Posts by Kevin Bailey

@Solution is obvious - and simple

Stop using Microsoft software!

It just amazes me all this going round and round in time-wasting circles.

Silvershite

A 'web' technology which will not work on all web browsers!

I would think that it's another attempt to try to keep the monopoly position - but it's probably just microsofties not getting it yet that the web is the platform.

@ Robert Harrison

- Boots near instantaneously into a usable desktop (and that doesn't include a desktop that is displayed but unusable whilst you wait for the services to load)

Check.

Ubuntu may need a reboot after a 6 months upgrade - but can suspend/restart in seconds.

- Doesn't need to be rebooted after updates, updates should be quick and painless.

Check.

Ubuntu doesn't always need a reboot after an upgrade let alone updates. Also, ALL software on the system is included in the updates - spreadsheets, browsers, library files, OS files, - everything.

MS updaets the OS, Macs update the OS and most Apple software - Ubuntu updates ALL software.

- Frees you from the worry about spyware and virus issues to the point that system resources are not having to be consumed even by an embedded antivirus system in the background.

Check.

- Abstracts the user interface in some nice way such that you literally have links to: Email/IM, Web, Games, Office, Media and that's about it. Obviously a server edition of this future computer would have additional links.

Check.

Ubuntu's default Gnome window manager is a great clean interface.

- Installation of a game package should be as easy as drag and drop. Uninstall likewise, and the uninstall should remove *everything*, no cruft. Remember, you the user just want to use the computer not have to manage it as well.

Check.

Easier than drag and drop - just select tick box next to it on list in Add/Remove programs.

- Manages your documents such that you can hierarchical store them how you see fit (all in one sensible location on the future computer, not in the root drive, not in my documents, etc, etc) but that they are replicated so you can get to them from anywhere in the world, and they are secured.

Check.

Shared Documents can be accessed from the Place menu option. Depends on how you want it set up but we have a central server for docs and a folder on my desktop is connected straight to it.

- Handles as many different media formats as possible all abstracted from you the user. If media conversion is necessary it should be as simple as renaming the file whilst maintaining aspect ratio, sound quality, etc etc.

Check.

Ubuntu uses much cleverer stuff than (ha ha) file extensions. All media formats I've tried have been handled automatically.

- Doesn't crash or lock up or suddenly slow down for no explicable reason. Yes yes this is a tough one, but this is the ideal. If you can solve this you can retire immediately, somewhere hot, with a nice beach.

Check.

Easy one. Unix based so crashing doesn't really happen.

If such a desktop system were to come on the market I, probably like most people, would be willing to part with a lot of good money for it.

Don't need to - Ubuntu 8.04 is here for free.

Try it - what have you got to lose - I think you'll be shocked at how good it is compared to MS products.

Of course - you might have to admit that you're behind the curve a bit - but you'll still be a relatively early adopter.

Also, I'm not as experienced with Mac's but I think most of the points I've made apply to Mac's as well.

What have the romans done for us...

Apart from the ...

'I just wish [MS] would then put one tenth of the same effort into making the sites, the downloads and the installations usable'

'As it is you find yourself enmeshed in a Kafkaesque nightmare of: go here and download this, add this patch, and read these installation instructions - which are almost but not exactly like the instructions you downloaded the night before.'

'And if all of this sounds bad, remember that this is only the downloaded - installation is yet to come'

In three days I went back to bare metal five times before everything was present and correct.'

'

'This is not made at all clear on the CTP sites. Note that I'm not asking whether the information is there or not - I admit I didn't check every folder in every basement. It's doubtless there somewhere, but are these fundamental requirements stated clearly at the start of the download or installation instructions? No.'

'if you can't find your way through the maze, round the sleeping dragon and past Cerberus then you are not worthy. Having actually installed the stack and got it working, I feel that I deserve a T-shirt that says: "I survived the 2008 install, even if my sanity didn't".'

Unfortunately it looks like the author has suddenly decided to downgrade all the massive problems and start singing the praises.

Therefore, I agree that thet credibility is now zero and I wouldn't trust his final comments at all.

You get to meet soem interesting old guys as well

We had a great day there.

You get a talk and a guided tour by some old bloke who you then realise was part of the early GHCQ setup and knows lots about what went on at BP.

They know lots of extra bits such as the fact that motorbike couriers were only allowed to be onsite for a couple of minutes otherwise someone with a gun came looking for them.

Typical British understatement that the place which helped stop Fascism is looked after by enthusiastic amateurs!

@Aaron Guilmette

Not exactly true.

AFAIK the standard kernel on Linux usually has loads of standard modules. Certainly enough for the different processor typeand so a HDD with Linux on it will usually boot whatever machine it is plugged into.

The point about some brand new hardware is that - so, ok, the kernel will not recognise it because it doesn't have a module.

But in this case there is a different processor - not a new one. Windows should be able to fail safe when loading the intelppm thing. At least some sort of basic check should be in place when loading to see what the processor is.

The problem is in not handling the error.

If it really is mainly the OEM's problem then how come MS are able to release a fix?

Must have been tough

@Jerk

Boy it must have been tough at school having a name like that!

VS most popular?

Probably not - just check out the number of jobs asking for PHP. And when has 'popular' equated to 'good'.

The install DOES work from a single command. Listen carefully because you may be close to enlightenment, grasshopper.

All packages install with sensible, secure defaults. All packages also install a README file which will explain clearly any further steps.

There - that's it. I've installed (L)AMP so many times I now even cut and paste the line from my notes.

What I suggest is find someone to show you. You'll be amazed how easy it is.

And being offensive is pretty small minded - but I suppose that explains why you can't learn anything.

Debian should get some money and promote itself

Some well placed ads explaining the benefits of Debian in the general press could do all of us some good.

These could be paid for by hardare vendors paying for certification.

For example, IBM and HP are big advocates of Linux therefore we buy their servers. However, we're never perfectly sure if Debian will install on all machines. Sure, Debian goes straight on to the low end servers but what about the ones over $10,000?

So if Debian will install straight away HP/IBM could put an official copyrighted sticker on it saying 'Debian Certified'. The Debian organisation could charge for these stickers.

Now for those ads.

Most company bosses don't know anything about software. They have a Microsoft based laptop and think that MS is the only software company around.

Some well placed ads in the Financial Times, New York Times, etc explaining the benefits of Debian could make them realise that they're paying megabucks for a poor quality product. The downtime and general failure of Microsoft products is terrible for their bottom lines.

Let's face it - when I tell clients that we've got servers which haven't evern been rebooted for years they are surprised and impressed. Imagine how the stats would look. Google runs on Linux - Debian is one of the best Linuxes! List all the top CGI based films - all rendered on Linux etc etc etc

It's actually been slightly easier recently. The two most recent projects have specified that NO Microsoft software should be used. One of those was because the company's new Vista laptops had been a disaster - and the upgrade to Office 2007 had broken their in house Access based CRM application.

The second one was because the company did not want to be tied into a proprietry product.

Reply to: Desktop Linux is not an option -- no, really

Strange.

Everyone else who installs ubuntu has zero problems with setting up networking.

Can only think that your probably infected XP setup has borked something in the BIOS - seen it before.

I respectfully suggest you stop being a fanatic and keep your eyes open. MS operating systems are rightly being slated and are not likely ot get better.

At least this is confirmation that we need to mistrust Microsoft

At least this is confirmation that we need to mistrust Microsoft.

When they start talking about interoperability remember this shameful ISO shambles, remember their continuing backing of SCO and lets be clear about the following point.

Microsoft are a monoploy out of control which is prepared to break all kinds of laws and rules to force people to use their poor quality products.

They do not believe in competition as a force for good. The fact that a so-called democracy called the United States is prepared to allow a company to act in this way brings shame on that country as well.

Beware

We carried out some data processing work for a call centre company.

They invested hundreds of thousands of pounds into all new completely MS based comms kit for a new call centre. It never worked properly. There were several seconds delay in connecting calls and called people would hang up after 4-5 seconds of silence after picking up the phone. There were also other problems.

Over several weeks the comms providers tried everything - but nothing fixed the problems.

Result was that the company went bust - hundreds of people dumped out of work on the next payday - without being paid.

What's galling is that MS would have actually got their money for all the server licenses.

BTW - the old unix based systems had worked flawlessly for years - just some very flashy sales people persuaded the management that Microsoft/VOIP was the way to go forward.

Seagate should watch out

First they release some Windows only stuff.

Now they try this patent trolling.

They should be careful RE upsetting the sysadmins - otherwise the HDD purchases will all go to someone else.

Look what we did to SCO.

There's a reason for HP doing well.

HP are big, BIG supporters of Debian.

Debian is the Linux distro fo choice for most sysadmins.

I will buy HP first because their support for Debian means that it is virtually guaranteed to be compatible and therefore reliable.

It's about time that these suppliers realised that the IT world is run by the penguin loving geeks - and we will choose those who support us.

Also, for us, laptops are bought from Dell because they support Ubuntu. If HP were to bring out laptops with Ubuntu or Debain pre-installed then they will be chosen first.

I think HP have cottened to to how it works - the other manufacturers are going to have to catch up to compete.

Microsoft won't do it

Microsoft won't do it.

They are like the nerd with plenty of cash standing in the car lot full of sports cars.

They have the cash, they want the car, but will play safe and hold on to the cash.

I love this competition

I'm so glad there are different types of virtualisation.

Competition means that the products are always going to improve.

It always amazed me when the convicted monopolists at MS call open source stuff communist.

No I don't work for PG

It's just that in a world of crap software the good stuff is REALLY appreciated by those of us who are trying to build stuff for others.

Kev

GPS

It has GPS built-in - so that is a definite new feature.

Almost unbelievable admission

So they admit that their 5 billion dollar OS will slow up over time!

Hello - Microsoft - it's an OS - my DVD player does not slow up - my fridge does not stop cooling, my mobile phone still works at the same speed as when I bought it.

And here's something for you - my wife's 8 year old Mac works at exactly the same speed as when we bought it.

It's normally difficult to explain to Windows sufferers that the OS is fundementally borked and their £1000 PC will be almost unusable in a few months. Now at least we have a link to point them to!

This truly is the result of a soviet style monopoly - a crap product - and the manufacturer does not give a seem to realise or care. It's like the East German's being proud of the 2-stroke joke tin shed of a car called the Trabant - not realising that over the wall they have BMW's, Mercedes, Porsches, Audi's etc etc etc

The truly scary thing is that even MS seem unaware of just how bad their OS's are compared to others.

(Almost) unbelievable!

If you still don't get it - just try out ubuntu - I dare you - just try it - what are you afraid of?

You better get used to it MS - you now have competition - and it makes your vista look like a joke.

Useful extensions

And don't forget that by using smarty and pear you have a clean way of templating and extending PHP respectively.

You can tell these are fairly integrated because they are at

smarty.php.net

and

pear.php.net

XP Home only?

XP Home only?

Why not XP Pro?

We can all do something

What I am going to do is to cancel my direct debit for the TV license. This is because for six months of the year you actually pay in advance.

I'll still pay for the license as I am going to obey the law - but they are going to only get their money when it is due.

I urge you all to do the same.

At least I'm going to feel that I've done something - and I'll tell the accounts people exactly why I've done it.