[geeks] Ok I am ready to kill this Fu**ing linux box

[Kurt Huhn]

> first, im not convinced that a) millions of people use xine, and b) that
> millions of people happily use linux. i'm sure that a large percentage
> of the people who use linux use it because they would prefer to not use
> windows (or macos or whatever). this is documented, and rms even
> answered a question about people using linux out of ideological reasons.
> but i digress.

Certainly possible.  And you're entitled to opinion, as anyone else is. 
I'm certainly happy with linux when I use it...

> 
> we arent just talking about two users among millions. we're talking
> about two users on a mailing list. we're also talking about two
> competent (and in my case certified) technicians. its very very easy to
> play the "user error" card when you're talking about average users. that
> is not the case here.
> 

Okay, okay.  I also am certified, and didn't have any problems setting
it up.  The trouble with certifications, since you bring it up, is that
they can be innacurate representations of ability.  

I can easily play "user error" here, because it applies.  I don't want
to deride the abilities of anyone, but it is possible for very
experienced and very knowledgeable people to make mistakes on subjects
that they know a whole lot about.  To insist otherwise is pure and
unadulterated arrogance.

> it has never been my experience with such tools (such as yUP) that they
> are easy or nice.
> 

Yes, because many people have different thought processes and
experiences, this is entirely possible.  I've been called an idiot
because I find Blender to be unuseable from an interface perspective -
which is the main reason I don't use it.  My brain just no-worky that
way.  So you're perfectly justified here.

> this is the inherent problem in the rpm architecture. the one premise it
> is built upon is that rpm's are all built in the same way to the same
> standards. sometimes they will install stuff in /usr/local, sometimes
> just in /usr, sometimes they will go in /opt or whatever. the problem
> is, suse rpms dont work on redhat, redhats dont work on mandrake, and so
> on. when i want an rpm of a particular package, and i go to rpmfind, i
> find Mandrake Cooker. or YDL. or any other distribution but the one I am
> trying to use. the entire purpose of the rpm is defeated by the very
> attitude that makes linux succeed.
> 

True, very true.  I agree with here on all fronts.  Linux, as an OS, is
in dire need of standardization.  The fragmentation of directory
structure among different distributions is very harmful.  That's why I
refuse to run more than one publisher's version of Linux, as a packaged
OS, in any production environment.  Find a distribution that fits the
needs, and standardize on it - in much the same way that shops
standardze on Solaris or HPUX.  Okay, not a great example, but I think
you understand.

> 
> but we weren't talking about other os's, we were talking about linux. we
> just had the linux vs bsd flamewar, remember?

No.  I ignore such flamefests, as I have no interest in either reading
or contributing...

-- 
Kurt
kurt at k-huhn.com