Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Linux and winning

Author:Eric Soroos
Posted:3/5/1999; 11:55:24 AM
Topic:scriptingNews outline for 3/5/99
Msg #:3663 (In response to 3625)
Prev/Next:3662 / 3664

From the perspective of a user who has Mac, Win NT, and linux boxen.

Winning is irrevelant, and the sooner that the new converts to linux realize this, the better. Linux grew up with a bunch of people solving problems that they faced trying to do their jobs, and they released the code when they got it to work. The reason that it has made it as far as it has is that it gets the programmer's work done better/faster/cheaper. Linux will never die as long as it gets the job done better.

I use linux in a couple of places that NT won't or hasn't worked in the past. I have a firewall running the Linux Router Project distribution (http://www.linuxrouter.org) that fits on a floppy and runs from memory. Rock solid stable, and it routes and filters fast enough for our uses on a little old pentium. Linux is killer in these small embedded applications. If I could find the hardware, this could be a book sized box with just power and 2 ethernet connections.

I use linux for ancilliary network functions, like dns, dhcp and the like. If I wanted to, I could probably run these off of another 'linux on a floppy', but they are actually running on a 486 with redhat installed. These services are provided on linux because the NT installations were less than reliable and more difficult to configure.

I'd like to run linux on my desktop (read: My desktop==a server), but right now, a couple of applications drive my os choice. From a user's point of view, I don't see why the operating system has to be the platform. I'd like my operating system choice to be independant of my application supplier's OS choice. From a business point of view, I understand the desire of the operating system provider to be allied with the strong application providers.

I'd like to see the multicolored box strategy in linux. Give me a blue box in ppclinux. Give me a red box in i386 linux so that I can run the couple of apps that are keeping me in windows. Let me choose so that my work is done in the most efficient manner.

Winning is irrevelant. There is no point to winning if it doesn't get your work done in the process. Resistance is not futile, and I will not be assimilated. Where I want to go today channeled by any one company.

eric

There are responses to this message:

This page was archived on 6/13/2001; 4:48:26 PM.

© Copyright 1998-2001 UserLand Software, Inc.