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The Future of Closed Source Software and Linux
slashy writes "What is the future of closed source software and Linux? OSWeekly.com delves into the subject and emerges with a possible answer. Quote: "I have been struggling with one major problem lately with the Linux operating system and that problem is the amazing lack of new and exciting software. It's frustrating because by the time said software does finally make its way down to the Linux user, the Windows crowd has been using it for nearly a year or longer.
Perhaps some of this is because there does not appear to be a clear, simple to follow outline cooperative for companies to design for the open source operating system. Arguably this is because of the perceived need to keep things "open," however, I feel it's time for Linux to grow up and find some kind of common ground with the closed source community. I am a firm believer that both parties could learn a lot from each other; unfortunately I don't see that happening any time soon."
No. By "the amazing lack of new and exciting software...the Windows crowd has been using for nearly a year or longer," the author probably means adware/spyware. How come Windows always seem to be years ahead of Linux in terms of new and exciting malware?
But I don't want any goddamn closed source crap on my boxen.
perpetually dwelling in the -1 pits
chmod - Windows could use something similar to this, but the security model would hardly allow for simple "775" format security settings.
/s filename -- and I've never been able to actually USE find successfully
And yet, everyone agrees the Linux is more secure than Windows! Complexity and Obscurity does not imply Security.
ls - see dir.
How do you list files which have been 'modified' after a particular time? How do you list files of a particular extension, whose size is greater than x? DIR is not even 1% of the simple 'ls' command.. and MS has been working on it for decades!
find - dir can practically do this too, dir
Actually, you need to be able to use something called a Brain.. something MS does not want any user to. It's a bit tough to learn a Unix command, but once is enough for a lifetime. In Windows, the icons and controls are in different places / hidden from version to version. In XP, my modem is listed under "Printers and Other Hardware" in the Control Panel!!!! No wonder people used to MS crap can't fathom simple Unix commands.
ps - the best I can come up with is netstat which will list all the open connections. Linux has got this one
And ps is a process scheduler, listing running processes! netstat is something else, altogether!
kill -9 - Never even heard of this
You know what? Bill Gates doesn't want you to hear anything about it as well.. else users would be able to list all running processes, including rootkits and simply kill them! Since the OS belongs to MS and you only get a license to run it, no wonder His Billness doesn't like you killing his precious IP!
cp - I'd say this one goes to the copy command
Only, it takes a heroic effort to get the syntax right with loooong file paths.
mv - Can anyone say "move" and "rename" commands?
You would get a "File In Use" error, even when logged in as Admin! And the paths are insane to try to navigate on a command prompt.
ln - NTFS supports symbolic linking, but until we have something like this to use it.....
Last I heard, Vista's planning to include sym links... and looks like MS is scared about offering this decades-old functionality, as well.
And when was the last time you used Windows? Just about all software now is pretty good at storing files in the right place.
I've been using Windows for a decade now. File locations keep changing from release to release, and they're sometimes in System folders, some settings are in the Registry, and not portable between systems, etc. No simple, single directory for a particular user's data and settings.
Back up your user folder under Documents and Settings, and you've backed up well, all of your Documents and Setttings.
What about Browser settings, Favourites, Mail client settings, Rules, etc.? Unless I get the same sysid on another system, the registry part of these settings is inaccessible and useless.
A lot of stuff gets lost with the registry, but considering your user registry is stored under Documents and Settings, you're probably good here too.
I've tried to attach my system to a different Domain, and get back my mail settings.. no way! So much for Registry Lockup!
I ask again, when was the last time you used Windows?
I ask you once, have you ever used Linux and Unix for a month? And BTW, how much do you get paid to spread misinformation?
If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
there aren't any absolutely compelling applications that make me want to move to Linux from OS X.
While the concepts of OSS and GPLv2 are great and worthwhile and make me supportive in general, in actual usage there isn't anything that comes close to being a "killer app"
That's because you're not looking for that at all. So of course you can't find any.
My perception (which I am sure a few people are about to tell me is wholly wrong) is that there isn't any exciting development in the end user application space
There are plenty, especially on Linux. And why "a few" people will tell you you're wrong ? Perhaps nobody will tell you anything and just ignore you.
You talk like you're some kind of authority. Reading what you said just shows you're not any authority, just a Mac lover. Nothing wrong with that, but you're clearly not qualified to talk about exciting software outside the Mac.
Where is the application that beats the pants off of Final Cut Pro, or even iMovie? Where is the amazing application that does something that nobody developing for OS X or Windows has even thought of yet?
Again, there are a lot of them, you just dismiss them as not important, as long as they're not on your platform of choice.
In some ways, this parallels the situation with PC Gamers not interested in moving to OS X
This example is just stupid : you compare games and OS, like apples and oranges.
Comparing console (Sony and Nintendo ones, not XBox like) gamers and PC gamers would be more accurate.
I'm not saying that it will be easy for such a project to materialize and mature. It's going to mean an awfully lot of hard work, probably without the same opportunities for financial rewards
You don't know what you're talking about, so you can't know how hard it will be.
You need no excuse for not moving to Linux, it's just not compatible with your needs yet, nothing wrong with that.