You Want Linux to Run What?

[khess]

Someone left a comment on one of my posts similar to, "Linux won't be popular on the Desktop until it runs Windows applications." To which I silently responded, "Huh? and, "You've got to be kidding me." We have WINE for running Windows applications and it works reasonably well for those who care to spend the time to work through any problems with it. I don't think the Linux Community needs to spend time on such an undertaking. Is anyone asking Apple to run Windows applications so that it will gain popularity? No? Then, why should Linux? If you want to run Windows applications, run them on Windows.

Linux is Linux. Mac OS is Mac OS. And, Windows is Windows.

Why does anyone want or need any crossover?

If application vendors want to create applications that run on Linux, that's great. I'm behind that 100 percent. If Intuit , for example, wants to create QuickBooks that runs on Linux, I'd buy it. If Adobe created Photoshop for Linux, they'd have an audience. And, if Microsoft created Microsoft Office for Linux, it would sell too. After all, the first operating system that MS Office ran on was the Mac OS.

And, why would you want to run Windows applications when we have OpenOffice.org , KOffice , GIMP and many others that are actually better than their Windows counterparts? They're so good that all three of the ones I mentioned have Windows versions available.

Why don't the other vendors make the same concessions? Why don't they provide their applications to all audiences?

I don't want Linux to run Windows applications unless those applications, produced by their respective vendors, become available as native Linux applications.

Run Windows applications on Linux? Thanks but no thanks.

[ferniez]

I whole-heartedly agree. Once you make the switch to Linux you will find that all that you regularly use in Windows has a counterpart in Linux. The better approach is to run a dual boot environment and when you need Windows run Windows. What most of us have found is that as we learn Linux we visit Windows less and less. I only use Windows for programs like ooVoo for which there is no option in Linux and that is not very often. Once I find an ooVoo alternative in Linux I will drop ooVoo.

In general, I have very little use for Windows. Each day Linux gets better, easier to use, with more applications in a free environment not subject to fear and high cost. For me Linux is not just an alternative it is the better system.

[metvacetz]

Well, still using windows to play windows games :) Linux take good care of the rest

[hona]

And most people now perfer to mac os x. All thing are directed by aplle.

[a.halim]

i need football games on linux

[cwrinn]

Thank you, KHess, for this post. Mirrors my sentiments on the subject exactly. Of course, to the gaming subject, I often say "Isn't it sad that you are letting entertainment dictate your freedom?"

[helios17]

I've pretty much lost my patience with the "but Linux won't run..." crowd. Even after showing them the alternative applications, after showing them how easy it is to use them, they still balk. If the Linux app deviates one mouse-click away from what they are used to, it's game over for them.

I will bend over backwards to help a computer user but a task-set-mouse-clicker can fend for themselves. OR yes, I will help them...at the rate of 75 bucks an hour. Do it once for free and you are their free tech support for life, at least in their minds.

[ferniez]

I think that some of this is driven by the issues of time investment and learning curves. We live in a world that requires life-long learning. Some people have yet to accept this. I can still remember the switch from typewriters to word processors (I am dating myself :) ), how many times did I hear that the typewriter will do fine thank you? But change comes whether we like it or not. What seems clear to me is that Linux is beginning to find its way into many institutions resulting in the need to learn it. Once people learn it many will make the switch permanently. Soon a critical mass develops and a viable community grows up around the OS. This is happening with Linux.

Notice also how many times people have written that Linux will disappear. Yet it continues to grow and find its way into set-top boxes, robots, ebook readers, computers and tablets. So while Windows will continue to dominate the desktop each year it will lose a bit of ground to Linux in other areas. This is a turtle and hare paradigm. Linux will compete quite nicely over the long haul, I have few worries about that.

Finally, what is most clear, is that all of us will use many different operating systems at different times as we will be using different devices. Whether we like it or not we will have to continually have to adapt to new systems, new devices and new ways of doing things. The Windows way is no longer the only way on the information highway.

[mvines]

While at this stage in the game it's a pipe dream, I think the ideal is to move the operating system farther and farther from the fore front of peoples minds. I shouldn't care about what operating system my computer is running. In an ideal world I would make my software selection and it would just work on my system. Any time spent dealing with the OS is not productive time in my opinion. I have better things to do. This goes for all OS's.

[ferniez]

I think this is what Google and the cloud advocates are moving toward. With the cloud the OS makes little or no difference. Thus, I think this is no pipe dream but rather the direction things are going. That said until the cloud gets a bit more speed it cannot possibly be the only alternative. Bandwidth will continue to be a problem in the short term. Someday perhaps we will all be wired to ultra high speed connections and the cloud may become our desktop. For now I won't hold my breath. Instead I will continue to chug along with Ubuntu.

[Unbidden Ghost]

i think that i agree with this thread. i bought a laptop that came windows pre installed. but a virus wreaked such havoc that i was forced to format the hard drive but since i received no disk i had to pay a huge amount for windows seven and i just decided to try the hard route and struglle with linux.

imagin my surprise when the greatest struggle with linux is the need to drop my windows mentality. not only is it better than windows it is also easier in many respects and where it is not there are info pages on the web which explains things quite nicely.

sure the lack of games sucks but for everything else there is an alternative. and best of all: it is all free! i have to thank that a#@e h^l% that infected my pc. he forced into making the right choice. too bad i lost all my movies though.

[zamanlar]

This information was in my business I worked for a long time looking for such a document. Thank you very much ...

[smart176]

Thank you, KHess, for this post. Mirrors my sentiments on the subject exactly. Of course, to the gaming subject, I often say "Isn't it sad that you are letting entertainment dictate your freedom?"

[DimaYasny]

With today's computers, there is no problem to run windows in a virtual machine on top of linux. all the distributions include libvirt+virt-manager nowadays, and there's no restriction to install virtualbox or something similar

[birellar]

I always like to play games on linux.

[Unbidden Ghost]

>>i always like to play games on linux

one of two questions. either how or what type of games. linux do have games yes but not the type i would like. something where you can hook up seven of your friends and play some type of rts like age of empires or something. i know i know i know. doom right? not everybody is a fps fan. something rts or roleplaying or something like mech warrior or something. that would be nice.

[birellar]

I like to play Battle For Wesnoth

A normal Wesnoth player has

* 200+ unit types
* 16 different races
* 6 major factions

to choose from. Actually, you can even make your own custom units, design your own map, scenarios or even campaigns. It’s all up to your creativity. The most interesting part of any game is the ability to multiplay. You can challenge up to a total of 8 friends in multiplayer fantasy battles.

>>i always like to play games on linux

one of two questions. either how or what type of games. linux do have games yes but not the type i would like. something where you can hook up seven of your friends and play some type of rts like age of empires or something. i know i know i know. doom right? not everybody is a fps fan. something rts or roleplaying or something like mech warrior or something. that would be nice.

[evstevemd]

Windows has won psychological war against Linux.

[Unbidden Ghost]

wesnoth: o ok. actually i never heard of it. i'll look into it. i assume its some type of open source game? if it is good then i'll get it. i tried to get wine running this weekend but i could not. however i only need wine for age of empires. so if this impress then i guess i wont be needing wine.

[Excizted]

I'm using Linux daily and I am very annoyed that my games will not run and I can not use Photoshop.

GIMP is great and all, but misses speed, strength and pen tablet support.

Also, I returned my new ATI Eyefinity card worth $550 because the ATI drivers are shit and were missing out stuff that meant I couldn't even open up the game I am developing.

These things make me so angry. But I don't blame Linux at least, I blame Microsoft for "buying" the game industry and Adobe for being lazy and surely paid by Microsoft.

When people ask me: "Will Linux replace what I currently have?", I say no. It won't run your games properly, and not at all without alot of tweaking.
Then they reply to me: "Linux is shit then, why do you use it!?". I answer that Linux is the best choice for anything it is allowed to run.