SuSe 9.0 woes and general linux rant

bb_matt · Post by **bb_matt** » 07 Dec 2003, 13:33

After initially being very impressed with SuSe 9.0, I can only conclude now that it just doesn't work right on two computers I own.

In terms of multimedia, Linux still isn't ready for the desktop - in fact, it's woefully inadaquate.

I've been using Linux for a few years, mainly server side stuff and I've meddled with it on the desktop for a long while.

I've been working on my SuSe 9.0 installation for 4 hours today, finally managing to get the Nvidia drivers running and now trying to get DivX installed (via Xine libs)

It sucks - it really really sucks badly.

Why should it take me 4 hours to get these simple tasks done ?

The latest thing was taking SuSe 5 minutes for me to umount the damn cdrom - a 1 minute 'hang' while Yast decided what it should be doing and 4 minutes of 'devise is busy' even though it wasn't.

Windows users who do multimedia stuff, either creation or viewing :-

AVOID LINUX LIKE THE PLAGUE ! - IT IS NOT READY FOR THIS !

Sure, you can get it all configured eventually - it took me 6 hours to get RedHat up and running with full multimedia support, playing quake3, DVD's, Divx and Mp3, but is it worth it ?

No. You can do the same thing in windows in 5 minutes.

Linux maybe be ready for the standard office desktop, but that's about it.

I live in hope however...

Post by **Thrall** » 07 Dec 2003, 20:16

I've only used Mandrake and RedHat, myself - got my stuff working quite quickly, but yeah - I agree that Linux isn't quite mature enough for the casual-user yet.

skunkymunky · Post by **skunkymunky** » 07 Dec 2003, 20:33

i like linux its a learning curve

after my initial post abt how easy installations were in suse
i hit a wall trying to install software tho i've figured it now
i havent tryed mplayer yet was hoping to do it tomorrow

but i am tired of Microsoft so i gave linux a try

RuadRauFlessa · Post by **RuadRauFlessa** » 08 Dec 2003, 08:01

bb-mat try and obtain the Ximian desktop for SuSE it is verry good indeed. I have worked on it and it is by far the best I have seen wat involves business and casual users. Also look out for the next release of SuSE since Novell will be working closely with SuSE and Ximian to produce a system that is fully open standards based and can run any Mickysoft application natively without any emulators that you have to install afterwards. I had a little chat 'bout this with Novell's lead developer in SA and have been promised to expect quite a bit from the next version of SuSE that will be release in co-operation with Novell.

bb_matt · Post by **bb_matt** » 08 Dec 2003, 12:43

Thanks Ruad - I'll give that a try !

I hope Novell and SuSe finally make that giant leap to a killer Linux desktop !

BTW, finally got Nvidia drivers up and running on work box with some beta drivers :-

click for bigger pic

RuadRauFlessa · Post by **RuadRauFlessa** » 08 Dec 2003, 12:48

Verry nice.

Death_Dealer · Post by **Death_Dealer** » 18 Jan 2004, 01:35

You ppl should really, really give gentoo linux a try. http://www.gentoo.org

Why? Because of the portage system it has! (for those whove worked on freeBSD will have some clue about it)

I started out with mandrake 9.0 - it installed everything of multimedia that a average user needed, but when it came to install new programs or update existing ones, it became a real chore. Plus, all those damn dependencies that you had to track down was one huge headache. Really turned my linux experiance down.

That is until someone intorduced me to gentoo linux. The portage system makes it just so easy to get programs, update them etc - even the dependencies a program requires will be downloaded and compiled for you.

Example: I want to have gimp om my gentoo linux box, I open up a terminal, su as root. I type the emerge command to emerge gimp.

All will be downloaded, compiled from source code(no rpm ****) without you having to roam the internet to be able to set it up.

bb_mat: 6 hours!! 8O

Setting up all my multimedia from scratch is no problem or chore at all. Its a breeze!

For instance, getting nvidia drivers to work, I just type:

emerge nvidia-kernel
(wait for it to finish downloading the file and compiling it)
emerge nvidia-glx
(wait for it to finish downloading the file and compiling it)
nano -w /etc/modules.autoload/kernel-2.6
(add "nvidia" to be loaded at bootup as a module)
and of course edit the XF86Config file.
And hey presto - nvidia drivers work!

Trust me, life is just so much easier with the portage system.
Im not demanding or trying to force anyone to use gentoo linux, but reading about how you ppl suffer in getting your programs installed, just breaks my hart.

PS - Im not sure, but I think Debian's rpm manager also downloads dependecies, and updates packages as you go. Cant comment much on Redhat, since I never used it in my life.

skunkymunky · Post by **skunkymunky** » 18 Jan 2004, 02:01

is that the same as apt-get
i've neva tried it myself but i've heard wonders

btw i might need some help on installing those nvidia drivers.

i have the "NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-5328-pkg1.run" file.
i've been reading documentation sounds complex but so far still waiting to go to cape town & install them on that pc

oh i dont have internet access ovea there i wud appreciate if someone cud list all the dependencies.

bb_matt · Post by **bb_matt** » 18 Jan 2004, 15:08

I switched from SuSe to Slackware 9.1 - much better.

It's a more geeky install - you have to know about Linux fdisk and setting up partitions, but aside from that, it's easy enough. It's a "curses" based install - that is, a text based one.

I managed to get the 2.6.1 kernel installed (took freakin' ages) and now my Linux box rockets along - can play any video/audio file and surfs the net sorted !

SkunkyMonkey, here's some basic instructions :-

1. You need to exit X windows into the shell.
2. In the same directory as the Nvidia installer you type :-
sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-5328-pkg1.run
and follow the instructions - don't bother about it asking to download drivers for your distribution.
3. You will need at least the kernel headers for your kernel installed, at best, the kernel source, otherwise the installer won't work.
4. If all goes to plan, it will say your successful.

Exit the installer.

9 times out of 10, the Nvidia module won't have been loaded, so type :-
modprobe nvidia
That will load the modules.
To check, type :-
lsmod

Once your done with that, you need to edit your XF86Config file.
If your comfortable with the vi editor, you can edit it from the command prompt :-

vi /etc/X11/XF86Config

Do a search for nv
In the section Devise, you should see :-

Device "nv"

Change that to

Device "nvidia"

Also, look for glx and make sure that uncommented :-

Load "glx"

And if you see

Load "dri"
or
Load "Glcore"

Comment those out.

Save the file and you should be set.

If it still gives issues, sometimes you need to indicate how it should load AGP.

There's full information on the drivers in :-

/usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0

Great fun eh ?

Not exactly your windows double click, install, reboot scenario, but that's Linux on the Desktop for ya !

Death_Dealer · Post by **Death_Dealer** » 19 Jan 2004, 15:11

I just want to confirm here with the XF86Config editing - shouldnt you also change your cards indentifier option? I think it must be something in the line of "NVIDIA GeForce", and the same at your the screen section.

bb_matt · Post by **bb_matt** » 20 Jan 2004, 07:50

Nah - you can put "Smelly Cheese" in there for all the difference it makes.

The only reason that is there is as a reference to someone editing the file. If it's just yourself that will use the machine, you already know what video card you have, so it doesn't really matter.

I tell you one thing, if Linux is one day to succeed on the desktop in a big way, they've got to fix this cryptic way of setting up drivers for Nvidia.

Most of the easy distributions out there will detect your video card and setup X windows with no problems, but for Nvidia cards, it sets it up with no hardware accelleration.

That's why you've got to go through the whole Nvidia drivers installation fiasco.

Luckily, Nvidia have made it a lot easier than it used to be with the installer - previously you had to compile it manually which caused all sorts of headaches.