if gaming was easier on linux I'd be there 100%, now its only like 15%

2.95 gcc compiler installed and setup for gcc and cc to work correctly

This above a beyond all else will keep anyone but computer saavy users from ever trying Linux. The thought of having to recompile bits of your OS in order to play a game is incomprehensible to 99% of the computing world..

The thought of having to recompile bits of your OS in order to play a game is incomprehensible to 99% of the computing world.

That'll be because that 99% of the computing world actually has a 'Real Life' [tm] ....

Anyone with a propeller-hat want to give Mister Relswick back the 6 hours of life he has lost forever?...

haha, so I don't have a Real Life! I knew something was wrong there.

the 6 hours isn't a 'total' loss, but yes, it was annoying to some degree, but I am a geek after all. I did learn a bit after all.

Yes, I have yet to play a decent game on Linux yet (tuxcart don't count as a real game, even if it is ok)

One thing about computers as in many things, the more you know about them, the better off you are. Besides, I hear there are Linux consulting jobs out there paying ~$50 an hour...

One thing about computers as in many things, the more you know about them, the better off you are

I agree with you there, after all I am a programmer by trade but that doesn't mean I have 6 or more hours to waste on installing a video card. In that 6 hours I could completely re-build my computer including spending time to nicely zip tie all cables out of the way for the cleanest looking install possible, re-install the OS and all software and be playing any number of games in the time frame it took to install one new hardware device..

For my time it's clear where my money is best spent, and all the FUD spread by the Linux zealots about Windows security is just unrealized as far as I'm concerned. The last time I had a virus was when I was in College and I had to use floppy disks to store my assignments in the computer lab. This was on a computer running 95 or 98 also. Even my fiancee who is a self admitted computer noob has managed to stay virus and spyware free for the most part once I gave her the standard internet safety speech.

So, while I can appreciate your efforts in learning Linux I must say that for myself it's just not something I see as a worthwhile investment in my time. Congrats on the accomplishment though, I bet you were psyched when you finally got it working! Imagine, that was for a 6200 that's probably been out for a while, I wonder if I'd even be able to find drivers for my 7800 GTX..

Props on getting it to work. Sorry to say I will not see myself using any Linux based box as my primary PC. I love technology, I love that it makes my life a little better, faster, easier and more confy. It seems that Linux lacks those qualities and therefor I have steered clear of it till now. I do want to learn simply because I am a geek and things like this are a must just to know. Nothing like showing off that there is more to you than just Windows. If only I can find a woman just as geeky as me that would find this as a turn on. Oops sorry, strayed from the subject.

I did download a Linux distro, one I saw mentioned in an article here. It's called Slackware. I have yet to try it cause it has 4 CDs and I downloaded it at work, since I have no internet at home for now, but I have no way to take it home with me yet. Once I do I will try it out, but no promises that I will get hooked immidiately. Like Kevin_C
said, I just can't waste that much time on installing just on piece of hardware. Time is money and unless someone is paying me I will have to make time I don't mind spending to do such a thing. Who knows.

I never had trouble with nvidia cards under linux. Generally their installer is spot-on and as easy to use as the windows one. It's ATI I've had a nightmare of a time with. I have a box with a PCIE ATI X300 vid card running SuSE 10.0. No matter what I do, I follow all the directions everyone has posted about the damn thing, and I still can't get the machine to recognize the card as having 3D capabilities (which it does). After months and months of work on the problem, I had to give up. I think I may just wait for nvidia PCIe cards to get really cheap and just drop a basic card down in the box.

Linux is waaaay off from being able to really compete on the desktop. Add to that the fact that there are only a small handful of games available (hell, even the Mac has more!) and it's no wonder people aren't migrating yet.

From what I have read in Linux Journal magazine and Tux Magazine, the distros have come a LONG way and are much easier to install. It was the upgrade issue (which I believe was aggrevated by Linspire) I was having as I am not advanced enough to backup the email data for my wife yet, so I had to bear through it. Stay tuned and I will post other stuff on my Linux experience as I go.

I am considering starting a Linux Noob screencast for those, wishing to learn as you go.

Main reason for switching - the experience, secondary reason - LOTS of free apps, almost anything you want.