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255 Comments
- Risti, on 10/25/2009, -11/+86I'll add another myth: Linux community is rude towards people asking for help.
I've been using Linux (Ubuntu) for few years now and I frequently read Linux related boards. Yet, I can't remember I single instant when a new user were told to RTFM. I have no idea where this idea is coming from. Perhaps, it used to be worse before I started using Linux or perhaps different distros attract different kind of people. But so far all the people I have met have been more than pleased to answer my dumb questions. - majinboy, on 10/26/2009, -4/+40The RTFM mentality was from over a decade ago back when I first started with Linux. Back then, getting a 10Base-T 3Com ethernet card took me 2 days to get working due to tons of reinstalls, reading and messing with various kernels.
Damm i feel old, I kind of miss the days I needed to compile a kernel module to get 3Com eth0 working. These days everything is pretty much plug and play with linux, its no fun. - asbjorno, on 10/26/2009, -0/+26My Canon Lide80 scanner is not working.
I won't be buying anything Cannon again before they support it, and neither should anybody else who care about free software. - mike23w, on 10/26/2009, -2/+26When I started with Linux in 1993 you got RTFM all the time; mostly from hard core geeks with no social skill.
As Linux has become slightly more mainstream; it seems etiquette has improved greatly (probably because more normal, less uber geeks, are answering questions). - AnonymousD, on 10/25/2009, -21/+45People don't complain that Linux doesn't support a lot of hardware, they complain that it doesn't support the hardware they actually use.
- inactive, on 10/26/2009, -9/+33Really? How many times have you opened a magazine, walked through a mall, turned on a tv, loaded a webpage and seen an ad for OS X or Windows? And how many times for Linux?
- diggerpleez, on 10/26/2009, -1/+24I wish someone would debunk the myth that major software vendors didn't give a crap about making linux versions of their apps - yes, I am looking at you Adobe.
- Jektal, on 10/26/2009, -3/+25The basic permissions and user system of Linux is generally far more secure than in Windows or Mac though, especially historically. Still, most of your vulnerability on any platform is user error, not OS vulnerabilities.
- Travelsonic, on 10/26/2009, -3/+25[citation required]
- rmxz, on 10/26/2009, -3/+22For people that concerned about only getting friendly support people ....
I've never ever heard of rude *paid* support from any Linux vendor.
(unlike some commercial software vendors who keep you on hold for hours) - Warom, on 10/26/2009, -12/+31To be honest I have not read any of these "myths" from anywhere else other than these debunking posts. Nobody says these things about Linux anymore. There isn't some evil conspiracy out there trying to spread false information about Linux, Microsoft isn't hiring hitmen to kill the Linux contributers. Just stop preaching about how great Linux is everytime Windows or OS X is mentioned.
- Jektal, on 10/26/2009, -3/+21ATI Radeon 9800
Yes, there are drivers. Yes, they are the suck (no 3D acceleration) - spworm, on 10/26/2009, -1/+18For me: a samsung LCD tv and a sis graphics card in an asus laptop.
- 4degrees, on 10/26/2009, -1/+18nobody called it "microstoft windows XXXX" they just call it "windows" and for the same reason people just call is "linux"
- oldhick, on 10/26/2009, -7/+24"Linux is insecure" - Remember folks, all versions of operating systems are potentially at risk from improper and default configurations. Linux machines can be compromised as quickly as any other OS. True, there may be fewer root kits, malware, and viruses to defend against in the Linux world, but that can leave one with a false sense of security. You must secure your operating system. Default installations are insecure.
- JQP123, on 10/26/2009, -4/+20Or they complain that it doesn't *fully* support the hardware that they use. For example, a multi-function printer/copier/scanner where printing works ok but they can't get the scanner to work.
- dinki, on 10/26/2009, -8/+24He missed:
- This is the year of Linux on the desktop. - zip000, on 10/26/2009, -2/+17That may be somewhat true, but the fault is often that the search has brought up an old post from the dark ages of the RTFM times.
If you actually post your issue on one of the bigger forums, as long as it isn't an absolutely stupid question - and yes, there are stupid questions - then you will usually get some help, and you will only rarely get treated badly.
Stupid questions, are generally those that are so ill-formed that people reading the posts have no way of knowing at all what you are trying to ask...i.e. stupid is in the way that the question is asked, not in the subject. - regeya, on 10/26/2009, -2/+17"Microsoft is one company, who create different versions of the same OS so that they can maximize their profits by charging more for the "Premium" version. No linux Company does that."
https://www.redhat.com/apps/store/server/ - JQP123, on 10/26/2009, -1/+15Canon MF3240 multi-function printer/copier/fax/scanner
- Jacob, on 10/26/2009, -1/+15Nobody really cares about semantics, I use Linux (ubuntu now suse and redhat before that). The fact of the matter is that Linux IS the operating system as far as most people (users and others) are concerned. Most people understand that there are some people who get frustrated with the term Linux being generalized and the dropping of GNU but it's easier to just say Linux and be done with it. I also use kleenex to blow my nose, do you get angry that I don't say tissue paper? (I know it's not a perfect comparison but who cares you get the point)
- FormerBabby, on 10/26/2009, -4/+17These complaints are like five years old or more.
- inactive, on 10/26/2009, -1/+13Well, I guess the communities/companies behind the most popular Linux distro's are trying to cater to a larger crowd nowadays, it has its pros and cons.
- 4degrees, on 10/26/2009, -1/+13I havent gottem the "RTFM n00b" thing since the Mandrake days.
- Hercules, on 10/26/2009, -3/+14So if you're judging "Linux" by only the kernel, this entire article would be wrong.
Please stay with the discussion, okay? - 4321234, on 10/26/2009, -5/+15Those people certainly are obnoxious.
/s
At the time I post this comment, I see 3 pro-linux, or neutral comments on this page, and 10 trolls. - inactive, on 10/26/2009, -9/+19Start naming some. We'll find out.
- 4degrees, on 10/26/2009, -3/+13linux is insecure: of course its not insecure, it has no emotions.
- sajuuk, on 10/26/2009, -2/+11Don't we say that every year?
- clippclop, on 10/26/2009, -0/+9These days the term "Stupidity is Insecurity" holds true for most exploits. All you need to do is convince a user they need to click somethign and give their information. It really isnt a hard thing to do.
- burketo, on 10/26/2009, -4/+13How is that the same? Microsoft is one company, who create different versions of the same OS so that they can maximize their profits by charging more for the "Premium" version. No linux Company does that. They all try and make the best OS for a specific use. None of them charge more or less or anything at all for their software so if you don't like one you can simply try another. It's a completely different scenario to Windows, where if you realize you don't have enough in the version you have you have to pay like $100 or something to upgrade.
In short, one is a money making scheme and the other is free market competition. - DookieNukem, on 10/26/2009, -2/+11Stick to the major distros and you won't be compiling anything. The characterization of the variety of choices of Linux as somehow a weakness of Linux surprises me. If you don't like choice, stick with a popular distro. Kind of a no brainer.
- tech10171968, on 10/26/2009, -7/+16That's because, for some reason, we keep hearing the same old retreads coming from anti-Linux fanboys. What's worse is that it doesn't even seem to matter that 95% of those myths have been debunked. Repeatedly.
- burketo, on 10/26/2009, -1/+10Wow, dude that sucks. Not to be a smart ass, but I honestly think you have had an unlucky experience. I've installed Ubuntu/Kubuntu on 7 or 8 machines and while I've had to go download drivers a couple of times, I've never seen problems like that. Did you log a complaint with the relevant distro? It's good to let them know about hardware they aren't supporting.
- inactive, on 10/26/2009, -5/+13People do voice these myths quite often. It's like how you still hear people saying that Macs come in fruit colors or Windows users have to clear viruses out of their PCs every 90 minutes. Fanboys are always overestimating what their chosen systems can do in the present while deriding other systems because of what they were ten years ago.
- hydro123456, on 10/26/2009, -6/+14I want to like Linux, I love the general idea, I love the software libraries, I love the flexibility. That being said it has yet to work out for me. On my first laptop I had a broadcom wireless driver,and despite reading through 100s of forum posts I was never able to get the wrapper working(you may say it's my fault, but I wasn't the only one, and it really shouldn't be that difficult). Then I tried it again on the same laptop but with a newer version, same problem. Then I tried it on a new laptop with another newer version, and my sound was completely hosed and for some reason I couldn't turn on the advanced video effects. I found out how to fix both online but it took a lot of digging and at the end of the day I was sick of spending so much time on it. I look forward to giving it another shot in a couple years with my next laptop.
- Chakat, on 10/26/2009, -2/+10GNU/Linux is inaccurate wankery spread by RMS kool-aid drinkers who are upset because Hurd is still languishing in development hell in while Linux takes up more and more niches. It ignores the rest of the people who make up a modern Linux-based system, the people using MIT licensing, Apache licensing, BSD licensing, etc, which people interact with on a much more intimate level these days. It's unwavering pedantry, and a big reason why the OpenBSD group, Apple, etc are funding development on other compilers; why should you hitch your OS cart to a group of *****? Hell, even so-called core GNU projects, like the c library, are being replaced in more and more Linux based operating systems. Debian moved to the non-gnu blessed eglibc, and ubuntu is following because that key project is horribly mismanaged. I see other projects following the same path, as the gnu folks become more and more inflexible and they follow a project leader is more and more out of touch with how computing is developing.
- majortom1981, on 10/26/2009, -3/+11This article is dumb. He refutes the drivers problem for the sole reason that linux works on his machine.
He also refutes the two many versions problem by saying keep trying one till you find one that you like?
Come on. I can write a better article then that. - javaroast, on 10/26/2009, -1/+9The blame lies the same place it does when I have windows drivers that don't support or poorly support a given piece of hardware... on the hardware vendor. example: Creative labs drivers for Vista. They sucked, was that MS's fault or was it Creatives fault? I think we all know the answer to that. It's no different for Linux drivers.
- fuzzynyanko, on 10/26/2009, -1/+9and some of those man pages are written extremely badly
- cquilliam, on 10/26/2009, -0/+8I'm pretty sure it was from #Debian on FreeNode. Most people in there are asses.
- stubear, on 10/26/2009, -9/+16"In fact, if you can learn that the button to STOP Windows is labeled START, then you won't have any trouble using Linux."
Nice to see a blog trying to dispel myths of one OS by creating myths for another. The Start button is NOT synonymous with shutdown. The Start menu brings up a list of apps, commands and folders users might want to "start" by clicking. This includes starting the shutdown, hibernate or restart processes. What Linux users should really try doing is learning more about WIndows because I see just as many myths spread about Windows by so-called "computer experts" running Linux as I do the other way around (in fact, far, far more). It's great you found Linux and you like it. now us it and shut the ***** up, you are more annoying then the damn Church of LDS. - Shadic, on 10/26/2009, -4/+11"I don't think there is a Windows user in this world who could honestly say that they haven't experienced a crash, hang, or other system "event" that required rebooting or power cycling."
Am I unique in the fact that, not counting Windows ME, I've had maybe a bad crash average of 4-5 a year on Windows? This is from XP, Vista, and 7. I've used Ubuntu as well, and ran into just as many issues in a shorter period.
The issue with Linux isn't all of the things that they could fix, it's that they spend so much time acting like there isn't an issue. - bowens44, on 10/26/2009, -0/+7nonsense. there are very few packages that you need to compile yourself.
- jamdogg, on 10/26/2009, -3/+9Fact:
The internet has been run by Unix/Linux servers since it started. You could say Linux OWNS the internet. - Phate8263, on 10/26/2009, -2/+8True, but most Linux distro's don't intentionally leave out features, or make you pay to upgrade when the feature you want to use is not loaded on the version you paid for.
- z0rk, on 10/26/2009, -0/+6Not true. One version supports 2 or less cpus while the other supports 3 or more cpus.
- Hortnon, on 10/26/2009, -0/+6The part where I've had comments like that said to me in all seriousness. I can never tell with Linux zealots.
- Kirsle, on 10/26/2009, -0/+5@brodie
What you're thinking of is an xkcd comic about how the kernel can support 4096 CPUs, but still can't pull off full-screen flash video yet. - sej7278, on 10/26/2009, -4/+9so you mean mac users aren't apple-nutcases?
and you haven't noticed the windows community getting orgasmic about vista sp3, sorry windows7. -
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