Re: Things Linux Can Do Without

On Fri, 30 May 2008 01:31:56 -0400, jayjwa wrote:

IMNSHO: things that bug me to no end in Linux.


1. SU-DOn't.

Where did this "sudo" up the wha-zoo come from? Ex:

http://dreamlinuxforums.org/index.php/topic,939.0.html

...
sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid WLAN_XX
sudo iwconfig wlan0 mode managed
sudo iwconfig wlan0 key s:xxxxxxxxxxxxx sudo /etc/init.d/networking
start
...

Unix, and therefor Linux, has an administrative account. It's called
"root". You log into it when doing admin-type stuff. sudo is for
assigning specific users specifice tasks. I can even tolerate su'ing to
root. But not "sudo" at every damn command!!!! Shells with any kind of
brain (Zsh) contain protection from stuff like 'rm -rf *' already,
built-in, so I can't accept the argument of safety. I bet Ubuntu users
wear out their keyboards' "s", "u", "d", and "o" keys real fast.

I first experienced 'sudo' when I typed it in from a sys admin book in
1991 for use on Ultrix running our DECstation 5000's. Vast improvement
over the 'old fashioned' way.



2. /usr/local

It's ALL local. If not, then the convention should be "/usr/network". Or
"/usr/non-local", if the "local" system was booted and then network-wide
apps dumped on top of them to make a second layer. Now "/usr", that is
local. And "/" and all the rest that are part of the system. So what is
"/usr/local" being used for nowdays? People that are too scared or lack
the know-how to muck with /usr. Remove the old version if needed,
install into /usr and be done with it. How long is your PATH to hit all
those /usr/local/crap/bin directories? These same people post to mailing
lists wondering why xyz won't build: "But I have libbadidea installed!
It's in /usr/local/badidea, why it says 'not found'?"

I put stuff I install by hand in /usr/local - I believe that is it's
intent. Could it have a better name? Maybe.




7. Linux/Windows dual boot

A Linux user needs to keep around Windows like a snake needs a warm pair
of fuzzy mittens. And please don't post to a Linux group asking how to
do it either, because I'll be tempted to tell you instructions to blow
up your CPU. If you need Windows so much, fork over your $200 or
whatever, sell your sole to Bill Gates, and preceed directly to some
much-deserved R&R (reboot & reinstall ... over and over and over and
over ... ).

"How do I re-install Windows?" counts too. Ask the Microsoft "help line"
<*snicker*>, <*cough*>. Have fun with keeping up with malware
development, spyware, and adware. Pay almost $200 for an empty system,
aside from the oh-so-versitile "calc.exe" and "notepad.exe". Copy/paste
anywheres and tab completion are not to be found on this "techincally
advanced" super-system, neither. Who's in control of your computer
today? Is that just MicroBigBother snooping around your hard-disk (think
MSRT samples being sent to LEA's, CIPAV, MS's pledge to place their nose
firmly up the *** of your local cop, etc), which I'm sure you'll not
mind, some IRC bot, a hacker, or the mystery "Guest" user: "Windows
can't shut down because someone is logged on". Don't be dumbfounded when
your homepage locks to MSN either- it was PLANNED that way. Running
Windows so you can play games is not helping either: demand people write
their apps in proper cross-platform code (like Java) and there'd be no
problem.

There is some software for which there is no Linux equivalent. Tax prep
software, printout greeting cards and chairgun come to mind. It took some
time before I was able to figure out chairgun - had to add four dll/ocx
files to WINE before it would go. Until then, I was left to run it on MS
whether dual boot or virtualized.





There. I'm done. Now if everyone can change these 8 things, the world,
at least as far as the Linux world, will be a better place.


Quick Q&A:

Q: Why you wrote this?
A: There wasn't many new post in this NG

Q: You're stupid. You expect me or anyone to follow these? A: Not
really, but at least I feel better now it's out in the open ;)

Q: Does using Windows really cause brain damage? A: Yes.

.

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