From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Dec 11 14:51:44 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 521DD106566B for ; Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:51:44 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from mail@ozzmosis.com) Received: from smtp.mel.people.net.au (smtp.mel.people.net.au [218.214.17.98]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 8C7548FC18 for ; Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:51:43 +0000 (UTC) Received: (qmail 19514 invoked from network); 11 Dec 2009 14:48:04 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO smtp.phoenix) (218.215.167.30) by smtp.mel.people.net.au with SMTP; 11 Dec 2009 14:48:04 -0000 Received: by smtp.phoenix (Postfix, from userid 1001) id DF54F17312; Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:51:34 +1100 (EST) Date: Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:51:34 +1100 From: andrew clarke To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20091211145134.GA60942@ozzmosis.com> References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.20 (2009-06-14) Subject: Re: 'X' vs. 'Mouse' X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:51:44 -0000 On Fri 2009-12-11 07:30:01 UTC-0500, Carmel (carmel_ny@hotmail.com) wrote: > It is really hard to push the merits of an operating system when you > have to give detailed instructions to the potential end user on how to > get a "mouse" to work, when all they have to do in a Win32 based system Last time I had X working was in FreeBSD 6.3, with no dramas. Things may have changed a bit since then, but the general impression I get is that most of Xorg's design decisions are made by Linux developers, and so folks using Xorg in FreeBSD may have to put up with a few compromises to get it to work reliably. To be fair to FreeBSD, I don't think you can really call this as a fault of the OS since Xorg is not part of FreeBSD. > is plug it in. I really cannot fathom a seven year old having to modify > an XML document to facilitate their playing a "How to Spell" CD, > assuming that they could even get the CD operational. I don't believe FreeBSD is intended to be used (let alone administered) by children. There are Linux distros better suited to children. Edubuntu springs to mind. Ubuntu is pretty much plug-and-play & point-and-click on most PCs made in the last few years. Certainly no XML editing required to get Xorg working. Regards Andrew