Your point is quite valid and well taken. "Lost" is perhaps too strong a word. "Frustrated" might be a bit more appropriate word to use here. The thought comes from numerous times I have found myself in front of a Windows machine muttering to myself, "How do I do this in Windows again?" I have been racking my brain to come up with a suitable example but can't seem to think of any right now. Sorry.
I have been running my business on a Linux desktop and F/OSS for a number of years. (My servers are all OpenBSD, however) I have done a number of consulting gigs where a Linux deployment is discussed, and in some cases, choosen as the exclusive desktop solution. If there are no applications that the client has that absolutely requires Windows to run, i.e. beyond what they can do with e-mail, firefox, openoffice.org, GIMP, etc. --it isn't a difficult to sell them on the idea. Especially when pointing out the many advantages of an MS free office. I once recommended a Linux solution and told the client to keep a reserve of cash on hand to purchase Windows (OS and Office suite) software if they should find themselves feeling like they couldn't get by running a Linux desktop. That reserve has long since been spent, they are still running Linux, and there isn't a Windows desktop to be found anywhere. In other cases running a handful of Windows boxes for the people that really need it mixed with a mostly Linux deployment is the answer.
Many clients have said that it is not that much of a change for them and that they wonder what all the fuss was about?
I personally have actually found myself lost trying to do even trivial tasks on a friend's borrowed Windows machine that I wouldn't have to think twice about using my own laptop running Linux... I have started carrying LiveCD's just so this doesn't become more of an issue. The tools that come standard on many Linux distro's are far superior to those available to other OS's. It's a no brainer for me...
As one truly dedicated OpenBSD fan, I have already upgraded to 3.8 from my CDs that arrived last week. If you'll take the time to visit www.distrowatch.com, you'll find that OpenBSD is currently ranked 37th on their top 100 list. That sounds to me like there are far more installs than the 7 you mentioned. Seriously!
I sleep very soundly at night knowing my servers are running OpenBSD and protected with pf. Performance and stability are equally fantastic. The servers only come down for infrequent patching. And the daily visits to the log files that show all attempted attacks on the server that OBSD has stopped cold never cease to amaze me either.
A hearty congratulations to Theo and company! ***OpenBSD rocks my world!!!***
for quite a number of years. In networks both big,(huge) and small. (just to the room next door) And to be honest the are both pretty much configure and forget. But if I were deploying a world class enterprise, I'd stick with OpenSSH. If for no other reason than it is an off-shoot of the OpenBSD project and using that has conviced me what a truly first class OS looks like. OpenSSH is enterprise ready enough for virtually anyone on this planet.
Fine point and basically the same conclusion I came to. Any innovation that Microsoft comes up with will be still offset by the parts that aren't more UNIX like. Your quote is a timeless classic!
Wow! First time I've read the article and the entire/. 400 plus discussion in at least the last 5 years of reading slashdot daily. Many of you have truly excellent points. Thank you all. Appologies for the offtopic-ness. =)
Having read your latest piece, I am compelled to write. I have enjoyed your writing in the past, and thought, in general, that bunch of the morons on here were simply giving you a hard time. Now I am not so sure.
You have managed to describe your trials and tribulations in great detail, and I am sure a lot of the newbies on here can relate. But your are dragging this along at a snail's pace. Since I also read your last piece, I would think your approach to this one would have been, "confessions of a newbie" or "my first day on the job with the force".
Instead we are still in the "trying to install blah, blah" period leading up to "now I must break down buy it preinstalled". And upon this new and great machine you allude to purchasing, for a modest $600 buckaroos, (good for you!) "I fantasized of foisting my ramblings upon the net on my spiffy little linux box". My, how wonderful.
Linux evolves very quickly, and I fear that at this rate, the next major kernel release will be well into double digits, before you are able to get a linux box up on your own. Or in other words, please don't give up your day job...
You had the answer in your own column. Buy it, try it. Okay, then you brake it. So? Re-install and try it again. (Repeat many times) This would have been one of the main advantages had you taken the trouble and learned how to install it. (its NOT that tough anymore, I mean c'mon!) It'll be a lot tougher to figure out how to use it daily, even with it pre-installed. And some day you may want to try upgrading it or compling a kernel! (Insert a very sarcastic WOW here!)
Slashdot Mirror
Your point is quite valid and well taken. "Lost" is perhaps too strong a word. "Frustrated" might be a bit more appropriate word to use here. The thought comes from numerous times I have found myself in front of a Windows machine muttering to myself, "How do I do this in Windows again?" I have been racking my brain to come up with a suitable example but can't seem to think of any right now. Sorry.
I have been running my business on a Linux desktop and F/OSS for a number of years. (My servers are all OpenBSD, however) I have done a number of consulting gigs where a Linux deployment is discussed, and in some cases, choosen as the exclusive desktop solution. If there are no applications that the client has that absolutely requires Windows to run, i.e. beyond what they can do with e-mail, firefox, openoffice.org, GIMP, etc. --it isn't a difficult to sell them on the idea. Especially when pointing out the many advantages of an MS free office. I once recommended a Linux solution and told the client to keep a reserve of cash on hand to purchase Windows (OS and Office suite) software if they should find themselves feeling like they couldn't get by running a Linux desktop. That reserve has long since been spent, they are still running Linux, and there isn't a Windows desktop to be found anywhere. In other cases running a handful of Windows boxes for the people that really need it mixed with a mostly Linux deployment is the answer.
Many clients have said that it is not that much of a change for them and that they wonder what all the fuss was about?
I personally have actually found myself lost trying to do even trivial tasks on a friend's borrowed Windows machine that I wouldn't have to think twice about using my own laptop running Linux... I have started carrying LiveCD's just so this doesn't become more of an issue. The tools that come standard on many Linux distro's are far superior to those available to other OS's. It's a no brainer for me...
---
Simulated Sig
I sleep very soundly at night knowing my servers are running OpenBSD and protected with pf. Performance and stability are equally fantastic. The servers only come down for infrequent patching. And the daily visits to the log files that show all attempted attacks on the server that OBSD has stopped cold never cease to amaze me either.
A hearty congratulations to Theo and company! ***OpenBSD rocks my world!!!***
for quite a number of years. In networks both big,(huge) and small. (just to the room next door) And to be honest the are both pretty much configure and forget. But if I were deploying a world class enterprise, I'd stick with OpenSSH. If for no other reason than it is an off-shoot of the OpenBSD project and using that has conviced me what a truly first class OS looks like. OpenSSH is enterprise ready enough for virtually anyone on this planet.
--
Simulated Sig
Fine point and basically the same conclusion I came to. Any innovation that Microsoft comes up with will be still offset by the parts that aren't more UNIX like. Your quote is a timeless classic!
Wow! First time I've read the article and the entire /. 400 plus discussion in at least the last 5 years of reading slashdot daily. Many of you have truly excellent points. Thank you all. Appologies for the offtopic-ness. =)
Dear Jon,
Having read your latest piece, I am compelled to write. I have enjoyed your writing in the past, and thought, in general, that bunch of the morons on here were simply giving you a hard time. Now I am not so sure.
You have managed to describe your trials and tribulations in great detail, and I am sure a lot of the newbies on here can relate. But your are dragging this along at a snail's pace. Since I also read your last piece, I would think your approach to this one would have been, "confessions of a newbie" or "my first day on the job with the force".
Instead we are still in the "trying to install blah, blah" period leading up to "now I must break down buy it preinstalled". And upon this new and great machine you allude to purchasing, for a modest $600 buckaroos, (good for you!) "I fantasized of foisting my ramblings upon the net on my spiffy little linux box". My, how wonderful.
Linux evolves very quickly, and I fear that at this rate, the next major kernel release will be well into double digits, before you are able to get a linux box up on your own. Or in other words, please don't give up your day job...
You had the answer in your own column. Buy it, try it. Okay, then you brake it. So? Re-install and try it again. (Repeat many times) This would have been one of the main advantages had you taken the trouble and learned how to install it. (its NOT that tough anymore, I mean c'mon!) It'll be a lot tougher to figure out how to use it daily, even with it pre-installed. And some day you may want to try upgrading it or compling a kernel! (Insert a very sarcastic WOW here!)
LB