Re: [microsound] ppc-oriented Linux(was: Gentoo for MacOS)

[Niklas Werner <bergtroll@xxxxxx>]

>  With things like Fink available I can't really see
>  the point of it.
>  Just wondering...

you provoked it... my highly subjective and slightly romantic account:

- under Linux my computer does _exactly_ what I want it to, not what 
others think I want it to
- I have only the software installed I need (including the system 
software)
- I have only the services running I really use (no iChat-auto-popup 
notifier, no finder-indexing-auto-daemon, no iTunes that eats up bloody 
20% of my CPU for simple mp3-playback!...)
- the desktop looks and behaves _exactly_ as I need it to to be productive 
(several desktops, windows get focus by just pointing the mouse, no 
clicking, _my_ keyboard shortcuts for every task I like, etc. etc..)
- The software quenches the last little bit of performance from the 
hardware instead of trying to cater for any remotely possible setup
- Under Mac-On-Linux OS9 runs beautifully on my Aluminium Porwerbook with 
real Finder and almost real devices (works much better than Classic)
- JACK and ardour with ladpsa-plugins, supercollider and jamin is the most 
productive music environment I ever worked with! Those apps don't run on 
OS X (except for JACK, sort of)
- All this doesn't cost me money, just time (and being a poor student I 
definitely have more time than money to spare), and the time spent 
rewards me with more knowledge, great, eh?

Downside:
- OpenGL Hardware accelleration does not work, yet.
- Getting the Modem of the newer machines to run can be a major PITA
- And yes, there was a steep learning curve involved when I started with 
Linux in '97, but it was worth it! IMHO you can only produce art, if you 
really know what the tools you use actually do. (bluntly: no "digital" 
art without knowing at least one decent programming language like 
C/C++/Java/SuperCollider, analogue: If you can't draw with a pencil you 
probably won't become a good painter). 

Cheers,

Niklas
--
Computer Music PhD-student
University of Waikato
Hamilton
New Zealand

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