On Sun, Apr 25, 2004 at 01:56:54AM -0500, Don wrote:
> 1: MK linux requires less space to install...maybe
> only a gig or two.
This really depends upon what you are installing. A modern Unix
distribution will be 300 MB and up, and the sky is the limit.
(Debian Linux comes with about 4 GB of compressed software. I have
never tried installing all of it to figure out how much space it
would actually use.)
> 2: Yellowdog seems to have wider acceptance and be
> less 'off the beaten path' as far as the linux flavors
> go.
It depends upon what you mean by "off the beaten path." I would
say that Linux is only valuable to a few classes of users, all of
which are off the beaten path in the first place:
(a) Operating a server. There are plenty of excellent and free
tools if you are in individual or have the expertese to support
it in house.
(b) If you are a programmer. There is a broad range of languages
available and a huge library of free code. It is a great place
to learn how to program, study computer languages, or develop
in house code.
(c) If you are technically oriented. Unix doesn't buffer you from
the hardware or the internals of the software as much. It is
a great place to learn about operating systems, and learn about
hardware.
(d) If you are financially challenged. You will be able to eliminate
the cost of software (legally) and use older hardware. Best
of all, you can do so while using modern software.
(e) If you love choice. There is a lot more diversity and
experimentation in the Unix world. Most of all, most of the
stuff is free so you can afford to see what suits your needs.
(f) You are using highly specialised software. This may be a
product of the free software community, tools designed in
universities, or expensive verical market applications.
(g) If you are socially challenged. Some of us hate the current
software licensing regime. While the GPL isn't really less
restrictive, it provides a better balance between the rights
and responsibilities of the authors and end users. For example:
they disclaim liability, *but* they give you the right to read
and modify the code. Commercial licenses tend to deny any
rights of the end user. Of course other licenses (eg. BSD
style) are truely free in most respects.
> 3: OF all the endeavours I have attempted on a Mac,
> attempting to install linux has been the most unmitigated
> time consumer I have ever attempted.
The first couple of times will be rough because the free Unix
implementations assume that you know a lot about your hardware,
and how computers work in general. For example: you may have to
learn about partition maps, or you may have to learn how your
computer boots (oh, the joys of Open Firmware). If you are trying
to share your computer with two operating systems, you are only
going to complicate things. People wouldn't think twice about just
installing Mac OS, but feel that they need Mac OS as a security
blanket when installing Linux. Linux complicates things to: it
makes as few assumptions about your hardware as possible. While
Mac OS and Windows say this is what most people's computers will
look like, Linux say tell me what your computer looks like.
Sometimes this is because they cannot get specifications from
manufacturers. Sometimes this is because Linux allows you to push
your hardware to its limit.
So no, it is not easy. It will get easier with time (upgrades to
hardware, trying different distributions, etc.). And it will be
easier if you don't complicate things. But some of the trouble is
intrinsic to the assumed level of ability of the user. Some people
are trying to change that, but it is not (IMHO) always a good thing.
> Having said all that...I'm going to give it another try
> in another month or two...guess I'm a glutton for the
> punishment.
That's another good quality for potential Linux users. ;-)
Byron.
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