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Live CD with java, flash plugin and easy install by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 04:44 · Score: 0 · on Best Live Linux For Christmas Giving?

simplyMEPIS: http://www.mepis.org/ http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=mepi s/ http://www.mepislovers.com/ Based on Knoppix with some hardware detection improvment, and a very easy install if you want to put it on your hard drive. There is only one iso, so building your own might be a bit harder if you want to change the default wallpaper. As said in the title this Linux distro does not shy away from including proprietary software: Java and flash plugin, and a few other. While still being redrisbutable Including essentials applications for a desktop, with what is, in my opinion, a good choice: there is no alternative pre-installed. Though the choice might not be to your liking:

KDE
OpenOffice.org
Mozilla suite 1.7 with mozcalendar
Solitaire :)
Samba
etc...

I think it is a good choice for mainstream because most people think in term of functionality, not in term of software name.
Blacksad

Re:Danix by xdc · 2004-11-21 03:35 · Score: 1 · on Knoppix Hacks

Because I only looked up the domain after seeing your post, so that I could include a link in my reply. (I just like to hyperlink key things in my posts to web forums.) Previously, I had only seen the name Danix on DistroWatch or someplace, but I did not check it out or find out its domain name. I'm sure that if I had seen danix.cz, I would have assumed it was Czech.

BTW, thank you for your other interesting comments on the subject of Danix. :)

Here are some facts for your reading pleasure by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-15 05:03 · Score: 0 · on Can Reverse Engineering Help In Stopping Worms?

> Can Reverse Engineering Help In Stopping Worms?
If you're running Windows, no, the only thing that can help you is to format your hard drive and install Linux. It's not enough to just buy a computer and log on and hope that Microsoft did their job and that Windows will protect you, because I am here to tell you the same thing that millions of others will tell you... Microsoft didn't do a good job and Windows won't protect you.

Windows, whether you choose to believe it or not, is the worst OS on the planet. Microsoft Windows makes it rather easy for a hacker or script kiddie to break into your Windows machine and steal your personal information or install a keylogger or mouse mapper. A keylogger keeps track of all the keys you press and sends this info to the person who installed the key logger. A mouse mapper collects info about where you mouse cursor is at any given time along with which mouse buttons you press, this info is also sent to the person who installed the mouse mapper. Windows also makes it far to easy to catch viruses/worms/trojans/malware/spyware/etc. If you are using Windows and you haven't become a victim of identity theft, it is only a matter of time before you do.

Besides that, Microsoft lies, cheats, and steals to promote their company - they even got caught trying to fake evidence in court. Their "Get The Facts" campaign is the biggest bs-fest I've seen in a long time. Does this sounds like a company you want to do business with? Do you really think such an untrustworthy company is going to help you or indemnify you if your Windows operating system causes you to get into trouble?

Here are some facts:

Follow this link for a security report entitled: Security Report: Windows vs. Linux
Here is a nice little report about Viruses: Linux vs. Windows
And here is The U.S. government's warning to Web surfers to stop using Internet Explorer (IE) browser.

Windows is just full of problems and here is how to solve those problems. First of all, you need a good Linux operating system. You can go to Distrowatch and find more information about Linux distributions than you could ever want. You can also go to the Mandrakelinux website and check out their Linux distro and see some screenshots of Mandrakelinux.

Secondly, learn about your computer. You paid money for it, and you trust it with personal/private information. You must learn how to protect your computer if you expect your computer to protect the information that it contains. Microsoft Windows is not going to protect you or your computer - as many people have already learned.

It is not in your best interest to use Microsoft products because they are known only for failure and problems. Switch to Linux and learn about this awesome operating system. You'll thank me later :)

Not informative, not funny, whee... by sultanoslack · 2004-10-30 03:57 · Score: 5, Informative · on What Your Choice of Linux Distro Says about You

Uhm, this isn't really news and isn't even really decent humor.

If you want something informative, there's the old reliable Distro Watch and if you want something funny, try:

Funroll Loops
Fedora fun
[add your link here]

Formerly advertisements, now news! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-20 16:28 · Score: 0 · on Xandros Recruiting Beta Testers

Many Free distros have on-going beta-test periods, why doesn't Slashdot mention them? Hell, go over to Distrowatch and make a few more announcements.

Try GNUStep Live CD Re: Next by jmcgarey · 2004-10-19 09:15 · Score: 2, Informative · on 10 Years of OpenStep

One way to check GNUStep out is by downloading and booting the GNUStep Live CD
Did no one think of this yet?

you can get patches... by xutopia · 2004-10-12 12:24 · Score: 1 · on Ten Security Bulletins From Microsoft

here, here and here

Re:what happened to the troll by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-10 09:05 · Score: 1, Informative · on NetBSD 2.0 RC4 Tagged and Released

"all the trolls"... uh, did you count them? It's probably 1 AC...

Anyway, the poor kid is very, very ill. I really don't know what I can do to help him to recover.

Re:should read "Alternatives to..." by mreed911 · 2004-10-04 10:05 · Score: 2, Insightful · on Redmondmag on Dumping IE

Which one?

Red Hat? Debian? Yellow Dog? Ubuntu? Mandrake? Fedora? Knoppix? Suse? Gentoo?

Until linux standardizes out a little bit more it'll be hard for users to seriously consider migrating to it, and harder for sysadmins.

Yes, each one does things slightly different - different pathing, different packages, etc. But, copmare this against Windows - "Home" or "Professional." Two flavors, same program.

The right distro of linux for your use is a good thing - finding the right one for a particular use can be a *itch.

105 distributions based on Debian by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-03 02:37 · Score: 3, Interesting · on A Review of Ubuntu Warty Release

According to Distrowatch, there are 105 distributions based on Debian: Distrowatch independence.
What makes it so different from others to be quoted so often in Slashdot?

Re:Oh WHY by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-27 11:27 · Score: 0 · on Ubuntu Linux Review

Great! Just what the world needs: another Linux distro!

And for those of you with any doubt, I present: Distrowatch

It's you own fault... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-26 05:53 · Score: 0 · on Curing a Corporate Virus Infection

...by now any intelligent and well-informed person should know how insecure and bad Microsoft products are, the facts are all over the 'net. If you still run a Microsoft OS, then any trouble you run into is your own fault and you deserve to be hacked/virused/trojaned/wormed/etc. If you're not intelligent, or you don't keep yourself well-informed, then you don't need to be using a computer in the first place.

Install a Linux operating system and you won't be bothered by most infections. Mandrakelinux can be downloaded and installed for free and I have found, after installing it on over 100 machines, that it is faster and easier to install and use than Windows. You can even go to Distrowatch and learn more about the hundreds of different "flavors" of Linux, there's a Linux distribution for any need and taste. And, you can go to Easy Linux CD's and pay a few dollars for a Linux disto and have the CD's mailed to you if you don't want to download the files.

Stop being a statistic and do something about the problem. I am sick and tired of hearing Microsofties cry, moan, and complain when there is such an easy and affordable solution close at hand. There's no excuse not to use Linux.

This comment is an attempt to begin to teach people how to rid themselves of the Microsoft operating system problem and everything herein is true, as I have experienced it. However, this comment will probably be modded down due to the fact that Slashdot doesn't really care about the "truth". We shall see how it is modded.

dratted middle-mouse-button! by wolftone · 2004-09-14 12:24 · Score: 1 · on Linux Desktop Distros with Quality Fonts?

that link should've been this.

Re:I've said it before, and I'll say it again... by EzInKy · 2004-09-13 18:31 · Score: 1 · on Linux Standard Base 2.0 released

Dude, go to the certified distributions list url major linux distros including Red Hat, Mandrake, and Suse are in there!!

Please check facts before posting. Too bad you got modded up.

Of the top ten major distros only two, Mandrake and Suse, are on the LSB list. Fedora, Debian, Slackware, Knoppix, and Gentoo are not.

But I do have a question about LSB certified applications, are they required to run on any LSB certified distro no matter which hardware the distro is running on?

Re:Advantages of Mozilla platform?? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-09-11 10:34 · Score: 0 · on KDE Gets Gecko/Mozilla Support

oeone: status: This distribution has been discontinued.

Re:For a dead OS, they sure do release a lot by Anonymous Coward · 2004-08-27 19:40 · Score: 0 · on FreeBSD 5.3 Beta1

They don't *think* it's dying. Everybody knows FreeBSD is alive & *very* well (1 2 3 4 ...). They just want to find somebody who takes them seriously, and that gets pissed of at them.

Dude... I don't know if you're a real FreeBSD user, but there's really nothing to be pissed off about...
Linux trolls are infesting /.BSD ? Well, just make fun of their lameness, or just ignore them. Or, better, just post in reply a series of links (like that guy did in some posts above) showing how "dying" BSD is. :-D

Re:Well, their premise basically sucks. by petrus4 · 2004-08-21 18:39 · Score: 1 · on Red Hat Walks The Linux Tightrope

>The simple fact is that Debian is Linux.

Gee, I wonder why you wrote this post as anonymous? ;-)
The main point here though is that Debian does *not* make up the totality of Linux usage.

Let's have another look at DistroWatch's top 10, shall we? Yes, Debian is at No 5. What you conveniently neglected to mention however is that Mandrake, Fedora, and SUSE are at No 1, 2, and 4 respectively. Slackware is at 6. So from this, we can fairly easily determine that while yes, Debian is highly popular, it is actually NOT the *main* focus at all. People are using a lot of other distributions as well besides Debian...which means that while those in the Debian camp get what they want, different approaches to things are still being looked at and developed.
For people here who really NEED to have it spelled out in such simple terms, here it is.

Diversity == Good. Homogeny == Bad.

Why is this? As I've said before, for the evolutionary model to function, there need to be a lot of different variants of any given thing...a lot of mutations, if you like...these mutations are basically a proving ground where the best solutions to given problems can be found. If we only have a single option, that doesn't happen. Things stagnate, and progress grinds to a halt.

Re:They are little babies by Anonymous Coward · 2004-08-17 04:57 · Score: 0 · on Microsoft Lists SP2 Incompatibilities

Yes, there are more and more people everyday who are realize that Windows is bad idea. This is why Linux is become more and more popular and getting better everyday. Go to Distrowatch and choose a Linux for yourself. There are a Linux for everyone!

Greetings from India.

Some Suggestions by petrus4 · 2004-08-11 23:16 · Score: 1 · on Thin Client Solutions For Libraries?

Server software:- OpenBSD if you can handle it, (link with some info on how to install it here) hardened Gentoo if you can't. I'll probably get flamed for suggesting what seems like massive overkill there, but you mentioned wanting to keep the vermin out, and either of those two will definitely do it.

Client side, I'd probably go either Slackware or Gentoo again myself. Run X with either straight twm or maybe something like fluxbox if you really want, and set a dedicated account ("mozilla" or "guest") using Mozilla/Firefox as the actual login program/shell equivalent. Make sure that account also doesn't have anything other than read access outside that directory as well.
That may sound strange, but I figure the less you give people access to, the less resources you're giving them which they can then use to make mischief.

If you absolutely must, put Open Office on for them to do various other things, but doing that will blow the above plan out of the water almost completely. Personally I'd make it myself so that the only thing they have access to is a web browser. If they want to look up a book, do an HTML interface for the library DB, and they can do any other external surfing they want with that as well.

In terms of the surfing, have a deny-by-default firewall on the server...that way the only sites they can go to are those you specifically include. You won't have to worry about anyone using the system to download porn or other such nasty things, and it's a lot more robust at the firewall level than using some lame thing like Net Nanny that does hit-or-miss keyword screening. Also rather than locking the floppy drives on the clients, I'd actually disconnect the thing and pull it out. You most likely won't need it for anything yourself, and if you have it in there, any lock you've got on it will be pickable, which then opens up another avenue for trojans etc to be uploaded.

If you didn't care about security, you could probably get away with running the network with XP clients and a Linux server, but you mentioned wanting to keep deviants out, and that simply is not possible with anything from Microsloth, IMHO. I remember a few years ago on an NT box in a local library, Explorer was supposedly roped off, but Netscape had the option to change the default HTML source viewer from Notepad to something else, so on a whim I changed it to Explorer, went to view source, and lo and behold it worked, giving me complete access to the system. NT/XP's security quite simply isn't. ;-)

Re:This might be political?!? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-08-11 09:03 · Score: 1, Interesting · on Munich to Go Ahead with Linux After All

Korea-Japan-China initiative to develop an alternative OS was to depend less on the US software industry. The result was Red Flag Linux.

I don't think Red Flag has anything to do with the Asian OS project. The CJK "alternative OS" project began last year or so, but Red Flag started in 1999. Most importantly, it only supports Chinese, not Korean or Japanese. Although KDE's standard tool sets may have other two languages available, I doubt that Red Flag's own management tools do. The Asian alternative OS is yet to come out.

I still have to agree with you on your comment. Non-US governments are moving so that they don't have to depend heavily on products of US corporations. The impact of this move is more than money-saving.

Re:From a guy who just wants to use Linux by The+MESMERIC · 2004-07-21 08:05 · Score: 1 · on Gnome 2.6 Usability Review

It very much depends on which distro you are going for.
Now I don't know if there are other distros apart from YellowDog that runs on a Mac.
Assuming you want to install it on a Mac, otherwise you have more choice.
Installing a standard program should be a breeze - many or most Linux distros - have a way to fetch a program for you and install it automatically (some graphicall other through the console:

apt-get [name-of-program] (Debian + others) urpmi [name-of-program] (Mandrake) yum [name-of-program] .. etc (Yellowdog?)

Most distros or distro-genre have this sort of "remote" installation.
Many even resolve you the headaches such as downloading necessary extra programs to make it work (the so called dependancies)
It's really not that bad.
Problems will start only if you want to get that much more from the system. Installing the latest video driver, or compiling a program from source (perhaps to gain speed, or perhaps because it's a rare program published only as source).
You might get mixed up trying to make things like Eclipse run - but I don't think you'd use it - its a development tool.
NVU is another example, an HTML editor that may be attractive to some but is not readily compiled for all distros.
Compiling is not that bad either; after the automatic "remote" installation (which should cover 70%) or Linux apps;
the following 4 lines performed as root should cover some 20% more:

tar xfz [program-source code].tar.gz cd [program] ./configure make && make install

Scarier I agree.
But for most of your basic needs you should be OK.
Forums such as LinuxQuestions are pretty helpful and friendly towards new-starters (but it pays searching their database before posting stuff).

postosuchus v's coelophysis by goon · 2004-07-19 10:09 · Score: 1 · on Former Windows Chief on Microsoft Vs. Open-Source

this article alluded to evolution I cant help think of microsoft as the archosour postosuchus and the various linuxes/bsd's as coelophysis competing for space in the late triassic (220 million years ago) as shown in the bbc's walking with dinosaurs. The fight for users is hotting up with the nimble carnivorous open source systems eating away at application space and users.

the fact they (MS) dont get it doesn't really surprise anyone. I don't think MS is worried so much about the techno~weenies for example who can download the source to mozilla and add some extra functionality and charge a client... they just miss milking the mum/pop operations and business who are experimenting with the zero cost option (or minimal cost compared to MS) desktop linux. Then trying out the office replacement (open office), the visio replacement (dia), the browser replacement (mozilla flavours) and the other applications that compete in linuxland.

you just have to look at distrowatch rank to guess at the usage patterns (increasing desktop usage?).

one of the greatest threats I've seen to MS is the innovative knoppix, mandrake move (and others) playable CD's that allow users to get a taste for linux without installing. who says linux is not innovating? I've yet to see a comparable windows product to counter this.