Most? I don't know, I have several machines to maintain, if I'm going to do a major upgrade I will download an ISO or two and use that on all machines. I also have a couple of relatives for whom I have installed Debian to get them out of Windows hell; they don't have broadband so they need the CD.
They are neither dying nor hugely behind nor becoming irrelevant.
They just have a terrible time getting a release out the door.
If you run testing/unstable you run fairly current software, and you're not that much further behind come the release, and at release time Sarge will be fairly representative of the "stable state of the art". It's just that in the couple of years between now and Etch, things will progress without being reflected in a stable Debian release. But come the next release, Debian will be there again.
It's like a staircase with widely spaced but high steps. other distros have closer steps but they're not so high... does that makes sense? I've only had one beer.
But see, nowhere in the article is it mentioned that the meetings taking place between the "Open Source leaders" and Microsoft are intended to result in binding agreements.
Nowhere in the article is it claimed that any of the "Open Source leaders" are going to sign the "Open Source community" up for any commitments.
Nowhere in the article is it claimed that anyone is speaking for you.
So I don't understand why you are upset at something that isn't happening.
And yes, the word "leader" can mean someone in a position of authority. But that isn't about agreeing to things on your behalf, which you claim. In fact, no-one can agree to things on your behalf, even your boss, because you are always free to walk away; there may be consequences, but that's incidental. In a similar manner, RMS can make agreements on behalf of the FSF, but individual members of the FSF can choose to leave and not be beholden to those agreements.
But again, this isn't happening. Don't be so paranoid.
1. Maybe you should try it then you might understand it? 2. IM is not really Instant, it's almost-Instant, which means you get a chance to read what you're about to say. 3. Go right ahead and type, you don't need to wait for the other party to finish their utterance 4. you can copy and paste things into IM. That's quite hard over a phone call 5. you get a log of the conversation. So if you need to go back and check a fact, you can. It's possible to record phone calls too but in IM it's automatic and it's much easier to search text than audio. 6. By logging into IM you are announcing your availability for chat. Not so with a phone call, which is a polling system (ring ring) 7. Lying requires less work 8. But really you have to TRY something before you DISMISS it. 9. there's probably more.
Are you spoiling for a fight? I put it in quotes for a reason. I was going to say I don't like the term but that would have been two unnecessary tangents in one post. The one about the ESR and Perens personalities was enough.
Leadership isn't about speaking for other people. It's about having principles and goals, seeing, over the longer term, threats to them and opportunities to further them, setting out your position publicly so that you can garner support from the wider community. But the necessary and sufficient act of leadership is getting large numbers of people to behave in a way that furthers your cause.
Consider RMS, ESR, Perens and Linus.
You cannot argue that RMS is not a leader. He built a movement to stave off the threat he saw to the freedom of programmers, a very successful movement. He has many supporters across the world. He is principled and consistent. His personality isn't to everyone's taste but that suggests he is all the more worthy of the title leader - his message gets through in spite of the hostility he sometimes attracts.
You could argue about Perens and Raymond. One thing's for sure, everyone says "Open Source", so they have led the masses ergo they must be leaders. However, I don't think they can be said to have inspired a movement like Stallman has. I consider them more activists than leaders, but they do lead at times. I think ESR has tarnished his image through lack of modesty - witness CML, a solution looking for a problem which he pushed for months and spectacularly failed to get anyone to care about, despite his self-proclaimed mastery of social engineering. Perens avoids this sort of behaviour and I think he gets more respect. Anyway this comment isn't supposed to be about my feelings for the individuals.
Linus leads the Linux development effort, and he sets an example in his industriousness and care for quality. People follow him. He may not set out a rounded philosophy but he leads by action, which appeals to many people.
I don't know where you got the idea that leadership was about representation. Self-promoters may pander to the public's base instincts in order to be popular but that's not leadership, it's western-style democracy.
So no, your post is not 5, Insightful, but 1, Overrated. I have mod points but I'd rather engage your intellect than slap you down.
No. Symlinks in Unix are honoured by the application and are like Windows shortcuts. Hard links, on the other hand, are filesystem level.
I can think of one case offhand where a Unix app (WebSphere) has to be configured to follow symlinks in deletion of files (in fact we had to get IBM to create the config option).
It's easier than that, press CTRL+L in Firefox and the URL is highlighted ready to overtype, without overwriting your clipboard contents (well that's not the right wording really. To use the correct terminology, it's your primary selection, as opposed to your clipboard selection.)
Slashdot Mirror
Come on, putting three exclamation marks at the end of each sentence doesn't strengthen your argument!!!
I program propietary hardware drivers for Linux
Yes, readers, another reason to eschew binary drivers in Linux.
Most? I don't know, I have several machines to maintain, if I'm going to do a major upgrade I will download an ISO or two and use that on all machines. I also have a couple of relatives for whom I have installed Debian to get them out of Windows hell; they don't have broadband so they need the CD.
installing/upgrading debian with that masterpiece of code called JIGDO!
Direct quote from your post. If Jigdo is not an installer, why are you installing/upgrading debian with it?
get sum skills dood.
Hmmm.
Umm... jigdo is not an installer, it's simply a way of downloading debian and creating iso images.
You can also just download the iso from somewhere. I'm not going to tell you where, you can look for your self.
They are neither dying nor hugely behind nor becoming irrelevant.
They just have a terrible time getting a release out the door.
If you run testing/unstable you run fairly current software, and you're not that much further behind come the release, and at release time Sarge will be fairly representative of the "stable state of the art". It's just that in the couple of years between now and Etch, things will progress without being reflected in a stable Debian release. But come the next release, Debian will be there again.
It's like a staircase with widely spaced but high steps. other distros have closer steps but they're not so high... does that makes sense? I've only had one beer.
I thought it was one of the goals of the previous project leader!
Oh well, I still love my Debian, though I have to admit I am quite liking entoo on my two workstations and recommending Ubuntu to newbies.
If I could only have one OS it would have to be Debian, Ubuntu and Gentoo.
Do you often feel the need to ask questions like that?
But see, nowhere in the article is it mentioned that the meetings taking place between the "Open Source leaders" and Microsoft are intended to result in binding agreements.
Nowhere in the article is it claimed that any of the "Open Source leaders" are going to sign the "Open Source community" up for any commitments.
Nowhere in the article is it claimed that anyone is speaking for you.
So I don't understand why you are upset at something that isn't happening.
And yes, the word "leader" can mean someone in a position of authority. But that isn't about agreeing to things on your behalf, which you claim. In fact, no-one can agree to things on your behalf, even your boss, because you are always free to walk away; there may be consequences, but that's incidental. In a similar manner, RMS can make agreements on behalf of the FSF, but individual members of the FSF can choose to leave and not be beholden to those agreements.
But again, this isn't happening. Don't be so paranoid.
Bravo
Why, thanks, I've never had a "Bravo" before.
1. Maybe you should try it then you might understand it?
2. IM is not really Instant, it's almost-Instant, which means you get a chance to read what you're about to say.
3. Go right ahead and type, you don't need to wait for the other party to finish their utterance
4. you can copy and paste things into IM. That's quite hard over a phone call
5. you get a log of the conversation. So if you need to go back and check a fact, you can. It's possible to record phone calls too but in IM it's automatic and it's much easier to search text than audio.
6. By logging into IM you are announcing your availability for chat. Not so with a phone call, which is a polling system (ring ring)
7. Lying requires less work
8. But really you have to TRY something before you DISMISS it.
9. there's probably more.
Your "greater abilities" are not much in evidence today, are they, Mr Jackass? Ho ho.
Are you spoiling for a fight? I put it in quotes for a reason. I was going to say I don't like the term but that would have been two unnecessary tangents in one post. The one about the ESR and Perens personalities was enough.
Thanks, I wanted to make the point that there are always exceptions to generalities. You have provided the exception.
Yes, yes, sometimes there are no exceptions to generalities. But not this time!
At last! The truth!
Of course the Free Software movement has leaders.
Leadership isn't about speaking for other people. It's about having principles and goals, seeing, over the longer term, threats to them and opportunities to further them, setting out your position publicly so that you can garner support from the wider community. But the necessary and sufficient act of leadership is getting large numbers of people to behave in a way that furthers your cause.
Consider RMS, ESR, Perens and Linus.
You cannot argue that RMS is not a leader. He built a movement to stave off the threat he saw to the freedom of programmers, a very successful movement. He has many supporters across the world. He is principled and consistent. His personality isn't to everyone's taste but that suggests he is all the more worthy of the title leader - his message gets through in spite of the hostility he sometimes attracts.
You could argue about Perens and Raymond. One thing's for sure, everyone says "Open Source", so they have led the masses ergo they must be leaders. However, I don't think they can be said to have inspired a movement like Stallman has. I consider them more activists than leaders, but they do lead at times. I think ESR has tarnished his image through lack of modesty - witness CML, a solution looking for a problem which he pushed for months and spectacularly failed to get anyone to care about, despite his self-proclaimed mastery of social engineering. Perens avoids this sort of behaviour and I think he gets more respect. Anyway this comment isn't supposed to be about my feelings for the individuals.
Linus leads the Linux development effort, and he sets an example in his industriousness and care for quality. People follow him. He may not set out a rounded philosophy but he leads by action, which appeals to many people.
I don't know where you got the idea that leadership was about representation. Self-promoters may pander to the public's base instincts in order to be popular but that's not leadership, it's western-style democracy.
So no, your post is not 5, Insightful, but 1, Overrated. I have mod points but I'd rather engage your intellect than slap you down.
No. Symlinks in Unix are honoured by the application and are like Windows shortcuts. Hard links, on the other hand, are filesystem level.
I can think of one case offhand where a Unix app (WebSphere) has to be configured to follow symlinks in deletion of files (in fact we had to get IBM to create the config option).
Wikipedia has a nice page.
In any case, windows shortcuts are horrible, horrible things.
Hey, I missed it too and I'm sensitive to sarcasm! You could at least have thrown in an exclamation mark as a wee hint.
Yes, shackles are very nice, compared to thumb screws.
3) Lots of people do it and you all look like totally unoriginal hackish dorks.
Don't take the towel. A packet of peanuts would be acceptable.
To what are you alluding? The meaning of your comment eludes me.
The inventor of a system with modes invents a new word for those modes so that he can call it modeless.
Balls, there's no such thing as modeless. Triple-tapping to repeat doesn't count as invocation of a mode?
It's easier than that, press CTRL+L in Firefox and the URL is highlighted ready to overtype, without overwriting your clipboard contents (well that's not the right wording really. To use the correct terminology, it's your primary selection, as opposed to your clipboard selection.)
Because everywhere else you find text you double-click to select and single click to position the cursor. Interfaces are supposed to be consistent.