Such thing being a zip with missing dependencies hopeful that such dependencies are found in the system. I’ll say it again: such package with missing dependencies would be a problem in Unix, Mac or Windows.
That you’ve never encountered such package in Mac is only a difference in culture: Mac packagers seemingly package everything no matter the redundancy, Linux packagers generally rely either on the user or the package manager solving the missing the dependencies.
In any case, the issue is with the packager. Either he ensures there’s no missing dependencies or releases proper packagers for package managers instead of simple zips. That’s why Mac has such polish: because everyone works to make it shine.
jay has has a point - apple is the only company that was able to make a linux distribution usable for everybody.
Mac is a Unix, not Linux.
Atleast what linux could have done is give a popup error when you try to run the exe… Like how would you know what’s missing if you don’t use the console? And the console is such a drag imho.
Yeah, some feedback would be nice, it just kind of sits there with a blank look… I’ve been using Ubuntu for almost 2 years now, and although it is “getting there,” it still needs some refinement if they want to really appeal to the masses. I won’t install it yet on Mom’s computer if you know what I mean, she gets OSX
Every once in a while I’ll give Ubuntu a try. Few weeks ago I installed 10.04. I couldnt find half of the programs I use in Synaptic or Ubuntus’s add/remove. Handbrake didnt work on it at all. After searching on the web for few hours I gave up. There was no sign of Songbird. I did try deb from getdeb but that failed. It said something about missing file?
Whats the point of OS when you cant use programs you want on it? Just so you can feel more superior then those who use Windows/OSX?
but at least compared to years ago Ubuntu is really a step forward in usability
and interface design.
Jay - well some might say Apple over chargers but they sell a product that runs.
I am helping folks which do not even know how to add an attachment or something
so easy. Really crazy to think about it - since for us this is just such a simple task.
I think Ubunutu can work well on netbooks when it is pre-installed and configured.
Think about Android as a platform.
While to be fair also on OS X one might need to look into the console to see why
Blender crashes.
Sadly folks like these also appear to have problems using their eft-pos cards at ATMs. And given that they take 80% of all queues behind, your customer base must be huge.
Well said! That is exactly how it is and how it always will be!
A while ago I’ve installed Ubuntu 10.04 onto an HP laptop which originally run Vista.
Because the only requirement was to run Firefox, I figured Ubuntu was a great choice. That was a BIG MISTAKE!
For a few days now, the router password has to be typed in and than the account password followed by cancel and another cancel.
I found what was going on via google and don’t know what to say to the constant request to put Vista back on because “it was better”!
Looking back, I can say that it wasn’t Microsoft who converted me to OS X, it was Linux! If time = money, OS X is the only answer
On a side note, some of you might find this book an very exciting read!
well you can also go for a hackintosh if you live in a country where it s legal. Good systeme cheap hardware.
Ubuntu is great as a secondary systeme. but it s not so hard.
Truthfully, I have never had any issues with any Linux distro, going back more than 10 years now, except for the initial PulseAudio debacle, which I was able to fix in minutes. In fact, I am rather irritated by the whole ‘simplify it so idiots can use it’ trend. That said, I have always bought my hardware specifically for Linux and checked for compatibility issues. Most people buy whatever, normally an OEM install, change their minds and want another OS on their machines, after all the effort the vendor has put in making the installed OS work in the first place. I also doubt people ever complain about a successful install. So check your hardware compatibility first, before wasting your time, and since your system is just a tool, why not stick to the OS the hardware was meant for?
It’s not a ‘simplify it so idiots can use it’ trend but rather a ‘simplify it so users who have got work to do instead of learning a whole operating system before actually being able to use it’ trend. There ought to be different operating systems for different audiences with different skill sets and Linux is largely ignoring that fact. Although Canonical is talking about ‘Usability’ and ‘Design’ a lot these days, the words are still hollow, because they simply ignore different audiences and try to be for everyone. (The problem is of course a much bigger one, the whole Libre culture is still stuck in a copycat age and lacks a culture of design appreciation).
That being said, I am a Linux-only user since more than 4 years and have learned all the stuff about how to install a programm manually or through version control systems, resolve dependencies, etc. Nevertheless I think the Linux package management is absolute madness. It is just a joke that a new user can usually forget to install anything outside the small collection that your distro provides. Why the hell am I supposed to learn about compiling and library resolving just to get a new version of a software, while every Windows user just downloads a setup.exe and tadaa, the software runs? All this dynamic library linking may sound nice in general and is super-duper-awesome for everyone who has learned it the hard way, it is just plain stupid compared to static-linking for the normal user. To hell with library redundancy, sometimes I just want my software to work…
The madness continues in regard to the different distros. Why have we still got different repositories for every single distribution? I don’t care a bit whether .rpm or .deb or .whatever is the most advanced package format, a standardized package format that is shared by all major distributions would make life so much easier.
And before I get flamed: I know that there are good reasons for all of this. It is indeed great for a lot of Linux users and makes a lot of sense in server environments for example. But please don’t live with the illusion that Linux is going to make an impact in the desktop market any time soon. Mark Shuttleworth’s ‘We will surpass Apple in 2 years’ was a joke. (That was 2008…) Choice is not always a good thing, fragmentation & no interoperability are often the consequences. While I think that the Free Software ideals are great, I have come to accept that madness is often the ticket for that train…
It really isn’t neccessary to have a unified package management system. For your individual distro it generally always works fine, and if you’re trying ubuntu out, you don’t have a problem really. I agree though, pop-up boxes may be a good idea, even if it’s just instructions on how to read the full error.
It’s not a ‘simplify it so idiots can use it’ trend but rather a ‘simplify it so users who have got work to do instead of learning a whole operating system before actually being able to use it’ trend.
Not really, I am far from adept at linux, however I am quite productive, even though I really only know the basics of the terminal.
There ought to be different operating systems for different audiences with different skill sets and Linux is largely ignoring that fact.
I agree, that would
Bad idea. There are already enough distros, we don’t need more, people like that should use what they’re familiar with (windows or osx).
I don’t care a bit whether .rpm or .deb or .whatever is the most advanced package format, a standardized package format that is shared by all major distributions would make life so much easier.
I agree, that would make things much easier. That would have the potential to be more efficient, faster, and safer than .exe installers.
But, everyone would have to adopt it; you can’t have two competing systems.
Also, all the major linux distributions should come with a .pdf on the desktop that’s a crash course in linux for the unexperienced.
2 seconds to delete if you don’t need it, useful resource if you do.
Education would make it more friendly, especially in combination with efforts to rethink how things should be done, so that they’re more logical as well as user friendly.
Powerful and User Friendly should be able to exist together, I mean, apple did it! (according to what I’ve heard, at least)
