Slashdot Mirror
Should Being Competitive With Windows Matter For Linux?
An anonymous reader writes "Is Linux being held back by distributions bent on competing with Microsoft Windows? This article argues that it's a real possibility. Quoting: '... what was apparent early on during my Linux adoption was my motivation for making the switch in the first place — no longer wanting to use Windows. This is where I think the confusion begins for most new Linux adopters. As we make the switch, we must fight the inherent urge to automatically begin comparing the new desktop experience to our previous experiences with Windows. It's a completely different set of circumstances, folks. ... The fact that one platform can support a specific device while the other platform cannot (and so on) doesn't really solve the problem of getting said device working. You can see where this dysfunction of thought can become a big problem, fast."
@manufacturers contributing drivers to the kernel
OK, why then Linux doesn't provide the same driver interface as Windows? I believe similar goal has that ReactOS Windows clone.
We have always been at war with the Registry.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
That plus it makes running a backup into black magic. And we have that going for us now as well, only not because of the registry (otherwise known as GConf). Tried to backup a machine that has someone logged in lately? I use rsnapshot, gotta add in special exceptions lest GNOME hose you because they just have to use features that almost no backup program is going to be expecting to find, files that you can't stat... even as root. Only the owning user can enter that directory, all others lose and go mad. Like meeting Cthulu or something. Totally breaking every assumption about how a file system on UNIX is supposed to behave.
Democrat delenda est
Yes ok, amazon jungle tribal members probably do not use linux very much.
Got Code?
They just don't think that much of them.
Well, now you know. If you play with your Winkey you might discover something new.
Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!