This article was posted to Slashdot because it's mainstream media interviewing a geek, "getting the idea" about linux. Slashdot's rules for posting are already quite vague, so just about anything can go here.
Nevertheless, this is about the media and linux, not about the new kernel.
"This has been tested under Red Hat 6.0 using KDE and is available in RPM format only, under the x86 architecture, using kernel 2.2.x and glibc 2.0 and above." - it happens with so many closed-source linux products it's not even funny. What about BSD? BeOS? Amiga? Solaris? V2_OS? It's still closed source. If you can live with having non-Free software on your computer, why aren't you using Windows?
You're supposed to file for IPO before you release a product, not after! They should have been just like every other dot-com and done this years ago. It's IPO, then debt, not the other way around.
Despite the technical specifications of AFS, it's good to see a company do the right thing and open-source their code, instead of just making a driver for linux. To me, this is more important than what some idiot wants Star Wars Episode 2 to be named.
This shouldn't be seen as a bad thing. Getting big companies to open-source their code because of open-source projects is a VERY GOOD THING. If every company reacted this way then everything would be open-sourced, and our lives would be just a bit easier.
Isn't it fairly obvious? Dell likes Linux because it's the "next big thing". Just like dot-com startups and MP3 companies, it doesn't matter whether something's actually profitable. As long as they have the flimsiest idea on how to make money off the deal, investors are going to throw money at them for talking about the latest hype.
I like linux. But I don't think companies are going to be able to get used to it easily enough. Fortunately Dell is a hardware vendor, so they don't have to worry about open source. But still, if he says things about linux (while not offending MS), then people will like him. It's publicity, nothing more.
Simple question: Why would we want to subject linux to this crap? I though the whole point of using this OS for many people was to get AWAY from Microsoft! If people want to use crappy MS programs, they can bloody hell use Windows.
Same with Linux/WinNT benchmarks, or Apache/IIS benchmarks, each side will argue until they're blue in the face. How many of us read the first article and thought this was the end of it? Nobody agrees with benchmarks, because almost by definition they put everything in black and white terms. X is faster than Y. The Y-supporters say "no, that's not true! Look at what you've forgotten!".
It's nice to see games being ported to linux, but it would be even better if they opened up their source. If every company (AOL, RealNetworks, Corel, etc.) releases commercial software for linux without opening the source, then true freedom of operating system won't arrive.
Yes, because unlike Windows where joe schmo can delete a dll file in no time, linux, the insecure scoundrel, requires you enter a root password to edit or delete important files.
They're right. It should be the reverse. Linux is insecure because people can know too much about it! Security through Obscurity!
Another obvious point: Why is this "for linux" when it only includes RPMs? Shouldn't this say "for RedHat"? Just like AIM earlier, it's labelled as "Linux" just because it works with Red Hat. What about Debian/SuSE/Slackware etc.?
rpm2tgz doesn't seem to work for either.
Interesting how good Bill Gates looks in IE 2.0.
Now, why doesn't/. work properly under these browsers? Hmmm? Yeah, yeah, there's light mode, but still!
Could someone check whether or not Slashdot (or more specifically this story) are also being banned? From the words and discussions, I would be surprised if it wasn't. But then again these companies do tend to surprise.
They are made to use it first. The problem is that in this day and age people trust press releases for whatever reason. They look at "patent-pending technology" and they believe it can't fail. They see a problem and are looking for a band-aid solution. Since these companies have their lobbyists in Washington and we don't, they're going to win.
Sorry, that would make too much sense you see. Besides, everyone will vote for porn sites and these companies won't get their heavy paychecks.
As long as these companies believe that they, and not the users who use their products, should say what is and is not appropriate, this will never happen.
Now they have an article about that, how the linux community responded, and how important ABCNews is to get so much attention, they'll link to the previous article so everyone can read it, and rake up the ad revenue.
Slashdot Mirror
Boy, did this come as a shock! I could have sworn that they stopped developping it last year. D'oh!
Forget kernel mailing lists or Slashdot, I'm getting all my linux news from the Wall Street Journal!
That sounds like something Bill Gates would do, not our Linus.
Nevertheless, this is about the media and linux, not about the new kernel.
"This has been tested under Red Hat 6.0 using KDE and is available in RPM format only, under the x86 architecture, using kernel 2.2.x and glibc 2.0 and above." - it happens with so many closed-source linux products it's not even funny. What about BSD? BeOS? Amiga? Solaris? V2_OS? It's still closed source. If you can live with having non-Free software on your computer, why aren't you using Windows?
You're supposed to file for IPO before you release a product, not after! They should have been just like every other dot-com and done this years ago. It's IPO, then debt, not the other way around.
Despite the technical specifications of AFS, it's good to see a company do the right thing and open-source their code, instead of just making a driver for linux. To me, this is more important than what some idiot wants Star Wars Episode 2 to be named.
This shouldn't be seen as a bad thing. Getting big companies to open-source their code because of open-source projects is a VERY GOOD THING. If every company reacted this way then everything would be open-sourced, and our lives would be just a bit easier.
Isn't it fairly obvious? Dell likes Linux because it's the "next big thing". Just like dot-com startups and MP3 companies, it doesn't matter whether something's actually profitable. As long as they have the flimsiest idea on how to make money off the deal, investors are going to throw money at them for talking about the latest hype.
I like linux. But I don't think companies are going to be able to get used to it easily enough. Fortunately Dell is a hardware vendor, so they don't have to worry about open source. But still, if he says things about linux (while not offending MS), then people will like him. It's publicity, nothing more.
"We are spending more R&D dollars on Linux than any other OS, given its size," Dell said.
This brings up the question, how does one spend R&D dollars on Windows? Isn't that Microsoft's job?
[/sarcasm]
(Note: that was sarcastic)
Of course, not that I'm complaining.
It's nice to see games being ported to linux, but it would be even better if they opened up their source. If every company (AOL, RealNetworks, Corel, etc.) releases commercial software for linux without opening the source, then true freedom of operating system won't arrive.
Yes, because unlike Windows where joe schmo can delete a dll file in no time, linux, the insecure scoundrel, requires you enter a root password to edit or delete important files. They're right. It should be the reverse. Linux is insecure because people can know too much about it! Security through Obscurity!
Another obvious point: Why is this "for linux" when it only includes RPMs? Shouldn't this say "for RedHat"? Just like AIM earlier, it's labelled as "Linux" just because it works with Red Hat. What about Debian/SuSE/Slackware etc.? rpm2tgz doesn't seem to work for either.
Interesting how good Bill Gates looks in IE 2.0. Now, why doesn't /. work properly under these browsers? Hmmm? Yeah, yeah, there's light mode, but still!
Audiogalaxy.com, they're all independent music distributors cetering to unsigned artists and in no way interested in music piracy...
Could someone check whether or not Slashdot (or more specifically this story) are also being banned? From the words and discussions, I would be surprised if it wasn't. But then again these companies do tend to surprise.
They are made to use it first. The problem is that in this day and age people trust press releases for whatever reason. They look at "patent-pending technology" and they believe it can't fail. They see a problem and are looking for a band-aid solution. Since these companies have their lobbyists in Washington and we don't, they're going to win.
As long as these companies believe that they, and not the users who use their products, should say what is and is not appropriate, this will never happen.
Never let truth get in the way of marketing
It's bad software design, folks.
We'd better. If we start using IPv6 now, we'll put them out of business!
"OK, only 26 billion more IP addresses to go..."
Now they have an article about that, how the linux community responded, and how important ABCNews is to get so much attention, they'll link to the previous article so everyone can read it, and rake up the ad revenue.
At least, that's what I'd do if I were them.
Yeah, but it's not as popular as Microsoft Windows, therefore it's not as good as it, according to Moody's logic.