Linux Made Easy
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Kevin Bedell
Aug. 12, 2003 07:51 PM
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Instead of applying a patch for this problem -- only to have to apply another patch as soon as the next vulnerability is exploited -- why not just move to Linux?
Recent innovations in the Linux community have made this easier than ever. Ease of use is better, installation is easier, hardware support is better, and there are more and better applications available. If you've ever considered making the switch, now is the time.
Here are a few really easy Linux versions you can install yourself without too much worry. In many cases, these installations are now actually easier than installing Microsoft Windows.
- Mandrake Linux. Mandrake was one of the original 'easy to use and install' versions of Linux. I recently installed it on a Toshiba laptop and can say it's definitely continuing to get better and better. Their new MandrakeClub provides access to even more applications as well as a community of other Mandrake users to help you if you need it. I recommend the Mandrake Linux PowerPack Edition 9.1.
- Lindows OS. Lindows is determined to become the 'America On-Line' of Linux versions. They are consumer friendly and have made their applications very easy to install and use. Another real advantage for Lindows is the 'Click-N-Run Technology' they use for installing new applications and upgrading. I recommend Lindows OS 4.0.
- Xandros Desktop. The Xandros claim to fame is Windows compatibility and ease of switching from Windows. Xandros cost $99, but comes with 'CodeWeavers CrossOver Office' which allows you to literally run Microsoft Office and other windows applications right on your Linux machine. Xandros is getting rave reviews from their customers. I recommend the Xandros Desktop Deluxe Edition.
Stop worrying about patching -- get Linux instead.
Kevin Bedell is a software professional with over 15 years of experience doing development, architecture and team lead work, is Editor in Chief of LinuxWorld Magazine, and is working on a book for O'Reilly on Apache Axis.
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really that easy?
2003-08-13 07:33:09 anonymous2 [Reply | View]
Are you going to provide support for all the computer illiterates who switch to Linux based on articles like this which work on fear that know nothing about their systems?
They'll be coming to ask about how to get their cable modem or winmodem hooked up (but not here of course, as they'll not be able to get online...), getting AOL 7 (or whichever version) to work, playing the games they had, etc.
Their ISP most likely won't offer support either, there're just too many distributions around each of which works just so slightly different to make it practical. "go ask in a newsgroup" will be a much heard response, a newsgroup they can't get to because they can't get online (and they would likely not get a useful response anyway, probably being told to RTFM pages for some package they need to install without being told how to get that package installed in the first place).
Linux is nice for the techies among us, but not for the average user.
"Linux on the desktop" has been heard shouted for many years as coming "this year", and it's not a bit closer than 5 years ago when I first dabbled with it (dabbled, because until recently I couldn't get a machine working stablely enough to be of much use, mainly hardware that wasn't recognised and even the machine I now have running Linux needed new hardware because there was no way to get it all working together due to broken support for some of the devices in different kernels).
It took me 2 weeks of research (lucky for me I have a machine running Windows as well so I could get online to do it and download the stuff I needed) to find the solution, which lay in a different network card with a different driver and a new version of the kernel.
I severely doubt my mother would have been able to do that...
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Why?
Hardware, plain and simple. Particularly wireless hardware. The Intel Pro Wireless 2100 mini-PCI chipset that it shipped with doesn't have a Linux driver available. My Linksys WPC54G 802.11g Cardbus adapter doesn't have a Linux driver available. My only option would be to use my SMC2635W 802.11b cardbus card, which has a binary-only driver from the fine people at admtek, which doesn't have near the range of the internal Mini-PCI or the fast bitrates of the 54G card.
Both the unsupported cards are rumored (the Intel chipset) or promoted (the Broadcom 54G chipset) as having Linux drivers available internally or to select customers, but as yet unreleased to the public. It therefore can't be a matter of time or cost - what's keeping them from releasing binary drivers, at least?
Beyond the scope of this post is Linksys's probable GPL violations in the firmware of the WRT54G.
How do we, as the Linux user community, convince the Big Corporations that there's a demand? I've spoken to reps from Linksys on the phone and they've told me flat out that they don't have any plans to release Linux support for the 54G, now or ever, without citing any kind of backing reasoning.