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Lycoris Linux at ExtremeTech
Eugenia writes "Most of you probably remember Redmond Linux, the user-friendly distro that tried to duplicate the familiar WindowsXP UI feel under Linux. Well, there is no more Redmond Linux. The company recently renamed the product "Lycoris Desktop/LX". ExtremeTech features today a very favorable review of the distro, includes screenshots and information on the installation, network setup, desktop environment etc."
I don't think you would, or that you should, but millions of people are used to the way MS products look, so it's not surprising to see that there's a niche for people who are used to Windows but would like to try out this LUNIX thing. Most existing Linux users probably got there from Windows, originally, even those of us who also programmed Solaris and HP-UX for a living.
There are also aspects of the user interface that Microsoft has gotten right. Having a uniform standard for clipboard editing is good, as is having (fairly) common standards for menu access keypresses and even for keyboard shortcuts.
For $30? Just go for it. Be our second opinion! Don't fear change!
The biggest obstacle I faced in changing an office full of non-tech people from Windows/Office to Linux was training time. Despite the cost of Windows, Office, Project, Exchange seats, etc. it was nothing compared to the loss of time/productivity/money retraining them would have. Hell, just the 3-button mouse causes dozens of phone calls from Windows end-users!
Making the tools similar to what they are used to will get rid of most of that problem.
The big benefits come to an office with what ISN'T included in this package -- BSODs, Fatal Exceptions, and 5x-daily reboots.
It took me two years, but eventually I had trained most people in the office to accept the fact that Excel, IE and Word crashed on a regular basis. No, it was not their fault. Reboot and get on with life.
The final benefit was the statement "it is pure Linux in there".
Power to those that know how to find/use it. Functionality to those that don't.
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
As a mostly debian/slack/gentoo user I tried this on a whim and really enjoyed it. It felt really stable and solid. In a couple of clicks I had my samba networked printer up and running and playing Quake3 with my geforce2 card. Even on a P2 266 everything seemed quick and responsive. I turned 3 previous windows users into running a linux only box with this. Evantally I went back to debian because I don't feel comfortable with rpms but that is in no way the fault of the distro.
Why doesn't someone make a window manager that's pixel-per-pixel compatible with Windows?
Someone tried. The project is "Qvwm". I don't know if it is actively maintained, as I can't hit the website. Try getting more information here: http://www.icewalk.com/softlib/app/app_00661.html
Brought to you by Frobozz Magic Penguin Fodder.
Wine (WINdows Emulator, which substitutes Unix or X11 calls for Windows API calls, allowing Windows 3.1 and Win32 programs to run) is also included in the distribution and installs automatically by default with no need for user configuration.
Just for the record, Wine Is Not an Emulator!
I just had to put that out there so anyone unfamiliar with WINE who read the article didn't learn it the wrong way. The WINE folk are clear that they like the idea of "Windows Compatability Layer" much better than "Windows Emulator."
you probably shouldn't have read this.