Why use linux? This sums it up.

Page 1 of 3 [ 34 posts ] Go to page 1, 2, 3 Next

Previous topic | Next topic

Fuzzy
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 30 Mar 2006
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,223
Location: Alberta Canada

22 May 2009, 12:14 am

I cannot say it much more cleanly than this:

Quote:

However, the reason why Linux is truly revolutionary is that it is Open Software. Our science and technology work owing to the free availability of information, peer review, and the capabilities to pick up ideas and modify or extend. Open Software is an implementation of the scientific method into the field of software development. The freedom to pick-up, modify and extend, that comes with the Linux licence, offers a promise that the software development under Linux licence will continue in the way that science does.

The making of horseshoes, good glass, or measuring time were once closely guarded trade secrets. Science and technology exploded 500 years ago thanks to the sharing of knowledge by the means of printing, and thus breaking the monopoly of the few on the know-how. Why were the science and technology relatively stagnant before the printing era? Because the "trade secret" approach to growth has its limits: the development continues until the rate of learning equals the rate of forgetting. Moving the know-how to the public domain (printed on paper) shifted the position of the equilibrium to a higher level, which, after 500 years of turbulent development, we are still to achieve...

_________________
davidred wrote...
I installed Ubuntu once and it completely destroyed my paying relationship with Microsoft.

pakled
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 12 Nov 2007
Age: 68
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,015

22 May 2009, 1:38 am

well, at the moment, it appears one of the few areas where we can still compete with offshoring. it's only a matter of time, but one needs all the skills one can get.

I'm learning all I can about it.

Keith
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 12 Aug 2008
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,321
Location: East Sussex, UK

22 May 2009, 1:38 am

Many people do not believe in "a free lunch" I use a couple versions of Linux to see which best suits me. I need to really learn how to get the most out of it though

Zand
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

Joined: 2 Apr 2009
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 58
Location: New Hampshire

22 May 2009, 1:48 am

Stated with Debian then moved to Ubuntu in 2007 and haven't used Windows since. I can't even Imagen the frustration if I was to switch back due to the lack of freedom.

normally_impaired
Deinonychus

Joined: 19 Mar 2007
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 363

22 May 2009, 3:10 am

I use Ubuntu as my primary OS, but I still use Windows for any windows program that's too slow or buggy under wine. I greatly prefer Linux over windows, but to me, the bottom line is getting the most out of my computer for whatever I'm doing at the time. I'd like to use Linux entirely, but for some things, I'd rather use Windows where it works perfectly than spend the time trying to make it work in Wine. To me, the "OS War" is pointless, my computer is an appliance, not unlike the TV or the dishwasher, and I'd rather use what works the best with the least effort than spend hours trying to figure out a new way to do something I can already do without any problems.

Fuzzy
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 30 Mar 2006
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,223
Location: Alberta Canada

22 May 2009, 7:38 am

normally_impaired wrote:

If the linux community, and in particular, the free software foundation at http://www.fsf.org/ did not agree with you then their GPL licence would prohibit porting linux software to windows. Options and functionality are the whole point of open source and free software.

_________________
davidred wrote...
I installed Ubuntu once and it completely destroyed my paying relationship with Microsoft.

Keith
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 12 Aug 2008
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,321
Location: East Sussex, UK

22 May 2009, 9:22 am

I would like that Wine had a better compatibility layer some games I set to Windows 95 or 98 refuse to work

Orwell
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 8 Aug 2007
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 12,518
Location: Room 101

22 May 2009, 10:05 am

Keith wrote:

I would like that Wine had a better compatibility layer

some games I set to Windows 95 or 98 refuse to work

Virtualbox+XP is a great compatibility layer, though a bit heavy on RAM usage.

_________________
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Orwell
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 8 Aug 2007
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 12,518
Location: Room 101

22 May 2009, 10:24 am

And as far as "Why run Linux" my answer is:
1) Because I like to tinker
2) Because OS X and Windows don't behave like I want them to, and there is no way of bending them to my will
3) Linux has better license terms

_________________
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Keith
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 12 Aug 2008
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,321
Location: East Sussex, UK

22 May 2009, 11:40 am

Orwell wrote:

Keith wrote:

I would like that Wine had a better compatibility layer

some games I set to Windows 95 or 98 refuse to work

Virtualbox+XP is a great compatibility layer, though a bit heavy on RAM usage.

I forgot about that.... I tried to download it from within Windows and couldn't get it to install under Ubuntu or any other version I downloaded it for. I wouldn't worry about RAM

I have plenty, and Ubuntu uses about 472MB when I last checked it (out of 6GB)

Orwell
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 8 Aug 2007
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 12,518
Location: Room 101

22 May 2009, 3:19 pm

Keith wrote:

I forgot about that.... I tried to download it from within Windows and couldn't get it to install under Ubuntu or any other version I downloaded it for. I wouldn't worry about RAM

I have plenty, and Ubuntu uses about 472MB when I last checked it (out of 6GB)

6 gigs of RAM and running WINE? Easier just to load up a spare OS in a virtual machine. No need to worry about resource usage.

Hey, how is your Ubuntu using 472MB? Did you do anything special during installation, or trim stuff down? I think mine normally used somewhere in the ballpark of 1GB, with Firefox, Thunderbird, and Pidgin running, along with the OOo3 quicklauncher sitting in the systray.

_________________
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

UberElvis
Raven
Raven

Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 110
Location: Omaha, NE, USA

22 May 2009, 8:34 pm

The only reason I still use windows is for the newest of games and the Zune. I can run most older games (which aren't even that old) on WINE. I might switch completely when I figure out a way to totally replace my Zune. I would just try to do my Zune stuff in VirtualBox but I don't want to buy another windows license to install into VirtualBox so I'll just keep using my dual-boot. When it comes to traveling, I'm already switched because my laptop runs Ubuntu and doesn't use windows at all.

Orwell
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 8 Aug 2007
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 12,518
Location: Room 101

22 May 2009, 9:03 pm

UberElvis wrote:

I might switch completely when I figure out a way to totally replace my Zune.

Firmware upgrade? Rumor has it that Rockbox will be coming out with a Zune port soon, and Rockbox is pretty amazing. It adds video capabilities to my old iPod which would not support video playback with Apple's firmware, and I can also play Doom.

_________________
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Master_Shake
Toucan
Toucan

Joined: 20 Feb 2009
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Posts: 262
Location: Michigan, United States

22 May 2009, 9:28 pm

I tend to see Linux as more of a fringe operating system while I see windows as mainstream. Many non-technical people probably don't really know what Linux is, they may be aware of it, but have never actually used it. I used to use Linux back when I was a teenager (late 90's) and a bit of an amateur hacker.

I am concerned about the availability of good software. Though, hopefully free open-source will enter the mainstream and put the greedy corporate giant Microsoft out of business.

Does Unbuntu have a good variety of software?

_________________
I'm supposed to say something clever here.

kip
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 13 Mar 2007
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,166
Location: Somewhere out there...

22 May 2009, 9:49 pm

Master_Shake wrote:

Unbuntu

Something about that makes me laugh... not in a sardonic way either.

And yes, Ubuntu has a plethora of software titles available. Most anything you can get in a Windows or Mac environment can be found in Linux, though your mileage may vary. The main problem people seem to have is that it's different, so they aren't sure where to begin. People often go back to Windows to use programmes they are familiar with.

_________________
Every time you think you've made it idiot proof, someone comes along and invents a better idiot.

?the end of our exploring, will be to arrive where we started, and know the place for the first time. - T.S. Eliot

UberElvis
Raven
Raven

Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 110
Location: Omaha, NE, USA

22 May 2009, 9:55 pm

Orwell wrote:

UberElvis wrote:

I might switch completely when I figure out a way to totally replace my Zune.

That sounds awesome. I'll have to keep an eye on that.

I forgot to mention, just the other night, I got one of my friends to try Ubuntu (after he's been using windows all his life). He really liked it and adapted to it probably quicker than I did when I was starting out! It makes me feel like I've made a great contribution to free software just getting him to try and like it.

Page 1 of 3 [ 34 posts ] Go to page 1, 2, 3 Next

Jump to:

Why use linux? This sums it up. Post Reply New Topic

Why use linux? This sums it up.