I'm about to quit Linux

[phidias81]

After about 3 weeks trying to don't give up, I think I will eventually abandon Linux.
I came here from Windows with a lot of Enthusiasm, expecting to be difficult at the beginning, but not a strenous fight as it turned out to be.
Apart from being open source and safer for virus and co, I didn't find any other single advantage.
After converting to Linux I found out that I can't use my switchable graphic card because the drivers are not supported.
My touchpad lost all of the multitouch functions and no way to restore it even with softwares.
I can't use the function keys properly.
I could have saved $$$ buying a laptop for half the price, since anyway apart from going in internet or writing text is not going
There is no way for me to change the brightness, and randomly it's booting with reduced brightness without any possibility to raise it
I already had to format and reinstall 5 times in 3 weeks
The battery is lasting half of the time compared to windows
there are xxx hundred different versions of Linux not fully compatible one with the other, so that you get lost to find sotware or help that is fitting your distribution
The "famous" Linux community gave me very little help, always ignoring all of my topics apart from a couple of generous moderators (that told me to throw in the garbage my graphic card)
To install a program there are 5 different ways, and each time there is something wrong, shortcuts missing, wrong icons, software not working, obsolete version....
After hibernating and even worse after suspending I have to wait minutes before the system restore, so that now I'm just leaving it on all the time
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I think you got the point.

I'm not a programmer, but I don't consider myself even abeginner, so if I have all of these problems, I can't imagine an average user

Did you get that I'm a little bit frustrated and disappointed? Is there any reason why I should still fight to keep Linux?
Written from Linux Mint 14 Mate, hoping to find some reasons to don't give up and to don't accept I lost 3 weeks of my life

[MALsPa]

Is there any reason why I should still fight to keep Linux?

It's your choice, but there are millions of happy Linux users out there who have figured out how to make it work for them. Well, that's what I told myself when I was struggling with Linux...

[dobbelyou]

After about 3 weeks trying to don't give up, I think I will eventually abandon Linux.
I came here from Windows with a lot of Enthusiasm, expecting to be difficult at the beginning, but not a strenous fight as it turned out to be.
Apart from being open source and safer for virus and co, I didn't find any other single advantage.
After converting to Linux I found out that I can't use my switchable graphic card because the drivers are not supported.
My touchpad lost all of the multitouch functions and no way to restore it even with softwares.
I can't use the function keys properly.
I could have saved $$$ buying a laptop for half the price, since anyway apart from going in internet or writing text is not going
There is no way for me to change the brightness, and randomly it's booting with reduced brightness without any possibility to raise it
I already had to format and reinstall 5 times in 3 weeks
The battery is lasting half of the time compared to windows
there are xxx hundred different versions of Linux not fully compatible one with the other, so that you get lost to find sotware or help that is fitting your distribution
The "famous" Linux community gave me very little help, always ignoring all of my topics apart from a couple of generous moderators (that told me to throw in the garbage my graphic card)
To install a program there are 5 different ways, and each time there is something wrong, shortcuts missing, wrong icons, software not working, obsolete version....
After hibernating and even worse after suspending I have to wait minutes before the system restore, so that now I'm just leaving it on all the time
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I think you got the point.

I'm not a programmer, but I don't consider myself even abeginner, so if I have all of these problems, I can't imagine an average user

Did you get that I'm a little bit frustrated and disappointed? Is there any reason why I should still fight to keep Linux?
Written from Linux Mint 14 Mate, hoping to find some reasons to don't give up and to don't accept I lost 3 weeks of my life

hi,
sorry to read that you are an disappointed user. You are not the only one. However, magrating users from windows to Linux are makng one mistake, Forget the windows thoughts, and begin from scratch.
I had the same issue some years ago, when starting with redhat 9.

Linux made a great step forward the last years,
i have got a dell laptop, and that works flawless with every linux distro,
- Function keys not working: here also, you have to assighn the keyś to a specific action by going to ( KDE ) to system-settings>hotkeys ( the one right to program and sysem notifications)
- change the brightness: no idea
- To install a program there are 5 different ways: wich one? i know apt-get install, and using synaptic
I already had to format and reinstall 5 times in 3 weeks: why?

Is there any reason why I should still fight to keep Linux? sure, have u seen kde desktop? a lot better than mate.
have u familirised yourself with apt-get?
What distroś did you try? only mint?

maybe ubuntu suits your needs. otherwise, try fedoracore. there is a large an crouwdy community to help you.

goodluck

[JWJones]

That all sounds really frustrating, indeed. You haven't said what kind of hardware you're running LM 14 Mate on in your post, but in my experience it's sometimes just a matter of finding the right distro for your hardware. A couple of years ago a friend of mine picked up a used HP laptop, and wanted to ditch Windows and install Linux on it, and asked for my help. I tried installing LM on it, but it was a disaster, nothing really worked right, which surprised me. Long story short, I ended up installing openSUSE on it (a distro I don't personally use), and everything worked great. Perhaps you might try another couple of distros via live DVD/USB, and see if you can find a better fit for your hardware?

I use Thinkpads (T61 currently) which are great Linux laptops. Everything works as it should, or a quick-fix is easy to find.

Good luck!

[kc1di]

After about 3 weeks trying to don't give up, I think I will eventually abandon Linux.

Did you get that I'm a little bit frustrated and disappointed? Is there any reason why I should still fight to keep Linux?
Written from Linux Mint 14 Mate, hoping to find some reasons to don't give up and to don't accept I lost 3 weeks of my life

Just one question how much will you spend on programs for you Windows machine this year?

To me having so much software available free and open sourced , I can even modify it if I want. is worth it , the Learning curve can be steep but it's worth it in the end.
most of the problems with hardware are because you machine was basically dictated by M.S. and the Manufacturers are afraid of offending them by releasing their drivers and code. Some are coming around my dells all work quite happily with linux- Hope you stick with it but if not I think you'll be back someday

[altair4]

Life is too short for anyone to spend that much time trying to make something work - something that is after all a tool to get something else done. If you don't feel comfortable with it or are too frustrated with it then don't use it.

For all your experiences things were 10 times worse when I stared this with SuSE 6.1. It was a hobby back then and today things are far easier with far less problems but I will admit that I take measures to ensure that any hardware I buy has a least a chance at being compatible with Linux.

Windows as far as hardware compatibility is concerned is far less problematic because all hardware is created for it. But head and shoulders above them all is OSX. It's the superiority of the old UNIX model where the hardware and the software comes from the same vendor - by definition it has to work.

[MALsPa]

Life is too short for anyone to spend that much time trying to make something work - something that is after all a tool to get something else done. If you don't feel comfortable with it or are too frustrated with it then don't use it.

My outlook was a bit different, I guess. I figured life was too short to be stuck with Windows for the rest of it, especially when there was a totally free operating system (Linux) out there that other people were using. I'd seen how the more time you spend doing something, the better you get at it; I figured the same thing would happen with using Linux, so I just decided to keep at it until I didn't need Windows anymore. Yeah, it cost me some [precious] time, but it was sure worth it.

[xenopeek]

Support for Linux can be problematic from certain hardware and peripheral manufacturers, especially laptops continue to not always have all function and features work out of the box because of that.

It doesn't help you if you already have a machine, but when you consider buying something new it pays to spend a little time looking whether there are any issues with it on Linux. On the Linux Mint Community site you will find a hardware review database for that. For laptops you can check a list of vendors that sell laptops preloaded with Linux: http://linuxpreloaded.com/.

Sorry for your bad experience.

[spynoodle]

I think every Linux user has gone through these kinds of problems, especially with laptops. I know I have attempted and later abandoned Linux many times in the past, and only now do I think that distros such as Mint are becoming mature enough to use as a main OS. Hopefully there will be more hardware compatibility in the future, especially when it comes to mobile systems, and you won't have as a bad of an experience.

[eanfrid]

Support for Linux can be problematic from certain hardware and peripheral manufacturers, especially laptops continue to not always have all function and features work out of the box because of that

I would add: even when using a genuine Windows version and OEM drivers... Manufacturers like HP, Dell, Asus and some others tend to use custom-made OEM devices for their own machines which won't work at 100% without using their custom proprietary Windows drivers. There are many fixes and workarounds directly implemented in the Linux kernel for this specific tweaked hardware. The last one is the UEFI workaround for Samsung laptops...

[Orbmiser]

Don't feel bad as laptops are particularly hard for linux to keep up to date with.

I personally dual boot on my desktop as still need windows for a couple of things.
So that's an option if you have room and still want to make a transition to linux.

That way always have a working setup and not feeling pressured to get linux working now as need it now feeling.
And time comes available can go back to with an easy fresh no pressures learning time.

As mentioned especially for laptops is other distro's Kde,xfce. Ubuntu,Manjaro,Funduntu,SolusOS,Chakra,etc...
And I use Redo Backup (easier version Clonezilla) http://redobackup.org/ to backup my partitions so can try out other distro's.

So my setup is Win7,Winxp & 3 linux partitions / /home swap. And use those 3 linux for installing and trying out different distro's on. And can switch back to any distro on the fly if wanting to continue with a particular distro and check if issues have been addressed.

Otherwise if not wanting to do a lot of tweaking and fixing. And learning with linux then no problem of going back to windows to get what you need done. You can always come back it's not like you will be black-balled or anything.

Personally just found dual-boot works for me. And use win7 for when and what I need without guilt. So then can have fun and enjoy solving issues in linux without consequences. I'm sticking it out as so far has replaced 90% of what I use a computer for. And seeing great strides and progress being slowly made. So have high expectations that it will fill in that other 10%.
.

[Brahim]

If you have all these problems it means you are using something like a Toshiba laptop or you are an unlucky man I recommend that you use Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon and enable Nadia backports. To do that follow this thread http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2225 and don't go back to Windows it's a total mess. And until you get used to Linux it's recommended that you set up a dual-boot and leave an NTFS partition accessible from both platforms (Linux+Windows) I named it "Data" myself. Enjoy!

[lexon]

I have a 1999 Toshiba laptop running Mint quite nice. A little slow but it is only a backup
A new Acer and HP laptop running Mint.
A couple desktops running Mint. The only issue I have ever had is trying to download and convert flv videos to MP3 for a player but that is all I use Windows with Real Player. It works out of the box. Never could get a Linux app to do this so not an issue for me.
Put Mint 14 in my girlfriend's XP desktop and she is so happy with it.
The anti virus and lack of bloatware has been a great asset.
I don't mess with command line and pretty much leave much in Default. It just works.
Not exactly a young guy. Be 72 in April.
L

[Brahim]

I have a 1999 Toshiba laptop running Mint quite nice. A little slow but it is only a backup
A new Acer and HP laptop running Mint.
A couple desktops running Mint. The only issue I have ever had is trying to download and convert flv videos to MP3 for a player but that is all I use Windows with Real Player. It works out of the box. Never could get a Linux app to do this so not an issue for me.
Put Mint 14 in my girlfriend's XP desktop and she is so happy with it.
The anti virus and lack of bloatware has been a great asset.
I don't mess with command line and pretty much leave much in Default. It just works.
Not exactly a young guy. Be 72 in April.
L

When it comes to converting videos you have plenty of video converters my favourite is FF Multi Converter whith which you can convert any file including images and documents like pdf. To install it run in terminal

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ffmulticonverter/stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ffmulticonverter

you can also try soundconverter, avidemux and transmageddon these are all in your software manager

Now you have no excuse to use Windows again. It's a bad habbit

[KBD47]

Sometimes Linux can be a PITA, but so is Windows and there are many advantages to Linux.
You have a lot of things going on. You need to list your hardware. As others mention, sometimes certain Linux distros match up better to specific hardware. You might need a cutting edge Linux distribution if you have newer hardware, something like Debian Sid, Siduction, or Fedora. As for the brightness, both MATE and Xfce desktops have brightness applets that can be added to the desktop panel. But it sounds like you might need a thread to work out your video card. Occasionally older distros work better on certain hardware.
I see you have made some posts but haven't supplied much information. Maybe go back to some of those threads and list your computer hardware and more about your specific issues. I can promise you that unless you are very lucky, Linux takes time to learn just like Windows took time to learn.
Best Wishes.
kbd47

[00negative]

Why so many partitions? Delete the xp, keep maybe one Linux partition for your favorite and your windows 7 and try other distros in virtual box in Linux or windows when you want.

But jumping distros might be part of your problem, you are always looking for the perfect one and each has it's strengths and weaknesses but you have to find the one that fits you best and go with it

[anandrkris]

I actually went through some of his posts and sadly it looks like some of the probems (Graphics card) do not have solution at the moment and in some cases there were no responses, understandably so since board is flooded with posts and can not expect all posts to be responded in a quick manner. It will be nice to have more volunteers on the forums to guide other Mint users.

I have Nvidia Optimus Graphics card in my Dell laptop which is not supported but i have found a beautiful workaround called 'bumblebee' to get my drivers working. HoweverHDMI Display support is not available currently and i am forced to boot windows when i need to use HDMI. But for all other functions, i use MInt and am able to get things done in a productive manner.

I sincerely hope Graphic support improves and manufacturers design and develop linux-friendly chips. With the advent of Steam games into LInux, there is a ray of hope and i can see light at the end of the tunnel.

[phidias81]

- Function keys not working: here also, you have to assighn the keyś to a specific action by going to ( KDE ) to system-settings>hotkeys ( the one right to program and sysem notifications)
- change the brightness: no idea
- To install a program there are 5 different ways: wich one? i know apt-get install, and using synaptic
I already had to format and reinstall 5 times in 3 weeks: why?

Is there any reason why I should still fight to keep Linux? sure, have u seen kde desktop? a lot better than mate.
have u familirised yourself with apt-get?
What distroś did you try? only mint?

maybe ubuntu suits your needs. otherwise, try fedoracore. there is a large an crouwdy community to help you.
goodluck

Yes the problem, is that in example if Brightness is not working, then there is no way to assign it through hotkeys
I had to format mainly trying to install graphic driver in different ways that were not working
I tried only mint (cinnamon and mate), in the past Ubuntu. Being Ubuntu and Mate coming from the same structure I guess it could give me the same problems?

[phidias81]

That all sounds really frustrating, indeed. You haven't said what kind of hardware you're running LM 14 Mate on in your post,

It's a Acer 3820tg with 4 gb ram, i5, Ati mobility radeon hd 5470

[phidias81]

Just one question how much will you spend on programs for you Windows machine this year?

Zero, I was using only freeware software, and the windows license I had it included with the laptop