Did you guys uninstall IE?

I'm confused. Did you guys uninstall your IE? I'm wondering how to make it so that Foxfire is my default browser so that when I check my email through MSN Messenger, it will open with FF. Is there a way to do this?

>>33
Delusional. If you're expecting to sell linux as a desktop environment on the merits of it having an aim clone, and really not a very interesting one at that, a poor photoshop clone, and a spartan media player... lol. Linux is an excellent os, but not an excellent desktop. It could be, eventually, but ignoring that there are massive issues with it in that role is plain dumb.

>>41
Gaim works damn well, I don't see anything wrong with it, Gimp isn't really a clone, unless all other image editing tools are clones of PS, and there are some damn good media players that outtake windows players out there. Maybe you should look around more, and often. I've been using Linux(debian) for over a year now as a desktop and I have had no problem with doing the things  I want to do and doing them with ease.

I'm sure you're happy with Debian, >>42, but I think >>41 is right. Sure, linux as a desktop is livable, but most people are not going to substitute Windows for general desktop usage.

I've been using linux for seven years. I know it inside out. And I still feel like throwing the fucking thing out the window sometimes. Admit it, so do you. Everyone does. Desktop just isn't one of its strengths yet, even if this isn't entirely the fault of the software.

>>43
i disagree entirely. linux runs perfectly as a desktop, just not as a gaming platform. very simple

>>28

Agreed. X sucks by design though, being so client-server oriented it's sloooooow, unresponsive, bloated, complex, and annoying. Besides, it has everything 10000 times (a gazillion window managers, a gazillion font servers, a gazillion servers, etc.), making it even more annoying and problematic, because Bub wrote software for Pops' environment but then you're running Marc's, and you end up having to recompile the frigging application if you want it to run decently, after making sure you've got glibthis 2.3.458.5, libcthat 14.69b second release, and homotoolkit build 174891 or higher. Anything besides what's on a good distribution like Suse is bound to be a hell to install, look like crap, mess with fonts and render ugly text, etc.

Admittedly, there's no way Linux can compete with Windows until a completely new GUI is developed - ONE GUI, not Bub's, Marc's, Tony's, and mine, just ONE GUI offering EVERYTHING from the graphic primitives to the desktop (i.e. not a Lego system, but a system), one that works, not like the "almost works" stuff of today.

>>45
Freedom from Choice is what you want. How American.

>I still feel like throwing the fucking thing out the window sometimes. Admit it, so do you. Everyone does.

Stop trying to use a Unix system as if it was a Windows box. Duh.

(As a unix user for 16 years.. Can't say I've ever had the urge to throw it out. I love having a non-droolproof computer.)

>>45 you speak as if this is a surprise....

open-source is a framework that usually leads to multiple projects for the same type of application, its not some totalitarian corporate regime where they can just force all the programmers to work on the same project and develop an integrated (highly-proprietary) GUI with single purpose...

open-source software generally requires configuration and recompilation for any application you wish to act in a specific non-default way... one should become familiar with the software they use anyway.

everything is custom.... so you are expected to customize. you must choose between the alternatives and implement your choice... this simple fact will force you to understand the program and the operating system, which is not a bad thing if you plan on using a computer for a few years. plus there are plenty of automatic dependency building structures like bsd's ports tree and the random linux distro tools... so you make it out to be more of a problem than it really is

the result of proper customization of your open-source operating system will do everything you want and nothing you don't want. most people on microsoft get screwed by something they don't use or even know exists-by-default on their system... pretty GUIs aren't the answer, understanding and hardening your system is the answer.. and its really not that hard.

for linux build a few lfs and read the description fields.. it will teach you how linux operates while building a very custom system. for bsd rtfm, web or get a book.. etc..

if you decide to build its visual appeal, there is no looking like crap and rendering ugly text with a properly built system

>>44
You just WANT it to work so much you convince yourself when you can't do something on X, you don't need to do it.

>>48
Sure, make everything complicated and waste your time. That totalitarian (lol computer politics) guy is more efficient, and I don't want to waste mine.

open-source software generally requires configuration and recompilation for any application you wish to act in a specific non-default way

The "default way" is one that ALMOST WORKS or plainly sucks. And recompilation is sad. Because of my work, and hobbies at home, I try all sorts of software and lots of it, and use the computer for a hundred purposes. Do you have an idea how many times more comfortable I found Windows to work on? Even when it screws up, it's much easier to fix and harder to seriously ruin the thing (unless you're a total luser and browse porn sites with MSIE).

which is not a bad thing if you plan on using a computer for a few years

Which is not the desktop scenario, where you do a lot of things and update very frequently. Recompiling every new version of Mozilla to install it would be a royal pain in the ass.

the result of proper customization of your open-source operating system will do everything you want and nothing you don't want

I could make the OS myself too, that way it'd be 100% custom and do absolutely everything I want and absolutely nothing I don't want. Only I'd take 25 years to get Mozilla running.

pretty GUIs aren't the answer, understanding and hardening your system is the answer.. and its really not that hard

I understand my pretty GUI, as well as the system. User friendliness is not opposite to programming or understanding. That's a Unix-derived misconception.

You enjoy communicating via your anus right >>49

Mozilla compiles in no time on my 4ghz chip with 3gigs of ram... what are you so afraid of, it takes no time once you know how it works. Plus I usually just use the -current branch of Portage.
Also, it takes far less than 25 years to learn Linux or BSD and run it exactly to your specification. Windows isn't easy to "fix", they don't disclose how it operates... at most you can replace or reinstall components. Their patch releases are decrepitly slow and you must wait on them. They have a nice UI and have cornered the market on PC gaming companies as well as other software companies, but really that is nothing to be proud of.

>>50
Lol, you have to resort to flames. Your fanboyism is amazing.

>>47
You realize you just restated what I said? Think about it.

Fuck, another gentoo idiot. gb2/irc/ >>50.

Here's a clue you inane twat: the general populace doesn't want to compile Mozilla. Nor do they want to know about branches in portage, or spend several weeks relearning a new GUI and software. Holy shit, what a revelation!

Stupid pimply kid in a basement all proud over his 31337 comput3r skillz and no life. People like you give gentoo a bad name. Fuck off already. Or get a girlfriend.

>>51
>>The "default way" is one that ALMOST WORKS or plainly sucks.

I'm the one who resorted to degenerate terms?
Besides the first and last sentence my entire post is objectively substantive.. unlike yours.

Let's talk about "fanboyism"... is that even a word?
You've got some crusading chip on your shoulder about this issue for some apparent reason, yet you offer no fact to back up this attitude. I believe this is when you "STFU".
>>53
I dont use Gentoo Linux, fool.
And objective analysis of operating systems has zero to do with my girlfriend...
Funny when you have nothing left to ignorantly argue you resort to laughably stereotypical mockery. I am deeply hurt because you know me and my life. Thanks, now "GTFO".

I dont use Gentoo Linux, fool.

o rly?

Plus I usually just use the -current branch of Portage.

lol

>>55
HAY GENTOO INVENTED THE MECHANISM OF A PORTS TREE

>>56
BSD STOLXORZ IT

>>56
LOL BUT ITS NOT CALLED PORTAGE!!1!

Yoper uses portage as well.

Some interesting replies in this thread, I dual-boot and while I can see that linux is a more stable, powerful os than win2k/xp etc in a desktop role it really does need work.

It doesn't really make someone a better person to spend ages learning a bunch of nonintuitive complicated shit if they just want to do average desktop type stuff. Its a shame some linux zealots won't even recognise that there *are* any problems with it because they're really happy using it as an os.

A lot of people are saying "Linux isn't a good gaming platform."

Better performance, better reliability... that's not good for gaming?

The graphics cards you dense dolt. And better performance? Oh, please wise McJesus, show me the better performance in the only metric that matters: frames per second.

Oh yes, and the software.  <- lolol

>>61

You're blind. I could bash some of the problems with linux, but I won't. Linux is not perfect, it's very far from it, and if you're truly a fan of it you only do it disservice by ignoring it's flaws. If all linux fans turn a blind eye, it'll never get any better.
Further, Windows XP is just as good as linux. If you put as much work into to setting up and tweaking a Windows box as you do Linux, I'd dare say it's better. That's the problem, Linux zealots bash windows for having a massive user base and being the most targeted OS. If Linux had 90% of the market, it'd have just as many virii and malware. And they also hold Windows to a double standard. Oh! Look! Windows doesn't work right out of the box with no firewall installed and no virus protection. How horrible!! And yet when people can't even get their new graphics card to work, or they have to go through all the work of compiling software, or they complain about not being able to use massive amounts of software, Linux people just blow it off and say that's expected and normal.

>>62
>>show me the better performance in the only metric that matters: frames per second.
That's not determined by the OS so much as the graphics card (you dense dolt).

>>63
>>I could bash some of the problems with linux, but I won't. Linux is not perfect, it's very far from it, and if you're truly a fan of it you only do it disservice by ignoring it's flaws.
I don't recall claiming it to be perfect. I claimed it performs better. And it does.

>>Further, Windows XP is just as good as linux.
I loled!

>>Linux zealots bash windows for having a massive user base and being the most targeted OS. If Linux had 90% of the market, it'd have just as many virii and malware.
The classic "popularity = vulnerability" argument. You ignore the fact that open sauce results in massively parallel bugfixing. You ignore the example of Apache. It has a 66% market share of the web.

>>And yet when people can't even get their new graphics card to work...
On my system I type "emerge nvidia". That's tons easier than having to trawl websites for updates like I used to do on Windows.

>>or they have to go through all the work of compiling software...
It's hardly work and it's hardly mandatory. I choose to have my system compile everything for me for the added performance. If I didn't want to bother I could easily get the binaries. Choice is a beautiful thing.

>>or they complain about not being able to use massive amounts of software...
Well I don't know what your definition of "massive" is.

Arguments about package management systems are insignificant when compared to the bloated, inefficient, and severely outdated designs of the current X11 implementations. Same goes for KDE and GNOME, but they're nowhere as ubiquitous as X.

>>63 is probably right, but if you say "Properly set Windows can be as good as Linux" you're bound to be called this and that by Linux fanboys because saying Linux is better is the only acceptable opinion and it's easily proven an absolute truth (/sarcasm).


>>65 wins the thread for simplicity and effectiveness.

>>64
>That's not determined by the OS so much as the graphics card (you dense dolt).

Ah, how nice. Let's get back to reality please. The drivers that linux has to live with are generally more buggy and less optimized than their windows counterparts, despite coming from the same code trees. Look at any game that seriously stresses a GFX card, and even though it should be GPU bound you'll find linux takes a significant drop.

And what about all the games written for windows? Running them in WineX gives you poor performance (if they run at all).

So no, linux isn't a good game platform. It's good for servers, perhaps also big iron and embedded. What does it offer over 2k or XP for gaming though? Stability? None of my XP or 2k boxes has crashed in months. Faster performance? Obviously not for games. Better game support? As much as I like OpenGL, DirectX has cornered the whole 3d + input + audio + whatever market. OpenGL + OpenAL doesn't cut it. More games? No.

Fucking fanboy. I like *nix too, but religious faggots like you who see their 31337 world through rose-glasses piss me off. What are you going to do next? Claim linux is a better RTOS than QNX? That it's easier to use than a Mac? That it shows z/OS the way big iron should be run? That it's more secure than OpenVMS? Gah.

>>The drivers that linux has to live with are generally more buggy and less optimized than their windows counterparts, despite coming from the same code trees


Clearly you've encountered ATI. Really the only ones who can take responsibility for ATI's so-called "drivers" are ATI.

>>Fucking fanboy. I like *nix too, but religious faggots like you who see their 31337 world through rose-glasses piss me off.

yu0 need to calm the hell down.

>>67 a master has spoken

>>68
Applies to Nvidia too. Better than ATi, but still slower than in windows. QuakeIII does well on both platforms, but something like DoomIII murders linux with either ATi or Nvidia cards.

That and the fact that X is not a good idea for desktop/workstation/gaming/performance graphic applications (even though I don't know to what extent will it affect a full screen OpenGL application).

I don't think it's a problem with X itself, although it might be a problem with XFree86/X.org. Let's not forget that SGI's boxen used to run X.

I do have hope for the future with X.org and Keith Packard working on his own little version.

i like linux, but i'm careful to buy hardware with linux support. by far the worst linux experience i had was with an uber-cheap computer i built with no regard to what i was going to use on it. it eventually ran Windows 98 with some degree of success. it helps that i don't play many hardware-intensive games... i wouldn't choose linux for that.

back to the topic, i <i>did</i> try to "uninstall" Internet Explorer from Windows 2000 Service Pack 3. i <b>do not</b> recommend this technique whatsoever...

i opened my WINNT folder, found "inf", and inside were several .INF files that seemed to reference Internet Explorer. i opened each in Notepad and moved entries around from Add to Delete, AddFiles to DeleteFiles, and what have you. i did decide not to change the entries for files like mshtma.exe and mshtm.dll, as that would probably have broken everything. i right-clicked on each newly modified file and chose "Install". my desktop blinked, a progress bar flashed, and i was prompted to restart. after restarting, i could still access IE through Explorer, and my Dial-Up Networking folder stopped updating itself as my connection status changed. Add & Remove Programs stopped working, too.

it was a fun thing to try though. XD

linux stoel my anus

>>74
onoes :o

Wow, it's nice to see that people can stay on topic.  This was supposed to be about internet explorer and other web browsers, but now its a linux v. windows war.  Take it to its own thread, not clog up ones that have differnt topics.

it's hard to install things in linux :(
tried to install turbopad, needed some package that also required a package.  After installing both of those packages, it kept failing to detect them.  Who knows what was wrong.

>>77
Your package manager should handle dependencies for you.

Also turbopad is teh suck.

>>76
You, sir, are 75 posts too late.

>>76
Yeah, they're BREAKING the INTERNET. FUCK.

YEAH BECAUSE WASTING ALL YOUR TIME PLAYING SHITTY FPS IS WAY MORE AWESOME THAN WASTING IT COMPILING LOLOLOL