That's pretty cool. Most people will laugh, few will believe the ads, and meanwhile MS is paying them for each person who reads an article about Linux's superiority.
I wonder if any/.ers believe the "TCO" ads on/.? (Only here could you get meaning from a string like "/.?")
Games are an issue. There is a real chicken and egg problem there, i.e. good games could be written for Linux, and Linux would dominate, but until if dominates there is no reason to write games for it...
Word processing: MS office can run on it; I find Oo.o better for basic paragraphs and formatting, and who actually using the drawing tools in word?
Movies? No problem! Even MS formats that have been only for WMP (even on win32) in the past play ok now. Maybe players could use better GUIs, but that is being worked on with stuff like kmplayer. Besides, most email-forward-type stupid movies are actually flash or Powerpoint. Flash is fine; every Powerpoint feature that I've tried works in Oo.o Impress, with, IMHO, smoother animation.
There is a semi-serious idea that we will eventually launch so much crap up there that we will have to wait for it to fall out of orbit before we can safely launch any new missions...
Redhat is Good in the same way that Google is Good you say?
What about their bullying of people who redistribute their (GPL) source code? If Linux (and BSD, other Unixes, etc.) ever take over we may well start to fear Redhat. They are easily capable of trying to control competing distributions, and their treatment of CentOS (they are no longer allowed to use the phrase "Red Hat", even to acknowledge the company's contributions) shows that they do not really care about open source.
Boot viruses requiring two specific host OSs to gain control? Knoppix is simply not popular enough to be written into commercial malware, and while a virus would be an interesing proof-of-concept, it would spread so slowly that it would never even infect 100 machines before the relvant holes were patched.
And it doesn't really mount and search all files systems for Knoppix files anyway. That would take way too long.
If you mean the "initiating system startup", you have a point, but I think it's funny. If you mean the "open source" song (now removed, I think; it was ~3 minute ogg vorbis file), then absolutely, that was terrible.
Several people have mentioned using VNC for this.
The details: there is a program called xvnc, which is either packaged or included with X for most distrobutions. It is a combined X and VNC server, which runs much faster than normal X with a seperate VNC server on it because it does not actually use the frame buffer or display the X desktop, i.e. you can only view it with a VNC client. Also, it doesn't require a working display of any sort, which would be good for colinux. Apps respond with almost the same speed as a normal X server if the server and client are on the same machine, so any major speed hit is from network delays.
It wouldn't be too hard to have this on a live CD, especially as many Windows clients such as TightVNC do not need installation.
This could be great if they could only fix the networking on colinux...
I've had live CDs freak out over networking. I had a Gentoo live CD (not a live desktop - it's for installation) that wouldn't connect, and it turned out that the autodetection (which I think is derived from the same package as knoppix's) was loading modules for firewire ethernet because I had a firewire card, then ignoring the ethernet card because it had already done networking.
Could be the same problem, because, like yours, it first appeared when I used more recent version (I guess they improved Firewire support).
If it is something like that, try loading the right modules (use lspci to help) then running whatever knoppix uses to set up the network (I've never had to do it manually in knoppix).
P.S. Be careful with Knoppix at school. I know it can't do any harm, but you still might get in trouble. At my school, network security relies on all the machines students can use being restricted (no shell, no telnet, no ping), to the extent that there is an unpassworded VNC server running on one staff machine. If your school's like that, they might not be very happy with you using knoppix.
When two products have equal capabilities in relation to your tasks, but one is $650 and one is free, the choice becomes really simple
Like Windows and Linux you mean? The way everyone who just wants to browse and email switched?
Sorry to be pesimistic, but you are forgetting that people are stupid. They believe advertising. When I see and ad on the TV, I tend to pretty much ignore it, unless they say something really disingenous, in which case I am less likely to want to buy it that I was before. Most/.ers are probably a bit like that. Most other people will buy things if the ad impresses them.
Free stuff can't normally be advertised, because people can't afford the ads. Maybe more stuff like the NY times Firefox ad will happen, but it doesn't seem that likely for something like the Gimp.
Warning - anecdotal evidence only in the following post.
Well, on my machine, Firefox loads a lot faster than Mozilla. Knoppix has serious problems with app loading times on slow cdroms, simply because the hardware can't go as fast as a HD. Firefox will be usefull because it will hopefully load faster.
I think mozilla is great, but I switched to Fx because of performance
Though maybe they have cleaned up Mozilla a bit since then. And added more features to Fx (i.e. slowed it down slightly). I'll look at Mozilla again I guess...
Firefox seems the obvious choice for a live CD. I was shocked that it still contained Mozilla Suite, given its size compared to Fx ("ff" is not the correct abbreviation for Firefox, according to the Mozilla foundation)
What are they going to do with all that free space I wonder?
P.S. run "bb" from the console in Knoppix. Best waste of space ever.
It seems from the screenshots that Plastik is now the default theme.
I think that is brilliant, as the previous default Keramic style was a bit overdone, and the buttons were slightly buggy. I think it looks much better, and will be great at not confusing new users.
Show them their favourite sites in Firefox. Maybe they think that, no matter what you say, everything will look a bit different, or a lot websites of don't work, or they will have learn to do everything a different way or something. Maybe they think it's like someone saying that Linux is just like Windows to use: kind of true for some, but a bit misleading.
Drive home the concept that it's the same web they're looking at whatever they use.
Oh, and show them a site they like but that has really bad ads, with popups blocked and the banners filtered with adblock.
Looks like no one is using the Mozilla Suite now, but soon everyone will be using Fx.
Firefox is not as geeky as it was when I started using it at version ~0.6 beta.
Maybe it's time to switch back to Mozilla so I can continue to use a browser no one else has.
I could get round the bloatedness issue by compiling a version with stuff like the mail component left out...
As you say, Visual Studio is a real killer...
I am forced to program in VB for an AS level course, and Visual Studio is what keeps me dual-booting (Linux and Windows).
This is pure BS./. has just been trolled, big time. This is the worst editing error I have ever seen. Why is everyone still posting? Has no-one RTFA? Or even TF second post? MS would never take a legal risk like this. Now stop feeding the troll.
That said, I kind off hoped it was true too...
Also Firefox has no catagory in the screenshot, unlike the others (VCN really is picked up BTW, I've seen this happen. Now, there is an example of a cross-platform competitor to a MS product being flagged spyware...)
Slashdot Mirror
That's pretty cool. Most people will laugh, few will believe the ads, and meanwhile MS is paying them for each person who reads an article about Linux's superiority.
/.ers believe the "TCO" ads on /.?
I wonder if any
(Only here could you get meaning from a string like "/.?")
Games are an issue. There is a real chicken and egg problem there, i.e. good games could be written for Linux, and Linux would dominate, but until if dominates there is no reason to write games for it...
Word processing: MS office can run on it; I find Oo.o better for basic paragraphs and formatting, and who actually using the drawing tools in word?
Movies? No problem! Even MS formats that have been only for WMP (even on win32) in the past play ok now. Maybe players could use better GUIs, but that is being worked on with stuff like kmplayer. Besides, most email-forward-type stupid movies are actually flash or Powerpoint. Flash is fine; every Powerpoint feature that I've tried works in Oo.o Impress, with, IMHO, smoother animation.
There is a semi-serious idea that we will eventually launch so much crap up there that we will have to wait for it to fall out of orbit before we can safely launch any new missions...
Redhat is Good in the same way that Google is Good you say?
What about their bullying of people who redistribute their (GPL) source code?
If Linux (and BSD, other Unixes, etc.) ever take over we may well start to fear Redhat. They are easily capable of trying to control competing distributions, and their treatment of CentOS (they are no longer allowed to use the phrase "Red Hat", even to acknowledge the company's contributions) shows that they do not really care about open source.
We'll hold you too that!
Results here on Slashdot.
Please.
Cigerettes kill people. About 50% of addicts.
There is enough money in the industry to pay off any politician who wants to seriously restrict smoking though.
Video games make big money too, but they don't kill one person for every two players...
Nevertheless, how long till we see the minimum age for gaming raised above smoking?
AFAIK, there is support in Firefox.
When building Firefox or Mozilla in Gentoo there is a use flag for SVG support, but I haven't checked what happens if you enable it.
Use a CD-R then. They're pretty cheap now.
I'm sorry, but thats bullshit.
Boot viruses requiring two specific host OSs to gain control? Knoppix is simply not popular enough to be written into commercial malware, and while a virus would be an interesing proof-of-concept, it would spread so slowly that it would never even infect 100 machines before the relvant holes were patched.
And it doesn't really mount and search all files systems for Knoppix files anyway. That would take way too long.
If you mean the "initiating system startup", you have a point, but I think it's funny. If you mean the "open source" song (now removed, I think; it was ~3 minute ogg vorbis file), then absolutely, that was terrible.
Several people have mentioned using VNC for this.
The details: there is a program called xvnc, which is either packaged or included with X for most distrobutions. It is a combined X and VNC server, which runs much faster than normal X with a seperate VNC server on it because it does not actually use the frame buffer or display the X desktop, i.e. you can only view it with a VNC client. Also, it doesn't require a working display of any sort, which would be good for colinux. Apps respond with almost the same speed as a normal X server if the server and client are on the same machine, so any major speed hit is from network delays.
It wouldn't be too hard to have this on a live CD, especially as many Windows clients such as TightVNC do not need installation.
This could be great if they could only fix the networking on colinux...
I've had live CDs freak out over networking. I had a Gentoo live CD (not a live desktop - it's for installation) that wouldn't connect, and it turned out that the autodetection (which I think is derived from the same package as knoppix's) was loading modules for firewire ethernet because I had a firewire card, then ignoring the ethernet card because it had already done networking.
Could be the same problem, because, like yours, it first appeared when I used more recent version (I guess they improved Firewire support).
If it is something like that, try loading the right modules (use lspci to help) then running whatever knoppix uses to set up the network (I've never had to do it manually in knoppix).
P.S.
Be careful with Knoppix at school. I know it can't do any harm, but you still might get in trouble. At my school, network security relies on all the machines students can use being restricted (no shell, no telnet, no ping), to the extent that there is an unpassworded VNC server running on one staff machine. If your school's like that, they might not be very happy with you using knoppix.
Sorry to be pesimistic, but you are forgetting that people are stupid. They believe advertising. When I see and ad on the TV, I tend to pretty much ignore it, unless they say something really disingenous, in which case I am less likely to want to buy it that I was before. Most
Free stuff can't normally be advertised, because people can't afford the ads. Maybe more stuff like the NY times Firefox ad will happen, but it doesn't seem that likely for something like the Gimp.
Warning - anecdotal evidence only in the following post.
Well, on my machine, Firefox loads a lot faster than Mozilla.
Knoppix has serious problems with app loading times on slow cdroms, simply because the hardware can't go as fast as a HD. Firefox will be usefull because it will hopefully load faster.
I think mozilla is great, but I switched to Fx because of performance
Though maybe they have cleaned up Mozilla a bit since then. And added more features to Fx (i.e. slowed it down slightly). I'll look at Mozilla again I guess...
Firefox seems the obvious choice for a live CD. I was shocked that it still contained Mozilla Suite, given its size compared to Fx ("ff" is not the correct abbreviation for Firefox, according to the Mozilla foundation)
What are they going to do with all that free space I wonder?
P.S. run "bb" from the console in Knoppix. Best waste of space ever.
It seems from the screenshots that Plastik is now the default theme.
I think that is brilliant, as the previous default Keramic style was a bit overdone, and the buttons were slightly buggy. I think it looks much better, and will be great at not confusing new users.
Show them their favourite sites in Firefox. Maybe they think that, no matter what you say, everything will look a bit different, or a lot websites of don't work, or they will have learn to do everything a different way or something. Maybe they think it's like someone saying that Linux is just like Windows to use: kind of true for some, but a bit misleading.
Drive home the concept that it's the same web they're looking at whatever they use.
Oh, and show them a site they like but that has really bad ads, with popups blocked and the banners filtered with adblock.
Looks like no one is using the Mozilla Suite now, but soon everyone will be using Fx.
Firefox is not as geeky as it was when I started using it at version ~0.6 beta.
Maybe it's time to switch back to Mozilla so I can continue to use a browser no one else has.
I could get round the bloatedness issue by compiling a version with stuff like the mail component left out...
Yes. I've tried to run win 98 SE under qemu. I think the CD may be messed up though. Any idea if windows 98 SE should install OK in qemu?
As you say, Visual Studio is a real killer...
I am forced to program in VB for an AS level course, and Visual Studio is what keeps me dual-booting (Linux and Windows).
OK.
/. :-)
Show me a less intelligent front-page article that wasn't posted on April 1st.
(the recent iPod vague paranoia, IMHO, was arguably slightly more likely. Only slightly.)
P.S. I read lots of
I have mod points.
Sometimes.
And does it warn you if Microsoft's remote desktop sharing is enabled?
This is pure BS. /. has just been trolled, big time. This is the worst editing error I have ever seen. Why is everyone still posting? Has no-one RTFA? Or even TF second post? MS would never take a legal risk like this. Now stop feeding the troll.
That said, I kind off hoped it was true too...
Also Firefox has no catagory in the screenshot, unlike the others (VCN really is picked up BTW, I've seen this happen. Now, there is an example of a cross-platform competitor to a MS product being flagged spyware...)
Thank you very much for that link.
You've just brightened the day for hundreds of people.
2417 and counting...
I think that was meant to be a deliberatly silly comparison.
Mandrake is much more like Windows. Easy to install, easy to use, takes forever to boot up and is bloated...