Why not Linux

mcmoustache

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

All of those can be turned off I expect, as most things can in KDE4.

Another option is to use something like Openbox-KDE which definitely has none of the 'bling'

Oh i know. I don't mind all that. I'm just a bit nostalgic for my old gnome setup. I actually like kde. With classic start menu and a simple taskbar, it lets me do stuff without getting frustrated.

Johnboy1951

mcmoustache wrote: »

Oh i know. I don't mind all that. I'm just a bit nostalgic for my old gnome setup. I actually like kde. With classic start menu and a simple taskbar, it lets me do stuff without getting frustrated.

I have yet to use Plasma 5

azzeretti

mcmoustache wrote: »

I have netflix for linux myself as well. It's just chrome running through wine.

The latest version of chrome on Ubuntu 14.04 or better runs Netflix natively, without the need for wine. And it's perfect, no clunk!

mcmoustache

azzeretti wrote: »

The latest version of chrome on Ubuntu 14.04 or better runs Netflix natively, without the need for wine. And it's perfect, no clunk!

Confirmed. That's excellent.

PrzemoF

Dr_Bill wrote: »

Why not Linux? Windows is easier to use, plain and straight and better is supported. Linux is fragmented into different distro's each with their own strengths, Windows / Apple iOS (BSD in disguise) is centralised and maintained and easier to obtain support. Each to their own thou.

I really like your opinion. It's a compilation of all superstitions and FUD about linux in a clean, concise form.

200motels

I love using Windows but I also love using Linux and I get more fun out of using Linux.

PropJoe10

200motels wrote: »

I love using Windows but I also love using Linux and I get more fun out of using Linux.

Its fun checking out different Linux distros with different package managers and desktop environments. I also find that Linux, now that I'm reasonably competent with it, is far more stable and secure than Windows. Its so easy to keep your packages up to date and free of malware compared to in Windows.

I really only use Windows for gaming these days. If I wasnt a gamer, I'd be a fulltime Linux user for sure!

Tom Dunne

I recently installed OpenSuse Linux 13.2, for no reason other than the above.

I was again reminded why Linux is not for some people - talk about a desperately user unfriendly distribution. Granted, the installation was a breeze and very straightforward, but the whole desktop environment is clunky and not newbie friendly.

For example, you can rotate an icon on the desktop, but you cannot move it. What's that all about?

Johnboy1951

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I recently installed OpenSuse Linux 13.2, for no reason other than the above.

I was again reminded why Linux is not for some people - talk about a desperately user unfriendly distribution. Granted, the installation was a breeze and very straightforward, but the whole desktop environment is clunky and not newbie friendly.

For example, you can rotate an icon on the desktop, but you cannot move it. What's that all about?

Seems unlikely ..... what DE were you using?

PropJoe10

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I recently installed OpenSuse Linux 13.2, for no reason other than the above.

I was again reminded why Linux is not for some people - talk about a desperately user unfriendly distribution. Granted, the installation was a breeze and very straightforward, but the whole desktop environment is clunky and not newbie friendly.

For example, you can rotate an icon on the desktop, but you cannot move it. What's that all about?

What desktop environment were you using?I have never come across anything like that. OpenSUSE is designed to be user friendly these days.

Worztron

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Seems unlikely ..... what DE were you using?

PropJoe10 wrote: »

What desktop environment were you using?I have never come across anything like that. OpenSUSE is designed to be user friendly these days.

I'd say he uses KDE.

Worztron

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I recently installed OpenSuse Linux 13.2, for no reason other than the above.

I was again reminded why Linux is not for some people - talk about a desperately user unfriendly distribution. Granted, the installation was a breeze and very straightforward, but the whole desktop environment is clunky and not newbie friendly.

For example, you can rotate an icon on the desktop, but you cannot move it. What's that all about?

For new users to GNU/Linux aka Linux, I'd recommend something like one of the Linux Mint flavors.

L.Jenkins

Mint is one of the more User Friendly Distros out there. It was what I used to get back into Linux in the first place. I remember my first distro was Redhat 6, now Fedora. I use Debian quite a bit, but find it to be a slight pain in the áss while using Openbox and I use Fedora 21 on occasion.

Worztron

Itzy wrote: »

Mint is one of the more User Friendly Distros out there. It was what I used to get back into Linux in the first place. I remember my first distro was Redhat 6, now Fedora. I use Debian quite a bit, but find it to be a slight pain in the áss while using Openbox and I use Fedora 21 on occasion.

Fedora is too bleeding edge (therefore possibly crash/instability prone) and is basically used as a testing base by RH.

I much prefer Debian/Ubuntu based distros.

But that's the beauty of Linux - choice.

L.Jenkins

And that's why I love it aswell!

PropJoe10

My own choice these days is Debian on my home laptop (for stability) with the MATE desktop environment, a fork of GNOME 2. Its absolutely brilliant to use, lightweight and intuitive. I use Arch Linux on my travelling laptop with MATE.

Simon2015

Anyone know if Linux will support blu ray ?

PropJoe10

Simon2015 wrote: »

Anyone know if Linux will support blu ray ?

http://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/

Tom Dunne

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Seems unlikely ..... what DE were you using?

PropJoe10 wrote: »

What desktop environment were you using?I have never come across anything like that. OpenSUSE is designed to be user friendly these days.

It's KDE.

I suppose the term "User Friendly" is quite subjective and therefore varies from one person to the next. To me, Mint is uncluttered and straight forward, OpenSuse is cluttered. And doesn't allow you to move an icon on the desktop. :pac:

Worztron wrote: »

For new users to GNU/Linux aka Linux, I'd recommend something like one of the Linux Mint flavors.

Just to put it into perspective - I'm using Linux since around 1995-1996.

I installed for no reason other that to try it out - I had Mint installed the laptop quite happily for the past 18 months so just wanted a change. As you do.

LinuxMint is a lovely OS. I much prefer it to windows etc. The problem is that many devices are not manufactured with Mint in mind and while they can often be made to work in Linux, it can be a real challenge, involving hours of research on bulletin boards to get advice.

Therefore i usually keep new computers on windows and move the one being replaced to mint, keeping it for general work, surfing etc..

Kinet1c

[Deleted User] wrote: »

LinuxMint is a lovely OS. I much prefer it to windows etc. The problem is that many devices are not manufactured with Mint in mind and while they can often be made to work in Linux, it can be a real challenge, involving hours of research on bulletin boards to get advice.

Therefore i usually keep new computers on windows and move the one being replaced to mint, keeping it for general work, surfing etc..

I've just moved to Mint, laptop is 4 years old and everything just worked when I installed it a few days ago. It's been a few years since I installed a distro where I've had to do any research to get a distro working out of the box.

Kinet1c

Kinet1c wrote: »

I've just moved to Mint, laptop is 4 years old and everything just worked when I installed it a few days ago. It's been a few years since I installed a distro where I've had to do any research to get a distro working out of the box.

When i mentioned devices I mean things you plug into the usb sockets. Things I've have problems with, but eventually got to work, for example are dvt dongles and ais dongles.

I'm sure your 4 year old laptop is running better on Mint now than with its previous OS.

syklops

Deleted User wrote: »

When i mentioned devices I mean things you plug into the usb sockets. Things I've have problems with, but eventually got to work, for example are dvt dongles and ais dongles.

I'm sure your 4 year old laptop is running better on Mint now than with its previous OS.

Late 90s, early 2000s, I, too, spent hours on bulletin boards researching drivers for devices but on Windows. Nowadays, I regularly plug in obscure hardware and they get picked up by my Fedora system no install necessary. Plug and play. Real Plug and Play.

Johnboy1951

Tom Dunne wrote: »

It's KDE.

I suppose the term "User Friendly" is quite subjective and therefore varies from one person to the next. To me, Mint is uncluttered and straight forward, OpenSuse is cluttered. And doesn't allow you to move an icon on the desktop. :pac:

This seems to have nothing at all to do with Suse (except maybe its defaults) but more your KDE settings. Have you altered the default desktop settings to suit your use?

What KDE desktop 'type' are you using?

Default Desktop ?
Folder View ?
Grid Desktop ?
Newspaper Layout ?
Grouping Desktop ?
Search & Launch ?
HomeRun ?

I haven't tried them all but definitely either of the first two allow icons to be moved ...... although I admit I have never seen any function that would allow me to rotate an icon, to my recollection.

Tom Dunne

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

This seems to have nothing at all to do with Suse (except maybe its defaults) but more your KDE settings. Have you altered the default desktop settings to suit your use?

I haven't altered any settings. Think of it from an inexperienced end-user's perspective. Here is the default installation, preventing a basic feature for whatever reason. It's not going to alter my use of OpenSuse, but I would have trouble recommending it for somebody who is new to Linux.

(as a side note, I am actually finding OpenSuse to be faster than Mint. So from a purely performance perspective, I will continue using it. Until the next shiny distro comes along, that is)

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I haven't tried them all but definitely either of the first two allow icons to be moved ...... although I admit I have never seen any function that would allow me to rotate an icon, to my recollection.

If you click on an icon on the desktop, a small "menu bar" appears beside the icon, one of the options is a big X (to delete the icon), another is the common three-quarters-circle arrow that is commonly used to denote rotation. Simply clicking on the icon and dragging it, which is intuitive enough, is disabled for some reason.

Not a biggie, just I could see how confusing it would be for a newbie.

Johnboy1951

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I haven't altered any settings. Think of it from an inexperienced end-user's perspective. Here is the default installation, preventing a basic feature for whatever reason. It's not going to alter my use of OpenSuse, but I would have trouble recommending it for somebody who is new to Linux.

(as a side note, I am actually finding OpenSuse to be faster than Mint. So from a purely performance perspective, I will continue using it. Until the next shiny distro comes along, that is)



If you click on an icon on the desktop, a small "menu bar" appears beside the icon, one of the options is a big X (to delete the icon), another is the common three-quarters-circle arrow that is commonly used to denote rotation. Simply clicking on the icon and dragging it, which is intuitive enough, is disabled for some reason.

Not a biggie, just I could see how confusing it would be for a newbie.

OK, understood now ..... bit slow this am

You appear to be using the Default Desktop Settings.
When you hover the mouse over an icon you get several icons in a side panel .... one of which is indeed a rotation function, another a settings function and the last an 'X' to delete the icon.

To move the icon just drag & drop using the side bar itself.
To re-size the icon drag from inside the first icon in the side bar.

Tom Dunne

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

To move the icon just drag & drop using the side bar itself.

Ah, I see. I'll try that later when I am in front of it.

See what I mean about not being user-friendly?

PropJoe10

I must say, I used KDE for a bit and got very tired of it very quickly. Much prefer MATE and XFCE now. Hell, I probably even prefer Ubuntu Unity over KDE.

Worztron

PropJoe10 wrote: »

I must say, I used KDE for a bit and got very tired of it very quickly. Much prefer MATE and XFCE now. Hell, I probably even prefer Ubuntu Unity over KDE.

I never warmed to KDE. Like you, I prefer MATE and Xfce (in that order). I never warmed to Unity either but would rank it below KDE.

Kinet1c

Installed Mate with Mint, first time using it and finding it works well. If usually opt for lxde but having issues getting flux to run with it.