On Fri, 2006-03-17 at 09:46 -0500, Eric Beversluis wrote: > On Fri, 2006-03-17 at 07:33 -0700, Craig White wrote: > > On Fri, 2006-03-17 at 07:41 -0500, Eric Beversluis wrote: > > > On Fri, 2006-03-17 at 12:12 +0000, Paul Howarth wrote: > > > > Eric Beversluis wrote: > > > > > On Thu, 2006-03-16 at 23:59 +0200, Kostas Sfakiotakis wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Note that Fedora does not support NTFS filesystems "out of the box". > > > > > > > > See: http://www.linux-ntfs.org/content/view/129/65/ > > > > > > > > Paul. > > > > > > Great! I wonder how many hours of frustration this has caused people > > > over the years who weren't lucky enough to receive this "by the way." > > > Everything I've read and my experience with other distros would lead me > > > never to expect or suspect this. Nicholas Wells simply says, "Linux > > > supports read access to this file system" (The Complete Guide to Linux > > > System Administration, 186). > > > > > > This looks like a real pain. So much for even thinking that FC4 might be > > > end-user friendly. > > ---- > > User friendly is a relative term. > > I'm referring to all the claims that Linux is ready to go "mainstream," > that ordinary users and businesses can be encouraged to abandon Windows, > etc. Of course, if they abandon Windows this particular issue won't > matter, but there are been several others. ---- I don't recall Fedora making such a claim...that Linux is ready to "mainstream" - your impressions and your interpretations of what others are saying probably aren't germane to the situation at all. ---- > Mandirva isn't innocent > either, since the reason I'm doing FC4 is that Mandriva 2006 wouldn't > load because it couldn't find my CDROM drive. ---- I haven't used Mandriva so I can't comment ---- > > > > Not incorporating copyrighted, potentially patent infringing software, > > incompatible license software is another thing. Perhaps you are not > > aware of the differences. > > > This must be a judgment call, since other distros don't seem to worry > about it. ---- indeed there are 'judgment calls' as you put it. Each distribution makes them. That's why sweeping judgments such as the one you stated above 'claims that Linux is ready to "mainstream"' is somewhat absurd because that depends upon so many different things, some of which are the distributions and the other is what the expectations are for the person making the judgment call. If by definition, is it a drop in replacement for Windows where you can install and use Windows software and devices then no, it is not. You will discover that the Red Hat packaging will almost always be towards the conservative, clearly open source compatible and never potentially patent infringing software such as mp3/ntfs stuff. If your expectation is that it must necessarily include things like Acrobat Reader, Flash Player, Real Player, ntfs read/write ability, you either have to add it after installation or find another distribution that has a different concept on acceptable packages to include. ---- > > Perhaps also, you are venting frustrations because of what you don't > > know...that's why this list and other things like 'www.fedorafaq.org' > > exist. > > > I appreciate them greatly. Right now I'm getting emails from 4 different > lists. ---- good - you might want to reserve some judgments since they lack some amount of perspective that a few weeks or months of usage will provide. Craig
