--- Andy Pickens <wg5o@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Not to worry. Fedora isn't ready to take on MS head on.
>
> I decided maybe it was time to adopt Fedora as my primary OS. That
> was
> months ago, and I'm still not there (e.g. I still can't burn a
> CD); now
> I've had to drop it, at least until I get the Income taxes done.
>
> I must admit that I have no experience with recent releases of
> Windows
> (I'm happy with Win 98), but you install MS stuff and it works, no
> messing about. The sad part is that Linux based programs adapted
> to
> Windows also are easy to install. Thunderbird and Firefox were no
> problem, at all, with Windows. But it wasn't that easy with
> Fedora.
>
> Sorry ...
>
> Andy Pickens
Andy, you are right dead on. I have to give the Devil his due...
Grandma, if she could manage to plug a device in the USB port,
Windows will pick up on it easily and have it running. (Which wasn't
the case, you have to admit, with 3.1 or '95) Empathy, for the user,
isn't one of Linux's strong suits. Heaps of scorn were (and still
are, to some degree) heaped on the head of a user that doesn't scour
a pile of documentation, prior to device selection or software
depends Hell.
Yum is a step in the right direction, but we REALLY need more
cohesion between the distros. I used to use Caldera. Caldera used
/opt like Debian used /usr/local like RedHat uses /usr/share... and
that's just three of them. Debian used tarballs, RPM caught on with
many of the others, now there's more packages managers, and I just
used one called .package recently that automated tarball building and
resolved dependencies pretty slick. That was a very neat effort, but
it just added another package manager to the list.
It reminds me of my Southern Baptist heritage. Take almost any small
southern town. Everyone pitches in and builds the 1st Baptist Church.
Then there is a falling out so, like bees, half the membership swarms
and goes out and builds 2nd Baptist Church. All this in a town of
800, that can barely support the expense of one church. The whole
reason for building a church goes by the wayside as humans, with
free-will, screw up God's purpose for them, which is to serve. I
gotta hand it to Bill, for a small fee from each user among millions,
he'll serve and deliver a product that Grandma can use. Whether their
empathy is real or percieved, MS's clout has served it's users.
Once the distros get around to teamworking and sticking to standards,
the rest of the community of hardware builders will decide that
Linux, as a community, is serious business and able to help them make
money. We too can be percieved as having empathy and gather some
clout in the process.
God knows the Local, County, State and Federal goverments pay
very large for their license fees to MS. Money they would rather
save. But, as there is a bewildering array of Linux Distros to choose
from, and no guarantee that software that will run out of the box for
one will run out of the box on another, we get the short shrift. It's
almost back to bad ole UNIX and an insane dependancy on the Admin
Priesthood Clique, just to resolve the all the divergencies and to
make things happen.
I tried to install a massively multiple user RPG system and it had
three different teams of programmers who used three different methods
of install (tar, rpm & .package) for their respective packages areas
to install the whole. I just went postal and wrote them about it. I
wish to serve 2.7 million "potential clients", and assist prison
rehabilitation using their package, yet they have no teamwork (which
is >most< common among felons and a major part of criminal thinking
errors). Just three guys, and none can agree nor consider their
client's potential needs, like installing the entire frapping package
AND getting it to work. If I went to MS, the cost of the licenses
would be a major stumbling block, to my goal, right out of the gate.
I am not having much luck, I am sad to report. I tried another game
package that uses java heavily. Since their is no standard place to
install the jar files, the docs tell you how to install, once you
have determined where the packages should go on your machine. For a
linux geek, no problem. For Grandma? Forgetaboutit.
I'm trying like hell to use OpenSource, as I want to make a case to
my imates... that true teamwork can win. (as opposed to 'partners',
who'll turn state evidence for a plea bargin and leave you locked up
and doing 20 years in a heartbeat!) <cackles> So, forgive this very
long rant... I'm not happy and I'm venting about it. Even our
Standards Committee isn't having a great deal of effect, from my
perceptions. My housemate used to make a living from Linux, as did I.
He's now happily using MS within a state agency, getting important
stuff done and getting paid very well for it. My state taxes are
going towards the costs of at least a thousand MS clients. That irks
me no end but there it is, and stuff is getting done. I can't argue
against that without being a fool. MS has consistent demonstrable
teamwork, Linux has teamwork that isn't >always< demonstrable, and
that is all the difference between the two and why we haven't won the
#$%^&*! desktop war.
We shoulda been contenders, Ric
p/s I propose that all of the CEO's and bigwigs of Linux meet out
back in a sandbox, for a definitive Linux Olympics, and DUKE IT OUT.
I'll put $5 on Szulik, he's got a strong handshake, is tall, lean,
confident and works out during lunch. The prize would be to say where
sh*t goes, once and for all time. Maybe a cage match for the finals.
Maybe pay-per-view with the fees used towards putting $100 laptops in
the hands of X number of needy kids.
================================================
My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say:
"There are two Great Sins in the world...
...the Sin of Ignorance, and
...the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
Linux user# 44256
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================================================
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