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Technology Stocks : LINUX -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: taxman who wrote (1264)3/8/1999 9:31:00 PM
From: g_m10  Respond to of 2617
 
Don't feel bad. Nothing wrong with you. <G>



To: taxman who wrote (1264)3/9/1999 1:29:00 AM
From: Gerald Walls  Respond to of 2617
 
it seemed too complex for me--a non technical surfer.

Linux is very tough for a non-tech. This is what every "Linux will smash Microsoft" advocate refuses to accept.

I'm a techie who's had his arms into his machine up to his elbows ever since his first 1985 flip-top 8088 PC-clone plus one who's somewhat familiar with Unix (BSD and Sun) and it was a little challenging to me to set up. I just had the disk, though, with no manuals.



To: taxman who wrote (1264)3/9/1999 1:47:00 AM
From: JC Jaros  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 2617
 
Linux reality check:

Your link makes the case against desktop Linux. As a Linux user, I find myself reading Linus' recent desktop Linux cheerleading as major 'forking' from the precept, more than a little 'over the top', and in fact approaching inanity.

Apart from XML, GraphON, WINE and web centricity of the ramping WordPerfect Suite 2000, as a speculative Corel (COSFF) investor, I'm beginning to doubt the Corel vision of PC desktop Windows end user Linux. As a SUNW (Hofer order) true believer, it runs contrary to what I believe is the network centric/thin client future of computing that is apart from local context 'workstation' computing.

To replace desktop Windows with desktop Linux in order to run an X based browser client finds apt description in our own E. Charter's phrase, "breathtaking bullshit". Scott McNealy uses the analogy of having a phone switch in your house as opposed to just picking up the phone and using it. To run PC Unix under an X server, under a windows manager (with lib extensions and dependencies), concurrent with a Win API compatibility layer, is NOT a better 'end user' solution than Windows.

There is a temporary place for Linux on the end user desktop, certainly on an administered local network, and on the PC client requiring remote administration. It's almost a legacy need though. Michael Dell's sentiments aside, The PC market penetration appears to have peaked.

The Gnu wave (Linux) isn't about replacing Windows on the end user desktop. Linux is about creating powerful pervasive open standard servers and workstations. It's about teaching Unix, the network, the machine in a meaningful way, and doing it on the cheap. To hold up a wizard driven 'Windows' style end user Linux for PCs just isn't realistic in very many places.

There's a learning curve. Obscuring the learning curve merely for the sake of warring with the proprietary Microsoft is just stupid. What's the benefit? Illiterate users running open standards? The first thing I learned about Linux was that the various simplifying install and admin utilities for the most part impede the learning of the new user who otherwise seeks the benefit of the Unix approach, and to be a 'power user'.

The vast majority of desktop users are finding that the vast majority of their computing needs are met with a single browser client. That will be a fast moving commonality as the bandwidth increases. I just can't see where a movement to move end users to a Linux desktop, that doesn't really contribute meaningfully to the *nix mindshare, has any relevance whatsoever. In fact, it occurs to me as being even less relevant than Windows itself.


-JCJ


Exhibit A: Web browser plus...

>quoted 'table of contents' from link-
Contents


1 Introduction to Linux
1.1 About this book.
1.2 A brief history of Linux.
1.3 System features.
1.4 Software features.
1.4.1 Text processing and word processing.
1.4.2 Programming languages and utilities.
Introduction to the X Window System.
1.4.4 Introduction to Networking.
1.4.5 Telecommunications and BBS software.
1.4.6 World Wide Web.
Interfacing and MS-DOS.
1.4.8 Other applications.
1.5 Copyright issues.
1.6 The design and philosophy of Linux.
1.7 Differences between Linux and other operating systems.
1.8 Hardware requirements.
1.9 Sources of Linux information.
1.9.1 Online documents.
1.9.2 Linux on the World Wide Web.
1.9.3 Books and other published works.
1.9.4 Usenet newsgroups.
1.9.5 Internet mailing lists.
1.10 Getting Help with Linux.
2 Obtaining and Installing Linux
2.1 Generic installation. 2.1.1 Major Linux distributions.
2.1.2 Common concerns.
2.1.3 Hardware.
2.1.4 Planning.
2.1.5 System planning worksheet.
2.1.6 Mice.
Considering Hard drives and CD-ROMs.
2.1.8 Disk drives under Linux.
2.1.9 Installing The X Window System
2.1.10 Networking hardware.
2.1.11 Planning, Part 2.
2.1.12 Partitioning strategies.
2.1.13 The swap partition.
2.1.14 Repartitioning.
2.1.15 Backing up your old system.
2.1.16 FIPS.EXE
2.1.17 Preparing to boot Linux.
2.1.18 Creating a Linux boot disk under DOS.
2.1.19 Creating a Linux boot disk under Linux.
2.1.20 Partitioning the hard disk: fdisk and cfdisk.
2.2 Linux distributions.
2.3 Debian GNU/Linux.
2.3.1 Debian GNU/Linux installation features.
2.3.2 Getting floppy images.
2.3.3 Downloading the packages.
2.3.4 Booting from floppies and installing Debian GNU/Linux.
2.3.5 Running Debian GNU/Linux.
2.3.6 dselect.
2.3.7 dpkg.
2.3.8 About Debian GNU/Linux.
2.3.9 Mailing lists.
2.3.10 Bug tracking system.
2.3.11 Debian Acknowledgments.
2.3.12 Last note.
2.4 Red Hat Linux.
2.4.1 Red Hat Linux installation features.
2.4.2 The RPM package management system.
2.4.3 A note about upgrading Red Hat Linux.
2.4.4 Creating the installation floppies.
2.4.5 Installation media.
2.4.6 Customizing your NFS or hard drive installation.
2.4.7 Recommended minimal installation.
2.4.8 How much space do you really need?
2.4.9 Installation.
2.4.10 Installation media revisited.
2.4.11 Walking through the rest of the installation.
2.4.12 After installation.
2.5 Caldera OpenLinux
2.5.1 Obtaining Caldera OpenLinux.
2.5.2 Preparing to install Caldera OpenLinux.
2.5.3 Creating boot/modules floppies.
2.5.4 Preparing the hard disks.
2.6 Slackware
2.6.1 Slackware is not for you. (Or maybe it is.)
2.6.2 A quick history.
2.6.3 Why, then?
2.6.4 Upgrade? Think twice!
2.6.5 Select an installation method.
2.6.6 Boot disks: always a good thing.
2.6.7 Slackware setup worksheet.
2.6.8 Making Slackware happen.
2.6.9 Build some boot disks.
2.6.10 Boot into action.
2.6.11 The Slackware setup program.
2.6.12 Is that all?
2.6.13 Troubleshooting difficult deliveries.
2.6.14 Basking in the afterglow.
2.6.15 Consider reinstalling!
2.6.16 Secure the system.
2.6.16.1 Back up.
2.7 S.u.S.E.
2.7.1 Beginning the installation.
S.u.S.E Post-installation.
2.7.3 Getting X up and running.
2.7.4 Later upgrades.
Post-installation procedures.
2.9 Running into trouble.
2.9.1 Problems with booting the installation media
2.9.2 Hardware problems.
2.9.3 Problems installing the software.
2.9.4 Problems after installing Linux.
3 Linux Tutorial
3.1 Introduction.
3.2 Basic Linux concepts.
3.2.1 Creating an account.
3.2.2 Logging in.
3.2.3 Virtual consoles.
3.2.4 Shells and commands.
3.2.5 Logging out.
3.2.6 Changing your password.
3.2.7 Files and directories.
3.2.8 The directory tree.
3.2.9 The current working directory.
3.2.10 Referring to home directories.
3.3 First steps into Linux.
3.3.1 Moving around.
3.3.2 Looking at the contents of directories.
3.3.3 Creating new directories.
3.3.4 Copying files.
3.3.5 Moving files.
3.3.6 Deleting files and directories.
3.3.7 Looking at files.
3.3.8 Getting online help.
Accessing MS-DOS files.
3.5 Summary of basic UNIX commands.
3.6 Exploring the file system.
3.7 Types of shells.
3.8 Wildcards.
3.9 Linux plumbing.
3.9.1 Standard input and standard output.
3.9.2 Redirecting input and output.
3.9.3 Using pipes.
Non-destructive redirection of output.
3.10 File permissions.
3.10.1 Concepts of file permissions.
3.10.2 Interpreting file permissions.
3.10.3 Permissions Dependencies.
3.10.4 Changing permissions.
3.11 Managing file links.
3.11.1 Hard links.
3.11.2 Symbolic links.
3.12 Job control.
3.12.1 Jobs and processes.
3.12.2 Foreground and background.
3.12.3 Backgrounding and killing jobs.
3.12.4 Stopping and restarting jobs.
3.13 Using the vi editor.
3.13.1 Concepts.
3.13.2 Starting vi.
3.13.3 Inserting text.
3.13.4 Deleting text.
3.13.5 Changing text.
3.13.6 Commands for moving the cursor.
3.13.7 Saving files and quitting vi.
3.13.8 Editing another file.
3.13.9 Including other files.
3.13.10 Running shell commands.
3.13.11 Getting vi help.
3.14 Customizing your environment.
3.14.1 Shell scripts.
3.14.2 Shell variables and the environment.
3.14.3 Shell initialization scripts.
3.15 So you want to strike out on your own?
4 System Administration
4.1 The root account.
4.2 Booting the system.
4.2.1 Using LILO.
4.3 Shutting down.
4.3.1 The /etc/inittab file.
4.4 Managing file systems.
4.4.1 Mounting file systems.
4.4.2 Device driver names.
4.4.3 Checking file systems.
4.5 Using a swap file.
4.6 Managing users.
4.6.1 User management concepts.
4.6.2 Adding users.
4.6.3 Deleting users.
4.6.4 Setting user attributes.
4.6.5 Groups.
4.6.6 System administration responsibilities.
4.6.7 Coping with users.
4.6.8 Setting the rules.
4.6.9 What it all means.
4.7 Archiving and compressing files.
4.7.1 Using tar.
4.7.2 gzip and compress.
4.7.3 Putting them together.
4.8 Using floppies and making backups.
4.8.1 Using floppies for backups.
4.8.2 Backups with a Zip drive.
4.8.3 Making backups to tape devices.
4.8.4 Using floppies as file systems.
4.9 Upgrading and installing new software.
4.9.1 Upgrading the kernel
4.9.2 Adding a device driver to the kernel.
4.9.3 Installing a device driver module.
4.9.4 Upgrading the libraries.
4.9.5 Upgrading gcc.
4.9.6 Upgrading other software.
4.10 Miscellaneous tasks.
4.10.1 System startup files.
4.10.2 Setting the host name.
4.11 What to do in an emergency.
4.11.1 Recovery with a maintenance diskette.
4.11.2 Fixing the root password.
4.11.3 Trashed file systems.
4.11.4 Recovering lost files.
4.11.5 Trashed libraries.
5 The X Window System
5.1 X Window Hardware requirements.
5.1.1 Video display.
5.1.2 Memory, CPU, and disk space.
5.2 XFree86 installation.
5.3 Probing the hardware configuration.
5.4 Automatically generating the XF86Config file.
5.5 Configuring XFree86.
5.6 Filling in video card information.
5.7 Running XFree86.
5.8 When you run into trouble.
6 Networking
6.1 Networking with TCP/IP.
6.1.1 Configuring TCP/IP on your system.
6.1.2 SLIP configuration.
Dial-up networking and PPP.
6.2.1 What you need to get started.
6.2.2 An overview of the steps involved.
6.2.3 Creating the connection scripts.
6.2.4 Editing the supplied PPP startup scripts.
6.2.5 Starting PPP at the server end.
6.2.6 If your PPP server uses PAP (Password Authentication Protocol).
6.2.7 Using MSCHAP.
6.2.8 Shutting down the PPP link.
6.2.9 Troubleshooting common problems once the link is working.
About this document ...
> end quote



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