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A GNU/Linux Distro Needing Windows To Install?

Posted by kdawson on from the for-some-values-of-instant dept.

dgun writes "I recently put together a new PC. When I purchased the motherboard, I noticed that it came with an instant-on OS, a small GNU/Linux distro called Splashtop. I assumed that the OS was on a ROM chip on the motherboard. To my great annoyance, when I tried to boot to this OS, a message said that it was not installed. It turns out that motherboard comes with an install disk for this GNU/Linux OS — that you can only run from Windows, to install Splashtop on the hard drive. First of all, doesn't installing it on the hard drive defeat the point of having an instant-on OS? If I wanted to dual-boot a small GNU/Linux OS, there are plenty that I could choose from. Second, if distributing GPL'ed software by means that completely preclude it from being used without Windows is not a violation of the GPL, should it not be?"

8 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Bad Article. Poster didn't bother to RTFA. by Ryvar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah, the original post is terrible. If he was *really* trying to get people to needlessly hyperventilate he should have titled it "A GNU/Linux distro needing BSD to install?!?!"

  2. Re:Jesus Christ by uepuejq · · Score: 1, Funny

    liGNUx (tm)

  3. Re:give me a break by ModernGeek · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was thinking not to give them any ideas for GPLv4.

    --
    Sig: I stole this sig.
  4. Re:it's kdawson special by Sir_Lewk · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, I'm with this guy. This article is just plain terrible.

    If you take it down now and we all just agree to pretend this never happened then the world will be a better place.

    --
    "linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)
  5. Re:Bad Article. Poster didn't bother to RTFA. by ssintercept · · Score: 3, Funny

    not only terrible...

    Second, if distributing GPL'ed software by means that completely preclude it from being used without Windows is not a violation of the GPL, should it not be?

    but pretentious shit.

    even Stallman's beard would choke that tool out...

    --
    "You can kill the revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution."-- Fred Hampton
  6. Re:Bad Article. Poster didn't bother to RTFA. by finity · · Score: 3, Funny

    I dream of the day that we see the article titled: "A Windows distro needing Linux to install?!?!"

  7. Re:Bad Article. Poster didn't bother to RTFA. by houstonbofh · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, I've had to use liveCD a couple of times to save data off of a Windows install before reformatting. Does that count?

    Nahh... People use Linux to remove Windows all the time.

  8. Re:I don't really think so by Bigjeff5 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Look, just because you don't like the fact that people make things illegal just because someone doesn't like them does NOT mean it should be illegal to make things illegal because someone doesn't like them for no other reason than because you don't like them.

    --
    Security is mostly a superstition... Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. - Helen Keller