Torelshiman Nova
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Posted - 2007.08.24 10:57:00 -
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I've been involed in linux for more then a decade. The reason I got into linux as opposed to a BSD variant is for one very simple fact:
Linux would believe me when I told it the BIOS was wrong. BSD would not, at that time, allow me to tell it how many heads/cylinders/sectors were on the drive, and the simple fact was I needed an OS I could make run properly on a broken machine.
I have made linux work perfectly on broken or kludged machines multiple times. I have made it work on machines that have had heat damage for years. I have made it work on machines with failing quartz crystal 1PPS generators. I have maintained machines that had enough problems they were unusable with windows for years.
Part of this is "Because I can." the other part of it is "Because I work with what I need to."
Now, realize that running linux with oft-times beta software gave me more functionality and more reliability then a working machine running windows. Add in to the equation that I do a lot of very computationally intensive tasks. I run servers that I require 24x7 uptime excluding planned maintenance.
I run windows on one machine, and one machine only, and that's the box that runs EVE. The only real reason I still have a windows box is because it runs EVE.
The real reason I don't run windows is because I've actually read the EULA's. I've been involved with computers for a long, long time. When the EULA begins to stipulate things like an inability to work around a bug or use any part of the OS for a purpose not intended by the programmers, I have a serious problem. I want things to work the way I want them to work. I own the hardware, but I can't own the software? Bull.
Linux I can fix if it breaks. I can tweaq it if I want to. If I want it to stay stable, I just leave things alone and guess what - it doesn't randomly break.
That being said, yes, I have very bad luck with windows. I do tech work for a living and have for years. The comments of my friends and peers are "You have an anti-windows curse. You have the most bizarre problems I've ever seen. On the up side, I know if you fix it, it's gonna stay fixed."
All of this being said - THANK YOU CCP. Very few people recognize a concerted, extended effort. Few people realize how many changes have happened at ATI after AMD took over. Alot of those changes will become apperant when their new driver (I believe code-named Orca) comes out. Among other things it will include AIGLX support (Beryl/compiz/compiz-fusion users rejoice! No more XGL!) and it will have a serious set of fixes so far as the performance issues are concerned. It should also be noted that ATi drivers now install easily with new kernels, as opposed to a year and a half ago when the drive was six months to a year behind.
I've done regression testing. I've thrown all the results out to test the new driver version. I've been paid to do regression testing. I've done regression testing backend scripting. I know what an absolute pain it can be.
You've chosen the best of both worlds - Get a dedicated team of professions who are (and this is the most important point) BACKED UP WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIANCE to handle the nitty gritty, and you handle what you're good at.
I wish I'd found out about the linux client beta test in time to get involved with it, but all will be well that ends well.
We may be a very vocal minority, but in general we're a very skilled minority as well.
Calim, a slackware user since 1997. The knowledge you have is always only what you chose to learn.
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