Linux Desktop Readiness Thread

[aysiu]

This kind of attitude is what keeps linux behind, IT IS JUST PERFECT, if so why there is a forum for development? or why there are so few users. wake up, uhmmm it is not perfect! but we can help to fix that.

Who said Linux is perfect? Take a look at the Gutsy idea pool subforum on these forums, and you'll see most Linux users (in this case, Ubuntu users) have a lot of ideas for how to improve Ubuntu. You need to wake up and see that improvement already happens. It constantly happens every six months. If you don't believe me, try a Ubuntu CD from August 2004 (5.04 - Hoary Hedgehog) and compare it to today's Ubuntu CD (August 2007 (7.04 - Feisty Fawn).

What's better than whining on the forums? Making a difference.

[Frak]

I NEVER said Linux is perfect, I mean, right at this moment, I'm using Vista. Why? Because there are things that I can't do in Linux. I don't gripe at the community. Why? It's not their fault. I don't gripe at the developers. Why? It's not their fault either.

Also, to hiding files in Linux requires placing a . in front of the directory, but in theoretical Linux FS standards, a ./ directory cannot exist as that is an execution.
ATM, it is not the focus of the developers to hide the filesystem.
Simple answer to the root directory, don't go in there in the first place.

Also, why did you have to go to /usr/bin to retrieve your files? They are all accessible from the command line. Also if they are command line based, then average users have no use for them.
Lets say you want MD5 (average users have no use for this program, yet other programs may want to use this for file calculation, to make sure all the data is there)
Appearantly you went to /usr/bin to look for it.
Yet an easier way would have been to run

md5 <file>

from the command line.

There are just some things that don't need GUI's, such as MD5. It is so incredibly easy to use via the CLI that why make a GUI in the first place?
There is absolutely NO reason for anyone to view the "/" directory unless you are a developer.

[XogGyux]

I NEVER said Linux is perfect, I mean, right at this moment, I'm using Vista. Why? Because there are things that I can't do in Linux. I don't gripe at the community. Why? It's not their fault. I don't gripe at the developers. Why? It's not their fault either.

Also, to hiding files in Linux requires placing a . in front of the directory, but in theoretical Linux FS standards, a ./ directory cannot exist as that is an execution.
ATM, it is not the focus of the developers to hide the filesystem.
Simple answer to the root directory, don't go in there in the first place.

Also, why did you have to go to /usr/bin to retrieve your files? They are all accessible from the command line. Also if they are command line based, then average users have no use for them.
Lets say you want MD5 (average users have no use for this program, yet other programs may want to use this for file calculation, to make sure all the data is there)
Appearantly you went to /usr/bin to look for it.
Yet an easier way would have been to run

md5 <file>

from the command line.

There are just some things that don't need GUI's, such as MD5. It is so incredibly easy to use via the CLI that why make a GUI in the first place?
There is absolutely NO reason for anyone to view the "/" directory unless you are a developer.

uhm what is all that about? where is the beautiful simplicity of a desktop system in all that you wrote? thats cool for a server, in which it is very handy to have all system files and the terminal so you can access/modify/check files quick, i think you dont grasp this yet. this is not whether or not Linux is a great OS, it is evident it is, otherwise it wouldnt last not 1 month, this is about linux for desktop. At this moment linux is an F1 racing "car" fast, robust, etc. but desktop actually means that linux must transform into a city car, simple, easy to use, automatic (not manual) user friendly. I dont know what it is your idea about userfriendly but if i would have to give an example i would never use the console as an example of user friendly. Icon=User friendly, commands=robust, util but not user friendly.

[raja]

uhm what is all that about? where is the beautiful simplicity of a desktop system in all that you wrote? I dont know what it is your idea about userfriendly but if i would have to give an example i would never use the console as an example of user friendly. Icon=User friendly, commands=robust, util but not user friendly.

If you cant see the beauty and simplicity of checking md5sums in the command line compared to downloading some shareware and opening up a gui to do the same thing in windows, maybe this is not for you. With time you may find Linus usable and equivalent to windows, but you will never appreciate its power.

[XogGyux]

where is the point of checking md5 for a desktop user? how many people actually needs it in their home pc?

[Frak]

where is the point of checking md5 for a desktop user? how many people actually needs it in their home pc?

Exactly, why do they need it? That's why its not in the menu's, because its a file used by intermediate/advanced users or other programs.

EDIT
If you want to know what its used for, the package manager uses it to make sure the entire program has been downloaded, it can thus compare a .md5 file to what it comes up with. It can then come up with a conclusion on whether it should attempt to redownload it.

[XogGyux]

Exactly, why do they need it? That's why its not in the menu's, because its a file used by intermediate/advanced users or other programs.

exacly, thats why i dont see the point of mention it here thats an useful tool no doubts but chances are 99.99% of people wont need to run a md5 check in their home pcs ever.

[Frak]

exacly, thats why i dont see the point of mention it here thats an useful tool no doubts but chances are 99.99% of people wont need to run a md5 check in their home pcs ever.

APT does, and countless other programs need MD5.

[XogGyux]

o well... here we go again. let me put in this way. a desktop OS is that in which you get a great md5 check application (command) and you cannot play a VCD out of the box.
Still you dont grasp the idea quite yet.

[XogGyux]

Regarding the filesystem structure. I just thought of a great example. think on the keyboard layout. in a regular keyboar you dont have any key with the characters ╗,▓, or Ñ still if for some reason you need them (if you need them supposedly you know they exist and how to write them) you can write them with Alt+187 Alt-178 and Alt-165, there is no need to overwhelm people that does not need them (which is actually the majority) and include them in the keyboard's keys, more over i dont quite think is a good idea to have keyboards with 1000+ keys!