Linux......Come of age!!!!!

olly300

isofa wrote: »

As much as I like the idea, no distro of Linux comes close to the quality feel of Mac OS X and Windows XP (I won't mention Vista), that coupled together with available applications I use day to day, everything from Adobe CS2 and 3 suites, to Office, database systems, web and development.

I agree that older computers can really benefit from Linux though. And Ubuntu is neat.

It's an alternative, and I've played around with it, but I agree with superscaper, it's got a long way to go.

For databases, web and development (unless you are developing with Microsoft specific languages) you will have no problem on linux.

Microsoft Office and Adobe software will cause you problems simply because they are written specifically for those operating systems.

I know a couple of OAPs who never used computers and where given a PC with linux distribution to use. They are both fine with it. (It's actually easier telling someone to open terminal and type something in then to click somewhere on a user interface.) So it's hogwash saying someone can't cope using a linux PC.

isofa

olly300 wrote: »

For databases, web and development (unless you are developing with Microsoft specific languages) you will have no problem on linux.

Microsoft Office and Adobe software will cause you problems simply because they are written specifically for those operating systems.

I know a couple of OAPs who never used computers and where given a PC with linux distribution to use. They are both fine with it. (It's actually easier telling someone to open terminal and type something in then to click somewhere on a user interface.) So it's hogwash saying someone can't cope using a linux PC.

I never said anyone can't cope using a linux pc

About 50% of the development tools I use are Microsoft or MS related.

Exactly: Office and Adobe software are available on Windows and the Mac, but not Linux. I'm far more interested in the applications I use than the OSes. Nothing will ever come close to the quality of the tools I use from Adobe. No open source package can hold a light to them. And although OpenSource s/w like OpenOffice are good, Office leaves them for dead if you are a power user. For basic users, you'll probably be fine.

If you really think it's easier to get people to use a terminal / command window than to click and point, you must be, crazy I totally disagree, I work with vastly different types of clients, from corporates to small businesses, getting someone to type and run a script terrifies them all. Most users, are not technically minded.

Conor_3

When wifi works with WPA-AES encryption, I'll say Linux works.
When I can connect to windows shares and share folders over a network as easily as I can with Windows, I'll say Linux works.
When power management works properly, I'll say Linux works.

And when all of those actually exist in the same distribution, I'll say Linux works.

Antexter

I run Kubuntu, PC Linux 2007, Fedora and OpenSuSe.
Windows free house .

My favorite is between Kubuntu and PC Linux 07

mjr600

One word...... WUBI

Find it, install it, let it download and install Ubuntu 8.04 on a partition size of your choosing, reboot.

The easiest dual boot method to run Linux there is.

sco0ter

One little question regarding the whole VIRUS and linux thing...

If everybody switched to LINUX how long do you think it would be before there were virus and spyware written for it???

I remember reading a few years back that all that was stopping wide spread virus/spyware for linux (as well as OSX) was the fact it wasnt as popular. Just wondering what others thought.

Antexter

Its the way Linux and Unix is build (Mac)
Ideally unlike windoze it doesn't have the simple admin priviledges, the main trouble with windows users is users logging in as admin on home computers, with things like kubuntu you physically cannot loggon as root unless you go into recovery mode.
That their is stopping a whole lot of viruses, as for the way its build you need to ask more advanced users but the idea is its not that simple to figure out how to actually implement a virus on linux.
It has been done but with great difficulty and due to the communities its easily and fast fixed.

But you wont see the amount of viruses windows has on linux due to the way its built and manitained.

sco0ter

Antexter wrote: »

But you wont see the amount of viruses windows has on linux due to the way its built and manitained.

But if it was the main OS in the world then Im sure that because of dishonest people, Phishers,scammers they would no doubt put thier minds to it and find a way. How hard doesnt matter if there is money to be made stealling CC details and the like.

Antexter

sco0ter wrote: »

But if it was the main OS in the world then Im sure that because of dishonest people, Phishers,scammers they would no doubt put thier minds to it and find a way. How hard doesnt matter if there is money to be made stealling CC details and the like.

Oh yeah its highly possible, but their are so many parts that just slow distrobutions down for example.
The amount of distributions out their.
and the main part the amount of respect Linux has gained.
and my favorite the repositories, this is used to install applications mostly, its a heavily guarded list of programs for linux, I have never come across any malware in these.

The main attacks will be relying upon the user to execute something, which when using repositories is extremely hard to do.

Its so hard to execute something unless you are from root which the way linux is built makes it unbelievably hard to do, you need to require on the user to enter their password.

foofi22

sco0ter wrote: »

But if it was the main OS in the world then Im sure that because of dishonest people, Phishers,scammers they would no doubt put thier minds to it and find a way. How hard doesnt matter if there is money to be made stealling CC details and the like.

Linux runs the majority of Internet servers - if that doesn't demand high security I don't know what does.

Yes viruses can be written for Linux, however most of them are based on social engineering. For example "Click this link for free p0rn" or "make free money" or sent as attachments in emails people blindly open. The average Linux user is generally more competent with security and doesn't think "I have Norton...I'm save from all and sundry!"

With the Linux security model a user has to explicity type commands to run as root (admin) most windows users run as an admin user constantly - anything can install itself as long as you click a button!

Linux, in particularly Ubuntu (v8.04 out tomorrow!) is ready for the masses. I accept there are many windows power users that require specific programs - but most of Joe Public could switch.

And when all of those actually exist in the same distribution, I'll say Linux works.

These all work in Ubuntu.