Article: "Fixing linux" - opinions?

[Rui Miguel Silva Seabra]

On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 05:27:49PM +0100, P.B. wrote:
> More about how to deal with some of those "too many ways to do
> something - and in the end, some thing actually don't work at all" issues.

That alledged problem exists only between the chair and keyboard of
those who write those things.

Complaining about choice is probably the strongest signal one is an
idiot.

> *) gconf: good idea, but only for gnome-apps

False as stated. gconf is frontend independent. I'm writing an
application (omnewrotate) which is a daemon only, that is IT HAS NO
FSCKING GUI, and will likely use gconf.

Some EFL based applications in OpenMoko also use gconf.

Claiming gconf is only for gnome-apps is showing off ignorance of the
matter.

> *) Printer settings
> Ever had to explain someone why there are several different printing
> dialogs, depending on which application you use for printing?
> (OpenOffice: gnome printing, Gwenview: KDE, Inkscape: /dev/lp0 ?)

Send patches fixing those applications, or get someone else to do it
faster (mybe by paying them, for instance).

> - - Screen/graphic settings:
> Ever had to setup something like "dual screen" or change the refresh
> rate to a reasonable value? Which tool did you use, or did you
> manually edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf? Did your keyboard layout suddenly
> change to US afterwards, for no real reason?

Yes. Yes. Edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf. No, never.

> - - Language settings:
> How many places and ways do you know to configure your keyboard layout
> ? :)

Please tell me how many ways you have to configure your keyboard using
the user interfaces tipically provided by a GNOME desktop if you've
never even heard of /etc/X11/xorg.conf. I can only think of one.

> Ever plugged an NTFS formatted disk with umlauts on en_US.UTF-8 via USB ?

I don't give a crap about Windows, all my external disks are formatted
with ext3.

> around these things. However, these things are unfortunately some
> arguments that I've often heard against Free Software.

By idiots.

> I think it would be good to have reasonable replies to hold against it.

Yes, «You're an idiot. Get over it!»

Rui

-- 
This statement is false.
Today is Setting Orange, the 53rd day of The Aftermath in the YOLD 3174
+ No matter how much you do, you never do enough -- unknown
+ Whatever you do will be insignificant,
| but it is very important that you do it -- Gandhi
+ So let's do it...?