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Linux Going Mainstream
Gossi writes "The BBC is carrying an excellent overview of the growing use of Linux, by many different fields. The article says it all, really, and is probably something you should show your Boss."
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is it 1998?
Je t'aime Stéphanie
So true. Running on Linux baby!
The Army reading list
Oh no... I've got to start hating it now. Once common people like something, I can't like it, or I'll lose my elitist status. Hrm, what's a good obscure OS? BeOS isn't around anymore... maybe OpenBSD?
I mean, if you read /., you would think its been mainstream for at least five years.
(FYI...its not even close)
People will buy Apple before they buy Linux.
If my boss was so dumb that he didn't know Linux is the only choice for everything - well, he wouldn't be my boss, he would be the janitor.
Until Linux is a complete entertainment package as well as a utility package, Linux will be hard pressed to take over the desktop.
With the way games are written these days (requiring massive amounts of time and money), game development will have to undergo some pretty radical changes before it will fit successfully into the OSS model and we continue to have the quality of games we have today.
Of course, the other path is that the PC is removed from the entertainment picture and consoles take over that role completely (woe be that day).
Anyone else remember those issues that proclaim that "The New Age of the Airship is Upon Us"?
I predict that within 1-2 years Linux will have equal marketshare with Windows. I also predict that Linux will surpass Longhorn.
People don't exist to serve systems, systems exist to serve people.
.....'nuff said.
I carry a variety of flavors of Linux CDs in my car and use live version to show friends and family what they are missing. Suse 9.0 live-eval works great for showing people what this "linux thing" they have read about is.
What post? The one you're carrying inside your rusty innards!
This ons still makes me slightly cross:
Earlier BBC story
Still, I suppose that the latest story is written by someone who has Clue. I'm told that they exist, even at the BBC.
...I'm quite sure you read about Linux becoming a mainstream server OS. A main-stream general purpose OS is something completely different.
Kjella
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
I carry a variety of flavors of Linux CDs in my car
I do that too. They make quite a racket when I play them in the Kenwood. However, I've found that with 800 watt sub-woofers, anything can sound quite impressive.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
I'm 15 and have been using linux for a little over a year...people in the k-12 school system are starting to get a grasp on the bennifits of open source. It really is the best option for so many people and with the newest distros of Mandrake (what i use) make it incrediabily simple to do most anything graphically. With a little bit of help even people like my grandmother (who could never even minimize windows) can do as much on linux as any other OS out there.
In my openion the main problem is people, in general, don't even knwo open source exists. And those that do only vaguely recall that they've hear about it somewhere. Hopefully its only a matter of time before people (especially in the US) catch on.
Hahaha
Oh... my.... god!
Technical professional?!! You are SO unbelievably clueless, I don't even KNOW where to start!!!
I mean, since when has Redhat been a webserver!!!
Those certificates are obviously not worth the paper they're written on!! Next....
It's very interesting in that it doesn't mention technology at all, only some stuff about the "open" future.
You can watch it here.
I just started using linux (FC1) and I Love it! It took my awhile to cave in to peer pressure, but I finally did it and I'm glad I did. Now I get to put pressure on other people to try it cause I don't wanna be the only poser:)
*pushes linux*
Yay for 1337 people that help me! i.e. (ticklemeozmo)
She wouldn't understand it. And sadly, couldn't do anything about it if she did. I might be the IT guy for my program, but our overall IT policy is set by conservative M$/Novell fans in another province.
I break enough rules just by recommending Firebird and Thunderbird...
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges.
No wonder most never read the articles before commenting. Oh well, guess I can read the article sometime tomorrow and in the meantime comment anyway. I hope they are not referring to the type of mainstreaming that they do in schools. I sure would hate to see Linux in the same class as M$.
Buy a PS2 (or some other console) for games
'nuff said
Yup, this is one thing I will be showing the director of the museum that I volunteer at.
I was hoping that when we get funding to construct the new building that it wont be squanded on things that can be obtained for free... licenses for instance...... If you are gonna have a multimedia kiosk running for instance to show how something works (A large steam pump for instance) Do you really need (or indeed want) to fork out a load of money when you can just sling linux on a resonable machine. Possably use Mozilla or something with a modified chrome, and do something you can walk away from.
All I can say is "Yessssss!"
Nick
Ok, I'm a software developer. I want to port my software, written for windows, to linux so that the average joe will be able to use it. Is it so simple? Well, which distro will I do first? Mandrake? Redhat? Suse? Debian? Then what about those who use *BSD? There are so many choices. I mean its a great kernel, I use different distrobutions for all of my servers. I have no desire to mess with Active Directory or IIS.. But how can it take over the mainstream market when each distro is different.
"Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the life-long attempt to acquire it." -Albert Einstein
This is the commercial that made Michael Jackson switch to Linux!
There are other GPL'd operating systems, and the BSDs are all open source, aren't they?
Large companies have been benefiting from Linux for years now. They use it to run large servers and networks.
Small companies have arguably been benefitting more: I know from my experience that it's easier getting Linux into a small company than it is into a large one.
"This is something that a lot of people in developing countries have. It is a natural for them to make do with little, and to produce something of value out of nothing."
This is just patronising.
How about pointing out that people whoever they are all benefit and can run the same software without the discrimination that high prices cause.
Some worry, though, that large corporations may be reluctant to share their Linux-based software with others. And that, say long-time Linux programmers, would violate the tenets of the open source philosophy.
More importantly, it would also be copyright infringement if they ever distributed it, and would cause them no end of trouble keeping their version of the code up to date.
But other than that, refreshing to read an article about linux that doesn't mention either Redmond or Utah.
when will "Pirates of Sillicon Valley 2: The Wrath of Linux" come out?
xao
http://TheHillforum.hopto.org
China wants to use Linux to create its own, home-grown software industry.
How come censorship and linux can go on together?
This question is strange for you? That's why I ask. Censorship can go on with windows, but with linux?!
#
#\ @ ? Colonize Mars
#
It also doesn't explain how the kid grows up to be a penguin.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
I think that if your boss does not already understand the ways of Linux, perhaps reading an article on a Web page won't be enough to convince him.
Get a hold of one of the new IBM ads and play it for him. Seeing a major, big name company back Linux with a TV spot would carry a lot more weight than someone's opinion on a Web page, no matter how eloquent that opinion is presented. But then, I'm not even employed right now, so I shouldn't be giving advice on what to show your boss. ;)
Still, it's hard for anyone to ignore the opinion of IBM. Or rather, it's a lot easier to ignore the opinion of an author at the BBC.
"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking
My Mainstream is not always your mainstream.
Government computing is not homebased computing.
To be mainstream, could mean that the software is being embraced by the majority of teenagers using computers, or it could be that the majority of corporate users will start using Linux somewhere in their business this year.
I've seen Linux evolve a lot since I first tried to use it in 1997. I couldn't figure it out then. In 2000 I used Red Hat 6.0 for the first time, and found it easier to understand, but still not useful to me. Now in 2004, I could make it be almost as useful to me as my Windows machine. Do I really think that this year there will be some killer distro that will blow Windows away? No. But it is possible...
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
YHBT
The IBM commercials have nothing on the Apple ads. The tone of that smug and smarmy voice says "stay away from this product" like nothing else.
I would like to sway away all those trolls nay-sayers, and such things and would like to ask them one question - when Microsoft started to deliver to desktop what do you see now? Not so long time ago. And it's still unstable and unsecure. If someone is desktop king now - from visual and usability - it's Apple OS X.
I was doubtful three years ago but now I say for sure - Linux and Free Software has a future, and it is right here - in Gnome, in KDE, in OpenOffice.org, in all those new ideas, which pop-up instantly in mailing lists, forums, freedesktop.org, gnomedesktop.org. I like that creativity which grows and grows and seems to be unstoppable.
Linux is here to stay. Is also here to stay and be viable alternative for your desktop usage. Whatever you choose it or not, it's upon you. Because it is about the choice, not about pushing you to use it.
user@ubuntubox:~$ stfu This server is going down for shutdown NOW!
BeOS isn't obscure enough, you have a whole following at OSNews. No, maybe Plan-9 or HURD, of those that more than 1000 people know about.
I try and push Linux all the time. People just call me a loon. My stuffed tux says that it's the tin foil hat. I don't believe him.
I recently wrote a paper on how schools should use Open Source Software. Linux isn't quite as good (in some ways) as windows or Macs on the desktop, but its good enough for most cases.
Check it out: http://ossadvocacy.org
Why was Sun Microsystems even mentioned in this article. Sun is taking a beating from the spread of Linux. Sure, they offer some servers with Linux, but their operating system that they're trying to market is Solaris.
Too, the whole idea of Linux is to have boxes running on commodity chips, namely x86, because of the price. Sun is fighting an upward battle, they got into the market too late, are fighting IBM and HP, and aren't geared towards the lower end server market. Companies finally realized that they don't need to purchase mainframes every month.
And don't tell me that because Sun released Solaris to the public that they're on the bandwagon. Have you even attempted to download it? They check to make sure that your inputed address is valid with the zip code. And this is in stride with the open source movement?
So there.
Oh no, we can't trust the BBC these days don't you know? I can imagine that Bill Gates will now be launching a swingeing attack on the BBC, leading to a month-long enquiry chaired by, oooh, an unbiased Paul Allen, and then resignation of several senior BBC executives....
:)]
[if you dont know what I'm talking about, google for 'Hutton Report' or see BBC news main page
Baz
You're fucking hilarious! We got a joker here!
favourite
adj 1: appealing to the general public; "a favorite tourist attraction" [syn: favorite] 2: preferred above all others and treated with partiality; "the favored child" [syn: favored, favorite(a), favourite(a), pet, preferred] n 1: a competitor thought likely to win [syn: front-runner, favorite] 2: a special loved one [syn: darling, favorite, pet, dearie, deary, ducky] 3: something regarded with special favor or liking; "that book is one of my favorites" [syn: favorite]
Source: WordNet (R) 1.6, (C) 1997 Princeton University
but there are actualy people using computers for something else than gaming. I know it may sound unbelievebale but companies may actually like it if people don't play the newest fps while at work.
this will never get old.
Yeah, that guy's a troll. He's been posting that flamebait on article after article. Mod him down and move along ... :)
In the very first paragraph I read "IBM, for one, is..." - and found myself ROFL! :-)
Snebjorn
Faster-Harder-Louder
Windows is quickly re-capturing the server market, which belonged to them in then first place. Mod it up please.
That ought to work, at least in England. The BBC article says that, "Linux is unique in that it is open source," so they've apparently never heard of OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, kOS, etc, etc. :-)
You cannot apply a technological solution to a sociological problem. (Edwards' Law)
Where can I get one of those "Live free or die" Linux license plates that it shows Linus holding? I gotta have one!
I don't like Linux going mainstream. I don't like the idea of a hundred thousand clueless users trying to install Debian despite warning stickers one acre large reading "NOT FOR NEW USERS". I don't like companies trying to ride along on the success of Linux. I don't like companies who will inevitably write half-arsed apps with closed file formats for Linux. I don't like people asking me 24/7 how to add nameservers for DNS resolving and said people then getting pissed at me when I refer them to google.
I like this niche market.
Hate me!
Show Linux to the grandmother who needs her computer fixed. Show Linux to the government of your country. Show Linux to your mom. Your Boss already knows about Linux.
People don't exist to serve systems, systems exist to serve people.
Linux won't catch the imagination of many once it's mainstream. I expect alot of talented linux hackers to move on in the next few years. The question is what's next.....
I'm in a local pizza and gaming establishment (rhymes with lucky sneeze), and lo and behold, I'm looking at a linux boot up screen on an arcade game.
And then I'm at a local clothes retailer, and I look and see Red Hat 6.0 sitting on the register display.
It's coming, folks. It's just a matter of time.
The society for a thought-free internet welcomes you.
Then why use the secondary spelling that has an extra letter that implies that "favour" rhymes with "devour"?
Ouh, sourry. That is a "Secoundary" spelling. I fourgout tou remember tou add thouse extraneous "U's" after the O!
"We got a joker here!"
Don't you mean "jouker" ?
......'nuff said.
If you are going to misspell words like "Favorite" by adding a U where none exists, you might as well add other extraneous U's near O's.
He's talking about New ENGLAND, and so is spelling favourite the English way.
I love your Yankee arrogance (not).
i have never seen it. is it for hacking soc.com?
Aside from the massive cost of desktop conversions, network migration, and the hugely massive time and expense of user retraining?
The only people I could see recommending something as foolish as this are consultants, who get paid to recommend expensive (and not particularly well thought-out) things.
Manipulate the moderator system! Mod someone as "overrated" today.
I have always felt that Linux is a nice operating system (for hobbyists and geeks), but there are some areas where it is seriously lacking, especially when compared to its main competitor, Microsoft Windows.
* File sharing. Windows has long been superior when it comes to making large amounts of files available to third parties. Even early versions of Windows automatically detected and made available all directories thanks to the built in
NetBIOS-powered file sharing support. But Microsoft has realized that this technology is inherently limited and has added even better file sharing support to its Windows XP operating system. Universal Plug and Play will
make it possible to literally access any file, from any device! I think universal file sharing support needs to be built into the Linux kernel soon.
* Intelligent agents. With innovations like Clippy, the talking paperclip and Microsoft Bob, Microsoft has always tried to make life easier for its customers. With Outlook and Outlook Express, Microsoft has built a framework for developers to create even smarter agents. Especially popular agents include "Sircam", which automatically asks the users' friends for advice on files he is working on and the "Hybris" agent, which is a self-replicating copy of a humorous take on "Snow-White and the Seven Dwarves" (the real story!).
Microsoft is working on expanding this P2P technology to its web servers. This
project is still in the beta stage, thus the name "Code Red". The next versions will be called "Code Yellow" and "Code Green".
* Version numbers. Linux has real naming problems. What's the difference between a 2.4.19 and a 2.2.17 kernel anyway? And what's with those odd and even numbers? Microsoft has always had clear and sophisticated naming/versioning
policies. For example, Windows 95 was named Windows 95 because it was released
in 1995. Windows 98 was released three years later, and so on. Windows XP
brought a whole new "experience" to the user, therefore the name. I suggest that the next Linux kernel releases be called Linux 03, Linux 04, Linux 04.5 (OSR1), Linux 04.7B (OSR2 SP4 OEM), Linux 2005 and Linux VD (Valentine's Day edition).
Furthermore, remember how Microsoft named every upcoming version of Windows after some Egyptian city? Cairo, Chicago and so on. I think that the development kernels should be named after Spanish cities to celebrate Linux' Spanish origins. Linux Milano or Linux Rome anyone?
* Multi-User Support. This has always been one of Microsoft's strong sides, especially in the Windows 95/98 variants, where passwords were completely
unnecessary. Microsoft has made the right decision by not bothering the user with a distinction between "normal" and "root" users too much -- practice has shown that average users can be trusted to act responsibly and in full awareness of the potential consequences of their actions. After all, if your operating system doesn't trust you, why should you trust it? (To be fair, Linux is making some progress here with the Lindows distribution, where users are always running as root.)
With Windows XP, Microsoft has again improved multi-user support. Not only does Windows XP come with a large library of user pictures that are displayed on the login screen, su
Games that appeal to nerds are already being ported. To take over the desktop requires "The Sims" and children's games.
If your child must run MSWindows for Reader Rabbit and Barbie, then you are stuck with MSWindows on at least one computer. Unless you are a nerd, you will not want more than one OS in the house.
"The Sims" is "The #1 best selling game of all time" according to the website. I know people (mostly women) who have only played "The Sims" and versions of Solitaire. Spider Solitaire may be the killer app for WinXP, like Solitaire was for Win3.1. OK, maybe MSWord had something to do with it. But XP only has Spider, so it needs to be enough.
Make the women and children happy and the men will follow.
The good part is that neither "The Sims" nor any children's games require "massive amounts of time and money".
I spend my life entertaining my brain.
and is probably something you should show your Boss."
Corporate middle management is not interested in facts. They are not interested in improvement. They are not interested in efficiency that is not accomplished by either making people shovel shit or firing people.
Middle management seeks to maintain the status quo, and to do nothing unless it is absolutely necessary. Incompetence, bankruptcy, waste, stupidity, anything is better than trying and failing.
They have failed to learn that the raw materials for success are failures. They have failed to learn this because they do not listen. They do not seek the advice of people who know better than they do. Faced with irrefutable truth, middle management will very often if not always follow the path of maximum stupidity.
Therefore, middle management will very often if not always refuse to allow Linux to be used to improve their business. No accomplishment, no fact, nothing will change this. Discussing Linux with a middle manager is nothing more than an amusing waste of time.
Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.
Couldn't help noticing the OSDN "Dating Service" banner at the top of the page. So what's it going to be then "Girls for Nerds. Boobs that Matter?"
Mr. T pitied this fool on 27 July 1992.
carry that shit in your geo huh?
HAHAHAHAHAHA.
I'm quite new to Linux (c64/z48/MSX->Atari->Mac->Win->Linux), and I'm working hard to get a deeper understanding of the Linux culture (and development model). Can't say I have a full understanding of the cultural and historical roots of this movement, but still I feel something's sorely missing from the coverage in 'mainstream media'.
The ongoing SCO and copyright shit - most of what I read is from open source people.
This trend of getting Linux "on every desktop" - again, open source advocates are legion.
What about free software? Yes, fanboys all over just love to trash RMS, but most fanboys (to my limited knowledge) have done dick all for the movement.
I don't know enough to say OSS is worse than free software (although I'm leaning towards the latter). But hell, it's starting to look like a lot of people's main goal is to put the "open source" sticker on the whole thing, get the mega corps blessings and declare this land Utopia.
WTF?
From what I'm slowly learning about this movement, there's a lot more to it than just the "open source". And I think it's getting lost in the process.
Aren't many good ideas and a lot of cultural heritage getting thrown aside here? Are we loosing important stuff along the way?
668.5
I showed a six inch stack of papers explaining the virtues of open source and Linux to my boss and our lead developer. I held a meeting with my entire team when they started thinking of switching to .Net. I brought together all the facts management should hear when making a platform choice and made a professional presentation. I rewrote one of our smaller apps on Linux in my personal time as an example.
.Net is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Our boss agreed and we were forced to switch to .Net without even looking at an alternative. Rarely have I seen such blatent ignorance. So I keep an eye open for other jobs and read the articles on starting your own software company. Seems the only option when dealing with such ignorance is to stay away from it.
They wouldn't even look at it. Our lead developer thinks Microsoft is the best producer of software and that
Developers: We can use your help.
Mike, i hate the break it to you, but mcse's are laughed at all over the world. talking your paper up by saying it's issued by the largest software company in the world just shows you for what you are. also cut and pasting from some bogus website doesn't help either. so yes you might have paper but your very far from skilled and shows horribly. and what exactly is "Linux 7.0" ?? to my knowledge the latest linux kernel is 2.6? you must be a kernel hacker as well huh? or maybe the website you copied from is just pulling numbers out of their arse hmm?
If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
As with most people in the IT field I get a lot of requests for help from friends and family. It's almost never a hardware problem that they have -- it's always some virus or spyware program or some Windows corruption someplace. I found that I was reinstalling Windows every time I worked on someone's computer. And I was using my copies of Windows because they never had their own.
The first thing I want to know is, just how many people are using pirated copies of Windows? I don't even know one person who is now using a legitimate copy of Windows. Why pay when your pal can get it from work, or now from the net? How does this figure into the estimates of Windows domination and market share? Surely if you only counted legitimate, purchased and properly licensed copies of Windows, the home user market share would be drastically lower. Businesses are more or less forced by threat of litigation, fines, and raids, to be legitimate. That's why the first wave of GNU/Linux migration has been happening in the business sector. No matter how many bullshit Gartner studies "prove" that Windows has a lower TCO, it just doesn't. It costs more to buy, it costs more to maintain, and it costs more to upgrade.
I think the best thing that could happen to GNU/Linux right now is for Microsoft to crack down on home user piracy. Activation schemes are a step in the right direction. With more hassle, increased costs and the apparent (or at least, apparent to those who don't know how to get an activation crack) inability to get a copy from a friend, GNU/Linux will look like a much better choice to home users.
But back to my main point: service. I have continued to refuse to service a Windows machine unless it involves replacing the operating system with a Free alternative. Don't like it? Find someone else to do the work... but it'll cost more. I think if more people refused to work on Windows for friends and family, the death of Windows as a dominant desktop platform would be much more speedy.
-JemI'd been a happy Linux user for years, and used it for everything, from works (scientific research) and my own entertainment (music, movies, etc).
However, things changed a big bit for me a year ago: I've got a girlfriend. Being a typical person who can uses computer to a level (M$ Word, IE, WinAmp, etc), making her use Linux was difficult. It was just simply too difficult for her. So I had no choice but to installed Windows for her. Even that, I tried to make her use Mozilla or Firebird for web browsing. That failed, too. She simply use IE whenever possible. So, forget about OpenOffice.org, etc. There are people who refuse to use any other word processors because "it's not Word", and any other browsers because "it's not IE"... (the list goes on).
That's fine with me, whatever, I can still use Linux in another partition.
But, there was a problem: I usally run process as backgrounds and I want to do that when she's using Word or we both watching movies. And having all my works in Linux partition wouldn't allow me to do this!
So, I decided to get a Mac. OS X seems to provide me a reasonably good solution. First, it is a nice and very user freindly Desktop OS, one of the most friendly out there. Learning to use anything in OS X was painless, even for my girlfriend. Second, if she insists on using Word, then there's Office v. X for Mac (even though there're some compatibility problems). Third, it's UNIX with X11 so I can recompile most of things I need to do my works.
So, while I hope that Linux will eventually become more favorable for Home Users, I don't expect it anytime soon. This is simply because, more than anything else, convincing people who don't really know anything but stick with "name" of programs is very difficult. (Ex. There are people who won't buy anything but a computer wih Pentium-brand CPU, regardless of what he/she's doing with it.)
Links has a long long long long long way to go before it is mainsteam. I mean don't get me wrong it is a great OS and it is stable. But I rarely boot into my Linux install (Slackware) as XP is stable (well, sorta anyway) enough for my purposes and requires a lot less maintence for me. I prefer to just use a lot of open source software on my windows install (firebird & thunderbird, open office, gaim, wingimp ect). Seams to work well for me.
:/ lol.
Linux really needs an installer of sorts. An exe-like format for morons. And it needs to get a real system to distribute packages and make it a standard. Cuz downloading 1000s of libs blows
Matt
You have 1 Moderator Point! Use it or lose it! Is that a threat? -vapid
what a fucking idiot. Keep going mr. middle-management, with gems like
> Linux 7.0
you may just get a clue about the time there *is* a Linux 7.0.
(The Wizard of Oz: If I Only Had...)
If the Hacker Gods beside me
I'd make fun of the internalsWould graciously abide me
And let my wish be heard:
That I would consider shaving
I might even start behaving
If I only had a Hurd
Of monolithic kernels
Old-fashioned and absurd
Since they don't put "Gnu" before it
I'd prefer to just ignore it
If I only had a Hurd
I could maybe have a relapse
And do some work on Emacs
To make a brave Gnu/Word
I would write some manifestos
Clad in flamewar-proof asbestos
If I only had a Hurd
----- :)
The text is in the public domain. No offense, honestly
it's been said thet you were tolled, but damn! not only were you trolled, you were so trolled!
HAW HAW!!!
When Linux companies start making strategic partnerships with game developers things will start to change quickly. I'm not sure why they haven't started already, but with usabilty being only so-so (c'mon, its gotten ALOT better, but its still not there yet) its probably a good thing.
That said I've played Tribes 2 on Linux for over a year. Now I'm playing Postal 2 (demo still) and Savage. ID software is doing a great job offering support. UT 2003, MOHAA, America's Army. Alot of people are talking like gaming is still where it was in 1999. Things are shaping up.
Quack, quack.
Yeah, but then I'd be stuck running Novell. Frankly, I'd be happy if they let me run my own little FirstClass setup and left me alone.
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges.
I work for a pretty large company with a large IT center (our stock symbol is PSO). The famous quote by my company is "we don't believe in anything you don't have to pay for." I used to work for a smaller company that was acquired by this company. In the business world we were kicking their ass because we were running off of desktops running Linux, meanwhile these guys have $50k servers and Windows licenses out the ass. So guess what, they're having us redo the Linux stuff into ASP.NET onto big shiny super expensive boxes.
The good news is this is the kind of World Domination that isn't bad.
Nothing to see, move along.
It's great that the mainstream press is giving Linux good coverage, unfortunately to wrest the Windows system from the mainstream user I'm afraid the games companies need to be involved in producing original Linux games alongside those of Windows. Only then will Linux get the Windows user looking the other way.... Unreal Tournament and Neverwinter Nights were starts but enter any Electronics Boutique and ask for a game for your Linux OS and chances are the sales rep will look at you like your ET
I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born - Ronald Reagan
Actually, one handy side effect of Linux taking over the server market is that game developers are more likely to create and distribute Linux-server versions. And once you've got a game working on a Linux server, porting the rest of the game is relatively simple. If the gaming community can build momentum from the server market, then Linux as a gaming platform isn't much of a stretch. Personally i'd like to see it happen, because as a gamer i'm practically chained to WinXP. I'd like to try Linux, but right now it just doesn't seem like a sweet enough deal. I'd be giving up a lot of past, present, and future games. Oh, and I don't really feel like having to re-learn how to use a computer either, or go back to mucking with command lines and such... but thats just me being lazy.
If I was trying to convince my current boss to use Linux, I sure wouldn't waste time having him read this particular article. It's full of generalities, and barely any statistics or facts to back them up.
I could summarize it in one or two sentences, really. "Linux is being used by more and more companies. Government is starting to see a benefit to it also!"
Big deal! The "boss" is going to want a list of popular applications that are compatible with it, proof that setting up security permissions and file/folder/printer sharing to Windows workstations is easy, and so on.
They have Kurt Vonnegut promoting Linux? I have died and gone to heaven. Being a huge fan of Vonnegut this makes my day.
-----
One is born into aristocracy, but mediocrity can only be achieved through hard work.
I think it was the old Spitting Image show that dressed the Spock puppet up as Hamlet (to spoof Nimoy's aspirations) and had him intoning "To be, or not to be... that... that is illogical Captain!"
From the article: "Linus Torvalds: The man who started it all".
There goes another reading that takes 1 year of life from Richard Stallman!! X-D
For they can manage the crap out of anything. An example of what was a very good OS, far better then most of the Unix stuff out there today, was OS2. The problem, IBM. They managed that OS into the ground. Do you really want them involved with any other OS?
As much as I liked the tone of this article, it does come off as way too optimistic. Issues such as drivers, buying linux pre-installed, standards compliance, etc are glossed over. Granted this is a Linux 101 article, but these are important topics.
I think Linux expansion on the server end is doing more good than some think. If a small, mid, or large company migrages to Linux servers then they are more or less forced to drop prorietary crap like MAPI and open the door towards accepting standards over closed-proprietary standards, protocols, etc. With this mechanism in action tat means more competitors, less vendor lock-in, and a healthier IT market all around.
I don't see Linux as a MS-killer, Apple-killer, but as a carrier of open protocols and standardization. If Linux can deliver this than most of the problems in the IT industry will disappear. As we've seen many times before its much tougher to make a monopoly without proprietary protocols, vendor lock-in, etc.
Right now I would say the fastest way to getting things more "open" in general would be OSX on the desktop and Linux in the server room. Its a shame Apple isn't seen a serious player in the corporate environment, especially with their prices so low.
...unless you distribute your changes.
A BIG reason PHBs dont use GNU/Linux / FOSS is because misinformed geeks keep spreading the nonsense that if you use open source / free software then you have to make publicly available the source code to your applications.
This is NOT true.
You do not have to unless you are going to make modifications and then sell / distribute the modified code. If it is an in-house application and never gets distributed, there is no requirement AT ALL to release the source code back into the community.
PHBs would be far more comfortable using F/OSS if they didnt have geeks telling them how good it is that the company will become part of the F/OSS movement, and instead were told about the virtues of using F/OSS.
I am Monkey, the Great Sage, equal of heaven!
here. It's a pile of junk. The advert doesn't sell me IBM, it sells me IT.
BTW, you reckon they added that second 'click' into the script to keep Amazon happy or what?
At that time IBM was still smarting from some close brushes with the Sherman Antitrust Acts. I think they 'threw the game' on the desktop to avoid further attention from the Government, thinking they would be able to retain the server market, simply 'misunderestimating' the connection of the desktop to the server market (I.E., that Micro$oft was going to be able to convince businesses that it was a good idea to put a single user desktop system on midrange servers.).
Thinking outside my Head
That it's mainstream, you can be pretty sure that it's not.
dominionrd.blogspot.com - Restaurants on
Middle management seeks to maintain the status quo, and to do nothing unless it is absolutely necessary. Incompetence, bankruptcy, waste, stupidity, anything is better than trying and failing.
Hey, way to talk yourself out of trying to effect change in your company. It can be difficult to get middle and senior management to try new approaches, but the attitudes you describe are far from universal. I have worked with a lot of decision-makers who ask for help in making their company more successful through innovation.
By the way, your post indicates you think that switching to Linux over MS/Sun, etc., will have a large impact on a company's success. Wrong. The largest change that companies have had to embrace in the past 3 decades to continue surviving is adopting more efficient processes. That's business processes. Next to that, the choice of operating system means nothing.
The IT/business manager on my current project is okay with the use of Linux on a portion of the architecture, but by god, if there's no better justification for using it than because some nerd thinks Linux is cool, then Linux won't gain any credibility in my company.
"If you spend a dollar with a local company working on Linux, that dollar stays in your economy," said Simon Phipps of Sun Microsystems.
"When you spend a dollar with a multi-national corporation as a license fee for a piece of software, that dollar leaves your country."
"It's about keeping the money in your local economy, developing skills and developing the local economy to be strong in its own right in a global context."
At first I wondered, "Wait a sec. Microsoft is an American company, right? So if other nations pay fees to M$, then the 'local economy' is... the American economy. 'We' are the economy that this benefits!"
Obviously Phipps wants China and other nations to recognize that if they develop open source software (presumably Linux based) then whatever money the government spends on software supports their own people.
One has to ask. "Where does Phipps live and work?"
Do not misunderstand me. I love Linux. I want it to grow and expand and compete effectively with Microsoft. Especially because I want poorer nations to have a solid alternative that works - and works well. Even discounted M$ software imposes a burden on Third World nations.
My only point is that is struck me as odd that an American(?) like Phipps working for Sun Microsystems would invoke the "we want them to invest in their own nations' economies" argument.
Fortunately, KDE auto-loads a lot of programs not made by them like Emacs, Gaim, Mozilla, GIMP, et c. This is the beauty of Open Source; KDE doesn't have to be great at applications (and IMO it's horrid) since it can just borrow other open-source applications and just provide the best base GUI.
>...if they simply intall and run fairly under Linux.
Online games ==> only if they don't check what OS you're running before they let you play.
Apple & M$ have a history of trying to get them hooked early.
It matters.
The version that comes with RH 7.5 is the worst paint program I have EVER seen;
I must say I was also very disappointed by RH 7.5. This is probably one of the worst RH release I ever downloaded!
In its market of greasy-haired filthy sexless computer nerds, Linux is definitely mainstream.
Matlab is very user friendly, very engineer-proof in its treatment of error conditions. It is not anything like C or even anything like any of the popular Unix command-prompt shells. It even has a GUI based on figure windows in which you can do drag-and-drop layouts. If anything, it is to engineers and scientists what Visual Basic is to accounting.
Yes, Windows at the API level is even more arcane and opaque than anything in Unix land. But Visual Basic (much maligned in these quarters) makes Windows development accessible to all to persons expert in their respective applications. Is there anything remotely like Visual Basic for Linux/Unix? Yup, Matlab, but Matlab is more cross-platform than a particular goody that you have to run Linux for. Oh, and Matlab is increasingly migrating in the direction of Java for their cross-platform (Matlab is not - yet - a Java app, but Math Works says that their IDE is written in Java and I heard they are JITing their interpreted loops to get some speed).
So Linux can have its Open office and browsers and e-mail programs and stuff. When is it going to get its RAD development tools (and don't say Kylix -- it was a port of a Windows tool that didn't catch on)?
Go back to 10th grade. Come back when you've actually *read* the words you're trying to use at least once before trying to write them. When in doubt, check the dictionary.
It's "benefits", "incredibly" and "opinion".
I'm less concerned about the public's lack of awareness of Linux than I am of plain analphabetism.
that is all
If your boss doesn't know about Linux at this point he/she should be fired.
Anyone have a mirror for news.bbc.co.uk? China seem to have that site blocked and I would like to read the article.
RTFA. Linux can seriously eat Microsoft's lunch in this environment. And you need to learn a little about Linux before trying to comment.
And moderators... Insightful... Please...
Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
Quote from the article: "Because Linux is open source, it can be obtained for free, although most companies pay software developers for a package of Linux-based applications, including e-mail and word processing." That is so wrong wrong wrong on many levels. This just adds to the FUD around Linux. I'm amazed that such a blatant falsehood has made it to the pages of the BBC. Sloppy journalism IMHO. ( Maybe someone in authority from KDE, Gnome or OpenOffice could care to inform the BBC of their inaccuracy? (and no - i really do think that the Hutton report is a whitewash and that the BBC WERE right. But thats a different story and off topic)
Well, I'd say Linux is going mainstream. They just (1 minute ago) ran a superbowl commercial paid for by IBM that has Mohammed Ali exhorting a kid representing Linux to "shake up the world".
Very nicely done.
It's rare that you're presented with a knob whose only two positions are Make History and Flee Your Glorious Destiny.
yes, because I'm the one who gave you that line.
Let's not forget that OS/2 was competing as a workstation O/S, not as a server O/S. Things are a lot different when there are IT people available to manage things, and it's pretty clear to a lot of people that microsoft has a bad reputation when it comes to security and reliabilty.
Loved the new commercials, and think it's a good thing that IBM is backing Linux.
And every year since 1998, I've been hearing about "Linux going mainstream" and "Linux is going to take over the desktop." No mention of just the server niche.
So basically, if it's anti-Linux, it's clueless, and if it's pro-Linux, it's not?
What a pity that Clark Boyd, the tech journo who wrote the piece, failed mention that the BBC uses Linux and Apache to host its main news portal. If some above average technical writer would like to do a piece about the Net infrastructure at the BBC, I for one would be very interested to read it.
I just saw an awesome Linux/IBM commercial during the superbowl. I usually just watch for the commercials - so I am pretty apathetic about the game. But when I saw the commercial come up, I stood up and screamed...
Half of the people at the campus-wide superbowl party turned around and looked at me like I was insane, while the Comp Sci club all raised their fists in the air in victory.
It is good to have allies with deep pockets. Let's just hope it stays this way.
Cameron King
Thats the point, even the most hardcore Microsoft supporters want nothing to do with longhorn. Linux will consume the worldwide marketshare within the next 2 years.
People don't exist to serve systems, systems exist to serve people.
Hours later, the article now loads but you still have not read my post correctly. Hint: I was not picking on Microsoft at all.
Now excuse me while I go read the article.
Why? We support windows OS desktops and mainframe stuff. What good will this do except make my boss wonder why I'm on the 'net instead of working? :)
What are you talking about? Linux surpassed OSX earlier this year. Linux is second place right now. Consider the fact that China, India, Europe, Africa, South America, all are adopting Linux. Consider the fact that no one wants Longhorn. Consider the fact that Linux has no real competition for at least 2 years. Consider the fact that IBM is marketing the hell out of Linux in superbowl ads right now. Linux is going mainstream, and it only takes a couple of years to go from number 2 to number 1. Just ask Microsoft, they did it to Apple with Windows95.
People don't exist to serve systems, systems exist to serve people.
They are the ones who own the Unix trademark, bought up Suse and are kicking SCO in the rear.
So ask the Novell fans for their latest OS. Suse :)
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
IBM. Super Bowl. Muhammad Ali. We're mainstream, /. As usual, no need to RTFA to tell us that.
Spiritual Leader of Green Bay Net
M$ sucks ass and windoze is riddled with security holes. Please add me now. Thanks.
Oh, wait, I forgot.. AC's don't have a 'retarded peon' list.
Oddly enough, Frozen Bubble is the only temptation for me to switch to Linux right now.
:
... And that's it. Satisfy these two requiremsnts out-of-the-box, and I'll happily switch over.
I've been a Win2k user forever (and I did use Unix through University - I "know what I'm missing"). Based on the recent Live-CD review posted here, I was intrigued enough to try out a couple of them - Slax and Knoppix.
A bunch of posts in that thread mentioned how great it ran on old hardware - Great I thought, because Win2k crawls on my old Laptop (P2-450).
I gave slax 45 minutes to boot - still did not get there.
I gave Knoppix a full half hour until it finished coming up. But after trying to load a couple apps - I shut it off. WAY too slow.
Alright, I figured why not try it on my main machine while I've got the disks? So I dropped in Knoppix. I even resolved to really use it and try it if it could satisfy my usual at home computer needs
1) Email / Web
2) Play DVDs
3) Access my NTFS Hard Disk
Slax immediately failed at both (3) and (1). Yeah yeah yeah, I know all I'd have to do is mount something or read some stupid man page - but I don't want to. I've already got a Win2k machine that works right now - why should I bother doing work / research to get some new system to the point where my old already is?
Knoppix on the other hand, was very nice to me. Saw my Hard Drives, Saw my USB Drive, Recognized my DVD Drive, and lo-and-behold even recognized my TV Card!
Very happily I perused the games, and quickly got addicted to Frozen Bubble - I was content with my pensive switch - until I tried playing a DVD.
Hell if I care enough to figure out why, but the thing saw my drive, it saw my DVD, but wouldn't play.
That's alright, though - it saw my TV Card! I'll just use that for a while. No dice, though. Even though it recognized it, and I even selected it specifically in the big unsorted list of TV cards, I couldn't get it to come up.
So in the end I was left feeling good about Knoppix, but I won't be switching any time soon. No matter hwo much fun Frozen Bubble is. I'll certainly watch for Knoppix updates, though - and when it can Play DVDs and use my TV Card right out of the box, I will HAPPILY switch.
(And just to eschew the inevitable "Why don't you contribute and make it work!?" - I'll tell you why. Because I don't care enough to have to WORK to switch over to Linux when I've got a perfectly configured Win2K box RIGHT NOW with ZERO work.)
...Also, I didn't know Buggalo could fly.
Like it says
I think a glaring omission of this article, one that most reporters seem to miss, is that a business need only buy one copy of a vendor's version of Linux (none if they download it), and it can then be installed on any number of machines. Absolutely no extra costs per seat. Why this point is being driven home I don't know.
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. - Henry Ford
Aren't there a few companies trying to make a console PC/Gaming platform? What if they did it on Linux? Games would have to be ported, but the licensing costs would be lower (for the OS) and there would be alot more room for customization.
Quack, quack.
"If you talk to governments, they're actually thinking - why don't we write open source software as well.
"So it's not just cost-based, but also the concept of open source software. They just like the idea of saving the people money, but also giving back to the people what they created."
So now government will get in to the business of writing it's own code and releasing it to the public? Just think about that and reflect upon what projects have governments undertaken that you personally would hail as successful, efficient, and inexpensive.
Didn't we the public just spend a decade crying for how government should be more business-like e.g. outsourcing? But we should change that for things like the software that makes government "run"?
"Consensus" in science is _always_ a political construct.
Where is the obligatory Gentoo-freak? Everyone knows you can't mention the word "linux" without one jumping out to scream, "Use Gentoo, just like me!"
Eager to find this 300 dollar PC I jumped to Dell's site to find something close to the eMac.
Here's the big ad/cheap machine on the site:
"Dimension 2400 Series $599 with a limited time 100 mail in rebate." Now that's cheap. Yet the eMac comes with a better video card. So we're looking at where Apple has always been, a few hundred dollars more expensive than the CHEAPEST PC. I think a fairer comparision would be the Sony Vaio which has all the multimedia software that comes on the Mac. Those start at $699 sans monitor.
Just because one thing is cheaper than another doesn't make that other thing "expensive." $799 for a eMac is still a good deal when you consider OSX v Windows, all the iX software, etc. Apple will always have some premium, but the real question is: is it fair to call a 799 desktop and a 1099 laptop expensive? Considering what people spend on average for computers in general that's still good pricing and far from the myth that a Apple will cost you an arm and a leg.
scripsit still sick:
I can't help you with your apathy problem, but you should know that the only reason you can't play commercial DVDs on Linux is the DMCA. The code is out there and it works, but no one in the U.S. is going to put it in a distro for fear of getting sued into the ground.
In principio creauit Linus Linucem.
" the talking paperclip "
you actually cite the fucking talking paperclip as a positive thing? you've got to be kidding me! that is one of the most hated things MS has ever done! that's the one thing i uncheck every single time i install office!!!
Very happily I perused the games, and quickly got addicted to Frozen Bubble
Frozen Bubble is straight from hell, I played it three hours straight when I started Knoppix first time. I don't know why it's so damn addictive.
BTW if you have problems running KDE with your 450 mhz laptop try some of the other desktop managers. In boot-up, instead of just hitting enter, type:
"knoppix desktop=icewm" to use IceWM or
"knoppix desktop=fluxbox" to use FluxBox.
Both ran well on my old AMD K6-2 400mhz.
This is a good point. But the thing about FOSS is that its driven by its participators. If big-time commercial developers, and particularly game developers, start to work with the FOSS community rather than ignoring it, I think we'd see changed in the way linux (especially) is developed. If the companies start making available big chunks of code and entering into dialogue with the core developers about what they need from an operating system, I think we'd see a change to accomodate their needs for greater backward compatibility, ABI stability, etc. That can only be good.
L
Blue Pill makes me to convert to Linux
Red Pill keeps me with the Windozs world "happily" ?
Hmm interesting
No No No, you can still run Open BeOS and be uber-leet because it's open, yet it's a throwback.
This is my digital signature. 10011011001
This is an almost *verbatim* copy of PRI's program from "The World," a radio show on public radio stations.
. sh tml1 27.sh tml
Look for it on these pages, titled "Linux Report." (WMA format only).
http://www.theworld.org/latesteditions/20040126
http://www.theworld.org/latesteditions/20040
Linux is a decent OS but other than the fact that it is "free" I find very little reason to use it. The overall usability is really not good especially when you look at the overall technological ineptitude of the masses. While Linux may be mainstream even IBM is supposedly not going all Linux until 2005. Linux has so much work to do when it comes to usability and getting all the separate apps to talk to each other I really don't see a majority of people using it for years. If Linux wants to cater toward the consumer desktop they will need to come out with a release that is user friendly and completely hides the command line (cough mac cough) otherwise people will spend the extra 100 dollars to buy a PC with Windows on it or the extra 500 for a Mac. Because the average user, which is the majority, doesn't think there is much wrong with Windows.
When Unix was young it was use and share. That's essentially what BSD was. UNIX utilities that got shared. Sharing software that gets modified and reused is a good thing as it allows improvement. I've occasionally looked at software and fixed it or collaborated with the developer about it and made it better. It works. I'm actually going to be ending some of my projects to start work on other peoples projects.
Only 'flamers' flame!
Does slashdot hate my posts?
We've had Windows be so common at home AND work for so long that we've started to think that people can't learn other systems.
Back in the 80's you didn't hear about users complaining about a computer system migration when the last one sucked.
I guess that means that too many people don't think that Microsoft products are all that bad. They don't see the big picture anymore because there are so many choices they only see the Microsoft tree.
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
I did exactly that: replaced windoze with linux on my parents computer. Windoze crashed (duh!) in the permanent kind of way, so installed Mandrake 9.2. Everything worked out of the box, except for a few printing probs. They were happy with it, didn't even realize the difference for the most part. Their only complaint was the printing glitches (problem with initializing the printer) that I was too lazy to fix for awhile. I feel that if someone sets up the system fully for them, they will be extremely happy for 2 years with it. Can you say that about windoze? (ahahahaha...no)
However, I ended up going to a dual boot for the reason discussed more above: intercompatibility among various programs. Linux is getting very close to being highly superior to windows straight out of the box. It won't be long before the price difference (free vs. outrageous) far outweighs the software trade-offs in the minds of the majority of windoze users.
MSCE = Moronic, Syncophatic, Clueless Entity
I've seen msce certified people who did not even know how to install software from a server, with the links existing, and the software pkgs just sitting there waiting to be used.
You make it plainly obvious to everyone what you think of the company. Your lack of knowledge on the matter also shows how much you think about the matter.
Try gaining a bit of knowledge then repeating the exercise. Even if you don't change your mind on the mertis of Microsoft, at least your flagellations will be valid instead of ignorant and absurd.
I agree fully. I have all decent versions of windoze pirated and install them for others. And then have to do it again and again. And all my friends use pirated windoze too (unless they have a crappy dell). You have convinced me! I am sick of windoze. I will take the time, and install Linux for people instead. Get them fully set up and running. Then: years of stable computing with no/little effort on my part. MS: crack down on us theiving home users.
"""
I think if more people refused to work on Windows for friends and family, the death of Windows as a dominant desktop platform would be much more speedy.
"""
Amen.
Amen brother. I have been saying this for sometime. I love Linux in my office. I love that my host uses Linux. But neither I nor MILLIONS of people want to use Linux at home because of how lacking it is as an entertainment box. Until a person can download a movie or an episode of the Simpsons on a P2P app. and play them EASILY (as in maybe having to find a codec pack) on a Linux box, it will never be a real competitor in the desktop market. Until the same games are released on Linux as on Windows, it will never be a real competitor in the desktop market.
Sure you might argue that Linux is better in a business for these reasons. Or you could argue that (in the case of the first example) what the end users want to do is illegal so "we don't want those users anyway." Well fine. But millions of low-end computer users want to do this stuff. At the college level (a great barometer of things to come) Windows machines have gone beyond being "just a computer" to being an all-out media box, with tons of free (as in stealing) content to download, organize and use. Until Linux can "out Kazaa" windows and play the newest games, it will never become a large percentage of the desktop market. period.
Open Source Sushi
BITCH - you are infringing on our patent. Desist immediately or we will file legal action.
Your truly,
The GNAA
Other reasons why although I'd consider Linux in the future, I don't use it now:-
(a) Virtually nonexistent font support in comparison to Windows. With some of the art stuff I do, I need decent font rendering...Maybe someone can give me some advice on this, but I haven't seen a means of supporting Windows/Apple fonts in Linux yet, or the anti-aliasing that Windows has.
(b) Games. Granted that there's a UT binary available for Linux, so that isn't so much a problem...but in terms of the larger development issue, you're not going to get the gaming industry on side in a big way until there is a Linux equivalent of DirectX. Having to develop/buy individual hardware drivers for games was one of the main things that made game development for DOS a pain...there's no way game companies are going to want to go back to that. I know about WINE, which I can use to emulate older games, but if the majority of programs I use are Windows-based anywayz, from that point of view it makes a lot more sense to simply use Windows itself.
Despite the cons though, there are reasons why I'd definitely be willing to at least consider reinstalling Linux at some point:-
(a) Greater security/stability. This one is a no-brainer, and probably the primary reason for using a non-Microsoft operating system. Virtually all of the viruses in existence from what I've read have been written to specifically target certain elements of Microsoft operating systems...and very often these targets are vulnerabilities which should not be present in the system.
(b) The ability to create a completely custom installation from scratch, having everything I do want and nothing I don't, which again is something extremely difficult, if not impossible, to have with Windows. The half-dozen or so times I've installed Linux, despite it at times being a gruelling process I have greatly enjoyed customising the system...Choosing which window manager, and specific set of other applications I was going to use. It is a liberating, refreshing, and confidence-building experience.
In short, I like very much what I've seen of Linux...I feel very positive about it, especially considering that the first system I ever used the Internet on was FreeBSD...so I'm somewhat accustomed to a UNIX environment anywayz. The amount that I've used Windows in the last 10 years has admittedly caused me to become mentally lazy, but there are also times when I simply find myself wanting to *do something* and not worry about the technical particulars. If Linux can get to the point where that is a bit more possible, I'll definitely be interested.
The ironic thing about Linux's growth is that in one way, it's easier for the average joe to use. But in a different sense, the scripts and code become hidden. While this makes using Linux easier, the learning aspect decreases as the amount of GUI use increases. It's like the programmers' work is going unappreciated because it's being shadowed by the GUI. And the GUI can easily deter a user from wanting to see what's underneath the pretty pictures and windows. After all, a graphical tool that shows your partition information is just reading /proc/partitions and putting a window around it.
The blonde kid in the white shirt, with direction that for all the world looks like a cross between the Matrix and the "training flashback" in Dark City.
The mainstream level of "hey we oughta do this Linux stuff" is already beginning. I'm beginning to hear it from customers that have been afraid to go with Sun because "they're a startup with out a proven track record."
The BBC is possibly the closest thing we have to impartial journalism, even counting all the Hutton bullshit. It's far better than having large news networks controlled by massive megacorps. So DO NOT TAKE THE PISS. We have a kickass TV service, impartial journalism and a damn fine radio service, thanks to the BBC. Don't diss.
I'm amazing. You aren't. SUCK IT
The reason for this story is probably based on this stuff:
1 13 1818,00.html
y /0 ,3605,1131225,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,3604,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/stor
It must be terrible to live in one of these corrupt countries where money drives everything. Thank god I'm from the UK.
Well on the file/folder/printer sharing, Samba's pretty damn easy to manage. If I can get Samba working a home as a mini fileserver, then it shouldn't be too hard for a corporate IT-department to set it up for their company.
As the the "Popular Applications" angle, that's trickier. There are several programs around which are either funcitonally equivalent or fileformat-compatible, but I think we're still quite a way before "Management Mindset" can get away from the 'We Have To Use This Particular Program I've Heard About' syndrome.
But if nothing else, the article's a start. We now have the BBC giving a basic overview as to why some businesses are switching to Linux, and giving a not-too-inaccurate look at what Linux actually is and how distribution works. /. or some other technological news outlet.
TiggsAnd many bosses (at least here in the UK) are more likely to pay attention to an article by the BBC than something on
Tiggs
"120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
Second paragraph
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aww, screw it all. I'm tired of trying to explain the benefits of Linux to Windows users. I'm tired of talking until my voice goes out about how terrible Windows is...
I'm just going to leak an ISO onto the net of RedHat, and change the name to:
"Windows 2005 (unreleased) [pirate] NO KEY NEEDED.iso"
Thousands of people "upgrade" to Linux, and everyone is perfectly happy. They will recieve a small error message when they try to play their games of old programs that they are incompatible with the new version of Windows, and should request a new version from the company (nothing new there, Windows upgrades always do that crap). Meanwhile it'll lead them to free equivalents.
Bingo. Linux takes over the world overnight. Companies are suddenly getting hundreds of thousands of requests to port their software to Linux, and many are happy using the free equivalents.
Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
I agree. the "BBC is possibly the closest thing we have to impartial journalism" but it is in that club run by the "great and good".
I also agree with. "Still, I suppose that the latest story is written by someone who has Clue. I'm told that they exist, even at the BBC." The BBC does make some factual mistakes that slashdotters could easily correct. (But they are usually better than the alternatives.)
The BBC is said to have a process called "copperbottoming" which ensures only people who are in the club of the great and the good get a look-in on serious programmes. The trouble is these "copperbottomed" people don't always get their facts right and often have their own axes to grind.
It's very hard to correct or question them. See smugbastardsatthebeeb.org.uk.
I don't agree because you're a crapflooder account created on my suggestion.
Furthermore, remember how Microsoft named every upcoming version of Windows after some Egyptian city? Cairo, Chicago and so on. I think that the development kernels should be named after Spanish cities to celebrate Linux' Spanish origins. Linux Milano or Linux Rome anyone?
... Spain invades Italy under cover of DDoS attack ... Linus 'el toro' Torvalds to persuade Vatican to serve paella on Fridays ... Ferrari to substitute prancing stallion with flamenco dancing penguin ... New spanish president Alan "vaya pelos" Cox now in talks with Mandrake to take over France
NEWS FLASH
Viva Italia!! Ole!
No doubt Lord Hutton will be appointed, and will come down entirely in favour of Bill Gates, MicroSoft, proprietary software, and the Labour Government. All blame for Linux and all other open source initiatives will be laid on the BBC, causing the chairman and director general to resign. Alastair Campbell will make a speech about how he was right all along, and demanding a full apology. If this is democracy ... someone give me a gun
OK. The government takes on its own software development but also uses some open source. Something goes wrong. Who's responsible? Now you may argue that current EULA's waive any accountability at the moment except that there is nonetheless an accountable party and the issue can be debated in court. In the case of oss who does the government take to task?
Even worse, what if a government agency develops some software which it releases. Will it be held responsible should there be a flaw which adversely affects other users? In this day and age there is no doubt that someone would try to sue esp. if it's a government agency. And let's face it, a government agency is fundamentally accountable to "the people" for its actions.
Lack of liability is already bad enough. Moving to oss would seem to exacerbate the problem. And should you doubt any of this, ask yourself, when you've bitched about a really thorny problem with some oss software how often have you had the response that "Hey, it's free. Don't like it then take a hike." That is not an option for a responsible agency with a critical need, nor is it a response they can make.
"Consensus" in science is _always_ a political construct.
Why should CD-burning be a privilegied operation? Well... I dunno, but last I checked it was so in Windows 2k & XP. You'll need a properly configured Nero BurnRights to be able to burn CDs/DVDs as a ordinary user.
Not that this answers your question at all (the link may), but heck, it's not like it's all that different in Windows.
Nice "I don't like security applied"-troll. As for mime-types, I agree though.
And for that neverending what office-suite is the best... I never bothered to upgrade beyond Office97. There were only bloat to catch it seemed. And OpenOffice performs quite well compared to Office97.
Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
...LDAP, NIS, NIS+, etc.
Fucking ignorant trolls.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
Even worse. Macintosh is endorsed by hippies :)
Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
Now they do. Those girls who didn't know what Linux is? Now they know. Along with about a billion other people who had the game on. :-)
It's rare that you're presented with a knob whose only two positions are Make History and Flee Your Glorious Destiny.
kpaint? The version that comes with RH 7.5 is the worst paint program I have EVER seen; this includes MSPaint and some programs I've seen written in a two-week "learn to program" course.
RH 7.5? Isn't that a bit old? Well, I think nobody is maintaining kpaint atm and I think it's going to be replaced by kolourpaint when it's ready enough..
Kit? Simply didn't work as near as I can tell, whereas I've never had a hitch with Gaim.
Kit is removed from the 3.2 afaik. Have you tried Kopete?
Konqueror? Both Ghaleon and Mozilla are clearly better.
Can you elaborate why so? Imho Konqueror is the best browser here..
Fortunately, KDE auto-loads a lot of programs not made by them like Emacs, Gaim, Mozilla, GIMP, et c.
Pardon? Auto-loads? Wtf are you talking about? Do you think that GTK applications are bad because they doesn't come from one author or what? KDE has the best apps for my needs (except gimp) and thus I can't understand you..
Don't you mean UT2003?
Maybe this is old hat, but I'm surprised there isn't much comment on this aspect of the article:
"The Linux operating system was created more than a decade ago by Linus Torvalds, then just a student at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Since then, the program has been further refined by programmers worldwide."
Yes, Torvalds' work (and system for working) on the Linux kernel was very important, but it's as though BSD, GNU, and all the huge foundation of free unix software never existed. One would think that the BBC's "linux expert" would know better than to continue to spread the misinformation that the best challenger to M$'s world domination was created by a single college student in Finland - subsequently "refined" by others, but still...
Are people so completely embarrassed by Stallman et al that they prefer to write out of the picture the true foundation of OSS, and the genesis of the free software concept that, it seems to me, is based on a uniquely American sensibility of freedom of speech and information? (and I'm not even American...)
A lot of people on slashdot know enough to call it GNU/Linux. But even here, a lot don't. Am I the only one who is so annoyed by the constant mainstream media attribution of the whole concept and industry of free software to Torvalds?
noop