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Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.misc:4997 comp.os.linux.misc:33826 comp.os.os2.advocacy:75387 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mira.net.au!news.netspace.net.au!serval.net.wsu.edu!netnews.nwnet.net!oracle.pnl.gov!osi-east2.es.net!lll-winken.llnl.gov!uwm.edu!news.moneng.mei.com!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!newsfeed.pitt.edu!dsinc!ub!library.erc.clarkson.edu!komarimf From: komarimf@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Mark 'Enry' Komarinski) Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.os2.advocacy Subject: Re: Linux thoroughly insulted by Infoworld! Followup-To: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.os2.advocacy Date: 20 Jan 1995 18:13:15 GMT Organization: Clarkson University Lines: 77 Message-ID: <3foufr$i4b@library.erc.clarkson.edu> References: <oj7gpDm00iWPQ7hm0d@andrew.cmu.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: craft.camp.clarkson.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Ian S Nelson (bonovox+@CMU.EDU) wrote: : Excerpts from netnews.comp.os.os2.advocacy: 17-Jan-95 Linux thoroughly : insulted b.. by "Mr. Ed"@lambada.oit.unc : > In the columns section of the Jan 16 Infoworld, there is a column : > highly insulting to linux. In it the writer basically says the : > following: : > : > o linux is really not free : > o linux users are as neurotic as Amiga fans : > o linux is difficult to install (their senior systems analyst : > apparently failed to install it) : > o linux should be called "underware"! : > : > He then goes on to refer to linux as underware throughout the column : > -- over ten times. The column is also titled something like "Linux : > should be called underware". Underware what? Hanes? Fruit of the loom? : > BVD? How insulting! : Well, it really is free if you have the right connections, many people : do not and many businesses that would install it would probably want it : on a CD or something. We're avoiding of the meaning for 'free'. Free of cost? Free source code? Free to modify and do whatever you want with it (within the GPL)? : The users are just like amiga fans, they have a lot of support for it. : That is good and all, Linux is not that bad being free. It runs on a : lot of configurations. There are better things out there though, IMO : and the opinion of many more people. BSD, Solaris, AIX, SCO, UnixWare, : NextStep, and several others all run on x86 too... Linux users don't : seem to understand that; you don't get source with all of those, but you : often get a lot more than you do with linux. Just the fact that you are : making this public scene about it kind of proves his point. What the 'big guys' have is teams of people writing source code for $50k+/year and people paid more than that getting WP and all to write applications for their OS. What goes Linux have? A bunch of people putting in a lot of time and effort (much of it unpaid or unrecognized) writing applications ourselves, testing, making suggestions, making this the operating system the best we can. And after we put this much time and effort into this, we should be enthusiastic about what we have done. This is not only a success for Linus, but for anyone who contributed to this whole project. It also proves USENET to be the ultimate in groupware. Imagine, an OS made in the least conventional method (and least efficient) way possible. AND IT WORKS! We do have a reason to be excited about this. : Installing it is an involved procedure, it's not something you just sit : down and do in 45minutes one day. If your hardware isn't very : mainstream it can be real tough to install linux. I have yet to see a : relatively novice user using linux. Most of the people I know who run : it are self-proclaimed "hackers" or "wizards" that get off seeing their : 486 run a real "UNIX" system. "I compiled the kernel myself!" Awful : proud of you! I did an install off floppies in about an hour. Minimal system, but enough to get me to boot and hop on the 'net. UNIX in itself isn't designed for novices. It's for someone who wants something more than what MS can offer. : It's not a bad operating system, it is definitely useful for something : things, but it doesn't make up much of the market and it isn't really a : threat to OS/2 or windows. THe lack of support will keep it where it : is, and if by some fluke it becomes a major player, IBM and MS will act : accordingly. Threat to OS/2 maybe. There is no lack of support - look in any Linux Jounral and there is a whole list of consultants ready to give you support. -- - Mark Komarinski - komarimf@craft.camp.clarkson.edu Linux: Because a PC is a terrible thing to waste. Check out comp.os.linux.* for more info.