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How far will linux go?
- Thread starter MBrown
- Start date
SleepWalkerX
Platinum Member
There's already a distro that (95% of) people won't need to use the terminal with. Its called Mepis. More specifically, SimplyMepis.
SleepWalkerX
Platinum Member
The OP isn't talking about getting rid of any terminals. He's just asking if (desktop) Linux will get to the point where you won't have to worry about using the terminal, if everything will be based around a gui like Windows.
SleepWalkerX
Platinum Member
Yes it mainly has to do with the window manager/x server and the dependencies that revolve around them. But of course there are still a lot of issues where newbies are forced to use the terminal because of issues with these two. You'd think they would work on (x servers mainly) being more noob friendly and harder to break *cough* like windows *cough*.
I mean really, for example, if I use Xorg's setup.sh for the first time and I choose an incompatible driver for the graphics card and you know how it tries to use it three times then tells you it can't be done? Why doesn't it just revert to the Vesa driver?
Nothinman
Elite Member
In 90% of the cases it's already there. It's just the sh!tty corner cases like wifi that require some extra work, sadly these tend to come up frequently these days since wifi is pretty popular. The nice thing is that once it's done, it's done. You setup your wifi once and you don't worry about it until you change your kernel. And most of those cases can be avoided if you choose well supported hardware.
Because even that won't work everywhere; Xorg was designed to run on much more than Linux on x86 hardware and even x86 hardware doesn't always do VESA properly.
SleepWalkerX
Platinum Member
Never tried it.
Infact it is stupid easy. However, If I were going for a super easy Distro I would hit up Ubuntu if its on a Desktop or Mandriva if it is on a laptop. Suse is a good desktop and excellent server but Ubuntu on the desktop is superior in easy of use and simplicity. Mandriva simply has the best laptop support thanks to acpi patches.
I would personally suggest to stay clear of Fedora Core unless you need to roll out a large amount of vanilla systems that will integrate with RHES. For the XP or 2000 convert... Ubuntu is by far the most friendly I have tested.
SleepWalkerX
Platinum Member
Haven't used OSX, but how could you say that for Microsoft Windows? The only time I ever have to use the terminal in Windows XP is when I run an ipconfig /renew, but even that can be done through the gui (it just takes longer to get there 😛). With Linux, I've frequently had to deal with broken x servers, compiling/modprobing drivers, recompiling the kernel, or running cli only programs through the terminal. Which, of course, is the scariest thing for a newb.
Nothinman
Elite Member
It's true you don't have to use the cli for much in Windows, but that doesn't make the system any easier. Options are buried, wizards overwrite settings you may have changed elsewhere, the registry is less understandable than even the worst config file on unix, the rescue options are practically worthless, etc.
kamper
Diamond Member
Not really. Graphical programs end up calling system libraries, which have essentially no user visibility, to do anything effective. Console applications operate in exactly the same way. The only difference between the two is that console applications have text input and output streams while graphical applications have a more complex method of input and output (namely, receiving asynchronous mouse clicks and key presses and drawing stuff on the screen). That, and the program the user uses to launch them, but there is no layering of gui on top of console in your average app.
I guess, techically, a gui (or any) program could launch child processes and communicate with them via the i/o streams, but that's a fringe case.
SleepWalkerX
Platinum Member
NeoTrace, although I do use the command line sometimes so I guess I left that one out. My point was that the critical things in Linux still require the noob to learn to use the terminal. Most noobs don't care about pinging. And with Windows XP, its much easier to get things accomplished because of that, as much as I absolutely HATE to say it.
I just typed out a long rant in response to your this post. It was supposed to be about Windows being easier to use with it being gui based compared to linux, but it turned out to be its f*cking harder to install/use drivers in linux than windows so now I'm tired. 😛
Anywho, the main reason Windows' GUI is easier to use is because you don't have to remember any commands. While it could be quicker to open prompt and type 'ipconfig /renew' its easier to remember to go to Network Connections, right-click on a connection, and hit repair to most users that are incapable of remembering commands (I used to be one when I was more noob 😉)
neotrace isn't on my system, is it part of the base install?
ping is important because when those average users need help with their new home network they might just be directed to using it. 😉
You shouldn't have to install drivers. Period. That's either a distro failing, or a crappy hardware vendor.
It's easier to remember several mouse commands than one cli command?
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