Which distro are you talking about? If it is by any chance Ubuntu, no not at all. After a simple 6 step install and reboot, it prompted me to install proprietary nVIDIA drivers. Once installed it used my full widescreen resolution (1440 x 900) without me even having to set the resolution manually. Beyond that I really did not do any configuration at all (except changing wallpaper and installing my essential software using synaptic). Which part of it do you find
not as easy as configuring Vista?
There haf been numerous instances with me where Ubuntu or any other binary distro just failed to install no matter what was done. XP worked out of the box without any issue. I never had to select or configure anything on my system. I just installed the drivers and voila I had a perfectly usable system in just 15 mins on XP.
Unfortunately, it's not as easy as you have made it to sound.
In Ubuntu after installing the drivers or even without installing the drivers you need to change the monitor type to enable the respective resolutions. In Gutsy it was easier as the menu was easily given under the Settings options, but in hardy, I needed to refer T159's blog to find where the damn thing was. And, I am not the only 1 to have had this issue, go through your beloved OSS section, many have had this resolution problem.
There haf been numerous instances where Windows Vista just failed to install no matter what was done. Booted into Linux. I never had to select or configure anything on my system. I just installed the binary drivers with a one click install and voila I had a perfectly usable system in just 15 mins on Linux.
If you're talking about setup issues, I tried to install Ubuntu 8.04 on my computer which had XP already installed. After booting from the DVD, when I tried to start the installation, it gave me an ACPI/APIC error. Now if I'm a complete newbie to Linux, WTF am I supposed to do when I can't even get the stupid thing installed?? I figured out initially that it had something to do with ACPI config, so I went and disabled ACPI from the BIOS. Voila! I could now proceed to the installation. But when I tried to boot into XP after that, I could NOT. Turned out that XP needed ACPI enabled. I had to search the net for this issue and make changes to some stupid file in Ubuntu so that I could keep both OSs. Not exactly an "out of the box" experience, is it?
There are something called ACPI tables. They may be non-existant for Linux or broken. 90% of the boot installation problems are due to broken ACPI. In such cases, you can use the acpi=off switch when you boot into Ubuntu. I'm not saying should've done it coz you installed for the first time. When you make the above statement, you are perfectly correct
Every distro should come with a FAQ which answers Qs like these on a sheet of paper or in a text file (if you download online)
Lingeek - Damn, Linux isn't working on my motherboard. It is hanging. My motherboard manufacturer sux, I am gonna sue him, post on blogs to users not to buy this manufacturer's products & curse them for life. I m going to blame Microsoft for Monopoly, DRM, Patent Troll. It's all the fault of Microsoft for maing an OS which works on every motherboard.
Clueless Computer user - Damn, Linux won't work with my motherboard. Lets use Windows instead, it works fine. Now where is that Rs 50 DVD of Vista I bought from Nehru Place???
Normal User - Linux isn't working....ok I m buying Windows Vista instead. It will work for sure.
Media User - Damn, Linux isn't working. & even if it does I can't watch that Blu Ray disk I bought of Batman begins??? Oh well, let's buy Vista home premium for 4.2k, everything works fine on it.
1. Stop the useless troll please.
2. Very true.
3. Boy.. drank too much last nite?
4. Good joke
Wow!! There is such a thing as
Linux Compatible???
You mean if I want to run Linux, I need to buy compatible hardware? And if Microsoft recommends the same for Vista, you lot claim it's an outrage!!! Sheesh!!
As I explained, 90% of boot problems are due to ACPI issues. But the Linux distro companies are at fault for not alerting the users first place.
No hardware is made for a particular OS. Hardware always follows standards.
Dude.. stick to designing UIs... don't make a fool out of yourself by speaking something about which you haf no clue...
In all these years of computing.. the only factor which has made me decide whether an OS is easy to use or not is the availability and installation of drivers, be it Windows, Linux or Mac. Try installing an unbranded Chinese webcam on all the 3 OS' and you will know what I'm talking about.
Lets keep Linux out of this thread and preven the thread from going haywire. Stick to the topic please. If you haf anything to rant about Windows or Linux, create a separate thread for that.
