Linux is free, right?

[Blayze]

<< If all your friends know how to run Unix-like systems (and they probably do) and if you don't, you are the dummy.

You will lose out on lucrative jobs & be unable to run cutting-edge Linux software that is simply not available for Windows & fail to impress chicks.

Linux is free because programmers who believe in freedom write free software for everyone to use freely. >>




oh yeah the chicks love my mad skillz


I take it that you really love Linux , nothing wrong with that... I'll just sit back and take the brainwashing that is being put into my head by Bill Gates and Micro$oft. Guess Im cool now I spelled it Micro$oft and not Microsoft...

 

[Blayze]

<< Yes, a German consulting firm did some tests and detected that Windows XP secretly exchanges information with Microsoft servers using 128-bit crypto.

The built-in firewall ignores these communications, pretending that they are not taking place.

In other words, Windows XP is spyware. >>




I have never heard of this, link please?
Depending on what information they received, if this is even true, would be illegal. Or at least I would think so.

 

[silveronsilver]

<< I have never heard of this, link please? >>



Original German Story

Machine Translation from German to English

 

[crypticlogin]

<< Windows XP has spyware, Linux does not.
Windows XP is horribly insecure and at risk for thousands of viruses, Linux is not.
>>



In *nix, the computer's worst enemy is the person sitting behind the keyboard. I don't believe mainstream home users are ready for the responsibility of having root access. "Maintenance" is the one word that's avoided when trying to sell a computer and operating system to Grandma Smith -- she just wants to use and go. *nix is not for everybody, and the flipside of the coin is Windows is not for everybody.

And since you referenced a Slashdot article, I'll assume you read Slashdot. If so, I can't believe you <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/01/05/230233">missed the Linux virus</a>. And before you say it, I'll say it: it's more of an exploit that requires root, but what's to stop Grandma Smith from hopping into root to install that nifty program one of her grandchildren sent?

 

[silveronsilver]

<< I don't believe mainstream home users are ready for the responsibility of having root access. >>



Like I said, Linux is conquering the desktop by starting with government and private enterprise desktops, where you do have administrators.

As Linux matures in the short and medium term, expect more and more manufactuers to ship home systems preinstalled with Linux.

As for your grandma argument, here is a Linux system that is EASIER for grandma to use than any Windows system available:

Link

Watch the Flash presentation and be amazed.

 

[LiQiCE]

The Windows XP Spyware thing is all based upon circumstantial evidence. "Windows connects to a Microsoft server so it must be sending evil information over the net to Microsoft!" ... Its all an assumption. There is no hard evidence when you do things like an automatic codec download for Microsoft WMP that it is also sending information about your computer over the Internet. There is no actual proof of this. Its like saying automatic updates for RedHat Linux are also sending your root password to RedHat. Some of the settings in that XPSpyware program like disabling the Time Synch client is absolutely ridiculous, only the truly paranoid need to run this application. I realize a lot of people think Microsoft is pure evil, but in all seriousness, I dont think they really care about whatever it is you've got on your computer. They already make enough money from you because you bought their OS!

Now I'm in no way a huge Microsoft supporter here, I'm just saying that nobody should get freaked out thinking Windows XP is SpyWare. Personally, Linux is nice and all but it doesn't suit my needs at all as a consumer based OS. And don't give me any crap about being dumb because I'm a Solaris administrator for my company, and I sit behind a Sun terminal for about 10 hours a day working in a Unix environment. IMHO Unix is great as a server OS, and Microsoft has no clue what they're doing with the Windows server side. But *nix just doesn't make sense right now as a consumer OS. For the average person it is still way too complicated (Not counting OS X, which I haven't tried yet, but I have heard great things about).

In any case, Linux is a really good OS to learn because it is free, and the skills you learn from Linux are totally applicable if you end up working in a place where they use some flavor of Unix. Just be prepared to spend many hours looking up how to do things as you learn (or plan on reading lots of books), because there are a lot of things in any flavor of Unix that aren't so easy that you can just figure it out.

 

[Heisenberg]

<< In *nix, the computer's worst enemy is the person sitting behind the keyboard. I don't believe mainstream home users are ready for the responsibility of having root access. "Maintenance" is the one word that's avoided when trying to sell a computer and operating system to Grandma Smith -- she just wants to use and go.

*nix is not for everybody, and the flipside of the coin is Windows is not for everybody. >>



I agree with that - but I have seen plenty of Windows users screw up their machines. In its present state *NIX/linux isn't for everybody. The area where Microsoft dominates linux is in marketing. Most people are simply not aware of what linux is or that it even exists. If a company like Redhat or Mandrake could mount an ad campaign at Microsoft's level and then combine that with an easy-to-use GUI with lots of wizards and annoying paper clips, they would have a shot at home users. This is precisely what Apple has done, only they have near 100% control over their product to begin with.

 

[silveronsilver]

The definition of spyware is software that connects back to "home" (a code name for a server owned by the parties that made the software) and exchanges information WITHOUT THE USER'S KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT.

Windows XP does this, hence Windows XP is SPYWARE.

It does not matter what information it exchanges. It does not matter if it sends your hardware configuration, or credit card number, or its own serial number.

If it does it WITHOUT THE USER'S KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT, it is SPYWARE.

I don't know if you enjoy having a spyware OS, but I personally do not. Therefore I advise everyone I know to not upgrade to or use Windows XP. Instead I advise upgrading to Linux, which has never and will never have spyware.

 

[swayinOtis]

why don't you try putting a giant zigsaw puzzle together in total darkness? that would be easier and more fun than trying to figure out linux. lol

there's a reason it is free. it's not exactly user friendly.

good luck.

 

[crypticlogin]

<< Like I said, Linux is conquering the desktop by starting with government and private enterprise desktops, where you do have administrators. >>


Actually, I don't think you said anything along these lines. Yep, now I'm certain this was the first you mentioned of this in this post.

(ed: link fixed)


<< As for your grandma argument, here is a Linux system that is EASIER for grandma to use than any Windows system available:
http://www.oeone.com
Watch the Flash presentation and be amazed. >>



I'm not amazed, but I'll give it that's the right step towards attracting mainstream home users to a *nix platform.

 

Linux is free if your time is worthless.

 

[Ameesh]

<<

<< what re the specific advantages of running linux vs. windows xp? >>



Windows XP has spyware, Linux does not.
no it doesnt, stop reading slashdot

Windows XP is horribly insecure and at risk for thousands of viruses, Linux is not.
linux is just as prone to viruses just the same, in fact worms started on unix

Windows XP requires online registration, Linux does not.
you could mail it in or call it in

Windows XP forces you to sign up for a Microsoft Passport, Linux does not.
it does not


Windows XP is limited to the x86 architecture, Linux is not.
not true, it can work on ia64 too which linux cannot

Windows XP is NOT FREE, Linux is FREE. >>


this is captalisitic america, you get what you pay for

 

[Ameesh]

<< Linux is free if your time is worthless. >>



well put

 

[LiQiCE]

silveronsilver,

How do you know that some flavor of Linux doesn't send a piece of information to a RedHat server or the like without the end user knowing? When you do an automatic update, how do you know it isn't sending anyone anything? You can examine the source code, but if you haven't, you don't know for sure. Thats sortof what these people are saying about Windows XP with their Spyware crap.

I am completely aware when Windows is about to send something to Microsoft.

For example:
I try to play a movie and I don't have the codec for it. Windows Media Player asks me if I would like to try to download the codec.
Automatic Time Synch - You can fully control this feature, disable it, or even make it contact a different server that isn't associated with Microsoft.
Automatic Updates - You have to enable this feature, it isn't enabled by default. This makes you fully aware that you are selecting automatic updates. I have disabled this feature because I don't want anything to be installed.
Error reporting - You don't send an error report to microsoft without clicking the "send" button. When a program crashes, it says "Send an error report to Microsoft" it doesn't just do it.

I'm fully aware of all these things being sent. I have a choice to do it or not too. This isn't like WebHancer which is installed without your knowledge, runs in the background without any notification that it is running, sends statistical data based on what you are doing, and eats processor cycles like crazy because the damned thing is buggy. XP has given me a choice every step of the way on whether I want to send the data or not.

I realize you're a huge Linux supporter, and probably ANYTHING I say that isn't "I love Linux" isn't going to sit well with you. Just realize I'm not attacking you or Linux, I'm just trying to provide some facts about Windows XP before people start saying that Windows XP is SpyWare and sending your deepest darkest secrets to Microsoft so they can one day blackmail you.

 

[silveronsilver]

The Windows XP spyware activity is nothing like a RedHat Update or downloading a codec for Windows Medial Player or any other activity where the user is informed and consent is sought.

Windows XP spyware activity happens without the user's knowledge or consent.

Please read the link I provided.

No such thing can happen in Linux, because you could read the source code and find out about it and publicize it. Can you read Windows XP's source code? I don't think so.

 

[LiQiCE]

silveronsilver,

I read the link you provided, and I downloaded the so-called Anti-Spyware tool that they linked to. And notably, one of the Anti-Spyware settings is to remove the Windows Media Player automatic Codec download, because apparently thats a form of spyware. (Even though it gives you a choice). The examples I gave were settings that the Anti-Spyware utility says could possibly be sending data to Microsoft and lets you enable or disable. Now obviously since XP gives you the choice to disable all of this stuff from the get-go, the utility was pretty much worthless.

 

[cuteybunny]

what I dont like about windows is constant blue screen of death BSOD, but other then that it's a fine OS. a pain that microsoft make everyone suffer, he don't want you to have a perfect OS. Crashes is what keep people upgrading, more money for bill gate

 

[LongCoolMother]

whats so good about linux? i never used it,... is it faster, secure? or something, than windows xp...?

 

[silveronsilver]

<< the utility was pretty much worthless. >>



The examples that you quoted are only a subset of the settings that the utility modifies.

The utility modifies a bunch of settings that are not user-modifiable.

You pick and choose examples that prove your point and ignore the examples that disprove your point.

That is pretty sad.

 

[LongCoolMother]

theres so many linuxes! which one do i get? i know my brother uses redhat linux, but i dont know a thing. im a windows freak

 

[LiQiCE]

cuteybunny,

Upgrade to any of the NT based OS's and you will be granted rock solid stability (once you get your hardware compatibility straightened out ... Which is a similar issue for Linux). The Windows 9x kernels are based upon DOS which was originally coded in 1983, very old code. It was never intended to be a multi-threaded OS. The NT kernel however was written with multi-threading in mind, protected memory, and things like more than 640k of RAM ... Thats one of the major reasons to upgrade from Windows 9x to Windows 2000 or XP. The added stability is really good. On the Linux side, it was first started around the same time that NT was (I'm pretty sure NT was started in 1993, and I think Linux was started in around 1992 or 1993). So Linux has all these added benefits as well. Most of the *nix clones based on the original AT&T System V Unix are actually based on code from as early as 1969. Those guys just did a much better job at "upgrading" their OS than Microsoft did with DOS

 

[silveronsilver]

Mandrake is based on RedHat, uses the same package format, but is optimized for multimedia and gaming.

It is your best bet.



<< theres so many linuxes! which one do i get? i know my brother uses redhat linux, but i dont know a thing. im a windows freak >>

 

[Tominator]

Linux is great at what it does....but for most folks it is A POS system! It has a very steep learning curve, is difficult to setup and most must un-learn Windows to have any hope of using it.

I'll be dead and gone by the time it becomes mainstream for the average desktop....and I plan on living a long time!

 

[LiQiCE]

silveronsilver,

What examples disprove my point? Please show me. The utility's homepage even says:
"If you like, you can even disable these function manually, by going through the System and checking or unchecking some checkboxes. This will take you approximately half an hour. But why wasting time when a little neat utility can do the same in 1 minute?"

Here is the web page that I got it from if you don't believe me: Link
Click on "[English Version]" to get the text that I just quoted you.

There are not any things that you can't do without this utility. Its just supposed to make it easier for you.

 

[ultimatebob]

Actually, Linux was available on the Itanium platform before Windows XP was. It makes sense, when you consider that Linux is best suited for servers and specialized workstations that would use the Itanium processor.

For general home use, however, Linux still sucks. Like I said before, the commercial software and games that I use at home aren't available on Linux, and it is still a pain in the butt to install software or update drivers. That doesn't mean that it's a BAD OS, however, and I've found some good uses for it at work.