The publicer wanted all material from me in Word format. They sent all their templates in Word format as well.
It was few years ago, and I really did not want to use MS Word, because I've lost some stuff with weird Word crashes long time ago. Word must be a lot more stable these days, but back then it wasn't.
The tool is not the most important thing to worry about. The writing will take a lot time, I ended up writing to 3 am at night for several weeks. The last week before the final deadline was so bad, I slept one hour or so per night. At the morning of the deadline I slept from 6 am to 7 am, and saw a horrible dream in which rats were eating another rats. It was the worst nightmare of my life, which describes the state I was in.
It was a very good experience, I'm happy to have a book written by me in my bookself, and few thousand sold to others. Just prepare for the hours this will take! Tell your wife/girlfriend that for next 6 months you'll be extremely busy.
What Microsoft is likely to do is: - add own extentions and not release them - forbid relicencing of patents so that no implementation can be released under LGPL / GPL
IMHO this is just a trick. MS wants everybody to wait for 18 months before this is really released, and prevent Open Source competition with patent licence restrictions.
We'll see this after two years, I hope I'm wrong but if this happends, I'll come back and say:
I'm sure that there are more apps that can read Access files. I think the Access functionality is done by mdbtools.
I've also used MS Access 2000 on Wine, and it worked quite well. I have to disagree with you about emulation: If you want to run GNU/Linux, and need one or few Win32 applications running on it, why not run them on Wine?
How many web developers out there have been called upon to make their servers spit out Word and Excel documents? Did you just automate Office on the server despite being warned repeatedly to the contrary?
At my previous work we did this the ugly way: sended header application/msword and spitted the HTML out. Word opens and reads the HTML like any other document.
You know how many times I've edited the system registry since its inception? Less than 5. I really doubt that anyone *needs* to edit their registry ever.
I've needed to edit registry several times when cleaning someones machine that's been exposed to adware, malware and spyware.
I also needed to check the started programs with msconfig.
Not that it makes me cry or anything, it was not that hard but I just wanted to tell you that there are cases when you _need_ to edit registry.
It would be nice if AdWare or similar would clean the registry correctly, but they're not perfect.
I've been using Sarge for couple of years as my personal desktop OS as well as on workstations in my Linux class.
On servers I run Debian Woody.
I use Debian because it has been the most stable, secure and bugfree Linux distribution. I've tested many of them, and I know that in some respect other distros are better than Debian.
My workstations are installed and used with graphical KDM login and KDE as the preferred desktop. Most machines are PIII:s with Ati's Display adapter, two with Nvidia:s chipsets.
The Good Things about Debian and especially Sarge: - Sarge has proven to be very reliable. - It has a lot more applications that many other distros - It has quite new software (the desktop is only few months old) - it's pretty easy to freeze sarge for internal use with using apt-mirror server
The Bad Things about using Sarge as Desktop - selecting desktop in Taksel makes a Gnome desktop with KDM -> I need to install the desktop manually. Could Sarge ask for the desktop / window manager? That would be great. - upgrading Sarge sets GDM and Gnome as default login manager and desktop. It's not fun to change this on 30 machines (Debian alternatives usability problem) - weekly upgrading from Debian mirrors takes time and bandwith -> I must use local mirror and upgrade workstations myself because updates cannot be installed completely automatically - upgrading broke X settings (a Sarge bug) - using commercial display drivers is complicated - many settings need to be changed in text mode (this is a bit difficult for my students) - desktop and tools change from version to another, which confuses users - desktop help system is inconsistent, and you cannot search help documents (KDE Help Center, this might be problem in Debian packages only) - KDE version does not have HAL support -> using USB mass storage devices is complicated - using floppies does not work in KDE: 'cannot determine filesystem type and none was specified' -> I use mtools instead
I've considered moving to followin distros, but came back for a reason or another:
- Gentoo: Compiling everythin is not an option for a enterprise style environment. You cannot install apache and wait for hours for it to install - the class would be over before the software would be ready to run - Knoppix: Knoppix does not have an apt repository for upgrading and security updates. That and lack of software makes it not an option. Running Knoppix with mix of Debian apt sources is not reliable - done that, been there. Broke everything. - Ubuntu: I prefer KDE -> not an option - Kubuntu: Printing does not work from OpenOffice -> not usable, also lacks some software Debian offers and I need
I'm really looking forward to Sarge release. It is a very good desktop despite some minor problems.
As a Linux user, teacher and ethusiast I've asked myself the common question:
Is Linux (particulary Debian Sarge) ready for enterprise desktop? My answer at the moment is 'Yes, but...' and since there are still several buts, to be perfectly honest it's not. I hope that it will be - for long term Debian is really the best choice for a Linux distro, but I hope that future Debian releases will come out on a bit shorter release time than Sarge. Once a year or once in two years, but three years is way too long.
I'd like to add another perspective to the speed of releases. Windows users are using (more or less) happily an OS that has been released years ago. Once we get Debian into the stage that it can be considered easy to use and it has good support for modern hardware, we don't have this kind of rush to release it. The complaints about length of Sarge release time are legitimate, but they also reflect the maturity of Debian. We have so many important (and cool) features that we must have the newest version of the software at our hands. If the OS is mature, it's not a problem to run 3 years old desktop.
While there may be some caveats limiting P2P, it is a good thing to do.
Sharing music and movies is illegal, ethically wrong etc etc. Please, accept the fact.
Why people on slashdot whine about limiting illegal act, while they certanly want to reveil every valid legal point, which makes SCO case seem unvalid?
And, don't get me wrong: I use Linux and GNU tools on most of my work, and I really hate what SCO is trying to do.
Free software should not be destroyed / harmed by P2P illegalities. Music makers and record industry has copyrights on their stuff. Let them share their stuff the way they want, that's their freedom. As we know, not all freedom means free as in money. Music costs, and we should pay if we want it. If we want free music, then we better do it by ourself, not steel from the others.
Worrying about problems P2P limiting would do to open source is FUD. Linux is not shared by KaZaa and others. Do not spread FUD anymore, accept that music costs and pay if you need it.
Microsoft is about to win this race: every god dam hacker is too busy discussing on slashdot. Nobody codes anymore!
Re:I'm a disappointed GNOME user...
on
KDE 2.2 Tagged
·
· Score: 1
They backed GNOME because it's licensed under the LGPL and not the GPL. It makes a big difference in
the corporate world, and is why you are probably never going to see commericial applications under KDE,
but you probably will under GNOME (eventually).
KDE Libraries are released under LGPL. Check before making conclusions.
I guess you haven't tried Gimp or StarOffice that much. I've written a book with StarOffice, and I must say that it works a lot better than Word. I've been using Gimp for a year now, and it works very well compared to Photoshop.
If you change software, you can't expect it to work similary, but to find similar functions. Both Gimp and StarOffice are there, ready for prime time use.
As for mature desktop application, check KDE 2.1.1. There's a lot stable applications.
Slashdot Mirror
Few years ago a lot people would have said just the opposite:
Gnome was modern and broken in many ways, and KDE was stable but behind... Just proves why the competitio is good IMHO.
For the rest, I agree with you.
I wrote a 250 page tech book with Writer.
The publicer wanted all material from me in Word format. They sent all their templates in Word format as well.
It was few years ago, and I really did not want to use MS Word, because I've lost some stuff with weird Word crashes long time ago. Word must be a lot more stable these days, but back then it wasn't.
The tool is not the most important thing to worry about. The writing will take a lot time, I ended up writing to 3 am at night for several weeks. The last week before the final deadline was so bad, I slept one hour or so per night. At the morning of the deadline I slept from 6 am to 7 am, and saw a horrible dream in which rats were eating another rats. It was the worst nightmare of my life, which describes the state I was in.
It was a very good experience, I'm happy to have a book written by me in my bookself, and few thousand sold to others. Just prepare for the hours this will take! Tell your wife/girlfriend that for next 6 months you'll be extremely busy.
Yes, the format will be open.
:)
What Microsoft is likely to do is:
- add own extentions and not release them
- forbid relicencing of patents so that no implementation can be released under LGPL / GPL
IMHO this is just a trick. MS wants everybody to wait for 18 months before this is really released, and prevent Open Source competition with patent licence restrictions.
We'll see this after two years, I hope I'm wrong but if this happends, I'll come back and say:
See, I told you so!
Eleknader
Kexi reads Microsoft Access databases.
h p?MDBDriver
:)
See more at http://www.kexi-project.org/wiki/wikiview/index.p
OpenOffice.org Base reads Access too:
http://dba.openoffice.org/ (MDB tools for Linux)
Oh, and so does Knoda::
http://www.knoda.org/
I'm sure that there are more apps that can read Access files. I think the Access functionality is done by mdbtools.
I've also used MS Access 2000 on Wine, and it worked quite well. I have to disagree with you about emulation: If you want to run GNU/Linux, and need one or few Win32 applications running on it, why not run them on Wine?
So not a big issue IMHO
Eleknader
In the past, I did most of my CD-to-MP3 conversion with Grip, but since I was turned on to abcde, I've started using it more and more.
I just can't imagine any administration task you need CD ripping for. Can you?
Eleknader
How many web developers out there have been called upon to make their servers spit out Word and Excel documents? Did you just automate Office on the server despite being warned repeatedly to the contrary?
At my previous work we did this the ugly way: sended header application/msword and spitted the HTML out. Word opens and reads the HTML like any other document.
Eleknader
You know how many times I've edited the system registry since its inception? Less than 5. I really doubt that anyone *needs* to edit their registry ever.
I've needed to edit registry several times when cleaning someones machine that's been exposed to adware, malware and spyware.
I also needed to check the started programs with msconfig.
Not that it makes me cry or anything, it was not that hard but I just wanted to tell you that there are cases when you _need_ to edit registry.
It would be nice if AdWare or similar would clean the registry correctly, but they're not perfect.
Eleknader
I know one: Codeweavers and Wine.
Codeweavers put a lot changes back to Wine CVS tree, and the goals of them and the developers are pretty similar.
I've been using Sarge for couple of years as my personal desktop OS as well as on workstations in my Linux class.
On servers I run Debian Woody.
I use Debian because it has been the most stable, secure and bugfree Linux distribution. I've tested many of them, and I know that in some respect other distros are better than Debian.
My workstations are installed and used with graphical KDM login and KDE as the preferred desktop. Most machines are PIII:s with Ati's Display adapter, two with Nvidia:s chipsets.
The Good Things about Debian and especially Sarge:
- Sarge has proven to be very reliable.
- It has a lot more applications that many other distros
- It has quite new software (the desktop is only few months old)
- it's pretty easy to freeze sarge for internal use with using apt-mirror server
The Bad Things about using Sarge as Desktop
- selecting desktop in Taksel makes a Gnome desktop with KDM -> I need to install the desktop manually. Could Sarge ask for the desktop / window manager? That would be great.
- upgrading Sarge sets GDM and Gnome as default login manager and desktop. It's not fun to change this on 30 machines (Debian alternatives usability problem)
- weekly upgrading from Debian mirrors takes time and bandwith -> I must use local mirror and upgrade workstations myself because updates cannot be installed completely automatically
- upgrading broke X settings (a Sarge bug)
- using commercial display drivers is complicated
- many settings need to be changed in text mode (this is a bit difficult for my students)
- desktop and tools change from version to another, which confuses users
- desktop help system is inconsistent, and you cannot search help documents (KDE Help Center, this might be problem in Debian packages only)
- KDE version does not have HAL support -> using USB mass storage devices is complicated
- using floppies does not work in KDE: 'cannot determine filesystem type and none was specified' -> I use mtools instead
I've considered moving to followin distros, but came back for a reason or another:
- Gentoo: Compiling everythin is not an option for a enterprise style environment. You cannot install apache and wait for hours for it to install - the class would be over before the software would be ready to run
- Knoppix: Knoppix does not have an apt repository for upgrading and security updates. That and lack of software makes it not an option. Running Knoppix with mix of Debian apt sources is not reliable - done that, been there. Broke everything.
- Ubuntu: I prefer KDE -> not an option
- Kubuntu: Printing does not work from OpenOffice -> not usable, also lacks some software Debian offers and I need
I'm really looking forward to Sarge release. It is a very good desktop despite some minor problems.
As a Linux user, teacher and ethusiast I've asked myself the common question:
Is Linux (particulary Debian Sarge) ready for enterprise desktop?
My answer at the moment is 'Yes, but...' and since there are still several buts, to be perfectly honest it's not. I hope that it will be - for long term Debian is really the best choice for a Linux distro, but I hope that future Debian releases will come out on a bit shorter release time than Sarge. Once a year or once in two years, but three years is way too long.
I'd like to add another perspective to the speed of releases. Windows users are using (more or less) happily an OS that has been released years ago. Once we get Debian into the stage that it can be considered easy to use and it has good support for modern hardware, we don't have this kind of rush to release it. The complaints about length of Sarge release time are legitimate, but they also reflect the maturity of Debian. We have so many important (and cool) features that we must have the newest version of the software at our hands. If the OS is mature, it's not a problem to run 3 years old desktop.
My kids cant play _Microsoft Midtown Madness 2_ without admin rights. Ain't that funny?
Their own software does not work without admin rights. Talk about using computer with limited user account, then?
Eleknader
Take a look at this :)
Few years ago I was about to leave to another company and a position.
:)
I told my boss I was leaving, we started organizing my duties to my colleagues etc.
Few days later I was told from my new employer, that my deal has just changed: completely different position. They told me this change by _email_!
I was very happy, that I was nice to my old boss. He let me stay, and I worked about one year after this at my old job.
So, I'd recommend being nice for your boss
Eleknader
Linux is dead? :)
There is Flash for Linux.
It is in early stages, though.
http://f4l.sourceforge.net/
Eleknader
A Dell rep. told me last october, that
you can get a Dell machine with freedos.
Eleknader
I agree, that there are stuff that can be shared.
P2P networks are made for unauthorized sharing, not for you and me sharing our own stuff or public domain.
If everybody misuses them, then the speed limits are necessary.
I'm not a saint myself, but the fact is that KaZaa and friends are used on almost only for illegal purpose.
How about having a P2P network, that does not allow illegal sharing?
Nope. It does not.
Show me a P2P network, that is not meant to share 'every fucking thing'.
If you use P2P solely on legal stuff, the first thing to do is to make a nick and stand behind your words.
While there may be some caveats limiting P2P, it is a good thing to do.
Sharing music and movies is illegal, ethically wrong etc etc. Please, accept the fact.
Why people on slashdot whine about limiting illegal act, while they certanly want to reveil every valid legal point, which makes SCO case seem unvalid?
And, don't get me wrong: I use Linux and GNU tools on most of my work, and I really hate what SCO is trying to do.
Free software should not be destroyed / harmed by P2P illegalities. Music makers and record industry has copyrights on their stuff. Let them share their stuff the way they want, that's their freedom. As we know, not all freedom means free as in money. Music costs, and we should pay if we want it. If we want free music, then we better do it by ourself, not steel from the others.
Worrying about problems P2P limiting would do to open source is FUD. Linux is not shared by KaZaa and others. Do not spread FUD anymore, accept that music costs and pay if you need it.
Eleknader
Microsoft is about to win this race: every god dam hacker is too busy discussing on slashdot. Nobody codes anymore!
KDE Libraries are released under LGPL. Check before making conclusions.
Eleknader
I guess you haven't tried Gimp or StarOffice that much. I've written a book with StarOffice, and I must say that it works a lot better than Word. I've been using Gimp for a year now, and it works very well compared to Photoshop. If you change software, you can't expect it to work similary, but to find similar functions. Both Gimp and StarOffice are there, ready for prime time use. As for mature desktop application, check KDE 2.1.1. There's a lot stable applications.
Mandrake 7.2 and 8.0 rc-1.