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AOL Dialer for Linux

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the maybe-that-one-isn't-for-you dept.

jesuscash writes "Linspire today announced the availability of Internet dialer software that provides direct access to the Internet for desktop Linux users via AOL's dial-up ISP service."

18 of 57 comments (clear)

  1. Hoooooray! by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Funny
    There are no words to express the gratitude.

    At last! AOL and Linux!

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  2. A match made in heaven by BumbaCLot · · Score: 3, Funny

    Who could possibly make fun of AOL that wouldn't make fun of Linspire? Are these on E-machines? I miss my Packard-Bell.

  3. Linspire only? by wowbagger · · Score: 2, Funny

    The blub linked says "Available free to all Linspire users, ..." but says nothing about non-Linspire users.

    Question: is this available for non-Linspire machines?

    The code link on the Linspire page seems broken - the correct one is here

    --
    www.eFax.com are spammers
  4. Hopefully AOL shouldn't have any problems by mind21_98 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Even though it's open source, AOL might try to invoke the DMCA on this. In any case, this is very good news for anyone wanting to get Linux onto more desktops. I wish Linspire the best of luck with their dialer, and hopefully they can build a complete AOL client based on this.

    --
    US businesses that currently accept chip and PIN/signature
  5. Can't wait for the commercial by L.+VeGas · · Score: 5, Funny

    Linus Torvalds: "Hey! You've got AOL in my Linux!"
    Steve Case: "You've got Linux in my AOL!"

    --
    Best Windows Freeware
  6. I don't believe it. by weeboo0104 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is clearly "vaporware". Everybody knows that Linux does not exist.

    --
    It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -Frederick Douglass
  7. So THAT's what they were talking about by the_maddman · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now we know what today's threat to the internet is. Thanks for cleaning that up Linspire.

  8. Penggy by trans_err · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Penggy has been allowing linux users to dial connect to AOL for quite some time. Who wants to put a bet on where most of the code came from. All in all- this is old news.

    The same thing that was debated years ago when penggy was announced on /. will most likely be argued here: Why would linux users want to connect to AOL?

    Although, marketing this software through linspire makes a lot more sense considering their more simplistic market.

    --

    transmission_err

    1. Re:Penggy by robochan · · Score: 2, Informative

      Why would linux users want to connect to AOL?

      Most Linux users wouldn't. However, there are many AOL users that would like to be able to use Linux (or _I_ would like them to be abe to use Linux) and not have their entire AOL experience changed. While Penggy is a great idea, it does _not_ replace the AOL software, and for many people, AOL _is_ the internet. They have no idea wtf an antivirus is or that windows update even exists. They run Win9x on a 233, beefed up with some RAM, that their grandkid gave to them 3 years ago. All they know is that when they click on the little icon, a moment or 2 later their told that they've got mail.
      I deal with these folks on a daily basis.

      I have no idea how this new thing works, but it would seem to be just a dialer, which is unfortunate. Something along the lines of actual AOL software, instead of just a dialer, would help me out immensely moving people over to Linux. In my business, I deal almost exclusively with home users, many of whom use AOL. There hasn't been a viable Linux solution for them. Perhaps we'll see how viable this is.
      The following line from Linspire's website makes me a bit apprehensive:
      "The AOL Dialer for Linux is not endorsed, supported or certified by America Online, Inc."

      --
      ...Rob
      The American Dream isn't an SUV and a house in the suburbs; it's Don't Tread On Me.
  9. A little redundant? by mattgorle · · Score: 2, Informative

    I would have thought that we linuxers had understood how to connect to the net through dialup by now...

    Still, it's nice(?!) to see them take it seriously enough to release software for linux, even if it's been done several times before...

    --
    Slackware user since 1997.
    1. Re:A little redundant? by sjbcfh · · Score: 2, Informative
      I would have thought that we linuxers had understood how to connect to the net through dialup by now...

      Except that AOL doesn't use a regular PPP connection. They use their own proprietary dialup protocol, instead.

  10. Re:If you're smart enough to use Linux by black+mariah · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Honestly, who is going to use this?
    Ummm... mebbe the same people that use Linspire?
    --
    'Standards' in computing only impress those who are impressed by things like 'standards'.
  11. too late... by advocate_one · · Score: 3, Interesting
    my father was a dedicated AOL user for a long time... and the only thing holding him back from switching to Linux was the lack of a proper dialer for Linux...

    In the end, the worms and other nasties of ms-windows life finally gave him the final push over to Linux... and that was the end of his AOL account... it was a painfull break for him, but in the long run he's had no regrets and he can still chat with his friends via Gaim, but as far as he's concerned, the lack of official support from AOL for Linux has cost them an account

    --
    Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
  12. Finally... by silicon+not+in+the+v · · Score: 2, Funny

    A bicycle for my fish...

    --
    We may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode. -Capt. Mal Reynolds
  13. What's the news here ? by wsapplegate · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'm not sure what's so revolutionary with this program (the two links in the press release end up in a 404, so I can't check if it has something new), but an AOL dialer for Linux already exists. In fact, they've even been threatened by (and lost their old domain name to) AOL. As far as I know, their software still works today. Wouldn't this be another publicity stunt by Mr. Robertson and Lin(dows|d-ws|spire) ?

    --
    Xenu brings order!
  14. Re:If you're smart enough to use Linux by name773 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't know what AOL costs.
    your soul. there's a clause about it somewhere in the middle of the eula...

  15. Old news by thelenm · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oh, we already heard this story... er, wait. I guess that wasn't America Online...

    --
    Use Ctrl-C instead of ESC in Vim!
  16. Re:If you're smart enough to use Linux by burns210 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    We need a single distro that is so locked down, that users don't even know the UNIX side exisits... Imagine...

    1. Use a web interface for purchasing/downloading/updating software.
    2. Use Zero Install for software installs, running them off the internet(a local server from the distro, or the developer's) and cache the download for 'offline'/faster loading use.
    3. The culmination of all things automated, best hardware autorecognition, X/Sound/Video auto configured.
    4. Hide the entire filesystem except for /home/YOUR_USERNAME/ and /home/SHARED/. Nothing else is visible, and is basicly read-only.
    5. Simple interface, just the basics, nothing overly fancy.
    6. 1 app for each problem. 1 mp3 player, 1 word processor, 1 video player.
    7. Auto updates configured to run. Firewall installed, but invisible to the user.

    Any more ideas?