I suppose all the 'Year of Linux' people will come out and say 'This is the year of Linux' and so on and so fourth.
Linux has had many years, and for what it has been up against, an illegal government coerced monopoly with more and more stress being put on it from every direction, it has not disappointed me in the slightest. With a dignity I hope that I have a tenth of when I die, Linux users and Linux developers have fought, and some died defending the vision of Linux and the FSF to preserve a future where some of us still do control how our computers are used.
To that end, every year Linux stays alive and relevant is the year of Linux. You see, Linux is fighting constantly a war against complete eradication. Not just Microsoft, but many software vendors, hardware makers, governments, and yes, a malevolent user base hate Linux, and every minute of every day seek to find ways of eradicating Linux from this world. A world where Linux is quarantined into certain sectors like server environment, is a path to extinction like Netware.
As far as Linux in the social arena. Linux as a social movement in its aspect as a social reform movement need not die out. In the Internet world, Linux is a symbol of transparency, of honest behavior, and accountability. Without Linux we would all be staring at a dark Palladium filled future.
So, in the name of the secular Linux social movement for transparency, property rights, freedom of speech and what not. Try and see what you can do to prevent Linux the OS from going into that quite good night. Develop. Write code, fix drivers, create new ideas. That driver for that hardware, that new application may be the driver or the program that changes history.
Yes there are aspects of Linux that are difficult. So, lets make sure this year isn't the last year of Linux, the year Linux became as obscure as DR-DOS, and Amiga, and the Z80. because, I'm sorry, but some things have to be fought for.
I'm trying to "modernize" my 1000 TL Series Tandy so it can talk on my all Linux network. I've currently outfitted it with a 256 K ISA VGA Card, and I'm trying to get a cheap 8-bit ISA IDE Hard disk card to replace the crummy XT Western Digital Whinchester Drive in it.
I think that currently, the internet is in a computer virus bubble. The Corporations want you infected with their computer viruses, (mostly by insisting you use IE on Windows.) the Botnet Herders want you infected with their viruses and The virus scanner makers want you to have something to be afraid of so they can sell you anti-virus software.
In this economy if you use a secure browser, or a secure OS you are "punished" as a consumer for preventing them from infecting you. And if you find a way of destroying the infection, you are called a thief.
I do not have Digital Cable. The reason is I don't want to use a Digital cable box to get cable because I have a MythTV PVR and the cable box would ruin that. So I need to ask, is there a ATSC based Digital cable standard that my MythTV PVR can use to get the unencrypted Digital channels from the cable company? Is this availible as part of say, a VHS VCR?
Here come the shills that are going to say that if the Telcos and the DRM makers and the content providers aren't allowed to censor to their hearts content, and sue everyone who downloads music, the whole Western World will collapse and China will make us all be communist or some bullshit.
I hate shills. I hate them. You know what? I want the IP economy to collapse. These people deserve it.
About a month ago. I joined Karx Erx's D2X-XL mailing list. Well, Here is the thing. I actually own original DOS Descent 1 and Descent 2 Install media and wanted to use Karx Erx's D2X-XL Engine for Linux which was pretty good actually. Except for one thing. Sometimes it was prone to freezing between levels. This was easily reproducible, and I had backtraces to prove it. I actually FOUND the offending line and sent it in to my distributor.
Only then did I realize this: Karx had modified SDL_mixer. This freeze was a result of me using stock SDL Mixer with his application, and he informed Linux users: Use our SDL_Mixer not the stock one that comes with your distribution.
Karx didn't have that great an opinion of Linux. Windows users never had any problem because Windows users have no dependancy at all On SDL, but in Linux, SDL is a cornerstone technology and installing his SDL Mixer would have unknown and devistating impacts on Linux systems. So I reported him to the SDL Mixer Maintainer. Who said that while his modifications did not violate any liscenes, he would have to review the changes to see if they could be included upstream as patches. He agreed with me however, Karx's modified SDL Libs would have probably crashed any Linux machine they were installed on.
Keep in mind that I am a supporter of the Free software movement and its ideals. I just think that in some ways, the F/OSS model and software in general could use a modified lesson from Edward Demming (too bad he is worm food.)
I speak strictly to the Linux economy when I say this, and this is one reason why Linux isn't as popular an OS with commercial development as it is.
First:
Do not write your applications with a blatant double standard. Examnple:
Windows version: Nice GUI interface. Linux Version of same App: CLI if lucky with text file configuration.
That is really really really disrepectful. I'm looking at you: synergy
Second. There are established methods of installing appication software. e.g. RPMs, Debs. I hate to say it. Disregaurd the other package formats. make an RPM or a DEB and you have 95% of the Linux market covered. RPM and DEB are availible on EVERY distro.
Don't leave your software full of memory leaks, integer overflows, and other things that can make a system crash.
If you are a closed source vendor, provide an x86_64 and x86_32 package.
If you are an Open Source Vendor: Do NOT package your source as a RAR. Package using BZ2.
Do NOT package your own hacked versions of SDL, OpenAL, or OpenGL. This is likely to break things. (I'm looking at you d2x-xl.)
Have a good support model. Don't be fly-by-night. Don't be a scam artist, don't be a con artist. Don't do a half ass job on your Linux port. Simply stated don't be a total imbecile.
Thats a popular belief but its absolutely false. The truth is, Linux is a completely secular movement with the very secular aim of producing an operating system and computer software with the very secular doctrine of restoring the fair use and individual property rights of computer owners to use computers as they see fit and not as others would see fit. These are secular goals. It is a social reform movement. It is seen as anti-social by some people.
Now, more and more, as time goes on, we are seeing some delusions surround Linux. They get wilder every day.
"Linux is a religion." No, there is nothing super natural about Linux. Its an Operating system Kernel.
"Linux is Anti-Capitalism." No, Linux has absolutely no restrictions on the development of non-free software so long as no "code lifting via linking" takes place where a non-free software author does something that closes off changes in the OS Code like the Kernel. Alot of people think that somehow non-free software developers are "entitled" to steal code from Linux.
I have heard "Linux is anti-American" well, no, again, Linux has nothing to do with resisting the US Government for the sake of resisting the US Government. Linux as a social phoenomena is resisting the DMCA in a way. but not directly. Again, this is an example of a secular social belief due to a concept of private property rights and right to privacy. These are not religious concepts.
I have only ever heard a "Linux is anti-Christian" comment from one person. A southern baptist Helpdesk administrator who was convinced that Linux really was a tool to take teenagers and indoctrinate them into a communist cult, but again. This guy was a southern baptist preacher. He actually told me that Windows was an OS Jesus would approve of.
Now that is crazy.
But still.
Culturally, Linux users have a secular mindset, people like RMS are the minority. I'd say MOST Linux users want a fully functioning Linux computer that:
A. Works. B. Protects them from the bad practices of specific software companies.
But they may not entirely be opposed to closed source software, just that there should be some accountability and alternatives.
Now, here is the Linux user's fear: That Linux is banned, and MacOSX is banned, and Windows is the only OS sanctioned by the government to run on "A computer" and if you run anything else, you are breaking the law.
Those are secular fears, justified or paranoia aside. You will meet people with varying degrees of worry about this. But these are secular worries about real governments and real people passing real laws to create real consequences in the real world. These are not supernatural occurrences by any means. They are the result of the actions of real people.
I agree wholeheartedly. Christianity, and especially Islam would be seen as completely psychotic if they were not several thousand years of tradition surrounding these religions, and countless reforms to make them remain relevant in our technologically advanced world. Christianity has changed especially in its nature drastically over the last century alone. It just seems normal to us.
That doesn't make it any less a cult. Its still hurting us collectively.
The Third party software vendors hate the idea of the centrally updated software repository thats secure. As you have seen with online registration of drivers and update software that phones home, the corporations WANT you infected with Malware because I can think of a few cases where that malware installation that came on your driver CD is worth more to them then the ~$100 printer they sold you. Because they can resell all those users information like E-mail address to spammers for a whole lot more. On the Windows platform, it is more profitable right now to create software that abuses your computer's resources than work as advertised.
Fedora Core is trash and I really wish Red Hat would stop pouring dirty laundry into the Linux world like this. They do the entire Linux movement a disservice by doing so.
The Windows economy seems to be able to "hurt" the Linux economy but not vice versa. One of the things Linux needs to be able to do is defeat its enemies. Defeating its enemies is something it isn't doing very well and I for one would love to take the offensive position and really do some damage to Microsoft AND Apple.
Even if I can't directly reverse engineer the hard coded executable, stack traces, and Kernel documentation will allow a determined cracker to find some flaw in the copy protection scheme. There's just too many resources at the Linux developer's fingertips.
Can play all the latest games and has support from the commercial software industry. Which Linux is not.
Why?
Well. For one thing, Hardware makers do not want to code drivers for Linux because they are terrified their precious trade secrets will be reverse engineered, Game makers are not wanting to produce games for Linux because they are terrified that their oh so important copy protection schemes will be cracked. On and on the list goes.
Most Linux OSes are designed in a consistent manner from an OS point of view. If the commercial software industry really WANTED to produce applications for Linux, they would. They don't for a myriad of religious, ideological, and shareholder lawsuit reasons and will fight until the bitter end to see that Linux does become something the masses want to adopt.
I had an old P3 that died a "Heat Death" and am looking for a replacement laptop to extract the contents of that I lost when that machine bit the dust.
It rarely ever works that way. MS Software is so Homogenous that it always "Works right" and "Just works" because everyone else has to inconvenience themselves for them. Just look at Vista. Vista's trash but we are having it jammed down our throat anyway.
Open Office may implement OOXML, in fact it will in version 3.0 out of sheer necessity. But. MS Will implement OOXML incorrectly deliberately. OOXML will have cryptic format parameters like IndentLikeWord95. Only MS will know what that means. So, OO.org will have an OOXML implementation that half works on other platforms, but screws up stuff and OO.org will be playing "Lets see what strange modifcation we have to fix now."
If ODF had become the accepted standard, MS would have had no choice but to start using ODF as well, or Governments would start leaving eventually. By Ram-rodding the Standards process they create a psuedo-standard they control and can break for other platforms. The whole election was a total sham. So there you have it, at least five more years of OO.org playing formate and feature catch up to MS.
DRM is a means of turning our computers against us. It is an abuse of our rights as computer owners.
Taxes are small government levied fees on property. They don't determine how I can use my property. Almost all DRM invades privacy and exists to restrict uers to a monopoly platform.
I would buy this game even if it were closed source. I'm not RMS. But the DRM is where I draw the line. I am a Linux user yes, but I have closed source software on my Linux boxes including Windows programs that run under Wine. But those programs don't have DRM.
DRM has no right to exist, and anyone who implements it should be severely punished. DRM should be resisted by any and all means necessary. We deserve a DRM free future, but we will have to fight for it. Do everything you can to end DRM today.
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I suppose all the 'Year of Linux' people will come out and say 'This is the year of Linux' and so on and so fourth.
Linux has had many years, and for what it has been up against, an illegal government coerced monopoly with more and more stress being put on it from every direction, it has not disappointed me in the slightest. With a dignity I hope that I have a tenth of when I die, Linux users and Linux developers have fought, and some died defending the vision of Linux and the FSF to preserve a future where some of us still do control how our computers are used.
To that end, every year Linux stays alive and relevant is the year of Linux. You see, Linux is fighting constantly a war against complete eradication. Not just Microsoft, but many software vendors, hardware makers, governments, and yes, a malevolent user base hate Linux, and every minute of every day seek to find ways of eradicating Linux from this world. A world where Linux is quarantined into certain sectors like server environment, is a path to extinction like Netware.
As far as Linux in the social arena. Linux as a social movement in its aspect as a social reform movement need not die out. In the Internet world, Linux is a symbol of transparency, of honest behavior, and accountability. Without Linux we would all be staring at a dark Palladium filled future.
So, in the name of the secular Linux social movement for transparency, property rights, freedom of speech and what not. Try and see what you can do to prevent Linux the OS from going into that quite good night. Develop. Write code, fix drivers, create new ideas. That driver for that hardware, that new application may be the driver or the program that changes history.
Yes there are aspects of Linux that are difficult. So, lets make sure this year isn't the last year of Linux, the year Linux became as obscure as DR-DOS, and Amiga, and the Z80. because, I'm sorry, but some things have to be fought for.
Linux has a Visio Clone: Kvivio. Import the Cisco Symbols from DIA and you are all set.
It has a hard drive now. But I need to find out how to install a High Density floppy drive on it.
I'm trying to "modernize" my 1000 TL Series Tandy so it can talk on my all Linux network. I've currently outfitted it with a 256 K ISA VGA Card, and I'm trying to get a cheap 8-bit ISA IDE Hard disk card to replace the crummy XT Western Digital Whinchester Drive in it.
I think that currently, the internet is in a computer virus bubble. The Corporations want you infected with their computer viruses, (mostly by insisting you use IE on Windows.) the Botnet Herders want you infected with their viruses and The virus scanner makers want you to have something to be afraid of so they can sell you anti-virus software.
In this economy if you use a secure browser, or a secure OS you are "punished" as a consumer for preventing them from infecting you. And if you find a way of destroying the infection, you are called a thief.
I do not have Digital Cable. The reason is I don't want to use a Digital cable box to get cable because I have a MythTV PVR and the cable box would ruin that. So I need to ask, is there a ATSC based Digital cable standard that my MythTV PVR can use to get the unencrypted Digital channels from the cable company? Is this availible as part of say, a VHS VCR?
Here come the shills that are going to say that if the Telcos and the DRM makers and the content providers aren't allowed to censor to their hearts content, and sue everyone who downloads music, the whole Western World will collapse and China will make us all be communist or some bullshit.
I hate shills. I hate them. You know what? I want the IP economy to collapse. These people deserve it.
About a month ago. I joined Karx Erx's D2X-XL mailing list. Well, Here is the thing. I actually own original DOS Descent 1 and Descent 2 Install media and wanted to use Karx Erx's D2X-XL Engine for Linux which was pretty good actually. Except for one thing. Sometimes it was prone to freezing between levels. This was easily reproducible, and I had backtraces to prove it. I actually FOUND the offending line and sent it in to my distributor.
Only then did I realize this: Karx had modified SDL_mixer. This freeze was a result of me using stock SDL Mixer with his application, and he informed Linux users: Use our SDL_Mixer not the stock one that comes with your distribution.
Karx didn't have that great an opinion of Linux. Windows users never had any problem because Windows users have no dependancy at all On SDL, but in Linux, SDL is a cornerstone technology and installing his SDL Mixer would have unknown and devistating impacts on Linux systems. So I reported him to the SDL Mixer Maintainer. Who said that while his modifications did not violate any liscenes, he would have to review the changes to see if they could be included upstream as patches. He agreed with me however, Karx's modified SDL Libs would have probably crashed any Linux machine they were installed on.
Keep in mind that I am a supporter of the Free software movement and its ideals. I just think that in some ways, the F/OSS model and software in general could use a modified lesson from Edward Demming (too bad he is worm food.)
I speak strictly to the Linux economy when I say this, and this is one reason why Linux isn't as popular an OS with commercial development as it is.
First:
Do not write your applications with a blatant double standard. Examnple:
Windows version: Nice GUI interface.
Linux Version of same App: CLI if lucky with text file configuration.
That is really really really disrepectful. I'm looking at you: synergy
Second. There are established methods of installing appication software. e.g. RPMs, Debs. I hate to say it. Disregaurd the other package formats. make an RPM or a DEB and you have 95% of the Linux market covered. RPM and DEB are availible on EVERY distro.
Don't leave your software full of memory leaks, integer overflows, and other things that can make a system crash.
If you are a closed source vendor, provide an x86_64 and x86_32 package.
If you are an Open Source Vendor: Do NOT package your source as a RAR. Package using BZ2.
Do NOT package your own hacked versions of SDL, OpenAL, or OpenGL. This is likely to break things. (I'm looking at you d2x-xl.)
Have a good support model. Don't be fly-by-night. Don't be a scam artist, don't be a con artist. Don't do a half ass job on your Linux port. Simply stated don't be a total imbecile.
Support the Hague Foundation! Or we'll send you to the Hague! (I kid. I kid.)
Probably because nobody knows everything. Religion is all about self importance.
Thats a popular belief but its absolutely false. The truth is, Linux is a completely secular movement with the very secular aim of producing an operating system and computer software with the very secular doctrine of restoring the fair use and individual property rights of computer owners to use computers as they see fit and not as others would see fit. These are secular goals. It is a social reform movement. It is seen as anti-social by some people.
Now, more and more, as time goes on, we are seeing some delusions surround Linux. They get wilder every day.
"Linux is a religion." No, there is nothing super natural about Linux. Its an Operating system Kernel.
"Linux is Anti-Capitalism." No, Linux has absolutely no restrictions on the development of non-free software so long as no "code lifting via linking" takes place where a non-free software author does something that closes off changes in the OS Code like the Kernel. Alot of people think that somehow non-free software developers are "entitled" to steal code from Linux.
I have heard "Linux is anti-American" well, no, again, Linux has nothing to do with resisting the US Government for the sake of resisting the US Government. Linux as a social phoenomena is resisting the DMCA in a way. but not directly. Again, this is an example of a secular social belief due to a concept of private property rights and right to privacy. These are not religious concepts.
I have only ever heard a "Linux is anti-Christian" comment from one person. A southern baptist Helpdesk administrator who was convinced that Linux really was a tool to take teenagers and indoctrinate them into a communist cult, but again. This guy was a southern baptist preacher. He actually told me that Windows was an OS Jesus would approve of.
Now that is crazy.
But still.
Culturally, Linux users have a secular mindset, people like RMS are the minority. I'd say MOST Linux users want a fully functioning Linux computer that:
A. Works.
B. Protects them from the bad practices of specific software companies.
But they may not entirely be opposed to closed source software, just that there should be some accountability and alternatives.
Now, here is the Linux user's fear: That Linux is banned, and MacOSX is banned, and Windows is the only OS sanctioned by the government to run on "A computer" and if you run anything else, you are breaking the law.
Those are secular fears, justified or paranoia aside. You will meet people with varying degrees of worry about this. But these are secular worries about real governments and real people passing real laws to create real consequences in the real world. These are not supernatural occurrences by any means. They are the result of the actions of real people.
I agree wholeheartedly. Christianity, and especially Islam would be seen as completely psychotic if they were not several thousand years of tradition surrounding these religions, and countless reforms to make them remain relevant in our technologically advanced world. Christianity has changed especially in its nature drastically over the last century alone. It just seems normal to us.
That doesn't make it any less a cult. Its still hurting us collectively.
You should watch this video on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVuw1wEuaAQ
And there are a series of videos on Youtube by a guy called Thunderf00t that is very intelligent about this topic.
The Third party software vendors hate the idea of the centrally updated software repository thats secure. As you have seen with online registration of drivers and update software that phones home, the corporations WANT you infected with Malware because I can think of a few cases where that malware installation that came on your driver CD is worth more to them then the ~$100 printer they sold you. Because they can resell all those users information like E-mail address to spammers for a whole lot more. On the Windows platform, it is more profitable right now to create software that abuses your computer's resources than work as advertised.
Fedora Core is trash and I really wish Red Hat would stop pouring dirty laundry into the Linux world like this. They do the entire Linux movement a disservice by doing so.
Thats funny. Because I can edit OOXML Files just fine. Why? I installed Novell's odf-converter package that was in PLF. Problem solved.
The Windows economy seems to be able to "hurt" the Linux economy but not vice versa. One of the things Linux needs to be able to do is defeat its enemies. Defeating its enemies is something it isn't doing very well and I for one would love to take the offensive position and really do some damage to Microsoft AND Apple.
Even if I can't directly reverse engineer the hard coded executable, stack traces, and Kernel documentation will allow a determined cracker to find some flaw in the copy protection scheme. There's just too many resources at the Linux developer's fingertips.
Can play all the latest games and has support from the commercial software industry. Which Linux is not.
Why?
Well. For one thing, Hardware makers do not want to code drivers for Linux because they are terrified their precious trade secrets will be reverse engineered, Game makers are not wanting to produce games for Linux because they are terrified that their oh so important copy protection schemes will be cracked. On and on the list goes.
Most Linux OSes are designed in a consistent manner from an OS point of view. If the commercial software industry really WANTED to produce applications for Linux, they would. They don't for a myriad of religious, ideological, and shareholder lawsuit reasons and will fight until the bitter end to see that Linux does become something the masses want to adopt.
I had an old P3 that died a "Heat Death" and am looking for a replacement laptop to extract the contents of that I lost when that machine bit the dust.
It rarely ever works that way. MS Software is so Homogenous that it always "Works right" and "Just works" because everyone else has to inconvenience themselves for them. Just look at Vista. Vista's trash but we are having it jammed down our throat anyway.
Open Office may implement OOXML, in fact it will in version 3.0 out of sheer necessity. But. MS Will implement OOXML incorrectly deliberately. OOXML will have cryptic format parameters like IndentLikeWord95. Only MS will know what that means. So, OO.org will have an OOXML implementation that half works on other platforms, but screws up stuff and OO.org will be playing "Lets see what strange modifcation we have to fix now."
If ODF had become the accepted standard, MS would have had no choice but to start using ODF as well, or Governments would start leaving eventually. By Ram-rodding the Standards process they create a psuedo-standard they control and can break for other platforms. The whole election was a total sham. So there you have it, at least five more years of OO.org playing formate and feature catch up to MS.
You are comparing two unlike things.
DRM is a means of turning our computers against us. It is an abuse of our rights as computer owners.
Taxes are small government levied fees on property. They don't determine how I can use my property. Almost all DRM invades privacy and exists to restrict uers to a monopoly platform.
I would buy this game even if it were closed source. I'm not RMS. But the DRM is where I draw the line. I am a Linux user yes, but I have closed source software on my Linux boxes including Windows programs that run under Wine. But those programs don't have DRM.
DRM has no right to exist, and anyone who implements it should be severely punished. DRM should be resisted by any and all means necessary. We deserve a DRM free future, but we will have to fight for it. Do everything you can to end DRM today.