700MB, plus a compresed file system, equals about 1.2GB on the CD. The DVD as far as I can tell will likely use the same compressed file system, allowing for easily 6 if not 8GB of file storage. I can't think of any distribution that has that much stuff installed by default.
None of the major BSDs -- Free/Net/Open -- have failed. I'm sure that in raw numbers -- not counting OSX -- more people use the BSDs now than in the past.
The BSDs are Unix/Unix-like, and as such are useful to anyone who knows *nix. As a Linux/Solaris/Windows guy, I would neither have a problem with specifically suggesting FreeBSD or using it myself.
If you don't like that, you can take them up on the offer of replacing them with other shots; " We love screenshots! Got a new release to show us? Ping us where to pick them up!".
Either way, I *DO* like the screenshot previews...they are SCREENSHOTS not detailed OS comparisons.
Also: "Um...why do I want to use another Internet, I already have an Internet right here." [points to IE's little blue globe] "Is this new Internet better, and will I be able to see the same things as the other one? Does it have MSN? Yahoo?"
I think his point is that while Linux may be making a lot of money, the actual developers rarely see any of it.
Same as almost every product category.
These Linux sales numbers won't impress me one bit until I see my favorite programs being sponsored.
Like what, specifically? OOo, Samba, Cups, Apache, MySQL and Firebird, Plone, Eclipse... the list is quite long as it is.
The good thing about sponsorship is it does get outside groups involved in how the program is developed. Unfortunately, this is also the bad thing about sponsorship.
Organizations including companies are lothe to kill off projects that are dumb but support the organization's PR. They are also slow to support what could be helpful to the goals of the organization if they don't see a PR or propriatory benifit; they don't want to help the opponents of the organization. These needs often have little to do with doing the smart or right thing.
Fortunately, the licencences used for many open projects can tilt the benifits in the right direction -- if the organizations give up some control in an effort to be fair to all groups; from interested individuals to normally hostile competitors.
I have no idea how this guy spent 5 hours removing spyware. I have cleared off people's machines who have had 900 different adware related files/reg entries in about 20 min with ad-aware. Then I install Spyware Blaster and Firefox. I delete the IE shortcuts and set Firefox as the default. Also, I run their Windows Updates. It takes about 30 min altogether, and rarely (never so far) is there any problem with reoccuring adware.
How do you know you got them all? Try removing the 'autorun' files with a boot disk (important!), move the drive to another Windows machine with a fresh (non-networked) version of Windows on it, and re-run the virus and spyware scans. Once the programs are able to run on a system, all bets are off.
I have a heterogeneous network of a half-dozen computers here, some Windows, some Mac, some BSD, some Linux. Don't get me wrong, after it's been properly secured I don't mind running Windows but explaining to my mom why she couldn't burn CDs, install software, etc. was causing more headaches than it was worth. Other operating systems (notably Mac OS X) deal with this sort of thing fairly intelligently, why can't Windows?
I feel your pain. It is silly to the point of damn frustrating. Folks just don't get it and they won't get it.
Case in point: I was asked by my brother in law to fix his computer. I offered, though I told him I would have to wipe out and reinstall his system...so bring the CDs. He balked, and is reconsidering bringing his machine. IE crashes within 5 seconds of loading. Mozilla crashes a few times an hour. The spyware scanners keep comming up with hits. This is after I spent about a day the last time I visited them fixing the system and giving them stern warnings about what the cause is.
One idea, if you haven't done it yet: Don't bother securing her system. Put her account and data on 'D:', and make a backup image of 'C:', hide the backup partition (or create the image on an EXT3 partition using a boot CD). When C: gets messed up, or daily/weekly, just wipe it out with the backup. If necessary, make a batch file to wipe or restore some of the settings files on D:. It might save you some pain in the long run when even modest attempts at locking the machine down lead to complaints.
He has a CS degree, runs Linux himself and still let his wife surfing the web with IE? What went wrong? We all now that alternatives exist.
People are creatures of habbit; they are stuborn and will not change anything they do no matter what you tell them.
Maybe he couldn't get his wife to change her habbits?;} After all, he must have thought of asking her if she wanted to switch to Linux in the past only to be told she didn't want to for whatever reason(s). Maybe one of them was "I like IE".
If you tell the same people 'the walls here have just been painted', how may will touch it? Signs are more authoritative. Kind of like emails or memos in an office; you've been put on notice.
Besides, the only negitive to touching paint is that your fingers get sticky for a few moments, though the color washes soon enough. "Please take a ticket" seems to be more effective; you don't take a ticket, and someone else may 'get ahead' of you. Even if the room is mostly empty.
Additonally; if someone ignores a sign, and another person notices, there is an expectation that there is something either wrong or 'naughty' (as in slyly bad) going on. If the sign weren't up,
I don't think you (and lots of others who mentioned the shift key) understand. If you stop auto-run, you CAN'T PLAY THE MUSIC. Period. It's in some wierd ass format that prevents you form playing it at all. Of course, there are always ways around THAT...
Who cares about the 'wierd ass format' on the data tracks? The audio tracks are what matter...and they are normal. If not, you couldn't play the disk in a CD player and hear any of the music. This company says you can use a normal CD player...so the data is there.
The claim that there are no known ways to break this is just silly.
But really, we cry "unfair" over what they did to Netscape. Rightly so; it was unfair. If they had sold IE as a separate product, it wouldn't have been unfair. So now they sell this stuff as a separate product. They're not bundling. So what's the problem?
Prediction: Microsoft will offer OEMs a cheap bundle if they ship all Microsoft products including any of the security tools they intend to sell. Ask your OEM sales group if this will impact the volumes of what they sell if my prediction turns out to be true.
Look at it this way. They bought an adware company because the see that this is a problem. If they suddenly "bundled" an adware solution, the zealots would say they are trying to drive adaware and spybot out of the market. But since they are selling the solution and hence giving the customers choice, they are trying to screw the customers. No matter how secure they make the OS, there WILL be people who will run as admins and click "yes" to everything. These are the solutions that they are going to sell.
Adding software to deal with these problems isn't a fix -- it just adds complexity. Unfortunately, the third party developers can't reduce complexity on Microsoft's Windows very easily. What they usually do is layer another chunk of software on top of what is provided in an effort to disable or hide some parts.
Microsoft, as the developers of the OS, is in the unique position of being able to fix the problems without increasing complexity. That they intentionally are not fixing the problems is damn frustrating. That they now want to profit off of this inaction is laughable.
If their computer is running slow from spyware, then while you're removing it and patching their system, lock down their access. Pretend you've installed something that, as a side effect, restricts their access, but it's really a "security fix" that will prevent spyware in the future. It's true enough-- you've fixed the security scheme in such a way as to prevent further access. Pretend it's completely out of your hands-- Microsoft did it. The computer is stupid. People who don't know anything about computers love it when the computer guy says the computer is stupid.
*SNIFF* My. Long. Lost. Brother! I have found thee! *SNIFF*
Which one of your budget accounts should we bill that to?
Exactly. You may not get the money, but insist on it and take collecting seriously -- though not so rabbidly as to get the overtime issue slapped down. That could harm other legitimate requests. Hopefully, you'll only have to go through that once... with small reminders later.
Trust the computer. The computer is always right. The computer is your friend. The Computer says so.
Along those lines, people that argue with you will not argue with a sign...they will obey it almost always. So it is written, so it will be done. Simple conditioning.
But if you had the KDE desktop in Windows would you bother switching?
I'm betting the answer is "yes". I'm installing it for my father using CoLinux when I visit and will include a few handy apps on the KDE side. The Windows side will be minimal.
A generic code base brings only portability. It completely defeats any benefits that each platform brings.
No, it doesn't. Each 'platform' is basically a bunch of hardware that pushes bits. There's nothing special about them except for the nit picky details.
Size + speed of the CPU/RAM/Storage/display are the main differences -- everything else is minor or custom for a specific task (ex: the digitizer on a PDA).
By being portable, you have the option to start with tuning to the hardware instead of starting with developing from scratch.
Just to remark on your last statement, I've got 3 Windows 2003 servers that I haven't had to reboot since they were initially setup over 6 months ago. Every time I see a comment about how unstable Windows is I have to wonder if the poster is retarded, unreasonable, or just hasn't tried using Windows since Windows 98 was released 6 years ago. If that's your excuse for thinking Windows sucks, try it again. Software does improve. Look at where KDE was 6 years ago. People use Windows because it's better (hardware support, software availability, usability). If Linux/KDE were better, what would keep people from switching?
Er...not trying KDE -- or Gnome for that matter -- in the last couple years? This a trick question, wasn't it?
Sometimes these people actually try to get annoyed with me, and I remind them that they annoyed me first.
I tried the same with Staples. (OK, maybe I should have gotten more angry and acted less like Mr. Reasonable Phone Voice Guy. They always said 'sure, no problem' and after 30 days the next monthly spam went out. The company handling it for them was Doubleclick's email arm, btw.
This went on for 9+ months -- always to a single obscure email account -- with me at first giving them the benifit of the doubt before actually calling them. I now blacklist them and discard any mail from a *staples.com domain or to that account. That was the last time I gave any corporation the benifit of the doubt on UCE.
And there is no replacement for MS Access. IT professionals rightly hate it. But if you are paying salaries, a database that is quick and easy to set up, that anyone can make forms and queries in is waht you need. BUT, move to a SQL backend as soon as is possible and just use Access as a GUI.
Agreed...as you will likely agree with this;
The problem with Access is that it's not portable and much of the business logic is in the GUI. Usually, the databases are thrown together and not documented...making maintenance a real juggling act. A special place in Hell should be reserved for the original creators of this tempting beast.
To me, this sounds like a perfect opportunity for your firm to hire a bright and energetic CS student as an intern to write CRM software for your firm.
Noooo!!!! This is so frustrating I can't stand it!
Why do people still think that making a one-off, custom developed app is a good idea -- at the end of 2004? There are plenty of good tools out there -- ERP and CRM included let alone other information systems -- that either work as-is or can be adapted. This isn't 1990 anymore folks! Use !@#$!@$ GOOGLE! Better yet, hire me to work on it. What I can't do, I can hire others to do...and quickly. (mail metamark.com user slashdotsales)
Leave the custom work for customizing existing projects, and do from scratch projects only when there really isn't something out there.
If you make a from scratch custom CRM, you're screwed. The maintenace or reworking costs will end up dwarfing the 'cheap intern' that is originally hired to slam something together.
By using a vibrant existing OSS project you not only get bug fixes and updates free...you also have an upgrade path -- plus the ability to get your data out more easily later and hire whoever you want to do the updates whenever you want.
(Speaking as someone who has worked +15 years on custom projects that increasingly are based on generic pieces.)
Slashdot Mirror
HA! Shows how much you know! It's TIN!
700MB, plus a compresed file system, equals about 1.2GB on the CD. The DVD as far as I can tell will likely use the same compressed file system, allowing for easily 6 if not 8GB of file storage. I can't think of any distribution that has that much stuff installed by default.
None of the major BSDs -- Free/Net/Open -- have failed. I'm sure that in raw numbers -- not counting OSX -- more people use the BSDs now than in the past.
The BSDs are Unix/Unix-like, and as such are useful to anyone who knows *nix. As a Linux/Solaris/Windows guy, I would neither have a problem with specifically suggesting FreeBSD or using it myself.
Look at the *other* screenshots listed on the osdir.com site. Most of them are also of the WM & or WM+desktop.
If you don't like that, you can take them up on the offer of replacing them with other shots; " We love screenshots! Got a new release to show us? Ping us where to pick them up!".
Either way, I *DO* like the screenshot previews...they are SCREENSHOTS not detailed OS comparisons.
Also: "Um...why do I want to use another Internet, I already have an Internet right here." [points to IE's little blue globe] "Is this new Internet better, and will I be able to see the same things as the other one? Does it have MSN? Yahoo?"
Neither is Jaguar though I bet you would take one if it were offered to you. See how well that works? And I didn't even say it was a ... .
Same as almost every product category.
Like what, specifically? OOo, Samba, Cups, Apache, MySQL and Firebird, Plone, Eclipse ... the list is quite long as it is.
The good thing about sponsorship is it does get outside groups involved in how the program is developed. Unfortunately, this is also the bad thing about sponsorship.
Organizations including companies are lothe to kill off projects that are dumb but support the organization's PR. They are also slow to support what could be helpful to the goals of the organization if they don't see a PR or propriatory benifit; they don't want to help the opponents of the organization. These needs often have little to do with doing the smart or right thing.
Fortunately, the licencences used for many open projects can tilt the benifits in the right direction -- if the organizations give up some control in an effort to be fair to all groups; from interested individuals to normally hostile competitors.
How do you know you got them all? Try removing the 'autorun' files with a boot disk (important!), move the drive to another Windows machine with a fresh (non-networked) version of Windows on it, and re-run the virus and spyware scans. Once the programs are able to run on a system, all bets are off.
I feel your pain. It is silly to the point of damn frustrating. Folks just don't get it and they won't get it.
Case in point: I was asked by my brother in law to fix his computer. I offered, though I told him I would have to wipe out and reinstall his system...so bring the CDs. He balked, and is reconsidering bringing his machine. IE crashes within 5 seconds of loading. Mozilla crashes a few times an hour. The spyware scanners keep comming up with hits. This is after I spent about a day the last time I visited them fixing the system and giving them stern warnings about what the cause is.
One idea, if you haven't done it yet: Don't bother securing her system. Put her account and data on 'D:', and make a backup image of 'C:', hide the backup partition (or create the image on an EXT3 partition using a boot CD). When C: gets messed up, or daily/weekly, just wipe it out with the backup. If necessary, make a batch file to wipe or restore some of the settings files on D:. It might save you some pain in the long run when even modest attempts at locking the machine down lead to complaints.
People are creatures of habbit; they are stuborn and will not change anything they do no matter what you tell them.
Maybe he couldn't get his wife to change her habbits? ;} After all, he must have thought of asking her if she wanted to switch to Linux in the past only to be told she didn't want to for whatever reason(s). Maybe one of them was "I like IE".
Besides, the only negitive to touching paint is that your fingers get sticky for a few moments, though the color washes soon enough. "Please take a ticket" seems to be more effective; you don't take a ticket, and someone else may 'get ahead' of you. Even if the room is mostly empty.
Additonally; if someone ignores a sign, and another person notices, there is an expectation that there is something either wrong or 'naughty' (as in slyly bad) going on. If the sign weren't up,
Who cares about the 'wierd ass format' on the data tracks? The audio tracks are what matter...and they are normal. If not, you couldn't play the disk in a CD player and hear any of the music. This company says you can use a normal CD player...so the data is there.
The claim that there are no known ways to break this is just silly.
Prediction: Microsoft will offer OEMs a cheap bundle if they ship all Microsoft products including any of the security tools they intend to sell. Ask your OEM sales group if this will impact the volumes of what they sell if my prediction turns out to be true.
Adding software to deal with these problems isn't a fix -- it just adds complexity. Unfortunately, the third party developers can't reduce complexity on Microsoft's Windows very easily. What they usually do is layer another chunk of software on top of what is provided in an effort to disable or hide some parts.
Microsoft, as the developers of the OS, is in the unique position of being able to fix the problems without increasing complexity. That they intentionally are not fixing the problems is damn frustrating. That they now want to profit off of this inaction is laughable.
*SNIFF* My. Long. Lost. Brother! I have found thee! *SNIFF*
Exactly. You may not get the money, but insist on it and take collecting seriously -- though not so rabbidly as to get the overtime issue slapped down. That could harm other legitimate requests. Hopefully, you'll only have to go through that once ... with small reminders later.
Along those lines, people that argue with you will not argue with a sign...they will obey it almost always. So it is written, so it will be done. Simple conditioning.
I'm betting the answer is "yes". I'm installing it for my father using CoLinux when I visit and will include a few handy apps on the KDE side. The Windows side will be minimal.
Linksys makes some systems that are quite a bit lighter -- 4MB Flash, 16MB RAM -- while others can use quite a bit less space.
More on embedded Linux.
No, it doesn't. Each 'platform' is basically a bunch of hardware that pushes bits. There's nothing special about them except for the nit picky details.
Size + speed of the CPU/RAM/Storage/display are the main differences -- everything else is minor or custom for a specific task (ex: the digitizer on a PDA).
By being portable, you have the option to start with tuning to the hardware instead of starting with developing from scratch.
Er...not trying KDE -- or Gnome for that matter -- in the last couple years? This a trick question, wasn't it?
I tried the same with Staples. (OK, maybe I should have gotten more angry and acted less like Mr. Reasonable Phone Voice Guy. They always said 'sure, no problem' and after 30 days the next monthly spam went out. The company handling it for them was Doubleclick's email arm, btw.
This went on for 9+ months -- always to a single obscure email account -- with me at first giving them the benifit of the doubt before actually calling them. I now blacklist them and discard any mail from a *staples.com domain or to that account. That was the last time I gave any corporation the benifit of the doubt on UCE.
Agreed...as you will likely agree with this;
The problem with Access is that it's not portable and much of the business logic is in the GUI. Usually, the databases are thrown together and not documented...making maintenance a real juggling act. A special place in Hell should be reserved for the original creators of this tempting beast.
Noooo!!!! This is so frustrating I can't stand it!
Why do people still think that making a one-off, custom developed app is a good idea -- at the end of 2004? There are plenty of good tools out there -- ERP and CRM included let alone other information systems -- that either work as-is or can be adapted. This isn't 1990 anymore folks! Use !@#$!@$ GOOGLE! Better yet, hire me to work on it. What I can't do, I can hire others to do...and quickly. (mail metamark.com user slashdotsales)
Leave the custom work for customizing existing projects, and do from scratch projects only when there really isn't something out there.
If you make a from scratch custom CRM, you're screwed. The maintenace or reworking costs will end up dwarfing the 'cheap intern' that is originally hired to slam something together.
By using a vibrant existing OSS project you not only get bug fixes and updates free...you also have an upgrade path -- plus the ability to get your data out more easily later and hire whoever you want to do the updates whenever you want.
(Speaking as someone who has worked +15 years on custom projects that increasingly are based on generic pieces.)
Come on: Spit it out! What are you looking for?