That's right, it's finally here. Now the big question of all time, or at least this time...
Is it a big deal?
The answer to that is relative to what kind of user you are.
To be sure, PCLinuxOS is a popular distribution that has a lot of good things going for it. It is one of the permanent staples in the limited spaces on the computers of yours truly.
Is it comparable to the release of Ubuntu 7.04 though?
Is it the same as the release of CentOS 5?
How does it stack up to Debian Etch in terms of relevance?
The Linux desktop, both at home and in the workplace is a much needed growth area . A very few distros are really making an effort to make that the focus of their existance. and are making the greatest strides in bringing Linux to the desktop.
As mentioned, Ubuntu is one of them, hard to miss them as a matter of fact.
Linux Mint is another, even more concentrated on the desktop.
Mandriva, Red Hat and Suse are not really all about the desktop yet, they are still dividing their attentions and their desktop shows the lack of committment.
Then there's PCLinuxOS 2007.
The sole purpose of PCLinuxOS's existence has been the home desktop.
One of the criticisms of Linux has been that it offers "too much" choice. The overwhelming array of possible applications is dizzying and leads people to give up not knowing which they should choose.
PCLinuxOS answers this with an installed base of some of the best apps available suited to a given purpose. They then sometimes even "improve" on the original when and if possible by packaging it to make it fit perfectly into their system.
The team at PCLinuxOS has managed to keep their esteemed position in the Linux manor by keeping true to their first and only concern. The home desktop user.
Of course, it can be used in a variety of other situations with only a few downloads and small updates, easily. But in it's default state, They are hard to beat as a finished presentation.
While other can bemoan some technical aspects and may even disagree with the overall presentation, They have to give credit where it is due, PCLinusOS has made it's place in the upper echelons of Linux as one of the most usable distros available.
Big Bear
Monday, May 21, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Patents, it's all about the intangibles.
Microsoft is raising a dust storm again over patents.
Software patents are one of the most disputed areas of patent law anywhere.
Half the problem is many of the laws were written poorly, leaving loopholes for less than honorable person's and businesses to take unfair advantage of.
The other half is the lack of responsibility on the government, who issues said patent's, to police the process and try to ferret out said less than honorable patent seekers.
A bit of history is in order.
Some of the original purposes of patents was to protect individuals who invented a product but lacked the means to mass produce it. They would then want to hire a manufacturer to make the product for them but in the end, the manufacturers would lie, swindle and cheat the inventors out of the product, only to sell it themselves or keep it out of the public to prevent it from competing against their own interests.
So, patents were used to protect the little guy from getting cheated.
Businesses and corporations got into the patent game by trying to prevent competitors from stealing company ideas. Industrial espionage was rampant and often, the bigger and less than ethical companies were notorious for trying to make money on someone else's products.
These were almost always related to tangible, physical products and the ideas that made them possible.
Along comes the computer and consequently, the computer program. It revolutionizes not only the business but the way patents are used also.
Someone writes a program that is a wordprocessor. It is unique in it's presentaton, branding and method of output ( in relation to file formats ).
WPX, as we will call this wordprocessor, is a stroke of genius and simplicity to use. It is an intangible though. It is not a product the same way a computer is a product. It is lines of code, written on a "file" or set of files that exist on another medium, a physical device such as a disc or harddrive.
So the patent office, who has not encountered an intangible like this before, agrees to "pretend" that WPX is like a tangible product in order to provide protection to the little guy who sat at home in his dorm room for 6 months straight writing this program.
The patent should be specifically for WPX and it's individual, unique way of performing the word processing tasks.
Now, company M hires some programmers to write a new word processor that performs similarly to WPX but is written in a different programming language and uses different file formats, etc.
This company though, is more interested in money than in the program. So it goes to the patent office and asks for a patent on the word processor. in general.
This is where someone in the patent office needs to stop the process and keep everything "fair".
But, people, companies and governments are prone to greed, bad judgment and irresponsibility. So, somehow, this patent is approved.
Now, programmer Joe goes to competitor N to allow them to mass produce WPX.
Company M finds out about it and threatens competitor N with legal action because they hold the patent on word processor programs.
A tool designed to help the little guy has been hijacked by large corporations and less than reputable persons to serve the corporate interests rather than the little guy it was intended for.
Had the patent laws been more specific and the offices responsible for granting patents been more responsible, this wouldn't have come about.
But it is here now.
Should we toss the whole idea of patents out, especially software patents, since they really are not a tangible product anyway?
There are those who feel exactly that way.
It's hard to say they are wrong. It's not intelligent or encouraging of fair trade to allow a corrupt and easily hijacked system to continue.
Then again, with no rules in place, Who or what will then protect the little guy at all?
Perhaps a complete overhaul of the system and increased scrutiny over the process will work?
One question. Who will watch the watchers?
Patents are a modern conundrum. They have no simple solution. All the "rights" and "wrongs" are very susceptible to perspective.
Something inevitably will happen, it's bound to.
It will be interesting to see just what it is.
Big Bear
Software patents are one of the most disputed areas of patent law anywhere.
Half the problem is many of the laws were written poorly, leaving loopholes for less than honorable person's and businesses to take unfair advantage of.
The other half is the lack of responsibility on the government, who issues said patent's, to police the process and try to ferret out said less than honorable patent seekers.
A bit of history is in order.
Some of the original purposes of patents was to protect individuals who invented a product but lacked the means to mass produce it. They would then want to hire a manufacturer to make the product for them but in the end, the manufacturers would lie, swindle and cheat the inventors out of the product, only to sell it themselves or keep it out of the public to prevent it from competing against their own interests.
So, patents were used to protect the little guy from getting cheated.
Businesses and corporations got into the patent game by trying to prevent competitors from stealing company ideas. Industrial espionage was rampant and often, the bigger and less than ethical companies were notorious for trying to make money on someone else's products.
These were almost always related to tangible, physical products and the ideas that made them possible.
Along comes the computer and consequently, the computer program. It revolutionizes not only the business but the way patents are used also.
Someone writes a program that is a wordprocessor. It is unique in it's presentaton, branding and method of output ( in relation to file formats ).
WPX, as we will call this wordprocessor, is a stroke of genius and simplicity to use. It is an intangible though. It is not a product the same way a computer is a product. It is lines of code, written on a "file" or set of files that exist on another medium, a physical device such as a disc or harddrive.
So the patent office, who has not encountered an intangible like this before, agrees to "pretend" that WPX is like a tangible product in order to provide protection to the little guy who sat at home in his dorm room for 6 months straight writing this program.
The patent should be specifically for WPX and it's individual, unique way of performing the word processing tasks.
Now, company M hires some programmers to write a new word processor that performs similarly to WPX but is written in a different programming language and uses different file formats, etc.
This company though, is more interested in money than in the program. So it goes to the patent office and asks for a patent on the word processor. in general.
This is where someone in the patent office needs to stop the process and keep everything "fair".
But, people, companies and governments are prone to greed, bad judgment and irresponsibility. So, somehow, this patent is approved.
Now, programmer Joe goes to competitor N to allow them to mass produce WPX.
Company M finds out about it and threatens competitor N with legal action because they hold the patent on word processor programs.
A tool designed to help the little guy has been hijacked by large corporations and less than reputable persons to serve the corporate interests rather than the little guy it was intended for.
Had the patent laws been more specific and the offices responsible for granting patents been more responsible, this wouldn't have come about.
But it is here now.
Should we toss the whole idea of patents out, especially software patents, since they really are not a tangible product anyway?
There are those who feel exactly that way.
It's hard to say they are wrong. It's not intelligent or encouraging of fair trade to allow a corrupt and easily hijacked system to continue.
Then again, with no rules in place, Who or what will then protect the little guy at all?
Perhaps a complete overhaul of the system and increased scrutiny over the process will work?
One question. Who will watch the watchers?
Patents are a modern conundrum. They have no simple solution. All the "rights" and "wrongs" are very susceptible to perspective.
Something inevitably will happen, it's bound to.
It will be interesting to see just what it is.
Big Bear
Monday, May 14, 2007
The Power behind the throne ( Or the Linux command line )
In every forum you visit, there will be numerous threads decrying the use of the command line, especially for new users and " average" users.
Why use the command line at all, it is pondered, in these modern times of GUI everything?
It is a great question. One that has a relatively modest answer.
One of the key strengths of Linux, that stretches across distros, is the command line.
Virtually 95% of all commands will work in EVERY Linux distro.
Now if you are an "average" user and one who uses just the one computer with one Operating System on it, it makes perfect sense to avoid the command line.
If it has a GUI version, that is where most "average" users will be the most comfortable and find the system easiest to interact with.
However. To those who take the Next Step. The folks who try more than one distro of Linux to experiment with. To find their ideal niche place in Linux, the command line takes on a whole new role and meaning.
ls -a does the same thing in Mandriva as it does in Ubuntu as it does in Debian as it does in Slax. Etc, etc, etc...
All of a sudden, Linux is not 300 + distros anymore, It is one Operating system with different appearances and the total control to change anything you want in Linux is at your fingertips. No matter what distro you are using.
Now, there are a veritable boatload of commands that no one but the biggest geeks are going to memorize ( usually out of necessity for having a penchant to "break" their distro out of playing with parts of it they ought not be playing with, LOL )
But, If one knows WHERE and HOW to look, then it becomes much easier again.
By keeping a list of the most used commands, one can become a C/L Master right off the bat.
Such lists abound across the great sea we call the internet. Or, if you're a bigger geek, You can bookmark a Linux reference book from O'Reilly to have handy anytime.
If you're even a bigger geek, you can just go out and buy a paper copy of the book to keep at the ready for those "oops" times you are bound to get yourself into for the previously mentioned "experiments".
So, no, the command line isn't for everyone. The "average" users will not want or need to use it often, if at all,and with good reason.
There are now some great distributions that almost completely remove command line necessity from the user experience, like PCLinuxOS and Linux Mint, and the "average" users love them. So do Linux Pros, as it allows the users to use the machine without having much opportunity to muck things up too bad.
The real power of Linux lies in the command line. Thus it still is the power behind the throne.
Big Bear
Why use the command line at all, it is pondered, in these modern times of GUI everything?
It is a great question. One that has a relatively modest answer.
One of the key strengths of Linux, that stretches across distros, is the command line.
Virtually 95% of all commands will work in EVERY Linux distro.
Now if you are an "average" user and one who uses just the one computer with one Operating System on it, it makes perfect sense to avoid the command line.
If it has a GUI version, that is where most "average" users will be the most comfortable and find the system easiest to interact with.
However. To those who take the Next Step. The folks who try more than one distro of Linux to experiment with. To find their ideal niche place in Linux, the command line takes on a whole new role and meaning.
ls -a does the same thing in Mandriva as it does in Ubuntu as it does in Debian as it does in Slax. Etc, etc, etc...
All of a sudden, Linux is not 300 + distros anymore, It is one Operating system with different appearances and the total control to change anything you want in Linux is at your fingertips. No matter what distro you are using.
Now, there are a veritable boatload of commands that no one but the biggest geeks are going to memorize ( usually out of necessity for having a penchant to "break" their distro out of playing with parts of it they ought not be playing with, LOL )
But, If one knows WHERE and HOW to look, then it becomes much easier again.
By keeping a list of the most used commands, one can become a C/L Master right off the bat.
Such lists abound across the great sea we call the internet. Or, if you're a bigger geek, You can bookmark a Linux reference book from O'Reilly to have handy anytime.
If you're even a bigger geek, you can just go out and buy a paper copy of the book to keep at the ready for those "oops" times you are bound to get yourself into for the previously mentioned "experiments".
So, no, the command line isn't for everyone. The "average" users will not want or need to use it often, if at all,and with good reason.
There are now some great distributions that almost completely remove command line necessity from the user experience, like PCLinuxOS and Linux Mint, and the "average" users love them. So do Linux Pros, as it allows the users to use the machine without having much opportunity to muck things up too bad.
The real power of Linux lies in the command line. Thus it still is the power behind the throne.
Big Bear
Sunday, May 13, 2007
A Linux Lucha Libre Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all you Mama's and mamacitas out here in Linux Land.
The folks here at Linux Geeks all have Mamas too. ( Although, there is a rumor some were hatched )
mamas are important people to Linux.
without Mamas to lend support and assistance to many a Linux geek, we would have many fewer geeks to help make Linux the best OS anywhere.
To tell us they believe in us when as pinguinitos, we are trying out our first scripts and config files.
To finally agree to let us have that beat up old p2 machine from uncle ed to turn into a file and print server.
To tell us we can be whatever we want to be, even if it's a Linux Geek and still love us for what we are.
Tell your Mama thank you today. She helped make you the geek you are.
Big Bear
The folks here at Linux Geeks all have Mamas too. ( Although, there is a rumor some were hatched )
mamas are important people to Linux.
without Mamas to lend support and assistance to many a Linux geek, we would have many fewer geeks to help make Linux the best OS anywhere.
To tell us they believe in us when as pinguinitos, we are trying out our first scripts and config files.
To finally agree to let us have that beat up old p2 machine from uncle ed to turn into a file and print server.
To tell us we can be whatever we want to be, even if it's a Linux Geek and still love us for what we are.
Tell your Mama thank you today. She helped make you the geek you are.
Big Bear
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Who are you really?
I love forums.
They are great for everything from finding help on my latest Linux mishap to just finding people with the same interests.
Forums allow people to define themselves however they want to.
It is the ultimate game of pretend, all while trying to be serious.
Some people engage in lesser amounts of "play" than others while on a forum.
Many go "whole hog" and completely reinvent themselves.
All of it is ok.
The problems come in when some people begin to think they have more of a right to post or express themselves than others.
Whether it comes from a grandiose expression of oneself fictional form online or from their becoming overstimulated by their level of participation.
For example, When one is a member of a forum, they tend to be content with asking questions and reading through. eventually becoming comfortable to answer questions and post opinions.
Playing a role in a forum, such as a moderator or becoming an admin can have an effect on people that rivals "real life" overacting.
They begin to believe that as such an involved person, their voice carries more weight than anyone else who is not in same such position. They have an idea of entitlement.
The social dynamics of online human interaction is just as interesting and fun as watching people in real life social situations.
Though they tend to carry their "behavior" online to much further degrees than in real life because of the seperation they have from the "real world".
So Please, be involved, participate and learn from each other.
Have fun and explore the realms of imagination in forums. Just try to remember that in Linux and online, just like in "real life" we all of us are the same and all are equal.
Big Bear
They are great for everything from finding help on my latest Linux mishap to just finding people with the same interests.
Forums allow people to define themselves however they want to.
It is the ultimate game of pretend, all while trying to be serious.
Some people engage in lesser amounts of "play" than others while on a forum.
Many go "whole hog" and completely reinvent themselves.
All of it is ok.
The problems come in when some people begin to think they have more of a right to post or express themselves than others.
Whether it comes from a grandiose expression of oneself fictional form online or from their becoming overstimulated by their level of participation.
For example, When one is a member of a forum, they tend to be content with asking questions and reading through. eventually becoming comfortable to answer questions and post opinions.
Playing a role in a forum, such as a moderator or becoming an admin can have an effect on people that rivals "real life" overacting.
They begin to believe that as such an involved person, their voice carries more weight than anyone else who is not in same such position. They have an idea of entitlement.
The social dynamics of online human interaction is just as interesting and fun as watching people in real life social situations.
Though they tend to carry their "behavior" online to much further degrees than in real life because of the seperation they have from the "real world".
So Please, be involved, participate and learn from each other.
Have fun and explore the realms of imagination in forums. Just try to remember that in Linux and online, just like in "real life" we all of us are the same and all are equal.
Big Bear
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Is Linux just an Operating System
Originally, yes it was. That's all it was. Another way to get the computer to function and perform tasks.
Now though, has it been able to stay just a tool? I would be disinclined to agree with that idea now.
GNU Linux ( Yes, I did it, I put the GNU there, it deserves to be recognized ) has evolved. It has become something more than a computer operating system.
It has become a community.
Any fan of science fiction can tell you that GNU Linux and open source is a direct descendant of Gene Rodenberry's Star Trek.
How is that you ask? Although never stated or shown obviously, any look at the enterprise, any interaction on the Starship or any StarFleet location had computer access.
As any good Trekkie knows, the prevailing philosophy in Starfleet and human society at that time is that people and society have "evolved" past money. The goods and items and services people need and use are provided for in a semi utopian society. Mostly accomplished by computers.
The Star Trek Computer is omni present yet subject, ever ready and subservient to the needs and wants of people.
They are also "free"
There were no "competing" starfleet computers, there were no hidden sources. Everything in StarFleet and human society in that futuristic point in fictional society was open and free.
Try to deny the relationship between the modern cell phone and the Star Trek Communicators.
The fantasy is becoming reality. and it is coming to the world of computers.
As people, governments and businesses rely more heavily on computers around the world, the computer is becoming a "must have" a necessary tool to have in one's home and business in order to access the information resources available to citizens, workers, students and consumers.
Proprietary Operating Systems do not adequately fulfill the vision and direction of the computer's role in society. As societies become more interdependent on computers, they are less inclined to be at the whim and mercy of a corporate dynasty, telling them how they are to use their computers.
As computers are woven into the fabric of modern society, they will need to be open, to allow access for any and all people to work with, on and in the computer and the computer service/support fields.
So who's vision of the future will win out? George Orwell and Microsoft or Gene Rodenberry and Linux?
maybe neither. Perhaps as time moves along, these two are only stepping stones to what will be where computers finally fit into society.
But, as people clamor for more open governments and more open education systems, they will want more open access to technology also.
That means Microsoft and other proprietary systems will have a hard choice to make, go open or crumble into history.
Linux, starting out as an open system, has a good foot in the door way to the future.
So, is Linux just an Operating system? I think it's the beginning of the future.
Big Bear
Now though, has it been able to stay just a tool? I would be disinclined to agree with that idea now.
GNU Linux ( Yes, I did it, I put the GNU there, it deserves to be recognized ) has evolved. It has become something more than a computer operating system.
It has become a community.
Any fan of science fiction can tell you that GNU Linux and open source is a direct descendant of Gene Rodenberry's Star Trek.
How is that you ask? Although never stated or shown obviously, any look at the enterprise, any interaction on the Starship or any StarFleet location had computer access.
As any good Trekkie knows, the prevailing philosophy in Starfleet and human society at that time is that people and society have "evolved" past money. The goods and items and services people need and use are provided for in a semi utopian society. Mostly accomplished by computers.
The Star Trek Computer is omni present yet subject, ever ready and subservient to the needs and wants of people.
They are also "free"
There were no "competing" starfleet computers, there were no hidden sources. Everything in StarFleet and human society in that futuristic point in fictional society was open and free.
Try to deny the relationship between the modern cell phone and the Star Trek Communicators.
The fantasy is becoming reality. and it is coming to the world of computers.
As people, governments and businesses rely more heavily on computers around the world, the computer is becoming a "must have" a necessary tool to have in one's home and business in order to access the information resources available to citizens, workers, students and consumers.
Proprietary Operating Systems do not adequately fulfill the vision and direction of the computer's role in society. As societies become more interdependent on computers, they are less inclined to be at the whim and mercy of a corporate dynasty, telling them how they are to use their computers.
As computers are woven into the fabric of modern society, they will need to be open, to allow access for any and all people to work with, on and in the computer and the computer service/support fields.
So who's vision of the future will win out? George Orwell and Microsoft or Gene Rodenberry and Linux?
maybe neither. Perhaps as time moves along, these two are only stepping stones to what will be where computers finally fit into society.
But, as people clamor for more open governments and more open education systems, they will want more open access to technology also.
That means Microsoft and other proprietary systems will have a hard choice to make, go open or crumble into history.
Linux, starting out as an open system, has a good foot in the door way to the future.
So, is Linux just an Operating system? I think it's the beginning of the future.
Big Bear
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Welcome to Linux Lucha Libre
Aloha.
I hope anyone reading this is wondering just what on Earth is Linux Lucha Libre.
Linux Lucha Libre is a concept, bringing together a team of Linux users and distros in a fun and collective manner.
Linux Lucha Libre is hosted, of course, by the Linux Lucha Libre Commission. Based at Linux Geeks United ( see a theme here? ), LLL ( as we like to refer to it ) is a fun way to present the Linux community as one big Lucha tag team.
Instead of users and distro "fanboys" starting distrowars all the time, creating bad blood and wreaking havoc in the larger Linux community, we want to present the Linux community as a team. United as an effort to be the best OS Linux can be.
For those unaware, Lucha Libre is what is the foundation of Mexican Wrestling. It presents colorful characters and sportsmen of all kinds. One of the best known things about Lucha Libre though is is penchant for Teamwork.
Tag Teams and whole wrestling clubs bring together wrestlers of all sizes and levels of ability to participate in a unified way. To compete and best the best.
Linux Lucha Libre is a fun spin off of that idea, presenting Linux distros as "Luchadores" ( wrestlers) to compete in matches against other OS's, such as Microsoft and Apple OS's.
The whole goal is to have fun and bring together users in a way that builds the team concept and working together instead of fighting amongst ourselves.
What Linux Geeks United is trying to do is use the fun idea of Linux Lucha Libre and pair it with top notch Linux help and teamwork. Bringing together Users of all distros to help each other find the best information and projects for building Linux skills.
It's about building Linux, building oneself and building a team.
Doing serious work while having some creative fun at the same time.
SO many times, users will visit the official forums of their favorite distros and find great help for new users abounds.
As their knowledge increases, they find less and less new information and activities available for their growing skills and awareness. They seek out what they can and often change distros in frustration, trying all the while to improve their skills past the "newbie" stage.
Linux Geeks United's goal is to address that and be there for those users taking their "next steps" into being a "superuser" or even a Linux IT pro, working in the field with Linux.
LLL wants to make those next steps interesting and fun.
It's much more than a forum or a game, it's a philosophy. A way of presenting oneself and Linux as a solid, stable ,team oriented OS that is ready for the tasks and challenges of the modern user's computer needs, from business use to the home desktop.
VIva Linux!
Big Bear
I hope anyone reading this is wondering just what on Earth is Linux Lucha Libre.
Linux Lucha Libre is a concept, bringing together a team of Linux users and distros in a fun and collective manner.
Linux Lucha Libre is hosted, of course, by the Linux Lucha Libre Commission. Based at Linux Geeks United ( see a theme here? ), LLL ( as we like to refer to it ) is a fun way to present the Linux community as one big Lucha tag team.
Instead of users and distro "fanboys" starting distrowars all the time, creating bad blood and wreaking havoc in the larger Linux community, we want to present the Linux community as a team. United as an effort to be the best OS Linux can be.
For those unaware, Lucha Libre is what is the foundation of Mexican Wrestling. It presents colorful characters and sportsmen of all kinds. One of the best known things about Lucha Libre though is is penchant for Teamwork.
Tag Teams and whole wrestling clubs bring together wrestlers of all sizes and levels of ability to participate in a unified way. To compete and best the best.
Linux Lucha Libre is a fun spin off of that idea, presenting Linux distros as "Luchadores" ( wrestlers) to compete in matches against other OS's, such as Microsoft and Apple OS's.
The whole goal is to have fun and bring together users in a way that builds the team concept and working together instead of fighting amongst ourselves.
What Linux Geeks United is trying to do is use the fun idea of Linux Lucha Libre and pair it with top notch Linux help and teamwork. Bringing together Users of all distros to help each other find the best information and projects for building Linux skills.
It's about building Linux, building oneself and building a team.
Doing serious work while having some creative fun at the same time.
SO many times, users will visit the official forums of their favorite distros and find great help for new users abounds.
As their knowledge increases, they find less and less new information and activities available for their growing skills and awareness. They seek out what they can and often change distros in frustration, trying all the while to improve their skills past the "newbie" stage.
Linux Geeks United's goal is to address that and be there for those users taking their "next steps" into being a "superuser" or even a Linux IT pro, working in the field with Linux.
LLL wants to make those next steps interesting and fun.
It's much more than a forum or a game, it's a philosophy. A way of presenting oneself and Linux as a solid, stable ,team oriented OS that is ready for the tasks and challenges of the modern user's computer needs, from business use to the home desktop.
VIva Linux!
Big Bear
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