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Last post Author Topic: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?  (Read 52239 times)

zridling

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #25 on: December 31, 2010, 06:19 AM »
The cloud and social sites have taken the bite out of so many traditional OS arguments. Except it depends on how you interact with your computer. For programming, Linux kicks ass, unless you're just going to stick with Windows programming. If you're needing any OS to get you online, then any of the big three will do. If you're a professional video editor or photographer needed Photoshop, you'll want Windows. If you've got money to burn every six months, buy Apple! And so on. Sounds like a lot of folks in this thread haven't actually used Linux recently for more than a day or so, decided it wasn't like Win7, and promptly hit the dump key. I contend that learning a new OS is like taking on a new job, or in some sense moving to a different country: it takes a while to get accustomed to its ways. Flying into Paris and asking everyone "Do you speak English?" is being an ugly American. Once you immerse yourself, Linux is stupid-easy. Even easier if you pick a distro and stick with it. Oh well, here's my response, and thanks Renegade, for posting this.

1. You’re Tired of Paying for Software
I just couldn't afford to any longer.

2. You’re Tired of Upgrading Hardware
I just couldn't afford to any longer.

3. You’re Tired of Malware
Oh yeah. I laugh everytime I read about AV software.

4. You’ve Seen One Too Many Patch Tuesdays
Nah, updating often is a good thing Microsoft does.

5. You Don’t Have the Time
No, I've had the time, just not the patience.

6. You Like Speed
Oh hell yea, especially on older/2nd gen machines. Doubling the life cycle of my hardware is sweet.

7. You Like Sharing
In what sense? As long as your software uses open file formats, we can share. Otherwise, I could care less because I'm not paying for Microsoft Office, period. If you have to use Powerpoint (the example the author uses), don't. No one I know uses Powerpoint unless they want to put a crowd to sleep.

8. You Don’t Actually Love Internet Explorer
Just one in the crowd these days.

9. You Want to Be in Control
I want to be DRM-free and open source as much as possible.

10. You’re One of a Kind
No, not at all. My computer works and looks a lot like your Win7 computer. Only mine is far easier to customize, upgrade, update, try new software, copy the OS to share with others, install as many times as I want on as many machines as I want, all at zero cost. With openSUSE, I've had no hassles whatsoever, and it trades files back and forth seamlessly among discs, USB sticks, and networked Windows computers in the house.


cranioscopical

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #26 on: December 31, 2010, 07:55 AM »
Hmmm... Better than the last time I had to eject a DVD on my Mac. Ended up taking it in for repair... Only had about 20 or 30 disks in it too. :(
That might have been your problem; I think they're meant to accomodate only one.

Renegade

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #27 on: December 31, 2010, 08:29 AM »
Hmmm... Better than the last time I had to eject a DVD on my Mac. Ended up taking it in for repair... Only had about 20 or 30 disks in it too. :(
That might have been your problem; I think they're meant to accomodate only one.
-cranioscopical (December 31, 2010, 07:55 AM)

But there were really really really small DVDs...
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Tuxman

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #28 on: December 31, 2010, 10:06 AM »
I'm not familiar with what you're referring to.
Debian's apt repositories have a "non-free" trunk. In Debian's kernel are some binary blobs for common drivers. Both are incompatible with the term "GNU/Linux".

f0dder

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #29 on: December 31, 2010, 10:17 AM »
I'm not familiar with what you're referring to.
Debian's apt repositories have a "non-free" trunk. In Debian's kernel are some binary blobs for common drivers. Both are incompatible with the term "GNU/Linux".
...and an attitude like that is why linux isn't taking off for the majority of normal people.
- carpe noctem

Tuxman

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #30 on: December 31, 2010, 10:26 AM »
Normal people don't care about "GNU" or "not GNU". I just wanted to clarify why this is not about "GNU/Linux".

f0dder

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #31 on: December 31, 2010, 03:16 PM »
IMHO "GNU/Linux" doesn't mean "GNU-only" - then you wouldn't have a very large distro, anyway. Since it doesn't mean GNU-only, it doesn't mean opensores-only either.
- carpe noctem

40hz

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #32 on: December 31, 2010, 04:14 PM »

...opensores...


ObviousTroll.gif

Pejorative. Shame on you f-man!  ;D

« Last Edit: December 31, 2010, 04:24 PM by 40hz »

f0dder

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #33 on: December 31, 2010, 05:09 PM »

...opensores...

Pejorative. Shame on you f-man!  ;D
I don't always do it on purpose, I swear!

(This time I did, though :))
- carpe noctem
« Last Edit: December 31, 2010, 05:17 PM by f0dder »

40hz

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #34 on: December 31, 2010, 05:23 PM »
^That's why we love you, man! Keeps us a bit more honest.  :Thmbsup: :D

P.S. Pretty clever wordplay too.  ;D
« Last Edit: December 31, 2010, 05:26 PM by 40hz »

Tuxman

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #35 on: December 31, 2010, 06:22 PM »
IMHO "GNU/Linux" doesn't mean "GNU-only" - then you wouldn't have a very large distro, anyway. Since it doesn't mean GNU-only, it doesn't mean opensores-only either.
Well, it MEANS GNU-compatible only.

f0dder

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #36 on: December 31, 2010, 06:32 PM »
IMHO "GNU/Linux" doesn't mean "GNU-only" - then you wouldn't have a very large distro, anyway. Since it doesn't mean GNU-only, it doesn't mean opensores-only either.
Well, it MEANS GNU-compatible only.
No, not really. Calling it GNU/Linux only conveys that it's a distribution that's bent over for GNU's sense of self-importance.
- carpe noctem

Tuxman

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #37 on: December 31, 2010, 06:57 PM »
RMS has a different POV here.

Josh

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #38 on: December 31, 2010, 07:19 PM »
I asked this in the IRC channel but I want more input. What exactly is GNU about, what does it represent, etc? Can someone break it down? I see various pages detailing it, but I am wondering if there is more to what GNU is about.

Tuxman

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #39 on: December 31, 2010, 07:30 PM »
GNU is actually a philosophy, standing for "freedom" "as in free speech, not in free beer".  :)
It represents the common sense that information of any kind should not be restricted in any way.

40hz

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #40 on: December 31, 2010, 08:21 PM »
There's a very good  and accurate discussion of the whole GNU thing as it relates to Linux in the book Rebel Code by Glyn Moody. If you want the whole story, check it out.  :Thmbsup:

Renegade

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #41 on: December 31, 2010, 09:22 PM »
As Linux is GPL, how does any distribution NOT become GPL? That violates the license. And if it's GPL, then it's GNU.

I don't get how any Linux distribution *can* be not GNU (without violating the terms of the GPL anyways).

Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Tuxman

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #42 on: December 31, 2010, 09:28 PM »
And if it's GPL, then it's GNU.
Linux (the kernel) is not even GNU due to the driver BLOBs. No-one said that the whole distribution must also be.

Renegade

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #43 on: December 31, 2010, 09:40 PM »
And if it's GPL, then it's GNU.
Linux (the kernel) is not even GNU due to the driver BLOBs. No-one said that the whole distribution must also be.

Do you have any references? I'd be interested in reading more on it.
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Tuxman

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Renegade

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #45 on: December 31, 2010, 09:52 PM »
http://www.gnu.org/d.../common-distros.html

Interesting. Haven't seen that before. Thanks.
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Tuxman

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #46 on: December 31, 2010, 09:56 PM »
It is the most obvious source, isn't it?
Somewhere in the Debian docs, the Blobs are explained more detailedly. But I guess "binary large objects" is quite self-explaining.

:)

No problem!

(So what about changing the topic title now?  :P)
« Last Edit: December 31, 2010, 09:58 PM by Tuxman »

Renegade

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #47 on: December 31, 2010, 10:10 PM »
It is the most obvious source, isn't it?
Somewhere in the Debian docs, the Blobs are explained more detailedly. But I guess "binary large objects" is quite self-explaining.

:)

No problem!

(So what about changing the topic title now?  :P)

Topic changed: Are You Ready to Switch to Linux?

I'm still curious as to HOW non-GPL stuff slipped into the kernel.

Reading this again:

The combination of GNU and Linux is the GNU/Linux operating system, now used by millions and sometimes incorrectly called simply “Linux”.

It makes sense now. It just seemed somewhat misleading before.
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Tuxman

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #48 on: December 31, 2010, 10:12 PM »
Glad to help you out! :)
The GPLv3 allows peaceful coexistence with non-free parts, written for exactly that reason: to allow Linux to get proprietary drivers.

Renegade

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Re: Are You Ready to Switch to GNU/Linux?
« Reply #49 on: December 31, 2010, 10:21 PM »
Glad to help you out! :)
The GPLv3 allows peaceful coexistence with non-free parts, written for exactly that reason: to allow Linux to get proprietary drivers.

Ah... Got it. I was still living in GPLv2-land.

But I thought that GPLv3 was meant to be MORE restrictive due to Tivo, and to force opening of hardware in line with the GPL...
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker