Re: My first impression and goodbye

["James M. Cape" <jcape jcinteractive com>]

Marcus Fontenot wrote:
> 
> Here's my 2 cents,
> I am a complete newbie when it comes to gnome.  I've seen the various
> points/counterpoints on /. website about gnome and kde.  I decided
> that I'd try gnome since it is "the future" of the interface for
> linux. Release 1.0, sounds like a good starting place, so lets get it
> installed.
> 
> Now to those who are experts, please don't laugh too hard at my lack
> of abilities from this point on.
> 
> I installed gnome and enlightment.  startx.  Nothing.
> Hmm.. I minimize programs, and I "lose" them.  Hmm, this cant be right.

Use e-conf to enable icons (Behavior/Misc). This behavior doesn't stick
for me, so I have to enable it for every session. The Gnome Pager's Task
List is helpful in this regard as well.

> I couldn't get anything to work.  Read the docs.  Read the web page.
> Read over the list.  Nothing.  Ok, join the list, ask a question.  Ok,
> questions aswered rather quickly.  Good deal I have it running.
> 
> Start file manager, core dump.  Thanks.  Everytime I use it I  get a
> core dump.  Looks great.  Ok, open a browser, and open a web page.
> Great.  Hit a real audio site.  No audio.  Oh, someone is asking a
> questions about that.  Good.  Try suggestion.  Doesn't work.  What the
> hell is esd?  Dunno, but I don't see any process called esd.  Hmm..
> ok, no real audio sound, great.

ESD == Enlightened Sound Daemon. Run it in the background, it allows you
to have multiple sounds playing at the same time.

The File Manager isn't finished, and I personally haven't had any core
dumps with it (and I run the bleeding-edge CVS versions as my primary
desktop icon manager). Once in a while it crashes, but the session
manager restarts it right away, so why should I care?

> Same problem with x11amp.  try suggestion offered on list, but again I
> can't find anything called esd.

Search for the Enlightened Sound Daemon.

When you have it installed and running (it is a daemon, and as such
should always be running), run "esddsp whatever" to start your programs.

> I seems any program that uses sound has this same problem. (Quake,
> Xgalaga, etc...)

Same deal.

> Hey, look here, a program for gnome that works like ICQ.  Great, but I
> can't install it.  Write the author. Nothing.  Hey look, the author
> posts in the gnomelist.  Write the author asking a questions about
> re-compiling the program with the new gtk.  Still no response.  Nice.
> Yeah, I'd do it myself, but I'd need a follow the leader instruction
> script to re-compile the program with the new gtk.  (remember, I'm not
> a programmer, I'm a newbie, just trying all this out)

Which program? GICQ or GnomeICU? I've gotten both to work. GICQ looks
better, but GnomeICU has more features.

> Ok, log out.  GUI goes down, but what are all these errors that
> occured when I was running E?  I dunno, but it doesn't seem to care,
> still annoying.

What errors? Post them.

> So far, I've had 3 complete system lockups, countless core files from
> gnome filemanager doing something, and a general bad taste in my mouth
> with the problems I've experienced with 1.0.

Did you actually have the system lock up, or did X just hang? Next time
it happens, hit CTRL+ALT+F2 and kill X. Or just do a CTRL+ALT+Backspace.

> I've seen posts that ask if it was rushed.  From this side of the
> monitor, it appears that it was rushed.
> 
> I may try gnome again, but I'll wait for 2.0 or something like that,
> perhaps when RedHat decides that gnome is stable enough to have gnome
> be the DEFAULT interface for ALL RedHat installs.
> 
> I guess I'll try kde next and see what the difference is.

"If Netscape doesn't get it's act together, I'm switching to Explorer!"
Been there, heard that, didn't give a crap about it before.

Threatening to switch doesn't make it work better, and posting helpful
error messages, backtraces, etc. will definately get you farther than
the incongruous bitching you did post.

    Jim Cape
    http://www.jcinteractive.com

    "All animals are equal, some animals
     are more equal than others."
         -- George Orwell, Animal Farm