sometimes Windows is better than GNU/Linux ... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 04:25:10 pm
content: I'm a GNU/Linux user since kernel v2.4, although I started modifying the kernel since version 2.6.15, and doing serious stuff since 2.6.26.*** almost all my computers are non-x86, and run GNU/linux ***However ...... I bought two x86-laptops, one loaded with Windos Xp, the other with Windows 10.My Windows usage is unique, and one of the applications I use most often is Maboxterm, which allows me to work remotely with all my GNU/Linux computers.But that's not why I use Windows. It wouldn't make sense.There are applications thathave no open source alternativedon't have Linux binarieswork poorly under virtual machines, because they need access to things that aren't easy, or sometimes even possible, to virtualize)don't work under Wine because they require parts of Windows that have never been implemented in Wineand that's why I use Windows!But there's more!Take my video capture card, for example. Back to the gold linux v3.0 era ... it had Mac, Linux, and Windows support.It's a shame that the drivers released were binary-only, and it's a shame that newer versions of the MacOS and Linux kernels are totally incompatible with those binaries.But not Windows!(embarrassing, but) The drivers for that damn card work perfectly on both Windows XP and Windows 10, without causing any problems.-No, seriously... that last example is so embarrassing that I started reverse engineering the damn thing several months ago, so I could create the source code for something I can compile and run on any GNU/Linux computer!If you can read the protocol of what a driver does, or the assembly of its binary code, anything is open source...

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 04:43:07 pm
content: VisualDSP++ is one of those things I just don't understand ...Analog Devices has marketed several Blackfin BF53x development boards, some - probably the cheapest ones (student edition?) - with the "Tux Penguin" design on the PCB... but it has never seriously supported it!In fact, in the kits you'll find VisualDSP++, a Windows program with all the drivers for the included hardware debugger, and a usb-debugger that works great, but has NO open source support.Isn't that contradictory? Why promote open source when you're including a debugger you don't support?Ok, you have to buy a FTDI chip, and make the debugger by yourself, and then hack OCD to work with it, it's not the end of the world, but ... it's annoying!In addition to the trial CD, there's also a CD with the gcc toolchain and Blackfin-specific patches, a few examples, and nothing more, and ... for the debugger, there's only a vague document that talks about how to write a gdb-stub...Now... VisualDSP++ doesn't run well under Wine at all, and if I try to run it under VirtualBox... the IDE works perfectly, but the IDE works perfectly, but the debugger has some issues with the USB pass-through, to the point that it becomes not reliable for anything serious.Moral of the story: when I visit some clients, I also bring a Windows-aptop with me, just to be able to use VisualDSP++

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 04:52:06 pm
content: Quote from: DiTBho on September 23, 2025, 04:43:07 pmIt's annoying because you lose many features - that just work out of the box - offered by the debugger supported by VisualDSP++... for example, dynamic coverage...

author: John B
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 08:17:14 pm
content: Yes inquisitor, this is the heretic right over here.

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 08:40:18 pm
content: Quote from: John B on September 23, 2025, 08:17:14 pmHeretic? Bah ... for me OS is not religion.

author: SteveThackery
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 09:45:28 pm
content: I've long been puzzled by the way operating systems seem to generate such strong feelings.Sit down and get familiar with Windows, Linux and MacOS - you will soon realise that they have vastly more in common than different. You will also realise that the OS is really boring and unimportant, because it theapplicationsthat do all the work. Editing photos, writing dissertations, programming: whatever you do on your computer, you use applications to do it.In my opinion the quality of the applications reflects how much they cost, broadly speaking. Thus Mac applications are the best, closely followed by Windows programs, with Linux programs lagging far behind.But when it comes to the almost-religious OS wars, they are just operating systems. Like, who gives a f**k, really?

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 10:14:57 pm
content: This is not a religion-os-war topic.I do not care a penny about that.I described a couple of examples where you cannot use GNU/Linux to do your stuff, and underlined three main problems1) the kernel Linux is not compatible with old drivers2) there are commercial programs that do not have an equivalent open source contropart (or they are too limited for professional tasks)3) Wine and Virtual machines are not the "swiss knife" for running every Window program on GNU/linux-x86I see comments about "religion" pretty irrelevant with these points!

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 11:36:23 pm
content: Quote from: SteveThackery on September 23, 2025, 09:45:28 pmAnd as soon as an OS like Windows understands that, stops attempting to be the application or to choose the applications for me, and gets out of the way of what I'm doing instead of going out of its way to be disruptive..

author: kite31
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 12:50:24 am
content: Quote from: DiTBho on September 23, 2025, 10:14:57 pmYou seem to care sufficiently vigorously to respond with this sort of comment both to a gently amusing joke and to a serious comment that the OS is relatively unimportant.If you are not interested in religion, don't talk about religion.

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 01:30:52 am
content: Quote from: kite31 on September 24, 2025, 12:50:24 amIf you go through the thread and read it, you'll see that at no point did the OP inject religiosity into their discussion of OSs.That came from someone else, in the form of a joke, but still.I can understand their (the OP's) aversion to this whole "religious" issue. Too characteristic of a lot of nerds, unfortunately.

author: kite31
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 01:47:32 am
content: Over-reaction implied to me unwarranted sensitivity.The entire thread is to me pretty innocuous. Let's leave it as is.

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 11:17:17 am
content: ... and sometimes MacOS is better: when? When you need to develop on a "unix-certified" box (GNU/Linux is not)I have 3 laptops today. Umm, it's getting heavier and heavier.

author: DiTBho
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 12:03:17 pm
content: Quote from: Analog Kid on September 24, 2025, 01:30:52 amYup, especially on YT comments