Im using gentoo - running linux kernel-2.6.8 (SMPx2way with low latency and pre-emptive enabled)
What are the main differences between the latest FreeBSD kernels and the linux ones.
A lot of people say FreeBSD is better because "its more stable" or "it has a more mature kernel" I've seen little evidence to substantiate these common claims. Whilst they may have been true some years ago are they really true today?
Apart from the cool things like the ports system and userland differences, licensing differences aside- At the core level of the kernel what makes a new FreeBSD kernel better than a new linux kernel?
Me neither, that , and in addition the better security model that is inherent in linux. They only mentioned linux because it is an Microsoft website- notice there was no mention of MacOSX- of which the same could be said. Nah its just a very very subtle bit of FUD.
I am in two minds - i think its a great way to increase the chances of its original owner finding it again. And if this doesnt happen , at least the memory card has gone to a good home instead of being sold for drugs or something.
However I cant help but wonder how pissed the bloke would be if his "Girlfriend" as the blogger asserts (from the pictures) is in fact some other chick with who'm he has been having "a bit on the side" while the real girlfriend is away. That could get rather messy!
1) A deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain.
Hmm , now given 2 companies , IBM and SCO... and given the evidence - who do we think the dictionary definition of fraudulant bastards best describes ?
Xbox? I'd like to see how M$ tackle shrinking the XBox - considering its made from "off the shelf" parts. Not that im interested in lining M$ pocket though, its always fun to see how M$ react to market pressures. Sony have the advantage of already investing in shrinking large portions of the PS2 onto a single chip, A benefit that its competitors dont have right now.
The only reason I ever need to reboot is to install things which require rebooting
Maybe i am biting a troll? but heres my response.
Why windows "requires" rebooting whenever things are installed is beyond me. Whats more annoying is when setting up a windows machine from scratch and rebooting after installing each driver for each piece of hardware. Damn annoying.
The trouble with windows is the fact that rebooting has become a defacto process for many things. Its all very well saying that clueless users go down the "if its broke, just reboot it" philosophy. But when they are taught to do it by the Vendor "Microsoft" due to the operating systems curious inability to change its software and driver configuration without requiring a reboot who can blame them?
Your comments about 18yr students running linux are odd to say the least, I dont see how they bear any relevance to the stability of one or other of the OS.Having said that, i would like to see some comparitive results taking into account of other operating systems.
I can say this though-I use a linux box as my desktop from day to day. The only time I ever "reboot" is when I power it down in the evening and/or up in the morning. In addition, (Im running our favorite Meta-Distribution) the only time I ever have to reboot my machine for any other reason is if I re-compile a new kernel. I can "emerge" and "unmerge" to my hearts content installing and removing software and I cant think of any situation where I had to reboot the machine just because I installed or upgraded a new software package. Oh , and i always find "Crossover Office" "Simulating Windows Reboot" amusing...
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario (i.e piss-head students)
I imagine the research was a real bind;).. Even so I wish I'd had an idea like this for my final year!
Im thinking of doing some research into proving that an end of night curry or chilli kebab helps prevent a killer hangover. Anyone care to sponsor me ?
I think that highlights a simple point. Just change the name of the product, fork it and rename it to something else, like FreeOffice.org (or whatever).
I sort of agree with what you are saying, and the problem of memory usage / speed on lower specified machines is a key issue. The problem is not wholly with bloat or crap code but more with the fact that the common linux desktops (gnome/kde) on newer distro's are getting heavier on the eye candy. This eats up memory increases dependancy on swap-space and starts to eat up CPU.
Its no secret however that Linux can be configured to run beautifully on lower spec machines. Dont expect to be getting great performance with KDE 3.3 on X-Org (with composite manager installed) fancy icons/fonts and the rest of it - on an old P2 , thats asking for trouble.
What is really needed is a better distinction between your flashy prosumer desktop linux distro's and the linux distro's aimed at "giving that old PC a new life" . We shouldnt stop advancing the progress of linux and the desktop just because the newer distro's are running slower on those older boxes.
Secondly... I've been meaning to try Yoper linux on that box thats too slow to compile gentoo...
Lets face it... If Microsoft cannot even parse simple JPEGS without leaving a security hole why the hell do they have the position they hold in the marketplace today ?
Microsoft != Security folks... it might be marginally more freindly than Selected Choice Opposition, but the end of the day you have to question the people who chose to deploy M$ solutions. Dont Blame the boys in Redmond!.. they just make a product... The evidence is out there time and time again. YET! people still deploy it! you have to be blind (or damn stupid) to reccommend M$ as a safe platform on which a business depends. Why do people beleive it is "The best solution?" ? it beats me! (yay! employ me, I will reccommend to my boss a platform that is proven to be full of security holes, is unstable and is a sitting target for exploits)? Id be ashamed to reccommend M$ to anyone who employed me as a techie.
M$ depend on ignorance and bribery and FUD supllied to (stupid)systems people, I dont know a single M$ user that actually trusts the platform that they use, no matter how much they feel indebted to it!( they still get pissed of with it!) even if they are showing of their P4 HT 4ghz uber-spec system! Even joe sixpack hates those pop-ups and needs to call on geek friends to remove spyware! M$ is just shit point blanc! The only people that can be absolved are the "non-technical" people that simply assume, thats "just the way it is" accept it because they dont know otherwise.
I dont care how many anti-this, anti-that troll's and zealots there are. At the end of the daty there are people making decisions out there based on pretty pictures and not on proven facts.
The fact of the matter is that in black and white is if security, stability and cross-platform compatibility matter to you, M$ is not an option, it doesnt even enter the equation. Would you own up to reccommending M$ ? and on what grounds ?
This is an interesting twist on a previous slashdot discussion.
However lets put the facts on the table. One of the nice things about Sony's console is the backward compatibility. I am a PS2 person and for me its backward compatibility with PS1 was a definite bonus for me when I bought my next console. Upgrading from PS1 to PS2 for me was a no-brainer, it meant that my old console games would still work on the new box! In retrospect though, it did not neccesarily mean that i still play ps1 games on my ps2,... quite the contrary, apart from a few un-completed ps1 games the majority of my gaming fun on PS2 has been with PS2 flavor games.
However I remember thinking and discussing with freinds that if Sony were to make PS2 backward compatible with PS1 they could corner the market... Of course that was before M$ got on the scene. Im not a M$ fan and it will take some huge changes before i feel otherwise, however, from a "make it work" perspective M$ have to make XBOX II backward compatible, even if it is purely from a psychological perspective. People like to beleive that their back-catalogue of game purchases are still viable. Having said that Sony are a generation ahead, PS3 will play all games and beyond. They made some good decisions in the past and it seems that M$ would be silly not to follow suit.
It seems that transitive have an interesting technology, but what is more eye-opening is that microsoft are building on a platform that isnt x86 and that "has" to be a good thing - no matter how much I hate the swines.
It seems to me that the "advantages" for this thing are its ease of installation. Literally a "Plug'N'Play" linux with a few nifty tools thrown in to make use as a thin-client a little simpler.
I dont think its anything that a reasonably experienced linux user couldnt set up on a usb flash "ala - Mandrake-Move" (cept those older Pentium Class PC's will probably not have USB slots. They seem to be claiming the flash drive has fast boot times. Older 4gb drives might not be comparably quick (although I doubt this there are probably other reasons other than RPM and data-seek times) that make their solution nice and quick.
Now what would be really really nice, is to see something like this using one of those tiny hitachi 4gb numbers....
With linux it should be fairly trivial to set this up with appropriate user X configurations and another graphics card/keyboard/mouse, you dont really need do emulation or otherwise. This is the kind of thing X was designed from the outset to do. You could still emulate the experience via VMWare, in the same way you did with XP, but then it wouldnt be truly 2 individual users because you are relying on user "A" to boot VMWare for user "B" its not truely concurrent.
Im a little confused as to how this technology allows Windows applications to run on Linux. (assuming x86 Linux) Wouldnt you need to have the rest of the Windows operating system within linux in order for this to work? I can see how great this might be cool for something like Wine on PPC (allowing v.quick x86 emulation / functionality) but I dont see how it makes windows binaries magically compatible with linux running on the same processor.
My opinion is quite simply that today we have different expectations of The Internet and we use it in many different ways than it was initially designed for. There are things that we can do that simply were not possible before simply because technology and computers were not as powerful as they are now.
I think its sensible to re-evaluate the underlying infrastructure and protocols now to see in what ways it can be made better. However we should be careful not to let one megacorp control the technology.
Even more spectacular is that it is free. Microsoft gives it away.
Jeez, I can think of many many programs that "Spectacularly" for free, are even more "Amazing" and they really are free, you even get the source code! If you want to see some really spectacular stuff that comes for free, why not try one of the many great linux distro's that are out there!
Where has this guy been the past few years? Seriously though what is so "Amazing" about Microsoft giving the program away? It would be "Spectacular" if they were giving away a product that were truly free, and free from DRM mechanisms, and isnt aimed fair and square at attacking the iTunes brigade.
Slashdot Mirror
Im using gentoo - running linux
kernel-2.6.8
(SMPx2way with low latency and pre-emptive enabled)
What are the main differences between the latest FreeBSD kernels and the linux ones.
A lot of people say FreeBSD is better because "its more stable" or "it has a more mature kernel" I've seen little evidence to substantiate these common claims. Whilst they may have been true some years ago are they really true today?
Apart from the cool things like the ports system and userland differences, licensing differences aside- At the core level of the kernel what makes a new FreeBSD kernel better than a new linux kernel?
(Genuine Question)
Nick...
Me neither, that , and in addition the better security model that is inherent in linux. They only mentioned linux because it is an Microsoft website- notice there was no mention of MacOSX- of which the same could be said. Nah its just a very very subtle bit of FUD.
...
Nick
I am in two minds - i think its a great way to increase the chances of its original owner finding it again. And if this doesnt happen , at least the memory card has gone to a good home instead of being sold for drugs or something.
However I cant help but wonder how pissed the bloke would be if his "Girlfriend" as the blogger asserts (from the pictures) is in fact some other chick with who'm he has been having "a bit on the side" while the real girlfriend is away. That could get rather messy!
Nick...
OMFG ... Id sure like to get some roll's of that, where can i get some?
Does anyone know if it is possible to use one of the alternative compilers ICC , OpenWatcom or Corneau ? to build a linux system from scratch?
I would be truely intrigued at what overall performance might be like.
Fraud (n)
... and given the evidence - who do we think the dictionary definition of fraudulant bastards best describes ?
1) A deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain.
Hmm , now given 2 companies , IBM and SCO
Xbox? I'd like to see how M$ tackle shrinking the XBox - considering its made from "off the shelf" parts. Not that im interested in lining M$ pocket though, its always fun to see how M$ react to market pressures. Sony have the advantage of already investing in shrinking large portions of the PS2 onto a single chip, A benefit that its competitors dont have right now.
The only reason I ever need to reboot is to install things which require rebooting
...
...
Maybe i am biting a troll? but heres my response.
Why windows "requires" rebooting whenever things are installed is beyond me. Whats more annoying is when setting up a windows machine from scratch and rebooting after installing each driver for each piece of hardware. Damn annoying.
The trouble with windows is the fact that rebooting has become a defacto process for many things. Its all very well saying that clueless users go down the "if its broke, just reboot it" philosophy. But when they are taught to do it by the Vendor "Microsoft" due to the operating systems curious inability to change its software and driver configuration without requiring a reboot who can blame them?
Your comments about 18yr students running linux are odd to say the least, I dont see how they bear any relevance to the stability of one or other of the OS.Having said that, i would like to see some comparitive results taking into account of other operating systems.
I can say this though-I use a linux box as my desktop from day to day. The only time I ever "reboot" is when I power it down in the evening and/or up in the morning. In addition, (Im running our favorite Meta-Distribution) the only time I ever have to reboot my machine for any other reason is if I re-compile a new kernel. I can "emerge" and "unmerge" to my hearts content installing and removing software and I cant think of any situation where I had to reboot the machine just because I installed or upgraded a new software package. Oh , and i always find "Crossover Office" "Simulating Windows Reboot" amusing
Nick
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario (i.e piss-head students)
;) .. Even so I wish I'd had an idea like this for my final year!
I imagine the research was a real bind
Im thinking of doing some research into proving that an end of night curry or chilli kebab helps prevent a killer hangover. Anyone care to sponsor me ?
Nick...
I think that highlights a simple point. Just change the name of the product, fork it and rename it to something else, like FreeOffice.org (or whatever).
Presumably then, that means that if M$ do decide to sue in regard to OpenOffice.org the immediate "body" to sue would actually be Sun ?
...
Nick
You can get these effects with any desktop running on Xorg6.8
just run
xcompmgr -c
(in an xterm) and that will give you proper dropshadows and compositing (no-more window trails)
and the
transset
(in an xterm)
command will give you a point-and click crosshair to make any window have real transparency.
Here's a screenie of my desktop demonstrating it.
You should be able to get similar results using any WM from TWM upwards, just make sure you have a enough beef to enjoy it fully.
Nick...
I sort of agree with what you are saying, and the problem of memory usage / speed on lower specified machines is a key issue. The problem is not wholly with bloat or crap code but more with the fact that the common linux desktops (gnome/kde) on newer distro's are getting heavier on the eye candy. This eats up memory increases dependancy on swap-space and starts to eat up CPU.
... I've been meaning to try Yoper linux on that box thats too slow to compile gentoo...
Its no secret however that Linux can be configured to run beautifully on lower spec machines. Dont expect to be getting great performance with KDE 3.3 on X-Org (with composite manager installed) fancy icons/fonts and the rest of it - on an old P2 , thats asking for trouble.
What is really needed is a better distinction between your flashy prosumer desktop linux distro's and the linux distro's aimed at "giving that old PC a new life" . We shouldnt stop advancing the progress of linux and the desktop just because the newer distro's are running slower on those older boxes.
Secondly
Lets face it ... If Microsoft cannot even parse simple JPEGS without leaving a security hole why the hell do they have the position they hold in the marketplace today ?
.. they just make a product... The evidence is out there time and time again. YET! people still deploy it! you have to be blind (or damn stupid) to reccommend M$ as a safe platform on which a business depends. Why do people beleive it is "The best solution?" ? it beats me! (yay! employ me, I will reccommend to my boss a platform that is proven to be full of security holes, is unstable and is a sitting target for exploits)? Id be ashamed to reccommend M$ to anyone who employed me as a techie.
Microsoft != Security folks...
it might be marginally more freindly than Selected Choice Opposition, but the end of the day you have to question the people who chose to deploy M$ solutions. Dont Blame the boys in Redmond!
M$ depend on ignorance and bribery and FUD supllied to (stupid)systems people, I dont know a single M$ user that actually trusts the platform that they use, no matter how much they feel indebted to it!( they still get pissed of with it!) even if they are showing of their P4 HT 4ghz uber-spec system! Even joe sixpack hates those pop-ups and needs to call on geek friends to remove spyware! M$ is just shit point blanc! The only people that can be absolved are the "non-technical" people that simply assume, thats "just the way it is" accept it because they dont know otherwise.
I dont care how many anti-this, anti-that troll's and zealots there are. At the end of the daty there are people making decisions out there based on pretty pictures and not on proven facts.
The fact of the matter is that in black and white is if security, stability and cross-platform compatibility matter to you, M$ is not an option, it doesnt even enter the equation. Would you own up to reccommending M$ ? and on what grounds ?
Nick...
... but thats not the point!
... quite the contrary, apart from a few un-completed ps1 games the majority of my gaming fun on PS2 has been with PS2 flavor games.
This is an interesting twist on a previous slashdot discussion.
However lets put the facts on the table. One of the nice things about Sony's console is the backward compatibility. I am a PS2 person and for me its backward compatibility with PS1 was a definite bonus for me when I bought my next console. Upgrading from PS1 to PS2 for me was a no-brainer, it meant that my old console games would still work on the new box! In retrospect though, it did not neccesarily mean that i still play ps1 games on my ps2,
However I remember thinking and discussing with freinds that if Sony were to make PS2 backward compatible with PS1 they could corner the market... Of course that was before M$ got on the scene. Im not a M$ fan and it will take some huge changes before i feel otherwise, however, from a "make it work" perspective M$ have to make XBOX II backward compatible, even if it is purely from a psychological perspective. People like to beleive that their back-catalogue of game purchases are still viable. Having said that Sony are a generation ahead, PS3 will play all games and beyond. They made some good decisions in the past and it seems that M$ would be silly not to follow suit.
It seems that transitive have an interesting technology, but what is more eye-opening is that microsoft are building on a platform that isnt x86 and that "has" to be a good thing - no matter how much I hate the swines.
It seems to me that the "advantages" for this thing are its ease of installation. Literally a "Plug'N'Play" linux with a few nifty tools thrown in to make use as a thin-client a little simpler.
...
I dont think its anything that a reasonably experienced linux user couldnt set up on a usb flash "ala - Mandrake-Move" (cept those older Pentium Class PC's will probably not have USB slots. They seem to be claiming the flash drive has fast boot times. Older 4gb drives might not be comparably quick (although I doubt this there are probably other reasons other than RPM and data-seek times) that make their solution nice and quick.
Now what would be really really nice, is to see something like this using one of those tiny hitachi 4gb numbers....
Nick
With linux it should be fairly trivial to set this up with appropriate user X configurations and another graphics card/keyboard/mouse, you dont really need do emulation or otherwise. This is the kind of thing X was designed from the outset to do. You could still emulate the experience via VMWare, in the same way you did with XP, but then it wouldnt be truly 2 individual users because you are relying on user "A" to boot VMWare for user "B" its not truely concurrent.
...
Nick
Im a little confused as to how this technology allows Windows applications to run on Linux. (assuming x86 Linux) Wouldnt you need to have the rest of the Windows operating system within linux in order for this to work? I can see how great this might be cool for something like Wine on PPC (allowing v.quick x86 emulation / functionality) but I dont see how it makes windows binaries magically compatible with linux running on the same processor.
...
Nick
My opinion is quite simply that today we have different expectations of The Internet and we use it in many different ways than it was initially designed for. There are things that we can do that simply were not possible before simply because technology and computers were not as powerful as they are now.
I think its sensible to re-evaluate the underlying infrastructure and protocols now to see in what ways it can be made better. However we should be careful not to let one megacorp control the technology.
Nick
All your oxygen are belong to us.
Considering its a fashion phone its a real shame it looks like its got Peyronie's Disease.
...
Why could they not have made it a more "conventional" shape? It doesnt matter what OS is on the thing if it looks bad it aint going to sell.
Nick
Thats really funny ! ROTFL ... Id mod you up for comic timing but unfortunately i dont have mod points at the moment!
;)
Way to go matey! Nothing better than the truth
WinAmp,WinZip,WinRar,WinDVD,WinaXe,WinAce,WinCopy, WinEdit,WinExpert, WinTheListIsEndless
Gimp, Gaim , Gkrellm, Gnuisletme , Gnumeric, Gnomoradio, gwavegen, grip, gstreamer, GTheListIsEndless
Konqueror, Kmail, Kopete, Kview, Kruler, Ksnapshot,KTheListIsEndless.
Listen friends Every desktop has its fair share of annoying prefixes, so live with it!
Even more spectacular is that it is free. Microsoft gives it away.
Jeez, I can think of many many programs that "Spectacularly" for free, are even more "Amazing" and they really are free, you even get the source code! If you want to see some really spectacular stuff that comes for free, why not try one of the many great linux distro's that are out there!
Where has this guy been the past few years? Seriously though what is so "Amazing" about Microsoft giving the program away? It would be "Spectacular" if they were giving away a product that were truly free, and free from DRM mechanisms, and isnt aimed fair and square at attacking the iTunes brigade.
great!
No further comment!
Nick