[OT] Rev on Linux PPC - Would you use it?

Mon Nov 3 08:09:52 EST 2003

> So, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER USING A LINUX PPC VERSION OF REV, please 
> DROP ME A LINE. If there is enough show of interest in this topic, 
> then I will message the RunRev team, and let them know that we'd 
> suppor their efforts in that area!

I would definitely like to see Rev get the same attention for Linux on 
PowerPC as Windows and Mac OS X do.  I would be willing to do any 
testing, etc to help in this effort.  I run Yellow Dog Linux and Mac OS 
X (Panther).

That's my 2 cents.

- James

On Oct 31, 2003, at 7:28 PM, Igor Couto wrote:

> APOLOGIES FOR THE LONG POST
> and also apologies for the inaccuracies in the following story. I'm 
> new to the Linux world, and I am totally lost in the PC world. If my 
> experience disagrees with yours, please do drop me a line! I'm always 
> willing to accept corrections and help!
>
> A while ago, after reading bits on this list about the current rise in 
> the number of Linux users around the globe, and the appearance of 
> 'user-friendly' Linux distributions (ie, 'Lindows'), I decided to put 
> my preconceptions aside, and investigate this operating system more 
> closely.
>
> Being a long-term Mac user, I have a rather old (and now, basically 
> useless) original iMac, that I keep as a spare computer in the guest 
> bedroom. It is really just a toy, which allows friends to write the 
> odd letter in Word, or (very slowly) browse the 'net when they stay 
> over for a few days. However, with a startup time of about 3 minutes, 
> it really is of not much use to me for day-to-day work (Revolution is 
> painfully slow in it). Also, considering that its market value is less 
> than US$200, it is not really worth selling it. So there it sits, a 
> nerd's forgotten toy.
>
> After searching around for a PPC version of Linux, I came across 
> 'YellowDog' (http://yellowdoglinux.com/) - a totally FREE 
> distribution, ONLY FOR MACs. 'Hmmm, this sounds interesting', I 
> thought. After 3 days of painstakingly downloading the 3 CD images 
> that make up the installer, I finally was able to burn the instal CDs, 
> and start my little iMac from CD 1. 'Hmmm, so far, so good', I 
> thought.
>
> Well, I expected a graphical installer, as advertised in the YellowDog 
> web site, but I really did not expect anything THAT POLISHED! The 
> installation was elegant, and... simple - taking about 2 and a half 
> hours to complete in my old, slow iMac.
>
> The first startup after the installation was also very surprising: it 
> was FAST - taking less than a minute to get to the GUI. And once I 
> started using the system, well, what an *incredible* delight! My 
> little iMac was once again FAST! And the interface, much to my 
> surprise, was very, very elegant, easy to navigate, and full of 
> refinements (and for shallow Macophiles like me, looks are very 
> important!).
>
> I had read about all kinds of problems that PC-Linux users have during 
> installation and configuration of their systems (problems with video, 
> mis-configuration of keyboard keys, inability to see internal drivers, 
> difficulty in configuring printers, lack of sound, etc.) that often 
> require *scary* trips to the command-line (remember, I'm a Macophile). 
> I was psychologically prepared to try to dive right in, however, in my 
> little iMac, everything worked absolutely *straight away*.
>
> I started then to investigate the bundled applications (all of them 
> freeware), and found a magnitude of incredibly powerful software, some 
> of which I had never even heard about: OpenOffice (a MS Office 
> look-alike, totally compatible with all 'office' file formats), GIMP 
> (a surprisingly powerful image editor), Mozilla (web browser), drawing 
> apps, charting apps, networking apps, desktop customisation gadgets, 
> several games, etc, etc, etc... WOW! I was impressed!
>
> YellowDog Linux had basically given a new lease of life to my dusty 
> old iMac! It was, once again, a *great*, fast, little machine! I 
> immediately thought that it would actually make a GREAT second 
> development computer for me. I had seen in the Rev website that there 
> was a 'Linux' version of Revolution, right?
>
> Hmmmm, no. Wrong. The 'Linux' version of Rev that is available for 
> download, is only for PC-based Linux (ie, 'Intel' processor machines), 
> not for PPC (Macs). Apparently, there used to be a Linux PPC version 
> of Rev (compatible with YellowDog), but it was discontinued a few 
> versions back.
>
> LINUX PC vs. LINUX PPC
>
> Now that I understood just how *easy* installation and use of Linux 
> was, I understood the reason why Linux is finally taking off, and 
> being adopted so widely. This OS is powerfull, easy to use, and, most 
> importantly, it is FREE. And all the basic apps that the average user 
> will ever need come BUNDLED FOR FREE. Never underestimate the power of 
> the FREE tag.
>
> Most of the users I develop for have Windows-based hardware. But I 
> believe, with little exception, that most of them *really* struggle 
> with Windows - and all of them, without exception, dislike Microsoft. 
> The only reason most of them PERSIST with Windows-based systems, is 
> because they are small companies who have already invested too much 
> money in their PC hardware, and now find themselves 'locked' into the 
> Microsoft downward spiral. A *very expensive* spiral, which many 
> resent bitterly. I can see now why, for these users, Linux is becoming 
> such an *attractive* proposition - and why, we, as developers, should, 
> indeed, be paying closer attention to (and supporting) that market.
>
> The main problem with Linux, however, is that because it is made for a 
> wide variety of hardware, there are inevitable compatibility and 
> configuration problems. That is, in the Linux *PC* world. Because the 
> hardware world of the Macs is *much* more limited, there are *FAR* 
> less problems with Linux installations on the PPC platform. But don't 
> take my word for it - have a quick read of this very interesting 
> article, by someone with a LOT of Linux experience, titled "YellowDog 
> Linux Better Than RedHad 9": 
> http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reviews/4862/.
>
> Also, in my own (however limited) experience, I have found that trying 
> to assemble a reasonably-priced second-hand Linux system is *far 
> easier and cheaper* using Macs, than using PC hardware. I mean, you 
> can get an old iMac like mine from eBay for less than US$200, and that 
> is a great, complete, FULLY-FUNCTIONAL system - with networking, 
> sound, video, usb, etc, etc, all in working order, and get YellowDog 
> installed and running without you even having to know the full specs 
> of your hardware! That is INCREDIBLE!
>
> As a small business person, the prospect of being able to have a 
> fully-featured workstation for that price is REALLY EXCITING! With 
> $1000, I could setup a room full of decent, developer workstation 
> iMacs! I don't think I could do that with PCs (again, my experience 
> there is limited), and I *know* I certainly could not do that with 
> Macs running OS X! WOW! Having to spend *so much less* money on 
> hardware THAT IS SURE TO WORK, means that we could expand sooner, and 
> start hiring staff earlier!!! *hehehehehe*
>
> MAIN PROBLEM
>
> The main problem remains, though: our main development application - 
> Runtime Revolution - has abandoned the Linux PPC platform. A quick 
> message from Heather confirmed this. However, Heather did give me some 
> hope: she stated that if there is enough interest from the developer 
> community, the RunRev team would be willing to consider bringing back 
> the Linux PPC version of Revolution...
>
> So, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER USING A LINUX PPC VERSION OF REV, please 
> DROP ME A LINE. If there is enough show of interest in this topic, 
> then I will message the RunRev team, and let them know that we'd 
> suppor their efforts in that area!
>
>
>
> Once again, apologies for the long post!
>
> Kindest Regards,
>
>
> --
> Igor de Oliveira Couto
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