Introducing GNU/Linux Via Applications

An anonymous reader writes "A common problem with GNU/Linux for new users is not the operating system, but the switch in applications they must undertake to use it. Many who try to make the switch have little experience with the common open source applications available under GNU/Linux. The Kutztown GNU/Linux User Group, in Pennsylvania, is helping to change that on a large scale by distributing open source applications to faculty on Microsoft Windows machines first. Instead of selling GNU/Linux, the group is selling open source. Faculty at the school have been provided discs containing a number of popular open source applications compatible with Windows as part of a larger program to get more users to consider switching operating systems."

Comments

Good idea

[ksd1337]

This is a good idea. Instead of alienating users, they can make them more familiar with the benefits of open-source while letting them keep the OS they know how to use. Wow, a first post. I never thought I'd make it.

Re:Good idea

[Seumas]

Agreed. This is a rather simple step to take, but one that a lot of us might not consider if we are in the position to make such decisions and efforts. OSS and Linux can be introduced in baby-steps, until the targeted person or persons is using largely open and free applications and even operating systems without really even realizing it.

We're often too forceful with our fanatical upholding of our favored philosophies and operating systems to the detriment of our own goals. Our enthusiasm can't be forced on someone else. The enthusiasm can be seeded in another person, though. And if you cultivate it slowly and carefully, they will appreciate it even grow to feel they discovered it of their own accord, which will make them more willing to promote and evangelize the experience and the products than if we forced it on them wholesale out of the blue.

Re:Good idea

[dvice_null]

> while letting them keep the OS they know how to use

I disagree. Majority of the users of Windows don't actually know how to use it. If they have problems, they need help. And during the normal everyday use, they don't actually use the OS at all, they just use the programs installed on it.

I asked my wife after 6 months of using Ubuntu how does she feel about using Linux and she replied. "What do you mean, I have just surfed the web and written some emails and edited some pictures. I haven't used Linux".

So basicly if we can replace Photoshop, Office, Outlook and IE. There is no problem replacing the Windows complitely. As long as someone is providing them the support they used to have with Windows also. (Which they probably need less with the Linux.)

"GNU/Linux"

[guspasho]

Off-topic, I know, but is there any reason the author consistently refers to "GNU/Linux" rather than Linux?

Re:"GNU/Linux"

[petrus4]

Without the FSF and the GNU project "Linux" would not exist. Without the continuing work of the FSF and the Software Freedom Law Center it would soon become impossible for non-Corporate entities to create Free/Open-source software.

This is fear based garbage, and it's also so utterly idiotic and ignorant that I find myself wondering why I'm bothering to reply to it at all.

You obviously haven't used any of the BSDs before, have you? Of course, you're probably barely even aware that *BSD exists at all.

You probably also aren't aware that the sources of many of the commercial UNIX userland apps were released under the BSD license by Caldera not that long ago. In other words, a minimum of 3 different implementations of said userland exist, aside from Stallman's. The only element of the GNU system which is currently genuinely irreplaceable is gcc. Everything else has multiple alternatives.

Please...do both yourself and the rest of us a favour, and get some basic knowledge of general UNIX outside the box Stallman wants people to think in, before feeding people his usual propaganda and expecting them to swallow it.

I'm really sick of seeing people here who are so pathetically ignorant that they actually believe this sort of shit...it happens over and over again. Go and do some of your own research rather than merely accepting the first thing you're told, and even worse, expecting the rest of us to do the same.

Re:Sure that'll work

[orclevegam]

If you convince people that the free open source apps really are as good as or better than the proprietary garbage that MS (among others) forces down there throats, and get them using it on a regular basis, then there will be nothing tying them to Windows. For most people, what holds them back from switching off Windows to something that's more stable and secure isn't that it dosn't come pre-installed, it's that they don't know how to use any of the apps all of us that use Linux take for granted. If you had someone that uses OOo, FF, The GIMP, and Amarok on a regular basis under XP, then went in and installed something like Kubuntu over night with all the same apps, they'd probably barely even notice.

Re:See the post just below yours

[jdeisenberg]

Actually: http://www.theopencd.org/

For the past few semesters, I've been handing out copies at the "campus groups on display" day, and the reception has been quite positive.

Re:Sure that'll work

[Anonymous Coward]

It's hard to convince people to rebuild their perfectly functional computer, with a less capable alternative, based purely on the philosophy of "MSF is evil its not Free".

Hard message to hear, but it's quite true. Joe doesn't code & couldn't care less about source code availability. I personally got locked in _hard_ by firefox extensions. I'm running ~30 of them right now, 3 of which I made by examining other people's source. That's what made me appreciate open source. (In case you were wondering, it takes a while to start up, but no it's not unstable.)

These days I'll wipe their viruses, maybe install adblock for them (if they ask nicely) & show off on Beryl. Outside gaming, Linux is easily a superior product & the irony is trying to push software on people gives the impression it's a "less capable alternative."

Re:What is with the GNU tag?

[Chandon Seldon]

This was once true, but is actually not true any more.

You're right. Rather than using the GNU System on top of Linux you could take the userspace component of another Free unix-like system and run that on top of Linux. You could build a Solaris/Linux system or a NetBSD/Linux system. In addition, for embedded systems that don't need to be fully functional Unix-like systems, you can put a simpler userspace on top of the Linux kernel - this is commonly seen in embedded systems.

But... you can't claim that Linux is a Unix-like operating system and also claim that the GNU component of GNU/Linux systems is trivial. Without GNU, Linux is not a general purpose operating system - you'd have to drop in an entire other Unix-like system in order to get Unix-like functionality without GNU. Without Linux, the GNU System will run fine on any of the BSD kernels, on the Solaris kernel, or even on the (still not ready for production use) GNU HURD kernel.

To be very simple and clear: The GNU System has produced a Unix-like operating system that most commonly runs on the Linux kernel. The only replacements for GNU are other full Unix-like operating systems.

Not such a good idea.

[griffenjam]

Lets be frank, the state of the majority of open source projects doesn't even come close to commercial software in terms of end-user eye candy and ease of use. Not to mention that interoperability with Microsoft software is spotty at best (anyone that's had to support OpenOffice users knows what I'm talking about). There's just as much chance that people are going to fire up the open source counterpart to apps they use, find that their documents don't display correctly in it, and conclude that OSS is a waste of their time. This has always been the big problem with Linux and OSS in general, usability and eye-candy is always something for later. It's always put off and never made a real priority. Then when non-computer nerds see OSS apps they see things that look like throwbacks to Windows 95, or hell, even 3.1. Remember, average users aren't impressed by things like a small memory footprint, a non-restrictive EULA, or even the fact that the software is open source (they don't even know what the hell that means). They see the fact that free programs can't open their documents correctly, drag and drop doesn't always work like it should, the icons normally look ugly...

Photoshop and switching to Linux

[falconwolf]

I rarely post, but I feel I should chime in. I've been conditioning my own self to using FOSS apps for a while now so that I can make the switch to Linux a lot easier down the road. There are only a couple applications left for me (Photoshop being the deal-breaker). I'm never going to upgrade to Vista, I'm just going to switch over to something like Ubuntu when I get to the point where I would need to upgrade. By then I hope we'll have a native Photoshop on Linux, or a more robust solution on WINE at least.

Yeah, Photoshop is one reason I've come across as to why people won't switch to Linux. Some FOSS advocates say, if not scream, "GIMP". However for graphics and photgraphy pros GIMP doesn't come close to being a replacement for Photoshop. For instance whereas PS has 24 bit colour channels (and CS3 may have 32 bits) GIMP doesn't even have 16 bit channels, last I heard it's coming RSN, which was more than a year ago. Now I don't know how well it runs in WINE but PS 7 does run in Crossover. Though I got a PC with Linux preinstalled several months ago, personally I hope to get a Macbook Pro in the next 2 or 3 weeks which will be my primary computer.

Falcon

Re:Photoshop and switching to Linux

[ozmanjusri]

For instance whereas PS has 24 bit colour channels (and CS3 may have 32 bits) GIMP doesn't even have 16 bit channels, last I heard it's coming RSN, which was more than a year ago.

CinePaint, aka FilmGimp already supports 32 bits per channel. Use it if that's what's important to you.

Re:At KCLUG, we called it the 'Gateway Drug'

[BiggyP]

The LiveCD approach is nice but for certain users i've a feeling that having a bootable linux disc could really scare them if they accidentally leave it in the machine when they shut down, the other thing is that it might be nice to have OpenOffice.org for windows on the disc, it's quite an important part of the transition for most windows users. That's not to say that handing out LiveCDs is a bad idea though, having both a dedicated Windows FOSS disc and a liveCD available is probably the best solution.