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Getting Stuff Done on Linux

makeuseof.com — One thing you hear often about Linux is that there ’s no software for it. This is simply not true. There may not be much proprietary software for it, but there is some, and there are plenty of free alternatives to what most offices use every day.

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  • argylesocks, on 03/16/2008, -4/+22Krita is my graphics editing program of choice. Great features and great UI.
    • 10GunSalute, on 03/16/2008, -16/+5Krita is worthless compared to the Gimp or Photoshop on Wine.
    • shanesemler, on 03/16/2008, -14/+4Krita is clunky and buggy but hey, if you like it, use it.
    • Phocion55, on 03/16/2008, -1/+12This is where I tell you that you're wrong and prove it with my own opinion.
    • bngsudheer, on 03/16/2008, -0/+3I have been wanting to learn to use graphic editing tools for a while now. I searched and used many GIMP how to articles to create images for my blog and few websites. IMO, these articles must give more weight to community rather than the technology. It will be reassuring to FOSS beginners if we tell them about all the great communities spread across FOSS projects.
    • shakin, on 03/16/2008, -2/+8I have found Krita's resampling (resizing an image) to be very poor. You can select different algorithms, but none do it as well as Gimp. Actually, I think Gimp does it better than Photoshop sometimes.
    • sporg, on 03/16/2008, -7/+4CLI over rated since 1968.
      • sporg, on 03/17/2008, -4/+3"There may not be much proprietary software for it, but there is some"

        Not enough! Linux should stay in the data center where it belongs or in the IT room where we don't have to look at it (or those ugly people who seem to be its minions).
    • gnoshme, on 03/16/2008, -1/+6xaralx is also awesome
  • shanesemler, on 03/16/2008, -3/+56This article is slightly inaccurate. It is correct that Gimp doesn't have CMYK support, however, you can install the Seperate+ plugin which works far better than Krita's built-in CMYK functions. The combination of the Gimp, Inkscape and Scribus (it has perfect pdf output) has worked VERY well for me for DTP. Adobe would have been a massive waste of money for my business.
    • curupira, on 03/16/2008, -5/+2"you can install the Seperate+ plugin which works far better than Krita's built-in CMYK functions" [citation needed]
    • raisputin3, on 03/16/2008, -4/+2I tried to install some plug-ins for GIMP a few times, but then again I wasn't using Linux, but a version of *BSD so there were no RPM's to do it all for me...Needless to say, I never once figured out how to use the plug-in once I got it (supposedly) installed. I will stick with Photoshop, it is by far the best
    • DarkDx, on 03/16/2008, -2/+1But It's adooouuuuuuuuoooooobe.

      /ridge racer reference
    • fkr3, on 03/16/2008, -4/+4It's kind of short too, and who on digg hasn't heard of Open Office? I can't wait for Part 2 to spam up digg a little more with this worthless information.
    • mossblaser, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1I absolutley agree. Back when I switched to linux Photoshop didn't work in wine and I struggled along for a while before I realised that using Inkscape and Gimp in tandem works fantastically, better infact!!
  • Mihey, on 03/16/2008, -32/+10Linux may be a promising work platform, however it still remains user unfriendly. How often do users have to dig into documentation and use console commands to do something trivial? Windows still remain on the throne due to their ease of use, no matter how many Ubuntus will there be; Linux remains hardcore.
    Not everyone is a geek that spends hours fiddling with Linux features.
    • tuxerware, on 03/16/2008, -5/+15Please give a example on what "do something trivial" means! It's obvious that you've never used Ubuntu, so perhaps you should try it before you criticize it.
      • Tehrooni, on 03/16/2008, -5/+2Here's a recent example for you.
        Following some discussions right here on Digg, decided to give Linux another try.
        Installed Ubuntu on my computer last Thursday. It was easy and trivial. I was happy, however needed to get my video card to work correctly. A very trivial task under any version of Windows since Win98. Not so with Linux! Spent the next 3 days, a total of over 20 hours finding a solution..... Went to the forums, read the documentation, reinstalled the whole thing several times... Finally after some extremely complicated procedure and the help of several Linux gurus, I got the resolution right, but the image remains hazy... Now I am so fed up by the lack of standards and user-friendliness of it all, that I don't think will attempt using Linux for at least another 5 years.
        The idea behind Linux is good, but the projects are led by a bunch of geeks who have NO IDEA about normal users out there. Microsoft has spent millions of dollars studying the profile of the average user which is why their OS is intuitive and usable by everyone. Linux remains marginal and limited to those who have nothing better to do with their time than memorizing UNIX commands.

        • shakin, on 03/16/2008, -2/+4Configuration in Linux can be difficult (it can also be very easy. Try a Centrino notebook). Once it's configured Linux is a far better user experience than Windows. Does Microsoft put all their "millions of dollars" simply into driver installation? It seems so because the Windows UI is by far the worst of any modern and popular operating system. I'd argue that many Vista UI features appear to have not been designed at all, but rather sprung up when some programmer thought he had an interesting idea.

          Linux provides a much better desktop usability experience provided that you get over the hurdle of configuring the system. I will say that on both my at work and home computers configuration is minimal. My work Dell doesn't require any configuration at all and my home system only requires installation of the Nvidia driver. My HP notebook is a bit more difficult, but doesn't require anything special or difficult, even for the wireless network card.
          • Tehrooni, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2Well, at least in my case, the "configuration" proved too difficult and time consuming, so I'll never even get to the "good parts"! And that is the story of millions of others. Some geeks may want to blame the users for their lack of knowledge and aptitude. Whatever the case, bottom line is that 80% of all computers are using Windows and obviously don't have that many problems with it since they are all operating and getting what they want done. Where as the 5-6% of Linux users are spending more than half of their time "configuring" their OS or helping others do that. And most Linux users, have Windows on their computers as well. Many also use Wine to use Windows applications. It all means that Linux is vastly lacking in basic functionality and practical use. It's a good idea. A great toy. Just not serious!
          • redxxx, on 03/17/2008, -0/+2errr.... what is so bad about the windows UI?
            There aren't really all that many great features built into the desktop, but I'm not a huge fan a widgets anyway.
            Needs better search, but my daily use of OSX has yet to totally destroyed my ability to organize files, so it isn't an issue.
      • Tehrooni, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2BTW, when searching the Internet for solutions to my own problem, I realized a LOT of people have or had the same type of problem. Heck, there are whole software packages to get the different video card drivers to work under Linux. It's incredible! I have not had to deal with anything like this since at least year 2000. And I used 4-5 different versions of Windows on at least a dozen different computers.
        With Windows, on the rare occasion that you run into a similar problem, all you need is find one other case similar to yours, and you can resolve your problem 9 out of 10 times in a jiffy. But with Linux, with the 300 flavours, even if you find a dozen other similar cases, non of them is exactly the same, and chances are none of those solutions will work for you. It is all a big waste of time.

    • Mihey, on 03/16/2008, -17/+9*waves the Ubuntu CD* Oh, really now?
      How about connecting to the internet? I had to boot on Windows in order to access the Internet where the documentation was available. There was a common issue I found by googling, it had specific instructions that had me follow them step by step or it didn't work. There are so many command line parameters; one typo and everything is screwed up.
      Sorry, but I have negative experience with any Linux distribution. If I have to spend numerous hours just to get an hour of enjoyable experience out of it, it is not worth it.
      Sadly, I am just a human being. I am not going to bother to bend Linux to my standards.
      • melat0nin, on 03/16/2008, -3/+14The only way I can get online after a reinstall of Windows is by using my motherboard's CD which includes drivers for my chipset and NIC. If I lost the CD (or hadn't downloaded the drivers before reinstalling, which I usually do) I would be in precisely the position you are describing.

        In fact, Ubuntu (7.10 this time) included drivers for my NIC from the start, so I was online immediately.

        Now I realise this is just *my* story and to defend the whole thing on such subjective grounds is irrational, but the point I'm making is that mileage varies with both operating systems depending on your setup. I think the reason Linux is often so scary to people is because they have never had to install Windows -- they bought their machine with it preinstalled. If they reinstalled and went through the rigmarole required for a Windows installation (which I quite enjoy having done it probably hundreds of times :)) then I suspect the Linux equivalent might be a lot less daunting, and indeed, in many cases easier -- like my experience has been.
        • hiikeeba, on 03/16/2008, -4/+5Recently, Linux turned off my laptop's wireless card. Turned it off. Did you know there is no way to turn it back on. My laptop has a switch for the card, and I had to turn the switch to the off position and put the laptop into hibernation and turn the switch back to the on position. When I woke it up, the card worked perfectly, and even logged into my network without the usual massaging and cajoling. Linux is getting close to being easy to use, but it still has a little way to go. At least with Micro$oft, I don't have to wait three or four weeks until someone stumbles across a forum post I made asking for help, and then be told I should RTFM.
          • nixfu, on 03/16/2008, -8/+4What crappy hardware you have.
          • mhearne, on 03/16/2008, -2/+1I realize that being told to "Read The Fine Manual" is rude and elitist, but remember that most of the people who make those sorts of comments are kids, or at least incredibly immature.

            We aren't all like that. Basically, we want to be in complete control of our machines, without being spied on by drm nazi's. Remember "Chicken Little"? "The sky is falling ... !

            It is my opinion that most viruses are created by the anti-virus people in order to push their products; the same goes for all the other spyware, malware, kiddie-porn, and id theft scams that one must put up with on Windows. They really don't want you to be in charge of your investment. They are selling "Protection" just like the mobsters did back in the 1930's.

            Anyway, about your wireless card. When you install most distributions of Linux, the firewall is usually defaulted to block everything. In other words, you have to specifically enable the ports you want to use, rather than going through and turning them off. This usually means rerouting all the ports on your private network to a single port, which is then in turn sent through the firewall on port 80. I use squid and shorewall, so when I make a clean install, I can't even get a web browser connected until I enter the proxy numbers in "connections" section of the options.

            Then there are other things, like instant messaging. If you want to use Yahoo!, then you have to tell the firewall to let traffic through on port 5050 (i think) and so forth. Cheer up, you'll get used to it.
        • Tehrooni, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2I have installed different versions of Windows on at least a dozen different machines dozens of times. Yes, you can run into some hurdles, but there is always a way around it, and more importantly, PROFESSIONALS are available to help you out. With Linux, you are basically on your own. Documentation is very poor. What works with one distro won't usually work with others. The people in the forums are very nice and want to help, but I have found their knowledge is usually very limited. As I mentioned in another post here, once you can't get something to work, you just have to accept to live with it. In my case, it is poor graphics and resolution so using the OS beyond that for anything serious is not viable.
          Brief, Linux is a toy that can keep you busy for days and weeks, but if you use your computer for work and productivity, forget about it. It is not serious at all.
        • marx2k, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1@Tehrooni - When I used to install XP on a home machine, there were no PROFESSIONALS available to help me out. You do realize that Linux distros DO have PROFESSIONALS waiting to take your call and help you out, right?

          Linux not serious as a productivity engine? I'd point out things like the Internet pretty much runs on Linux, but the argument has been posted before and it's just the same stupid round-and-round
      • doolittle, on 03/16/2008, -1/+9I also have been let down by windows with no graphics and no network support on a fresh install, on more than one occasion it involved booting off linux (knoppix), downloading the said drivers and burn to CD with K3B. Once I did that, the windows install was back up and running after installing the drives which were previously inaccessible without another pc or booting into another os.
      • PhailQuail, on 03/16/2008, -1/+5Internet has always worked in Ubuntu for me since version 6.04 automatically. Which is something Windows has actually failed to do on a couple of occasions (Wi-Fi doesn't work on my Laptop under Windows - hows that for irony).
    • citizen782, on 03/16/2008, -2/+12Actually there are a few things that are easier and more reliable in Ubuntu than Windows.
      • hiikeeba, on 03/16/2008, -3/+9I really enjoy using Ubuntu. It's much faster than Windows.
      • santaliqueur, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2Only a few? Most things are easier, but everything is more reliable.

        BTW, Ubuntu is not the only user-friendly distro out there.
        • Tehrooni, on 03/16/2008, -6/+2If Ubuntu is an example of a user-friendly distro, I don't even want to think what nightmare the other ones are!

          Linux sucks big time if you use your computer as a tool to get serious work done. But if you are just out there looking for a toy to play with, Linux is a great toy that can keep you busy for years.
          • santaliqueur, on 03/16/2008, -2/+5Isn't it funny how most websites use a "toy" to power themselves? Google, Amazon, how do they do it? Maybe they know more than you.
          • Tehrooni, on 03/16/2008, -2/+1You are comparing oranges and apples.
            There is a BIG difference between running an OS on a computer that's acting as a server which is the case of those companies and many others. We're talking about user-friendliness here in regards to PEOPLE using computers for everyday projects and personal needs. For the average user, and even advanced users like myself, getting the "user-friendly Ubuntu" to work has proved impossible and quite a bad experience. That's why we won't use it, except as a toy.
            BTW, for your information, I strongly doubt any company uses one of these free distros versions of Linux for serious work. They would mostly use Redhat and others. Also, more and more companies are now using Windows Servers because they are just as reliable, plus being truely user-friendly.

          • marx2k, on 03/17/2008, -0/+2Tehrooni, you obviously were unable to configure your hardware with Linux. If you were an 'advanced user', you would've figured it out. You're now posting into every comment saying the same thing over and over. "Linux == hard to install", "Linux == toy", "Linux != serious".. yeah dude.. we get it, you suck at configuration. No need to repeat yourself.
    • Mihey, on 03/16/2008, -11/+6Perhaps. But that still does not change the negative experience I had with Ubuntu. Linux is overhyped, especially from the casual user perspective. I had high expectations due to the fanboi thing going on, however I remain unconvinced especially after the experience.
      Thank you for digging me down, by the way. Shows how much Linux users hate those who cannot cope with the complexity of Linux.
      • bowens44, on 03/16/2008, -5/+13If you think Linux is complex, try windows. Your problem is that you want everything handed to you. Learning linux is no more difficult then learning windows. You';re just lazy.
      • homosaur, on 03/16/2008, -2/+6I'm sure there are plenty of charlitans out there still trying to sell Linux as a granny platform, but I also think your judgement of Linux as a "work" platform is mostly inappropriate to the notion of "casual user." In a commercial setting, these users are anything but casual and in general I as an IT manager am thrilled that you don't know how to get into the guts of the system and muck about with the system. Linux will succeed on the enterprise desktop long before the home desktop.

        And despite you having high expectations, that's your fault, not Ubuntu's. People are fans of Ubuntu because it is insanely easy to operate for a Linux system once you get it up and running. This doesn't mean that every single piece of even fairly common hardware is going to be supported. You might have more luck with OpenSUSE on that front, which I have found to have far superior driver support. Or Linux Mint, which is an Ubuntu based distro with a ton of commercial drivers and the like built in.
        • mhearne, on 03/16/2008, -2/+4Well, whenever I have used Knoppix as a repair disk, all the hardware seems to be recognized and usable, no matter what manufacturer built the machine. I haven't used OpenSUSE, but since I'm ordering disks today, I may as well get a copy to try on an unused machine.
      • Philluminati, on 03/16/2008, -3/+13Linux isn't overhyped. You can't complain about being dugg down if you make a generic statement like "it's unfriendly" and without backing it up with fact or atleast your personal experience.

        Notice that your second post where you specifically go into detail about your issues gets more diggs. It proves you've tried it and your opinion isn't based purely on stereotypes.

        Now I'm going to digg you down because of your statement "Linux users hate those who cannot cope with the complexity of Linux" because I think your propagating yet another stereotype.
      • neko6, on 03/16/2008, -5/+6I had to use a newly installed Fedora machine at work, it was terrible. When I double click an executable (Java installation, specifically) I expect it to run the friggin' thing. Instead, it opened it with the notepad equivalent.
        Yes, a text editor.

        It took me 30min to discover that in order to make double click RUN the executable, I have to right click it, go to the "security" tab and tag the "Run as executable" checkbox.

        If it was that hard RUNNING a program, I can't imagine going through drivers installation etc. And I'm a programmer and an experienced PC user who survived DOS3 days and hellish WIN95... What would my mom do?!
        • HonoredMule, on 03/16/2008, -1/+5A programmer who doesn't understand basic file permissions.

          I hope your work is closely supervised by someone with a clue about security. The rest of us Linux users will rest easy knowing our OS won't see a brand new mass of data and say "Hey, I know, let's EXECUTE that and see what we contract!" (just like a virus laden Windows machine). And if we like to be spoon-fed, we'll use Ubuntu instead of crappy Fedora, which will ask us whether we want to view or execute arbitrary code in random files.

          Fedora isn't for your mom.
        • marx2k, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1It seems that you are still stuck in the Windows mindset where you do everything (including trashing your entire system) by double-clicking everything. A little reading on file permissions would've clued you in.
        • Philluminati, on 03/17/2008, -0/+2In Linux you wouldn't double click on a binary. This isn't windows.

          Secondly, most executables are perl scripts so they are text readable and you can rewrite them yourself. Therefore "display or run" is a valid choice.
      • doolittle, on 03/16/2008, -1/+6Kudos for trying it, I doubt you are being dugg down by "Linux users hate those who cannot cope with the complexity of Linux" it is because there are many situations where it works without issue and you did not give any detail.

        I felt the same way you did when windows 3.0 was released, you were forced to buy a 386 or better and have at least 4mb or better ram, I was just happy with my 286 & 1mb extended memory card running QEMM/ Desqview because it was better at multitasking my dos apps. No doubt I will be dugg down by users who have no idea what QEMM/ Desqview was let alone the fact you can multitask dos apps.
    • bowens44, on 03/16/2008, -4/+7You speak from ignorance. Apparently haven't used Linux in quite some time. It is as user friendly , if not more so , then windows. I honestly can not think of a single 'trivial' thing that you have to the command line to do.
      • inksmithy, on 03/16/2008, -3/+2samba configuration.
        That took about a second...
        • Frostek, on 03/16/2008, -1/+4I don't think that many casual users of computers would consider samba configuration to be trivial on any platform.
        • pendrachken, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1Just setting up shares can easily be done through SWAT.

          If you need to do anything more complex you most likely aren't going to be a "casual" user.
        • marx2k, on 03/17/2008, -0/+0Check out GSambad. Best Samba configuration GUI I've seen thus far.
      • se1zure, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1I used ubuntu probably 6 months ago, wanting to switch rather than do my typical fresh install of windows that I do every few months. after installing my video card with envy, my screen came back with just a console. No error code. No nothing. I had too look up how to fix it, something most people would not consider user friendly. I ended up using some startx command or something to get it to go to my desktop. I decided to install wine, and used the add programs menu. After the install, i went to run photoshop, which, surprise surprise, didn't work. I then decided to run copiz fusion. I couldn't figure out how to install an emerald theme, but them figured out I had to add emerald theme manger, something that should have just come with compiz fusion. SO then I spent a good hour looking for a halfway reasonably good looking theme (seriously, who uses any of the stuff on gnome look, it all looks so terrible), dragged it to the theme manager, and wow, when I clicked it, nothing changed! turns out, you have to log off then log back in, (but the theme manger never said to, how user friendly!). After turning on some effects in the effect manager, everything semmed glitchy. NO smoothe animations, pixelated edges, and slower than normal response time. I have a good video card in comparison to most people too, and envy told me the install was successful. Next I went to set up my music library. I wasn't sure what to use, so i decided to see what it came with. I double clicked one of my songs, and wow, it didn't even have the ability to play mp3's. something which 99% of all computer users will use, it doesn't come with out of the box!? That is user friendliness right there.So I installed the media codec pack, then go to install google talk, something I use every day. and again, no dice. I also had several other programs which are supposed to work in wine but did not. I couldn't find a single piece of software, free or not, that came even close to camtasia studio,or pretty much any of the cs3 suite, or macromedia suites.

        The single thing that I felt worked better on linux was Eclipse, which I installed and ran without an issue (on windows, it didn't recognize the jdk, even when I changed the source folder, until I uninstalled it, and reinstalled it.)
        • marx2k, on 03/17/2008, -0/+0Finally, someone who reasonably dislikes Linux, but at least with a story to back it up. Thanks! Digging you up.
    • greevar, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2The only real problem some windows user have problems running Linux is that sticker on the front of their PC that says, "Made for Windows". Just like far too much of the web is made for Internet Explorer.
      • mhearne, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3How about this? I go to my banks website to check my balance, and get a pop-up telling me that I _must_ use IE6 or higher to access the site. Then, after I tell Firefox to report as IE7, the site works fine for me.

        Or being told that I cannot continue on a site because I do not have the proper plug-ins. That's a big one with me, because:
        A. All users have a common plug-in directory that cannot be seen from the outside, and
        B. They have no business checking in the first place.

        Or Digg showing a pop-up that tells me that there is an "unresponsive script" that is preventing the page from loading. This is always Javascript, and if I turn it off, then I can't post.

        What they need to do is to hire programmers who are proficient in all platforms, and can foresee all contingencies.
        • zongamin, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1"What they need to do is to hire programmers who are proficient in all platforms, and can foresee all contingencies."
          In a perfect world yes, but in the real world most companies only care about making sites work with Windows and IE - usually because over 90% of their user base is on those platforms.
          However you should regularly complain about this and if the company does nothing to resolve the issue (most wont) then move your business elsewhere.
    • doolittle, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1My condolences, for myself Ubuntu was the first distribution to have gui front ends to all the trivial tasks of getting online. Just yesterday I was surprised to see the WPA and WPA2 options in the wireless card network configuration on my 500Mhz Dell Latitude.
  • FinestCall, on 03/16/2008, -14/+6Fake! this is definitely photoshopped (:
  • rolf, on 03/16/2008, -4/+22I often find most Linux distros more capable out of the box than any Microsoft release to date. And software? It's got plent of that and often much better than the MS counterpart. For example K3b > Nero, no contest. On the plus side, it's also not bloatware, nor tries to sell you anything.

    There are some niches unfilled though where it would be nice if some of the big name companies migrated software to it -- like Quickbooks and Photoshop. Although I'm hoping some type of free alternative like Gimp really truly starts maturing into a competitive alternative.
    • homosaur, on 03/16/2008, -6/+2Gimp would need to be compatible with all the thousands of Photoshop plugins that designers have bought in order to make anyone ever consider using it. And you are right on the money about Nero, I remember when it was one of the best peices of software I had ever used on Windows and now it is just a mess of bloatware and ***** I will never, ever, ever use. I wish they would really consider a major redesign and back to the basics approach so I could actually use it again, as I have still never found a better solution for reliability than Nero + Plextor drives.
      • greevar, on 03/16/2008, -3/+3lol, they paid for plugins? That's astronomically dumb when they could similar plugins for gimp for free.
        • regeya, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3Don't knock it. There are a lot of good plugins for Photoshop that you can't find equvalents for in Gimp.
          I use Gimp and even used it before I even touched Photoshop, but it lacks a number of professional features. To be fair, it's largely because Adobe holds a number of patents related to those professional features.
        • pendrachken, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2Please, then tell me where I can get "similar plugins for gimp" for my AlienSkin plugins. Believe me I would LOVE to be able to use gimp for when PhotoShop 7.0 finally won't work for what I need it for. Saving a couple hundred $ for the newest PS would be great.

          Gimp has some features that are easier to use than PS *glares at the pen tool* but the designing that I do requires the above mentioned filters. Could I do the filters manually? Yeah.... but why spend hours doing something that can be done in seconds?

          And yes I am aware that there is some ancient plugin that lets you use PS filters in gimp, but it is windows only unless you have the PS SDK
        • se1zure, on 03/16/2008, -3/+1If you are a photoshop or gimp designer who relies on plugins, you fail.
          • pendrachken, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2No, sir, YOU fail. Why should I take even 1 minute longer to do something that a filter or plugin will do in seconds? Not to mention many filters / plugins do some pretty intensive stuff. Now if you are even doing a mockup of a logo for a company and want to add a chrome trim to part of it are you saying you would painstakingly render it by hand? I sure as hell wouldn't.... thats what filters are MADE for.
          • redxxx, on 03/17/2008, -1/+1If you were a real graphic designer, you'd spend hours writing perl scripts to do that ***** for you, rather then paying good money to use someone else's work. Pussy.
    • computershack, on 03/16/2008, -9/+5WTF are you on about? Linux distros are only more capable because they've bundled in more stuff - something which MS was denied the ability to do because it was seen as anti-competitive. In other words, strip out all the third party stuff (stuff that isn't native KDE or Gnome) and you're on parity with Windows in terms of functionality. One only has to install the Kubuntu 4.0 CD which is basically a bare KDE install to see just how much stuff is bundled into a typical linux distro becase Kubuntu 4.0 is stripped out to hell and everything you take for granted as being present isn't there.
      And the bloatware and $$$ argument is just bollocks because there's plenty of decent FOSS stuff for Windows with many Linux FOSS projects also having Win32 binaries available.
      • greevar, on 03/16/2008, -2/+4Linux bundles third party applications. It's an entirely different situation.
        • dr3d, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2most so-called Windows "bloatware" are 3rd party apps
          • DotNetMagic, on 03/16/2008, -2/+1That's bundled in by the hardware manufacturer(Dell, HP, etc...), not Microsoft. If you buy a Windows disk from MS, there is NO non-MS software on that disk.
    • santaliqueur, on 03/16/2008, -5/+5Gimp is nice, but it's nowhere near a viable competitor to Photoshop.
      • mossblaser, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2I bet that like most digg users who say gimp is crap would not use features in photoshop that aren't in gimp. You just like to say it's better to sound like a pro.
        • se1zure, on 03/16/2008, -1/+4I like photoshop more primarily because of the interface, and hotkeys. It is easier to learn, not only because of the better layout, but because there are more resources available to beginners. Photoshop is more universal.
        • marx2k, on 03/17/2008, -1/+1@se1zure - Universal in the sense that it's confined to a certain platform?
  • crownedgriffin, on 03/16/2008, -6/+56I love Linux and all, but seriously... Can we stop submitting Windows X = Linux Y stories every week? I'm pretty sure most everyone here already knows what OOo and Gimp are.
    • computershack, on 03/16/2008, -8/+5The funniest part of the argument when they bleat on about Linux being better than Windows and using OOo/GIMP as ammunition is that OOo/GIMP are also available for Windows.
      • grimward, on 03/16/2008, -5/+3I think their point is that OOO and Gimp are also available on the new wonderful linux platform. What they neglect to tell you is that sometimes you have to dive into the console to install the packages because your trusty packet manager (hey Yast, I'm looking at you!) fails to pick up the lists from the repositories right.
        I wish the linux crowd would just shut up and realize that even though linux is a great server, it makes for a very lousy desktop. (it's like trying to use windows 2003 as a desktop, it's doable, but very very cumbersome)
        • Biznarie, on 03/16/2008, -2/+3"...are also available on the new wonderful linux platform."

          Linux is not new! I wonder if this guy knows what hes talking about?

          "What they neglect to tell you is that sometimes you have to dive into the console to install the packages because your trusty packet manager (hey Yast, I'm looking at you!) fails to pick up the lists from the repositories right."

          Installing packages from the terminal is VERY easy first off, and if there are any problems with the packagemanager and it grabbing the lists just reload them.

          "...linux crowd would just shut up and realize that even though linux is a great server, it makes for a very lousy desktop."

          This is totally wrong also, theres nothing wrong with linux as a desktop. I wish the windows crowd wouldn't be so ignorant :)

          "(it's like trying to use windows 2003 as a desktop, it's doable, but very very cumbersome)"

          I have no response for this, its just too ludicrous. This person is very ill-informed.
          If your a M$ or Windows fan then why dont you go look at articles on digg about windows, I dont go there and post why i think linux is better.
          • grimward, on 03/17/2008, -1/+1Biznaire, I've been using quite a few distros for labwork in the past, so I know that linux isn't a "new" operating system. I was being sarcastic, but that apparently flew *right* over your head didn't it? And I don't want to use the fricking console for installing apps, I want graphical GUI's that handle that for me, the days of remembering archaic console commands are over for me, I left that behind when I stopped using DOS and started using windows.
            And I attack each and every fanboy article like this which states stupid ***** to fool people into believing that linux is for everyone, because it's not, it's for the people can spend hours configuring their system, surfing forums online to find obscure references to commands that have been rendered obsolete in the newest update (without any updates to the very sparse documentation mind you), to spend hours trying to figure out how to install codecs/applications only to end up in dependency hell (do you want to remove this package, 532 other programs will also be invalid, do you want to continue? Y/N?), in short, it's for people that want to spend more time tangling with the OS than to actually get something DONE in it. And btw, just the fact that you use the M$ moniker means that you think it's cool, which is so very sad.
          • Biznarie, on 03/17/2008, -1/+0Nobody cares what you THINK linux is like. Whats this trying to call me stupid HAHA get your head out of your ass, and because i missed some sarcasm on a text-based comment, are you serious?

            "...to spend hours trying to figure out how to install codecs/applications only to end up in dependency hell..." again very mis-informed, this may have been viable years ago but not anymore so brush up. As an example it took me 1 hour to get ubuntu 7.10 installed on my pc with everything working and no previous knowledge of linux and having used windows for my whole life previously.

            "And btw, just the fact that you use the M$ moniker means that you think it's cool, which is so very sad."
            I try not to use corporate names when I make comments, it has nothing to do with what i think is cool.
          • grimward, on 03/17/2008, -1/+1Oh dear, I'm sorry Biznaire, I'm sorry for argumenting with you, I should have realized you were a recent Ubuntu convert .... My bad ;)
    • rkthoadan, on 03/16/2008, -1/+4Agreed! Mostly because most businesses aren't tied to Windows by things like office apps and multi-media apps. They are tied to Windows through industry specific software which doesn't have anything remotely similar available for Linux, and if it does there isn't a decent sized company offering 24/7 support if it dies. News that more of that type of software would really be far more important.
      • sonstone, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2Exactly, make the average joe blow business guy be able to use his VPN without being a network guru, or give me a real alternative to visio (dia is a joke), how about something that truly compares to ms project. Oh but there's that unsupported Wine thing that doesn't work on VPN software...
        • sonstone, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1One more thing. If you can get SafeNet VPN working on Wine under OS X, I'll personally pay you via paypal for instructions...
    • MadHarvey, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1Those programs are not what make Linux more productive than windows anyway. If you want to talk about productivity on Linux, write an article about using Vim, Ratpoison, Perl, Latex, and the shell, rather than clones of Window's programs.
    • JoeBlunt, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3I thought there would be something new and there just isn't. I'm pretty sure everyone here has read three or more other articles about how great OOo and Gimp are. Where are the articles about Linux content creation tools: video, audio, media authoring, web design?
  • citizen782, on 03/16/2008, -3/+15The title of this article and others like it lead to the conception that it is inherently hard to get anything "done" in Linux by a routine end user. While the author thinks he's helping convince people to adopt the platform, he's not. I have a 4-year old who logs in to Ubuntu every day, clicks on the icons and goes about his business.
    • computershack, on 03/16/2008, -3/+1Only, as you admit yourself, because you've created the icons for him.
      • grimward, on 03/16/2008, -1/+4I don't get this mentality either "my granny/dog/dad/microbe/toaster can use [insert linux dist here]" well, if they installed the OS themselves, WITHOUT CONSTANT TECH SUPPORT FROM YOU, I'd believe it. If not, STFU and stop pretending like your preparations didn't matter, because they DID!
        • mOdQuArK, on 03/16/2008, -1/+4Apple-to-apple comparisons, the granny/dog/dad/microbe/toaster would also have to be able to install Windows themselves, without constant tech support. Based on how much I've had to help my family members when they've been forced to reinstall Windows, the amount of effort is comparable between Linux & Windows.
          • grimward, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1I never said windows was easy to install, in fact I'm pretty sure my granny couldn't pull it off, also I'¨m quite positive that granny couldn't operate windows either, nor do program installations even WITH guides, she'd need my help for that for sure!
            But I also know by first hand experience that it's not that easy to install applications under *nix, because about a year ago I was going to hop onto the *nix train, so I tried the major distros out there, mandriva, mandrake, redhat, suse, ubuntu and ended up tangling with the console at every damned time.
            Now, i've been a DOS addict for years, so CLI isn't something unfamiliar to me, but when you start telling me I need to jump into that enviroment for every other thing that's needed to do in the main OS, that's when you lose me and everyone else as a user.
        • citizen782, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1Grimward,

          I support far more adults on Windows desktops than I do my son running Ubuntu. Not a damn one of them would be able to install Windows with any more success than Ubuntu. And if you're stating that I've got to help a 4-year old run an OS, well no *****. He also uses one of my Windoz machines regularly and I've got to help him on that too.

          The point was, in case you were a little too thin to get it, that Ubuntu is certainly no harder or easier than Windows and usually more reliable. It's what you know. And some people don't know *****. A large subset of them don't want to.
      • citizen782, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1Yes, I created the desktop icons for my 4-year old just like my help desk staff creates the icons on XP desktops for almost every new employee we get in our call center, accounting, and shipping departments who can't navigate a start menu or right-click.
    • duncanbell, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2the author is female
    • stix213, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1Unfortunately, the majority of computer users have still never even touched a Linux desktop, and most who end up grabbing a Linux distro have a hard time figuring out where to start. Often on a first try many will try to get something like MS Office installed since they don't know any better. This article is helpful for the novices.
    • evlpanda, on 03/17/2008, -0/+3Installed Ubuntu - (eventually) found info on how to install drivers for graphics card - Installed - restarted - black screen, nothing, the end.

      Goodbye Ubuntu.
  • doctordbx, on 03/16/2008, -0/+28Probably one of the worst "Linux alternatives to Windows Software" I've ever seen.
    Linux has applications - we get it.
    • JedicodeWarrior, on 03/16/2008, -0/+5Ever notice how these advocates seem to evangelize the same two apps, Gimp and OpenOffice?
      • 1timeuser, on 03/16/2008, -0/+4Sad thing is these arnt even my two favorite softwares for linux...
  • capiCrimm, on 03/16/2008, -0/+27I was expecting something interesting, and all this was was a very short list of extremely common open source programs, most were even cross platform.

    I'm all pro-oss but how is this front page material?
    • JQP123, on 03/16/2008, -1/+5"I'm all pro-oss but how is this front page material?"

      It's not. It's not good marketing, it doesn't help promote anything ... it's mostly just an annoyance. But try explaining this to OSS fans who can't spell marketing.
  • melat0nin, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2Hardly the most comprehensive article, and nevertheless there are hundreds of pages out their detailing the quality FLOSS alternatives available on Linux and how they compare to their mainstream counterparts.
  • BigglesPiP, on 03/16/2008, -1/+11Is any of this new?
  • homosaur, on 03/16/2008, -11/+7holy crap I did not even realize OO.o and the gimp existed, thanks for this incredibly useful article and thanks to all the linux hippies for digging any bs related to linux that comes across the page
    • computershack, on 03/16/2008, -4/+2You have to understand that, like a cornered dog, they're desperate and will use anything to fighht back.
      • mhearne, on 03/16/2008, -3/+4You are referring to the Windows people, right? I mean with the failure of Vista and the mountains of perfectly good hardware piling up in the landfills, Microsoft ought to feel desperate.
  • Philluminati, on 03/16/2008, -1/+7I found this really uninformative and incomplete. To get stuff done you need much more than Open Office writer and some drawing app
    • worldgate, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2And not to mention that Open Office doesnt even start to compare with Office XP let alone Office 07. Like im going to covert several 1GB+ databases to open office just to use linux...
      • MaverickAlex, on 03/16/2008, -3/+1More often then not there is some free open source app that will do all the conversion for you. And it won't have any DRM in it.
  • Icecream, on 03/16/2008, -1/+6What a completely underwhelming article
  • STKD, on 03/16/2008, -5/+9I can has moar Linux spam on digg nao plz?
    • 1timeuser, on 03/16/2008, -6/+3I can has moar trolls on digg nao plz?
  • QaSpel, on 03/16/2008, -0/+10I think if you search hard enough, there is a web browser for Linux too!!!
    • Biznarie, on 03/16/2008, -4/+1No way windowze has the only browser internet explorer!
  • WarWraith, on 03/16/2008, -12/+4Linux is free... if your time is worthless.

    Let the digging down commence!
    • Phocion55, on 03/16/2008, -3/+8Funny how you say that, yet have enough time to waste trolling Linux threads.
      • computershack, on 03/16/2008, -9/+3That's because he has a Windows box so doesn't need to spend a week tweaking his network.conf files just to get online. It. Just. Works.
        • Phocion55, on 03/16/2008, -2/+8Ahhh so since he doesn't have to tweak some imaginary configuration files that don't exist, it frees up his time for more trolling and general Digg douchbaggery? I get it. Time well spent.
        • PhailQuail, on 03/16/2008, -2/+6How come my Wi-Fi card doesn't work under Windows yet it works perfectly under Ubuntu?(and yes I installed the drivers on Windows)
        • mhearne, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1You probably didn't clear it with Homeland Security.
  • WarWraith, on 03/16/2008, -12/+3My favourite Linux quote.

    Linux is free... if your time is worthless.

    Let the digging down commence.
    • nixfu, on 03/16/2008, -2/+7Correction....let the "reporting your account for abuse" begin.
      • WarWraith, on 03/16/2008, -7/+4wait... what?

        over-sensitive are we?
    • int19h, on 03/16/2008, -1/+5With Linux, I don't have to reinstall the OS regularly, I can usually just upgrade it. This saves me time. And, with a Windows-reinstall, finding drivers and applications takes many hours of websurfing and downloading. This is done in one operation in Linux, just check the boxes and click apply or type a single command. And I can tune how windows and hotkeys work, which has saved me a lot of time over several years. And I never really have to reboot, even though I do that some times. Linux respects my time more than Windows, at least. With OS X, I think it's about equal since it's such a polished cathedral.
      • computershack, on 03/16/2008, -6/+1In Windows, when there's an OS upgrade, you can actually see something has changed and I can just upgrade it. And I can tune how windows and hotkeys work which has saved me a lot of time over the years. And I've not had to reboot my Vista PC. Windows respects my time more than Linux, at least, by not having me waste my life constantly having to edit files in nano just to get it to work.
        • 1timeuser, on 03/16/2008, -1/+5I dont constantly edit files in vi to get stuff to work... linux has been my primary os for years.
          • mhearne, on 03/16/2008, -2/+1Of course not! That's what Webmin and Usermin are for.
        • andycr512, on 03/17/2008, -1/+2"And I've not had to reboot my Vista PC."

          Funny, you must never install updates or many programs.
      • WarWraith, on 03/16/2008, -2/+1Eh, it was late last night, I was very tired and surfing digg on my macbook and decided to tweak some Linux noses. Bad idea.

        It was just more fun than talking about the hours I spent trying to get my son's *supported* wireless card to talk to my wireless network under Ubuntu. Hacking conf files, following the instructions to the letter. It wasn't really supported without pushing my wireless LAN back to WEP, it seems. In the end, I set my other son's Mac to bridge the wired and wireless connections, and wired the two together.

        I spend most days with an open terminal window on my work Mac SSH'd into a Linux server, working in the command line. I've had a number of variants of Linux over the years attempting to use it as a desktop OS. It's come a long way, but my Mac does just work. XP + non-technical means that my wife has managed to infest her XP box with spyware and I have to nuke it. Again. Vista, on my previous laptop, sucks donkeys balls. Linux on server == good, Linux on the desktop is an also-ran.

        But it's taken me 10 minutes to write this, and it took me thirty seconds to write my original (yes, I admit it), troll. Which does contain a kernel of truth - but your typical Linux evangelist won't admit it.
  • WarWraith, on 03/16/2008, -4/+2grr, damn double posting!
  • EvilMoose, on 03/16/2008, -1/+10This article was a complete waste of time and bandwidth.
  • deformation, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3In Articles like this, I wish Digg had a "bury" button or a "report spam" next to the digg button. Stupid repetitive article that is.
    and i am a linux user!!
  • TheMu, on 03/16/2008, -2/+10If I ever heard someone say there is no software for Linux, I would slap them. Hard.
  • cmost, on 03/16/2008, -1/+5There should be a law against useless blogs. This article commented on a few basic programs that are already considered common knowledge to anyone using Linux or open source. Marked as extremely lame!
  • Slacker1031, on 03/16/2008, -2/+4The article doesn't even accomplish what it's title says it does. It simply tells you about some programs available to linux, and gloats about their superiority to others around them. Not only did they give reasons why a few weren't (CMYK in Gimp), but they also used something many programs can do as an advantage for 1.

    Completely uninformative, and seeing as it's made the front page, it just shows the amazing number of people who won't even read an article before digging it due to what they believe is appropriate content.
    • int19h, on 03/16/2008, -2/+5And CMYK is supported in the Gimp through a plugin.
      • Slacker1031, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1it's not considered a strong point to need a plug-in to do something that basic though.
        • int19h, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1Some programs are very modular, consisting mainly of plug-ins, while others are monolithic. I think the modular approach is a better one.
          It also depends on the type of program if a feature should be considered basic or additional. Gimp is not trying to be Photoshop or any other program, so what the developers considers to be basic or additional is their choice. It's not obvious that CMYK is a basic feature.
  • grimward, on 03/16/2008, -8/+3Article buried, linux fanboy spam.
  • Ramble, on 03/16/2008, -2/+4Well that's the most omprehensive list of software I've seen, I'm switching to Linux right away!

    Software isn't the problem on Linux, it's a lack of *good* software and still little support for some hardware, plus all that pain in the arse configuring you have to do.
    • 1timeuser, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2Hardware support isnt really lacking with the exception of wifi drivers (which is important), In fact over all (with the exception of wifi drivers) I would say linux supports more hardware then vista does. I disagree that its lacking in *good* software. While it might not have the answer to photoshop yet, pretty much all the software I use either matches or betters their proprietary brothers and sisters.

      Also the configuration may have been a problem a few years ago, but modern distros make it very easy. I recommend you try out ubuntu.
    • Biznarie, on 03/16/2008, -1/+0Theres no lack of good software, Amarok (best media player I have ever used), Kmess (MSN Messenger clone but without bloat and some of the useless features but still has the useful ones), Deluge (really good torrent client) There are many more but thats just what i am running while here on digg :)
    • satanswetnipple, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2I would like to point out that even the software the blog covers is not in the "good software" league. Specifically the GIMP is a piece of *****. In fact ***** does not actually begin to describe just how useless it is from a professional standpoint.

      Yes there are thousands of amateur teenagers who love the GIMP because it is free... and they will all claim that all the professional studios use it, without giving one CREDIBLE studio name... I have been given names of studios in the past, and because I am in the industry I contact the studios, and I find that the Linux fanboys are lying. In fact, these amateur graphics linux fanboys do not know the first thing about what happens in a professional studio, or what is important to an efficient workflow. The fanboys do not realise that the professionals can't spend two days editing the same photo, or five days painting the one promotional image. I am not saying Photoshop is a utopia, in fact most artists spend more time in a capable program like Painter. The point is that The GIMP is not even in the running, the tools and interface are just SO POOR!

      Over a decade ago I believed in The GIMP as a project that would challenge Photoshop one day... In the past 10 years, The GIMP has stagnated in a pool of it's own self righteousness, while Photoshop has added more and more advanced tools that are perfect for the professional studio.
  • 1timeuser, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2I have not heard that linux is lacking in software in years... but maybe this article will convert some people. Dugg up.
    • mjw2025, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1It may not be lacking as far as the common applications are concerned but what's available is far behind the windows versions. The financial package reminds me of the first Windows version of Quicken and their graphics programs can't compare to Photoshop.
  • dougle, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2Errrr what am i missing a next button, OO and Gimp is that it!?
    • Biznarie, on 03/16/2008, -1/+0Hopefully there will be another part to this.
  • slippiefist, on 03/16/2008, -10/+5Free alternatives my ass. Photoshop>GIMP, Office 2007>OpenOffice.org, uTorrent>KTorrent, Trillian>Pidgin, foobar2000>VLC, Wine=cheating.
    • slippiefist, on 03/16/2008, -4/+3You can bury me, but you know I'm right.
      • dougbarrett, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2You sir, are wrong. You say free alternatives, but I don't remember having to pay for uTorrent.

        Buried!
        • slippiefist, on 03/17/2008, -1/+1Yep, you got me there. How about "there's no Open Source alternative to uTorrent", is that better? Deluge and Halite are the only decent Open Source torrent clients and neither come close to uTorrent.
    • mhearne, on 03/16/2008, -3/+4Wine=cheating? How?

      I know very few people who use it, but I'll wager that the majority of them are "dual-booters". I quit dual-booting years ago. If you must have both systems, then use 2 computers and a KVM switch.
      • slippiefist, on 03/16/2008, -5/+2Dual booting is cheating and so is Wine. If you want to use Linux then do it, but don't come running back to Windows OR it's apps when you find that Lunix apps just don't cut it. Suffer with your OS. If you find yourself booting into Windows or running Windows apps through Wine, why not just switch to Windows altogether? It's not like there's anything Linux can do that Windows can't. But if you are dual booting or using Wine, apparently there are things Windows can do that Lunix can't.
        • andycr512, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1"It's not like there's anything Linux can do that Windows can't."

          No, given enough time (weeks) I could probably shoehorn Windows to do what I do in Linux in one hour including installation, but I simply don't have the patience to do so.
          • slippiefist, on 03/18/2008, -1/+1It takes about 30 minutes to install Vista, and "getting things done" on Linux takes forever because you have to type 10,000 commands to do a simple task.
          • andycr512, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1I would like to see evidence to back up your "30 minutes" figure. Getting things done on Linux does not take forever. I have a development machine set up with a fresh Linux install, a compiler, an IDE and 5 development libraries within 1 hour - without touching the command line a single time. I would -really- like to see that with Vista.
          • slippiefist, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1Typing even one command is inconvenient. You can't even install Linux without a keyboard. I have to type a bunch of "noapic noacpi --" ***** to even run a Ubuntu LiveCD. But I can't anyway because my keyboard and mouse are wireless and Ubuntu doesn't ***** recognize them. But Vista does. Like my wireless adapter. And my Xbox 360 controller. And my printer. And my webcam. None of these things work with Linux, all of them work with Vista, with no manual configuration. I shouldn't have to buy special hardware just to use an OS. When all hardware is compatible with Linux, then it will be ready for the end user. Until then it's considered broken. I'm not saying I hate Linux, I used to be a Debian user. But I got sick of all the software and hardware incompatibility mostly.

            The Linux community needs to say ***** copyrights and reverse engineer the ***** out of all Windows drivers and codecs. I agree it's not right that most hardware companies ignore Linux, but you guys need to do something about it. File a class action lawsuit, call for an anti-trust investigation, or hack the ***** out of every Windows driver out there. The companies will get the message and start releasing Linux software themselves. Just my two cents.
          • andycr512, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2"You can't even install Linux without a keyboard.'

            You can't install Windows without a keyboard, either. You have to type in your username, etc.

            "I have to type a bunch of "noapic noacpi --" ***** to even run a Ubuntu LiveCD. But I can't anyway because my keyboard and mouse are wireless and Ubuntu doesn't ***** recognize them. But Vista does. Like my wireless adapter. And my Xbox 360 controller. And my printer. And my webcam. None of these things work with Linux, all of them work with Vista, with no manual configuration. I shouldn't have to buy special hardware just to use an OS."

            That's a nice thought, but it's utopian. There is no way to use all hardware on all operating systems, end of story. Vista will not work on incompatible systems, and neither will Linux. It isn't the operating system's fault, either. Your hardware is not compatible - mine is, and all my hardware is set up perfectly by Ubuntu out of the box without asking me a thing, except my graphics card which requires the assistance of a single checkbox to work at its best.

            "The Linux community needs to say ***** copyrights and reverse engineer the ***** out of all Windows drivers and codecs. I agree it's not right that most hardware companies ignore Linux, but you guys need to do something about it. File a class action lawsuit, call for an anti-trust investigation, or hack the ***** out of every Windows driver out there. The companies will get the message and start releasing Linux software themselves. Just my two cents."

            The Linux community is doing exactly that, and progress is coming amazingly quickly - drivers for hardware that isn't even publicly document have been created right and left. It's only a matter of time.
          • slippiefist, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1Great, I can't wait until Linux is out of beta.
    • glomph, on 03/16/2008, -1/+4Cheating?
      You act like its a competitive sport.
      Some people are just trying to use a computer effectively not prove anything to people like you.
      • slippiefist, on 03/17/2008, -1/+1If someone is "trying to use a computer effectively", they'll just use Windows.
    • OrangeTide, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2i can't stand Office. and I like the tools and scripting in the Gimp better. and utorrent is really just for downloading linux isos, if you want a proper torrent client you need one of the 40 others. (i recommend azureus). And I like Pidgin's crypto support better. and who the hell uses VLC for anything? xine, mplayer, etc are all better.
      • slippiefist, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1Azureus? Maybe Java is better on Linux, but Azureus is unusable on Windows. For me it's not even the fact that it uses 100MB+ of memory, it's that it feels unresponsive and the interface looks like something from 1999.
      • macoafi, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1I prefer Deluge for torrenting.
  • scootwhoman, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2Of course all the linux users think that this article is dumb and repetitive. But that is not who it is aimed at. Windows users are generally unfamiliar with any form of linux, and have heard rumors of all kinds. Letting them know that the basic necessities for office productivity are available for free with linux is a carrot to get a few to try it out.
  • usingpond, on 03/16/2008, -4/+9One thing Linux users aren't "getting done":

    Getting laid.
    • usingpond, on 03/16/2008, -5/+3ahaha sorry I had to. Linux is cool.
    • Dojjah, on 03/16/2008, -2/+2right.... because the other night I met this girl, told her how I use Windows Vista, she was blowin my brains before she even knew my name.

      moron
    • OrangeTide, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3you have no idea how much pussy you can get when you can setup apache on your Linux server and give a girl a website and blog. Chicks dig guys who can setup servers for them. Then there are the MUD girls who all seem to want to run their own MUD, which you can pretty much only host on a Linux or BSD server.
  • worldgate, on 03/16/2008, -10/+2Mmm, linux fanboys. Linux is more bloated then vista when you have to download not 1 4.5GB dvd but 3+ DVD's of a OS to install it. Then it taxes your DVD drive till it overheats and has errors. Linux has no real support for windows apps except WINE based programs but they take up 2x more resources to run. Heck, even after getting a copy of the Win2K source code WINE stucks SUX.

    • DarkDx, on 03/16/2008, -1/+7You're full of FUD. Also... Wn2K source code? lol
    • Dojjah, on 03/16/2008, -1/+6I don't know what version of Linux you are running but my copy of Ubuntu was mailed to me on ONE CD. I had to download nothing (but updates) and they mailed me it for free. Who gives a damn about support for windows apps, you use Linux to get away from all that is Windows.
    • Phocion55, on 03/16/2008, -1/+6This is awesome. Please digg this guy up. He just validated every stereotype I've ever had of a mindless MS fanboy.
      • worldgate, on 03/18/2008, -1/+1I am not a MS Fanboy, I just dont care about this dumb argument people have saying 'linux is better because i can run *insert program here* better then windows!' Half the people who run linux do so because 'its more stable then windows' yet I've 2 Windows MCE 2005 machines still running, and set them up in less then 2 hours. If i wanted the functionality of MCE on Linux I would be there all day trying to get it going with out having to download several other apps which need some other library that calls for 10 other apps and libraries.
    • OrangeTide, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3ubuntu is one 650MB iso.
      if you download all the debian DVDs you'll be disappointed when it only uses the first one. because the other 4 of them are for the obscure packages and the source code. Debian gives you the entire world for completeness.
      Microsoft doesn't ship their OS with a CD holding pretty much every freeware app available online. Debian does and you fault them for it.
      • worldgate, on 03/18/2008, -1/+1No, I just think that installing 10+GB of useless crap is stupid. How about the days of slackware and it had everything you needed (well, unless you wanted something obscure) and installed from a zip disk. (anyone still remember those?)
    • init100, on 03/16/2008, -0/+4"Linux has no real support for windows apps"

      Just like Windows has no support for Linux applications, Windows has no support for Mac applications, Mac has no support for Windows applications, etc, etc. Applications made for one operating system usually does not work in another, barring compatibility layers such as Wine.
      • DarkDx, on 03/17/2008, -0/+2Hell, you can run win applications both on mac and linux (with limits) but forget abou mac or linux apps on windows
  • Dojjah, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3Woop-di-do... who doesn't know about OpenOffice and Gimp?
  • DarkDx, on 03/16/2008, -1/+1They forgot to mention that CS3 can also be used in wine :)
  • vornan19, on 03/16/2008, -0/+1TFA was too light on actual information. Does anyone really have a problem with other people nay-saying Linux?
    Years ago I developed an argument that usually stops the other person. I tell them; Tell me what I cannot do under Linux. After the Mac or Windows person gives it a few tries and I answer 'Oh yes, and I will use *this* tool' there is no argument.
    I mean, good natured ribbing is fun. Ignorance needs to be taught. There is a strength to each OS. Use the tools available to their best advantage.
    (My Mac is in storage. I miss it.)
    • satanswetnipple, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2Be productive in a professional graphics studio using the GIMP.

      There is no comeback to that... I know, because I am a professional. Gimp fanboys will first correctly tell you that the GIMP can output any RGB (limited CMYK with a plugin, but no other colour mode) image (though even MS Paint can do the same). Where they slide into the realm of fantasy is when they claim that studios use The GIMP, or claim that it is good enough for studio work.

      Here is the disconnect. Speed. The GIMP has the worst interface in art software history (I should know, because I have used all commercial art software on ALL platforms created since 1985), and the tools themselves are limited, IF you can find a GIMP tool that will do the job you require. The GIMP is INCREDIBLY slow for most graphics jobs, but it becomes a real pain in the arse when you want to create artwork. Photoshop and similar software is used for more than one job type. Photo manipulation, cartooning, graphic design, natural media painting, DTP (used in conjunction with other software), and multimedia work. The GIMP is awkward and slow when working with photos, but it falls on it's arse and never gets up when you NEED it to work on any of the other jobs listed. I can use Photoshop to get a complex graphic design out within 30 minutes, and even though I can get the same result EVENTUALLY with The GIMP, I can take DAYS doing the same thing. That is NOT studio quality!
  • zmigliozzi, on 03/16/2008, -0/+4A guide for using linux, touches briefly on open office and gimp and thats it? A little more content would be nice.
  • arma, on 03/16/2008, -0/+4Linux open-source software is still not as powerful as Adobe and MS Office applications, you can get stuff done on Linux, just takes extra time, well I guess if you get paid hourly thats beneficial for you.
    • init100, on 03/16/2008, -0/+2"you can get stuff done on Linux, just takes extra time"

      Depends on what "stuff" is. Some things are done more effectively on *nix systems, just like some things are done more effectively on Windows systems.
      • satanswetnipple, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3That is the point. I am not a system administrator. I am an artist, and The GIMP is like being chained to a dead troll while standing waist deep in a swamp of camel *****. You can get there eventually, but you need to do things the hard way, and use many workarounds.

        The GIMP is not used in any professional studios because it lacks tools, and has an incredibly bad interface, and this means SLOW!

        I can create a database using a capable text editor if I really want to... you can do pretty much anything using whatever tools you have available... if you are willing to spend the time and effort... and that is the problem with blog trash like this... it is painting programs like The GIMP as capable, when they really are not... but you can always spend ten times the time.

        Please stop spamming us with *****! Do not hesitate to tell us all when The GIMP has been taken away from the current team, and given to a capable team who rework it into a REAL competitor to Photoshop. We are just sick to death of being told is it the second coming when it is not worth ***** at.
        • init100, on 03/17/2008, -0/+2"that is the problem with blog trash like this... it is painting programs like The GIMP as capable, when they really are not"

          The GIMP is capable, but not for professional use. It is still useful for those who have less sophisticated needs, such as cropping pictures taken with their digital camera, etc. With plugins, it can do pretty nifty stuff, such as exposure blending.

          "Do not hesitate to tell us all when The GIMP has been taken away from the current team, and given to a capable team who rework it into a REAL competitor to Photoshop."

          You don't seem to get it with free/open source software. Nobody has to forcefully take away The GIMP from its developers, anyone can get the code and start their own improved fork. If they do a good job, few or nobody will use the original version, but rather the fork instead. So, get going already. :p
      • worldgate, on 03/18/2008, -1/+1"That is the point. I am not a system administrator. I am an artist, and The GIMP is like being chained to a dead troll while standing waist deep in a swamp of camel *****. You can get there eventually, but you need to do things the hard way, and use many workarounds."

        I have to add that to my signature, it clearly defines it.
  • peterinjapan, on 03/16/2008, -2/+3If it takes me even one hours per year longer to do stuff in Linux than on my Mac, which it would in spades. then Linux suddenly becomes far more expensive for me, doesn't it? You do know that time is money, right? Not that I don't like the aesthetic, but any OS that doesn't have a living, breathing software ecosystem (which means, I can pay $20 for a program that nicely fixes a problem I have) is not for me.
  • hamGrenade, on 03/16/2008, -6/+1format hdd. reinstall xp.

    how long does it take the gnutards to burry me i wonder
  • mariachi, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3another vapid linux article on digg. buried as lame.
  • RoadWarriorX11, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2I was very disappointed by this article I was expecting to see some coverage of some not commonly known apps that are good. There is no mention of k3b, some of the video editing apps, KDE's PIM, DVD video creator, not to mention some of the IDEs available and I have yet to find a free and open source PDF editor for windows.

    Furthermore all the apps mentioned are cross platform anyways.

    Buried as lame and inaccurate.
    • macoafi, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1KDE's PIM is in part 2 :) AbiWord and Gnumeric aren't cross-platform. Neither is Krita.
  • LittleLORDevil, on 03/16/2008, -1/+4So I love linux and all as much as the next guy. But seriously... how many of the articles do we need?
  • smek2, on 03/16/2008, -1/+3"One thing you hear often about Linux is that there’s no software for it. This is simply not true" -- this is getting old and childish. Pretty lame too. I mean, that's a couple of paragraphs about Open Office and Krita.
  • upfrontfanatic, on 03/16/2008, -1/+2Can you spell "preaching to the choir" any better than this?
    Also. Stories about Linux being usable to humans went out of fashion 5 years ago.
  • AppleMacMan, on 03/17/2008, -2/+0Sorry, but what's Linux?
    • newwatch51, on 03/17/2008, -0/+1I'm running out of responses for your spam
  • pHr34kY, on 03/17/2008, -1/+1Read the first two alternative applications, looking for the rest of the list. Where is it?
  •  

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