1237ceec7926
tech



Hello Roy - 

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CA>> I wasn't attempting to determine which is better. I'm only
CA>> saying Linux is following in Microsoft's footsteps while
CA>> claiming to be different/better. Eventually that line will
CA>> blurr too. 

RJT> If you mean following in the sense of making things more
RJT> self-installing, making them easier to use, etc. then of
RJT> course they'll do that -- it's marketing. It's the other
RJT> aspects of "following in their footsteps" that come to
RJT> mind where they're *very* different. 

I think I read somewhere that RedHat v9 has already had 14
'updates'. ;-) 

--8<--cut 

CA>> I realize what you have done with Linux. I also can see
CA>> that the majority of Linux users are, in fact, GUI users
CA>> who rely on the auto-detection, auto-installs, and
CA>> auto-updates much the same way that Windows users do. 

RJT> On what do you base your choice of the word "majority" in
RJT> that statement? 

That Linux business/gov users here in the US and other
countries aren't using the command line text-only interface. 

CA>> I raised this point in the Linux echo some time ago ... 

--8<--cut 

CA>> A year or more after that I discovered BasicLinux
CA>> (SlackWare v3.5 hack) for 4 meg of memory installs and
CA>> GreyCat Linux (also v3.5 hack based on BasicLinux) and a
CA>> few special purpose mini-installs. Since that time
CA>> mini-installs of SlackWare v7.1 and even v8.1 have been
CA>> created with the proper how-tos to make it work. 

RJT> Can you point me toward any sites with those? I'm
RJT> interestd in mini-installs for a few specialized
RJT> functions, like the print server I'm thinking of for one
RJT> example. 

Sure, http://www.undercoverdesign.com/dosghost/ 


--8<--cut

CA>> Distributions could do a 'mini-install' with as little as
CA>> 4 meg of memory then use that to build the remainder of
CA>> the install under user control to stop at any point along
CA>> the way to accomodate the available hardware and memory.
CA>> They don't do it that way because that's not their goal.
CA>> They aren't going to be in the trenches with the legacy
CA>> users if they can avoid it. 

RJT> That sort of an install would also take a lot more work to
RJT> put together. 

Yes, it would require some real talent and a bit more time. For
what these people like RedHat charge for thier boxed set I
think it would be OK for them to actually _do_ something for
the money.

RJT> Just looking at my recent Slackware installs, for example,
RJT> it appears to put the whole directory structure into place
RJT> all at once. So even if I didn't install a lot of stuff
RJT> the directories for them were still there. This was one of
RJT> the things I went around ripping out. I have no need for X
RJT> on a firewall, for one example. No PCMCIA hardware,
RJT> either.  

Removing empty/unwanted directories after an install isn't
going to make much of a difference in the size of the install
and has no effect on the amount of memory required to use it. 

CA>> In short, they are not really "your people" they just need
CA>> to pretend that they are to justify some of Linux
CA>> shortcomings right now. As they progress they will
CA>> eventually stop even that pretense and be as aloof as
CA>> bleeding edge Windows XP users. 

RJT> I don't think I'd care to even generalize about the people
RJT> running linux to that extent. It's not like they're all
RJT> one homogenous groups or anything like that... 

Seems Linux users are more than willing to generalize about
Windows users all being "in one box".

Linux has begun to feel like "the other Windows" to me. W2K
will execute on the minimum hardware required for a current
RedHat install and without the need to hop around making
'adjustments' to the install. The fact that 'script kiddies'
don't target Linux for vandalism will change if it shares
desktops long enough with Microsoft. 

Just in case it all gets too very annoying I still have my DOS
and W31 machine here and can hide there and ignore the rest of
the world. ;-) 

CA>> http://www.undercoverdesign.com/dosghost/ 

RJT> Bookmarked! 

You noticed. ;-) 


>
>        ,                          ,
>      o/      Charles.Angelich      \o       ,
>       __o/
>     / >          USA, MI           < \   __\__
 

___ * ATP/16bit 2.31 * 
... DOS the Ghost in the Machine! http://www.undercoverdesign.com/dosghost/

--- Maximus/2 3.01