Footprint = memory usage or startup time; pick a metric.
and then explain how MySQL, CUPS and LDAP could possibly account for half of it?
Key word: including. Those are meant to be examples of things that won't be started by default anymore so that the system can boot faster and use less memory.
Not that I agree with the summary, which was just dumb, but the idea is commendable and something I'd like to see done.
They are no selling OS X computers. They are selling computers with unauthorized distributed works of OS X, which is a clear violation of copyright law.
No it's not, any more than selling college textbooks with notes and highlighting is a violation of copyright law.
Linux distros such as Ubuntu are stripping out functionality, including MySQL, CUPS, and LDAP, to cut footprints in half.
First, I can completely understand the justification for not including such services in the default install. There aren't many reasons on a single-user desktop for MySQL to be necessary over SQLite, and that's just one more subsystem to have to secure. Getting rid of them, though? That's not even remotely accurate. By that logic I'm not using Ubuntu right now because I'm typing this in Konqueror.
Apple is still a small company with limited programming resources. One of the reasons OS X evolved so quickly is that Apple could channel its limited programming and QA resources into improving the features and stability of the operating system, while supporting only a very small limited subset of the available hardware in the PC market.
Another reason that the megacorporation in Cupertino made it so quickly is that the BSD folks graciously provided them with the OS to build upon, so Apple could concentrate on the nice things that make OS X pleasant to use.
Also, what world to you live in where Intel+NVidia is a very small limited subset of the available hardware in the PC market? Once you move past the motherboard and attendant components (which are pretty well standardized), you get into odd USB peripherals that wouldn't be any easier to support if they were plugged into an official Apple Mac.
What's "pure, unmitigated bullshit", is the mentality that some people should be force to essentially give away the fruits of their labours.
You know, if any other company tried that crap, you'd be in the torchlit lynch mob chasing after them. Repeat after me: Apple is not special. They don't get a free pass on antisocial behavior because of who they are.
Note: my family has two Macs and about 5 iPods. I like their stuff. I just can't stand this dumb "can do no wrong" attitude.
Even in poor countries, if you're spending $300 on a PC, $10-$15 to have a legal, rootkit free OS, even one that isn't fully featured, makes it hard to justify Piracy.
Yeah, because people in poor countries love saving for months to buy a $300 computer only to find that it doesn't work.
Before then, one could lookup the telephone number of their neighbor and give them a call if the "music" spewing out of their place at 3am was a bit loud. Now you just call the police or, gulp, go over there.
One hot summer night, I found myself with broken air conditioning, a pregnant wife, and a neighbor with a neurotic St. Bernard. I tried everything I could think of to find their phone number, but gave up at 2 AM and called the sheriff. Five minutes later, another pissed-off neighbor came outside and starting screaming at the dog's owner to make it shut up, and a deputy arrived about 30 seconds after that. I was happy with the outcome: I didn't have to kill the St. Bernard and its owners blamed the other neighbor.
I sort of do that when I don't want to waste time with the usual annoying Windows crap, but the point of my remark is that Windows is not more user friendly for the tech inept than linux is, not that you can skim from helping the tech inepts cope with Windows' alleged user-friendlyness.
Oh, I completely agree with you. I was just offering suggestions on that one specific facet.
but a significant chunk of the user land tools, and a very very big portion of the various tools Microsoft provide are in.NET... from PowerShell, to Sharepoint, going by parts of Visual Studio, SQL Server, Biztalk, the UI of most of their new tools and components, etc.
What you've done right there is called "damning with faint praise".
It doesn't even take into account WHAT Windows 7 installs and WHAT Ubuntu installs. Is there more default software in Windows 7?
Is that some kind of a joke? The default install of eeeubuntu on my EeePC 701 comes with more software than I've ever seen installed on a single Windows PC.
Ubuntu is a necessary evil. For some reason, we need a distro for the Windows masses.
Don't forget the "have a degree in CompSci, have released successful Free Software applications, and get paid to do work and not dick around with their distro" masses. There are other reasons to use a "friendly" distro like Ubuntu than cluelessness.
There are no ways in which software patents can help anyone but patent lawyers. Since American patents are only binding in America, they put domestic companies at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world. Anyone can open an American office and start filing patents to be used against us, but good luck to an American company that wants to file patents in China to protect their claims.
Slashdot Mirror
Can somebody define "footprint" in this context,
Footprint = memory usage or startup time; pick a metric.
and then explain how MySQL, CUPS and LDAP could possibly account for half of it?
Key word: including. Those are meant to be examples of things that won't be started by default anymore so that the system can boot faster and use less memory.
Not that I agree with the summary, which was just dumb, but the idea is commendable and something I'd like to see done.
tell that to the recording industry
We have been. The "orthodox" Slashdot position is that short of violating copyright law, we are free to use our property as we see fit.
They are no selling OS X computers. They are selling computers with unauthorized distributed works of OS X, which is a clear violation of copyright law.
No it's not, any more than selling college textbooks with notes and highlighting is a violation of copyright law.
Linux distros such as Ubuntu are stripping out functionality, including MySQL, CUPS, and LDAP, to cut footprints in half.
First, I can completely understand the justification for not including such services in the default install. There aren't many reasons on a single-user desktop for MySQL to be necessary over SQLite, and that's just one more subsystem to have to secure. Getting rid of them, though? That's not even remotely accurate. By that logic I'm not using Ubuntu right now because I'm typing this in Konqueror.
Apple is still a small company with limited programming resources. One of the reasons OS X evolved so quickly is that Apple could channel its limited programming and QA resources into improving the features and stability of the operating system, while supporting only a very small limited subset of the available hardware in the PC market.
Another reason that the megacorporation in Cupertino made it so quickly is that the BSD folks graciously provided them with the OS to build upon, so Apple could concentrate on the nice things that make OS X pleasant to use.
Also, what world to you live in where Intel+NVidia is a very small limited subset of the available hardware in the PC market? Once you move past the motherboard and attendant components (which are pretty well standardized), you get into odd USB peripherals that wouldn't be any easier to support if they were plugged into an official Apple Mac.
What's "pure, unmitigated bullshit", is the mentality that some people should be force to essentially give away the fruits of their labours.
You know, if any other company tried that crap, you'd be in the torchlit lynch mob chasing after them. Repeat after me: Apple is not special. They don't get a free pass on antisocial behavior because of who they are.
Note: my family has two Macs and about 5 iPods. I like their stuff. I just can't stand this dumb "can do no wrong" attitude.
Even in poor countries, if you're spending $300 on a PC, $10-$15 to have a legal, rootkit free OS, even one that isn't fully featured, makes it hard to justify Piracy.
Yeah, because people in poor countries love saving for months to buy a $300 computer only to find that it doesn't work.
PAE (processor address extension) has been around for that long.
Yeah, because nothing screams "modern and efficient" like page-banked RAM.
Before then, one could lookup the telephone number of their neighbor and give them a call if the "music" spewing out of their place at 3am was a bit loud. Now you just call the police or, gulp, go over there.
One hot summer night, I found myself with broken air conditioning, a pregnant wife, and a neighbor with a neurotic St. Bernard. I tried everything I could think of to find their phone number, but gave up at 2 AM and called the sheriff. Five minutes later, another pissed-off neighbor came outside and starting screaming at the dog's owner to make it shut up, and a deputy arrived about 30 seconds after that. I was happy with the outcome: I didn't have to kill the St. Bernard and its owners blamed the other neighbor.
I think all the Python and Perl users would (not so) politely disagree with that statement. :)
Only the ones who mistakenly thought that Python and Perl are interpreted. :-)
I think we have to be careful not to dismiss interpreted languages
Outside of shell scripting, I'm not really aware of any commonly used interpreted languages these days.
I heard you recently voted a new president who may submit a patch.
Yeah, but it touches about 30 unrelated systems and runs magic code as root.
Microsoft has installed a virus-like add-on to my Mozilla software, and I'm not hippy about it.
Are you at least a little treehugger about it?
I sort of do that when I don't want to waste time with the usual annoying Windows crap, but the point of my remark is that Windows is not more user friendly for the tech inept than linux is, not that you can skim from helping the tech inepts cope with Windows' alleged user-friendlyness.
Oh, I completely agree with you. I was just offering suggestions on that one specific facet.
but a significant chunk of the user land tools, and a very very big portion of the various tools Microsoft provide are in .NET... from PowerShell, to Sharepoint, going by parts of Visual Studio, SQL Server, Biztalk, the UI of most of their new tools and components, etc.
What you've done right there is called "damning with faint praise".
de Icaza can go to Hell along with his bosses at Microsoft.
I said this before but I still mean it:
Miguel talks about his job interview with Microsoft. How interesting that we all trust that he didn't get it.
So in other words, it's terribly bloated?
Only if you're among the tiny set of ricers that equates "occupies hard drive space" with "terrible and inefficient."
It doesn't even take into account WHAT Windows 7 installs and WHAT Ubuntu installs. Is there more default software in Windows 7?
Is that some kind of a joke? The default install of eeeubuntu on my EeePC 701 comes with more software than I've ever seen installed on a single Windows PC.
change = ceiling(charge) - charge checking_account -= (charge + change)
I always had a feeling they were double-dipping somehow.
Ubuntu is a necessary evil. For some reason, we need a distro for the Windows masses.
Don't forget the "have a degree in CompSci, have released successful Free Software applications, and get paid to do work and not dick around with their distro" masses. There are other reasons to use a "friendly" distro like Ubuntu than cluelessness.
Correction: you want SCOTUS to uphold the Bilski ruling.
There are no ways in which software patents can help anyone but patent lawyers. Since American patents are only binding in America, they put domestic companies at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world. Anyone can open an American office and start filing patents to be used against us, but good luck to an American company that wants to file patents in China to protect their claims.
I mean, what's the niche that Puppy serves that Feather doesn't, and vice versa?
Working on the other wouldn't entertain the maintainers as much. That's all the reason they need.
SNL hasn't been funny for well over a decade and that skit was a prime example of it...
SNL has never been funny. It's always been good for a skit or two now and then, but the average humor level has been pretty low since the beginning.
our new wickedly fast server was, naturally, veyron.
The only problem with this naming is that Mr. Moore will turn "veyron" into "pinto" in about 5 years:
New guy: Who named this ancient piece of junk after a supercar?