If you're an experienced programmer, you can't do better that "Just Java".
http://www.amazon.com/Just-Java-6th-Microsystems-Press/dp/0131482114
I wrote it when I was working with Java at Sun Microsystems, and it is intended to help busy professionals pick up Java.
It covers not just the language, but the whole ecosystem of tools, releases, certification, SDKs etc etc.
Peter
The Linspire distro is Linux's first and last great hope of actually making some inroads on the Window's desktop market.
Each person has to make up their mind- do I want Linux to be a mainstream technology, or do I want it to be the exclusive preserve of a tiny geek-clique?
If you want linux to be a mainstream technology, you need to start supporting Linspire.
He said "why is it more secure to not run as root. Nobody really has a good answer. They say "oh, yeah, it is!", but it really isn't. Here's why: What's the most important thing on your desktop? It's the data. If someone gets access to your libraries or whatever, who cares? Your data is the most precious thing on your computer. And whether you log in as root or log in as user, you have access to that data, technically anyone who's compromising your account has access to your data as well. "
Obviously he is talking about single user computers, as most PCs are. If you have a single user computer, when your user account is penetrated, your root account is penetrated next time you su.
The last step in a Linspire install, which apparently noone in this thread has done, is to set up user accounts for a multi-user system. If it is a single user system, there is NO additional security to setting up a user account.
My data is the most important thing for me. I can reinstall Linux in 15 minutes, but my data is irreplacable.
What incentive does Google have to seriously reduce this type of fraud? The more clickthru's, the more they get paid!
What incentive does the spammer have to conduct this type of deceit? Are they trying to boost ad costs of rivals? Follow the money. The linked news article does a piss poor job of explaining the issues.
Try reading the document. Here, let me spell it out for you: "Sun Microsystems, Inc. (SUN) hereby grants to you a fully paid, nonexclusive, nontransferable, perpetual, worldwide limited license (without the right to sublicense)"
Now, how much did you pay for that? $0. It is free. Since you are so worried about the license being non-transferable, let me clue you in - that means you can't transfer your license to me on different terms. God! I hate it when you have to correct people who obviously have never dealt with software licenses in their professional life.
> If I write Java applications, I am dependent > on Sun and/or its licensees,, just like if I > write Windows applications, I am dependent on > Microsoft
Well, there are a few significant differences between "Sun and its licensees" and Microsoft. I will leave you to learn these on your own. And cut the nonsense about "blabber" - it's unprofessional and makes you unworthy of attention.
My Java programs run on Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, my cell phone, AIX, and that other OS, Win-something. That is what I call "platform independent". What's your definition?
> you can't even take a look at the specifications > for Java without a licensing agreement from Sun.
Here is the specification for Java http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/second_ed ition/html/j.title.doc.html
It has been online, free, and free to implement for at least the last 7 years. No licensing agreement required.
> Java does not augment Linux or Windows or OS X, > it replaces them with itself
No. Java programs are applications just like other programs. They require the OS to run; they do not replace the OS.
> the fact that Linux is open source becomes > irrelevant if you develop Java applications for > Linux because Java so effectively insulates you > from Linux.
This statement is too confused for analysis. So you're batting zero-for-4. Not good.
Java version 1.5 comes out at the end of this month. It's in beta now (freely downloadable) at http://java.sun.com.
It has many features to speed up desktop programs and is well worth a look. Most of the runtime library is shared between all Java VMs and memory-mapped into process address spaces (read: speed). JVM sharing is in advanced development in Sun Labs. Try to look past the FUD of the ignorant.
I attended the 2nd annual Linux Desktop Summit, in San Diego last week. Here are some of my takeaway impressions.
As an aside, I went to this summit because I am working on the
definitive book to help Windows home users start using Linux. If you have any suggestions for material, or want to help with feedback or in other ways, please email me.
There were a couple of hundred attendees, from around
the world. There were many different perspectives
represented.
Michael Robertson commented that there were 2x as many
attendees as last year.
A huge disappointment - Jef Raskin (father of Mac sw) was
a no show for his keynote opening talk.
Sun Microsystems appeared very briefly in their booth
for a few minutes at the start of day one, took down their
sign and apparently went home. Unclear what that was
about. They could at least have made an effort to demo
the Sun Java Desktop. They did not give any talks.
Games on Linux is in amazingly good shape, considering
that it is the 6th in line for a games port, after PS/2,
Xbox, game cube, Windows, MacOS, then finally Linux.
There were demos of terrific games, including two I plan
to buy right now: Dark Horizons Lore (Mech Warrior inspired), and Think Tanks.
Microsoft succeeded in harrassing Lindows enough that
they have changed the product name to "Linspire". The
company name remains as Lindows. Microsoft has a track
record of hijacking ordinary words as trademarks: Project,
Word, Windows, Office. They are not supposed to be able to
do this, but they have enough money to exhaust all
challengers. The US government was irresponsible in not
regulating Microsoft, the way all other monopolies (power,
water, phone, etc) are regulated.
Low cost is a major advantage that is driving Linux in the
third world. A lot of Linux action will be outside the USA
in the coming years. The $200 Bangalore-based Simputer
runs on Linux.
Bendt Kretschmer (German author and journalist who called me an "imperialist" at lunch when I spoke in favor of stopping offshoring of software jobs) estimated that
the true desktop share of Linux in Germany is 6%. Microsoft is
automatically less popular as it is an American, not European, company (I guess there's a little bit of Imperialism in everyone, eh Bendt?)
Lindows just filed the SEC paperwork to raise $50M by
taking the company public. They plan to use this money to
improve their product offering and market it. The company
has many obstacles to overcome in fighting an unregulated
monopoly, but they have the right leadership and soon
the right money. This is a bet we all need to make because
if Linspire doesn't make it happen, nothing will.
The Lindows clones of iTunes and iPhoto are spectacular!
That is professional quality software that works out of the box,
AND in some ways is better than Apple's versions. They are
open sourcing these two programs, so if you want to help
get a copy and start work on improving the underlying apps.
Most of the talks fell into one of two categories
1. content-free but entertaining (Doc Searles), or
2. sales pitches for my product (most disappointingly,
Ian Murdock's talk was one of these).
Better selection of speakers would be an improvement for
next year. The best speakers were the industry commentators who didn't really have an axe to grind, such as
all the journalists (Amy Wohl, Dee Anne Le Blanc, Brenno de Winter, etc).
There are a lot more points, but that's enough goodness for now. There are a lot of ways the conference could be improved, and I'll be suggesting those to the right folks at Lindows in due course.
Don't forget to contact me if you have any suggestions on a
Windows-to-Linux book.
Peter van der Linden
> they are only outsourcing the call centers and > other jobs for which no skill is required.
That is just completely misinformed and inaccurate. Much software development work has already gone overseas to India and Russia. They work at about 50% of the rate you have to pay a programmer in the US.
That work is never coming back to the US economy. New software development and QA jobs are going overseas faster than they are being developed here. The skills you learned in college don't help with this.
It is not unusual to see ads in the Silicon Valley paper (Mercury News) for software management jobs in Bangalore. They are trying to lure home Indian expats.
Slashdot Mirror
If you're an experienced programmer, you can't do better that "Just Java". http://www.amazon.com/Just-Java-6th-Microsystems-Press/dp/0131482114 I wrote it when I was working with Java at Sun Microsystems, and it is intended to help busy professionals pick up Java. It covers not just the language, but the whole ecosystem of tools, releases, certification, SDKs etc etc. Peter
The Linspire distro is Linux's first and last great hope of actually making some inroads on the Window's desktop market. Each person has to make up their mind- do I want Linux to be a mainstream technology, or do I want it to be the exclusive preserve of a tiny geek-clique? If you want linux to be a mainstream technology, you need to start supporting Linspire.
Actually, Robertson is right.
He said "why is it more secure to not run as root. Nobody really has a good answer. They say "oh, yeah, it is!", but it really isn't. Here's why: What's the most important thing on your desktop? It's the data. If someone gets access to your libraries or whatever, who cares? Your data is the most precious thing on your computer. And whether you log in as root or log in as user, you have access to that data, technically anyone who's compromising your account has access to your data as well. "
Obviously he is talking about single user computers, as most PCs are. If you have a single user computer, when your user account is penetrated, your root account is penetrated next time you su.
The last step in a Linspire install, which apparently noone in this thread has done, is to set up user accounts for a multi-user system. If it is a single user system, there is NO additional security to setting up a user account.
My data is the most important thing for me. I can reinstall Linux in 15 minutes, but my data is irreplacable.
Peter
What incentive does Google have to seriously reduce this type of fraud? The more clickthru's, the more they get paid!
What incentive does the spammer have to conduct this type of deceit? Are they trying to boost ad costs of rivals? Follow the money. The linked news article does a piss poor job of explaining the issues.
As an aside, I went to this summit because I am working on the definitive book to help Windows home users start using Linux. If you have any suggestions for material, or want to help with feedback or in other ways, please email me.
Bendt Kretschmer (German author and journalist who called me an "imperialist" at lunch when I spoke in favor of stopping offshoring of software jobs) estimated that the true desktop share of Linux in Germany is 6%. Microsoft is automatically less popular as it is an American, not European, company (I guess there's a little bit of Imperialism in everyone, eh Bendt?)
The Lindows clones of iTunes and iPhoto are spectacular! That is professional quality software that works out of the box, AND in some ways is better than Apple's versions. They are open sourcing these two programs, so if you want to help get a copy and start work on improving the underlying apps.
1. content-free but entertaining (Doc Searles), or
2. sales pitches for my product (most disappointingly, Ian Murdock's talk was one of these).
Better selection of speakers would be an improvement for next year. The best speakers were the industry commentators who didn't really have an axe to grind, such as all the journalists (Amy Wohl, Dee Anne Le Blanc, Brenno de Winter, etc).
Don't forget to contact me if you have any suggestions on a Windows-to-Linux book.
Peter van der Linden
> they are only outsourcing the call centers and
> other jobs for which no skill is required.
That is just completely misinformed and inaccurate.
Much software development work has already gone overseas to India and Russia. They work at about 50% of the rate you have to pay a programmer in the US.
That work is never coming back to the US economy. New software development and QA jobs are going overseas faster than they are being developed here. The skills you learned in college don't help with this.
It is not unusual to see ads in the Silicon Valley paper (Mercury News) for software management jobs in Bangalore. They are trying to lure home Indian expats.
Things are ugly in the world right now.