Ron Johnson wrote:
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>
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> The constantly changing APIs/libraries.
>
> Moving from mdk7.2 to 8.0 required a complete reinstall to make
> sure no "ghosts from the past" remain to cause problems. This
> is because massive amounts of upgraded libraries were introduced,
> and many directories were moved. As we have seen so many threads
> here on this list, upgrading a mdk7.2 system in these 8.0 days
> requires compiling SRPMs, and many times, they won't work because
> of the aforementioned upgraded libraries and moved directories.
>
> Just recently, I upgraded from KDE 2.1.1 to 2.2. *Definitely*
> not something that non-geeks would ever contemplate or be able
> to do. Noone could contemplate it on a dial-up line.
>
> Take for example my wife. She's been using the same Win98 box
> with Office97 for 3 years. The only upgrade has been to IE5.5.
> She *likes* it that way. Could she be a happy, unchanging linux
> desktop user for 3 years from 1998? Don't think so.
>
> Could she be a happy linux desktop user for the 3 years starting
> now? NO. "Soon", qt3 will be released. Then KDE3 will be re-
> leased. Then will RPMs (or even SRPMs) created for KDE3 run on
> her 2.2. Of course not, since mdk can't create *RPMs of new
> programs for old releases, even the last one, since the new programs
> use so many new features.
>
> Only when you can install a new RPM on a 3yo kernel/desktop will
> linux be ready for the mass market desktop.
>
> Comments?
Hi,
I am sorry but I really have to disagree with you. I started out using
Mandrake 7.0 and have been using Mandrake releases ever since. The
latest version 8.0 despite it's very few (but very,very annoying newtork
set-up bugs) is an OS and desktop that I would quite happy to use for
three years without changing it. It makes windows software look
positively clunkey and as for ease of use if you are a windows type USER
and not a geek as you put it the complexity of it is not relevent. I was
so impressed with 8.0 I decided to use it at my workplace; in
combination with Star Office it does most of what windows can do and in
the majority of cases a good deal faster and intuitively. On the point
of the three year update why should your dear wife be unhappy with
keeping KDE for three years since the only change she has had is to the
internet browser? My goodness you have a choice of at least three
different browsers and as for desktops I think there are probably five
(although I haven't counted) I don't have the "Power Pack" but I suspect
there will be more than a few more on that. Remember all this is in one
release. I have to confess that when I started out with Linux I had
similar views but I was set straight by Civeleme and now admit to being
a convert, there is no way I would want to go back to windows blues.
Notwithstanding that Microsoft are deserving of the fate of Sodom and
Gommorah for the way that they conduct their business. (Sorry couldn't
resist it after some of their latest stunts).
How will Linux go forward? That is the question in my mind having
realised that the standard of the OS is more capable of competing
against the "best" commercial offerings. The greatest hurdle is the
capitalist society in which many of us live. I believe that this list
(and the Linux cause) would be better served by lively minds trying come
up with means of promoting the Linux cause AND making a living rather
than posting deliberately provocative and negative emails. The GPL is a
most wonderful thing but it will take minds as skilful as those that
conceived it to get the best from it. I believe that it may be the
older citizens of some societies that might provide the key. I know many
"old" people who have taken up computing in their 60's or after
retirement, many of these have grandchildren. Imagine if you will a
Linux provider writing or porting some of those little educational games
that I recall buying for my childrens edification when there was only
DOS. Grandfather showing little Billie how to make the tree get bigger
by spelling the word right and all the time expounding the virtues of
the GPL to the childs father and how if anything goes wrong someone just
dials up from the internet and fixes it for them. Alas not for free but
for a modest sum. To some this may be an idealistic image but it is one
that Linux and the FSF can honestly claim for itself and one which
Microsoft certainly cannot.
Colin H Close
P.S. My apologies to any that are offended by this post.
Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft?
Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com
