Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

[fdv]

What is Linux good for?
Who uses it?

Background: these are serious questions. I have been dual-booting since Kubuntu 5.04. I also use Windows 2000.

I have checked out many torrent programs. None have the features of uTorrent for Windows... I mean showing peers, showing file chunks and progress, showing DL speed, all on different tabs, being able to specify high or low bandwidth on select torrents, being able to specify high or low or "don't DL at all" priority on the individual files within a torrent.
I have checked out many newsreaders. None have the features of Xnews for Windows by Luu Tran. And I mean simple stuff -- show the messages AS the group loads. Show the binaries with a special icon. Show the regular posts with a different icon.
I have checked out Nvu and looked at the interfaces of other web design programs. Dreamweaver for Windows lets me see code and design at the same time. Nvu and other Linux programs don't.
The Gimp forked into Gimpshop in 2005 and hasn't been updated since.
I can find no Linux software that does what CDex does, ripping AND encoding into Ogg and FLAC and MP3. I tried to install the latest version of LAME encoder (see end of message) only to crash and burn. To upgrade encoders in Windows, I drag and drop a new DLL into the directory, replacing the old one.
Classic video games are a lot of fun! The latest MAME compile, though, is from 2005 or 2006, I forget which. I could compile my own, sure, but see the end of the message about trying to compile LAME.
Two randoms: 1. My sound stopped working in Flash. Youtube vids are silent. Checked settings, asked for advice, puzzled folks, gave up. 2. Applets like KWeather install without icons. Yeah, I know the arcane process to start them. It's still really silly.
Examples abound.

I am in a position where I am currently or will be running WINE or a virtual PC in Linux to run Windows apps for multimedia, torrents, newsreading, web editing, graphics work, MAME gaming, encoding my CDs.

What do Linux users use Linux for? Is it just programming software? Is it using FOSS versions of programs I use, but getting by without features?

I better qualify that last one. I know it's possible I'll get a "they don't lack features!" response. Look at Amarok. Then look at every media player for Windows. The comparison is like a Swiss Army Knife (Amarok) to a nailfile (Windows apps).

So I am asking seriously. It's not like Macromedia (Adobe) have patents on showing code and design in web design software. Xnews wasn't made by a large corporation. I find threads about people getting it to run under WINE. Same for uTorrent -- WINE. CDex is open source for Win32. No port? And Linux users MUST play golden age games?!? Did no one compile MAME since 2005? If they did, can they not offer it for download?

Is Linux for developers only?

BTW -- yeah, if a piece of software does any of the above functions, I've tried it. I have installed dozens of packages of every type for everything above and see none with replete feature sets. But that's really NOT what I'm asking about.

What's the trick? Is running Windows virtualized, or Win32 apps in WINE, the dirty little secret?

What do you folks do with Linux?

I run it to learn. And I CAN learn, but running all Win32 software comes close to defeating the purpose of running another OS.


The problem with compiling LAME
I want to learn compiling so I go Googling, and go to
http://ryandaigle.com/articles/2005/...n-debian-linux
When it comes to step 4, ./configure && make && make install, I get:
bash: ./configure: No such file or directory
MAME, same story.
Of course, this ignored everyone who told me that "having to compile your own software is rare. All you really need is APT." I never believed that, so it wasn't a rude awakening, but I don't even find this set of circumstances on Google.

[OU812]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

1. Lame is in the repo - no need to compile it from source.

2. To compile from source, you need to install the build-essential package.

3. Grip comes the closest to cdex - it falls short because it doesn't have as many conversion options. To do more format conversions, you could use bashburn or audacity.

4. Probably the best torrent app in linux is the java-based azureus.

5. C'mon. You've tried dozens of each type of app? You've tried at least 24 versions of every app? Seriously?

6. You CAN learn you say. Try googling "Ubuntu wiki restricted formats" or just about any other topic you've mentioned and you would probably find a solution. Ubuntu is wildly popular so there's a very good chance that if you don't find a solution immediately, someone will be able to help you. Be patient.

7. Stories like yours are not germain to linux, my friend. There are plenty of users with win32 problems - problems that they know about or don't (such as messed up registries). Sure win32 and software/hardware vendors do a lot of stuff for you, Bill Gates and ms spend a lot of time and money to make sure of that, but do you know what is being done? Are you allowed to change the behavior? Just what is being done to your system when they do an update? Interesting...

8. How much is your latest copy of win? Or nero? Or winamp? (Winamp is free, but why does it so desperately need to connect to the net? What is it's association with aol? Why can't you completely disable that pesky feature?)

I could go on. This is not a flame, but rather, an attempt to help you understand how much you already know and how little more you need to learn to get linux working for you instead of the other way around.

john

[penguin.ch]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

What is Linux good for? Who uses it?
Background: these are serious questions.

And this is my serious rant, er, answer:
http://www.penguin.ch/dokuwiki/doku.php/preface:intro

[marshallbanana]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

Two randoms: 1. My sound stopped working in Flash. Youtube vids are silent. Checked settings, asked for advice, puzzled folks, gave up.

I had this same problem when I just had flash 7 firefox plugin installed. Installed flash 9 from the adobe website (download the .tar.gz and follow the simple 4-step instructions given) and the problem disappeared.

As for what I use linux for: internet (firefox & konqueror), voip (skype), office-apps (open office, gretl, also do some stats in rkward), music (amarok), calendar (I use kontakt for this as well as contact list and email), video (kaffine), torrents (ktorrent)....In fact everything I do with a computer other than the odd gaming. But most of all for the repositories, an endless supply of great free software, and the customizability and control, I feel like its my os and I'll do what I want with it.
Also how longs it been since you tried ktorrent, I know it can do at least most of the things you list.

[fdv]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

This is getting further and further away from what I am trying to accomplish. Bottom line, I think it is unfortunate that for rich feature sets in programs I seem to keep turning to running Win32 apps in Linux.

If you guys do web design, what do you use that shows code and design?
If you guys use Usenet, what client has the features I listed?
What do you folks do with Linux?
(Thank you marshallbanana, but can you edit and add app names?)

The text below is to illustrate that I understand these things, not to further debate on them:

I know how to enable repositories, and restricted formats, I know much Win32 software costs, but so does some for Linux, it's not ALL free (as in beer and/or open source), I am familiar with the Cathedral and the bazaar, and I know about the philosophy of FOSS.

Penguin.ch, I read the link, but I am actually using Linux to run Win32 apps. I'm not really interested in Windows and I regret mentioning that I even dual boot, because that's not the point. The point is that I can't even seem to buy feature-rich programs for what I do. So on the premise that maybe I missed a great program similar to Photoshop that does CMYK separation (no, GIMP doesn't) or maybe missed a program as feature packed as uTorrent, I posted here.

Interestingly, I actually use Azureus but was surprised that there isn't something similar that doesn't run in a framework. If there isn't, there isn't, no huge deal; I just don't love megs and megs of the JVM to run something similar to uTorrent which is 170kb.

[Auisce]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

I do almost everything in Linux but use Windows for games, Dreamweaver and Photoshop.
Lately I've been doing a lot of server side software dev with php and MySQL and watching DVDs, playing mp3s, games etc.
I've found Linux to have much more available for it than Windows with a few exceptions like Dreamweaver and Photoshop. Can't you just write some scripts to use a wysiwig web site editor and something like emacs with on the fly syncronisation? I'd suggest the same for PS. I've done this with several programs and program combinations and it can work extremely well, even syncing multiple computers over my network.


*/edit/* Ive yet to do this with Dreamweaver or PS equivalents.

[javierrivera]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

I feel than this is strange?. The question should be exactly the opposite:

Why are you, fdv, running linux?.

I can't understand why you do it.

Well, I do use Linux in different places, and decide when to use windows or linux quite often. As this is mostly at work, cost is usually the important factor. License cost is part of this factor, but not the only one. I usually never choose Linux, when the apps that the person is going to use are designed for windows.

Now, myself:

At Work I do use wine quite often. What is strange I usually use it to develop software . I have some apps that have been done in Visual FoxPro or Visual Velazquez, and I do use Wine or VirtualBox to run them (I usually use Wine to make quick changes, and the full VirtualBox when I need to be sure that everything will eork).

The quick launch bar of my work desktop: Korganizer, Thunderbird, Firefox, Konsole, Rdesktop, Putty, Eric3, Visual FoxPro (wine), Velazques (Wine). Running in a side, Kerry, Smbk4. I usually have 3 or 4 console sessions open with different info like some key log files, some servers htop output, the django development server and a python interpreter.

As now, I most develop programs for linux servers or cross-platform ones, I feel that switching over to windows will make my work harder.

At home: Well, Again my home box is under linux. I use just a handful there: Firefox, NXCliente (to connect to work), Gaim, KTorrent. Maybe that utorrent, or MSN have more features than KTorrent or Gaim. Truly, I don't mind. These are more than enought for me.

I can probably have a windows box at home without problems. But I just don't feel that I need it. Also, sometimes I love to tinker in the box.

Laptop: Again linux. As it mostly a work machine, most of the reasons above apply. Also it's a very small, but low power machine. With a slow transmeta processor, running Windows XP is a pain. Ubuntu server with icewm runs way faster.

But why do you choose to use linux to run programs designed for MS Windows?, Doesn't windows make much more sense for you?

Javier.

[MepisReign]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

In my case I have 3 systems
System #1
PowerEdge SC1430 Server - Running CentOS 4.4 (work)
System #2
Dimension XPS 400 - Running Kubuntu Feisty, mainly to: Download stuff, encode movies, play Enemy Territory, script testing. Stuff that I usually used Windoze for and to be honest (call me fanatic) at least in my case Windoze is not necessary anymore.
System #3
Latitude C810 - CentOS 5 - Used for remote Administration

Taking programming classes now so I can in the near future, develop some cool software for kubuntu

MepisReign

[blobfish]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

In response to the newsreader:

I have used xnews on windows in the past, but was using newsleecher when I left windows. I know what you are going through. I have fulfilled my newsgroups with klibido. It is in the repos.

In general:
Changing from linux to windows isn't easy, but it is worth it. Windows is taking over the computer and controlling the users experience. You might not find everything you want in linux, but there is one very important thing you will find. Freedom to do whatever you want. You are only constrained by your own limitations! Good luck and patience.

[marshallbanana]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

Changing from linux to windows isn't easy, but it is worth it.

Nice to see someone finally taking it back for windows

[blobfish]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

Must have been a long night. Not what I meant but there is some truth. I still have to use windows for my cad program(for now, it's coming). Running windows explorer after get used to konqueror and it's profiles is terrible. I hate explorer!! It seems you are a slave to it.

[raelelectric]

Re: Anyone running a LOT of Win32 programs in Linux... like I am?

I use Pan in linux for my newsreader, and liked it better than Xnews, so I installed it on XP, Open Office is a lot less bloated than MS Office, (and a lot cheaper) so I use it on XP as well, PyPar for fixing broken downloads, K3b 1.x just rocks, K9copy for DVD copying,

And Konqueror for a file manager kicks Explorers butt, mutli-pane, tabs etc.

I don't spend all day downloading antivirus, spyware, scans, updates etc.

Don't have to worry about activation, key codes or paying for software

Synaptic to easily find and install FREE software,

and Firefox with the right extesions is soooo much better than Internet Explorer.

By the way I haven't rebooted my Linux machine within the last month and it still handles it resources properly.

but I digress,

RE