Linux on the desktop?

[Laurie and Jeff Zidek]

Well I have just about replaced my Windoze as well.  I am a fairly new user 
to Linux (currently Mandrake 7.2) and find the install easier than Win98. 
 The only app I don't have a replacement for is Outlook.  Evolution looks 
promising but I havn't got it to install correctly yet.  If I am correct in 
two years I will be going " What Windows?"  and made the complete switch. 
 Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From:	Dusty [SMTP:dusty at sandust.com]
Sent:	Wednesday, April 18, 2001 11:23 AM
To:	Linux & Unix Advocates & Users
Subject:	[luau] Linux on the desktop?

I was just reading an article about Linux and how there is a lot of hype 
and sometimes Linux gets more credit than it deserves.  At the end of the 
article the author said that linux in no way could be used as a viable 
desktop replacement.  He said the applications are too buggy or they don't 
exist.  Well I have to disagree and was wondering what other linux users 
think.

I have used Linux almost exclusively for my desktop at home and work for 
over two years now with no problems.  I started using Solaris on my desktop 
(Sparc 10) in 1993 with Applixware as the office suite and Framemaker for 
desktop publishing, Mosaic web Browser, and several other applications. 
 The only application that I have not found a replacement for on Linux is 
Visio (which in my  experience is the standard for network diagrams)!  Just 
one application.  I currently use Staroffice for my office suite with very 
few problems (all of those problems having to do with the world 
standardizing on MS Office, I send most people files in Rich Text Format or 
export to an MS Format), Netscape web browser, and a list of other 
applications too long to list.  I did have to write a script to kill 
netscape when it locks up and won't die, but it has never affected Linux. 
 The only thing I use my windows box for is games (I have to play EQ or 
Half-life every now and then).  What do other u!
sers think, do people have trouble with staroffice or have other 
applications there is no replacement for in Linux?

Next the author said that Linux is just too difficult for people to get 
running.  Well I am pretty lazy and my desktop is usually a very bad 
example for a sys admin, but I usually don't have the time I would like to 
get it perfect so my desktop (actually laptop) is usually a default Redhat 
install, I simply delete most of the start-up scripts in /etc/rc5.d so 
those services don't start, configure my firewall to block ALL incoming 
traffic (IP_CHAINS makes this a pain, so I am always opening ports to 
connect, but default is NO incomming traffic, hopefully IP_TABLES will fix 
my problem), get SSH running (I only use ssh, scp, sftp), and install 
Staroffice.  I am done in no time and I pick up other tools I need that 
didn't come with redhat along the way.  Have I just been using *nix for too 
long and it seems easier to me than others?  I have installed Linux on 
several laptops and I always find a page where someone has done the 
difficult work to get everything working and redhat a!
nd suse both detect everything.

Anyway, how about some input from other Linux users or newbies about what 
they think.

Dusty




---
You are currently subscribed to luau as: zidekj001 at hawaii.rr.com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to $subst('Email.Unsub')