<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-8-i"> <META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="MS Exchange Server version 6.0.6521.0"> <TITLE>The Future of Fedora.</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY><table><tr><td>  I am new to the Linux world, while I came from Windows XP world. I made it 2 weeks ago and still has some trouble here and there in getting parts of the new Fedora Core 1 to work. Anyway, I joined Linux, because I love open-source, I see Fedora as a fast-growing OS. Here, I will mostly focus on the Fedora Core 1 as a home operating system, because making linux available to everyone - means he MUST be easier. I am a Pro, and a Realist. I see a lot of advantages of Windows, (and of Linux) which many others linuxoid doesn't see. Still I had a lot of problems in installing (and running) Linux. Linux is way less comfortable to use than Windows XP. It's a VERY important point to understand in "The Future of Fedora". I just want to please the Fedora developers make the following things, so this OS would be easier to manage for average home user. 1) Passwords: Linux MUST have an ability to work without passwords for those who desire it. I hate passwords, especially on my personal computer. It's a very BIG disadvantages of the Fedora Core 1 - It requires at least 6 letter password. Not to mention I msut create a user. I want to work ALWAYS as a root. (like a do in Windows XP as Administrator by default) Why a free system such as Linux FORCES me to create passwords, and a user. Password may be a nice feature for servers, but for home PCs they are useless, and they will just annoy beginners, and home users. Believe me, there are other ways to be the same reliability and security, without the annoying passwords. Bottom line: Let the user decide, if he want a password, and an additional users, except the root. I will add to the wish list the easiest way to install in FC2 will be without passwords. 2)Networks: FC1 Linux has no easy networking. I couldn't even check my IP address, whithout the console command “ifconfig”. It's very bad. It must be as easy as in Windows XP. You just click on the networking icon, near the volume one, and see it's IP. Another problem I came across, is that there is no comfortable way to turn Internet Connection Sharing on (IP Masquerade in Linux). In order to do so, I had to read a ton of documentation about ipchains, iptables, ip whatever, and still it doesn't work. I believe that in a several days I will setup this on Linux, but this is unaccaptable for home usage. Internet Connection Sharing in WindowsXP for those who don't know what is it: it's a powerful DHCP Server + IP NAT Masquerade + simple bridging and routing all in one package. Once you turn this on your whole network can share 1 real IP address, to access the Internet. Kudos to linux, because I can configure my ethernet interface using GUI, and my firewall too is easy configurable. Bottom Line: I will add into the wish list that easy-to-use GUI will support NAT, and ability to view my IP (even if configured through DHCP server). 3)Boot: FC1 boot times are significantly longer than in Windows XP, however except few optimizations nothing could be done here. (or am I wrong). Running on Athlon XP 1800+ with 512MB of RAM, I can boot DOS in few seconds, WindowsXP in about 40 seconds, and FC1 Linux in more than 2 minutes. That's poorly acceptable for home users. (but for me that's almost OK) Bottom Line: optimize boot times, if possible. 4)Installation & Video: For a home users – there must be no big problems in installing the FC on their PCs. However I had. FC1 completely crashed when it detected my VIA KM266 graphics, and tried to load the “X”. This is a known bug: bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?=id=90419 Imaging a first-time user (like myself 2 weeks ago), with the world's most stable OS ever released by the Open-Source community, checking by all independed experts, blah, blah, blah... and crashed. As I said before Overall stability for home user, doesn't mean, that he/she must enter a ton of passwords, but it means, that nothing should crash (at least not on first Setup). As a first-time user I thought that Linux is more stable OS than Windows, but in REAL world it was the opposite. Besides, WindowsXP uses something called ”abstract 2D display driver” during it's install, and only after the install it installs video card's drivers. I think that's a better approach. What's more interesting, WindowsXP after driver install, he can (somehow) check it's integrity, and when I had a really problematic video card, after a restart it shows me a window which tells me: “that my video card probaly got unstable, so we will use the abstract 2D display driver”, or something like that and offers to send this report to MS. What's even more intersting is that their “abstract 2D display driver” supports 1024x768x32. (how?). But no 2D acceleration, so even windows readrawing is slow in this mode. Bottom Line: If you can't fix the bug, at least write on the setup screen: sorry, but we don't currently have stable drivers for Linux for your Video Card, would you like to continue in the text mode, or exit. (Note: Linux GUI: The X Window system won't work on that card) Now, newbies won't afraid to install Linux. (They won't get that tragedy I got into) 5)Multimedia: Again – it's a point where linux falls far behind XP – First, I can't install my Multimedia keyboard Genius KB-18M, because I couldn't find the drivers anywhere, and they aren't included with FC. Not to mention The FC1 default Music Player crashes - Rhythmbox 0.5.4 – every time I try to play an ogg-vorbis on it. MP3 in FC was blocked due to license issues. Here nothing can be done, and I understand it. For example – I use my lovely 5-button USB Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer (That's a monster-like mouse for almost 100 bucks). I couldn't find a good drivers for this mouse for Linux on the whole net. Under good drivers I mean the ability to see my battery's power, plus ability to give to buttons 4 and 5 different functions: like minimazing windows, copy text, forward and backward buttons on Interet Explorer (Mozilla – is my favourite in Linux). Etc... Why FC1 which was released in 2003 can't work natively with multimedia keyboards and 5 or 8-button mice? Also I couldn't open videos in any format in Linux: MPEG2, DivX, WMV, whatever I tried... (maybe I don't know something...) Overally the Multimedia part of the FC1 Linux is the one who loses badly to it's commerial cousin. It's not possible to close such a gap quickly. But steps could be made. Bottom Line: Integrated support of Multimedia keyboards and 5 button mice are handy. 6)Bugs and Errors: Linux FC1 is overally untested: please with Fedora Core 2 make Release Candidates first. (2 weeks before actual release), with code and features freeze. This RC should be available to everyone. Besides FC1 falls behind WindowsXP in error reporting. WindowsXP can make automated error reports in order to improve the OS. When I get something unstable under Linux, I must manually fill a bug using bugzilla. In fact, there are stupid things in FC1 like bug in add/remove programs, which could be avoided if the FC2 RC1 would be publicily available before the final FC2 arrives. So, that at least the most common bugs will be fixed. Bottom Line: Fedora Core 2 must be able to make automated error-reports, and automated download of all latest upgrades. (but user will be able to disable such features, if he wishes). Also FC2 RC1 must appear from the official redhat site 2 weeks before the final release. (not from the latest CVS or whatever) 7)3D GUI: In the next Windows release codenamed “longhorn” a GUI of Windows will be revolutionized. It's very interesting: On top of 2D sits 3D, and on top of 3D textures sits 2D again. Interesting. Well... Linux is very far from that point, while MS has an Alpha version running. Enormous amount of work is required to make something like that. One of the Open-Source 3D engines can be used to achieve it. Crystal Space could be a nice candidate (crystal.sourceforge.net). For me, “Longhorn” is going to be a Revolution. Bottom Line: Maybe it's too early yet, but in order to make an Open-source reaction for such a revolution – new desktop environment with a 3D engine must be started as soon as possible and when ready integrated into FC. 8) Total: Sorry about so-called anti-linux, pro Windows talk, but I really came from the Windows user-friendly world, and I would like to see some kind of Open-Source equevalent. I mean, that I made this article in order to improve Linux on it's weak points, where it lacks something. There is a lot of stuff where Linux is a much better choice, which I overlooked specially to point on Linux'es disadvantages. For example lot's of abilities of the Linux kernel which simply don't exist in WindowsXP, (as far as I know), like making a DHCP server, based on client's MAC addresses, or static routes. There is a lot of stuff in the depths of the Linux kernel, which is still to be explored, uncovered and understood (by me). I believe that Fedora can have it both sides – will be user-friendly like XP, and have a poweful command line kernel. One doesn't deduct from the other. It just adds on top of the other, making Linux even more powerful, compared to it's commerial cousins. I know, that I am going to get on my head about this article. so email me at: al305472@hotmail.co.il </td></tr></table> <div id="4905e06f46015b44a163ffc0c79b042c"> <style> a.hotfooter {font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; color: blue; text-decoration: none;} a.hotfooter:hover {color: blue; text-decoration: underline;} </style> <hr/><a href="http://www.msn.co.il/redir.asp?STARTID=HOTMAIL_FOOTER&url=http://www.ibm.com/il/products/servers" class="hotfooter">Hotmail.co.il - Powered by IBM eServer</a> </div></BODY> </HTML>