I am Windows Free!

[Mathiasdm]

naw. most people are just speaking as part of the "I hate Microsoft but really don't know why other than becouse I heard it was the thing to do" herd.

The way I see it. Everyone who has switched is trying to prove just how much they don't need Microsoft products. Almost like they are trying to justify using Linux.

and what really gets me laughing is how these Linux converts glorify thier new Operating System yet keep a copy of Windows on thier partition "just in case"

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I intend to get myself a laptop in a few months, and I intend to install Gentoo on that laptop.

Do I want to do that to prove I don't need Microsoft? No.

I do it because I like Gentoo Linux more than Windows XP.

I do it because I like the customisability Gentoo offers me.

I do it because I can make Gentoo Linux everything I want it to be.

I will still have Windows XP around (on VMWare), because I might need it when programming for several OS'es.

good for you,hope you enjoy it,i'm enjoying windows as ever,and i'll never go to linux,windows never crashes,i can hear music,do my work,play games,talk with my friends,everyithing a normal user can do.

:happy:

so i think i'm cool with windows,not linux  :laugh:

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Now there's a friendly Windows user.

I'm glad you're happy using Windows! I'll stick with Linux.

Doesn't mean we have to argue :D

[mattisking]

For those that are into it, check out the new Array 7 test release of Ubuntu Hoary. This is the first release that I can say I haven't had a single configuration problem, sound problem, video problem.... it's a very solid release. Give it a try if you considered Warty but found it a little too behind the times or you've gotten frustrated with other distros. I really love it.

[Schmoove]

Running Ubuntu linux on one of my laptops (tested others too), but I still have Windows on the rest of my computers.

The reason is simple. I like Windows and there is better software for Windows then there is for Linux (Outlook 2003, the Adobe software, the Macromedia software, etc.).

The main thing with Linux is that it still isn't as convenient to navigate through as Windows is. Wether you use KDE or Gnome it still can't cut it for me compared to Explorer. Ah well, that is just my opinion.

[g-n-t]

saying photoshop and flash mx are better than linux apps is understandable.

but saying that explorer>konqueror is just plain friggen wrong. if you dont understand the linux filesystem, thats a different story. however, now that i know both, i think that linux is much more logical, especially since you can have a directory on a partition so you can save it for a future upgrade.

[Arckon]

I've been thinking about the linux directory structure. I'm not used to it yet, and I find it very difficult to navigate through. I very much like how windows has the main OS stuff in the \Windows folder and most of the installed programs go to \Program Files. I like how *most* of the files to into the same directory (except for some programs that have shared components). But w/ linux, it feels like stuff gets thrown all over the place. It does seem to make sense to put executable files in to the /bin folder so you can just type the name of the program and run it from anywhere. But as for the rest of it, it seems really jumbled up to me. I still prefer to have an entire program in its own directory instead of having it all over the place. How would I know how much space is being taken up by a single program?

I just think some things really need to be improved upon before people w/ no computer experience can start using it and maintaining it w/ no problems.

I really like linux a lot, and I'd love to see it become the OS of choice amongst everyone.

[markwolfe Veteran]

You don't really know how much space is being taken up by checking the "Program Files" directory, either. As you said, components (.dlls) are scattered about, and the Registry is expanded with additional entries ("WBV-04598712349874312-12398709687150") :blink:

I find I rather enjoy the simplicity of a .conf file.

[mr_daemon]

I switched to Linux somewhere during last year.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I was already madly in love with Linux, but I had a lot of things that required windows, to much of my despair. When the last one fell, I danced with glee and fetched my gentoo livecd.

I am truely happy with how my desktop looks feels and acts right now. I don't game much anymore, but I still keep a rather unused windows XP partition only to play HL2.

What? You say I keep it "just in case"? No really, I don't. I locked it down using a rather nasty GPO that prevents me from doing anything besides playing games.

It also has most services disabled.

I just realized that the only computer (out of nine) that runs windows is the closet file server running Windows Server 2003 with an Active Directory established on it. I did this mostly to keep up to date with my MCSA courses. And for diversity, I guess.

All the other machines are either x86 running Gentoo or Macs running OS X.

Hell my iPod dual boots Linux for christ's sake. I can telnet into it through tcp/ip over firewire.

I don't like windows, honestly. I don't like the mentality of it, and I loathe the DOS prompt. While most users could not care less about the command prompt, I do. I like the Unix shell. :)

Of course many things are still buggy in there, but we're talking visual glitches more than anything... nothing that is a blocker.

[dotRoot]

Congrats on the swap-over.

-

And to everyone who thinks anyone that uses Linux just hates MS...well that's an ignorant statement. You don't really see any Linux uses refer to MS as M$ and you don't really see them bad mouthing Windows or Microsoft. Most Windows users bad mouth Windows and Microsoft. Linux users just don't care. I mean why would we?

[Suren]

You don't really know how much space is being taken up by checking the "Program Files" directory, either.  As you said, components (.dlls) are scattered about, and the Registry is expanded with additional entries ("WBV-04598712349874312-12398709687150") :blink:

I find I rather enjoy the simplicity of a .conf file.

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actualy .DLL files are used by all applications that need them, they are common files so it is pointless in putting them in the respective program folder's :)

its in the windows or common files directory so any program can use it.

with .conf files you have to find each app go to each app to edit them, but with registry you can do all you want from one place. its stupid not to use the registry. :yes:

[JVAGO]

Sorry to interupt a conversation but I am thinking of putting Ubuntu Woarty on a Ext HD and making it bootable from any PC by chaging the BIOS to check my Z:/ drive first so when I plug it into the USB I can immedietly boot GRUB then Ubuntu or if unplugged it boots to the main OS of the PC. :D I am a windows user since forever but Linux has been in my dreams and Mac looks fancy but maybe in another useless section of my life :D

[Schmoove]

saying photoshop and flash mx are better than linux apps is understandable.

but saying that explorer>konqueror is just plain friggen wrong. if you dont understand the linux filesystem, thats a different story. however, now that i know both, i think that linux is much more logical, especially since you can have a directory on a partition so you can save it for a future upgrade.

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That's your opinion. I understand the linux structure, but I don't find it very convenient.

And konqueror is terrible. I've used it but I just can't get used to it.

[markwolfe Veteran]

with .conf files you have to find each app go to each app to edit them, but with registry you can do all you want from one place. its stupid not to use the registry. :yes:

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Registries don't sound convenient to me (or to quite a lot of Windows users here, either)

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?act=...egistry+cleaner

Seems like the registry is a single point of failure that has spawned a separate business of registry cleaners, and spyware removers (since malware often hides itself in there). Entries are scattered in there, and some instances have everly-long obscure names consisting of a whole crapload of numbers.

You can keep your registry. I used to live with it as a Windows user, and will never go back to it.

[dotRoot]

actualy .DLL files are used by all applications that need them, they are common files so it is pointless in putting them in the respective program folder's :)

its in the windows or common files directory so any program can use it.

with .conf files you have to find each app go to each app to edit them, but with registry you can do all you want from one place. its stupid not to use the registry. :yes:

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That's your perspective. I like .conf files better. Just like on windows, I liked the old 16 bit way of doing things with a .ini (before you correct me, I know 32 bit programs still use ini). The registry however, half the time you don't know where something is, It isn't listed in any sort of good order. The registry would be much better if it was ordered in what program created the keys.

You can put all your .conf files in one place usually as well. All you have to do is tell the app where the .conf file is when you run it. You can even make one big huge .conf file usually. Of course that would be a bit tedious...sort of like the registry.

[Arckon]

That's your perspective. I like .conf files better. Just like on windows, I liked the old 16 bit way of doing things with a .ini (before you correct me, I know 32 bit programs still use ini). The registry however, half the time you don't know where something is, It isn't listed in any sort of good order. The registry would be much better if it was ordered in what program created the keys.

You can put all your .conf files in one place usually as well. All you have to do is tell the app where the .conf file is when you run it. You can even make one big huge .conf file usually. Of course that would be a bit tedious...sort of like the registry.

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Putting all of the .conf files together in either a directory or maybe some more efficeint database would be an interesting idea. If they would go into a database, the .conf files need to in some type of common format, and there could be a daemon or something to translate everything into the db format instead of an actual .conf file.

The files could also be placed in a /home/username/.config type folder and have a daemon detect whenever a .conf file needs to be accessed and point to that folder instead of going to the folder where the program placed its .conf file.

This would theoretically make configuring and tweaking much easier to do. I would very much like to have all of my config files in the same place so that I could edit them quickly instead of having to go all over my hard drive looking for the files.

Keep in mind that I'm still a n00b to linux and I really don't know what I'm talking about :-)

[racer1337]

Congrats on the swap-over.

-

And to everyone who thinks anyone that uses Linux just hates MS...well that's an ignorant statement. You don't really see any Linux uses refer to MS as M$ and you don't really see them bad mouthing Windows or Microsoft. Most Windows users bad mouth Windows and Microsoft. Linux users just don't care. I mean why would we?

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very true, Windows works for most people, I just had enough of the B.S. that comes with the product.

[g-n-t]

i just switched my "WTF is linux" friend over to mepis yesterday.

he was sending me ads when we were chatting and i told him, as a joke, to get rid of windows and put linux on his computer. so hes like,

"ok, where can i get linux."

"you dont even know what it is"

"dude, who cares. just give me a link"

"alright, ill come over and do it for you"

so i brought mepis with me, i never thought hed actually want to install it after using the livecd, but he did. so first i defragged his never-before-defragged 160gb windows harddrive. that took about an hour or so. then i installed it for him and set it all up. it was pretty painless, today i showed him how to get his printer going and he seems happy with firefox/openoffice/gaim replacing his windows apps. the only things that dont work are his ATI all-in-wonder tv tuner and his sound. once he settles in with it though, ill install yoper for him so that will probably fix the second issue. as for hte first one, violence is the answer.

[g-n-t]

Putting all of the .conf files together in either a directory or maybe some more efficeint database would be an interesting idea.  If they would go into a database, the .conf files need to in some type of common format, and there could be a daemon or something to translate everything into the db format instead of an actual .conf file.

The files could also be placed in a /home/username/.config type folder and have a daemon detect whenever a .conf file needs to be accessed and point to that folder instead of going to the folder where the program placed its .conf file.

This would theoretically make configuring and tweaking much easier to do.  I would very much like to have all of my config files in the same place so that I could edit them quickly instead of having to go all over my hard drive looking for the files.

Keep in mind that I'm still a n00b to linux and I really don't know what I'm talking about :-)

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there is something like that called elektra. the KDE team was thinking about putting it in KDE, but they never did. based off of a poll on their site, people liked .conf files better.

[Arckon]

there is something like that called elektra. the KDE team was thinking about putting it in KDE, but they never did. based off of a poll on their site, people liked .conf files better.

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elektra eh? Sounds very interesting! Can anyone here say if it's a good solution to configuring and tweaking a linux system? Has anyone actually tried it?

[g-n-t]

http://elektra.sourceforge.net/

[rkv]

congrats :D!

to all ppl sayin windows> linux

there will be a day some hacker will use one of the hundreds of exploits in ur PC. rob all data install keyloggers and destroy all ur own information and steal ur identity then dont cry that u did'nt use linux

[Arckon]

http://elektra.sourceforge.net/

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I've checked it out. I was just wondering if anyone on here could give any experiences w/ it :D

[1337-podder]

In no particular order...

Windows XP Rules!

Linux Rules!

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my thoughts exactly

[g-n-t]

I've checked it out.  I was just wondering if anyone on here could give any experiences w/ it  :D

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i coudnt get it installed. i probably could have if i tried hard enough, but it wasnt worth the effort.

[vhane]

actualy .DLL files are used by all applications that need them, they are common files so it is pointless in putting them in the respective program folder's :)

its in the windows or common files directory so any program can use it.

with .conf files you have to find each app go to each app to edit them, but with registry you can do all you want from one place. its stupid not to use the registry. :yes:

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It's basically a matter of taste. There's logic in the placement of .conf files. For example, in FreeBSD, all the configuration of the base system live in /etc. You could just copy that directory and transfer them to another box and have the same base configuration for the second system. That's simplicity.

Configuration for third party software live in /usr/local/etc. These are kept separate from the base system since two systems may not have the same apps installed. That's simplicity and makes sense as well.

Per-user configuration will typically live as a .rc file in the user's home directory. You may delete the user and still keep their home dir and if you recreate their account they will have the same configuration. Or you could copy their home to another location and they will have their preferences in the new location.

Configuration files are not scattered around randomly :) You can grep them, use them in scripts, whatever. The system is simple and extremely powerful. You want a script that creates a user, creates a database for them, and set them up with webspace? Write a script that asks for username and password and you can have it do everything else automatically. It takes a clued shell scripter less than 15 miniutes to write the script.

UNIX may seem complex at first, but if you look into it more, you will see that everything tends to make sense. As with everything, you just have to get used to it.

[mr_daemon]

I would like to know how somehow dll files suddendly became equivalent of .conf files?

.so files would be the equivalent of .dll files, and they go in the /lib folders.