civileme wrote:
>
> On Friday 29 December 2000 11:41, you wrote:
> > ok, here is the real question: why do people try running linux?, the
> > impression i had gathered was that it was a lighter os and could be used on
> > older machines, (i386 etc). I was a little dismayed when i saw the download
> > size. How much disk space will a bare install need?
> >
> > David and Alicia
> >
> > Would mandrake run on a p60, 540 mb hd, ?
> >
> Yes it would, a stripped-down version. Just because we have 2000 packages in
> the application doesn't mean you need to run them all.
>
> For example there are about 20 computer languages, some compiled, some
> interpreted, in that distribution which are mainly of interest to programmers
> or people who want to learn programming.
>
> There are also three web servers, 20 text editors, 14 window managers (for
> different graphical user interfaces), a Scanner interface program, four IRC
> chat programs, ICQ and AIM clones, a complete office suite, a word processor,
> ten publishing programs, several electronic books, one of them numbering over
> 2000 pages if you print it (HOWTOs), two or three web browsers, at least ten
> graphical editors ranging from paintbrush clones to Photoshop workalikes.
>
> Why use it? Read the license agreement you have for Windows. Then read the
> COPYING file in any of our distribution directories.
>
> If you want to own your own computer and be free to use it as you choose. If
> you want to change how it works, if you want to share your changes with
> others, our licensing permits that, and in fact takes it one step farther by
> requiring you pass on those basic rights to those you choose to share it with.
>
> This is the GNU General Public License, which covers all but one of the
> distributions of the GNU/Linux system.
>
> Yes, you can use WindowMaker, Gnome(heavy), KDE(heavy, but with a lot of
> apps), BlackBox (simple and fast, and runs most Gnome and KDE apps), IceWM,
> and many others.
>
> You are unlikely to need drivers for most aftermarket hardware. Only a few
> manufacturers keep their drivers secret and therefore do not get distributed.
> Linux will come up first time most likely running your modem (unless it is a
> new, cheap software modem), your sound card (older ISA cards may require you
> to run sndconfig), your video (not in 640x480 and 16 colors as with a windows
> install, but fully configured).... Also, unlike WindowsME and the NT-series,
> GNU/linux still has support for ancient hardware, like the non-ATAPI CDROMS
> that ran from sound cards and gave PC users win3.1 nightmares.
>
> But the real issue is "freedom". I remember planning once to be an ISP and
> buying WindowsNT workstation to run my server. In the blink of a Microsoft
> attorney's eye, it became a criminal act to use NT Workstation for more than
> 10 simultaneous connections--yes they changed the license after I bought the
> software, and by clicking on agree or typing Yes, I had given them permission
> to do that. I instead had to buy the NT Server, which came equipped with the
> "Free" IIS rather than the competing number from Netscape I was planning on
> using on my NT workstation. "Had To?" I ended up with Mandrake 5.3 running
> Apache, and I could change it as I saw fit. If Linux weren't here, I would
> have had only the choices Microsoft offered for the use of my computers, and
> I would have specifically been prohibted from changing it.
>
> Civileme
Thank you for one of the best responses to that fundamental
question, "Why use Linux?". Occasionally you get a post that is
a keeper and this definitely falls into that category.
Barry :-)
