Lincustomize? if only!

well.. i wouldn't call this linux bashing, and i hope nobody takes it that way.

linux, for good or ill, will always be a fringe os. it really has no hope of going mainstream. that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve some attention and support, but sections devoted to linus' little baby just wouldn't get much play.

for the curious among us.. if there was such a place as lincustomize, what would be listed under the 'library' section to the left?

There already is such a web site. It's called themes.org. For the past few months, its maintainers have pretty much torpedoed the site, replacing a working website (still at classic.themes.org) with a buggy, slow one.

Alternatively, for the KDE and GNOME likers, there is kde-look.org and sunshineinabag.co.uk, respectively.

Linux could become mainstream some day. It's already gotten much easier to install and use. Just look at the Lindows project (www.lindows.com). Heck, it's already got the number two spot. Yes, there are about 6% Linux/Unix users and about 5% Mac users, the rest of course is Windows.

It really all comes down to software availability again. If I could run Photoshop, Flash and Dreamweaver under Linux, I'd probably never load Windows except to play games.

Isn't there themes.org? And while KDE and Gnome have some degree of skinnability, there customization options on Linux are pretty primitive. Even enlightenment really hasn't done much in recent times and it was no easier to make themes for than Litestep (which is free btw).

In regards to photoshop and flash running on linux....... WINE is great, and i know several people who have gotten photoshop working under linux, it just takes patience. I agree that at this point there is very little chance of linux going mainstream. The main reason is that its not hard to install, its hard to CONFIGURE. This is because linux is mainly aimed at people who know how to use computers (not just click pretty little icons). Setting up programs still requires lots of command line use. Since linux is continually evolving, it will more than likely reach this point sometime soon. However, until the market for linux shifts from developers and web hosting to a personal market, I agree that its not going to go mainstream.
And btw....... themes.org sucks, even though they have plenty of volume..... the site is slow and hard to get around. In regards to the library for a linux themes site, there's PLENTY of stuff, Sawfish (sawmill), enlightenment, GTK+ to name just a few. And there are tons more.

Anyway, I hate to sound preachy, but when it comes down to it, I prefer to use linux, its faster, doesn't lock up, and I have more control over it. Right now I dual boot with xp just so I can play diablo 2. The one thing you can't get linux to do with time and elbow grease is play blizzard games. Believe me, i've tried..... and it won't happen.

ANYWAY, i hate getting off topic, but here's what I have been trying (and failing) to say for this entire post: do not discount linux as a viable contender in the operating systems arena. If it wasn't, why would there be so many different distros? Besides.... even linux nerds like me should have pretty desktops...

~Capn

Oh...... and some of us are barely able to scrape together enough money to put together their computer... much less drop 100 bucks on an operating system and 400 for an office suite... yet ANOTHER advantage of linux

One last thing...... one may assume from my last e-mail that I'm very anti-windows. Just wanted to clarify that I'm not, windows has its strong points, and Mr. Gates.... though evil.... has done an EXCELLENT job with XP, and 98 too was even pretty nice. In all these long winded and pointless posts, i'm just trying to say quite simply it would be nice to have a decent skin site for linux. Who cares if its not mainstream? There are still millions of people who use it and I'm sure all of them are sick of their desktops looking like something from the 1980s.

~capn

Re things working under Linux.

This is the same argument OS/2 users will use too. What does Linux provide in return for having the patience you say people need to get mainstream programs to work under it?

Linux is no more stable in day to day use than Linux is - neither ever crashes in my experience. So the question comes back, what is Linux providing in return? It's not that I don't like Linux, afterall, as a former OS/2 zealot, I have no love for Microsoft. But there has to be something significant to gain by choosing Linux and I just don't see it.

With regards to a Linux site, here's the problem they face: Have you noticed that this site doesn't have zillions of pop-up ads in your face? Or banners everywhere sucking away your bandwidth? And that the site is always up and available and fairly speedy? The reason is because it's subsidized by Stardock (i.e. 100% paid for) and it is able to do this from the sales of that $50 program Object Desktop. So who would fund the Linux site? It's either going to have to pay for itself with tons of obnoxiosu banner ads, subscriptions or some other mechanism.

Obviously I'm biased but from a web surfing experience, I much prefer to not have to see a site plastered with ads everywhere and pop ups in your face and other such things even if it means I pay for the software I use on a daily basis.

I've 'fiddled' with OS2, Linux, BeOS, and Qnx....but somehow always end up using Windows.
My current setup of LiteSTEP and XP is more than stable enough for me....[zero dumps, lockups or crashes]...It doesn't 'need' me to sharpen my geek-skills to operate it, and runs all the proggies and games I ever want to.

I honestly think that Linux will remain firmly planted in the 'that other OS' category, and not mainstream at all...

As an occasional Linux user, I used to keep an eye on the skinning sites for Linux. My biggest problem with them has always been the lack of content. Sure, there are many themes and skins for the different GUIs, but they're usually either ports or minor variations of ports.
As for Linux becoming mainstream, I feel that those developing for Linux should work together instead against each other (i.e. GNOME versus KDE) and dump obsolete software(i.e. XFree86) for something that will make people want to switch.

nothing stops anyone from submitting themes for Linux to deviantART.

And so does SkinBase.

/me wishes he could get BSD's gui up and running (yeah yeah, so it's not Linux)

Well i went over and looked at deviantart today, i thought i had been there before, but maybe not, or if i had i must have completely missed the unix/linux section. Anyway, its sweet, and i guess instead of complaining about the lack of skins i should just make some nifty ones of my own. And about kde and gnome..... competition is what fuels progress... competition in the linux community is a GOOD thing

~Capn

it is true that themes.org is pretty slow and buggy today. but the old version of the site is still there and it works just fine. try here: http://classic.themes.org/

One main reason for going the linux way is cost. I work for a university and most of the students only use the computers in the labs for Email, Internet and word processing for their assignements.

If those machines could have Linux with Star Office or something similar instead of Windows NT, 2K, XP or whatever windows incarnation we are on it would save a lot of money. As the university is investigating the possibility of this I have installed Linux at home (Mandrake Distro) to find out what it's all about. I have been pleasantly surprised so far how much it's progressed since the last time I tried it (1 year ago) and managed to lose a partition. Not started investigating themeing as yet though.

What version of Mandrke do yo have?
The last I tried was 7.2. Are there any significant change since then?

Probably 'Mandrake XP'.....like everything else these days....

Mandrake 8.2 I believe. It was the only distro that had support for my Speedtouch USB Modem in the kernel. I really didn't fancy messing about with recompiling the kernel as my first task. Also has support for my WinTV card. With VMWare and XP I can use PSP instead of the Gimp which I just can't brng myself to use. And VNC means I can attach to it from almost any machine with a web browser and java support (although I can do that with XP too).

ok guys i cant say anything about linux cause i dont use reason being i did know about it you see im only 13 and i just now droped games mostly and pi ked up programing so im still learning linux and whats this about linux being free well i was looking at linux OS programs and they cost money can any one get me to where i can get linux for free?i am learning linux now ad i like it it's simple

"Linux is no more stable in day to day use than Linux is" - Frogboy.

Doesn't that go without saying!

Thank you pjpowell, cost is a big factor. As for you youthsmooth, yes, there are some programs for linux that cost money, these are closed source programs that just happen to run on the linux operating system. However, the majority of programs for linux are free, as is linux itself. You can buy it in a store prepacked for like 35 bucks or so, or you can download it from the web (if you feel like downloading about 1.5 gigs) I Highly reccomend mandrake to windows users. http://www.mandrake.com and red hat to people more familiar with linux www.redhat.com and of course, for those of use who are hardcore, debian, which is GREAT, but comes with an older kernel, so you get to have tons of fun and recompile the kernel right after you get it (HOORAY SARCASM!) But seriously, debian is really good, but mandrake is still the best for windows users. Suse is also an option, but you can't download iso's, you have to buy it in the store, but its SO easy to use i'd say its worth the money.

and btw youthsmooth....... linux isn't simple, and thats one of the things that makes it great. It does not pander to people who just want to use their computer and not know anything about it, you are almost forced to learn a ton, it'll be good for you.


BTW, anyone up for porting some of the themes on this site over to sawfish? I would of course require the authors permission..... and don't say it can't be done, of COURSE it can be done, although we may need to only do a partial port, as opposed to a full port....

~Capn


P.S. Amusing quotes about linux:

My sister: "Linux is cool, their mascot is that really cute penguin!"

Linus Torvalds: "Some people say that a fat penguin doesn't really embody the grace and spirit of linux... they have apparantly never had an angry penguin charging them at 100 miles per hour."

Frogboy: "Linux is no more stable in day to day use than Linux is"

I'm bored, i need to skate, but its raining.........

Capn....the prospect of 'porting themes to sawfish' very much DOES require authors' permission, as you mentioned.
'partial port' or otherwise...the copyright belongs to the original artist, and requires the obtaining of permission....

Yes I know it does... that's why i said I'd need the authors permission, it would be somewhat hypocritical (spelling?) of me to explain my anti-pirating viewpoint and then talk about stealing someone's theme and putting it on linux.......

~Capn

'hypocritical' is correct...

I was just stressing the point for the sake of clarification...