Thinking of switching from XP to Linux...should I?

[lordsmurf]

If you still think Linux GUI is still out of date check out this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC5uEe5OzNQ&mode=related&search=
Later
Rog

The YouTube video is too low res to actually see anything.

[RLT69]

I think COM will survive for a long time - it certainly isn't being phased out or no longer supported by Microsoft. Not every Windows application benefits from .NET, managed code and CLR. All of the programming principles for DirectShow are COM, likewise for Direct3D.

While I agree COM will survive for a while and is still supported, it is being phased out by Microsoft. NET will replace COM for DirectX.

"Although still in its infancy, during 2002 Microsoft released a version of DirectX compatible with the Microsoft .NET Framework, thus allowing programmers to take advantage of .NET features (the use of the C# programming language) simultaneously with DirectX development. This API is known as "Managed DirectX" (or MDX for short) and performance is claimed to be 98% of that of native DirectX software. The design ideas behind Managed DirectX can be seen in the newer framework XNA which also implements Managed DirectX along with other technologies aimed at making game development easier.

In December 2005, February 2006, April 2006, and August 2006, Microsoft released a version of DirectX that is designed for the .NET 2.0 framework. In older versions, DirectX was split apart into different modules; this has changed with the .NET 2.0 version, as it is now a single file and is much easier to use. However, the .NET 2.0 version of DirectX is not a finalized version; it is still a beta. During the GDC 2006 Microsoft presented the XNA Framework, which this 2.0 version will be merged into and which will allow for the execution of managed code on the Xbox 360. The XNA Game Studio Express RTM was made available on Dec. 11, 2006, as a free download on Windows XP."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectX

[burnman99]

If you still think Linux GUI is still out of date check out this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC5uEe5OzNQ&mode=related&search=
Later
Rog

The YouTube video is too low res to actually see anything.

Well you can DEFNITELY see the 3d effects that beryl has to offer.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4112367707804142304

is another link. Comparing the look to win3.x is just ignorant. The 3D effects simply blow vista away.

Rog

[SingSing]

A sexy GUI definetly will help to sell Linux. WWW inventer Berners Lee is coming to give a talk, and I beg the sexy MOSAIC interface is one of the reason that make what WWW is.

[FulciLives]

I am confused.

As I understand it: the newest version of Ubuntu is 7.04 ... nickname Feisty Dawn ... so what is Beryl and how does it fit in version wise? Or is it some sort of "desktop" plug-in or add-on etc.?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[nonoitall]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_%28window_manager%29

EDIT: In laymen terms it's responsible for drawing windows and it uses 3D acceleration to add in lots of neat effects. It can be used with the newer versions of X.Org (which Ubuntu, as well as many other distros, uses).

[FulciLives]

Well I am typing this post from FIREFOX using Ubuntu 7.04 (I should point out that I've been using FIREFOX with WinXP for a while now).

I got it installed (Ubuntu 7.04) but I have so little HDD space that I have hardly any room to "play with". I'm in the market for a new and bigger secondary drive.

Something to "play" with I guess LOL

BTW I tried a distro called eLive a long time ago and recently downloaded the current (unstable) LiveCD and it is much better than when I tried it before. eLive already has a lot of video apps installed and my Nvidia worked right away whereas with Ubuntu I had "fool around" to get my LCD's native resolution of 1280x1024 but it wasn't so bad. However it seems Ubuntu is a bit more user friendly, perhaps more stable, and easier-to-use (knock on wood).

Anyways ... don't I have to do some special install stuff with Ubunto to get DVD playback of "encrypted" DVD videos? What about ripping etc.?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[tekkieman]

Anyways ... don't I have to do some special install stuff with Ubunto to get DVD playback of "encrypted" DVD videos? What about ripping etc.?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

For "encrypted" DVD playback, just follow the instructions here. Alternatively, I believe VLC will play them right from the install, but the libdvdcss2 is used by many other programs like the rippers you mention. In the ripper department, you may want to look at acidrip, dvd:rip, vobcopy, and k9copy. I believe they are all in the repositories, so they should be the simple click install.

[GMaq]

Fulci,
www.getautomatix.com is a good place to go for codecs and some apps that aren't in the repositories, in the "install" section is a link for Ubuntu 7.04 click it and follow your nose. Also for the most current packages of some of the Audio/Video apps try www.getdeb.net I would suggest installing the repository versions first to look after all your "dependencies" and then upgrade with the packages from getdeb.net.

[FulciLives]

Well I fooled around with Ubuntu 7.04, PCLinuxOS 2007, SAM 2007 (based on PCLinuxOS 2007 but made multimedia friendly and using a different desktop engine), eLive and finally Linux Mint.

I have found that using Linux Mint 3.0 codename "Cassandra" is a real joy. It is based on Ubuntu 7.04 but with many enhancements such as multimedia support etc.

Since it is based on Ubuntu 7.04 you can make use of Ubuntu software repositories and the excellent Ubuntu website documentation but Linux Mint has many enhancements and overall it runs better than Ubuntu 7.04 did for me.

For anyone new to Linux I strongly suggest trying out Linux Mint 3.0

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[winifreid]

John, First off, why did you want to switch? Is there something in Windows you don't like? Are you able to do everything you want in Linux? When I tried Linux a long time ago, I couldn't get my scanner to work (I have a different one, now) or my internet.... Have you noticed any speed differences? For example, can you backup a DVD any faster?
Thanks for the info.

[FulciLives]

John, First off, why did you want to switch? Is there something in Windows you don't like? Are you able to do everything you want in Linux? When I tried Linux a long time ago, I couldn't get my scanner to work (I have a different one, now) or my internet.... Have you noticed any speed differences? For example, can you backup a DVD any faster?
Thanks for the info.

I wanted to try "the other white meat" you know what I mean?

I wanted to try something different ... something that is a possible alternative to Microsoft ... using the hardware I already have (the whole Apple MAC thing is SO overpriced).

I have to say that I am amazed that using the same computer I can load an entirely different OS and still have everything function and just use it LOL

Call me simple but I find that slightly mind blowing. Mind you I did use the word "slightly".

In short I guess I like the whole "idea" or "concept" behind Linux ... basically that it is a free open source alternative to Microsoft Windows while being able to use the exact same hardware.

So far I have had no issues getting all of my hardware to work. I do have an Epson CX3810 which is a combo color ink jet printer and scanner but I'm out of ink right now (damn high ink prices) so I haven't tried to use it under Linux yet ... but everything else works right out-of-the-box including my internet whereas when I recently installed Windows XP Pro "fresh" (on a new empty HDD) I had to use a Linux LiveCD to get to the internet and download a driver for my ethernet because WinXP Pro could not get the internet to work without that driver ... yet Linux had no problems ... from a LiveCD no less! Bear in mind my motherboard is circa late 2004 and I was using WinXP Pro SP2 install disc so ... no idea why Microsoft couldn't handle that one!

The bad side is that this hobby of ours ... video ... uses so many "specialized" programs that I don't think I can ever completely give up Microsoft Windows ... at least not right now.

I have been able to do alot with Linux and I like working in it's environment if you will but certain things are sorely missed such as AviSynth and VirtualDubMod and CCE and HCenc and although ffmpeg can do AC-3 and Linux uses ffmpeg I prefer a specialized Windows program called "Soft Encode" for my AC-3 encoding. Also I never much cared for Audacity when it comes to audio stuff. I'd much rather use Sound Forge or even GoldWave. Also it is hard to beat a program like VEGAS although for my needs I barely use it ... more often than not I use MPEG-VCR or VideoReDo. Also let us not forget that I mostly use TMPGEnc DVD Author although I have "played around" with dvdauthor and the several GUI's made for it.

There are those that argue you can still do with Linux video wise what you can do with MS Windows ... just that different software must be used. However it seems that Linux does lack software in the video dept of things or perhaps it would be more fair to say that Linux video software is not as robust or as polished as those in MS Windows.

There is a Linux program I have yet to try called "Wine" that will allow some ... do stress the word "some" ... MS Windows programs to run in Linux and yes this can be done without having a MS Windows install. My understanding is that some (maybe all?) of the programs I mentioned above will work with Wine. For instance I've heard that AviSynth along with CCE and/or HCenc will work. However since I have WinXP Pro installed I have to admit I haven't played around with Wine because as for me ... right now ... it's easier to just boot into WinXP Pro to do that stuff.

So at the moment I don't see Linux totally replacing MS Windows but it is damn impressive how good it is and how easy it can be to use thanks to software installs being made almost automatic now and there are many great docs on-line especially for Ubuntu which makes finding answers fairly easy.

In fact I am convinced that Linux can now replace MS Windows as an OS with the only thing holding it back being a lack of software. I see Linux becoming more and more popular and with that will come programs we need (I hope). For instance I have heard that a Linux version of AviSynth is in the works.

What prompted all of this? Well I've always been somewhat interested in Linux but it just seems that as of late it has really evolved into a viable alternative and this also has happened around the same time as Microsoft's biggest blunder yet ... Vista.

If you have a 2nd HDD I suggest you give Linux a spin and don't be afraid to try different versions. At the very least find a version of Linux with a LiveCD that works for your computer ... never know when your MS Windows gets all screwed up and you need something in a jam to get the computer up and running. Look at my own example where I had to use a Linux LiveCD to get internet access so I could download drivers needed for my MS Windows install which couldn't get to the internet LOL

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[lpn1160]

Please read this short article about Linux, video & Hollywood.

http://linux.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/shrek-3-and-linux/

[jagabo]

Yeah, the next time create a new feature length animated movie I'll buy several thousand computers, hire a hundred animators, and a bunch of Linux system admins.

[lordsmurf]

Yeah, the next time create a new feature length animated movie I'll buy several thousand computers, hire a hundred animators, and a bunch of Linux system admins.

Don't forget to write your own closed-sourced proprietary graphics software.

[DereX888]

FulciLives - you've basically experienced firsthand what im saying for past few years: if youre not video hobbyst but a 'regular PC user' - GET LINUX!
But as much as I love few penguin distros, I have to sadly admit that most of 'mindless' progs that we take for granted on our whine-dozes , they grow into at least medium-size problems on linux. It actually reminds me of windows video-hobbysts status circa 1999 - we knew *this and that* was possible (because there were some very expensive 'pro' tools out there) but we just couldn't have it or do it at home, and same thing is now with linux video tools - most are on the same beta or pre-beta alike development level, often clumsy, unconvenient at best - while we already know there are many useful and well-rounded soft on windows.

But again - if not for the video hobby of mine (and work - related shite), I would have long ago dumped my favorite Windows 2000 biatch and ride the penguins only
GET LINUX!

BTW - that ugly green ogre is horrible next to handsome penguin
I hope he ain't another gay-in-the-closet celebrity?

coz everyone knows Tux is no gay!

[edDV]

Please read this short article about Linux, video & Hollywood.

http://linux.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/shrek-3-and-linux/

What would be the point of putting Mac or Windows on all those render machines? They all share one monitor.

[FulciLives]

Well a mini-update.

I had issues using Azureus with Ubuntu 7.04 and at first it seemed to be working A-OK with Linux Mint 3.0 but eventually it started "acting up" there as well. Since Linux Mint 3.0 is essentially Ubuntu 7.04 "enhanced" (in other words Ubuntu 7.04 at the core) I decided to try PCLinuxOS 2007 again.

This time I had no installation issues with PCLinuxOS 2007 as I put it on a 2nd physical HDD and I found that I liked it ... for the most part. It uses the KDE desktop and I think that GNOME is more to my liking (which is what Ubuntu and Linux Mint use) but overall I like PCLinuxOS 2007 a lot.

I didn't try to download Azureus because PCLinuxOS 2007 comes with a bit torrent client called ktorrent that sorta works like Azureus so it seemd "good enough" and so far it seems to be working (knock on wood).

However as much as I like "playing" with Linux I really need the extra room of that second HDD so I think I'm gonna just format it to NTFS and be done with it.

I do have a 120GB HDD that is a USB 2.0 P-ATA drive in an after-market USB 2.0 enclosure. Unfortunately I don't think my BIOS supports USB booting but PCLinuxOS 2007 does offer to install to a USB HDD so I might try that and see if that works (hopefully with some GRUB magic it will boot). I'd like to keep it around but I can't justify it taking up that second internal HDD and I have no more connections nor room in the case for another internal HDD so ...

I like the whole Linux thing but the video tools are not that great right now as far as I am concerned. I'll try to keep it around (hopefully if I can get the USB HDD install to work) but for now it is a "failure" in the sense that I can't replace Windows with it ... not entirely.

However I can definitely see Linux getting more and more popular over time so who knows ... and for now the "need" for Windows Vista is just not there for me.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[lpn1160]

No wonder I left the winblows world, some people are complete morons.