Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 08:58:25 -0700 (PDT) From: "Kevin G. Eliuk" <kevin_eliuk@sunshine.net> To: "Peter D. Pawelek" <ppawel@axess.com> Cc: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Why use XFree86 (was: Top Ten (here's mine...)) Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.96.980705081903.467B-100000@vanessa.eliuk.org> In-Reply-To: <19980704214244.B317@axess.com>
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On Sat, 4 Jul 1998, Peter D. Pawelek wrote:
=> Actually, I spend most of my time at the console. Besides using vim for
=> programming, I prefer using slrn/mutt/Lynx for most of my Internet
=> activities. Although I've got nothing against X, sometimes I just want
=> to cut to the chase and not put up with the bloat that comes with it; I've
=> got 64MB of RAM and it's depressing to do a 'top' whilst in X and see that
=> most of my RAM has been gobbled up before even starting up an app like
=> Netscape (which takes about 5-10 seconds to load on my P133).
I have to agree with that. Quite often when cranking up Netscape I
think to myself I should be starting up Lynx in an xterm. Most of the
time I am only interested in the text of the pages I am going to
anyways. That is what I like about the OS as a whole, having that
choice. Actually:
[ Clip from /usr/local/etc/Lynx.cfg ]
#SUFFIX:.ps:application/postscript
#SUFFIX:.eps:application/postscript
#SUFFIX:.ai:application/postscript
#SUFFIX:.rtf:application/x-rtf
#SUFFIX:.snd:audio/basic
#SUFFIX:.gif:image/gif
#SUFFIX:.rgb:image/x-rgb
#SUFFIX:.pict:image/x-pict
#SUFFIX:.xbm:image/x-xbitmap
#SUFFIX:.tiff:image/x-tiff
#SUFFIX:.jpg:image/jpeg
#SUFFIX:.jpeg:image/jpeg
#SUFFIX:.mpg:video/mpeg
#SUFFIX:.mpeg:video/mpeg
#SUFFIX:.mov:video/quicktime
#SUFFIX:.hqx:application/octet-stream
#SUFFIX:.bin:application/octet-stream
#SUFFIX:.exe:application/octet-stream
#SUFFIX:.tar:application/octet-stream
#SUFFIX:.Z:application/octet-stream
I will have to uncomment some of these and see what other configs are
available in Lynx that can let me toggle images only if I find that they
are pertinent to the content of the text. Might be able to lower my use
of Netscape a lot, and boy would you have a great deal more control over
images with something like Image Magic or xv.
=> Having multiple xterms and a big virtual desktop is the nice
=> thing about X. But, when I use it I prefer to use a minimal window
=> manager like wm2 (check it out...a tiny little C++ program that
=> occupies very little system real estate). In the end, however, I con-
=> sider X to be an enormously unnecessary for my purposes.
=>
=> Of course, I would not be so presumptuous as to dissuade a newbie from
=> using X, nor would I encourage him/her. Everyone has different needs
=> and interests. The best thing about FreeBSD (and Linux) is that it
=> is able to accomodate just about every taste and preference imagin-
=> able. And the best thing for a newbie is to explore and try out as
=> much as possible to see what floats his/her boat.
Or `point unit', I will never again will I try to install X on a 386
with 5Mb of ram and no co-processor :)
=> Peter Pawelek (ppawel@axess.com)
Regards,
Discover Rock Solid Kevin G. Eliuk
Discover FreeBSD
http://www.FreeBSD.Org
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