Angryoptimist's Fun Time!

Mac OSX versus Linux

2009-12-10T20:46:35Z

So, I was googling for some kind of OSX API compatibility layer for Linux, like WINE, when I came across this.

Now, before I go any further, I'd like to disclose two things:

what I typically use and why, and
why exactly I was looking for such a layer in the first place.

To the first, I use Debian. It is what you'd call a 'Linux distribution', though they pack a few other kernels that I'm aware of. I use it because it's the only system that doesn't frustrate me into not wanting to use a computer, and when I say that, I mean:

it's reliable
it has very nearly any kind and sort of software package I could possibly want
it's current and regularly updated
it has the fewest crippling issues and annoyances of any OS that I've used
setup from scratch is quick and easy
as is movement and backup of configuration from system to system
quick backup of configuration is startlingly complete and easy to do without hunting much
hardware compatibility is good, drivers are automatic and stable
honestly, there are virtually no barriers to me doing whatever pops into my head with my machine at any given time--things are just easier to do

Understand, I'm pretty satisfied with my choice. It has what I need, and does a great deal more of what I want than anything else.

So, the second thing. I play this game. It's available for two platforms: Windows and Mac OSX. I can run it on Windows. That isn't a problem. It also "Wines well", which is misleading, since Wine generally only works as well as Windows, at best, and Windows is a tragedy. So, I was looking into something similar for Mac OSX, because Mac OSX is somewhat less of a tragedy than Windows. I've looked for such a thing once before (for the exact same reason), but no such thing existed. The software library available for most distribution is larger and more complete than what's available for Mac OSX, even when you filter for quality. Simply put, nobody cares enough to make such a layer. I mean, hell, look at my own case: I only wanted such a thing in order to run a single program.

So, while I was looking about (finding that no layer exists, of course), I came upon that Slashdot article in the beginning.

And on that article, there were comments.

And in those comments, there were people suggesting the man was a fool for even wanting to run Linux on a Macbook, or, indeed, for wanting Linux over OSX. That Linux was a 'lawnmower' to OSX's 'Lamborghini'.

I won't lie and say that doesn't irritate me. I've used all the major operating systems. I don't think I'd every characterize OSX as a 'Lamborghini', and I sure as hell wouldn't characterize Linux as a 'lawnmower'. I'd think of OSX more as a Bently, and Linux more as a M1A2. An M1A2 that could fly and be used as an atmospheric reentry vehicle.

Now, I admit, it could all be just trolling, but one must remember that an Apple product is involved--we might be dealing with Mac users and, in that case, all rationality goes out the window. With that in mind, I'd just like to put something on the record here, just to make things perfectly clear.

Mac OSX is not superior to 'Linux'. There are perfectly legitimate reasons to choose 'Linux' over OSX, some of them being:

greater freedom and control over your machine
absolutely enormous software library that is constantly growing
somewhat greater general capability
wider hardware support
ease of use, as opposed to 'ease of learning'

Really, most of the really cool things Mac OSX can do come from the similarity it has to Free operating systems on a technical level and a sharing of community. I don't need my computer to be pretty, I just want it to work better.

Last Updated 39 Weeks Ago!

2009-11-14T21:53:25Z

<o/`>
Stuff!
And
Things!
Fighting for supremacy on the mooon!

STUFF!
AND
THINGS!
FIGHTING FOR SUPREMACY ON THE MOOOOOOOON!
</o/`>

Huh.

2009-02-08T04:43:57Z

Somebody is having really noisy sex in my apartment complex.

I have the windows open for purposes of maximum cooling and such. I guess they had the same idea.

And now it seems like someone's banging on someone's door (probably loud sex people's door, to get the all-too-happy couple to shut the hell up).

I don't know why, but I find this kinda funny.

OH MAN

2008-07-28T19:59:18Z

OH

OH MAN

QUOD LIBET IS AWESOME

WE ARE SORRY IF IT IS TOO HARD FOR YOU, MICROSOFT

2008-01-31T23:02:44Z

WE ARE SORRY IF IT IS TOO HARD FOR YOU, MICROSOFT.

Super Famiclone Hardware and Compatibility

2008-01-29T23:09:29Z

I love Super Bomberman 2. I love it so much, that I bought it (a second time) long after I had lost possession of my first SNES and its games (not by choice, I might add), even thought I didn't have the hardware to play it. "No sweat," I thought to myself, "I'll just get an SNES some other time." So I hung it up on my wall, and pretty much forgot about the whole thing for awhile.

In order to play it, in its original form, I'd need hardware that could play the cartridge. Most SNES that come into local stores aren't in spectacularly great condition. Sure, they work, but they look and smell like something else entirely. I'm generally loathe to go to ebay, as well.

Well, I was wasting time reading stuff on Wikipedia, when I happened upon a collection of their Famiclone articles. There, I discovered that there were now Super Famiclones out in the great beyond.

I'll get to the point: the Wikipedia article on the FC Twin states that it is incompatible with Super Bomberman 2. I have, thus far, been unable to confirm or deny this--I've been entirely unable to find a corroborating article elsewhere on the Internet. However, I have been able to confirm that the "FC Dual" (supposedly a later version of this Super Famiclone, though the manufacturer branding is different) does run Super Bomberman 2 correctly. Video is not spectacular. It's a little wriggly, even with S-Video, but it's only been tested it with a TV-Tuner card so far. The color is right, so that common gripe with clones seems not to be a difficulty here. Multitap functionality hasn't been tested, but if/when I can confirm this working/not working, I'll update.

Short version: The FC Dual (which I have only been able to find here and is supposedly related to Yobo's FC Twin.) runs the SNES game Super Bomberman 2 without flaw.

It was a minor hassle to determine this, hopefully it won't be for anyone else who digs for the information.

Good Grief

2007-05-01T03:42:41Z

I've been glancing through my old posts--probably because of some advanced form of self hate because it's almost never "Yeah, I'm glad I said/did that" when I look back at things I've written--and it's pretty much all shit except for this. This was actually kind of funny.

By the way: I've switched to the Dvorak keyboard layout while just beginning to learn it (my theory is: this will give me impetus to actually work to learn it), so this post is brought to you by 'ARE WE DONE YET?'

Jabber

2006-10-24T00:49:05Z

Posting from Jabber is kinda neat.

Corollary

2006-08-14T02:24:28Z

It's said that (I'm paraphrasing) 'when you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.' Do not be decieved. No matter what it looks like, not every problem is a 'nail'--chances are, a relative few problems can be administered to well with whatever 'hammer' one has on hand.

Safety Not Guaranteed

2006-08-08T08:29:06Z

I always listen to "Scarface (Push It To The Limit)" when I read stories involving time travel.

Ha ha! Just kidding! I have only done this once before!

Push it to the limit!

TEST

2006-07-26T02:46:18Z

TEST POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Observation:

2006-03-14T01:32:56Z

If you take all the pauses out of William Shatner, you get Tom Cruise.

kldsjfkljdsl;afjlsjdfldsjkl

2006-02-25T00:02:28Z

kjbnhewiajngkjbnajklejdfkljklejfiowjeiojflasndfkljdklsj

To Anyone Who May Be Interested In Me Crowing About How Awesome I Am

2006-01-16T04:06:22Z

So, two days ago, just 'cause I felt like it, I decided to learn HTML and CSS. I finished about late-noon yesterday. Someone once told me that learning HTML took 15 minutes; I think they were talking about some other HTML.

Anyway, since I had finished I'd wanted to make a so-called "liquid layout" using custom graphics and elements; that wasn't in the second-hand text I had. I was pretty sure I'd seen something like that before, though, so I kept at it and I've just now (mostly) perfected my first.

Oh, and I should probably mention: I'm using Debian GNU/Unix and viewing it in Epiphany browser (I've checked it in Firefox as well). So if the browser window/title bar OS themes look a little unfamiliar, that may be why.

All the images used are PNGs (so the shadows are actually transparent and will look okay independent of background; it was difficult to make that work with the formatting solution I used, but I managed to make it work) that I made in GIMP, which I am slowly getting used to.

I'm really kinda proud of it.

IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!

2006-01-08T06:01:44Z

I just found the breakdancing gif of Vegeta on 4chan.

I'm not exactly sure what it says about me that I consider finding a gif of a cartoon character breakdancing important enough to tell the whole world. (Okay, 3-4 people, maybe. So sue me.)

In conclusion:

A Note

2006-01-08T05:38:34Z

This () is the icon I am currently using for the application launcher that lauches my instant messaging program.

That is, when I talk to someone on the Interents, I look at that first.

Humbug

2006-01-08T04:43:25Z

Last night, I dreamt that--in addition to fire, wind, earth, water, and "heart"--"humbug" and "chocolate" were elements. Additionally, in this dream, I was the "humbug" planeteer; I had a humbug ring.

No, I don't remember what it was supposed to do.

MARRY CHRISTMASES

2005-12-24T22:43:40Z

HARPY HOLLOWDAZE

RE: BLEACH 58

2005-11-21T02:43:03Z

ZA WORLDO!!!

angryoptimist @ 2005-11-20T14:47:00

2005-11-20T22:52:03Z

I

LIVE

AGAIN!!!

That is, I have Internets again after unexpectedly not having them for nearly a week.

Huh

2005-11-01T19:29:10Z

Did anyone hear about that rootkit/malware that Sony is installing with their audio cds on Windows computers? If not, see here and here.

I'm pretty irritated with them. From now on, I'll just have to rip music from CD (listening directly from CD apparently being too risky) under Linux and hope I avoid future stuff like this. If they tried to pull this type of shit under Linux it would be (correctly!) identified as an exploit and patched out of existence as quickly as possible.

This is one of those "You had to be there" things, so I won't go into it much, but

2005-11-01T06:31:57Z

...I extend a hearty "Whatchyou doin' HalloWEEN HAHAHAHAHA" to everyone.

Whatchyou doin' HalloWEEN HAHAHAHAHA

This is pretty awesome

2005-10-24T18:38:21Z

[09:51am] Frocto: Sup Angry.
[10:04am] Frocto: Angry? ANGRY? AAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRY?
[10:04am] Frocto: dundun dun dundun dundundun!

(Integrity Messenger doesn't automatically show you as away when you're not using the computer for a long period.)

T FROCTO

2005-10-22T18:59:38Z

Non Sequitur: Message for Yuka Takeuchi Fan

2005-10-22T17:57:53Z

I was messing around with that stupid quiz and discovered something startling:

Your girl troubles are over, man, all you have to do is change your favorite color to "dingos". (Incidentally, my favorite color is now "dog".)