FC4 good new tech, bad legacy support

Richard Kelsch rich at csst.net
Wed Jun 29 08:52:01 UTC 2005


Ok people, I'm not trying to be a bummer here, so please read this as if 
it was meant to entertain, not insult.  Think of me as a whining comic.  
However, there is a seriousness to the root of this message:

After installing FC4 I was impressed with all of the new features, speed 
and such.  As a stand alone OS, it is superb.  For me, everything 
"stock" worked "out of the box."  All hail Fedora Core 4!  I was singing 
praises, people were on the streets in awe.  Life was good.  The 
installation went well, it operated well, everything that was installed 
from the "core" or "extras" binary rpms worked superb...

However, I noticed after I started installing software I needed (gzipped 
sourcem CPAN modules etc.), it's not very compatible with older "legacy" 
software.  In fact, as a rule, getting software not in the "core", 
"extras", or "freshrpms" trees to work is a royal pain in the fanny.  
Nothing compiles without errors.  In fact, luck is a big factor getting 
anything to work once you think you've got it compiled.  This isn't an 
issue with only one piece of software, otherwise I'd consider myself 
ranting.  No, I'm not going to file numerous bug reports for things I'm 
not exactly sure where the bug is.  Yes, I had tried the gcc32 trick as 
well, and nothing works like it should.

It seemed that instead of overcoming the problems, they just turned into 
new ones or compounded themselves into greater ones.  AAAAAAHH!!!!  THE 
SKY'S FALLING!!!!!

Good luck on getting many non-rpmed Perl CPAN modules to work, even 
though they worked fine in FC3.  Not everyone is a C programming master 
with a PHD.  Trying to figure out why someone in their right minds would 
make a compiler not compile code it's previous versions compiled quite 
happily is just beyond all logic in my opinion; especially since no 
English readable error is generated, except something cryptic that only 
a hippie-haired college professor would decipher at a glance (and 
probably with a condescending tone too).

Good luck downloading anything from sourceforge hoping it will compile.  
Sorry pal, whip out that editor because the C Gods have decreed a 
change, and you're the one that's going to bend over and take it like a 
man.  Geez, the French aren't this tight with the french language!  
You'd think someone would remember that open-source meant that the 
majority of software is distributed as source-code.  Making that source 
no longer compile is not only assinine, but down right stupid.

Now before I go an slam my head in a vice and whistle Dixie (before I 
reinstall FC3 for blessed relief), could someone please tell me again 
why gcc 4.0 is better, and what was the committee smoking when this was 
suggested???  What were you thinking?  I hope it wasn't because of the 
higher version number only, as that is totally "fanboy.".

Now  what's with the system freezing all of the time?  Yeah, ok, it 
stopped freezing for some unknown reason, but that's not the point.  
User programs are not supposed to freeze the system.  Also, has anyone 
else had the problem of Gnome forgetting how to display the bottom bar, 
and forgetting to display the text of the top bar?  Am I the only one 
noticing how fragile the Gnome settings are, even when not touched?

This reminds me of the Winamp 3.0 fiasco or (shall I dare say) Windows 
ME.  There are so many things wrong on so many different levels.

I like and want to use Linux, not spend hours working out problems in 
getting it to work.  BAD!  BAD!!  It's like buying a hydrogen powered 
car.  Sure, it's new, clean, and neato-keen with all the nerds out 
there, but your screwed being to actually fill it with fuel.  Shame on 
you if you live outside of Seattle or San Francisco (Fanboy capitals of  
the continent).  Your new, bitchin' car is a brick.  The same goes using 
FC4 outside it's core software, your PC is a brick as well.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to stick my tongue in my CPU fan.  
It should be less painful than what I've been through with FC4.  Maybe 
I'll end up looking like Einstein crossed with Don King 
afterwards....hmmm.  It should stop the bloody twitching though.

Smile, it's good for you.




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