Fedora is a great test bed or home system. But upgrading hundred's of workstations every 6 months (like we have here) would be no fun at all. Plus the ABI/API isn't stable in Fedora between revs.
Many real world application use RHEL as a workstation because it doesn't change ABI/API, is supported, there are no major changes through the life-cycle. This is why RH specifically sell a Workstation version of RHEL. See also the existence of Scientific Linux (RHEL clone) and why that is used on workstations at every major particle accelerator.
Too many people view Linux through the prism of their home machine needs. Professional users need things like support, stability, regression tested updates, directory services, NFS (probably secure even if it's just to satisfy an auditor), speaking to (sadly) MS systems (AD, Exchange and even (the horror) Sharepoint). Bleeding edge functionality is worth nothing against stability.
When someone (many) people say use Fedora, is the reason this isn't the year of the Linux desktop. No company wants to reinstall it's desktop estate every 6 months, retest all their apps every 6 months and retrain their users every 6 months. No software vendor wants to retest it's software on a new release every 6 months.
The RHEL approach (7 year life cycle) is correct for most users. Google is wrong to not support this but probably more to do with Google not really having to care corporate Linux desktop users (pretty small base really).
Funny how MS and phone vendors etc go on about the need for a third ecosystem. But on the desktop lots of people claim there is only room for 2 ecosystems, and no room for Linux.
The two major disadvantages of all Optical processing in the past were:
1/ The Wavelength of light is much larger than the structures used in modern day chips. So the optical circuity wouldn't be as dense as modern day electronics.
2/ When you turn off an optical signal it gets turned into heat (i.e the transistor goes black) not true in electronics as there is no electrical flow when the transistor is off. This causes a theoretical optical devices run hotter than electronic ones and therefore hurting density yet again.
Optics and optical processing have there place (especially processing communications data) but for high density processing these two problematic are very problematic.
"Mac users love macs. Android users love android. Linux users love Linux. Windows users? They only love the promise of the cold comfort of the grave and the release from their hellish lives it will bring."
I totally agree, it would be nice if there was somewhere that could provide a comparison of the different open source Groupware solutions. I in fact, think there is too many groupware projects, so the effort is too diffuse.
I always hoped that Postpath would get open sourced, doesn't look likely now that Cisco have bought them. But it can do one thing none of these can (that I know of), it can pretend to be an Exchange server. This makes migration so much easier for companies migrating (that have lots of Exchange servers).
Our senior exec all carry iPads now.Many have ditched their laptops and just travel with iPads.
All the issues you mention matter to IT. But senior execs want iPad's and it's up to IT to get them into compliance (remote wipe etc). This is being driven (I guess in most companies) from above (the top) so IT objections have a limited effect.
It does look like a big problem in the Enterprise for MS. I don't think Windows tablets will fly as a replacement.
The whole presentation fails to grasp MS's own original enterprise strategy, this was that you sold to senior execs and IT had to implement (often against their better judgement). This looks like trying to sell to IT, sorry but the iPad has been sold to senior execs and IT will have to implement (against their better judgement, like MS used to do.
The reason Windows still dominates is so so simple. People stay with what they are used to (esp what came with the computer) unless there is a very good reason to change, the gain must massively outweigh the effort. Most people just think for example, there is only Office as productivity software, all computers get malware, what's an Operating System and I like that flashy MS advert. Most people aren't computer people.
They think changing will take learning and they don't have time for that, they think. It took them a long time to learn this computer stuff in the first place, so why change, when I'll be lost for ages again like when I first got a computer.
Not being able to download and run cak.exe from random website is confusing to them.
The view is, I'd rather stick with what I know and clean up the bogged down computer every so often, hell the number of people I know now that planned to just buy a new computer when it starts to go slowly is amazing.
The above is the main reason. If we want to get people to change then there has to be massive obvious/superficial advantages.
The first thing to do is probably target the PC gamer / modder market. They are basically low hanging fruit. They'd run anything that'd give them 2 extra FPS on the latest game. To do this we should be getting very fast video drivers (hopefully Open Source) the proprietary NVIDIA driver is good but they don't seem keen to equal the Windows driver for performance. And I'm afraid it means "finishing" WINE for key apps (and heavily optimising it for games).
I know a lot of people object to WINE as it may stop people developing native Linux apps, and this is a fair criticism. But we must lower the barrier to switching, and this is I'm afraid the only way, people don't want to chuck all their old software to switch to Linux. And if market share grows, native apps will follow.
WINE could do with a "Sugar Daddy" to "finish" it. Come on Google, you put money in so it would run Photoshop, why not invest money in WINE even just to annoy MS!
Mod this up. This is a huge non story. Everything you should really care about should be backed up by the BES into your mail account. I have never backed up my corporate BB and on changing device it preserves pretty much everything I care about, even Browser bookmarks.
On 64 bit Linux, I've always found the least hassle thing to do is just uninstall 64 bit Firefox and install 32 bit Firefox. Then I get my 64 bit OS for everything else and who really need a 64 bit browser.
Looks good. I wonder if it can be hybridized so that I can at least get some reassurance from the CA about any new SSL sites I visit (if they feel they are valid) before I accept them.
A dodgy trusted SSL authority could trivialise man in the middle attacks (especially with state backing). Can any SSL client apps (Thunderbird/Evolution/Firefox etc) be told to remember an SSL cert for a site and be told to report if it changes? Like how SSH does with it's keys.
It obviously will change when it expires but at least you could examine it ( a really smart client could tell you that just the dates have changed).
Then if a valid new cert was put in place between yourself and the actual site you'd see the change.
Another thing pointed out by the The Guardian today:
As has been shown in the past, terrorists and insurgents tend to communicate using quick, cheap and untraceable technology. The BlackBerry is not really any of these things, since the handset's entire function is to weave its way into its owner's professional (often corporate) and personal life, so as to be an extremely efficient means to trace and reach them.
And TomTom and other SatNav update software, that despite the hardware being based on Linux the darn update software is Windows only!! USB wine support should fix that.
Enterprise distributions avoid kernel version upgrades for two distinct reasons: perceived stability and fixed API/ABI for third-party modules.
Not true and most everyone has missed the point. Enterprise distributions avoid kernel upgrades for the stability of the Application ABI/API, not kernel modules ABI. This is all RH guarantees, you will be building a new NVIDIA driver with every minor RHEL kernel change for example.
Enterprises want a stable base for their applications with no surprises.
It's so different from Windows service pack. MS don't change the API/ABI that applications use. This will. Maybe they think they can keep this problem small but it violates the Enterprise computing no surprises rule.
There's a reason RH is the biggest Linux vendor for corporations. They guarantee not to change the application ABI/API and that is vital if you are running an internal mission critical bespoke app. And suddenly the ground shifts under you.
Maybe won't cause an issue for most or everyone even, but would make me shift uneasily on my seat installing that kernel if I ran SUSE.
On RHEL only the application API/ABI is guaranteed between kernel versions. You still have to rebuild 3rd party drivers (e.g NVIDIA) between on any kernel updates. But the guaranteed application API/ABI is what businesses really pay for with RHEL i.e no surprises.
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Fedora is a great test bed or home system. But upgrading hundred's of workstations every 6 months (like we have here) would be no fun at all. Plus the ABI/API isn't stable in Fedora between revs.
Many real world application use RHEL as a workstation because it doesn't change ABI/API, is supported, there are no major changes through the life-cycle. This is why RH specifically sell a Workstation version of RHEL. See also the existence of Scientific Linux (RHEL clone) and why that is used on workstations at every major particle accelerator.
Too many people view Linux through the prism of their home machine needs. Professional users need things like support, stability, regression tested updates, directory services, NFS (probably secure even if it's just to satisfy an auditor), speaking to (sadly) MS systems (AD, Exchange and even (the horror) Sharepoint). Bleeding edge functionality is worth nothing against stability.
When someone (many) people say use Fedora, is the reason this isn't the year of the Linux desktop. No company wants to reinstall it's desktop estate every 6 months, retest all their apps every 6 months and retrain their users every 6 months. No software vendor wants to retest it's software on a new release every 6 months.
The RHEL approach (7 year life cycle) is correct for most users. Google is wrong to not support this but probably more to do with Google not really having to care corporate Linux desktop users (pretty small base really).
Dell is just another vendor that thinks MS will pull them all back up with them into a new Windows monopoly world, this time on PC, tablet and phone.
Maybe will happen, seems not so likely this time....
These guys just can't see anyway that MS could lose in a market they enter, just like they have never lost for almost the last 30 years.
Others in this delusion would be Nokia and former HP management (ditching their own better tablet OS).
Funny how MS and phone vendors etc go on about the need for a third ecosystem. But on the desktop lots of people claim there is only room for 2 ecosystems, and no room for Linux.
The two major disadvantages of all Optical processing in the past were:
1/ The Wavelength of light is much larger than the structures used in modern day chips. So the optical circuity wouldn't be as dense as modern day electronics.
2/ When you turn off an optical signal it gets turned into heat (i.e the transistor goes black) not true in electronics as there is no electrical flow when the transistor is off. This causes a theoretical optical devices run hotter than electronic ones and therefore hurting density yet again.
Optics and optical processing have there place (especially processing communications data) but for high density processing these two problematic are very problematic.
.... *(mouse, keyboard and large HDMI LCD panel for your room not included)
There is no UK IPTV provider that does good on-demand (Netflix level) but crucially live HD channels.
If you want a large number of HD channels and off the cable networks you are stuck giving Rupert Murdoch your money.
Give me live HD on broadband, I'll sign up tomorrow and start using more of my 40Mb pipe.
"Mac users love macs. Android users love android. Linux users love Linux. Windows users? They only love the promise of the cold comfort of the grave and the release from their hellish lives it will bring."
Love this.....
Yeah I keep hearing this spin. We are a BES user and all our BB's were all down for 2 days and some were down for all 3 days!
And have more experience in playing the system? Are Google too naive in this area?
I'd have thought things like a tool that can read Visio files would be on that list ?
I totally agree, it would be nice if there was somewhere that could provide a comparison of the different open source Groupware solutions. I in fact, think there is too many groupware projects, so the effort is too diffuse.
I always hoped that Postpath would get open sourced, doesn't look likely now that Cisco have bought them. But it can do one thing none of these can (that I know of), it can pretend to be an Exchange server. This makes migration so much easier for companies migrating (that have lots of Exchange servers).
Our senior exec all carry iPads now.Many have ditched their laptops and just travel with iPads.
All the issues you mention matter to IT. But senior execs want iPad's and it's up to IT to get them into compliance (remote wipe etc).
This is being driven (I guess in most companies) from above (the top) so IT objections have a limited effect.
It does look like a big problem in the Enterprise for MS. I don't think Windows tablets will fly as a replacement.
The whole presentation fails to grasp MS's own original enterprise strategy, this was that you sold to senior execs and IT had to implement (often against their better judgement). This looks like trying to sell to IT, sorry but the iPad has been sold to senior execs and IT will have to implement (against their better judgement, like MS used to do.
I don't see how 69 logically leads to "cream pie"! Or your doing it wrong
The reason Windows still dominates is so so simple. People stay with what they are used to (esp what came with the computer) unless there is a very good reason to change, the gain must massively outweigh the effort.
Most people just think for example, there is only Office as productivity software, all computers get malware, what's an Operating System and I like that flashy MS advert. Most people aren't computer people.
They think changing will take learning and they don't have time for that, they think. It took them a long time to learn this computer stuff in the first place, so why change, when I'll be lost for ages again like when I first got a computer.
Not being able to download and run cak.exe from random website is confusing to them.
The view is, I'd rather stick with what I know and clean up the bogged down computer every so often, hell the number of people I know now that planned to just buy a new computer when it starts to go slowly is amazing.
The above is the main reason. If we want to get people to change then there has to be massive obvious/superficial advantages.
The first thing to do is probably target the PC gamer / modder market. They are basically low hanging fruit. They'd run anything that'd give them 2 extra FPS on the latest game.
To do this we should be getting very fast video drivers (hopefully Open Source) the proprietary NVIDIA driver is good but they don't seem keen to equal the Windows driver for performance. And I'm afraid it means "finishing" WINE for key apps (and heavily optimising it for games).
I know a lot of people object to WINE as it may stop people developing native Linux apps, and this is a fair criticism. But we must lower the barrier to switching, and this is I'm afraid the only way, people don't want to chuck all their old software to switch to Linux. And if market share grows, native apps will follow.
WINE could do with a "Sugar Daddy" to "finish" it. Come on Google, you put money in so it would run Photoshop, why not invest money in WINE even just to annoy MS!
Mod this up. This is a huge non story. Everything you should really care about should be backed up by the BES into your mail account. I have never backed up my corporate BB and on changing device it preserves pretty much everything I care about, even Browser bookmarks.
On 64 bit Linux, I've always found the least hassle thing to do is just uninstall 64 bit Firefox and install 32 bit Firefox. Then I get my 64 bit OS for everything else and who really need a 64 bit browser.
....of dealing in the dark arts (i.e the hidden hand behind a case like this). I guess Google are too big to be that scared.
Looks good. I wonder if it can be hybridized so that I can at least get some reassurance from the CA about any new SSL sites I visit (if they feel they are valid) before I accept them.
A dodgy trusted SSL authority could trivialise man in the middle attacks (especially with state backing). Can any SSL client apps (Thunderbird/Evolution/Firefox etc) be told to remember an SSL cert for a site and be told to report if it changes? Like how SSH does with it's keys.
It obviously will change when it expires but at least you could examine it ( a really smart client could tell you that just the dates have changed).
Then if a valid new cert was put in place between yourself and the actual site you'd see the change.
Another thing pointed out by the The Guardian today:
As has been shown in the past, terrorists and insurgents tend to communicate using quick, cheap and untraceable technology. The BlackBerry is not really any of these things, since the handset's entire function is to weave its way into its owner's professional (often corporate) and personal life, so as to be an extremely efficient means to trace and reach them.
I think that seems pretty true
..to a server outside the country.
Or is it that most people when using other smartphones don't know or just don't bother to use the SSL versions of these services.
And TomTom and other SatNav update software, that despite the hardware being based on Linux the darn update software is Windows only!! USB wine support should fix that.
Enterprise distributions avoid kernel version upgrades for two distinct reasons: perceived stability and fixed API/ABI for third-party modules.
Not true and most everyone has missed the point. Enterprise distributions avoid kernel upgrades for the stability of the Application ABI/API, not kernel modules ABI.
This is all RH guarantees, you will be building a new NVIDIA driver with every minor RHEL kernel change for example.
Enterprises want a stable base for their applications with no surprises.
It's so different from Windows service pack. MS don't change the API/ABI that applications use. This will. Maybe they think they can keep this problem small but it violates the Enterprise computing no surprises rule.
There's a reason RH is the biggest Linux vendor for corporations. They guarantee not to change the application ABI/API and that is vital if you are running an internal mission critical bespoke app. And suddenly the ground shifts under you.
Maybe won't cause an issue for most or everyone even, but would make me shift uneasily on my seat installing that kernel if I ran SUSE.
On RHEL only the application API/ABI is guaranteed between kernel versions. You still have to rebuild 3rd party drivers (e.g NVIDIA) between on any kernel updates. But the guaranteed application API/ABI is what businesses really pay for with RHEL i.e no surprises.
Not sure how Novell hopes to achieve this now.