From: Kevin D. <ke...@do...> - 2008-04-10 10:12:09
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First, I want to say thanks for all the work you've done on RG in the past. On Wednesday 09 April 2008 14:58, Guillaume Laurent wrote: > As I've said, I've completely lost interest in Linux on the desktop. > I've come to realize that it's pretty much hopeless, so I'm now a > happy OS X user (since january). You obviously have good reasons for this decision, and it would be presumptuous of me to argue with those. However, I find it ironic, because Linux on the desktop is actually almost there. The audio stuff is not as spangly yet as proprietary OSs, but it works very well, and Linux is beginning to get a fingerhold even in previously no-go areas - Renoise now has a WINE version, Energy-XT2 has been ported to Linux, Trinity Audio has done a portable DAW (Indamixx) based on Linux, and so on. I've just used Cinelerra, ffmpeg, and ManDVD this morning to edit down camcorder footage on to a DVD - it's not Final Cut yet, but this wasn't really workable even a year ago (and Kdenlive and Open Movie Editor are shaping up to be even more user-friendly). Perhaps it depends on the distro you use, but the leading distros have an awful lot of stuff predigested now, and the only thing my 13-year old daughter complains about with Linux is that she can't get pictures showing on her MSN profile! > I've discussed this with Chris, and unfortunately we're in > disagreement, since he still prefers Linux. I agree with him that > asking our users to migrate to OS X is not the most reasonable thing > to do. However I think a Linux-based music application is even less > reasonable. From the start our single most Frequently Asked Question > is : "how do I make sound ?". And the fact is that not only can't we > give an absolute answer to it (because it's totally out of our > control), there's hardly a chance it will ever change. That would > require all distributions standardizing on an alsa/jackd/soft synth/ > soundfont setup (and that setup to be reasonably bug-free). Images of > a squadron of pigs flying over frozen hell come to mind. This is certainly an issue, mainly because Linux is a non-monolithic system (ie rather than bundle everything including the kitchen sink, you're assumed to have the pipes and water, and you get the taps over there, and the worktop over there, and so on). This DIY approach does not inherently seem to me to be deleterious, given how fast Linux has caught up on proprietary OSs, but I agree it can be confusing for new users. There are probably only two approaches: (1) have a wizard at first run which checks for what you have and suggests a way forward based on that (leaving th user to do it); (2) bundle a little piece of code that plays beeps through the system speakers (but since this hasn't been done, I'm assuming it's impossible!). Apart from that, new users just have to accept that with Linux you need to do a bit of fiddling. Actually, I think most do, and those who don't are going to go for pre-built things like Indamixx. One important thing about a Linux-based audio setup is the cost - it allows people to use their creativity without having to spend upfront first. I think that's a very important benefit. -- Pob hwyl / Best wishes Kevin Donnelly www.klebran.org.uk - Gwirydd gramadeg rhydd i'r Gymraeg www.eurfa.org.uk - Geiriadur rhydd i'r Gymraeg www.rhedadur.org.uk - Rhedeg berfau Cymraeg |