MESSAGE
| DATE | 2004-03-15 |
| FROM | From: "Ruben I Safir - Secretary NYLXS"
|
| SUBJECT | Re: [hangout] My Linux Desktop Odyssey, 2004
|
Here is a BETTER article from the same website!!!
Free-IT indeed!!
The LUG of Iraq is establishing a Linux Center in Baghdad to conduct training
in all levels of Linux usage, administration, and development. With a mission
to launch a Linux-based training lab and a lending library, the organization
seeking global assistance in setting up the program.
Ashraf T. Hasson, one of the founders of the Baghdad-based Linux Users Group
has commented that a migration strategy is not necessary in Iraq and open
source Linux can penetrate the market before users get "locked into something
else."
The Iraqi Linux Group is educating people in Iraq about Open Source and Linux,
hosting its first seminar at AL-Nahrain University in Baghdad on the 17th of
February 2004. Al-Nahrain University and Baghdad University are being tapped
to host Linux training classes, according to the LUG.
Today in Baghdad, up-to-date PC hardware and software is readily available say
organizers of the program, but computer books are difficult to obtain. The
Freedom Technology Center and bookcrossing.com members have teamed up to host
an event at the end of this month that will ship computer books to Iraq's
Baghdad Linux Center.
Donations of good computer books to help foster Linux and software education
in Iraq are currently being accepted at the new Mountain View, CA-based
Freedom Technology Center, a new non-profit IT training facility. The center
will be hosting a fundraiser and drive for books on Friday, March 26 from 9 AM
PST through midnight.
One restriction on donations to Iraq includes the US export ban on
cryptographic software. Because most current OS distributions contain some
cryptographic software, distributions and CDs included in some texts will not
be permitted.
For more information about how you can help out, visit the website. To learn
more about the formation of the Linux user group in Iraq an interview with
Adam Davidson, the Baghdad correspondent for Minnesota Public Radio's
Marketplace who helped spearhead the initiative is available here.
On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 23:29:50 -0500, Ruben I Safir - Secretary NYLXS wrote
> There are so many distortions in this article that I can't even
> begin an evaluation. You can start, however, with XP being 100%
> hardware compatable. I nearly choked on my coffee. Check out
> comp.os.windows for a reality check.
>
> Ruben
>
> On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 13:57:18 -0000, Inker, Evan wrote
> > My Linux Desktop Odyssey, 2004
> > by Michael Barnes
> > http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT5886901845.html
> >
> > Michael C. Barnes updates his in-depth review of Linux desktop operating
> > systems. In this exclusive article at DesktopLinux.com, Barnes
> > examines how far the Linux distributions have come over the past
> > year, updating his popular first article and evaluating the current
> > versions of leading Desktop Linux desktop options including Ark
> > Linux, ELX Linux, Lycoris, MEPHIS, Vector Linux, Xandros, as well as
> > Live CDs including Puppy Linux and Flonix ....... . .
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ----
> >
> > Last year, I wrote an article about the state of desktop operating systems
> > where I compared Microsoft Windows and various Linux distributions.
> > At that time, I concluded that if cost is not considered, Microsoft
> > XP was the best desktop operating system for business. I also stated
> > that most Linux desktops distributions were better than Windows 98.
> > Windows 98's one advantage was that it worked on a 32 MB 133 Mhz
> > computer with only 1 GB. At the time, I was unable to find any
> > featured desktop Linux that would run on such a modest configuration.
> >
> > Vector Linux, was the first fully featured Linux that I tested that
> > ran very well on modestly configured computers. Vector Linux is a
> > full blown workhorse distribution. Vector Linux can be expanded to
> > be a complete and fully featured desktop distribution.
> >
> > There are now several other modest distributions to choose from that
> > can provide a complete environment on even smaller systems. Puppy
> > Linux, is the definitive example of a small Linux desktop. Puppy
> > Linux is available as a live CD (meaning the OS boots directly off
> > of a CD) or in a version that can be copied onto a pen disk or other
> > flash disk. Puppy is unique because all the applications and the OS
> > load into RAM. This has the disadvantage of a longer boot time, but
> > the advantage of blazing fast operation. It is simply amazing how
> > much utility is available on Puppy.
> >
> > Flonix is another hyper-small Linux desktop distribution. Flonix is
> > based on Damnsmall Linux that is based on Knoppix which is based on
> > Debian. Knoppix is responsible for some of the best work done in
> > Linux today. Many developers have used Knoppix as the foundation to
> > distribute specialized Linux distributions. Flonix is such a distribution.
> >
> > Flonix is ultra small, but it has a lot of flare. Flonix is a
> > complete desktop that is also small enough to fit in a pen drive or
> > boot off a business card sized CD ROM. Flonix can download
> > additional applications. This gives the user a great deal of control
> > over the final product. Flonix also features a full multimedia
> > playback system. Flonix is small enough to download even using a
> > dial-up modem. Flonix supports wireless modems, and ADSL; has an
> > integrated firewall; and a built-in utility for motion detection so
> > you can easily set up a security system.
> >
> > Except for Vector Linux, these smaller distributions are not really
> > replacements for Windows 98. They are however, ideal starting points
> > to create a complete solution that runs out of Flash or a way to put
> > a very old computer back to work.
> >
> > Taking on Microsoft Windows 98 on the desktop is one thing, but
> > taking on Windows XP is quite another. Microsoft XP is a magnificent
> > piece of work. We have all heard the arguments about viruses and the
> > arguments about costs. Microsoft Windows XP will certainly run on
> > 100% of the new computers on the market and it will support 100% of
> > the new peripherals made for computers. No Linux distribution can
> > make this promise.
> >
> > It is also possible to run most major Open Source applications on Microsoft
> > Windows XP. Open Office, GIMP, Mozilla, and many other Open Source
> > applications are available for Microsoft Windows XP. A very good starting
> > place for Open Source software for Microsoft Windows is TheOpenCD. A
> > copy of Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and the software contained
> > on TheOpenCD is another way inexpensively introduce Open Source.
> >
> > Linux does have advantages over Microsoft XP. Linux is more secure
> > and it requires less resources than Microsoft XP. Linux
> > distributions also allow for faster installs as most distributions
> > install the applications as well as the operating system. The best
> > of the Linux distributions preconfigure everything for the user.
> >
> > I own a laptop that is particularly Linux hostile. The laptop uses an
> > integrated SiS chip and few Linux distributions want to support all the
> > features in the chip. My desktop rejected almost all the Linux distributions
> > I tried to install. Redhat based distributions turned the LCD screen
> > white. I was able to complete the install using the command expert vga=0x310.
> > Slackware distributions such as College Linux, Vector and Slax had no
> > problem. Debian wouldn't install nor would SuSE. Knoppix based
> > install required that I use a kernal without USB support.
> >
> > My desktop computer was far easier to support except for the VIA
> > based audio chip which was hit and miss. Once again, Slackware based
> > distributions were the most dependable. Knoppix based distributions
> > worked except for sound.
> >
> > My laptop worked without a hitch with Lycoris Desktop LX/3, Vector
> > Linux and ELX BizDesk 4.0, so long as I used the expert vga=0x310
> > command to get things started. In the end, I decided to use ELX
> > BizDesk 4.0. Xandros 2.0 installed on my desktop without any
> > problems but would not install on my laptop.
> >
> > None of the distributions that I tested convinced me that if money
> > were no object, desktop Linuxes can replace Micorsoft XP as the best
> > operating system for the desktop. If money is a factor, there are
> > some desktop operating systems that are standouts. It should not be
> > surprising that the distributions I liked last year are the same
> > distributions I like this year.
> >
> > Last year, I gave Lycoris a bad review. I thought that given it was a
> > commercial product, it was not complete enough and I encountered problems
> > installing it on several systems. In one case, the OS crashed
> > because there was no floppy. I gave up on Lycoris but I did order
> > the latest version version which is Update 3.0.
> >
> > Lycoris is a very good looking desktop. The look is strongly
> > influenced by Microsoft XP but the execution is more refined. From a
> > users point of view, Lycoris is probably one of the friendliest
> > Linux distributions available. The new version installed without a
> > hitch and did a very good job of recognizing hardware. It is very
> > frustrating trying to match the right Linux distribution to a
> > specific hardware configuration. I do not understand why some
> > distributions such as Lyrocis or Slackware based distributions seem not
> > to have any problems while other distributions won't work at all. Lycoris
> > installed on every system I tested without a hitch. I do not know why
> > Lycoris does not install Open Office by default. It is easy to
> > install Open Office but it would be nice if it were included as part
> > of the standard install.
> >
> > Slackware, Arch Linux, and distributions based on Slackware
> > installed easily on my Linux hostile laptop. None of the Slackware
> > based distributions installed as easily as Lycoris.
> >
> > After installing Lycoris, I was once against confronted with a Linux
> > distribution which was much more sparse than what I would want.
> > However, I had to consider for a moment that I am not the target
> > user for Lycoris. Lycoris can be the foundation for building a very
> > strong distribution. Lycoris teamed with Codeweavers' Crossover
> > Office would be an excellent upgrade for users moving off of Windows
> > 98. Adding Open Office to Lycoris increases its functionality quite
> > a bit.
> >
> > If you are the type of person who is turned off that Lycoris is
> > still based on KDE 2.2, then this is not your distribution. If you
> > have no idea what KDE is, then Lycoris is probably the right
> > distribution for you.
> >
> > I have changed my mind on Lycoris. Lycoris is probably a better candidate
> > for "My First OS" than "My First Linux". Lycoris should be
> > considered on its own rather than being compared to other Linux
> > distributions. Lycoris is the the operating system I would put on a
> > computer for my grandmother.
> >
> > There are two commercial distributions that stood out in my previous
> > evaluation. These were Xandros and ELX. I believe that these remain
> > the best two choices. Each is different and each is targeted to a
> > different class of users.
> >
> > Xandros Desktop OS version 2 is a beautiful distribution. While Lycoris's
> > look and feel is based on Microsoft XP, Xandros has its own look and
> > I like the look better than Microsoft XP. Xandros' file manager
> > remains the very best Linux file manager. I purchased the deluxe
> > edition of Xandros. The deluxe edition includes Codeweavers'
> > Crossover Office and Crossover Plugin. These two programs are well
> > worth having. I purchased Crossover Office primarily to add Internet
> > Explorer and Microsoft Media Player to my Linux distribution. I have
> > tested all of the supported applications, that include Micosoft
> > Office, Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Visio. All of these
> > applications and more work fine. Codeweavers' Crossover Office and Crossover
> > Plugin are available separately and it will work on virtually any Linux
> > distribution.
> >
> > Xandros has much going for it. The look of the install is the only Linux
> > distribution, other than Lycoris, where I don't go directly to
> > www.kde-look.org and start changing out the icons, desktop
> > background and theme. Xandros look great just the way it is.
> >
> > The two complaints I have about Xandros is that its base install is
> > a little light on applications. Xandros is far more heavy weight in
> > applications than Lycoris, but there are many applications that I
> > would expect that are not installed. However, if your main purpose
> > is to buy a Linux that supports existing Microsoft applications,
> > there is no better Linux distribution.
> >
> > The Linux distribution that I previously liked the best was ELX. ELX
> > is an RPM based distribution that is fully compatible with Red Hat.
> > ELX has two versions. They offer a heavy weight version called Power
> > Desktop and a lightweight version called BizDesk. I prefer the Power
> > Desktop, but most of ELX customers are businesses and prefer the
> > lightweight BizDesk.
> >
> > Where Xandros has created a Linux that looks professional from the moment
> > the disk starts to install, ELX has a far less polished look. ELX is
> > very easy to install. During the install, I encountered my first
> > problem. During the install, only a root user is installed. This was
> > not the case with previous versions of ELX. While it is easy to add
> > other users, it is far better to make this part of the install so
> > that users do not make the mistake of operating under root.
> >
> > The second problem I found was that Java was not installed by
> > default. I contacted ELX about this and they said that the Power
> > Desktop version installs Java by default. I believe that all desktop
> > Linux distributions should install Flash, Real Player, Java, and
> > Samba as part of the default installation.
> >
> > The strength of ELX, other than not installing Java, is that once the
> > installation is complete, there is very little else the user has to
> > do. If ELX changes the install to add a user and adds Java, then I
> > believe ELX BizDesk is the best desktop Linux for doing business.
> > Note: ELX Linux wrote to me a letter telling me that they will
> > change ELX Biz Desktop to add a user during the install and include
> > Java in the base distribution. I can not confirm these changes at
> > this time.
> >
> > The main reason why ELX BizDesk is so good is that it is more tightly
> > integrated than any other Linux desktop distribution. Some distributions
> > throw everything but the kitchen sink in and then it is a matter of
> > the user to figure out where everything is. ELX organizes
> > applications in what they call 'launchpads.' These launchpads group
> > applications by function. As BizDesk is geared towards business, it
> > has only two launchpads. One launchpad is a favorites launchpad
> > where the users simply puts their favorite applications and the
> > second is a control panel.
> >
> > ELX has implemented the Microsoft Windows "Mind Map" on their Linux Desktop.
> > If a user wants to change the screen resolution, they right click on
> > the desktop just as they would with Microsoft Windows. If the user
> > wants to zip and e-mail a file, the user right clicks on that folder
> > and the menu provides an option to zip and e-mail. For someone who
> > is used to using Microsoft Windows, using ELX will be very easy.
> >
> > Another major strength for ELX is that it tightly integrates Webmin
> > onto the desktop. This allows an administrator to access every
> > desktop from anywhere on the network.
> >
> > Because ELX is strongly based on Red Hat, it is easy to migrate just
> > about any application or driver onto ELX. I was able to support my
> > wireless PCMCIA card. BizDesk is a very good starting point for
> > someone wanting to deploy a customized Linux distribution.
> >
> > ELX does not include Codeweaver's Crossover Office or Crossover
> > Plugin. It does come with an open source alternative called Wine
> > Tools. Wine Tools is a front-end to Wine that makes it easy to
> > install some existing Microsoft applications. I was able to easily
> > install Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and Autocad 2000. For more information
> > on how to install existing Microsoft applications on Linux, visit
> > this link. You will find advice on how to install many Microsoft
> > Windows Applications.
> >
> > Since my first article, Xandros, Lycoris and ELX have all gotten
> > better. I still believe that Microsoft XP has the advantage, but
> > that advantage does not take cost into consideration. Xandros and
> > ELX both are better than Windows 98 and both provide support for
> > many existing Microsoft Applications. I believe that ELX has the
> > edge for installed applications and the completeness of its
> > integration. Xandros is more polished looking and offers the
> > advantage of including Codeweavers Crossover Plugin and Crossover Office.
> >
> > In addition to testing commercial distributions, I also tested free
> > distributions. Many of the free distributions are surprisingly good.
> > Among the very good distributions that are available for free, the
> > best two I tested are MEPIS Linux and Ark Linux. Very close behind
> > are PCLinuxOS and Alt Linux, both of these based on Mandrake.
> >
> > MEPIS Linux is based on Debian. MEPIS compares very well against Xandros.
> > MEPIS is a live CD that has the option of installing onto the hard drive.
> > MEPIS allows you to fully test out the system and then decide if you
> > want to install it on your unit or not. Some Linux distributions
> > cause me to panic because I am not sure that I am wiping out my
> > other partitions or not. MEPIS is very kind and gentle and does a
> > very good job making sure it doesn't wipe out your hard drive during
> > the install.
> >
> > MEPIS Linux gives up nothing to its commercial counterparts. MEPIS
> > is a free Linux that is equal to Xandros. MEPIS is superior to
> > Lycoris. MEPIS installs more software than Xandros by default. I
> > prefer the look of Xandros to MEPIS but a trip to KDE Look can
> > easily fix that problem.
> >
> > MEPIS has a facility that allows you to synch data with your pen
> > drive. This allows you to easily move data back and forth between
> > computers. As MEPIS is a live CD, I strongly encourage everyone to
> > try it out.
> >
> > MEPIS Linux installs with KDE as the standard desktop. However,
> > users can choose ICEWM. I tested MEPIS Linux to see if I could get
> > it to run in 64 MB with ICEWM. I got a message stating that 108 MB
> > of RAM is required.
> >
> > The other standout free Linux distribution that impresses me is Ark Linux.
> > Ark Linux compares very well with ELX. I believe that Ark Linux is
> > based on Mandrake. Ark Linux's major weakness is an install that
> > gives me three scary options of how to install. I believe that with
> > the current installer, I would only install Ark Linux on a fresh
> > drive or on a system where there is not important data. For my
> > evaluation, I installed on a fresh hard disk.
> >
> > Ark Linux is one of the best looking Linux distributions. Ark Linux looks
> > polished and is very complete. Ark Linux is aggressively developing
> > and they warn that the distribution is still alpha quality. Ark
> > Linux is clearly a winner and I am quite excited to seeing where
> > this project goes.
> >
> > One more free Linux that I would like to recognize is Arch Linux , A
> > live CD version of Arch Linux is available. It is called AMULG and
> > can be downloaded at Arch Linux should not be confused with Ark
> > Linux. Arch Linux worked very well on my Linux hostile laptop. Arch
> > Linux is a lean Linux distribution based on Crux that allows the
> > user to easily build their own system using a package management
> > system called pacman.
> >
> > Ark Linux's developers state clearly that Ark Linux is still Alpha
> > and that development is proceeding at a rapid pace. Even so, Ark
> > Linux is one of the best desktop distributions available. One of the
> > list of "things to do" is improving the installer. I can personally
> > recommend Ark Linux without reservation for anyone installing on a
> > new hard disk.
> >
> > Conclusion
> >
> > In conclusion, Microsoft XP remains the best desktop operating
> > system if price is not a factor. Every desktop I evaluated in this
> > article is an upgrade from Windows 98. There are now Linux
> > distributions that will run on older hardware supported by Windows
> > 98, but not Microsoft Windows XP. Vector Linux is probably the best
> > of these. Flonix is also an option.
> >
> > Xandros and ELX remain the best of the commercial desktop Linux
> > distributions. I prefer ELX. This is not a quality judgment but one
> > based on personal preference. ELX still has room for improvement.
> > They need to polish up their look, add Java and add users other than
> > root during the install. With these changes, I believe ELX will be
> > the best commercial Linux Desktop.
> >
> > Finally, there are two very exciting free Linux distributions to consider.
> > MEPIS Linux is the more polished of the two and it gives up nothing
> > to any commercial Linux desktop. Ark Linux is amazingly good but is
> > less mature than MEPIS Linux.
> >
> > nd the verdict is: If cost is not a concern, Linux is not ready to go
> > head-to-head with Microsoft Windows XP. The best Linux distributions
> > are better than Windows 98. Hardware and peripherals must be
> > considered, but users resistance should not be a problem.
> > Organizations can save substantial amounts of money moving to Linux
> > and the new distributions will allow a migration to Linux with
> > minimum impact on the organization.
> >
> > ELX Linux and Xandros remain my favorite commercial Linux
> > distributions. I generally prefer the Power Desktop version of ELX
> > Linux. I only reviewed the Biz Desktop version.
> >
> > MEPIS Linux and Ark Linux are two free Linux distributions that are among
> > the best distributions for the desktop available. All of these distributions
> > will work with 128 MB RAM. Other distributions, to include Flonix
> > and Vector Linux will work with even less RAM.
> >
> > ****************************************************************************
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> >
> > ____________________________
> > NYLXS: New Yorker Free Software Users Scene
> > Fair Use -
> > because it's either fair use or useless....
> > NYLXS is a trademark of NYLXS, Inc
>
> --
> NYLXS - New Yorks Free Software Scene
>
> ____________________________
> NYLXS: New Yorker Free Software Users Scene
> Fair Use -
> because it's either fair use or useless....
> NYLXS is a trademark of NYLXS, Inc
--
NYLXS - New Yorks Free Software Scene
____________________________
NYLXS: New Yorker Free Software Users Scene
Fair Use -
because it's either fair use or useless....
NYLXS is a trademark of NYLXS, Inc
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