Subj : Re: Win4lin
To   : Mindless Automaton
From : Sam Alexander
Date : Wed Sep 28 2005 02:52 pm

  Re: Re: Win4lin
  By: Mindless Automaton to Finnigann on Wed Sep 28 2005 03:24 pm

 > Finnigann wrote:
 > 
 > > I don't think programming skills are needed to run Linux. Modifications ar
 > > almost always to text files.
 > >
 > 
 > Err.. I dunno, its not like you can always download binaries.  You usually h
 > to know how to compile the stuff, which is programming skills.  Of course yo
 > can just sit in your KDE/Gnome GUI and download packages, but maybe you want
 > run say, Synchronet BBS.. :)
 > 

You're right .. and for anyone who wants to learn or work with Linux the 
first commands to remember are ./Configure, make, and make install.  Also 
there's almost always a readme.txt that gives some extra flags that can be 
added while configuring like setting install path or other features.  

Windows has made folks click happy.  How often do you download a setup.exe, 
doubleclick, and click NEXT, NEXT, NEXT, FINISH without reading anything.  
With Linux you do have to take the time to read the readme.txt's, but most 
developers use the standards... so worst case './Configure;make;make 
install' will get it going.

Also something to note .. larger apps like Firefox, Open Office, etc do have 
nice installers just like Windows.  

As for simplicity, some Linux distros offer RPM's, but that's a whole other 
list of issues with dependencies.  Also there's apt-get which works rather 
well.  There are many options for installing and compiling apps that go this 
route.  

Linux is an entirely different world, and not for one who doesn't want to 
spend some time learning something new.  For folks who just want to run a 
BBS and don't mind the headaches that accompany running Windows, that's 
fine.  But for computer hobbiests who truly want that extra level of control 
over their computer which Windows can't offer, Linux is the only way to go.


Sam

---
"Data is not information, Information is not knowledge, Knowledge is not
understanding, Understanding is not wisdom." -- Cliff Stoll

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