Update, plus boring Linux crap
First, a word from our sponsers...well, my sponser...well, myself:
I went to Trinity's 1944 USO Christmas show last night. That was cute! They had Mr. Gold playing Kaiser, the King of Swing. He was a big band director/comedian from that time period. Also, be sure to come check out Trinity's game tonight as they take on New Covenant.
Now some techy stuff: So I found my windows XP install CD, and am re-updating to SP 2. Here a few reasons why, not that most people who read this would even care. Part of it is a repeat of stuff I said in my last post, but really, just skip it if you don't care about linux.
From my recent slashdot post:
I just installed Linux again on my Gateway 400vtx laptop [as you've read]. I've tried many many distros of linux, including (but not limited to): Knoppix, Fedora, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Linspire, and (most recently) openSuSE. Last night, I finally found my XP install disc and today I've been re-updating to SP2. Here's why:
Ubuntu (live cd) and SuSE wouldn't even boot for a while, thanks to not being able to see a literally burned up internal wireless network card that I don't even use because it's wireless B. Why would they freeze during the boot instead of just booting and forgetting about it? Knoppix works, so that just doesn't make sense since SuSE has MS backing them now. I manually removed the internal card, and bingo - it starts up. Of course, this isn't really a major problem with Linux since I got it fixed; however, XP just *works.*
Knoppix was the ONLY one to support my Netgear WG511 PCMCIA network card right out of the box. And by support I mean it works fairly well, but not like it does under Windows. I couldn't even get SuSE to install the drivers for it because it was missing a C compiler or something. The same lack of C compiler also prevented me from using gaim. Of course, this is actually more of a problem with Netgear not offering Linux drivers (something I didn't even consider or know about several years ago when I bought the card). With Windows, it's easy: just install a little .exe (I couldn't connect to the internet to get the drivers automatically - I need my wireless card for that, which isn't install...catch 22), and plug in the card. Again, XP just *works.*
My biggest problem with EVERY version of Linux was that NONE of them (as in no Distro I've ever used) has supported my video card, an integrated Intel 82852/82855 WG/WGE piece of $#!+. And by supported I mean it works at 800x600 on Linux, but 1024x768 on Windows. I tried everything: drivers, editing my X11 files, etc. Once again, this is more of Intel's fault for not offering decent drivers (even though they had some labeled "linux"), but XP just *works.*
Another major problem was seeing my ATP ToughDrive 2GB usb thumbdrive. Linux could open my Sandisk cruzer micro just fine, but not my ATP. I didn't have time to fool with that, mostly because I was too sick of 800x600.
Now I am happily running XP again. Don't get me wrong - I *LOVE* open source, particularly Gaim, OpenOffice, VLC, and Firefox. I've used Windows 3.1 and up through XP, and the others have been bug ridden and would simply crash the system if a single file screwed up. XP rarely crashes on me. I haven't used Vista, but doubt I ever will because of the insane requirements for it. In some ways I miss my few short days of using nothing but Linux - particularly *not* having to use the mouse. I liked just using the keyboard to get around. My next computer will either be an Apple (a friend just WON a macbook pro intel core 2 duo and I am so jealous!) or I will build a system generic enough to run Linux (with Beryl...oh so pretty!).
So am I a Microsoft XP fanboy - No. I HATE IE, the Zune, MS Word, and any Windows OS (except XP).
Am I an XP fanboy - Maybe. But that's more because it works *well* for me, and nobody makes my hardware work with linux.
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< /end slashdot post>
See? I told you that you wouldn't care. I'm out. Peace.
How about checking out the Weekend Meltdown, eh? That would be fun, right? yeah...head on over. And join the forum! Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?
I went to Trinity's 1944 USO Christmas show last night. That was cute! They had Mr. Gold playing Kaiser, the King of Swing. He was a big band director/comedian from that time period. Also, be sure to come check out Trinity's game tonight as they take on New Covenant.
Now some techy stuff: So I found my windows XP install CD, and am re-updating to SP 2. Here a few reasons why, not that most people who read this would even care. Part of it is a repeat of stuff I said in my last post, but really, just skip it if you don't care about linux.
From my recent slashdot post:
I just installed Linux again on my Gateway 400vtx laptop [as you've read]. I've tried many many distros of linux, including (but not limited to): Knoppix, Fedora, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Linspire, and (most recently) openSuSE. Last night, I finally found my XP install disc and today I've been re-updating to SP2. Here's why:
Ubuntu (live cd) and SuSE wouldn't even boot for a while, thanks to not being able to see a literally burned up internal wireless network card that I don't even use because it's wireless B. Why would they freeze during the boot instead of just booting and forgetting about it? Knoppix works, so that just doesn't make sense since SuSE has MS backing them now. I manually removed the internal card, and bingo - it starts up. Of course, this isn't really a major problem with Linux since I got it fixed; however, XP just *works.*
Knoppix was the ONLY one to support my Netgear WG511 PCMCIA network card right out of the box. And by support I mean it works fairly well, but not like it does under Windows. I couldn't even get SuSE to install the drivers for it because it was missing a C compiler or something. The same lack of C compiler also prevented me from using gaim. Of course, this is actually more of a problem with Netgear not offering Linux drivers (something I didn't even consider or know about several years ago when I bought the card). With Windows, it's easy: just install a little .exe (I couldn't connect to the internet to get the drivers automatically - I need my wireless card for that, which isn't install...catch 22), and plug in the card. Again, XP just *works.*
My biggest problem with EVERY version of Linux was that NONE of them (as in no Distro I've ever used) has supported my video card, an integrated Intel 82852/82855 WG/WGE piece of $#!+. And by supported I mean it works at 800x600 on Linux, but 1024x768 on Windows. I tried everything: drivers, editing my X11 files, etc. Once again, this is more of Intel's fault for not offering decent drivers (even though they had some labeled "linux"), but XP just *works.*
Another major problem was seeing my ATP ToughDrive 2GB usb thumbdrive. Linux could open my Sandisk cruzer micro just fine, but not my ATP. I didn't have time to fool with that, mostly because I was too sick of 800x600.
Now I am happily running XP again. Don't get me wrong - I *LOVE* open source, particularly Gaim, OpenOffice, VLC, and Firefox. I've used Windows 3.1 and up through XP, and the others have been bug ridden and would simply crash the system if a single file screwed up. XP rarely crashes on me. I haven't used Vista, but doubt I ever will because of the insane requirements for it. In some ways I miss my few short days of using nothing but Linux - particularly *not* having to use the mouse. I liked just using the keyboard to get around. My next computer will either be an Apple (a friend just WON a macbook pro intel core 2 duo and I am so jealous!) or I will build a system generic enough to run Linux (with Beryl...oh so pretty!).
So am I a Microsoft XP fanboy - No. I HATE IE, the Zune, MS Word, and any Windows OS (except XP).
Am I an XP fanboy - Maybe. But that's more because it works *well* for me, and nobody makes my hardware work with linux.
------------
< /end slashdot post>
See? I told you that you wouldn't care. I'm out. Peace.
Labels: Firefox, Gaim, Gateway, IT, Linux, school, Trinity, weekend meltdown
posted by fluff at 12/15/2006 04:34:00 PM
2 comments
