There are a few subtle signs that I think (desktop) Linux has finally
arrived.
The first sign is the "poweroff" command. Does anyone (desktop users, I
mean) still remember the "shutdown -h now" command? No one from the
Windows camp will ever learn to use it. Of course, now Linux GUI tools
have made shutting down a Linux machine just as easy as Windows. But a
simple "poweroff" command (which is actually an alias) to power off a
Linux system? This example, which is indeed quite trivial, simply shows
that Linux will not stop at just mimicking Windows, but will do at least
one step better! There are abundance of tools that will make Linux
desktops far superior than Windows, we just have to explore and document
them.
The second sign is the Knoppix distro. This will really make Windows
look like dianoasurs--if not now, soon. With Knoppix, you can save your
home directory (from RH/MDK or any HD-based distro) into a flash card,
and during the Knoppix boot-up, simply type: "knoppix home=/dev/sd1".
Egad! You have a mobile, custom-made system that you can carry with you
anywhere you go.
The third sign is the kowtowing from hardware manufacturers. Has anyone
ever remembered the days when you were trying to help hardware
manufactueres but they wouldn't give you a damn? Now I don't think any
hardware manufacturer can afford to ignore the Linux market. This
morning, I sent a e-mail to Via complaining about the lack of KM266
driver for Linux. Around 2:30 this afternoon (8:30 AM Taipei time), I
received a reply. To be honest, I am really not used to this kind of
royal treatment.
I really think things are going to get more interesting. And this is an
exciting development.
Wayne
