[vox] Fwd: Re: is the Linux desktop OS dead?

[Bill Kendrick]

On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 05:19:35AM -0800, Michael Cheselka wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
> 
> Is Linux totally dead on the PS3?

I have no idea how comprehensive or up-to-date this site is, but
people seem to still be doing stuff with it:
  http://www.ps3news.com/PS3-Linux/


> Is a group trying to bring it to the latest Slim PS3 or is that
> imposible?

Sounds like Sony gave up trying to support the "OtherOS" feature:
  http://www.linux.org/news/2009/08/28/0005.html



> I heard it never really had much impact on super computing but it
> was cool that you could build a cluster in your home with 3 PS3s and
> learn something about clusters.

Apparently this month the Air Force stated they were looking to
buy over 2000 of them:
  http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2009/11/air_force_needs_more_ps3s.php

*shrug*  I admit I've not paid barely any attention to the PS3,
or Linux on gamesystems.  I don't have time or money for either.
(I just got a slim PS2 to replace my first-gen PS2, and am happy with it.)


> Updating on Linux is easier for the user, way easier than Windows in
> fact, just "yum update".
> On Windows I have to check each add-on program manually.  The list is
> really long.
> 
> The real problem is for companies like Skype, VMware, Google, etc.
> They usually just offer
> .deb, .rpm, and .tar.gz.  Multiply by 2 for 32 and 64.  I'm surprised
> that many companies are
> now offering Linux support and even sooner now than Windows.  64 bit
> Adobe flash came out
> sooner for Linux than Windows and so too Skype and Google Chrome.
> 
> Truly, it's asking a lot, though, to have so many packages.

Tux Paint has two Windows versions, one for Win95/98/ME, one for
WinXP/2000/Vista/7.

I'm forseeing that we may need multiple versions for OS X, as well.
Right now, we're having a _ton_ of problems and confusion involving
CPU arch and OS version.

Apparently, Apple seems to think that if you people are using older
hardware or OS revs, they're simply out of luck (SOL).  The fellow
who voluneers to port Tux Paint ot OS X for me keeps upgrading,
and then we discover that his new builds simply don't work on
the older OSes.  It's not that Tux Paint, or the underlying libraries
are doing anything newand special, it's simply that the development
tools from Apple are making it nearly impossible to support older
systems.  I think we literally need to have an older system sitting
around to build on, or something...

For a variety of reasons I could try and guess, it's a lot easier to
find volunteers to build things for Linux than for the other platforms.

It could be the kind of people who attract Linux are more development-saavy,
but then how do you account for the disproportionate number of users
of each OS?  If there are 100x as many users of another OS, why aren't
there at least 10x as many people willing and able to compile for me? :)

*shrug* I'm getting distracted by TV in the background, and I'm rambling.
I certainly have not done any kind of research or surveys, but I
bet it'd be an interesting one to try and do -- figure out the
difference between OSes in terms of difficulty developing software,
and the dev capabilities of the users.

-bill!