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The problem is that the RT2500 chipset is proprietary, closed-source that's "maintained" by a Taiwanese manufacturer who doesn't care about his users at all and only wants to sell cheap hardware and as much of it as possible.

Well, actually, Ralink has for a long time been providing documentation to open source developers writing drivers for their devices, without requiring an NDA.

• http://www.thejemreport.com/content/view/293/
• http://kerneltrap.org/node/6550

Mod parent -1 Bullshit.

yacc is not a compiler, go read the link you posted.

This links to what you probably means, but yacc has nothing to do with it.

Jem Matzan falls short of pleased:
GPLv3 license marks GNU's decline
I say let's check back in a year and see how the adoption rate compares with Washington, DC traffic.

'Whoever is strongest' can NOT 'pick up and keep for himself' for example, the NetBSD code base in any meaningful way that denies anybody else the right to do the same.

64 bit unices available:

HP UX 11.x
AIX 4.3
Solaris 7+ (note that UltraSparc processers IIe and III on up require 64 bit kernels)
SGI Irix since at least 6.5
Compaq Tru64

All of these are pre-2000.

BTW, a funny thing I found while looking this up - SCO as of 2004 had no UNIX98 compliant OSes. Maybe that explains their lawsuit based business plan?

I did a google search for Daniel Lyons and the very first result was Is Daniel Lyons a loser?

Early on in the lawsuit, Daniel Lyons writing for Forbes heavily backed SCO against IBM, however like SCO they cited no evidence to back up the claim that Linux developers stole code from Unix and put it into Linux. They simply assumed that since the people behind the SCO suit were successful with lawsuits in the past they would be successful again.

And of course like many of us called it back in 2003, SCO's stock first skyrocketed on the hype from articles like Forbes' and then plummeted as it has become public knowledge that their case is completely without merit. Naturally those people in on the action early cashed out early and big, leaving the pointy hairs' who listened to Forbes holding the bag. So they may well have had some level of credibility in 2003, but the zealots wearing the blinders at Forbes called it wrong, and they didn't miss by a hair, they missed by a mile.

The article is from a Daniel Lyons talking about "restricting business"
though the real point of GPL v# seems to be is to keep free software from
restricting users (at the expense of shady business lock-in practices).

Lots of FUD about how this will hurt the (business) economy, etc. A
lot of the gist sounds like a push to privitize the previous work of
the community.

Also a bunch of exploitave tabloid-style character attacks on Stallman.

Seems Daniel uses this simliar muck raking style with other platforms:
http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/22/vista-microsoft-b allmer_cz_dl_0322mi...

Some people have written about the author:
http://www.thejemreport.com/mambo/content/view/174 sounds like he
equally pisses off eveyone he reports about.

Seems Daniel Lyons makes his living attacking Linux and GNU/FSF and others in the FOSS community. From the article:

You've probably seen his name mentioned on Slashdot and Groklaw, and if you regularly read Linux-related news, you've probably read some of his articles and shook your head in disbelief. Forbes writer and fiction author Daniel Lyons' articles regularly target Linux, free software, and companies that support Linux.

Moderators, please do not mod this post. I'm not doing it for the points.

No, the talk has been focused on the Marvell driver, but there is other proprietary stuff that others are talking about if you care to listen, such as the SD driver you mention.

from the discussion at http://www.thejemreport.com/mambo/content/view/286 /

"Theo de Raadt: At first I thought only the wireless device was undocumented, and required an NDA with Marvell. Now we know that the SD (Secure Digital) interface is insufficiently documented and requires an NDA with the SD Card Association. And the camera interface is also undocumented and requires an NDA with OmniVision. I wonder how many more parts of this laptop will be proprietary? If I am careful in selection, I can buy a laptop on the market today that has fewer proprietary parts."

There may well be other additional proprietary parts we don't know of yet, but we do know of the Marvell firmware, and interface documentation, the SD interface, and the camera. There are at least 4 objectional parts, and those are just what we know of so far. So yeah, that's "lots of proprietary stuff" to me and others.

I never said Jim Gettys was riding on Linux's coattails. First of all, I don't include Linux as the only open source software out there. Further, I said they (this project) are riding on OSS as a name, when there is a lot of closed stuff in it. It is, and there is.

Hey, I'm impressed they donated anything, given the stony response from companies like IBM, Novell and Red Hat.

10% of the target from just one donor? That doesn't sound bad at all.

Get a copy of Suse. Either OpenSuse http://en.opensuse.org/Released_Version#HTTP_or_FT P currently v10.0, v10.1 due end of April, 10.2 due end of year. Or buy Novell Suse professional with a support contract (s/b under $100 for the box, not sure of the support pricing). The purchased version has additional non-GPL content, like java, integrated. See http://www.thejemreport.com/mambo/content/view/178 /42/ for how to add the missing bits.
The install will recognise your existing Windoze partitions and will walk you through upgrading to a dual boot and the linux side has read-only access to the your NTFS partitions. Very Oeei-GUI interface, very little command line savvy needed. There is a LiveCD you can just boot to check it out. The "eval" DVD is the actual install.
On top of that VMware will be releasing a free VMserver so you can run your legacy Windoze inside the linux. Alternatively, if you are impatient or want a linux other than suse, you can download one of the free VMware appliances http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/ and run it in your Windoze environment
HTH

The Cell is a different story... and a different architecture altogether. PPC processors suck down a lot of power -- as much as or more than the Opteron or Xeon. According to this article you can run two dual-core AMD machines at the same time, lose no performance and still have some electricity left to spare when compared to a dual-CPU PowerMac G5.

Just adding this reply for posterity's sake. I came across a succinct, one-page summary of Linux on the Jem Report: The Linux Learning Guide

It has nothing to do with facts -- Dan Lyons is just pissed that he gets flamed repeatedly on Groklaw. Lyons also tried to get back at OSTG by flaming SourceForge because one of OSTG's reporters tried to interview him.

This was written by Daniel Lyons, known anti-Linux nutjob, and it appears to be attacking Jem Matzan, a blogger who tried to interview Lyons a while back. Lyons also proceeded to attack OSTG (because Jem worked for OSTG at the time) with a piece trashing VA Software for selling a proprietary form of SourceForge.

I think what you want to say is that Office Suites suck overall.

I agree with that, I use Latex (Tecnixcenter) to typeset documents, I use gnuplot or Graphcalc to create graphics and mysql with java for databases (I dont know any scripting language like python or tcl/tk... I will learn them one day...).

Basically, what does an Office suites provides:
- Writing (Tex... or Abiword if you like WYSIWYG)
- Statistical oriented Data management (you could use R)
- Database oriented data management (Use mysql, or any other DB management, even Access!!)
- Mail (I use only webmail [gmail] but feel free to use anything)

The fact that with the Writing subapp of these office suites you can do all 4 is incredibly bad.

I remember that, once, there was an opertaing system and a community whoes trend on applications was to write simple, stand alone, task oriented applications whose results could be combined to make something big.

I am sure that is possible to do making use of Graphical User Interfaces!
And, I am also sure that if the approach to program was that, applications will tend to be a hell of more stable.

The only downside I see on that is that there should be a need of a lot of standarization in the different output/input formats. But I think this is not difficult now with XML.

Getting DVD, MP3, and WMV playback on SUSE 10 OSS.

Another SUSE 10 review.

Getting DVD, MP3, and WMV playback on SUSE 10 OSS.

Another SUSE 10 review.

Here is a guide for adding sources to Yast and installing proprietary applications (java, realplayer, codecs, dvd capabilities, acrobat reader...) : http://www.thejemreport.com/mambo/content/view/178 /42/

oh! another addition: get yur favourite bits by following this link:
http://www.thejemreport.com/mambo/content/view/178 /42//
welll, get the Flash, Acrobat, Windows Media, MP3, and RealMedia support without downloading the kitchen sink!

There's a good resource here on how to install the packages that are missing from the OSS version:

Hacking OpenSuSE

According to Sun, it's supposed to be released today.

There is already an OpenOffice.org 2.0 review up.

I'd never send an average user into the frightful wilderness that is the Synaptic UI. It's nice for those of us with experience... but c'mon, apps are indistishinguishable from all of the many MANY other little pieces in the repository.

OTOH, Linspire comes complete with what seems like every codec and reader in semi-common use... AND they are well integrated into Firefox and Konqueror. Using it for viewing content is a dream even compared to Windows XP... the Mac can't hold a candle to it here (wish I could get as many codecs for OSX/PPC).

It also has CNR which defaults to just showing the user applications...gosh what a concept! It's too bad Fedora and Ubuntu haven't progressed beyond the 1970s in this respect.

And if you don't like CNR or don't want to pay for the support you get with it, then add the Debian repository to sources.list. Sheesh!

Here is a guide on 'hacking' Linspire 5. It is very short.

Stop acting like Linspire (or any commercial Linux) is restricting or trapping users just because the distro is easy to use. If "expert" Linux users and coders started with thoughtfully-assembled distros like this one more often, then perhaps more applications would be packaged such that a non-sysadmin can properly recognize and handle them.

Jem Matzan has a very informative Solaris 10 Review.. The bottom line? Solaris is no threat because it has such limited hardware support. If your machine is not on the supported hardware list, you can forget Solaris. End of story.

Well, here's the problem: Anandtech has been around forever and has a lot of readers. They don't have a lot of readers because they write good reviews, they have a lot of readers because they have a lot of content and have been around a long time.

I regularly request review hardware for reviews on The Jem Report and Linux.com, but IF I get anything, it's the second batch of samples that comes in a month or more after Anadtech and THG and the other lame gamer/OCer sites get them.

The problem is, the manufacturers think that the OCers and gamers are the whole market. With the exception fo VIA and ATI, hardware companies think Linux doesn't matter.

Some hardware companies (crApple) won't send anything unless they are assured a "win" in the benchmark tests. I told them I was going to test a G5 using BSD and GNU/Linux variants to gauge 64-bit performance and they said they would not send out any hardware to people who would not use OSX as the test platform.

I did do some pretty comprehesive testing on AMD64 vs. 1386 on FreeBSD, if it matters to you.

-Jem

I did a 64/32-bit comparison on FreeBSD a while ago, and then did some comparisons in SuSE 9.1.

I haven't gotten around to 3D benchmarking yet, but soon...

-Jem

I did a 64/32-bit comparison on FreeBSD a while ago, and then did some comparisons in SuSE 9.1.

I haven't gotten around to 3D benchmarking yet, but soon...

-Jem

I have used it myself and have discovered that the included xine does not have support compiled in for Divx.

It's not just me.

Too bad more beginners don't know about it:

Linux Learner's Guide (PDF)

Having twice the general purpose registers will typically improve performance 10-20% just by recompiling everything into 64 bit mode.

Data please? this thread mentions povray, well this povray benchmark site clearly shows that the $259 amd64 chip is slower than the $200 Intel offering.

this site has some benchmarks. Note that they use gcc for the pentium machines, which is not a very good optimizing compiler. For floating point apps, I typically see 2x speedup when using the Intel compiler (like oggenc, povray, etc). I cannot say which is faster, but being that there is no good (free) compiler for the amd64 you will just have to take the numbers for what they are (meaningless).

The grandparent is smoking some major crack.

Damn, I've gotta be more discreet.

• prefer non-IE web browsers
• prefer non-Intel computers
• use operating systems even less mainstream than Linux
• use a low-graphics environment like a text console or a PDA
• object on principle to installation of proprietary software
• object on principle to violation of W3C standards
• block certain media types that are used primarily for advertising

• prefer non-IE web browsers
• prefer non-Intel computers
• use operating systems even less mainstream than Linux
• use a low-graphics environment like a text console or a PDA
• object on principle to installation of proprietary software
• object on principle to violation of W3C standards
• block certain media types that are used primarily for advertising

SuSE 9.1 Personal

SuSE 9.1 Professional for x86 and AMD64

SuSE 9.1 Personal

SuSE 9.1 Professional for x86 and AMD64

Jem Matzan of thejemreport.com reviewed SUSE 9.1
SuSE Linux 9.1 Personal Edition Review
SuSE Linux 9.1 Professional x86/AMD64

Jem has lots of great info at his site.

Jem Matzan of thejemreport.com reviewed SUSE 9.1
SuSE Linux 9.1 Personal Edition Review
SuSE Linux 9.1 Professional x86/AMD64

Jem has lots of great info at his site.

Debunking Common GNU/Linux and Free Software Myths

If only the Tocqueville morons had read this first. Maybe then they'd have thought of more original tripe to regurgitate.

Can't someone sue this Ken Brown guy for purposefully misleading the public? This has to be a crime somehow.

I read your post and then wrote this article to try to fill that gap.

If you still have questions, let me know how I can improve it.

Yeah okay so it's a shameless plug, but I really do listen when readers have corrections or requests, and I work really hard to make my site as excellent as I can.

Lots of my reviews have made Slashdot, and I can tell you that no matter how good you are, people are going to complain that you didn't accomodate them. Generally I offer to run tests for people if they request it, thereby eliminating some of the griping and as an intentional side-effect, it helps people in the process.

I agree; most reviews suck. That's why I started my own site. I could really use the traffic, so why don't you at least come by and check it out? www.thejemreport.com

I have reviews of various versions of many Unix OSes: Solaris, FreeBSD, GNU/Linux (Gentoo, Lindows, SuSE) and a lot of software for x86. More are on the way, as always.

If you think my reviews suck and tell me about it (specifically), I'll do my best to edit the review or improve future reviews.

Here's an article for you if you don't care about licensing. Honestly, do you agree to Adobe's license? If you don't -- or if you don't care and manage to violate the agreement out of igornace -- you are committing a felony under US criminal law (not to mention the civil penalty as well). Adobe wants to make you into an unemployable, scum-of-the-earth, dirty, lying criminal for violating their unreasonably restrictive license.

Everyone who doesn't care about licensing should be required to face the wrath of the BSA. Mayve then you'll see the beauty of Free Software despite its flaws?

Sorry -- good hosting plans are expensive. I'm looking into moving to Pair if I can afford it. In the meantime, in case this happens I code all of my articles as HTML and then use a JavaScript redirect to the "real" article in the database. So just turn JavaScript off and go to this address:

http://www.thejemreport.com/software/wplinux.php

Or just turn of JavaScipt and click here

//slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/29/1215238&mod e=thread&tid=133&tid=137&tid=186&tid=2 16
Posted by michael in The Mysterious Future!
from the corel-isn't-dead-yet? dept.
MikeCapone writes "The Jem Report has an extensive review (all in one page, no flash ads -- what a concept!) of Corel WordPerfect 12 for Windows and the proof of concept comeback of WordPerfect for Linux."
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//slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/29/1215238&mod e=thread&tid=133&tid=137&tid=186&tid=2 16
Posted by michael in The Mysterious Future!
from the corel-isn't-dead-yet? dept.
MikeCapone writes "The Jem Report has an extensive review (all in one page, no flash ads -- what a concept!) of Corel WordPerfect 12 for Windows and the proof of concept comeback of WordPerfect for Linux."
This was automatically brought to you by Subscriber Ruiner 1.01

//slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/29/1215238&mod e=thread&tid=133&tid=137&tid=186&tid=2 16
Posted by michael in The Mysterious Future!
from the corel-isn't-dead-yet? dept.
MikeCapone writes "The Jem Report has an extensive review (all in one page, no flash ads -- what a concept!) of Corel WordPerfect 12 for Windows and the proof of concept comeback of WordPerfect for Linux."
This was automatically brought to you by Subscriber Ruiner 1.0

//slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/29/1215238&mod e=thread&tid=133&tid=137&tid=186&tid=2 16
Posted by michael in The Mysterious Future!
from the corel-isn't-dead-yet? dept.
MikeCapone writes "The Jem Report has an extensive review (all in one page, no flash ads -- what a concept!) of Corel WordPerfect 12 for Windows and the proof of concept comeback of WordPerfect for Linux."
This was automatically brought to you by Subscriber Ruiner 1.0

Try going here for a little 64- to 32-bit benchmark

Yet another review that doesn't test in 64-bit mode.

I don't know why this wasn't deemed Slashdot-worthy, but here's an excellent review of a P4 3.2E versus an Athlon 64 3200+ in both 32-bit *AND* 64-bit mode:

AMD64 vs. i386 in FreeBSD

There are some benchmarks (run on FreeBSD, performance should be similar under Linux since they use the same compiler) here.