Void's Forums

So my test station, which is a Mac locked up. No error messages, nothing to give any slight hint that something was going wrong. Nothing, nada, zip, zero.

Now this happens once every three to six months, and sometimes becomes a rash for two or three days. As it is a hardware test system I am quite impressed that it does not crash more (well actually it does but when the crash is due to the failure of the test item I don't count it as a system failure - Don't you just love the golden test method? <shakes head>)

My laptop which for some reason as yet unknown to me _has_ to run a really really unstable OS. One that was so unstable that it crashed almost every single day. What does this system do? Connect to the 'net, and download email. In fact it got so bad I was ordered to update the office software and the email software. Usually upgrading is a good idea. It ain't cheap though. So the computer started crashing every day instead of almost every day. One in the eye for you open source guys .

So the we updated to the latest service pack. Which actually made the system unusable, I had to hack the OS to even download mail.

The upshot of all this. I am lucky if this email and internet system can even remain up for 1/2 day. I habitually have to perfom system restores (almost daily). and Icons, printers, software of all descriptions come and go at there own beck and call. No kidding. I found three new printers on this computer this morning (bearing in mind there is only one accessable printer for this computer and that has been the case for three years).

But I don't get a single error message from either system. They just lock and stop. I get a frozen screen and no response from any input peripheral.

With GNU/Linux I _always_ get an error message, which always leads in some manner or another to a fix. Oh and I have never had my Linux system just freeze (at least not without having done something stupid like rpm -r nautilus without the nodeps whilst still inside gnome on RH 7.3 - we live and learn - even then I got a segmentation fault so I knew I'd screwed up). Three years and counting, using good and bad hardware, dodgy software or no.

So FOSS - I get error messages that give me a fighting chance to beat the computer (did I ever tell you I hate computers - In fact I am quite the luddite for technology)

Closed Source - System freezes with nothing unless I learn how the OS works in very intricate detail in order to find out how to find the information to find the problem to attempt a repair. If any information exists after the hard reboot.


/rant.

Thank you for your cooperation in this outpouring.

You've just explained one of my primary reasons for vowing never to touch another one of those proprietary OSs. I really *really* hate being so dependent on someone else to make my systems work which they never do.

Yeah, those proprietary OSes are like women.

Whereas Linux is like a guy friend, they'll shout at you with an almost incomprehensible verbosity then punch you. Yeh you got screamed at and punched, but you know what the deal is and can be friends again!

While I agree, I must report that Mac OSX has been well-behaved and verbose for me. While some other OSes have not.

I cannot comment on OS X. My company ceased Mac Development from OS 9. Basically they can't keep up with modern computers and so assume that the most prevalent is the one to develop for. Never mind that over 50% of our customer base has failed to order in years. Go figure, I know those customers are buying from their biggest competitor because they tell me so. Still the company has not turned profits and I'm looking for work elsewhere before a paycheck fails to clear.

And that brings me to another point. It may seem kind of sad but I'm not prepared to work in a primarily M$ workplace. I am actively seeking work at companies that are OS agnostic or Linux positive (hey Red Hat need a fast learner in the Boston area ). It is a standard of living thing. My work life is bad primarily by the forced and continued use of an OS on my computer that continually fails. Over half my time is used trying to keep the damn M$ systems up and runnning. It has gotten to the point where I no longer even bother. If the system crashes I write it down (I have a massive crash log - written on paper because I don't trust this OS) I can't salvage the system because I can't reinstall the system and start clean (there is a no reinstallation policy) so I fight a losing battle and everyday I get closer to leaving.

But there is a good side. Almost every job I look at now requires that I can use (meaning switch on and start a word processor, login, etc.) M$, Mac and Unix / Linux. M$ would be shocked and horrified if it knew the true extent of Linux use in the New England area. But thankfully they have well and truly missed the ball here. You can't get a technical job in this town unless the magic word appears on your resume (even as a hobby). I would be suprised if there was a company with more then 10 employees that doesn't have Linux in the system. But then considering that Ximian, Novell, Oracle, FSF (look at the address for getting a copy of the GPL) all hail from around here it can't be much of a suprise.

Really Tux, are you feeling alright? Have the meds run down?

sorry for ranting on the forum. Just got to get a few things off my chest and the wife is working out of town.

I must admit I had a fight with Oracle today and lost. I spent all day trying to get Oracle support built in to the FC3 PHP RPMs. I can't remember the last time I lost a fight in Linux. I have built PHP RPMs with Oracle support in RHAS 2.1 (Red Hat 7.3 era). I find instructions on Oracle's site stating all I need are the instant client packages and a patch but I just couldn't get it. But then it sort of fits in with this thread, it's proprietary closed source apps that give me a headache. I don't have any problems when I have the source. Sorry Tux, I can't ever remember Linux punching me in the face. Some proprietary packages like I just mentioned are the closest thing I have come to a punch in the face.

Linux has caught me on the chin once or twice, I think they were my fault

Linux Frank wrote:M$ would be shocked and horrified if it knew the true extent of Linux use in the New England area. But thankfully they have well and truly missed the ball here. You can't get a technical job in this town unless the magic word appears on your resume (even as a hobby). I would be suprised if there was a company with more then 10 employees that doesn't have Linux in the system.

I can tell you it ain't just New England. Here at Texas's largest university, our operating systems are more diverse than our student body. The Geosciences building has 3 computer labs - one with Macs running OSX, one with a bunch of Dell RH9 boxes, and a lab with a few Dells running Windows. Our 2 tech guys are Windows haters. Most of the geological oceanography faculty uses Macs exclusively. One guy actually uses an old Sparc because it's the only computer his Fortran compiler will work on. There is a decent spattering of SGIs through the building. All of our network activity is monitored and directed by Linux, I think RHE? And I, who am turning out the only sellable products from our department, am using FC3 for work and Slackware as an ftp server. Of course there are plenty of people using Windows, simply because they are using proprietary products that aren't available for anything else - ArcGIS for example. But the tech staff has almost gotten to the point where they are going to require everyone in the building to remove Outlook and Outlook Express from their computers. They have already officially insisted (but not enforced) replacement of IE with Firefox. Microsoft is losing ground every day, and I am glad to be an advocate against them.

At my job we are about a 96% Micro$oft shop. When i got the chance to learn Solaris and Linux i jumped at the chance. I see the *.nix os to be so flexible and it lets you do exactly what you want. you dont have to rely on "The Man" to make your system function.
I have been playing with linux for a few years but as of the last few months i have really been gettin my hands dirty with it and I LOVE IT!!!
Windoze is just that. I have the philospphy that If is too easy than there is no challenge to it. *.nix allows me to learn something new and create what i want.

And this forum is great!!!

This is one of the best things I have hear in a while. I may even have to use that one with my wife.

Tux wrote:Yeah, those proprietary OSes are like women.

Whereas Linux is like a guy friend, they'll shout at you with an almost incomprehensible verbosity then punch you. Yeh you got screamed at and punched, but you know what the deal is and can be friends again!