Our scientific application runs on Windows, Mac, and Unix. We recently started the port to Windows, and I have to say that Microsoft Services for Unix proved to be completely useless -- it has virtually zero compatibility with Linux, and even after installing a whole whack of third party downloads to get all the normal tools installed (ex. GNU make, etc.), I still couldn't use it because of missing things. Like, it didn't even have the BASH shell, and even when I manually installed that, it wasn't configured properly. I don't have time for this kind of nonsense. We eventually abandoned it, and are using CYGWIN. You know, this is frankly pathetic.
Microsoft should take a clue from how Amazon sponsers thousands of other booksellers -- if Microsoft embraced Unix/Linux, instead of merely tolerating it and claiming to offer interoperability while really not doing so, then it would probably be much further ahead.
The Slashdot reply to Microsoft's request was weaselling at its most contemptible worst. First, this issue is *not* one of "freedom of speech", it is a copyright issue, plain and simple. "Freedom of speech" does *not* extend to illegal copying of copyrighted works. Second, the reply said that Slashdot does not want to "censor". Selective publication by a *private* organization is *not* "censorship" -- censorship is *government* restriction of expression *by use of force* (i.e., law or ordinance.) Third, the claim that Slashdot doesn't want to supress the "ideas" of its posters is equivocal hogwash of the lowest order -- there is a categorical difference between expressing an idea, and reproducing, verbatim, clearly copyrighted work in violation of the holder's copyright. Individuals are perfectly capable of expressing their views on any of Microsoft's technologies or practices, without violating its copyrights. Slashdot's anarchistic, intellectually irresponsible response does nothing to bolster individual rights, but actually does the opposite, by obfuscating the real issues. Brad Aisa baisa@brad-aisa.com
Slashdot Mirror
Our scientific application runs on Windows, Mac, and Unix. We recently started the port to Windows, and I have to say that Microsoft Services for Unix proved to be completely useless -- it has virtually zero compatibility with Linux, and even after installing a whole whack of third party downloads to get all the normal tools installed (ex. GNU make, etc.), I still couldn't use it because of missing things. Like, it didn't even have the BASH shell, and even when I manually installed that, it wasn't configured properly. I don't have time for this kind of nonsense. We eventually abandoned it, and are using CYGWIN. You know, this is frankly pathetic.
Microsoft should take a clue from how Amazon sponsers thousands of other booksellers -- if Microsoft embraced Unix/Linux, instead of merely tolerating it and claiming to offer interoperability while really not doing so, then it would probably be much further ahead.
Whatever happened to "embrace and extend"????
The Slashdot reply to Microsoft's request was weaselling at its most contemptible worst. First, this issue is *not* one of "freedom of speech", it is a copyright issue, plain and simple. "Freedom of speech" does *not* extend to illegal copying of copyrighted works. Second, the reply said that Slashdot does not want to "censor". Selective publication by a *private* organization is *not* "censorship" -- censorship is *government* restriction of expression *by use of force* (i.e., law or ordinance.) Third, the claim that Slashdot doesn't want to supress the "ideas" of its posters is equivocal hogwash of the lowest order -- there is a categorical difference between expressing an idea, and reproducing, verbatim, clearly copyrighted work in violation of the holder's copyright. Individuals are perfectly capable of expressing their views on any of Microsoft's technologies or practices, without violating its copyrights. Slashdot's anarchistic, intellectually irresponsible response does nothing to bolster individual rights, but actually does the opposite, by obfuscating the real issues. Brad Aisa baisa@brad-aisa.com