Linux, is multi-faceted.
Don't ever assume linux isn't gui centric, it might not be yet, but
with KDE and GNOME on the rise its quickly getting there. The deal
with Linux is FREEDOM. If your a console guy, stay in console, if
your a gui dude download enlightenment, gnome, and anything else you
like. The point is, with linux you choose what you want your interface
to be, not MS or any one else. Thats what a lot of people, not just CS
people, who use linux, love about it.
Free software doesn't imply anything other than its free. Performance
varies from genre, to genre, and from specific use to use. A lot (and
perhaps a larger ratio than commercial) of free software has the
property of good performance, but this is because of many issues.
Xfree86 is a great Xserver, but there are commercial ones that are
faster in some instances. The point being free software is first and
for most about its freedom, all the coorlations, and benefits of its
freedom are just that coorlations.
Free software has a lot more benefits over commercial propertary
software in the area of potentional. Something that is free software
can be added to, tweak, sped up, modeled around a specific problem, with
a lot less hassle. Its because of that reason, and many others, that
good programmers often make free software better than commercial
software. A good example is g++ where things are being fixed and
standardized, much faster than any other compiler out there. In this
specfic area, the fact that its free, allows it to shine and prosper.
I use free software, because of my moral alignment. I can do everything
I want with free software because its free, and thus often good, solid,
and feature packed software.
Finally, moral of the story. Linux is everything from a interfaceless
embedded system, to a great console/shell system, to a gui oriented
personal/workstation os, and practically every other demension of
computing. And free software is good, first because its freedom, second
because it just so happens that freedom allows greatness to florish.
-Omar
Moez Naseer wrote:
>
> One thing I like about Linux is that you don't feel dumb while running it.
> It respects your intelect (unlike Windows) and instead of concentrating
> too much on the user interface, gets the important things done.
>
> I had a question. How can one look at LINUX source code? Is it available
> on the web? Also, do you think free software is generally better in
> performance compared to copyrighted software?
> Moez
>
> *******************************************************************************
> e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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> *******************************************************************************
>
> On Wed, 28 Oct 1998, Jack wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > It is pretty instructive to be able to read all the source code to your
> > operating system. Some of us like to be able to get under the hood and
> > tinker around. Besides, windows isn't fun. There are some neat apps, but
> > it doesn't offer very much to os hobbyists. It isn't for everybody, but I
> > think any CS person should have working knowledge of Unix os's; even if
> > all computers ran on M$ software (ha! ha ha ha!) this knowledge would be
> > valuable for system and application programmers as a good model.
> >
> > Jack
> >
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> >
>
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