On Linux

While my MBP is in the shop, I've been relegated to using my old spare-parts-built AMD box with an install of an older Fedora distribution. This was a relic from my first year of university, where I decided to do some Linux experimentation. I tried a few distros, and was satisfied with all of Fedora's built-in apps. I loved how my computer didn't ever crash or pop up useless error boxes (The Automatic Update Warning icon that wouldn't leave my tray drove me insane!). I managed to cope with alternative programs, and even found that Matlab would run faster and more stably on linuxs!

And then the tweaking started. Linux is a bad idea for people like me, who are both perfecionists and fairly technically inclined, or at least willing to learn. One simple error or missing library could lead to hours of searching and updating and installing, ad infinitum. That doesn't even count the simple graphical and UI tweaks. It is actually much more productive for me NOT to have so many options.

Even today, I found myself customizing my setup of Puppy Linux, adding in the fluxbox window manager, customizing the menus, and configuring the sound card settings. These demonstrate what really drove me to the Mac in the first place:

• I was messing with the sound card configuration because Puppy would not find or use the much higher quality soundblaster installed in my system, preferring to use the crappy motherboard sound chip that has a very high noise level.



• Even after installing the ALSA sound config tools, I could still not get the card to work, so I'm now stuck with annoying bad sound on a computer which is my only source of music.



• Did you notice I said I was using Puppy Linux? It's a great live-cd distro that runs completely in memory, very snappy and efficient. I use it because my regular Fedora 5 install is having very strange internet problems, probably associated with some weird DNS configuration that I can't find. Some sites will load, and gaim will log in, but most sites are stuck in the perpetual "Looking up www.site.com" state. Without web access, a computer is mostly useless to me.

Some might say that the inoperability of the sound card, internet, etc., are my fault and that I could have sovled these issues if I was smart enough. I agree that I could have fixed these issues with enough research, twiddling and effort, but should I really have to in a modern operating system? Add certain insurmountable hardware issues and the incessant installing of required libraries for each and every program, and you get mostly frustration, hence my conversion to everything Apple.

I sometimes miss the customizability of, well, everything of a Linux box, but I have been very satisfied with my Mac experience, and am instantly reminded of the "Apple Way" every time I use another system. I really don't mind spending the money on an OS that does things in a more unified, elegant and comprehensible way. Besides, let's estimate my time is worth $25 an hour. I know I could not build a Linux setup equivalent to OS X in 5 hours, so it's economically more feasible to go with the Mac anyways.

If anyone actually reads this blog yet besides me, and also happens to be an OSS devotee (why are you on a mac development site?), please no flames in the comments ok? The use of an OS is a personal choice, just as is the choice of a watch, car or hair style. There are options everywhere, and I believe that everyone must make the choice that suits them most. Stop making software choice a religious crusade!