Generally, I like being able to use the mouse wheel in KDE to change things - I especially like being able to change the volume just by moving the wheel up and down.
But the other day I was happily using the wheel to scroll down through a slash dot story. I had moderator access at the time. So I was a bit shocked to discover when I hit the moderate button that I had use up two, not one moderator point. Worse than that though, I had moderate a rather nice, intelligent, interesting and informative post as a "-1, Troll". Simply because as I scrolled I just so happened to move a moderate button into my path and -1, Troll must have come up without me noticing...
Unfortunately, the interface gives no way of correcting the mistake. I suspect someone was deeply offended that their carefully worded comment had been marked us a troll. For which I am sorry.
Before asking any questions I thought it would be nice to whiz over to Piers Anthony's site and see what he already has to say about Linux. Buried in his latest newslestter is the following:
I've been on Linux over a year now, using KDE 1, and StarOffice 5.2 as my word processor, and though making the change from Macrohard Doors has been a headache, I am comfortable and like it here. But the things of Linux are still new and evolving, and I believe I can get a system that will be better for me. I don't want to try to upgrade this one, lest it lose what it has; I prefer to start from scratch, as I did when I moved to Windows 95. I'm in dialogue with Griz Inabnit of Outcast Computer Consultants of Central Oregon griz@outcast-consultants.redmond.or.us who will assemble what he calls a MoNsTeR system with KDE 3, OpenOffice, which is the successor to StarOffice, said to be like a race car instead of a sedan, and software to facilitate my activities. It's all open source, meaning mostly free and constantly updated and malleable, but it's not price that interests me. I want to be all the way independent of Macrohard, so that no more Doors slam on my tender fingers. We'll see; stay tuned for future reports. Linux is spreading internationally and through US government agencies, who like its stability and versatility; a new business version is being developed. Linux is now the world's #2 server operating system, with about 27% of the market, behind 40% for Windows. It remains far behind on personal systems, but at such time as the Linux nerds catch on to the importance of user friendliness, that should change. Before too long I hope to get the ear of some of them, even if they don't necessarily like what I say.
So it seems that he isn't interested in free as in beer.. but some other reasons - namely being free from Microsoft. So that is my first and obvious question:
Why do you want to be free from Microsoft? - I can understand why from a technical perspective a move to Linux would be rewarding, but as a professional writer, what was it that made moving to a new and, as you say, problematic system worth while?
Not necessarily. The point that it is OK to DoS the network is only marginally valid if you assume that there are no legal activities going on on the P2P network. If the network is clogged with dubious files to create a DoS attack it will also be affecting the legitimate uses and illegitimate uses to the same extent.
And that might be an argument that could be used under the DMCA, anti-terrorist or whatever it is legislation.
In "Linux Journal" they used to have full page MSDN adverts. They might still do - I no longer subscribe to it.
They would probably be correct in thinking that a lot of developers will be in attendance....
... Or maybe pushing Interix or whatever their Posix/UNIX subsystem is called now. Thinking that a lot of RISC/UNIX types might be there looking to convert to Linux - instead they see the friendly face of Microsoft showing them how they can port UNIX apps to NT...
... Or maybe the marketing people didn't really know what Linux Expo was - and just saw the expo organiser's blurb telling them it was a "really big IT exhibition with lots of really important IT people going to it and all the big names like IBM, HP, Dell and Oracle will be there" and thought "well, we ought to go too."
Rotherham, not Rotterham, in case any one is trying to search for it!
The nearest major city is Sheffield... Magna occupies/celebrates a part of the area where Steel is/was manufactured - this area is also the setting for the film "The Full Monty"
The author has transparently started with the objective of rubbishing the GPL - then crudely constructs "evidence" to support this rubbishing.
It presents a world view that as a software developer I find difficult to recognise.
It probably isn't worth spending much effort reading or responding to this. So I will just pick on one aspect which struck me as interesting: The complete omission of any reference to standards and specifications. In my world software systems are underpinned if not driven by standards and specifications. Many of these standards are open and freely available. Some are ad-hoc. But they are always there.
Not so in Mr Brown's world. Everything is secret and proprietry. It is a given that for a piece of hardware, there will be no published specifications. The only way that a GPL driver for that hardware can be created is by reverse engineering the manufacturers own driver. Like wise there are no standards or even specifications for software systems. Everything is closed and therefore a GPL author must inevitably "steal" the creators "intellectual property"....
Sigh. There is lots more to be criticised but the premises are so illogical and falacious that it is soul destroying even to have to start.
Now I personally think that there is a role in the world for GPL, BSD and proprietry software licences. But this article neither makes the case for a multitude of licenses nor suceeds in saying why there is no place for the GPL (at least in any rational or credible way).
I would really like to see IBM explaining why they endorse the GPL, as this paper is sure to get a lot of coverage in the media - especially if Microsoft have paid for the article as has been rumoured.
It would be interesting to see some real measurements. For example, disk storage and access times for various functions of the different file formats (you could access different messages in a large "mailbox" randomly, or search subjects and bodies and see how long things took).
I don't think things are that bad - for example, Cyrus with its indexes works pretty well and large (20,000+) folders. And things like searches are pretty fast with a client like evolution that does a lot of cacheing.
I would take the simple structure of Cyrus over the easy to break "database" files of Exchange server any day.
Re:Nothing "Wrong" what Transgaming are doing here
on
Debian And WineX
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· Score: 1
Note the double quotes around "Wrong".
So, no, I don't think it is technically wrong - but I do think that it stinks.
I think they should stop fence sitting and say "WineX is closed source".
I would be surprised if you could build anything like the uptodate product from the source forge CVS anyway (all the code for copy protection schemes on games).
I think they should adapt the "street performer" concept somewhat and re-sell the windows games (at the same price as else where) + an "adapter" for that game to make it work on Linux. For customers who already have that game they should sell the "adapter" at around $5 (similar to the subscription cost) and make sure that the adapter works with that game only (i.e. it isn't a full blown wine implementation that will work with more than one game).
So if you buy the game from transgaming it will run on Linux and cost the same as the Windows version (they can take a hit on the reseller margins for the WineX development costs). Or you can buy a low cost adapter if you already have the game and want it to run on Linux.
But my Wine contributions will be under the LGPL...
Nothing "Wrong" what Transgaming are doing here...
on
Debian And WineX
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· Score: 5, Insightful
... They've taken a BSD licensed piece of software, written by others, and made it there own. Well, the BSD licence says that's OK.... But if the copyright holders are pissed off by this, they can reliscense the original. Well they were, and now Wine is under the GPL. So that's OK.... So Transgaming should probably just simplify things and plainly state that WineX is a proprietry system... so that outside people don't get confused and submit patches to them under the illusion that it is free software or open source.
Does a proprietry WineX threaten Linux in any way? No not really. It is a system that allows proprietry windows software to run on open source/free Linux. It hardly matters quite where the free/prop. divide is drawn either above or below the middleware - the end result is that the user is running is a non-free application - although things might be a bit confused if they start sticking prop. kernel modules into Linux - but then again, there is the precedence of VMware et al for this.
So there is nothing legally wrong with what Transgaming are doing. I say let them carry on - but just clear up the confusion and plainly state that WineX is a proprietry system. If anyone's nose is out of joint then it was Wine's fault for ever being under the BSD liscense - which it isn't now.
Of course Transgamings Business Model is wrong. They should simply re-sell Windows games - either to Windows users or to Linux users bundling WineX and some installation glue a la codeweavers.
Now why can't I moderate the _article_ as a troll?
on
The Empire Stumbles
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· Score: 1
... 'cause that is what it surely appears to be. And one of the best trolls ever seen on slashdot... judging from the unanimously negative responsives.
Alex Cox is a "Cult" director... He has also acted in, written and edited films. He has also presented knowledgable TV programs about films and written for print media.
... Make sure you have a strategy that says any new applications will work on Linux and that data is created in a portable way (save as RTF for example)
... Move server functions over to linux (databases, file servers, email servers etc).
... Create web access to key data sources (customer records etc) - this can be done fairly quickly and is definitely cross platform
... Set up an application server (see the Linux Terminal Server Project) and create boot floppies for each workstation... then users just have to push the floppy in to get to Linux land - and the administration is a lot easier (of course you may need a number of servers)..... Add new services just to the Linux side and gradually remove services (e.g. web access) from the Windows side..... Finally take the hard disks and other moving parts out of the PCs they will no longer be able to use Windows and their machines will be a lot quieter which is nice. Give the users nice new monitors and keyboards instead of buying any new PCs.. spend all your money on servers, screens, keyboards, mice and comfy chairs.
Generally speaking, with a nice fast server, the "old" PCs will run applications faster and quieter and more reliable than they will Windows... so the Linux environment (with its newer applications) because much more attractive.
It took about 12 months to convert every one to the this way of working. Some users even have the latest KDE with old 486 PCs as their terminals and are quite happy.
Great idea! You could roll the optimised binary into a single package, with your chosen configuration - making it easier to install.
Then if you made a note of what you had installed, it would be easier to uninstall it or upgrade it.
If you were going to do a few of these packages, you might want to make sure that you did things in the right order - and that you didn't miss any critical things out.
Hmmm... I know, you could call it the A.C Package Manager.
Re:XML is an uglier version of s-expressions!
on
StarOffice 6.0
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· Score: 1
Of course you mean
<teeshirt>
<slogan role='sux'>
XML
</slogan>
</teeshirt>
To carry on with your theme a bit......and what do you do if you want to install on 10, or 100,or whatever, identical computers? Do you have install and compile the source 100 times?
Do I have to install compilers, NFS/hard disk and junk on my firewall machine which currently boots from a CDROM with a RAM disk for volatile data?
Slashdot Mirror
Try using external pcmcia rather than in-kernel (requires a kernel rebuild of course, but you only need to change the one option)
Of course, we all know that pine is the least linux specific.
And all the apps featured run on at least UNIX....
Moral: Whatever Forbes does, it shouldn't do software reviews.
But the other day I was happily using the wheel to scroll down through a slash dot story. I had moderator access at the time. So I was a bit shocked to discover when I hit the moderate button that I had use up two, not one moderator point. Worse than that though, I had moderate a rather nice, intelligent, interesting and informative post as a "-1, Troll". Simply because as I scrolled I just so happened to move a moderate button into my path and -1, Troll must have come up without me noticing...
Unfortunately, the interface gives no way of correcting the mistake. I suspect someone was deeply offended that their carefully worded comment had been marked us a troll. For which I am sorry.
So it seems that he isn't interested in free as in beer.. but some other reasons - namely being free from Microsoft. So that is my first and obvious question:
Why do you want to be free from Microsoft? - I can understand why from a technical perspective a move to Linux would be rewarding, but as a professional writer, what was it that made moving to a new and, as you say, problematic system worth while?
And that might be an argument that could be used under the DMCA, anti-terrorist or whatever it is legislation.
They would probably be correct in thinking that a lot of developers will be in attendance....
Shouldn't that be pickupandcarrythenstopforatwominuteadvertbreakball
The nearest major city is Sheffield... Magna occupies/celebrates a part of the area where Steel is/was manufactured - this area is also the setting for the film "The Full Monty"
...are the politest things I can say about this.
The author has transparently started with the objective of rubbishing the GPL - then crudely constructs "evidence" to support this rubbishing.
It presents a world view that as a software developer I find difficult to recognise.
It probably isn't worth spending much effort reading or responding to this. So I will just pick on one aspect which struck me as interesting: The complete omission of any reference to standards and specifications. In my world software systems are underpinned if not driven by standards and specifications. Many of these standards are open and freely available. Some are ad-hoc. But they are always there.
Not so in Mr Brown's world. Everything is secret and proprietry. It is a given that for a piece of hardware, there will be no published specifications. The only way that a GPL driver for that hardware can be created is by reverse engineering the manufacturers own driver. Like wise there are no standards or even specifications for software systems. Everything is closed and therefore a GPL author must inevitably "steal" the creators "intellectual property"....
Sigh. There is lots more to be criticised but the premises are so illogical and falacious that it is soul destroying even to have to start.
Now I personally think that there is a role in the world for GPL, BSD and proprietry software licences. But this article neither makes the case for a multitude of licenses nor suceeds in saying why there is no place for the GPL (at least in any rational or credible way).
I would really like to see IBM explaining why they endorse the GPL, as this paper is sure to get a lot of coverage in the media - especially if Microsoft have paid for the article as has been rumoured.
Now I'm confused.
I don't think things are that bad - for example, Cyrus with its indexes works pretty well and large (20,000+) folders. And things like searches are pretty fast with a client like evolution that does a lot of cacheing.
I would take the simple structure of Cyrus over the easy to break "database" files of Exchange server any day.
So, no, I don't think it is technically wrong - but I do think that it stinks.
I think they should stop fence sitting and say "WineX is closed source".
I would be surprised if you could build anything like the uptodate product from the source forge CVS anyway (all the code for copy protection schemes on games).
I think they should adapt the "street performer" concept somewhat and re-sell the windows games (at the same price as else where) + an "adapter" for that game to make it work on Linux. For customers who already have that game they should sell the "adapter" at around $5 (similar to the subscription cost) and make sure that the adapter works with that game only (i.e. it isn't a full blown wine implementation that will work with more than one game).
So if you buy the game from transgaming it will run on Linux and cost the same as the Windows version (they can take a hit on the reseller margins for the WineX development costs). Or you can buy a low cost adapter if you already have the game and want it to run on Linux.
But my Wine contributions will be under the LGPL...
Does a proprietry WineX threaten Linux in any way? No not really. It is a system that allows proprietry windows software to run on open source/free Linux. It hardly matters quite where the free/prop. divide is drawn either above or below the middleware - the end result is that the user is running is a non-free application - although things might be a bit confused if they start sticking prop. kernel modules into Linux - but then again, there is the precedence of VMware et al for this.
So there is nothing legally wrong with what Transgaming are doing. I say let them carry on - but just clear up the confusion and plainly state that WineX is a proprietry system. If anyone's nose is out of joint then it was Wine's fault for ever being under the BSD liscense - which it isn't now.
Of course Transgamings Business Model is wrong. They should simply re-sell Windows games - either to Windows users or to Linux users bundling WineX and some installation glue a la codeweavers.
So, what's the next Katz article going to be?
How about "Slashdot is Dying"?
You can read a short bio here.
Pah! Next you'll be telling me that Bill Gates didn't invent the internet.
Hmm... You've got things the wrong way round. You're supposed to give *yourself* the competitive advantage, not your *rivals*.
Crickey! I only paid $50 for it!
You can also do that in Konqueror. Which is nice.
A thousand years later and you still can't spell millennium.
Generally speaking, with a nice fast server, the "old" PCs will run applications faster and quieter and more reliable than they will Windows... so the Linux environment (with its newer applications) because much more attractive.
It took about 12 months to convert every one to the this way of working. Some users even have the latest KDE with old 486 PCs as their terminals and are quite happy.
Great idea! You could roll the optimised binary into a single package, with your chosen configuration - making it easier to install. Then if you made a note of what you had installed, it would be easier to uninstall it or upgrade it. If you were going to do a few of these packages, you might want to make sure that you did things in the right order - and that you didn't miss any critical things out. Hmmm... I know, you could call it the A.C Package Manager.
...No, you'll end up with no patents.
Do I have to install compilers, NFS/hard disk and junk on my firewall machine which currently boots from a CDROM with a RAM disk for volatile data?