Hi Juan:
I'll enter into some details here which I didn't cover previously.
Of the various reasons to go to a YDL mirror, three are the most common:
1. To download files called iso's. They have that name because
regardless what their names actually are they all in with the suffix
.iso!
These can be large or small but they always must be downloaded
first and then burned onto a CD. They can be downloaded and burned
from within either the Mac OS or from within YDL. Here are the links
to the details on how to do that from within each OS:
http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/resources/downloads.shtml
2. One wants to modify yum.conf so that the application called yum can
access as many mirrors as one finds useful, install whatever is needed
so that a desired application or set of applications are available for
use as quickly as possible. Here is a decent resource for your
consideration:
http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/General/yum_article/yum_article/node19.html
3. One needs to compile an application from source. Source within
computer science circles is considered to be instructions which are
designed by a human for a computer to execute. Source (also known as
code) can utilize a variety of languages formally used within computer
science for that purpose: C, C++, FORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, and so on.
Open source refers not to the computer language however, but to how the
code is utilized in practice; open source is intended to be shared and
viewed any by and all persons.
Closed source refers to code owned by an individual or company; in
short, proprietary. Between Open and Closed source there also exists a
range of possible distinctions. One should read carefully the
distinctions mentioned in the software one uses because in general
using software means you agree to be bound by the definitions of the
company or individual who designed it.
Consider the now legendary legal case initiated by SCO Unix claiming
that Unix code was stolen and utilized within Linux. Without getting
into the details which one can read for oneself elsewhere, get into the
practice of ensuring that the software used on your Linux system is in
fact strictly open source or following a version of open source (also
known as GPL - General Public License) as closely as possible. Within
the Open Source community there exists contributions of amazing
applications from individuals, groups, and even private companies and
even from the US government! Some of these efforts or contributions
are considered to be known as Projects as the complexity of the
application includes many features and utilities. However, as long as
they are open source or follow the GPL or a reasonable version of it;
you should have no difficulty regarding your right to have, use it or
modify it as you please -- as long as any changes you make doesn't
remove it from being an open source product/project.
4. One wants to study the source of a particular application. This is
one of the most valuable aspects of the open source community effort.
Everyone can learn something from such study as few are experts in
everything. Consider that the standard languages available for use
within YDL include C, C++ and FORTRAN and a handful of others. C and
C++ are used more commonly and so it is useful to become well versed in
recognizing, correcting, and writing programs in those languages. One
can read books and educate oneself or attend standard academic computer
science courses.
Recall that regarding CDs I already mentioned that blank CDs can be
acquired today from nearly any local music or computer store, even some
pharmacy chains such as CVS or Duane Reade or others. Again acquiring
them is not the real problem; the other factors such as knowing how to
save your time and knowledge effectively is the challenge for us all.
In that sense, the "playing field" is rather equal.
Best wishes.....
On May 28, 2006, at 12:56 AM, Juan R.Leon wrote:
Hey folks,
I am so newbie that I need help in knowing what to download and
install on a PowerMac G4 Sawtooth. I checked out the various YDL
mirrors but it looks like hieroglyphics to me!What exactly do I need
to download? Is any one up to providing me with some discs?Please
excuse the naive questions,this is very new to me.
Thanx!
Juan
_______________________________________________
yellowdog-newbie mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.terrasoftsolutions.com/mailman/listinfo/yellowdog-newbie
_______________________________________________
yellowdog-newbie mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.terrasoftsolutions.com/mailman/listinfo/yellowdog-newbie
