On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 7:31 AM, Andrew Elser <[email protected]> wrote: > I am very sorry for not coming to your meeting. Cinco de Mayo sort of snuck > up on me. > > I was interested in how people were seeing the non-server business > integration of Linux. We have some systems that we deal with regularly and > a few that we are looking into. We are finding it more and more, but not > always very obvious. Such as hard drive NAS units that rely on Linux > cores. We have had to learn to gain root access to some devices in order to > try and retrieve data. Also things that should be simple, turn out to be > either orvertly complicated or just not supported. We are finding more and > more that Linux solutions offer more in the way of cross-platform > compatibility, but at a cost of ease of use. An example of this is trying > to print from iPads across multiple subnets. Finally, the use of Linux boot > disks to "hack" user accounts and extract data that customers have either > forgotten about, or has been locked by disgruntled employees, along with > gaining access to scan for viruses and the like, has been extremely helpful.
I dunno, that may be true in *general*, but some Linux devices are *very* easy to use, and don't get much harder when you re-flash them to get added functionality. For example, working with DD-WRT, etc. on Linksys WRT54GLs, Cyanogen Mod on Android handsets. > Has anyone else seen the business world becoming more receptive to Linux > in a non-server fashion? I can see that Andoid devices help a little, but > does the average business person know, or care, what is running on their > phone? Has anyone seen an increase in people understanding the meaning of > open-source software and seeking it out rather than just assuming it means > no-cost software? We work witha few schools that have computer classes, > but to my knowledge there is very little discussion of Linux. Is the actual > use more prevelent and is there a greater need for such classes / > information than is being shown to students, or has it not achieved the need > yet? In the general population, it's been my experience that "free" is equated with "gratis" when hearing about something. This often, but not always, is hung up on a value judgement (e.g., if it does not cost me money, it must not give me value). In our 9th grade Intro to Computers class, I make a point of talking about the differences between proprietary and free software, talk about software licensing and equate it to copyright and the creative commons. The point is brought up while we install Windows XP on some laptops for our software installation lab, that we can only install the version of Windows on there that we have a license for and that we are not allowed to take that Windows and install it anywhere else. The point is then brought up, while we are installing Ubuntu on there, that we will always be able to install the latest version of Ubuntu on any machine we want, and that I'm explicitly free to give away copies to everyone in the class. When we talk about installing application software for each operating system, they are allowed to download and install software, but only free software because I'm not willing to spend the time look over and approve the license every piece of freeware that we may or may not be able to legally use in class. By specifying free software only, not only am I pushing my own personal bias on them, I'm saving myself time and worry. That said, how many of them does this stuff sink in with? I honestly don't know; for some it doesn't even sink in long enough to be recallable at quiz time. And how many of them start preferring free and open source? I dunno... I *have* seen Tux Racer—one of the open source applications they may choose to install on their lab laptops—pop up on some of their personal laptops, for what it's worth. > Any thoughts would be appreciated. > > Andy Elser Just some thoughts... Simón Ruiz _______________________________________________ Fwlug mailing list [email protected] http://fortwaynelug.org/mailman/listinfo/fwlug_fortwaynelug.org This is a public list and all posts are archived publicly. Please keep this in mind before posting.
