Comments on: Sun Launches OpenSolaris on a Post-OS World http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/ Open Source, Open Standards Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:59:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: Jason Cross http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1868 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:13:56 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1868 The death of desktop operating systems is something many people have been ranting about, and throwing mud at OpenSolaris for saying it can be used as a desktop OS is somewhat unfair. The people who really care about operating systems these days are the people running huge services such as google.com, OpenDNS, and mobile devices. It turns out the FlOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software) is used heavily by these online services. google uses Linux heavily, OpenDNS uses some variant of a free BSD (netBSD, freeBSD, etc), and mobile devices (except in the US) are heavily Linux based. Every device or web service needs an OS, and right now very smart people choose OSes based on their merits for what they are trying to accomplish with these devices or web services. If OpenSolaris provides some features that other OSes don't, it may well be used to run some sweet online services someday. As far as a desktop OS goes, it seems really to be Windows vs. everything else. Windows is a giant malware/virus cesspool, and so far the other OSes are fairly clean. So using Linux vs. Mac OS X vs. Open Solaris probably doesn't matter to most users if they want to be safe these sorts of nasty things, but it may matter to the person who built the device they are using (or the person supporting that device for the user!). The death of desktop operating systems is something many people have been ranting about, and throwing mud at OpenSolaris for saying it can be used as a desktop OS is somewhat unfair. The people who really care about operating systems these days are the people running huge services such as google.com, OpenDNS, and mobile devices. It turns out the FlOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software) is used heavily by these online services. google uses Linux heavily, OpenDNS uses some variant of a free BSD (netBSD, freeBSD, etc), and mobile devices (except in the US) are heavily Linux based. Every device or web service needs an OS, and right now very smart people choose OSes based on their merits for what they are trying to accomplish with these devices or web services. If OpenSolaris provides some features that other OSes don’t, it may well be used to run some sweet online services someday.

As far as a desktop OS goes, it seems really to be Windows vs. everything else. Windows is a giant malware/virus cesspool, and so far the other OSes are fairly clean. So using Linux vs. Mac OS X vs. Open Solaris probably doesn’t matter to most users if they want to be safe these sorts of nasty things, but it may matter to the person who built the device they are using (or the person supporting that device for the user!).

]]> by: nycunix@hotmail.com http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1356 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:07:02 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1356 You can use OpenSolaris or any other OS for desktops. The real question is: Do you really consider Solaris a desktop OS? It can be... But in fact it is a server OS. The web browser that provides you with the tools you like to use is talking to apps on systems running server OSes. The coders on the Linux and OpenSolaris teams don't necessarily have access to servers so they have developed some nice desktop features. Most Linux and Solaris / OpenSolaris systems in business, technology and education are servers. You can use OpenSolaris or any other OS for desktops. The real question is:

Do you really consider Solaris a desktop OS? It can be… But in fact it is a server OS. The web browser that provides you with the tools you like to use is talking to apps on systems running server OSes.

The coders on the Linux and OpenSolaris teams don’t necessarily have access to servers so they have developed some nice desktop features.

Most Linux and Solaris / OpenSolaris systems in business, technology and education are servers.

]]> by: spremolla http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1101 Fri, 23 May 2008 12:22:35 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1101 I agree to many of the things stated here. I also remember when OS fit on a floppy, but wait a minute, RHEL came with 2000 applications that don't really can be viewed as OS. 4 mail programs, 3 spreadsheets, 7 text editors to choice , even 3 different desktops !!!! OS now days are bloated , no question, but what came on the disks is not the problem. You can lean your installation using some sense. I agree to many of the things stated here.
I also remember when OS fit on a floppy, but wait a minute, RHEL came with 2000 applications that don’t really can be viewed as OS. 4 mail programs, 3 spreadsheets, 7 text editors to choice , even 3 different desktops !!!!
OS now days are bloated , no question, but what came on the disks is not the problem. You can lean your installation using some sense.

]]> by: Bryan Richard http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1066 Tue, 13 May 2008 15:53:28 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1066 Art is a pretty big part of my life as well, @markkie. I studied architecture in <a href="http://www.sciarc.edu" rel="nofollow">college</a>. Heck, I wrote a book on architecture -- good grief -- 10 years ago. But I'm not sure how art fits into this discussion. Are you talking about computing environments as a form of art or the OS being able to run the programs that allow us to create art. If it's the former, I'd be interested to know what distro you're running. ;-) If the later, then I consider running said programs to be base OS functionality that doesn't require all the bells and whistles of a 5-disc RHEL install. But I also believe that these programs won't live on the desktop forever. The point I was trying to make was that developing operating systems is hard work. And, if you architect a new OS in the same way as every other OS has been built for the last 30 years, then it's also wasted work. And the OS companies know this. That's why they spend so much time building nonsense windows transitions or adding transparency (or 3D) to <em>everything</em>; they're out of ideas so they burn cycles on window dressing. Art is a pretty big part of my life as well, @markkie. I studied architecture in college. Heck, I wrote a book on architecture — good grief — 10 years ago.

But I’m not sure how art fits into this discussion. Are you talking about computing environments as a form of art or the OS being able to run the programs that allow us to create art.

If it’s the former, I’d be interested to know what distro you’re running. ;-) If the later, then I consider running said programs to be base OS functionality that doesn’t require all the bells and whistles of a 5-disc RHEL install. But I also believe that these programs won’t live on the desktop forever.

The point I was trying to make was that developing operating systems is hard work. And, if you architect a new OS in the same way as every other OS has been built for the last 30 years, then it’s also wasted work.

And the OS companies know this. That’s why they spend so much time building nonsense windows transitions or adding transparency (or 3D) to everything; they’re out of ideas so they burn cycles on window dressing.

]]> by: markkie http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1061 Fri, 09 May 2008 20:07:12 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1061 There are other elements to life than basic functionality....Art also has a place in my world. There are other elements to life than basic functionality….Art also has a place in my world.

]]> by: Marcin Owsiany http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1060 Fri, 09 May 2008 15:11:25 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1060 Do you mean that pressing "CTRL+PgUp" is much easier than pressing "Alt-TAB" :-> I fail to see what other difference there is. Do you mean that pressing “CTRL+PgUp” is much easier than pressing “Alt-TAB” :->

I fail to see what other difference there is.

]]> by: jbowers20 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1059 Fri, 09 May 2008 13:07:32 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1059 You are quite correct, sir. To me, an OS is about 90% useless trash and the bits I need to actually run what few things I really need. Red Hat at 5 discs? Microsquash on a DVD? I used to have all the "OS" I needed on a bootable floppy. You are quite correct, sir. To me, an OS is about 90% useless trash and the bits I need to actually run what few things I really need.

Red Hat at 5 discs? Microsquash on a DVD? I used to have all the “OS” I needed on a bootable floppy.

]]> by: vitesse http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1058 Fri, 09 May 2008 10:56:13 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1058 The biggest change for me in the last few years has been moving over to KDE and konqueror. the ability to access a web site in one tab and files on my system in another, all within one window, makes computing much less of a chore. there is nothing really new to get excited about computing though. we are still locked into the same old input devices and while the apps have more wizz and fizz, a spread sheet is still a set of rows and columns the same as it was on an apple II in 1980. The biggest change for me in the last few years has been moving over to KDE and konqueror.

the ability to access a web site in one tab and files on my system in another, all within one window, makes computing much less of a chore.

there is nothing really new to get excited about computing though.
we are still locked into the same old input devices and while the apps have more wizz and fizz, a spread sheet is still a set of rows and columns the same as it was on an apple II in 1980.

]]> by: dfsixstring http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1051 Thu, 08 May 2008 16:24:42 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5964/#comment-1051 Wow - refreshing. I actually share your sentiments. I have a home office and in it several windows and linux machines. They have their purpose for sure, but I don't get nearly as excited about all of this as I once did. Wow - refreshing. I actually share your sentiments. I have a home office and in it several windows and linux machines. They have their purpose for sure, but I don’t get nearly as excited about all of this as I once did.

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