Comments on: The Law and the Linux Desktop http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/ Open Source, Open Standards Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:12:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: cybe_r_wizard http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-1269 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:59:15 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-1269 This may be a little old but it is still relevent: This was originally posted on another group by Kelsey Bjarnason Let me give you a few quotes to ponder. "Up and running, not up and coming" "Not Today" "Wait for us, we're the leaders" Do you know where those came from? From the OS/2 camp. When IBM had released its latest version of OS/2, and Microsoft's competitive offering was facing delays, slipping schedules and much public ridicule. Windows is not "always in the here and now", it is frequently in the "maybe tomorrow" category. In fact, that's where it is *right now*. The version of Windows which is supposed to magically cure all those security problems, render viruses harmless, make a perfect cup of coffee and tie your shoelaces is going to be released - *maybe* - in 2006... but, according to MS, with a crippled feature set. And it'll *still* only run on an x86. Meanwhile, Linux is running everything from palmtops to supercomputers and doesn't have the virus problem. What it does have is a rich set of applications and tools, and a license that lets *you* decide what to do with *your* computer. Let's see what Windows offers now that Linux doesn't, shall we? Windows, of course, has a journalling file system, NTFS. Mind you, as I understand it, NTFS only does metadata journalling... unlike, say, ext3. Windows, of course, supports multiple virtual desktops. Oops, no, it doesn't. Yet virtually all the WMs and DMs for Linux do. Windows, of course, supports multiple GUIs, from lightweight ones good for remote access to serious heavyweights with all the bells and whistles. Ooops, no, it doesn't. Linux does. Windows, of course, supports sensible package management for installation and removal of programs, even when those programs aren't from Microft, right? Ooops, no, it doesn't. It doesn't even have this for its own applications. But wait... Windows *does* have "Windows update", a nice little tool for determining, downloading and deploying the latest bugfixes and the like... except it only works for Windows. It doesn't even do this for Microsoft's own applications, such as Visual Studio or Office. Funny, my Linux system has just such an update feature... but it works for all the packages it knows about - several thousand of them from hundreds of vendors. Well, okay... but Windows comes bundled with all the things you need to get up and running, right? Development tools for the code monkeys, database servers for the DB geeks, web servers, mail servers and the like for web developers, irc clients, IM clients, streaming media tools, intrusion detection, firewalling, spreadsheets, word processors, spell checkers, dictionaries, browsers supporting ad-blocking, popup blocking, tabbed browsing and the like... Windows does include all this, right? Sorry, was that a no? Oh, well, Linux does. How about hardware support? I have some old 486 boxes here which are perfectly usable... I *can* run current Windows versions on them, right? No? Hmm; I can run current Linux versions on them just fine. Well, okay, how about configuration options? Let's try something simple: I have a server which has no monitor attached - I do all the maintenance via an ssh connection. So I don't need - or want - a GUI on the box. Just wastes resources which could be better used for what the box actually does, nameley, serving. I *can* remove the GUI in Windows, right? Hmm. I can in Linux. Well, okay, that brings up another item - administration. Windows does, in fact, make it simple to adminster the machine via the command line, right? That is, I can perform every administrative task, from starting and stopping services to user and group administration to group policy editing to audit tracking and more, all from the command line, right? Even so far as doing software isntallation, removal and upgrades? Whoops, no, not quite. The tools to do such things in Windows are at best primitive, and sometimes don't exist at all. Odd, though, that I can do all that in Linux. Hmm. This is getting more limiting by the minute. Okay, here's an easy one. I want to perform a series of operations on a half-dozen machines at the same time. Why? Well, I'm upgrading the accountants' machines, and the simplest way is just to ssh into each of them, then issue a couple of commands to start the update. So, as I said, I just ssh into them, set the terminal to echo the input across all the sessions, then go. Windows can do this, right? Whoops... Windows doesn't even come with ssh, does it? Well, okay, so we'll use telnet. I *can* fire up 6 telnet sessions and, by typing in one, have the information automatically transmitted to all of them, right? Guess not. Well, at least, finally, XP brought in multiple user logins. So now, the wife can use her machine and I can log into it, do some word processing or whatever, and she can keep right on using the machine, right? Oops... nope, that's Linux again. Wait a sec... Windows, as it ships, *cannot* do, or *does not* include: Office tools Development tools Server tools Database tools Multiple virtual desktop support A range of GUIs The ability to completely disable the GUI Tabbed browsing Pop-up blocking Ad blocking ssh cross-terminal-session input broadcasting IRC clients IM clients Streaming media Command-line administration that works Package management Software updating that works Intrusion detection File-alteration monitoring Flexible firewalling Multi-user logons Decent graphics editing Decent video editing Okay, now wait a sec. All of this is available, right now, in Linux. Most of the popular distros - Debian, DeadRat, Mandrake, Gentoo, SuSe, etc have all of these and more. Several of them are also available for a variety of hardware platforms. This is all here now, and Windows doesn't have a bit of it. This, in your mind, makes "Linux in the future, and Windows in the here and now"? Oh, wait. I get it. You're saying "Windows is now" because there are more people willing to *pay* to get such limitations than there are people willing to be freed of such limitations for a lower price, or even no price at all. Well... yes, that does seem to be the case, doesn't it? Doesn't make much sense, but there it is. BTW, for the record, I do, in fact, still run Windows on occasion. It makes for a good gaming station. On the other hand, if faced with paying $200 for a new version of Windows, or a similar amount for a game console... well... let's just say my trusty old Win2K setup will remain just that - Win2K. This may be a little old but it is still relevent:

This was originally posted on another group by Kelsey Bjarnason

Let me give you a few quotes to ponder.

“Up and running, not up and coming”
“Not Today”
“Wait for us, we’re the leaders”

Do you know where those came from? From the OS/2 camp. When IBM had
released its latest version of OS/2, and Microsoft’s competitive
offering was facing delays, slipping schedules and much public ridicule.

Windows is not “always in the here and now”, it is frequently in the
“maybe tomorrow” category. In fact, that’s where it is *right now*.
The version of Windows which is supposed to magically cure all those
security problems, render viruses harmless, make a perfect cup of coffee
and tie your shoelaces is going to be released - *maybe* - in 2006…
but, according to MS, with a crippled feature set. And it’ll *still*
only run on an x86.

Meanwhile, Linux is running everything from palmtops to supercomputers
and doesn’t have the virus problem. What it does have is a rich set of
applications and tools, and a license that lets *you* decide what to do
with *your* computer.

Let’s see what Windows offers now that Linux doesn’t,
shall we?

Windows, of course, has a journalling file system, NTFS. Mind you, as I
understand it, NTFS only does metadata journalling… unlike, say, ext3.

Windows, of course, supports multiple virtual desktops. Oops, no, it
doesn’t. Yet virtually all the WMs and DMs for Linux do.

Windows, of course, supports multiple GUIs, from lightweight ones good
for remote access to serious heavyweights with all the bells and
whistles. Ooops, no, it doesn’t. Linux does.

Windows, of course, supports sensible package management for
installation and removal of programs, even when those programs aren’t
from Microft, right? Ooops, no, it doesn’t. It doesn’t even have this
for its own applications.

But wait… Windows *does* have “Windows update”, a nice little tool for
determining, downloading and deploying the latest bugfixes and the
like… except it only works for Windows. It doesn’t even do this for
Microsoft’s own applications, such as Visual Studio or Office. Funny,
my Linux system has just such an update feature… but it works for all
the packages it knows about - several thousand of them from hundreds of
vendors.

Well, okay… but Windows comes bundled with all the things you need to
get up and running, right? Development tools for the code monkeys,
database servers for the DB geeks, web servers, mail servers and the
like for web developers, irc clients, IM clients, streaming media tools,
intrusion detection, firewalling, spreadsheets, word processors, spell
checkers, dictionaries, browsers supporting ad-blocking, popup blocking,
tabbed browsing and the like… Windows does include all this, right?
Sorry, was that a no? Oh, well, Linux does.

How about hardware support? I have some old 486 boxes here which are
perfectly usable… I *can* run current Windows versions on them, right?
No? Hmm; I can run current Linux versions on them just fine.

Well, okay, how about configuration options? Let’s try something
simple: I have a server which has no monitor attached - I do all the
maintenance via an ssh connection. So I don’t need - or want - a GUI on
the box. Just wastes resources which could be better used for what the
box actually does, nameley, serving. I *can* remove the GUI in Windows,
right? Hmm. I can in Linux.

Well, okay, that brings up another item - administration. Windows does,
in fact, make it simple to adminster the machine via the command line,
right? That is, I can perform every administrative task, from starting
and stopping services to user and group administration to group policy
editing to audit tracking and more, all from the command line, right?
Even so far as doing software isntallation, removal and upgrades?
Whoops, no, not quite. The tools to do such things in Windows are at
best primitive, and sometimes don’t exist at all. Odd, though, that I
can do all that in Linux.

Hmm. This is getting more limiting by the minute. Okay, here’s an easy
one. I want to perform a series of operations on a half-dozen machines
at the same time. Why? Well, I’m upgrading the accountants’ machines,
and the simplest way is just to ssh into each of them, then issue a
couple of commands to start the update. So, as I said, I just ssh into
them, set the terminal to echo the input across all the sessions, then
go. Windows can do this, right? Whoops… Windows doesn’t even come
with ssh, does it? Well, okay, so we’ll use telnet. I *can* fire up 6
telnet sessions and, by typing in one, have the information
automatically transmitted to all of them, right? Guess not.

Well, at least, finally, XP brought in multiple user logins. So now,
the wife can use her machine and I can log into it, do some word
processing or whatever, and she can keep right on using the machine,
right? Oops… nope, that’s Linux again.

Wait a sec… Windows, as it ships, *cannot* do, or *does not* include:

Office tools
Development tools
Server tools
Database tools
Multiple virtual desktop support
A range of GUIs
The ability to completely disable the GUI
Tabbed browsing
Pop-up blocking
Ad blocking
ssh
cross-terminal-session input broadcasting
IRC clients
IM clients
Streaming media
Command-line administration that works
Package management
Software updating that works
Intrusion detection
File-alteration monitoring
Flexible firewalling
Multi-user logons
Decent graphics editing
Decent video editing

Okay, now wait a sec. All of this is available, right now, in Linux.
Most of the popular distros - Debian, DeadRat, Mandrake, Gentoo, SuSe,
etc have all of these and more. Several of them are also available for
a variety of hardware platforms. This is all here now, and Windows
doesn’t have a bit of it. This, in your mind, makes “Linux in the
future, and Windows in the here and now”?

Oh, wait. I get it. You’re saying “Windows is now” because there are
more people willing to *pay* to get such limitations than there are
people willing to be freed of such limitations for a lower price, or
even no price at all. Well… yes, that does seem to be the case,
doesn’t it? Doesn’t make much sense, but there it is.

BTW, for the record, I do, in fact, still run Windows on occasion. It
makes for a good gaming station. On the other hand, if faced with
paying $200 for a new version of Windows, or a similar amount for a game
console… well… let’s just say my trusty old Win2K setup will remain
just that - Win2K.

]]> by: zale http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-161 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 04:45:58 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-161 I've had PCLinuxOS working on two laptops with no issues for a while. The writer must be using an older distro. Zale I’ve had PCLinuxOS working on two laptops with no issues for a while. The writer must be using an older distro.

Zale

]]> by: canuck55 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-147 Sat, 23 Jun 2007 02:39:37 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-147 Oh one concern I DID have was my digital cam and flashdrive. I figured since I had to install software in windows (and fight with it), the right software probably wasn't available in linux (all those horror stories). Plugged in my camera and some program opened AUTOMATICALLY and there were my pictures. Plugged in my flashdrive, compter went "bing" and there were the files on my drive. Since someone brought up the analogy (driving cars not mechanics) how appropriate. I am using linux but I want it to do everything like windows. Well I drive an american automatic car, but I want it to look, feel, drive, accelerate, brake, corner like my porsche, it doesn't so therefore american cars are no good. NO, I don't expect an american car to behave like fine german engineered automobiles and I don't expect my porsche to be a leadsled either, however they both get me from A to B and THAT is their purpose. Same end result to totally different experiences. OPenOffice/Word-type a letter Amorak/Media Player - play music IE/Firefox - surf the web Outlook Express/Thunderbird - read my email A bic pen can't compare to a Schaefer fountain pen, but how many fine writing instruments do you see anymore, we all settle for mediocrity.... And as for linux 'having problems' windows has been the mainstay for what 25 years now and still the same problems just in a different proprietary formats. How I yearn for the good old days, IBM selectric typewriter, paper, envelops, erasers, dictionary, adding machines....welcome to the world of change. Oh one concern I DID have was my digital cam and flashdrive. I figured since I had to install software in windows (and fight with it), the right software probably wasn’t available in linux (all those horror stories). Plugged in my camera and some program opened AUTOMATICALLY and there were my pictures. Plugged in my flashdrive, compter went “bing” and there were the files on my drive.

Since someone brought up the analogy (driving cars not mechanics) how appropriate. I am using linux but I want it to do everything like windows. Well I drive an american automatic car, but I want it to look, feel, drive, accelerate, brake, corner like my porsche, it doesn’t so therefore american cars are no good. NO, I don’t expect an american car to behave like fine german engineered automobiles and I don’t expect my porsche to be a leadsled either, however they both get me from A to B and THAT is their purpose. Same end result to totally different experiences.

OPenOffice/Word-type a letter
Amorak/Media Player - play music
IE/Firefox - surf the web
Outlook Express/Thunderbird - read my email

A bic pen can’t compare to a Schaefer fountain pen, but how many fine writing instruments do you see anymore, we all settle for mediocrity….

And as for linux ‘having problems’ windows has been the mainstay for what 25 years now and still the same problems just in a different proprietary formats.

How I yearn for the good old days, IBM selectric typewriter, paper, envelops, erasers, dictionary, adding machines….welcome to the world of change.

]]> by: canuck55 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-146 Sat, 23 Jun 2007 02:20:48 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-146 I don't know what I am doing wrong. I installed Ubuntu, have it up and running no problems. As for wireless, I used shaw and telus as my providers, wired and wireless and everything just seems to work. I dual boot, can read my windows files, open them, save them to my linux partition and work on them all I want. About the only thing I haven't figured out yet is MythTV and getting it to work with my hauppage wintv card, no big deal. Oh yeah installed it on several friends computers too all with no problems. And no I am not a sys admin or anything like that, just a user that wanted to try it...now I will boot to linux, copy my bookmarks from windows into firefox and return here. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I installed Ubuntu, have it up and running no problems. As for wireless, I used shaw and telus as my providers, wired and wireless and everything just seems to work. I dual boot, can read my windows files, open them, save them to my linux partition and work on them all I want.
About the only thing I haven’t figured out yet is MythTV and getting it to work with my hauppage wintv card, no big deal.
Oh yeah installed it on several friends computers too all with no problems.
And no I am not a sys admin or anything like that, just a user that wanted to try it…now I will boot to linux, copy my bookmarks from windows into firefox and return here.

]]> by: bangorme http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-144 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:05:49 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-144 This article is right on! I've installed and used almost every version from the beginning. I've written software for it and used it in computer science projects (only one in the class lol). It has never been, and isn't for the masses. Windows is for the masses: easy to install, user interface has a high degree of uniformity and conformance with a standard, nearly seamless driver integration, lot's of commercial grade software available..... I just installed Debian's latest distribution. Installation was easier then ever before, but I had to manually configure it to display on my Samsung monitor. Then I could not get my common sb soundcard to work properly, until I manually set that up. Now I'm trying to get World of Warcraft running on Wine (just on a whim) and what a job that is! Most of the programs have poor help sections or no help at all. Installation of software wasn't seamless and required me to go into the directory and create a link so I could run it. I could go on and on and on. I could also go on and on and on about Linux's advantages, right down to the design of the OS itself. BUT WHO CARES! Certainly not 99% of the recreational computer users. So, Linux isn't ready for prime time, and to be honest, I don't want it to be. This article is right on! I’ve installed and used almost every version from the beginning. I’ve written software for it and used it in computer science projects (only one in the class lol). It has never been, and isn’t for the masses. Windows is for the masses: easy to install, user interface has a high degree of uniformity and conformance with a standard, nearly seamless driver integration, lot’s of commercial grade software available…..

I just installed Debian’s latest distribution. Installation was easier then ever before, but I had to manually configure it to display on my Samsung monitor. Then I could not get my common sb soundcard to work properly, until I manually set that up. Now I’m trying to get World of Warcraft running on Wine (just on a whim) and what a job that is! Most of the programs have poor help sections or no help at all. Installation of software wasn’t seamless and required me to go into the directory and create a link so I could run it. I could go on and on and on.

I could also go on and on and on about Linux’s advantages, right down to the design of the OS itself. BUT WHO CARES! Certainly not 99% of the recreational computer users.

So, Linux isn’t ready for prime time, and to be honest, I don’t want it to be.

]]> by: serge-nn http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-141 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 22:56:51 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-141 @simon bridge: OK, I want MS core fonts, so I followed the zeuscat.com link, which redirected me to another page, which started with a statement: "An __easy__ way to install Microsoft's TrueType core fonts on linux" followed by "How to install" instructions, 8 points in total, like "Make sure you have the following rpm-packages installed" (total of 3), "set up an rpm build environment", "might need to reload the X font server" etc. etc. I can't imagine what "the __hard__ way" looks like... Are you really trying to convince anyone that Linux is user-friendly and ready for Joe Citizen's desktop? "linux is not intended for people who don’t want to think" -- right, it's intended to make people who want some fonts think about rpm build environment. Thank you. Keep up the good work, folks. @simon bridge:
OK, I want MS core fonts, so I followed the zeuscat.com link, which redirected me to another page, which started with a statement:

“An __easy__ way to install Microsoft’s TrueType core fonts on linux”

followed by “How to install” instructions, 8 points in total, like “Make sure you have the following rpm-packages installed” (total of 3), “set up an rpm build environment”, “might need to reload the X font server” etc. etc.
I can’t imagine what “the __hard__ way” looks like…
Are you really trying to convince anyone that Linux is user-friendly and ready for Joe Citizen’s desktop?
“linux is not intended for people who don’t want to think” — right, it’s intended to make people who want some fonts think about rpm build environment. Thank you. Keep up the good work, folks.

]]> by: Dan Johnson http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-140 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:21:56 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-140 Extremists should keep to themselves because they are biased and can't keep an open mind. I like tinkering with Linux, but unless I have a server need for it, I have not made it a primary OS on any of my computers because I'm not the only one who uses them. XP just plain works without all the driver issues and software compatibility. There is more driver support and software for Windows because that's where the market is -- you can't argue that fact. The Linux desktop has come a long way and I hope it continues to get better. If the goal is to make Linux become the defacto standard, then the Linux community needs to get off their "high-horse" and stop talking smack and address the so-call Windows "idiots" issues or suffer being the minority. Any Windows extremists should approach the Linux community in a less offensive manner or keep to themselves because they aren't going to get the Linux community to side with them...EVER! Most users don't want to become "mechanics", they just want to drive the car so stop making comments about "people who don't want to think" use Windows. I'd like to see that person talk to their friends and family members who don't have a clue what Linux is and see how they talk to them. Extremists should keep to themselves because they are biased and can’t keep an open mind. I like tinkering with Linux, but unless I have a server need for it, I have not made it a primary OS on any of my computers because I’m not the only one who uses them. XP just plain works without all the driver issues and software compatibility. There is more driver support and software for Windows because that’s where the market is — you can’t argue that fact. The Linux desktop has come a long way and I hope it continues to get better. If the goal is to make Linux become the defacto standard, then the Linux community needs to get off their “high-horse” and stop talking smack and address the so-call Windows “idiots” issues or suffer being the minority. Any Windows extremists should approach the Linux community in a less offensive manner or keep to themselves because they aren’t going to get the Linux community to side with them…EVER! Most users don’t want to become “mechanics”, they just want to drive the car so stop making comments about “people who don’t want to think” use Windows. I’d like to see that person talk to their friends and family members who don’t have a clue what Linux is and see how they talk to them.

]]> by: simon bridge http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-126 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:20:45 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-126 An oft-repeated set of observations... I am, right now, running Ubuntu 7.04 on my desktop. It took about a half an hour to install with little intervention on my part and no (none, nill, zip, nada) technical skill required on my part. Part of the success involves the fact that this computer is 100% supported by open source drivers... so everything works out of the box. But I also have a laptop... one of the notorious Acer (anti linux) boxes which installed on the second go (Ubuntu 5.04 - some time ago). The requirements to get the install going were available by pressing F1 at the initial menu. This is not to say that this is the case for every computer... but Windows doesn't run on everything. So these claims need a bit of re-examining: 0. dearth of common desktop applications on linux My Ubuntu installs included a full productivity suite (including presentation and database), a firewall, and a 2D image renderer/manipulator, a browser and a PIM suite including an e-mail client. It included a VIOP phone and internet chat client. Had I taken the windows option, I,d have received Works 8.0, IE6 and Outlook... and I would have paid an extra $100 too thank you! But this isn't the main point here. The point is LAW. So I move on... 1. WiFi Woes WiFi is beset by legal issues, this is true. However... prism chipset cards work out of the box. Intel drivers are not completely open source, but they work. And legally too. Similarily with a wide range of broadcom cards. Windows drivers are needed for most of the rest, this is true. However, windows needs windows drivers too, so that must count as a draw. (Now, if manufacturers would ship ndiswrapper with their driver disks...) Open Source driver support has a legal issue in the USA... this is true. The article has mentioned non USA but similar laws... but what about countries which have no such law? A clear option would be to develop open source drivers there... them the kernel developers would have to face the legal ramifications of providing the means to breach federal regulations... 2. Multimedia All those folk who want to play mp3s is what this is about... well, all linuxes can play mp3 and other proprietary formats. Some (Mepis, SUSE) do so out of the box. The rest have an easy and free install of a decent media player... I remember having to upgrade WMP online in the bad old days too. And outlook... and so on. In ubuntu it is a matter of a couple or three of mouse clicks... though the power user can use the command line interface (newly added to Vista now) to achieve this task in one sentence. Oops... our lawyer/columnist doesn't like commandline, must be allergic to typing where he cannot charge for it. He's allergic to research too but ho hum. Anyway, the same is true for DVD playback... which works out of the box if the dvd isn't encrypted. Download a tool for encrypted dvds. Or... why bother dancing around the IP "owners"? A small utility called ffmpeg2theora will convert the formats from closed to open source. Bingo: you just won! 3. Proprietary Drivers Dilemmas ... more a political than a legal battle here. However, Open Source media players are matched to the codecs. gstreamer has plugins for them so any player based on it will have access to them. Xine plays all of them too... hence the common players: XMMS, MPlayer, Totem, Amarok, Rhythmbox, all play proprietary codecs. As for open codec adoption, that is up to you. I converted my mp3 collection years ago and haven't looked back since. In fact, the major issue with multimedia ain't formats at all... but DRM. This hasn't even been mentioned. 4. Fighting for Open Document Formats ... this is not actually a legal problem with linux and not actually a hinderence. The standard linux productivity suite will read legacy microsoft and other formats with ease. They will also, natively, write pdf files too. 5. Finicky Fonts ... weirder and weirder. In that case, how is it that I have a full set of MS fonts on my system? http://zeuscat.com/andrew/software/corefonts/ ... for the original web fonts project http://www.ascendercorp.com/mscorefonts.html ... for newer fonts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_fonts_for_the_Web ... ar the reasons. OK, none of these is the microsoft web page. However, they are available. Just because MS dosn't do it, don't mean it don't happen. As it happens, though, equivalent fonts exist... the bitstream vera set for eg. neatly replaces arial and times new roman. So what is left... DRM and some windows only drivers which will only trip you up if you buy blind. In other words, linux ain't ready for some desktops. Lets be fair... linux is not intended for people who don't want to think. Windows is especially designed to prevent you thinking. Good luck. An oft-repeated set of observations…

I am, right now, running Ubuntu 7.04 on my desktop. It took about a half an hour to install with little intervention on my part and no (none, nill, zip, nada) technical skill required on my part.

Part of the success involves the fact that this computer is 100% supported by open source drivers… so everything works out of the box.

But I also have a laptop… one of the notorious Acer (anti linux) boxes which installed on the second go (Ubuntu 5.04 - some time ago). The requirements to get the install going were available by pressing F1 at the initial menu.

This is not to say that this is the case for every computer… but Windows doesn’t run on everything.

So these claims need a bit of re-examining:

0. dearth of common desktop applications on linux
My Ubuntu installs included a full productivity suite (including presentation and database), a firewall, and a 2D image renderer/manipulator, a browser and a PIM suite including an e-mail client. It included a VIOP phone and internet chat client. Had I taken the windows option, I,d have received Works 8.0, IE6 and Outlook… and I would have paid an extra $100 too thank you!

But this isn’t the main point here. The point is LAW. So I move on…

1. WiFi Woes
WiFi is beset by legal issues, this is true. However… prism chipset cards work out of the box. Intel drivers are not completely open source, but they work. And legally too. Similarily with a wide range of broadcom cards.

Windows drivers are needed for most of the rest, this is true. However, windows needs windows drivers too, so that must count as a draw. (Now, if manufacturers would ship ndiswrapper with their driver disks…)

Open Source driver support has a legal issue in the USA… this is true. The article has mentioned non USA but similar laws… but what about countries which have no such law? A clear option would be to develop open source drivers there… them the kernel developers would have to face the legal ramifications of providing the means to breach federal regulations…

2. Multimedia
All those folk who want to play mp3s is what this is about… well, all linuxes can play mp3 and other proprietary formats. Some (Mepis, SUSE) do so out of the box.

The rest have an easy and free install of a decent media player… I remember having to upgrade WMP online in the bad old days too. And outlook… and so on. In ubuntu it is a matter of a couple or three of mouse clicks… though the power user can use the command line interface (newly added to Vista now) to achieve this task in one sentence.

Oops… our lawyer/columnist doesn’t like commandline, must be allergic to typing where he cannot charge for it. He’s allergic to research too but ho hum.

Anyway, the same is true for DVD playback… which works out of the box if the dvd isn’t encrypted. Download a tool for encrypted dvds.

Or… why bother dancing around the IP “owners”? A small utility called ffmpeg2theora will convert the formats from closed to open source. Bingo: you just won!

3. Proprietary Drivers Dilemmas
… more a political than a legal battle here. However, Open Source media players are matched to the codecs. gstreamer has plugins for them so any player based on it will have access to them. Xine plays all of them too… hence the common players: XMMS, MPlayer, Totem, Amarok, Rhythmbox, all play proprietary codecs.

As for open codec adoption, that is up to you. I converted my mp3 collection years ago and haven’t looked back since.

In fact, the major issue with multimedia ain’t formats at all… but DRM. This hasn’t even been mentioned.

4. Fighting for Open Document Formats
… this is not actually a legal problem with linux and not actually a hinderence. The standard linux productivity suite will read legacy microsoft and other formats with ease. They will also, natively, write pdf files too.

5. Finicky Fonts
… weirder and weirder. In that case, how is it that I have a full set of MS fonts on my system? http://zeuscat.com/andrew/software/corefonts/
… for the original web fonts project
http://www.ascendercorp.com/mscorefonts.html
… for newer fonts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_fonts_for_the_Web
… ar the reasons.

OK, none of these is the microsoft web page. However, they are available. Just because MS dosn’t do it, don’t mean it don’t happen.

As it happens, though, equivalent fonts exist… the bitstream vera set for eg. neatly replaces arial and times new roman.

So what is left… DRM and some windows only drivers which will only trip you up if you buy blind.

In other words, linux ain’t ready for some desktops.

Lets be fair… linux is not intended for people who don’t want to think. Windows is especially designed to prevent you thinking. Good luck.

]]> by: Norm Fox http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-124 Mon, 11 Jun 2007 19:29:32 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-124 Mark Webbink , A few humble suggestions if you don’t want an article to be considered as FUD: Don’t start off by suggesting that using Linux requires a Ph.D. Don’t spend more ink talking about what Linux doesn’t support (when what you really mean is not supplied by the distro’s maker), than why it’s not supplied. Lastly consider having your “personal support staff” spend a little quality time on Google and some Linux bulletin boards. Download and install openSuse, read and follow the Jem Report’s “Hacking open Suse guide. Then write a follow-up to this article. darrell eifert, While I agree that even as a hobbyist I find Linux not able to meet my digital darkroom needs, I’m not sure Apple could stand up to your definition of “on the Desktop”. Mark Webbink ,

A few humble suggestions if you don’t want an article to be considered as FUD:

Don’t start off by suggesting that using Linux requires a Ph.D.

Don’t spend more ink talking about what Linux doesn’t support (when what you really mean is not supplied by the distro’s maker), than why it’s not supplied.

Lastly consider having your “personal support staff” spend a little quality time on Google and some Linux bulletin boards. Download and install openSuse, read and follow the Jem Report’s “Hacking open Suse guide. Then write a follow-up to this article.

darrell eifert,
While I agree that even as a hobbyist I find Linux not able to meet my digital darkroom needs, I’m not sure Apple could stand up to your definition of “on the Desktop”.

]]> by: mwebbink http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-122 Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:21:26 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/3432/#comment-122 Just to be clear, I use a Linux desktop everyday at work. I don't have to worry about installation and support issues because I have the best support staff in the world to help me with that. At home it's a different situation where my personal support staff is generally incompetent with anything but the simplest issues. I'm sorry some viewed the article as FUD. It is not meant to be and certainly isn't addressed to the technical side of the house. The issues raised are all resolved or resolvable from a technical standpoint. But ON THE DOCKET is about legal issues related to open source, and it is on that side of the house where many of the battles are now being fought, and those legal issues are not all resolved or easily resolvable. Just to be clear, I use a Linux desktop everyday at work. I don’t have to worry about installation and support issues because I have the best support staff in the world to help me with that. At home it’s a different situation where my personal support staff is generally incompetent with anything but the simplest issues.

I’m sorry some viewed the article as FUD. It is not meant to be and certainly isn’t addressed to the technical side of the house. The issues raised are all resolved or resolvable from a technical standpoint. But ON THE DOCKET is about legal issues related to open source, and it is on that side of the house where many of the battles are now being fought, and those legal issues are not all resolved or easily resolvable.

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