Slashdot Mirror
Time to Try a Linux Desktop?
bigbadwlf writes "EWeek has an opinion column, posted yesterday titled, Isn't Now the Time to Try a Linux Desktop? Quote: 'The crackers currently have the whip hand over Windows, and Microsoft's assertion that Internet Explorer is now part of the operating system shows its flawed reasoning. Worried sick about the latest rash of Internet Explorer security problems? I have the perfect solution for you, one that's even better than switching to Mozilla, Firefox or Opera. Switch operating systems: Go to Linux.'"
How about trying a FreeBSD desktop instead of Linux?
Security Center Editor Larry Seltzer takes a different view of the bug in Mozilla on Windows. Click here to read more.
I'm clicking but I'm not getting any reading. I assume this is the same for everyone else. For anyone who wants to read the article that wasn't linked properly, check here:
Larry Seltzer on Mozilla Flaw
She's built like a steak house, but she handles like a bistro....
Wrong. You're another victum of slashdot sensationalism. The original story had the wrong bugzilla ID and had nothing to do with the security issue. The correct one is much more current and was handled in a timely manner.
I recently decided to give Mandrake 10.0 a shot, and I am pleansantly suprised! Except for a few minor glitches that were easy to iron out it installed perfectly on the first try! I would say it's equally as easy as a Windows install.
Also, after setting up the http mirrors I found that software installation was incredibly simple. I was able to install everything I needed in just a few mouse clicks. This included everything from Apache/PHP/mySQL to silly stuff like Gaim.
This is the first Linux install I've ever had where I didn't have to edit at least a couple text files to get it to run properly. I would reccomend it as a great "Linux Desktop" for the Average Joe user.
"They'll want actual reasons to switch."
Did you even read the Slashdot story to which this thread is related? The reason to switch is that IE is integrated into Microsoft's OS and Microsoft is incapable of securing their OS because of it! Even if you run a diffrent browser on a Microsoft OS, IE is integrated so that parts of it that may be subject to attack are being used by other parts of the OS. This forces you to apply patch after patch after patch to keep half a step ahead of the bad guys.
Seems like an "actual reason" to me!
The race isn't always to the swift... but that's the way to bet!
konqueror is not integrated into the desktop in the way Internet Explorer is integrated into the Windows OS. It makes use of the KDE infrastructure, but even if you use KDE, you can easily deinstall konqueror.
E.g. in Debian I type "apt-get remove konqueror" and I won't see konqueror ever again. I can still use all of KDE and enjoy the web with mozilla, opera, whatever. [I prefer konqueror to opera and mozilla-firefox, though. ATM I prefer mozilla-thunderbird to kmail due to easier IMAP spam filtering]
There are no similarities to the IE/Windows chimera, where upgrading the OS requires the browser and where there is no clear separation between apps and OS infrastructure and data.
Moritz
For people that consider computers a hobby, the CLI provides a powerful tool to explore the inner workings of the machine. What you have to realize, though, is that for most people it has become an appliance. Like you said, it is no different than a toaster or a fridge for these people. Tell me, do you know how to repair your fridge if something goes wrong. I would guess that you would call someone to fix it for you. Now if cooling systems were your hobby, you might know the internal workings of the system and fix it yourself.
Back in the days of DOS (and much earlier) computers were only used in a very limited capacity by most people. When I was nine (I'm 26 now) very few people actually knew how to use a computer (i chose this date becuase it is when I actually got my own computer). Very few people actually bothered using a computer. It was used to a limited extent in offices for word processing, and some spreadsheet applications. However, it was far from ubiquotous as it is today. Therefore, back then the computer was primarily a hobbyist item. So many people who used computer were actually interested in learning the workings of the machine, since it was primarily for that purpose that they owned one.
The computer is now an appliance like any other. It has to be as easy to use, and as intuitive, as any other appiance. The simple fact of the matter is that Linux can not succeed in the appliance marketplace untill it starts to behave like an appliance. The computer is complex enough that hobbyists will staill beable to have their fun. The CLI will persist, however It should be well hidden from the user.