First modernized GPS satellite Launched

A reader writes "The first GPS 2R-M satellite has launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on top of a Boeing Delta 2 rocket. The government is now competing with Europe's Galileo system, and has added two additional military channels and one civilian channel, which will increase the accuracy and performance of GPS - as well as increase its resistance to jamming."

Comments

Normal people hate linux

[Anonymous Coward]

Linux is *not* user friendly, and until it is linux will stay with >1% marketshare.

Take installation. Linux zealots are now saying "oh installing is so easy, just do apt-get install package or emerge package": Yes, because typing in "apt-get" or "emerge" makes so much more sense to new users than double-clicking an icon that says "setup".

Linux zealots are far too forgiving when judging the difficultly of Linux configuration issues and far too harsh when judging the difficulty of Windows configuration issues. Example comments:

User: "How do I get Quake 3 to run in Linux?"
Zealot: "Oh that's easy! If you have Redhat, you have to download quake_3_rh_8_i686_010203_glibc.bin, then do chmod +x on the file. Then you have to su to root, make sure you type export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.2.5 but ONLY if you have that latest libc6 installed. If you don't, don't set that environment variable or the installer will dump core. Before you run the installer, make sure you have the GL drivers for X installed. Get them at [some obscure web address], chmod +x the binary, then run it, but make sure you have at least 10MB free in /tmp or the installer will dump core. After the installer is done, edit /etc/X11/XF86Config and add a section called "GL" and put "driver nv" in it. Make sure you have the latest version of X and Linux kernel 2.6 or else X will segfault when you start. OK, run the Quake 3 installer and make sure you set the proper group and setuid permissions on quake3.bin. If you want sound, look here [link to another obscure web site], which is a short HOWTO on how to get sound in Quake 3. That's all there is to it!"

User: "How do I get Quake 3 to run in Windows?"
Zealot: "Oh God, I had to install Quake 3 in Windoze for some lamer friend of mine! God, what a fucking mess! I put in the CD and it took about 3 minutes to copy everything, and then I had to reboot the fucking computer! Jesus Christ! What a retarded operating system!"

So, I guess the point I'm trying to make is that what seems easy and natural to Linux geeks is definitely not what regular people consider easy and natural. Hence, the preference towards Windows.

Re:Normal people hate linux

[Onymous Hero]

Linux packaging technology beats the ass of windows any time. I can click double click on .debs and get them openened by a installer just like .msi

The problem is in how they're delivered and the lack of 1) a common packaging format and 2) lack of a common "package namespace" (ie: xorg can be called xorg in fedora and xserver-xorg in debian, that makes dependencies fail and can be only fixed by using a common packaging framework where developers and not distros makers package things)

But Linux continues being much better than windows in some areas. For example, you've to download the .exe programs from docens of differents web pages. This becomes SCARY when you've to update things. For the vast majority of software you've to check for new versions visiting their web page and reading the text to check visually if there's a new version. Compare it to the magic of apt-get and emerge....I wonder when Microsoft will catch up with the early 90's and will develop a new .msi format where developers can suministrate a URL for a XML file which tells Windows what are the latest file versions of a given program...there're hints that makes me believe that they'll use RSS for this in Windows Vista, but I don't expect that much from microsoft...

Jamming, eh?

[gowen]

Because of the risk of Jamming, I forsee an Exodus from old GPS to new, throwing Caution to the wind, putting the alternatives in Crisis. As long as tech can Keep On Moving, I'm going to be in a Mellow Mood, and won't Mix Up, Mix Up these services. After just One Cup Of Coffee (add One Drop of milk, Stir It Up...), I can feel the Positive Vibration this has given me, and Time Will Tell that that Slave Driver of a boss will be Waiting In Vain for my report. Work, Why Should I with So Much Trouble In The World?

Thank You Lord. The score is now One-Love to the DoD.