Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 15:45:48 -0500 From: Nathan Dorfman <nathan@rtfm.net> To: Jonathon McKitrick <jcm@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org> Cc: Sameh Ghane <sameh@fr.clara.net>, John Rosenberg <jcrosenberg@earthlink.net>, Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com>, FreeBSD Chat <chat@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Sun release source code for Solaris 8 Message-ID: <20000202154548.A84018@rtfm.net> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0001292203490.86917-100000@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org>; from Jonathon McKitrick on Sat, Jan 29, 2000 at 10:06:57PM %2B0000 References: <20000128153729.A64438@noc.fr.clara.net> <Pine.BSF.4.21.0001292203490.86917-100000@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org>
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On Sat, Jan 29, 2000 at 10:06:57PM +0000, Jonathon McKitrick wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Jan 2000, Sameh Ghane wrote:
> Well, since right now i just run FreeBSD on a laptop as a workstation
> for day-to-day tasks and programming, i want it to be more than just a
> server. I wish they hadn't dropped their old slogan or goal of "turning PCs into
> workstations". And that means that i *do* care about at least basic
> multimedia and graphics use.
>
> >
> >FreeBSD is even flexible enough to give me good workstations also, I don't
> >feel this like a problem not being able to replace windows workstations.
Until my only VGA monitor died a few months ago, I used my FreeBSD machine
as a desktop. I didn't find it to lack anything I'd expect of a "multimedia"
desktop environment. Audio? Plenty of players: mpg123 with or without the
variety of X11 and curses interfaces to it [1]; x11amp; RealPlayer G2. Video?
xanim, I also recall Mtv working. Games? Aside from the cool little things
in ports/games (xkobo, xevil, heh) I have heard of people playing Quake [123],
Civilization: Call to Power, and other commercial games under Linux emulation.
Graphics? There's more graphics applications, utilities and libraries than
I could even begin to name [2].
As an aside: since the FreeBSD-current box has no monitor, I'm using an
ss5/85 running RedSplat as my desktop at home right now. My official report
is that I can't f*cking stand it; the environment, configuration, and general
design of the system strikes me as non-intuitive and irritates me to no end.
I will be much happier when I save up the cash for that new K7 box and go
back to FreeBSD.
[1] Speaking of which, has anyone used gmp3? Comments? Other recommendations?
[2]
$ uname -sr
FreeBSD 3.4-STABLE
$ ls /usr/ports/graphics | wc -l
169
(subtract a few for Makefile, README.html, CVS and such of course).
> >--
> >Sameh Ghane
> >
>
> -=> jm <=-
>
> "Do not taunt the Happy Fun Ball."
--
Nathan Dorfman <nathan@rtfm.net> The statements and opinions in my
Unix Admin @ Frontline Communications public posts are mine, not FCC's.
"The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an approaching
train." --/usr/games/fortune
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