What is Digg?93 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+76You're surprised? IBM has a great number of tutorials on their site.
- TheCod, on 10/12/2007, -2/+61IBM is a big backer of linux and has said that they have plans to make every computer a non-windows machine
- snurfle, on 10/12/2007, -12/+41No, running Windows is a good 'crash' course!
- pinoyboy82, on 10/12/2007, -3/+29Article is dated Nov. 11, 2003. How does the Open Source community look now compared to when the article was written?
- hrshgn, on 10/12/2007, -3/+21At least Microsoft is honest:
"NOTE: Windows XP and Linux can coexist on the same computer. For additional information, refer to your Linux documentation." - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+22Hilarious.
IBM was the "evil empire" in my time, and MS was google. You kiddies are funny. - Irco, on 10/12/2007, -8/+24"Windows has always been, and will always be, better than Linux. It's easier to use, it looks pretty and it PLAYS FREAKING GAMES."
I wonder how people go around being so stupid, I don't see how anyone can go by that logic. Do you realize that computers can be used for other purposes, that PERHAPS, some of us are more worried about security ands stability? - solemnraven, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15no it was so windows could assign permissions to files by user name in a unix type way.
i am no windoze fan boy, but NTFS is not a bad file system.
although i do wish it was easier to mount when i was in my *buntu desktop.
= - Agret, on 10/12/2007, -5/+16Zing!
- yoyar, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14> IBM turned into Linux and open source when they realized they didn't have enough competence to compete with Microsoft.
MS turned to anti-competitive practices when they realized they didn't have enough competence to compete with Linux. - ordminute, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12I'd like a guide for Linux users trying to come to terms with Windows. I haven't used Windows in many many years and now faced with XP (a work thing) 'm genuinely at a loss as to how to use the OS. A few n00b questions:
Where do I get drivers from?
What to do when I can't continue to install (or consequently uninstall) some software because it says it failed the first time?
What's the equivalent to TAB completion in the CMD?
What to do when a device cannot be found.?
How can I kill a process that simply won't die in Task Manager?
How can I create a task that will: rename all the AVI's once downloaded, copy them to a new directory, encode them in a DivX format, resize them and burn them to DVD while I'm asleep?
Is it possible to upgrade all the free software on my machine at once?
How to completely uninstall software?
How to determine whether software found on a website is secure and not 'malware'?
How do I determine one file is different or the same as another of the same name (equivalent of 'diff')
How do I securely copy data from the Windows machine to another Linux machine (something like SCP exist or drag and drop SSH (Nautilus, Konq)?
How do I go through my whole machine, find unused and/or broken software and remove it (equiv deborphan/debfoster)?
How do I enable multiple desktops?
What to do when I get a "Exception: Memory can't be read error and the machine wants to reboot over and over?
How can I restart just the user interface (like X for example) without rebooting?
How do I tell if someone else is logged into my machine remotely at the same time?
How do I find out which software installed which DLL, after it's been installed?
How do I write to a Linux ext3 partition from Windows?
How the hell are newbies coming from Linux supposed to know the answers to all the above questions? - yoyar, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13@Crazyz
> IBM was the "evil empire" in my time, and MS was google. You kiddies are funny.
Actually, it isn't contradictory at all. If Microsoft started to support users and companies by trying to support Linux also (please don't mention Novell), and IBM started to try to undermine Linux (Novell) then I'd have the opposite view of the companies. The problem with MS is that they actively try to sabotage their competitors using legal or illegal means (they don't appear to care which) as a substitute for competition. Sure, IBM used to be looked upon as an evil company and I'm sure they are in lots of ways. But they appear to have become enlightened with regards to FOSS, and that's why people don't hate them as much anymore. Nothing to laugh at here.
As far as Google goes, for me the jury is still out; I don't see reports almost everyday of them try to actively sabotage their competitors. What I do see is that they are constantly coming out with new and interesting products designed to win consumers over to their camp. They've done some odd, sometimes evil things, but they don't appear to do things like make huge deals with Novell so that they can spread FUD without any justification. See: http://news.com.com/Ballmer+repeats+threats+against+Linux/2100-7344_3-6160604.html?tag=nefd.top
All corporations are evil. Some of them try to be less evil and some of them pursue it.
Perhaps, Crazyz, you are a dinosaur. Ballmer is a used car salesman, that somehow got to be CEO. - sketchydave, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10I think this should be required reading for anyone thinking of switching. I'm halfway through Part 1. Thinking in Linux and I've had several "ah-ha" moments already. Like:
"For those accustomed to a graphical environment, a Linux server might appear primitive at first glance. But Linux development has focused for most of its life more on what was under the hood. Linux has very sophisticated networking, scripting, and security capabilities that are active even in a text-only environment. Some of the seemingly bizarre steps required to perform some tasks are inexplicable until you realize that Linux expects to perform these tasks on a network in cooperation with other Linux systems." - hmmmok, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Actually Big Blue has had a major grudge against Microsoft, going back to that relic that was OS2.
- Edu115, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11You do know that in 2003 Ubuntu hadn't been released yet, don't you?
- srg13, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I think this is geared more at system admins
eg. "Administration is more than just following procedures. There is a creative side to successfully managing a computing environment" - truck87bp, on 10/12/2007, -11/+18Its nice to see the Big Boys playing hard ball. I'm thinking I need to buy some IBM and Dell stock. I also wonder who else is going to jump on the bandwagon.
2007 & 8 are going to be very interesting years for the home computer.
I like my Dual boot box (XP and Ubuntu), it gives me time to get comfortable with Linux before I completely switch over. Note: Fat32 is readable by Linux, so you can share your data between OS's which is very nice. Now I see why the other system wanted you to change to NTFS, it was to slow down the prevailing Free software Linux in the breeze. - theodorecarras, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11I know, it's not like NTFS is the far superior filesystem or anything.
- Erowid, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9@namezod: Because your job requires familiarity with unix/linux? Because you don't like the idea of paying for an OS? Because Vista scares the crap out of you? etc, etc.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7NTFS is now fully read/write in Linux thanks to NTFS-3G
- scaryant, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8IBM has been pro-Linux for a long time now, it really started to ramp up when they begun to sell servers with Linux builds out-of-the-box. I think the fact that the author "put down Windows" is of little relevance, he wasn't particularly scathing and to be honest everything he did say about Windows was justified.
- andycr512, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7@slicedoranges:
"Windows has always been, and will always be, better than Linux."
That's an opinion, and one that you state as fact.
"It's easier to use,"
Yet another opinion.
"it looks pretty"
Not as pretty as a decked out GNU/Linux installation with a nice theme. Then again you can theme Windows, too- Oh, wait, darn, that requires either commercial software or a DLL hack. What a shame.
"and it PLAYS FREAKING GAMES."
Let's see, on GNU/Linux, I play Battlefield 2, Day of Defeat, Counter-Strike, Counter-Strike Source, Half-Life 2, Unreal Tournament 2004 and more perfectly... Yeah, Windows can play games, but it is not the only OS which can.
@namezod:
I admire your fluent control of leet speak. - fflush, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9@pinoyboy
regardless, the information is still useful, and maybe i'm the only one who's human here, but i have a tendency to forget certain things. it's nice to be reminded of useful commands. - verifex, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Submitter obviously doesn't know about IBM being one of the larger supporters of Open Source software.
- Renolc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5If you honestly think that, then you probably haven't used any modern distro.
First off, you can use linux to do a lot more than just basic interweb stuff.
My linux box is my main development environment.
I also edit/listen to music,
edit/draw raster and vector images using my wacom tablet,
play games,
write documents,
edit/watch movies,
call people (via Skype),
and much more.
As for installing software, lets say you are using Ubuntu.
Download a deb file, double click it. Done.
Or
Open up synaptic, search for desired file, mark it for instillation and apply. Done.
Or
Open up a terminal, sudo apt-get install [fileName]. Done.
Admittedly, if you want the latest version of everything, you may have to compile from source which is probably what you were referring to in the first place. But that solely depends on the package manager you are using. - Hoov, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I work as a contractor for IBM. At work the only desktops still running Windows are for the "older" servers. The latest and greatest all have Linux on the support console. Imagine where we'd be at this point if Linux (or I should say Open Source in general) was adopted much earlier? Maybe not the best analogy, but I see it as almost the same way as if there were never any wars - we'd probably be traveling through space right about now.
- cquinnd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4If you are gonna bash MS, do it right. Microsoft was engaged in "anti-competitive practices" long before Linux was even a senior class project.
Ironically, they learned much of those practices from IBM. - Solidcell, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5You know, it's not hard in the least to get Ubuntu to Read/Write NTFS and for Windows to Read/Write EXT3. Fat32 sucks if you plan on storing isos (or any other large file) for any period of time due to the size limitations.
However the real winner here whom everyone overlooked is of course Solaris. - bhess, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Why anyone lumps IBM and Dell together anymore is beyond me. IBM sold its PC operation to Lenovo; they don't make desktop machines anymore. They're not one of the "Big Boys" when it comes to personal computers.
- jtkooch, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I don't get the interbang (?!) What do you think IBM has been doing for the last 4 or 5 years?
- AndyManCan, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6Hey guys, I think we need and elder to step in with a historical comment here. Let us remember that way back in the 70s it was IBM's decision that the PC market was going to be very small and specialized and played a big role in helping Microsoft capture the low end PC market with Windows. Really IBM and MS are both big players in the "Computer" field. "Apple" is really the wild card here. Do you use iTunes? I know I do.
IBM is actually a very interesting company and they do a lot of good for the Open Source community too. Eclipse? IBM. The University of Toronto dumped code warrior (getting expensive) for Eclipse (Free, as in free speech).
So in the final analysis players to watch: IBM, MS, Google, Apple, Clusty, PowerSet?. 2007 is going to be a critical year in Computing, with disappointing Vista sales, I am pumped, I think the crumbling of the MS empire will be the first sign of Open Source hitting the big time. Also the "Software for Starving Students" should give Open Source a push in one of the most important demographics. - Sirusdv, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4That was a great intro to linux systems. I've fiddled around (quite a bit) with running linux but there's always something more to know and there really is a high learning curve, especially with all the varying distros (file system layouts, distro specific tools, etc.) I wish there were more guides that focus on primarily windows centric IT Professionals (take me for example, a Windows programmer.)
I could write an optimized memory manager and a multi-tiered reliable UDP communications library blind folded for windows, yet Linux still intimidates me and makes me feel inadequate and a Mac user... Most guides start out with cd'ing from directory to directory and end up with RPM package management, but few go into the interesting tid-bits that most coders and windows netadmins would be interested in... So yeah, wish there were more things like this.. - blizzok, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Linux: If it's formated... go for it! (If not, have an fdisk!)
Windows: Is it NTFS? FAT32? ***** you. - OsakaWilson, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7As much as I like anything that promotes Linux, that was kind of lame. Linux can be controlled by console, but for people new to Linux, that is not the way to introduce them. Give them Ubuntu with Beryl, then when they are settled in, show them how powerful the command line is.
- Jonny0stars, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I dont think this tutorial is focused on the average migrating user, its focused more toward businesses and network administrators as far as i can tell.
Even so the CLI is still a vital part of Linux and always will be as there are thousands of CLI only applications much more than there GUI counterparts, and not just programs but basic systems maintenance updating and customizing the kernel etc - Satertek, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6They have many Linux commercials as well, ex: http://youtube.com/watch?v=EwL0G9wK8j4
- fleabag, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2LOOK HOW ***** OLD THIS ARTICLE IS.
- R34C7, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3NTFS is required to make larger files, partitions, and support larger hard-drives. FAT is limited in these aspects and make programming and compatibility a large issue. A FAT system is slightly less reliable and slower because it does not use metadata for finding and indexing. There is no current necessity to run NTFS, but it will become a future performance and compatibility issue.
- schoate09, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yea, you're right about a lot of that. I just wanted to respond about open source. That's not what Im neccisarily saying. Perhaps something like portage... You can even dl .tar.gz, and have somethign that installs it, and places the icon in the menu. That would be perfect.
- stanleypane, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4"Windows has always been, and will always be, better than Linux. It's easier to use, it looks pretty and it PLAYS FREAKING GAMES."
I wonder how people go around being so stupid, I don't see how anyone can go by that logic. Do you realize that computers can be used for other purposes, that PERHAPS, some of us are more worried about security ands stability?
---
Don't sweat this guy, irco. My dad has always been, and will always be, better than his dad. He's much cooler, looks good and can KICK THE CRAP OUT OF HIS DAD! - andycr512, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"Linux is nice for developers. It's also nice for servers."
Yeah, it is.
"Freespire is the one dirstro I can see doing well."
It's pretty good, but its a LOT slower than other distros for some reason.
"With it's CNR and commercial drivers and codecs."
I tried CNR and was less than impressed to be honest.
"However, a much better way to install would be some kind of downloadable or distributable standalones (not RPM, with it's dependancies and such). That could help drive commercial software."
I suppose so, but do we really want proprietary software? Do the vendors want to support such an open OS?
"For the home user, right now, Windows is easier to use."
That is debatable, because nearly everyone is used to Windows. We really do need a study that shows which is true.
"Anyone who disagrees is ignorant,"
Anyone who calls anyone who disagrees with his opinion ignorant is my definition of ignorant. But that's just my opinion. :)
"as besides Freespire, anyone who wants access to a variety of software to easily install (plenty for linux, doesn't meet the second req.), would need some work to do that on Linux."
Why is, for instance, in Ubuntu, clicking Applications->Install (or some such, forget the title), choosing an app, and pressing install so hard? It sure is easier than the Windows method. - rocko_stazetti, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"Both Linux and Windows can work with a wide variety of file systems."
- Renton, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It's called dual booting.
- CheapDigWannbe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Seriously WTF. First there was a great boom of Windows to OSX switch stories.... Now Windows to Linux switch guides...
If you're not running windows and digging this story can you explain why? - GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2There is a reason IBM are a big supporter of Linux. It has a bit to do with Linux itself. The real question is why the tech company with the biggest profit margin on the planet would choose Linux over its own corporate Unix solution.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3@yoyar
Welcome to the business world. If you think for one moment that any company won't try to "sabotage" their competition then you are very nieve. - barius, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@vmerc
I used to think that too, but I've changed my mind. I switched my mother to KUbuntu last year. About a month ago she complained that it was annoying trying to get her stock info into a spreadsheet from the multiple web sites she has signed up for (Yahoo, Google, etc). So I wrote a script that wgets her stock info from the different sites and massages it into a csv file. At first she would run it manually, but now she's set it up to run automatically on a cron schedule. She was pretty impressed by this capability that would have been much more difficult to accomplish in Windows. The best part though is that because it's a script she had to learn to use the command line to modify it when her stocks change, so she has actually become somewhat proficient with the shell and vim*.
* Yes, she's using VIM!! -
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