Another win for PCLOS and Zen-mini, another fail fer winders.

[Dragynn]

So out of the blue yesterday, my XP partition of my dual-boot, decides to have an epic fail day. Would not boot, would go black after flashing a quick BSOD during boot process, over and over. And it was not any changes or actions whatsoever on my part, and it was not a hardware issue either, as my Zen install never even hiccuped and was 100% functional. I could still read all the winders files from Zen and in fact could have done a real forensic study of it thanks to having PCLOS, but i'm sooooo burned out on that...

I pulled the few files I wanted, moved pics and docs out of Zen onto my external HD, made a quick re-master of Zen (took 9.5 minutes, 608 mb final size), wiped the drive and re-formatted with the resulting liveCd, re-loaded windows and tweaked (an extra hour just hacking it back down to size, endless re-boots for drivers etc.), loaded my new Zen re-master and installed (took about 7 minutes total start to finish and ALL my settings, progs and custom stuff is intact).

Spontaneous meltdown, thanks MS, and you are totally busted, because running dual-boot allowed me the unique perspective of being able to refute any MS/BS about it being mine or my equipment's fault. A handful of Devs keep a dozen versions of this distro running and stable (despite my constant hacking on it ) and MS has 50,000 employees and they can't keep one or two working properly? EPIC. FAIL.

Thank you all again for the best OS it's ever been my pleasure to use. Basically Windoze is now nothing but a life-support system for Photoshop (I paid dearly for it, so can't bear to throw it away yet), and it does have some usefulness: making wallpaper and artwork for PClinuxOS  

[GermanTux]

Thats what Gimp ... Inkscape and Xara are for .... much more powerful and no need for XP :-D

Gimp is a marvel, but it really cannot match Photoshop as a software package for its purpose. 

[parnote]

Thats what Gimp ... Inkscape and Xara are for .... much more powerful and no need for XP :-D

Gimp is a marvel, but it really cannot match Photoshop as a software package for its purpose. 

I know it sounds like a contradiction, but +1 to both statements. Gimp, Inkscape and Xara are much more powerful. And Gimp can match Photoshop, feature for feature, but it's not always apparent. If the Gimp devs made the capabilities of Gimp much more apparent, I think you'd find many more Photoshop users making the switch. Without spending the time with Gimp, there's no way to realize and fully appreciate all that it is capable of.

@Dragynn,

Have you tried running your copy of Photoshop in Wine? I know some versions are capable of being ran in Wine. It would at least prevent you from having to boot to the "dark side" whenever you wanted to use it.

parnote

[Georgetoon]

If the Gimp devs made the capabilities of Gimp much more apparent, I think you'd find many more Photoshop users making the switch. Without spending the time with Gimp, there's no way to realize and fully appreciate all that it is capable of.

Wholeheartedly agree!  It's all in learning and knowing the moves of the application. 

I made an absolute effort to use Gimp and nothing else. I didn't use or install anything else.  Gimp only.  Even if it meant, at first, I'd be taking more time to accomplish a simple task, I stuck with using Gimp.

Pretty soon (and sooner than I anticipated), I was flying through the program and really unleashing it's power.  I still haven't made full use of the program.  It's every bit as powerful and deep as PhotoShop.  Although PhotoShop, at the pro level, allows you to do CMYK for the print industry.  But for everything else, Gimp.

[parnote]

If the Gimp devs made the capabilities of Gimp much more apparent, I think you'd find many more Photoshop users making the switch. Without spending the time with Gimp, there's no way to realize and fully appreciate all that it is capable of.

Wholeheartedly agree!  It's all in learning and knowing the moves of the application. 

I made an absolute effort to use Gimp and nothing else. I didn't use or install anything else.  Gimp only.  Even if it meant, at first, I'd be taking more time to accomplish a simple task, I stuck with using Gimp.

Pretty soon (and sooner than I anticipated), I was flying through the program and really unleashing it's power.  I still haven't made full use of the program.  It's every bit as powerful and deep as PhotoShop.  Although PhotoShop, at the pro level, allows you to do CMYK for the print industry.  But for everything else, Gimp.

Well, Gimp can also do CMYK separations, with the proper plug in. And there's more than one available for it.

Separate+   http://cue.yellowmagic.info/softwares/separate-plus/index.html

CMYK Separation Plugin    http://www.blackfiveservices.co.uk/separate.shtml

HTH!

parnote

[Georgetoon]

If the Gimp devs made the capabilities of Gimp much more apparent, I think you'd find many more Photoshop users making the switch. Without spending the time with Gimp, there's no way to realize and fully appreciate all that it is capable of.

Wholeheartedly agree!  It's all in learning and knowing the moves of the application. 

I made an absolute effort to use Gimp and nothing else. I didn't use or install anything else.  Gimp only.  Even if it meant, at first, I'd be taking more time to accomplish a simple task, I stuck with using Gimp.

Pretty soon (and sooner than I anticipated), I was flying through the program and really unleashing it's power.  I still haven't made full use of the program.  It's every bit as powerful and deep as PhotoShop.  Although PhotoShop, at the pro level, allows you to do CMYK for the print industry.  But for everything else, Gimp.

Well, Gimp can also do CMYK separations, with the proper plug in. And there's more than one available for it.

Separate+   http://cue.yellowmagic.info/softwares/separate-plus/index.html

CMYK Separation Plugin    http://www.blackfiveservices.co.uk/separate.shtml

HTH!

parnote

Wow!  How 'bout that?!  I always heard that CMYK support was coming.  I lost track of it.  Glad you posted this as it's something I'm sure I'll need.

[Dragynn]

@Dragynn,

Have you tried running your copy of Photoshop in Wine? I know some versions are capable of being ran in Wine. It would at least prevent you from having to boot to the "dark side" whenever you wanted to use it.

parnote

I really wondered that myself Parnote as I was installing...running CS3, I wonder if anyone here has a user experience with 'Shop under Wine to share?

On another note Paul, I noticed that the new updated Scribus has been added to the repo as I was updating Mama's machine , I upgraded it but haven't tried it out, have you taken it for a spin yet?

I tell ya my biggest gripe with GIMP, and I noticed it right off the bat, having to deal with a text pop-up box to write in, as opposed to just writing the text directly on the piece you are working on, it was really seriously annoying.

I agree with German Tux, overall GIMP doesn't quite match 'Shop yet. JMHO, YMMV

[Georgetoon]

@Dragynn,

Have you tried running your copy of Photoshop in Wine? I know some versions are capable of being ran in Wine. It would at least prevent you from having to boot to the "dark side" whenever you wanted to use it.

parnote

I really wondered that myself Parnote as I was installing...running CS3, I wonder if anyone here has a user experience with 'Shop under Wine to share?

On another note Paul, I noticed that the new updated Scribus has been added to the repo as I was updating Mama's machine , I upgraded it but haven't tried it out, have you taken it for a spin yet?

I tell ya my biggest gripe with GIMP, and I noticed it right off the bat, having to deal with a text pop-up box to write in, as opposed to just writing the text directly on the piece you are working on, it was really seriously annoying.

I agree with German Tux, overall GIMP doesn't quite match 'Shop yet. JMHO, YMMV

I'm the opposite.  I like the pop up text box.  I guess it's because I'm used to using Scribus and editing text in a pop up box.  although Scribus gives you the option to do either.


Anyhow, the latest and greatest Gimp (2. is coming with a new single window mode work area and the ability to type text directly on the piece that is being worked on.

The text tool, which allows you to overlay text on top of images, no longer requires the user to edit the text content in a separate popup window—you can now edit the text directly on the image canvas. 

[The Chief]

Have you tried running your copy of Photoshop in Wine? I know some versions are capable of being ran in Wine. It would at least prevent you from having to boot to the "dark side" whenever you wanted to use it.

Photoshop versions 7.0 and 8.0 are both listed as 'Platinum' under wine. See here:
http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=17

Lightroom 3.0 is listed as 'Silver' under wine.  See here:
http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=5839

[parnote]

I really wondered that myself Parnote as I was installing...running CS3, I wonder if anyone here has a user experience with 'Shop under Wine to share?

On another note Paul, I noticed that the new updated Scribus has been added to the repo as I was updating Mama's machine , I upgraded it but haven't tried it out, have you taken it for a spin yet?

I tell ya my biggest gripe with GIMP, and I noticed it right off the bat, having to deal with a text pop-up box to write in, as opposed to just writing the text directly on the piece you are working on, it was really seriously annoying.

I agree with German Tux, overall GIMP doesn't quite match 'Shop yet. JMHO, YMMV

I don't mind the popup box in Gimp, either.

As for getting CS3 running under Wine (I've heard it's possible ... but I prefer to use VBox to run any Windows programs that I find a need for), I'd check the reports at WineHQ.

Scribus 1.3.9, I presume? If so, yes. In fact, I've built the PDF for the last two issues of the magazine with 1.3.9. AFAIK, 1.4.0 (the next major release) isn't out yet. As the mag's editor, I check out the latest versions of Scribus from testing, before they hit the main repo, to make sure that there are no show stoppers for the magazine staff. The Scribus devs let their own personal pride get in the way of fixing the same ol' bugs that keep showing up version after version after version. I've been to their IRC channel, filed bug reports ... but nothing ever happens. There's one thing that stopped working after 1.3.5. It's been reported, and I was told in their IRC channel last month that it won't be fixed until 1.5.0!! Gee! We're not even up to 1.4.0 yet! You mean I have at least 10 more minor releases to wait before something that used to work is fixed?? Other times, they try to take the Microsoft route, and tell me that "bugs" are really "features." I can only presume that they take this position, because it's easier than admitting that they have no real idea of how to fix it. It's unfortunate that Scribus is the only DTP program we have available in Linux. The Scribus devs could certainly use a bit of "competition" for them to get it right.

parnote

[Aradalf]

I really wondered that myself Parnote as I was installing...running CS3, I wonder if anyone here has a user experience with 'Shop under Wine to share?

Well, here's the overall Photoshop page: http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=17
And here's the CS3 page: http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=6584
As you can see, it's listed as Silver, even though the detailed description says that the installer doesn't even start. A workaround is listed by one tester for *buntu alot, though, so maybe it'll work for PCLOS? Sorry I can't provide more help.

[Village Idiot]

I have a gen-u-wine copy of XP on a eee-pc that is laying of the floor, behind me.

I heard that the last patch Tuesday was a biggie, and I can't seem to be bothered to boot it up just to update the OS I never use cos I run a Live, custom PCLinuxOS from off the SD card slot which is all round better and more civilized.

[Xenaflux]

Gimp is a marvel, but it really cannot match Photoshop as a software package for its purpose.

My son does web design for a living.
He is a die hard windows user but uses GIMP for his work.

He says it is every bit as good as Photoshop

Dunno.....He said, not me

Xx

[pags]

Disclaimer:
I've never used Photoshop, mostly because I've never wanted to spend the money on it.  I have used many image editors, from DeluxePaint and others on the Amiga through to Paint Shop Pro and other in Windows.

Having said that (and being a strong proponent of using Gimp), I would venture to say that the only thing (of interest to me) that Photoshop has over the Gimp are Adjustment Layers.  However, their absence is in no way a show-stopper, so there is no reason to not continue to use (primarily) the Gimp.

$0.02
 

[arkanabar]

Adobe would probably sue the GIMP project for copyright infringement if the interfaces became too similar, which is a real shame.  There are a number of GIMP manuals available on Amazon.  I know I've seen a site somewhere that posts weekly inkscape tutorials, but I cannot remember where.  I have never used or even heard of Xara. 

@Dragynn, I don't know how much of what you regularly do in Photoshop you can also do open source, but it may well be worth your while to find out.

@Parnote -- you're not gonna believe this, but my sister hacks raw TeX code for DTP.