut it.
windows explorer as a file manager is actually superb - nautilus is a somewhat pale comparison.

There are some aspects of the Windows file manager I prefer over Nautilus.. and I prefer Nautilus over Thunar. I think KDE's file manager (Dolphin?) is one of the better ones overall.

My biggest issues are usually with accessing network devices and drives.

J Tinsby
September 20th, 2014, 12:51 AM
It can't run my VR program "Dragon Naturally Speaking."

jimmy-frydkaer
September 20th, 2014, 08:46 AM
You mean beside eating up your money?

One thing Windows can do "out of the box" is letting everyone into your system effortlessly GNU/Linux does not do that. Open door/ Closed door.

Peter_Ring
September 26th, 2014, 02:13 AM
What can Windows do that Linux can't?




Continue to successfully extort more and more money from an ignorant public.
Continue to successfully extort billions of dollars per year in training revenues from IT professionals to keep their skill set marketable.
Force users to "buy" a new copy with each new computer, even though they already paid for it before on each of their last 5 computers.
Repeatedly introduce new UI concepts that are harder to use, less user friendly and change everything uses were accustom to using for no good reason (other than the profit $ of point 1,2 & 3 above) and still get people to pay money for it again.
Strong arm hardware manufacturers into using "Windows" as the default OS on new computers.
Introduce new standards that require the purchase of a new copy of something users have already paid for, repeatedly, while not providing backward compatibility thus obsoleting trillions of man hours of programming work and thousands of applications, all while getting paid to do it.
Continue to redefine new limits for "Code-Bloat", thus requiring faster hardware and more memory and storage, just to keep using a computer for web browsing and email.
Strong arm, er ah, I mean "Convince" software companies that porting their applications to Linux would not be profitable.
Provide ignorant users that warm and fuzzy feeling that they are keeping up with the pack by using the newest, latest, greatest technology.


My older bother, who is actually a pretty smart guy, recently asked me who uses Linux?

I smiled and said, well, besides names like IBM and Oracle which by implication means any and all fortune 500 companies on some level, an overwhelming majority of the web servers on the planet so anyone that has ever used the Internet, pretty much everyone in the English speaking world that has electricity and many that don't speak a word of English all over the world. Oh yeah, and YOU do... I then pointed to 3 devices in his living room, his DVR, cable/modem router and his WDTV media player that all use some flavor of the Linux Kernel, generally in form of BusyBox.

The root question here in general is a little like asking, "So, what can a record player play that a CD player or MP3 player can't?" The question sort of pre-supposes that some music is somehow incompatible with an mp3 player? Nuts right? Well, records, of course! But excluding the argument that analog sound recordings are better than digital, no rational human being could "reasonably" argue that a record player is somehow better than an mp3 player. In the case of this question, the metaphorical "record" is software that designed solely for Windows, and even a lot of that will run on Linux under WINE or at least VirtualBox.

It reminds me of a question a girl I once knew asked me, "So what CAN a computer do?" Not surprisingly, there was no answer I could give her that she could wrap her head around. I resolved to boil it down to "Whatever you tell it to..." and stopped dating her... ;-), and yes, not to feed the stereo type, but she was blonde. Which you could tell by the white-out on her screen...

I would ask all who take the time to read this to consider point #7 above. In September of 1995, when Windows 95 was introduced, the basic requirements were about 4-8mb of RAM and about 60-90mb of disk space on a 60-90Mhz Pentium. Today's Windows is more like 4gb of RAM, 8-16gb for just the OS and another 50-80gb for the bare min of applications. That's an increase of nearly a 1,000 times in the most basic requirements to run the OS before we even begin to consider MIPS differential in raw processing speed of the today's processors (Pentium @ 188 MIPS vs i7 477k @ 127,273 MIPS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructions_per_second)). While we can certainly do more with Windows today than in 1995, any rational human being must recognize that it is nowhere near proportional to the increase in requirements AND that the vast majority of increased capability has nothing at all to do with any innovation derived from or driven by the Windows OS. And this is progress?

God that felt good to say out loud! ;-)

DVD-R
October 2nd, 2014, 05:11 PM
I have to use Windows in order to run certain Amateur radio applications that have been developed for the Windows platform only.
ACEHF originally developed for U.S. Navy submarine communications (hf propagation)
EZNEC Antenna modeling software
EnGenLog Not only a logging software, but it displays a graphical world map showing the path taken by the RF signal.
POWERSDR is a software used to control a Software Defined Radio hardware system.
Otherwise, I spend most of my time in a Linux environment..... much faster and more secure.

Pelvur
October 3rd, 2014, 02:31 PM
Linux can't recognize the correct definition of my TV when connected through HDMI. Vista did it.

wantdownload
October 7th, 2014, 05:48 AM
I think that there are definitely driver issues that Windows has ironed out, but distros like Ubuntu haven't (and that's because hardware makers are tough, not bagging on ubuntu), also I feel that a large portion of creative professionals like designers feel the need to use Photoshop, and After Effects and at this time it isn't available for any Linux distros. Also, let's be honest, most linux distros take a fair bit of tweaking when installing on the average computer, this is past the average persons technical knowledge, so they simply don't bother installing it.

Dragonbite
October 7th, 2014, 02:17 PM
I know people that don't give Linux or open source the time of day because they cannot run Adobe Photosohop, Dreamweaver and those are "industry standards". She won't consider anything ELSE. To some degree I understand, but I also think it is that she doesn't want to learn anything else.

I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't a reason for a significant number of people.

wolfen10862
October 8th, 2014, 11:28 PM
The only thing I can do with windows that I cant do with Ubuntu is crash every day, other than that the windows games I play run fine through wine, and when I play Freespace, well....I have that installed on Ubuntu :)

cats2
October 11th, 2014, 02:58 PM
I'm not a gamer, so I feel kind of an outsider in this thread, but there are a few things I have in the Windows environment at work that I really miss at home on my Ubuntu laptop.
If anyone knows of a solution to these deficiencies, PLEASE let me know.

(I'm a relative nubie to Linux although I'm a Unix main-frame "dinasaur jockey" from way back.)

1. Snip, I use it daily at work and really miss it at home.
2. I haven't found a viable Linux equivalent to Notepad++ as a developer tool.
3. I haven't found a viable Linux equivalent to Visio. I have tried a few and they are pretty pathetic.

Mike_Walsh
October 11th, 2014, 04:48 PM
Originally posted by wantdownload:-


I think that there are definitely driver issues that Windows has ironed out, but distros like Ubuntu haven't (and that's because hardware makers are tough, not bagging on ubuntu), also I feel that a large portion of creative professionals like designers feel the need to use Photoshop, and After Effects and at this time it isn't available for any Linux distros. Also, let's be honest, most linux distros take a fair bit of tweaking when installing on the average computer, this is past the average persons technical knowledge, so they simply don't bother installing it.

I can't really agree with this. I've installed Ubuntu distros to at least four computers in the last 6 months; two of those in the last fortnight.

Every single install was very straight forward.....presenting no problems whatsoever. Possibly because none of these machines were brand new, and had been around for at least 3 years; therefore the kernels have had time to include the necessary drivers, etc., for the hardware that these systems have fitted.

But between installing, and simply using; and installing, and then having to trawl the web to hunt down drivers that I need, well.....I know which makes more sense to me! You must remember, these programmers/developers don't get paid a living wage for what they so willingly do; the majority of them are enthusiastic volunteers. Also, that the bigger half of the Linux kernel is nothing but drivers; an enormous quantity of them, covering almost the entirety of the hardware that has been released over pretty much the last 15 years. That is a LOT of hardware! :shock:

Regards,

Mike.

RichardET
October 26th, 2014, 05:23 PM
Why should Linux be a "pure equivalent" to MS Windows?

david98
October 26th, 2014, 05:39 PM
The main thing is dupe money from hundreds of millions of people and have them thinking they have a superior product and everything's safe and secure aslong as you spend a little bit more of your hard earned cash on some antivirus software. In all bill gates must of been a magician the way he controlled the market for so long. But mainly as it has been said thousands of times before gaming.

fourbit2
November 19th, 2014, 04:27 PM
the only thing i can do with windows that i cant do with ubuntu is crash every day, other than that the windows games i play run fine through wine, and when i play freespace, well....i have that installed on ubuntu :)

spot on!!! :d

thiebaude
November 20th, 2014, 05:51 PM
it doesn't matter to me since I don't use Windows

Dragonbite
November 21st, 2014, 02:47 PM
Oh, I have one that Windows can do that Linux can't (or doesn't)!

I was in the middle of a WebEx video conference when the machine decided it had to reboot to apply patches!

I chose not to reboot before that time because it was close to the meeting's time, and I did not have a power chord and sometimes the "do not shut off this computer .. applying patches" can take a looooooong time (it is a very low-powered machine). So I figured I would do it when I get home and can plug it in.

Grr.... thanks Microsoft.

Heavenly_Abyss
November 25th, 2014, 11:01 PM
OS don't really matter as much as it did before and this is applicable for those who have very long experience with a OS (I am a 21 years old Windows user that been using Windows since he was maybe 3 years old, but I also like Linux.), but the only thing that Windows have over Linux is software support, and closed-software support for those who prefer to keep their codes out of prying eyes. As for security discussion, I can pretty much get the equivalent security with over 5 layers of security and even protect myself from zero-day exploits in Windows while still keeping CPU loads low and so on in that OS, whether I use Linux or not doesn't matter for me at that aspect although I recognize Linux is mandatory if you want to have a secured Windows as Live CDs can be used to check on things in case of problems with the regular method of finding problems. Hell, I can probably enter some of the most dangerous website (security-wise) using Windows and still be safe considering the huge level of security I can have with the setup I have.

Ko_Char
December 6th, 2014, 12:04 PM
I just wish someone create a software to fetch itunes U feeds and collect the links in a nice way. I don't understand why Linux guys are reinventing the wheel, mostly for desktop environments and software with same old functions.

deadflowr
December 7th, 2014, 09:48 PM
but the only thing that Windows have over Linux is software support, and closed-software support for those who prefer to keep their codes out of prying eyes.

Prying eyes will pry the code regardless of license stance.

bro2
December 8th, 2014, 05:53 PM
I just wish someone create a software to fetch itunes U feeds and collect the links in a nice way. I don't understand why Linux guys are reinventing the wheel, mostly for desktop environments and software with same old functions.

Because Linux isn't Windows.

However, some distros don't try to "reinvent the wheel". Zorin OS strives to look like Windows 7 (or Mac OSX/XP, depending on what you prefer).



I like what Mint (Cinnamon) and Elementary are doing. Mint has improved/is distinct from the Windows 7 start menu, and Elementary is distinctive from OSX (and looks pretty as hell). Rather then copying, I prefer DEs that are different enough without being foregn, but still are evocitive of other OS desktops.

In other words, I respect what Zorin's doing, as there's an audience that wants that, but I prefer a DE that doesn't merely copy another OS.

kpatz
December 8th, 2014, 06:11 PM
What can Windows do that Linux can't? For my example, more like Linux doesn't...

Offer up 120+ Windows updates, that take 3+ hours to download (after purging the SoftwareDistribution folder since it wouldn't download anything at first). I have high-speed internet, and can download a *buntu ISO in about 5 minutes, just to rule out slow bandwidth as the cause.
Then hang while installing them, forcing a power cycle/reboot.
Then hang again while installing them, forcing a power cycle/reboot.
Then force me to unselect all but the first 20 updates so it doesn't hang, install them, then reboot.
Then unselect all but the next 20 updates, install them, then reboot.
Repeat 6-7 times until they are "all" installed. Reboot. But wait, now there's more!
Install more updates, and reboot (why does just about EVERY update require a freaking reboot? It's not like these are kernel updates!)
Done? Nope, it found more! Repeat again. Reboot again.
Repeat the above step another 5 or 6 times since it keeps finding MORE.
Then, after 5 cycles of "one more update found, installed successfully", check the history to find it's been "installing" the SAME update over and over. Finally hid that update to stop the vicious cycle.
Elapsed time, over 2 days. And this was on Windows 7, so they've had at least 4 generations to make their update system stable. But nope... this is Microsoft.

I can download an ISO, install Ubuntu or one of its variants, and apply all the updates in one go in maybe 20 minutes. And I only need to reboot ONCE, and that's only if there's a new kernel.

Dragonbite
December 8th, 2014, 06:17 PM
I don't understand why Linux guys are reinventing the wheel, mostly for desktop environments and software with same old functions.

Sounds like you want to throw the baby (Linux) out with the bathwater (no support for iTunes / Photoshop / MS Office / pick-your-poison)!

Linux offers choice, and that choice is why there are multiple applications for a use. Otherwise, if Linux had 1 desktop environment with 1 music player and 1 photo manager and 1 browser and 1 instant messenger and 1 office suite and ..... then it will be a vendor-lock-in as the other proprietary systems!

Then again, even in Windows there are multiple office suites, different music players and photo managers available so why should Linux offer only one application while the others have multiple to choose from?

bro2
December 8th, 2014, 07:16 PM
What can Windows do that Linux can't? For my example, more like Linux doesn't...

Offer up 120+ Windows updates, that take 3+ hours to download (after purging the SoftwareDistribution folder since it wouldn't download anything at first). I have high-speed internet, and can download a *buntu ISO in about 5 minutes, just to rule out slow bandwidth as the cause.
Then hang while installing them, forcing a power cycle/reboot.
Then hang again while installing them, forcing a power cycle/reboot.
Then force me to unselect all but the first 20 updates so it doesn't hang, install them, then reboot.
Then unselect all but the next 20 updates, install them, then reboot.
Repeat 6-7 times until they are "all" installed. Reboot. But wait, now there's more!
Install more updates, and reboot (why does just about EVERY update require a freaking reboot? It's not like these are kernel updates!)
Done? Nope, it found more! Repeat again. Reboot again.
Repeat the above step another 5 or 6 times since it keeps finding MORE.
Then, after 5 cycles of "one more update found, installed successfully", check the history to find it's been "installing" the SAME update over and over. Finally hid that update to stop the vicious cycle.
Elapsed time, over 2 days. And this was on Windows 7, so they've had at least 4 generations to make their update system stable. But nope... this is Microsoft.

I can download an ISO, install Ubuntu or one of its variants, and apply all the updates in one go in maybe 20 minutes. And I only need to reboot ONCE, and that's only if there's a new kernel.

Yeah, Windows Update really needs a rehaul. Unfortuntly it hasen't recieved that (yet) in the Windows 10 Preview. They really need to make restarting not required for the majority of updates. And allow things like download speed caps for them so they don't interfere with normal usage.

Dragonbite
December 8th, 2014, 07:28 PM
Yeah, Windows Update really needs a rehaul. Unfortuntly it hasen't recieved that (yet) in the Windows 10 Preview. They really need to make restarting not required for the majority of updates. And allow things like download speed caps for them so they don't interfere with normal usage.

That sounds wonderful.

Meanwhile, open source is starting to roll out the ability to update the kernel without having to reboot/restart, starting with Enterprise Linux (SUSE I believe)!

Heck, it only took them how many years to set up a repository, -er I mean "store" for applications? ;)

bro2
December 8th, 2014, 08:20 PM
That sounds wonderful.

Meanwhile, open source is starting to roll out the ability to update the kernel without having to reboot/restart, starting with Enterprise Linux (SUSE I believe)!

Heck, it only took them how many years to set up a repository, -er I mean "store" for applications? ;)

Ehh I don't consider Metro to be like repositories. That's just a storefront, like Steam or something.

Also isn't Windows Update bascically unchanged since its incarnation in Windows 98 (besides it using an app rather then a webpage)?

For Vista it seems like MS just made a Window for it, accessible from the Control Panel but they didn't actually change any of its underlying behavior (such as forcing a restart at an inconvenient time).

kpatz
December 8th, 2014, 09:18 PM
I'm curious how Enterprise Linux can apply a kernel update without rebooting. Loadable modules sure, just unload & reload, but the kernel? I'm sufficiently curious.

Of course M$ can't even apply application updates without a reboot half the time, even if the application in question isn't even running. What gives? Probably pure laziness. Just have the installer see if the files are in use, and if they are, stop the services/apps that are using them, then replace them. If unpaid people writing open-source code can do this, why can't the well-paid M$ engineers do it?

And then there's the stability issues and bugs that have existed since Win98. How many machines are out there were the Windows Updates are just plain broken, requiring surgery to repair, or even a reinstall? And then 120+ updates after installing? I bet half of them are things that are superceded by a newer update, but WU doesn't take this into account. They should release a service pack twice a year integrating all updates up to that point, so you can just download it and install, bam, done. Or provide a way to burn all downloaded updates to a disc or backup to another computer and then restore them on reinstall.

bro2
December 8th, 2014, 09:34 PM
I'm curious how Enterprise Linux can apply a kernel update without rebooting. Loadable modules sure, just unload & reload, but the kernel? I'm sufficiently curious.

Of course M$ can't even apply application updates without a reboot half the time, even if the application in question isn't even running. What gives? Probably pure laziness. Just have the installer see if the files are in use, and if they are, stop the services/apps that are using them, then replace them. If unpaid people writing open-source code can do this, why can't the well-paid M$ engineers do it?

And then there's the stability issues and bugs that have existed since Win98. How many machines are out there were the Windows Updates are just plain broken, requiring surgery to repair, or even a reinstall? And then 120+ updates after installing? I bet half of them are things that are superceded by a newer update, but WU doesn't take this into account. They should release a service pack twice a year integrating all updates up to that point, so you can just download it and install, bam, done. Or provide a way to burn all downloaded updates to a disc or backup to another computer and then restore them on reinstall.

Yeah, Windows Update is very archaic, but at this point I think it would require a major overhaul to not require a restart after updates...which MS should be able to do :P.

deadflowr
December 8th, 2014, 09:41 PM
I'm curious how Enterprise Linux can apply a kernel update without rebooting. Loadable modules sure, just unload & reload, but the kernel? I'm sufficiently curious.

ksplice has been around for a while now...

j0sk
December 14th, 2014, 03:01 AM
I have used Linux as main os about 15 years and the photoshop is the only reason that I need to dual boot.