Ok, you say that you are aware of Debian's apt-get, but then you never say why it isn't enough? There are plenty of user-friendly GUI frontends for apt-get, which run on GNOME or KDE. Installing software is as simple as typing in key words for the app you want to install. Then you click on the correct result from the search list. apt-get then begins to automatically and transparently search (on the net and your drives) for all necessary libraries and the correct order to install and configure them... then it automatically installs them. HOW MUCH EASIER CAN YOU MAKE IT?!?
Under your "Installshield" scheme, you would be redundently distributing out-of-date libraries with your software, in addition to the overhead of the Installshield wrapper. Its simply not efficient. In fact, it is very wasteful compared to the apt-get way of doing things.
Apt-get helps you find the software you want AND it helps you efficiently obtain and install it. Your purposed solution does NOT help you find the software you want, and your solution is less efficient. Now, I ask you again, do you really know anything about apt-get? Have you ever used it? Have you ever used one of the slick user-friendly GUI frontends for apt-get? If not, you should check out Progeny Linux. You can freely download a bootable ISO of Progeny. Progeny is easy to install (just keep clicking "next"). So install it, and see for yourself, the power of apt-get with a user-friendly GUI. See for yourself why Installshield like installations are inferior to a true package management system. See for yourself why Redhat and Slackware based Linux distros are not the best way to run Linux.
Re:That's not enough to run Pong...
on
2.2 GHz Xeon
·
· Score: 2
They both use the same CPU, the 6502, but the similarity ends there. You have to realize that the 6502 was a really popular processor for its time. It was basically the first poor man's RISC CPU.
There are now open source implementations of the 6502 circuit diagrams.
Most desktop PCs and workstation have relatively static hardware configurations. Even gamers, who change their systems more frequently than others, keep roughly the same hardware for at least 6 months.
So yes, if you change your hardware configuration on a daily or even weekly basis, such a distro wouldn't fit your needs, but if you are the typical desktop/workstation user, then having your system re-optimize itself whenever you change the hardware, would be a tolerable cost for improved day to day performance. Tolerable because it is very infrequent yet yeilds long-term gains.
In addition, it wouldn't take much to have the system compile to a certain optimization level. High levels compile the code to exactly fit only the current hardware configuration, while low optimization levels compile towards a more general hardware configuration set, to which your current configuration belongs. That way you can optimize towards maybe just your CPU type and RAM capacity, if you frequently swap out sound cards and video cards (or whatever), and when you keep an entirely static setup, you have the optimizer spend an entire night tweaking the software for your system.
A full Linux distro that utilizes a "BSD Ports" like software management system is already available. The Linux distro is called "Gentoo".
One use of a Linux distro like Gentoo would be to add a user-friend-idiot-proof OS installer that plug-n-play auto detects everything about your hardware, from the exact CPU type, MB type, memory type, graphics card, sound, etc... and then keep that system specific info in a local database. After this part of the installation, and for the rest of the life of the system, whenever you install ANY application on your system, the software is automatically optimized and compiled for your specific setup. Applications could be optimized for your CPU-type and the amount of RAM that you have. Maybe even your video card and sound card could be taken into consideration. If you don't have a sound card, any references to sound could be compiled out of the application. If your video card only supports 256 colors, then perhaps, the desired application could automatically be optimized for such a platform.
This would allow application developers to program with a greater assumed knowledge of the end user's system, and it would make it easier for the end user to have a totally tweaked out Linux setup, apps and all! Not to mention the fact that the Gentoo Portage system deals with dependencies automatically, furthur easing end user headaches.
Closed source simply couldn't compete with such a Linux distro because closed source software (Windows for example) is compiled for the average hardware setup, which sacrifices performance for generality, while a Gentoo based Linux Distro could automatically reconfigure itself to tighly fit your exact hardware setup, which keeps generality and great performance.
These would make a good desktop toy for the office. Just have a bowl with a couple hundred of these guys in it. Great ice-breaker too... like a geeks way of bonding.
Re:That's not enough to run Pong...
on
2.2 GHz Xeon
·
· Score: 2
There was actually a University student that recreated the circuit diagrams for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and then he emulated the circuits, with with a virtual game cart plugged in.
It actually took an entire night for the simulation to get to the game's title screen and fully render it. I can't remember the exact link for the guy's rightup on what he did (he even had screenshots), but I am pretty sure he did it about 3-6 years ago. I guess you could estimate that he had the simulation run on roughly a Pentium 100mhz. So, uhhh, maybe 5Ghz is a bit low, if you actually want the game to be playable.
Still, if you really want perfect emulation of a game, its probably the best way to go, simulating the actual PCBs. Of course, you could always collect the real thing, which people do. Check ebay for such sales.
I have always wanted to see someone make a nice accurate software kinetics simulator where all kinetic calculations preserve kinetic energy (hence no friction), and then populate it with artificial purely-mechanical life... and like you said, the life forms would compete for kinetic energy of any kind, even energy stored in other objects as gravitational potential energy.
I mean, you guys saw the WTC buildings fall. It takes allot of energy to shoot dust and other junk the distances it was shot from those buildings. Its all because of the massive amount of energy stored in those buildings in the form of gravitational potential.
If such life is possible, then the system would keep some level of order, as opposed to decaying into chaotic moving pieces... and who knows, more sophisticated life forms might evolve.
Now thats being open minded! Most of the Lego models that you are talking about require the use of many unique custom made pieces. That that to the extreme, and for each model, you have one custom premade piece. What is the fun of that?
When I was a kid, I never got the designer lego kits with all those custom pieces. I just got one of those HUGE bucket-o-legos that contained tons of various sized rectangular pieces. Thats where the creativity is at, and in fact, Atollo's is interesting for the same reason that electronic computing is interesting: two bits.
Yeah, who needs electronic CPUs for mindstorm like projects, and why use chemical batteries? I want to see a fully mechanical robot that stores energy as gravitational potential.
If you just have two pieces, your creativity is impaired.
Yeah, with computers, having only two different types of bits... creativity is impaired. Having 3-bits would be ohhhh sooo much better! I could express so much... err, wait, I can't express anymore with 3-bits than I could with 2-bits. Now wouldn't ya think the same applies to Atollo?
I am not sure if it is true 3D or just isometric, but eventually everyone will have their own personalized eHouse, as opposed to a webpage.
The Sims Online is basically just that, an massively multiplayer online world, where people can build their own houses, and live virtual alternate lives as criminals, playboys, doctors, etc...
You can bet The Sims Online will become the next killer app for the internet. Just as the other killer apps (chat rooms, email, instant messaging) appeal to a large audience, The Sims appealed/appeals to a large audience. Making the game massively multiplayer is obviously the next level to take the game to, and Will Wright is the man for the job.
Everquest was too geeky for the mainstream, and chat rooms are too boring... The Sims Online? Now thats going to make allot of money!
Exactly. All of the jingos committing these crimes against American Muslims have never personally known a Muslim. Ignorance is a bad thing, and if any of these guys were actually introduced to your typical Muslim... they would realize that shooting threatening Muslims is nothing more than anti-semetic idiocy. I am glad that the FBI is tracking those jingos down and applying the harsh hate crimes laws against them.
I am just worried that people are going to start noticing that each of these terrorists was male. I mean, what is it about males that makes them tend to do these terrorist acts? Will men all over the USA be attacked by jingo females? Will men's bathrooms and YMCAs be shot at? Well, it would make just about as much sense as attacking Muslims.
Currently, there is no "Mandrake-like" Debian based Linux distro. Meaning a distro that has an automatic bootable CD based installation - an installation that only requires the user to put the CD in the CD drive and reboot and then the rest of the installation is automatic.
Debian based meaning, well, its based on the only truely open and free Linux distro: Debian Linux.
In addition, there is no Debian based distro that has KDE as the default, main window manager, with all Distro-centric tools interfaced through KDE applications.
I have to say that I am very interested in the Xandros distro. Taking the best of Corel's installer, Debian's package management system and standards, and the wonderful user-interface known as KDE... it could be one killer distro.
Novice users shouldn't have dependency problems on a Debian distro, considering that the underlying package management system takes care of it all automatically.
Now, those problems might occur frequently on Redhat based distros... but then again, the Xandros Distro is Debian based.
I never could have imagined that one day, there would be such a thing as an illegal pocket calculator. I mean, according to these laws, if Texas Instruments continued to make its TI-8x series of calculators without modifying them to take into consideration the USA's bizaar intellectual property laws, they would be breaking the law by selling a non-compliant pocket calculator.
I can just see it now. Its early Friday afternoon after a long day at high-school. A group of students just wrap up their math club and exit the school, when they are confronted by the FBI - hearing screams of "Freeze Poindexter! Drop that contraband! Drop your calculators! Now, dammit or we will shoot!"
Its mainly a problem that stems from the inadquate computational models created by Alonzo Church and Alan Turing. To this day, I wonder why the great minds of the past neglected to take "Intellectual Property" rights into consideration when building their computational models of computation. I guess they just aren't as smart as the RIAA, Disney, and a butt load of stupid congressman - all who are too detatched from the subjects of their laws.
"I'm glad to see that the promise of transmeta is finally beginning to start being fulfilled."
Are you kidding me? Have you ever checked out and actually used one of the latest Sony Picturebooks? The last two USA versions of the Picturebook used the Crusoe, and both are mean little computer machines. Supposedly Linus uses a picturebook. I mean, who wouldn't love a fully functional Linux Workstation that is no larger than a VHS cassette tape? So there is no "finall begining to start" crap. The Crusoe has been fulfilling for over a year now, its promise of a high efficieny x86 CPU. AND YES, THE PICTUREBOOK RUNS LINUX JUST FINE!
I told everyone on Slashdot that this would happen, in a reply to an article on Bush and the other guys running for president at the time. If you don't believe me, go dig up the slashdot articles on last years election.
I told you guys, hoping that I would be proven wrong. Oh well:-(
And wait a second... the Republicans always claim that they think the government should punish law breaking. I guess the laws only apply to the lower classes and not higher classes or large companies.
Hailstorm is going to end up being nothing more than one central point of failure for all of e-commerce. Wide scale adoption of Hailstorm will lead to a wonderfully tender Achilles Heel for e-commerce.
I will put money on the fact that some hacker or group of hackers will crack Hailstorm wide open, if it ever gains enough of a following. Do we really want to allow a 14 year old script-kiddie to make the NASDAQ drop 20% in one day because all of e-commerce was fuxored and put out of commission for at least the next few business days?
Look, if you think that typing "apt-get install " is too difficult, when apt-get finds the app's package and resolves all dependencies automatically... then use one of the GUI frontends for apt-get. People that talk about apt-get being anything less than user-friendly obviously haven't used the tool. Now, if typing scares you, use a GUI frontend for the best package management tool out there.
And for those who haven't used apt-get before, let me fill you in on some key points:
The software and the service are completely free.
Installing software is as easy as knowing the debian package name of the application you want to install, which is usually the name of the application. For example, to install netscape you would type: "apt-get install netscape". apt-get then searches for a mirror that serves the package and downloads it.
apt-get figures out all of the complex dependencies for you, automatically. This allows users to think on the application level, in that they decide what tools they want to use and not the underlying libraries used by those tools.
I really don't see how anything can be more user-friendly than apt-get.
Your exact perception of the market is one of the main problems facing the mainstream populace. The last 6 months in the tech sector aren't the problem. They are symptoms of the problem which had been happening last year, the year before that, etc... Computers and the internet are NOT a business silver bullet!. It is not the fault of technology itself nor is it something bad that just happened this year, but the reason for the current recession is that many people consistently made bad business decisions. The bad stuff happened last year and the year before that. Can you say "www.bbq.com"?
People praise the wrong things as the cause of their current success, and they chastise the wrong things for being the cause of their failure.
Slashdot Mirror
Ok, you say that you are aware of Debian's apt-get, but then you never say why it isn't enough? There are plenty of user-friendly GUI frontends for apt-get, which run on GNOME or KDE. Installing software is as simple as typing in key words for the app you want to install. Then you click on the correct result from the search list. apt-get then begins to automatically and transparently search (on the net and your drives) for all necessary libraries and the correct order to install and configure them... then it automatically installs them. HOW MUCH EASIER CAN YOU MAKE IT?!?
Under your "Installshield" scheme, you would be redundently distributing out-of-date libraries with your software, in addition to the overhead of the Installshield wrapper. Its simply not efficient. In fact, it is very wasteful compared to the apt-get way of doing things.
Apt-get helps you find the software you want AND it helps you efficiently obtain and install it. Your purposed solution does NOT help you find the software you want, and your solution is less efficient. Now, I ask you again, do you really know anything about apt-get? Have you ever used it? Have you ever used one of the slick user-friendly GUI frontends for apt-get? If not, you should check out Progeny Linux. You can freely download a bootable ISO of Progeny. Progeny is easy to install (just keep clicking "next"). So install it, and see for yourself, the power of apt-get with a user-friendly GUI. See for yourself why Installshield like installations are inferior to a true package management system. See for yourself why Redhat and Slackware based Linux distros are not the best way to run Linux.
They both use the same CPU, the 6502, but the similarity ends there. You have to realize that the 6502 was a really popular processor for its time. It was basically the first poor man's RISC CPU.
There are now open source implementations of the 6502 circuit diagrams.
Most desktop PCs and workstation have relatively static hardware configurations. Even gamers, who change their systems more frequently than others, keep roughly the same hardware for at least 6 months.
So yes, if you change your hardware configuration on a daily or even weekly basis, such a distro wouldn't fit your needs, but if you are the typical desktop/workstation user, then having your system re-optimize itself whenever you change the hardware, would be a tolerable cost for improved day to day performance. Tolerable because it is very infrequent yet yeilds long-term gains.
In addition, it wouldn't take much to have the system compile to a certain optimization level. High levels compile the code to exactly fit only the current hardware configuration, while low optimization levels compile towards a more general hardware configuration set, to which your current configuration belongs. That way you can optimize towards maybe just your CPU type and RAM capacity, if you frequently swap out sound cards and video cards (or whatever), and when you keep an entirely static setup, you have the optimizer spend an entire night tweaking the software for your system.
A full Linux distro that utilizes a "BSD Ports" like software management system is already available. The Linux distro is called "Gentoo".
One use of a Linux distro like Gentoo would be to add a user-friend-idiot-proof OS installer that plug-n-play auto detects everything about your hardware, from the exact CPU type, MB type, memory type, graphics card, sound, etc... and then keep that system specific info in a local database. After this part of the installation, and for the rest of the life of the system, whenever you install ANY application on your system, the software is automatically optimized and compiled for your specific setup. Applications could be optimized for your CPU-type and the amount of RAM that you have. Maybe even your video card and sound card could be taken into consideration. If you don't have a sound card, any references to sound could be compiled out of the application. If your video card only supports 256 colors, then perhaps, the desired application could automatically be optimized for such a platform.
This would allow application developers to program with a greater assumed knowledge of the end user's system, and it would make it easier for the end user to have a totally tweaked out Linux setup, apps and all! Not to mention the fact that the Gentoo Portage system deals with dependencies automatically, furthur easing end user headaches.
Closed source simply couldn't compete with such a Linux distro because closed source software (Windows for example) is compiled for the average hardware setup, which sacrifices performance for generality, while a Gentoo based Linux Distro could automatically reconfigure itself to tighly fit your exact hardware setup, which keeps generality and great performance.
These would make a good desktop toy for the office. Just have a bowl with a couple hundred of these guys in it. Great ice-breaker too... like a geeks way of bonding.
There was actually a University student that recreated the circuit diagrams for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and then he emulated the circuits, with with a virtual game cart plugged in.
It actually took an entire night for the simulation to get to the game's title screen and fully render it. I can't remember the exact link for the guy's rightup on what he did (he even had screenshots), but I am pretty sure he did it about 3-6 years ago. I guess you could estimate that he had the simulation run on roughly a Pentium 100mhz. So, uhhh, maybe 5Ghz is a bit low, if you actually want the game to be playable.
Still, if you really want perfect emulation of a game, its probably the best way to go, simulating the actual PCBs. Of course, you could always collect the real thing, which people do. Check ebay for such sales.
Is the server even up? I mean, being slashdotted is one thing, but having your server flat out down is another. Can you say down for the count?
Yeah, but "she" has an adam's apple bigger than my fist!
I have always wanted to see someone make a nice accurate software kinetics simulator where all kinetic calculations preserve kinetic energy (hence no friction), and then populate it with artificial purely-mechanical life... and like you said, the life forms would compete for kinetic energy of any kind, even energy stored in other objects as gravitational potential energy.
I mean, you guys saw the WTC buildings fall. It takes allot of energy to shoot dust and other junk the distances it was shot from those buildings. Its all because of the massive amount of energy stored in those buildings in the form of gravitational potential.
If such life is possible, then the system would keep some level of order, as opposed to decaying into chaotic moving pieces... and who knows, more sophisticated life forms might evolve.
Now thats being open minded! Most of the Lego models that you are talking about require the use of many unique custom made pieces. That that to the extreme, and for each model, you have one custom premade piece. What is the fun of that?
When I was a kid, I never got the designer lego kits with all those custom pieces. I just got one of those HUGE bucket-o-legos that contained tons of various sized rectangular pieces. Thats where the creativity is at, and in fact, Atollo's is interesting for the same reason that electronic computing is interesting: two bits.
If you guys want to find great new or classic toys, check out Dr Toy's site. Written by a Dr that specializes in toys.
Yeah, who needs electronic CPUs for mindstorm like projects, and why use chemical batteries? I want to see a fully mechanical robot that stores energy as gravitational potential.
Yeah, with computers, having only two different types of bits... creativity is impaired. Having 3-bits would be ohhhh sooo much better! I could express so much... err, wait, I can't express anymore with 3-bits than I could with 2-bits. Now wouldn't ya think the same applies to Atollo?
I am not sure if it is true 3D or just isometric, but eventually everyone will have their own personalized eHouse, as opposed to a webpage.
The Sims Online is basically just that, an massively multiplayer online world, where people can build their own houses, and live virtual alternate lives as criminals, playboys, doctors, etc...
You can bet The Sims Online will become the next killer app for the internet. Just as the other killer apps (chat rooms, email, instant messaging) appeal to a large audience, The Sims appealed/appeals to a large audience. Making the game massively multiplayer is obviously the next level to take the game to, and Will Wright is the man for the job.
Everquest was too geeky for the mainstream, and chat rooms are too boring... The Sims Online? Now thats going to make allot of money!
Exactly. All of the jingos committing these crimes against American Muslims have never personally known a Muslim. Ignorance is a bad thing, and if any of these guys were actually introduced to your typical Muslim... they would realize that shooting threatening Muslims is nothing more than anti-semetic idiocy. I am glad that the FBI is tracking those jingos down and applying the harsh hate crimes laws against them.
I am just worried that people are going to start noticing that each of these terrorists was male. I mean, what is it about males that makes them tend to do these terrorist acts? Will men all over the USA be attacked by jingo females? Will men's bathrooms and YMCAs be shot at? Well, it would make just about as much sense as attacking Muslims.
Maybe you don't understand that many Linux users find Debian based distros to have a stronger foundation when compared to Redhat based distros.
Currently, there is no "Mandrake-like" Debian based Linux distro. Meaning a distro that has an automatic bootable CD based installation - an installation that only requires the user to put the CD in the CD drive and reboot and then the rest of the installation is automatic.
Debian based meaning, well, its based on the only truely open and free Linux distro: Debian Linux.
In addition, there is no Debian based distro that has KDE as the default, main window manager, with all Distro-centric tools interfaced through KDE applications.
I have to say that I am very interested in the Xandros distro. Taking the best of Corel's installer, Debian's package management system and standards, and the wonderful user-interface known as KDE... it could be one killer distro.
Novice users shouldn't have dependency problems on a Debian distro, considering that the underlying package management system takes care of it all automatically.
Now, those problems might occur frequently on Redhat based distros... but then again, the Xandros Distro is Debian based.
I never could have imagined that one day, there would be such a thing as an illegal pocket calculator. I mean, according to these laws, if Texas Instruments continued to make its TI-8x series of calculators without modifying them to take into consideration the USA's bizaar intellectual property laws, they would be breaking the law by selling a non-compliant pocket calculator.
I can just see it now. Its early Friday afternoon after a long day at high-school. A group of students just wrap up their math club and exit the school, when they are confronted by the FBI - hearing screams of "Freeze Poindexter! Drop that contraband! Drop your calculators! Now, dammit or we will shoot!"
Its mainly a problem that stems from the inadquate computational models created by Alonzo Church and Alan Turing. To this day, I wonder why the great minds of the past neglected to take "Intellectual Property" rights into consideration when building their computational models of computation. I guess they just aren't as smart as the RIAA, Disney, and a butt load of stupid congressman - all who are too detatched from the subjects of their laws.
Are you kidding me? Have you ever checked out and actually used one of the latest Sony Picturebooks? The last two USA versions of the Picturebook used the Crusoe, and both are mean little computer machines. Supposedly Linus uses a picturebook. I mean, who wouldn't love a fully functional Linux Workstation that is no larger than a VHS cassette tape? So there is no "finall begining to start" crap. The Crusoe has been fulfilling for over a year now, its promise of a high efficieny x86 CPU. AND YES, THE PICTUREBOOK RUNS LINUX JUST FINE!
I told everyone on Slashdot that this would happen, in a reply to an article on Bush and the other guys running for president at the time. If you don't believe me, go dig up the slashdot articles on last years election.
:-(
I told you guys, hoping that I would be proven wrong. Oh well
And wait a second... the Republicans always claim that they think the government should punish law breaking. I guess the laws only apply to the lower classes and not higher classes or large companies.
Hailstorm is going to end up being nothing more than one central point of failure for all of e-commerce. Wide scale adoption of Hailstorm will lead to a wonderfully tender Achilles Heel for e-commerce.
I will put money on the fact that some hacker or group of hackers will crack Hailstorm wide open, if it ever gains enough of a following. Do we really want to allow a 14 year old script-kiddie to make the NASDAQ drop 20% in one day because all of e-commerce was fuxored and put out of commission for at least the next few business days?
Don't throw away diversity!
And for those who haven't used apt-get before, let me fill you in on some key points:
I really don't see how anything can be more user-friendly than apt-get.
Your exact perception of the market is one of the main problems facing the mainstream populace. The last 6 months in the tech sector aren't the problem. They are symptoms of the problem which had been happening last year, the year before that, etc... Computers and the internet are NOT a business silver bullet!. It is not the fault of technology itself nor is it something bad that just happened this year, but the reason for the current recession is that many people consistently made bad business decisions. The bad stuff happened last year and the year before that. Can you say "www.bbq.com"?
People praise the wrong things as the cause of their current success, and they chastise the wrong things for being the cause of their failure.