Lack of progress in KHTML? The leap from 3.0 to current 3.4 is so big that many people can now use it as their everyday browser, and it works well most of the time already. I now rarely feel the need to use Firefox anymore.
I can't stop thinking something like this might be useful for the Mono project, given the great amount of legal uncertainty that surrounds it (justified or not, the fact is that it exists and it might harm its adoption)
The day that happens it the day it would be not necessary anymore, since that would mean windows monopoly'd have already fallen. Might be an ultimate desperate move, but I doubt it would be much useful to MS at that point.
So whilst there is an argument for using free software to teach, for example, programming, a course which teachs pupils spreadsheets or word processing could, arguably be using the most widespread software.
Why? They should teach a generic use of a word processor, I doubt the goal it's about becoming an expert in an especific product. Then why should they teach expensive programs that students possibly can not afford to use at home legally or share between them?
What are we going to have to do to convince "ordinary users" to visit WindowsUpdate once in a while?
From what one can read on online forums and personal experience, many people are afraid to use windows update because they do not have a valid serial, or in other words, they're using windows illegally. Unlicensed copies keep windows monopoly, but it is also giving it bad fame because people are afraid to update their system.
I agree they know they can't be waiting while someone steals their lunch, but I don't think your example is quite correct. MS has put tremendous entry barriers to their markets thanks to their propietary formats and protocols. It also has people used to their products, and they've been using them for a long long time now. So it's not as easy as replacing one grahics card with another. They can survive for a long time just with inertia alone.
[...]although for X related stuff, it's nice to be able to quit X and know your compile is still going
Although I'm sure many people already know this, I've found screen incredibly useful to manage my upgrades among other things. For example, at work you ssh into your home computer using xterm or whatever, run screen, and start an upgrade, leaving it on the background and closing the xterm if you want. When you get home, you resume your screen session and see how things are going. Very powerful utility.
Crap? That's true, it has its limitations, but what it does, it does a hell better than Adobe's program. Faster to load, smaller, even faster rendering some PDFs, more intuitive and nicer UI, and it's Free Software, yes.
Calling KPDF crap is an insult to the great job its developers have done in the few past months.
Who is we - Stallman and a few thousand of his fellow extremists? He doesn't represent Open Source.
Of course! He has said it himself. That's why he always talks about Free Software.
I wouldn't call it theft. What I'm just trying to point out is that for an average user the software legally included with Macs does not mean a serious advantage over a PC with no software bundled. Of course, not every Windows user is like that and I'm sorry for those who might be offended for my words, it's just what I've experienced around me.
That's right... legally. But in the real world such details are not important. That's also a big obstacle to open source adoption, too. 'Why should I use The Gimp if I have also Photoshop available for free?'
Seriously, show us this machine. You were talking about something with no software, right?
Of course. Windows users can get all the software they want for free. Don't like this answer? I don't like it either but it's called reality. And this is what many of them answer when you tell them software is included in the price: 'Who cares?'
The priority of the administration has to be 'getting the job done'.
I disagree. Mantaining control over the technology used should be part of 'getting the job done'
In a letter sent in reply to Microsoft, a congressman of Peru pointed out some priorities for their administration:
Free access to public information by the citizen.
Permanence of public data.
Security of the State and citizens.
To guarantee the free access of citizens to public information, it is indespensable that the encoding of data is not tied to a single provider. The use of standard and open formats gives a guarantee of this free access, if necessary through the creation of compatible free software.
This letter explains my position far better than I could ever do. So no, not everything should be built on productivity alone. That may be true in a private company (and I think it should not be a desirable position either), but not in public administrations.
AFAIK, in KDE you can switch between desktops using CTRL-[F1-F4], or sequentially change between them using CTRL-TAB. Of course, you can change the bindings in KDE Control Center.
You can even use KDE excellent window features to specify you want an application launched always in the virtual desktop of your choice, on an app-per-app basis, among other goodies (window size, position...)
What I hate most about these bloated Windows-wannabe environments is that some good software unncessarily depends on them.
You know, good software does not grow on trees. The reason why a lot of really nice applications are out there (K3B, AmaroK...) is because there's a good established framework underneath. KDE is not only a graphical desktop, is a development platform on its own, and that's why qt and kdelibs are required for many programs.
People always moan about how FOSS projects constantly reinvent the wheel and when they do not fall in that trap and actually reuse software through a well thought out architecture such as the one KDE has, they keep on moaning about dependencies. You can't have it both ways, guys.
Of course, if KDE comes with three text editors people scream Bloat! Bloat! Bloat! , but If they have to download 40 MB for a PDF reader they seem to have no problem with that.
Sigh.
If you need 6 months for that, you need to improve your reading skills. It took me an evening following the excellent handbook when I was nearly a newbie. Go figure...
Slashdot Mirror
Lack of progress in KHTML? The leap from 3.0 to current 3.4 is so big that many people can now use it as their everyday browser, and it works well most of the time already. I now rarely feel the need to use Firefox anymore.
I can't stop thinking something like this might be useful for the Mono project, given the great amount of legal uncertainty that surrounds it (justified or not, the fact is that it exists and it might harm its adoption)
The day that happens it the day it would be not necessary anymore, since that would mean windows monopoly'd have already fallen. Might be an ultimate desperate move, but I doubt it would be much useful to MS at that point.
So whilst there is an argument for using free software to teach, for example, programming, a course which teachs pupils spreadsheets or word processing could, arguably be using the most widespread software.
Why? They should teach a generic use of a word processor, I doubt the goal it's about becoming an expert in an especific product. Then why should they teach expensive programs that students possibly can not afford to use at home legally or share between them?
What are we going to have to do to convince "ordinary users" to visit WindowsUpdate once in a while?
From what one can read on online forums and personal experience, many people are afraid to use windows update because they do not have a valid serial, or in other words, they're using windows illegally. Unlicensed copies keep windows monopoly, but it is also giving it bad fame because people are afraid to update their system.
I agree they know they can't be waiting while someone steals their lunch, but I don't think your example is quite correct. MS has put tremendous entry barriers to their markets thanks to their propietary formats and protocols. It also has people used to their products, and they've been using them for a long long time now. So it's not as easy as replacing one grahics card with another. They can survive for a long time just with inertia alone.
[...]although for X related stuff, it's nice to be able to quit X and know your compile is still going
Although I'm sure many people already know this, I've found screen incredibly useful to manage my upgrades among other things. For example, at work you ssh into your home computer using xterm or whatever, run screen, and start an upgrade, leaving it on the background and closing the xterm if you want. When you get home, you resume your screen session and see how things are going. Very powerful utility.
Not surprising, given the servers are full of stupid teenagers, cheaters, and... wait a minute, we're not talking about Counter-Strike here?
Ok, but that was not my point. My intention was to give some credit to the nice job Kpdf developers have done, nothing less, nothing more.
Crap? That's true, it has its limitations, but what it does, it does a hell better than Adobe's program. Faster to load, smaller, even faster rendering some PDFs, more intuitive and nicer UI, and it's Free Software, yes.
Calling KPDF crap is an insult to the great job its developers have done in the few past months.
Actually, it is less consistent than it should be, according to this blog: http://tieguy.org/blog/index.cgi/332.html
Who is we - Stallman and a few thousand of his fellow extremists? He doesn't represent Open Source. Of course! He has said it himself. That's why he always talks about Free Software.
They're quite expensive, I can't build it myself exactly as I want, and I'm using GNU/Linux anyway on my PCs.
Preventing zombie machines, maybe?
I wouldn't call it theft. What I'm just trying to point out is that for an average user the software legally included with Macs does not mean a serious advantage over a PC with no software bundled. Of course, not every Windows user is like that and I'm sorry for those who might be offended for my words, it's just what I've experienced around me.
That's right... legally. But in the real world such details are not important. That's also a big obstacle to open source adoption, too. 'Why should I use The Gimp if I have also Photoshop available for free?'
Of course. Windows users can get all the software they want for free. Don't like this answer? I don't like it either but it's called reality. And this is what many of them answer when you tell them software is included in the price: 'Who cares?'
The priority of the administration has to be 'getting the job done'.
I disagree. Mantaining control over the technology used should be part of 'getting the job done'
In a letter sent in reply to Microsoft, a congressman of Peru pointed out some priorities for their administration:
http://www.gnu.org.pe/resmseng.html
This letter explains my position far better than I could ever do. So no, not everything should be built on productivity alone. That may be true in a private company (and I think it should not be a desirable position either), but not in public administrations.But yoy will not be independant if you do not use free software. That should be a priority for a public administration.
AFAIK, in KDE you can switch between desktops using CTRL-[F1-F4], or sequentially change between them using CTRL-TAB. Of course, you can change the bindings in KDE Control Center.
You can even use KDE excellent window features to specify you want an application launched always in the virtual desktop of your choice, on an app-per-app basis, among other goodies (window size, position...)
What I hate most about these bloated Windows-wannabe environments is that some good software unncessarily depends on them.
You know, good software does not grow on trees. The reason why a lot of really nice applications are out there (K3B, AmaroK...) is because there's a good established framework underneath. KDE is not only a graphical desktop, is a development platform on its own, and that's why qt and kdelibs are required for many programs.
People always moan about how FOSS projects constantly reinvent the wheel and when they do not fall in that trap and actually reuse software through a well thought out architecture such as the one KDE has, they keep on moaning about dependencies. You can't have it both ways, guys.
http://www.trolltech.com/newsroom/announcements/00 000192.html
Of course, if KDE comes with three text editors people scream Bloat! Bloat! Bloat! , but If they have to download 40 MB for a PDF reader they seem to have no problem with that. Sigh.
If you need 6 months for that, you need to improve your reading skills. It took me an evening following the excellent handbook when I was nearly a newbie. Go figure...
I could rant also but I prefer to be a little more constructive...
:)
Adobe Reader 7 is available for Linux, now. And if you use Gentoo, 'emerge acroread' suffices