[Coco] OT Linux question

Wed Mar 20 13:58:40 EDT 2013

While it nice to have everything on on DVD as you say, I would rather have
just the OS, and then add the software as I need it.  Matter of opinion and
likes.  Good discussion.  And Yes I also remember when DOS when on one
floppy, and then computers like the COCO where I cut my teeth on
computers... aaaa  the golden years of the computer... many choices for
different idea of what a computer should be.  Now thre are three camps,
really just one if you look at it interms f hardward, X86 is your only real
choice, save the ARM variants that are just getting a foot hold/decent
market share.

On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 7:05 AM, Frank Pittel <fwp at deepthought.com> wrote:

> For the most part I agree with what you're saying. In fact the only thing
> I disagree with is your
> referring to the increase in the size of distributions as being a problem!
> I think that the increase
> in the size of a linux distribution is a good thing and is the result of a
> lot more software being
> available! I've been using linux now since the early '90s and even then
> installed from a cd.
> Installing from floppy may have been possible but would have used a LOT of
> them! I'm not fond of the
> M$ look and feel a lot of distros are leaning towards but can live with
> it! Far better to deal with
> KDE or GNOME as it is (never thought I'd say that about the current
> version of gnome) then have to go
> back to the good old days of editing X config files by hand! How many
> remember the days of
> calculating "dot clocks", etc, etc! Personally I don't miss it and would
> gladly give up 30-40MB of
> disk space for an X config app or three!
>
> I also like having most of the software I would ever want to use available
> to me on a DVD or two. I
> do miss having control over what got installed but for at least the last
> ten years have just
> installed everything by default. There's a lot of free space on the multi
> terabytes of disk that I
> have!!!  As others have pointed out for those that want (or need) a linux
> distribution that will fit in a
> small disk there are a number available.
>
> Remember a "modern" linux distribution is more than just the OS. It has
> most if not all of the
> software you'll need. It's not comparable to windows unless you consider
> windows combined with
> office, outlook, quicken, gimp, at least a C and C++ compiler, mysql, etc,
> etc, etc. After that add 3-4
> extra word-processors and spreadsheets and other development libraries
> just to give the users a little
> extra choice.
>
> The Other Frank
>
> PS - sorry about the soapbox style rant but than again I remember when DOS
> fit on a single 360K
> floppy! :-) Also as I go back and reread what I wrote only the first
> couple of sentences are in reply
> to Bill's post. The rest is just my commentary on the "linux has gotten to
> bloated" turn this thread
> has taken.
>
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 11:29:34AM -0400, Bill Pierce wrote:
> >
> > I don't think the real problem with the new distros of Linux lies with
> the developers, but with the users and the manufacturers. The more new
> hardware came out, the more people demanded it. First people wanted to be
> able to "click" on stuff instead of having to "type" a command... then
> Harry wanted a driver for his SuperSound sound card and Jack wanted a
> driver for his 20 million color graphics card... then Jill wanted to use
> those new fangled CD roms and Susie wanted to watch DVDs.... the Peter
> wanted it all to install automatically and Paul wanted it to recognize his
> Tibeten Throat Singing Interface,,, Sound familiar?
> >
> > Running the latest version of Mint, I put Linux at about the state of
> Win 95's last incarnation or maybe early Win 98 1st edition. It runs
> good... just don't throw any monkey wrenches in there. Of course someone
> with a little knowledge can go in, remove all the fluff, throw away the
> HouseWifeWare and have a pretty stable, compact operating system.
> >
> > I have an AMD quad-core running Windows Vista, an old Gateway running
> Windows Server 2003, and 2 laptops running Windows XP. You can get on any
> of these machines and you would think you were on a stripped down version
> of Windows 98 SE. My machines do not even run screen savers or have a
> desktop or wallpaper. The all have black screens with nothing on them... no
> burn in. The "Startbar" is on auto hide and my desktop icons all live
> there. All I have to do is move the mouse to the bottom of the screen and
> there's all my software. I spent 3 days uninstalling stuff on Vista and
> finding all the settings that MS had hid (again) so that Housewive's
> couldn't click on something like "services.msc" and screw up the system and
> call tech support. They give 'em a way to set that way-cool screen saver
> and  to change their "pretty" wallpaper, with links for Facebook, Twitter,
> Online Games, Windows Live, and MSN. At least the AOL and Prodigy links
> finally went away.... only to be replaced b
>  y
> >  EarthLink and NetZero..
> > My main computer runs 24/7/365 with regular reboots about once a day to
> every other day to clear memory of rogues as I run a lot programs that tax
> even a quad core system like "Vegas Pro 10" that's usually playing anywhere
> from 12 to 32 individual tracks (waves) of audio (at 50-150meg per track)
> at the same time while I add in and adjust VST digital effects (plugins)
> which can number in the hundreds before I'm done. After operations like
> that, a good reboot is needed before playing World Of Warcraft. When I run
> the Coco emulators, a lot of times I have 2 instances of Vcc and an
> instance of XRoar all running their own instance of Drivewire each with
> it's own GUI. Talk about the ultimate Coco :-)
> >
> > Bill P
> >
> > Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
> > https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
> > Bill Pierce
> > ooogalapasooo at aol.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Aldo Lagana <a.lagana at snet.net>
> > To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > Cc: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > Sent: Wed, Mar 20, 2013 10:05 am
> > Subject: Re: [Coco] OT Linux question
> >
> >
> > There is the Linux Tiny project whose aim is to deflate the size of the
> kernel.
> >
> > I too cut my teeth with a disk less Internet gateway in the 90's ;-)
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> > On Mar 20, 2013, at 9:27 AM, Louis Ciotti <lciotti1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I would love to make the switch to linux as a desktop, especially with
> what
> > > Microsoft has done with Windows 8, which I use, but I have "forced" it
> to
> > > ackt like what I will call "normal" windows with a start menu and a
> real
> > > desktop using "classic shell".  Right now it seems the think to do in
> Linux
> > > is to create a new distribution.  I think that has fragemented the
> > > developement, with each of the major distributions going down different
> > > paths.  Initially one of my draws to Linux was that fact it was not
> overly
> > > bloated.  It has lost that now with each major needing at a minimum
> > > somewhere around 100mb just for the install media.  My first
> introduction
> > > to linux fit onto a hand full of floppy disks, and I used on a
> headless 486
> > > to act as a router to share my internet connection, this was before
> routers
> > > before those became cheap throw away boxes. It ran flawlessly for 5
> years,
> > > the last 3 months the hard drive failed and I had no idea, it just kept
> > > running until the power failed.  That worked with noting but a CLI.
>  Now a
> > > minimal linux distribution for a CLI only interface would never fit on
> a
> > > small mound of floppies.  It seems to me somewhere the idea of tight
> > > efficient code got lost, but this is coming from someone who has only
> > > dabbled in writing software code, maybe I am wrong on that.
> > >
> > > On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 11:16 PM, Bill Pierce <ooogalapasooo at aol.com>
> wrote:
> > >
> > >>
> > >> Same here, I use professional multi channel audio recording software
> and
> > >> Linux just hasn't caught up yet, though Ardour in the 64 Studio 2.1
> distro
> > >> is looking better all the time. The problem with audio software for
> Linux
> > >> is (from what I've read) there's so many "plugin" loops that tie
> various
> > >> Windows and Mac type drivers into Linux, that real time recording
> suffers.
> > >> There is development for "true" drivers in this area, but I need ASIO
> > >> (industry standard for studios) and Linux just hasn't got the full
> support
> > >> yet. I record at 24 bit 48 khz and sometimes 96 khz using up to 8
> channels
> > >> (soon to be 16) simultainiously and the overhead of Linux's audio
> system is
> > >> just too much for this kind of recording.
> > >>
> > >> I'm using the Linux box to test my latest Coco creation on the Linux
> > >> Drivewire server. I needed to see if the program responded the same
> under
> > >> Linux as it did in Windows. Now if I could just find someone with a
> Mac DW
> > >> server and a 512k Coco 3 running NitrOS9. I really need to test this
> > >> format. Anyone interested, send me an email
> > >>
> > >> Thanks guys
> > >> Bill
> > >>
> > >> Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
> > >> https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
> > >> Bill Pierce
> > >> ooogalapasooo at aol.com
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> From: lciotti1 <lciotti1 at gmail.com>
> > >> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > >> Sent: Tue, Mar 19, 2013 10:05 pm
> > >> Subject: Re: [Coco] OT Linux question
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> For windows print to pdf - have always used the free CutePDF program.
> > >>
> > >> I have never used a linux box as my desktop for very long.  I am
> always
> > >> drawn
> > >> back to windows because of work, and there are some types of programs
> that
> > >> either do not exist in linux or the ones that do are so far behind I
> just
> > >> can't
> > >> fight with them.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
> > >>
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> From: Frank Swygert <farna at att.net>
> > >> Sender: coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com
> > >> Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:47:36
> > >> To: <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > >> Reply-To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <
> coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > >> Subject: Re: [Coco] OT Linux question
> > >>
> > >> Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:49:46 -0400 (EDT)
> > >> From: Bill Pierce<ooogalapasooo at aol.com>
> > >>
> > >> Thanks John
> > >> I actually have Adobe Acrobat 5.0 for Windows, but it will not install
> > >> under
> > >> Windows Vista 64 bit. Too old
> > >> It allowed me to "print" to pdf from MS word which was great.
> > >> So this is exactly what I was looking for.
> > >>
> > >> ======================
> > >>
> > >> There are several "print to PDF" utilities for Windows as well. I've
> been
> > >> using
> > >> a product called "PDF995" (www.pdf995.com). Works great. You can go
> to
> > >> www.downloads.com and find something as well. PDF995 has you install
> > >> Ghostscript
> > >> and works though that. PDF995 installs a printer driver, you just
> select
> > >> that as
> > >> the printer and away you go, just like the Linux PDF printer.
> > >>
> > >> I tried Scribus for DTP but it just wasn't developed enough for me
> yet,
> > >> too many
> > >> changes taking place. I bought a copy of PageStream (PgS) which is a
> mature
> > >> product and works well. I don't mind paying for Linux software as
> long as
> > >> it's
> > >> reasonably priced ($100-150 in this case), is supported, and works
> well.
> > >> PgS was
> > >> originally written for the Amiga and was popular on that platform, was
> > >> ported to
> > >> Windows and Linux.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> --
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> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
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