--- Dan LaBine [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
snip!
Why are many Linux-based programs so complicated to
set up?? Here we are,
snip!
I'm no expert but I've got a few theories for you.
Theory 1:
Hacking code is fun. Writing a polished interface
isn't so much fun. Since most of what you use under
Linux has been written by volunteers who're writing
code for the love of writing code, you get software
that is robust and powerful but lacks polish and/or
good documentation (until someone else comes along and
writes the latter).
Theory 2:
It's danged hard to write an 'easy-to-use' interface
that doesn't limit access to the software in some way.
One of my primary reasons for trying to wean myself
off of Windows is that every version that comes out
puts more barriers between me and the machine. More
and more, M$ 'guesses' at what I really want to do,
and does it. If it guesses wrong, I have to recourse.
I'll project my annoyance with this onto the Linux
community in general (who, from what I've seen, really
enjoy having full control of the OS) and guess that
the people who write this software are loathe to do
anything that might limit what you can do with it in
any way.
Now, a comment... things surely are getting better.
I'm in my 3rd or 4th attempt at becoming a full time
Linux user. The first time I tried was with RedHat 5,
iirc, and it was a huge challenge to get that
installed. Compare that installation to the one in
Mandrake 7.2 and there's an amazing improvement in
ease-of-use.
If/when Linux starts to make real in-roads into the
desktop space, there'll be commercial incentive to pay
people to craft nice interfaces to existing
utilities... until then we'll have to make do, or
develop the coding skills needed to create nice
interfaces and build 'wrappers' for powerful but
unwieldy utilities...
All the above is just my opinion, of course, and be
aware that I am NOT a hard-core linux geek (yet). I'm
trying to get there, though... every time I boot
Windows these days, I feel a sense of defeat... I'll
get there!
=
~~~
Peter Smith, Cambridge, MA, USA
Various bookmarks = http://people.ne.mediaone.net/jaded
Chat about games, movies and tv = http://jadedspub.com
~~~
"They were playing Wagner. It's the most fun I've had in about six months" -Tyr Anasazi
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