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AOL's new Linux PC
minus_273 writes " MSNBC (of all places ) has an intersting article about AOLs new PC. We have already heard of Lindows , WALMART PC and there was speculation of AOL Red Hat. Well, it looks like this is what AOL decided to do. All 3 are mixed into one. AOL now has a beta 7.0 client that is distributed with Lindows along with AIM and Netscape. I wonder if this stuff will work on normal Linux without WINE."
Or you could be a conspiracy theorist. Hey, the Microsoft Press Puppet (MSNBC) is using their connection with the public to encourage people to go get Linux computers when they know good and well that that very same public will be outraged when everything doesn't work as advertised. Then the backlash against using Linux on the desktop sets us back another 5 years from getting a measly 1% of the desktop market, by which time we've all had our federally mandated Microsoft borg implants sent to us along with our tax forms.
:^)
Hey, it could happen!
Curmudgeon Gamer: Not happy
Go look into the NSA's "Security Enhanced Linux". After investigating and understanding what they did with that, you should understand one thing -- Linux and UNIX in general as it currently stands, have a very insufficient security model.
The need to be able to install software and access device features may be legitimate things for any user to be doing in certain situations. Trying to impose the age-old Linux/UNIX method of security is not going to do anything but piss end users off, because they can't do things which are trivial under Windows.
In the last two Linux kernel summit conferences it is clear that they are taking this very seriously and are working towards some kind of "correct solution". But that means, of course, that they are not there yet. So I don't see the rationale of pushing the old model that's going to be obsolete, in maybe about 6 months to a year.