Got Linux?

[Androssi]

Just read this article here (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5831949/) and am wondering if linux or another open source OS will ever threaten Microsoft and if so, how long will it take?

[astro]

I said dual boot, which is the closest answer to what i'm currently running.
There's 2 PCs on my desk. One is a windows xp box for playing games. The other is a Slackware Linux machine for everything else.

[Bifrost]

I don't think Linux, the way it is today, will ever replace Windows as the desktop OS of choice for the world...But in a server capacity, there is strong evidence that it is already seriously threatening Microsoft.

Personally, I run 2 machines as well. One is a SuSE Linux server which acts as Firewall and webserver and I have a gaming PC running XP which dual-boots to another SuSE instance for when I'm not in a gaming mood (that's pretty rare though). ;)

[scathing]

I have one laptop running WinXP, and another running Linux.

Haven't had time to play with the Linux box too much yet; but I mean to learn.

However, I'm planning on doing the WinXP Workstation MCP soon, so I might reformat the Linux laptop to run Win2K (so I can use the apps I'm familiar with).

But, as soon as I get that stupid certification, Linux it is.

[scathing]

As for your initial question; I think its going to be some time for Linux to be able to threaten Windows in the PC area.

There has to be a compelling reason to replace, and at the moment there isn't one. Your average user has enough issues with Windows; the last thing you need is to have to train them in a new shell. While some aspects will be similar, since they don't have an interest to learn its not going to be easy.

The other thing is that, with all the distros floating out there, you have issues with application compatibility. There are groups attempting to rectify this, but your average Win9x app will install on a WinNT kernel, and the shell differences are minor between different flavours. Linux doesn't have that ease yet.

And until your average secretary or typing admin, who don't know or care whether its Explorer or KDE but just so long as they know how to launch their productivity apps, which have all the functionality and menus in places they know where to find, can do this on Linux then large corporations won't change.

Where Linux should excel, at the moment, is in custom applications. Windows is designed to "do everything", but in a lot of situations you don't need that. For those kinds of dedicated purpose systems, Linux does a better job than Microsoft.

For example, a bank teller doesn't need access to email, Office, the Internet, etc. They only need a front-end to connect to the databases that they use when making transactions, which for large banks will be custom anyway.

Given that the staff don't need to use any off-the-shelf apps, Linux would be perfect. You strip the OS of all the junk you don't need, and integrate your database client into the OS so its the only thing the user can interface with.

Staff have to be trained in how to use internal apps anyway, so no matter if you use Windows, or Linux, they still have to be taught how to use the device. However, you have more flexibility in customising the client and if you streamline it to make it dedicated purpose, it should run quicker and more reliably.

[Fitty]

Linux will never take over unless it becomes more like microsoft - people like the wysiwyg thing - it's pretty, colourful, and basically made for computer illiterates. Unfortunately, they constitute most people in the world... I'm not a complete tard, but I still use xp.

edit: After saying that, I don't really know all that much about Linux, except that it's less user friendly. So why do people actually use it? Just cos it's not windows?

[MaJeztik]

I run 100% Gentoo Linux. Although takes some to compile (especially with GUI), it has got to be the best OS I have ever used. The emerge tool makes installing stuff so simple & rebooting is a thing of the past.

I provide support for linux, so its alot easier if I use it all the time.

[AntZ]

I use Windows - I would use Linux, but for some reason its virtually impossible to initialize the base system on my PC. For some reason I can't even manage to VMWare up some Linux. LiveCD's work, but since my modem doesnt work with them, and my computer hosts the net for my house, i cant really afford to use them that often.

When I do eventually change, I will probably wait for Libranet 3.0 to come out first - it is probably the single best distro that I have seen in a while that wasnt geared for a specific field.

On another note, for those apps and games that haven't been ported to Linux, you can get nearly perfect emulation between Wine/WineX/Cedega and Crossover Office.

[Springer]

Debian all the way with duel-boot XP for backup, etc.

[Uther Pendragon]

Where I think linux can possibly make a big impact is in a business environment. By this I mean the desktop they kit you out with when you start at a new job. It is possible to lock down a linux system much further than any windows system. There is a reduction in virus problems, Keeping every system in perfect sync with patches etc isn't terribly hard to do. And for 90% of the people in any given business the applications available are perfectly adequate.

If this ever takes off it could have a secondary effect of those people required by their work to run Linux whilst in the office (for reasons of price, security, etc) ending up running it at home because they don't want to learn 2 systems.

I agree that for the home desktop market it isn't ready for prime time yet. I am hopeful though. 3 years ago I had this as my hit list of major core problems with Linux

Audio sucks (Alsa has gone a long way to fixing this)
Printing requires a degree in the black arts (Cups has made all those problems go away)
USB support bites (later 2.4 and now 2.6 kernels fix most of this)
ide-scsi cd burning? wtf? (2.6 fixes this, allows you to use ATAPI)
Xfree86 blows (It still does, but since the project has been forked I am hopeful they can fix a lot of things here)
Games don't run (This is still a problem, I am supremely grateful to Epic , The neverwinternights guys, Raven and Id software for their ongoing support of Linux, valve can kiss my shiny metal ass CS is for camping fags anyway :-), Cedega is cool, and works quite well for a lot of games, but isn't there yet especially for new games, I hope Blizzard gets on the linux bandwagon soon)

Considering the major improvements in the last 3 years I will be interested to see where they get in another 3 years. Whatever the case I will still be running linux. Goddamn I hate windows.

[MaJeztik]

Considering the major improvements in the last 3 years I will be interested to see where they get in another 3 years. Whatever the case I will still be running linux. Goddamn I hate windows.

Linux is advancing very quickly. I think in time it will have plug & play support for pretty much any OS. Insert your game & your off.

I too hate windows with a passion.

[minorproblem]

Linux will never take over unless it becomes more like microsoft - people like the wysiwyg thing - it's pretty, colourful, and basically made for computer illiterates. Unfortunately, they constitute most people in the world... I'm not a complete tard, but I still use xp.

edit: After saying that, I don't really know all that much about Linux, except that it's less user friendly. So why do people actually use it? Just cos it's not windows?

I use linux because the tools are better and i need access to gCC, also once you have it up and running it runs nice for a very long time between formats and it is very easy to backup all your apps when you wanna reload anything. (die fucking registry) I know registrys are good from a programming point of view but suck on a managability point of view.

Also I find most games run either the same speed as on my machine when i use to use xp or slightly faster so there is no differential for me.

But i would say the biggest attraction is the shitloads of preloaded tools that come with it.-

[edit] ooh yer Debian baby! [edit]

[Asmodeus]

I use both, mainly since I beleive in using the right tool for the job.

Most all teh user machines at work are windows boxes.. they're easy to set up and are simple enough for most of the brain dead masses in teh office to use. you know how much they fear change.

the rest of the place is linux.. it just works better.

at home, i use windows for a lot of things mostly since the stuff I use only comes in windows versions.. for most of my development work on teh side, I use linux, for my game servers, I use linux.

I don't dislike one either way..

Distro of choice: Gentoo.. install all as binaries, then once running, set it in teh background recompiling everything into optimized code. machine doesn't hiccough once.

[wolfpac181]

What's I got?

WinXP for the games. Getting ready to dualboot to a debian or freeBSD distro off usb HDD.
Mac OSX iBook For mobility
Mandrake 10 For work apps, work to home sync server. Added tuxnes and some games for boring days:)
SkyOS beta dev team (recent) Just to play around for fun
FreeBSD 5.2.1 used to help sync with radius' and webservers for work.


Why? can't know too many OS's in the world. Plus it's fun to screw around with new toys.

[MaJeztik]

seems the majority of ppl dual boot.

i dunno why tho, if i dual boot I find that over time I wont even use the other OS.
I learnt linux the hard way by going 100% Redhat, even tho I had absolutly NFI about it.

[locust]

I'm now working predominantly on Linux at work.

Our software is crossplatform - I occasionally swap my harddrives about and boot into Windows to look at a specific issue on that platform.

[Springer]

*rasm frasm* x fonts

[jambo]

I use Windows - I would use Linux, but for some reason its virtually impossible to initialize the base system on my PC. For some reason I can't even manage to VMWare up some Linux.

Use the VMWare Wizard, it will create a SCSI drive as 'Hard Disk 1'. Delete it and 'Add...' an IDE Disk.

[wolfpac181]

Heh.. it's about the games. DirectX has solen gamers souls.

I'm with ya tho maj. Started on Mandrake with no freakin clue what to do... got redbook manual that helped quite a bit. hell, I still go there for some stuffs.

What is a real good thing tho is the company you get from Linux people. most are more techno than lamer point-click people. Even if they aren't super guru style, you can atleast make some sense to what they talk about:)

[Supreme_Cmdr]

Well I have been pretty much Windows free since 1998 and damn I am happy about it. I have learnt heaps more by using Linux fulltime but I understand that some people don't want to spend the time to learn stuff that way. So many fond memories of Redhat 6. I have to use Windows every now and then at work but otherwise I don't touch it. I don't play games much so the DirectX thing is no problem and I am pretty comfortable at the command line.

My current setup is:
OSX on PowerBook,
Solaris 9 on Ultra 10,
Slackware on a white box PC shitter
and various other lesser know OSs, IRIX and VMS anyone?

I don't really know about Linux on the Desktop, it can do most of the simple things people need like email, web etc but sometimes the apps are just not there.

[Spingo]

I have one dedicated Linux, 1 dual-boot Linux/WinXP, 1 dedicated WinXP and 1 Win2K3 boxen at home.

Servers for 1337 as include 4 Linux and 2 Win2K3 - the latter two are solely for ASP-based hosting (one with an MSSQL Server), and both of these are nay impossible to get running in a fully-featured way under Linux.

My Linux flavour of choice is CentOS - Mainly because the 1337 as servers are all RHEL, so having a free "equivalent" OS at home for testing comes in handy..

[stinky]

Where's the FreeBSD option? :) Oh wait we're talking desktop.

As soon as they release a decent GUI for linux I'll seriously look at using it as my desktop of choice. however xfree86 sucks dogs balls.

at work I've got a fairly good mix, FreeBSD for real workhorse servers ( mail scanning, proxy, web server, etc etc ). I've got a gentoo cluster of 4 machines for distributed compiling, mandrake ( zoneminder livecd ), CentOS ( Asterisk PBX ), I've also got a redhat and a debian box that are legacy systems that I'll eventually turn off. I've also got Win2k3 servers for the LAN / Exchange with XP workstations for the kids. I also have a bunch of win2k os only boxes attached to plasma screens for presentations too (they remote desktop to whoever's running the presentation's workstation).

So yeah ... I'm a firm believer of "Use the right tool for the job".

[CrashMagic]

dual bootage!

thinking of loading mandriva... although I really <3 slackware

GET YOUR SLACKS ON BITCHES!

[Siamhie]

Just read this article here (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5831949/) and am wondering if linux or another open source OS will ever threaten Microsoft and if so, how long will it take?
m$ already has stated there stand on linux back in '98. how long it will take will be up to the public


The Halloween Documents (http://www.catb.org/~esr/halloween/)

In the last week of October 1998, a confidential Microsoft memorandum on Redmond's strategy against Linux and Open Source software was leaked to me by a source who shall remain nameless. I annotated this memorandum with explanation and commentary over Halloween Weekend and released it to the national press. Microsoft was forced to acknowledge its authenticity. The press rightly treated it as a major story and covered it (with varying degrees of cluefulness).



slacker since 2000

[Asmodeus]

Update:

I changed over my linux side a bit. since i'm putting together a few servers for my up coming websites and hosting business... i wanted a tight and secure solution.. so I opted for openBSD. i must say, its a great little distro. very tight, very secure and so far error free. Its update process seems pretty painless and comes with everything i need so far. I beleive there are some apps out there to let me run asp on a non windows server, but im not sure i can even see teh point since asp is vastly inferior to almost any of the alternatives. if im putting up free band pages, its not like they're going to use it anyways.

for firewall, i use smoothwall, which is pretty damn useful. my development box is openbsd as well which helps with development.

laptop is dual boot. theres just somethign useful for when working on a website to mount the website as a file system.

[Uther Pendragon]

yeah those asp solutions are sort of okay if you REALLY need to run asp but I wouldn't suggest it otherwise.

I am a big fan of debian for pretty much everything, its fscking awesome.

loooooooooooove apt, it's great for keeping the servers humming and patched up.

Each to their own though

[sortius]

this poll is uber ghey and written by a retard. I run linux as my server, it runs a apache, samba, courier & sendmail, teamspeak, DNS, VPN, the list goes on.

I think the options are for people who really don't understand the advantages of linux. I run windows on my workstation, so I can reblast it. I run linux on my server so it's safe, the lappy runs Mac OS X (the woman's machine) and my HTPC runs MCE.

Dual booting linux is a waste of time. Don't do it. At all. Ever.

[sortius]

maybe, but I really don't care if normies use linux. in fact, I'd prefer if they don't. less headaches for me. nothing worse than retards using powerful OSs.

Example:

"I did an rm -rf /, is that bad?"

[skozombie]

I only ever boot into windows XP for the odd game, cause i cbf fighting with wine/cedega.

I find I'm far more productive under linux than windows.