[Gllug] Linux on Desktop

[damion.yates at gmail.com]

On Sun, 4 Feb 2007, John Hearns wrote:

> damion.yates at gmail.com wrote:
> > 
> > In general I'm now very disappointed at this group.  So many
> > Windows using quitters.  I'm not about to write a further 1000
> > word essay on this, but suggesting Cygwin just to pick one
> > example, makes me cry.
> 
> What in the blue blazes are you talking about?  "Windows using
> quitters" ???  There is a whole range of Linux expertise on this
> group - as evidenced by people from abroad regularly asking us for
> advice.

Well _obviously_ I'm not talking about them :)

My email was just a bit of a brain dump of pent up annoyance over many
things an old timer (actually I'm only just 32) like me keeps seeing.

This list, I'd hope would have some beginners, but mainly be full of
the nerdiest geeks and Linux lovers around!  People who grew up coding
in assembly, typically not even with mnemonics, just raw hex :)

I keep reading articles from people who say similar things that I see
on the list, common themes show signs of a fondness of Linux but the
underlying belief that it's on its way to catching up.  Typically seen
connected with the dual-boot and only-at-home/only-on-the-server
stance.

On its way to catching up, drives me mad.  If it's behind now, then
it's falled behind from being ahead and a bit of a history lesson
could help change many people's opinion.

Take the Internet, tcp/ip, daemons listening on sockets, clients doing
interesting things.  This was almost entirely Unix, chat systems, file
sharing, even Web browsing was all Unix.

Even as late as 2000 (many years after the first WWW sites arose) when
Netscape's Communicator and older Navigator were in use, it was more
popular than IE, which came with Windows.  The releases of the latest
beta versions of these browsers were exciting and came out FIRST on
Unix!  Typically Linux and SunOS.  Weeks later after some more
compiles, the Windows masses were allowed their turn (then some months
or years later, MacOS).

You don't see this with like likes of Skype or any other modern
popular Internet client anymore.  This is a step backwards.  It's the
reason you get comments like "Oh, you can get Firefox for Linux too?".

CDROMs (the iso9660 file format with RockRidge extentions) were in use
for years, with DOS and Windows3.1 users (possibly MacOS users to a
degree), were limited to 8.3 filenames.  MS released Long filename
support (we call is vfat) and not long afterwards, the Joilet format
extention - not initially supported under the Linux kernel.  Suddenly
new staff in my office are asking when Unix will get support for long
filenames like window95 has had for ages, after seeing an 8.3
limitation.  They hadn't seen RR and were too young to remember
Win3.1.  GAH!!!

I will try and stop now as this thread really should have died, but my
general point is that it's not a case of catching up, loads of very
impressive things have been possible for over a decade.  I'm still
using a system which is shockingly similar to one I was using in the
mid 90s, bash(1) and screen(1) for example.

The problem is a lack of awareness, especially from those promoting Linux
based systems, causes comments like:

"Apparently bitorrent is being used for legitimate downloads"
"You can now get IRC clients for Linux"
"The kernel now has CIFS support, so for the first time you can
mount remote network drives"
"There is even a port of Doom for Linux"

(hopefully people will note the importance of these examples).

> > 
> > Now stop being lame and help me fight the fight! :)
> > 
> 
> What fight?

I believe that the Apple vs Microsoft vs Commercial Unix vs Free Unix
environment that we are in, is not just a market place where the best,
cheapest or easiest system can win, but that it is a fight.
One that is only really being fought and won by one side.

The fight has practically already been won, but I think very few
people have spotted that.

Many, if not most Universities used Unix, often for the Desktop.
Computer science students compiled code under it as that was free and
generally the easiest way.  This has changed significantly for the
worse and now Universities are churning out Windows "experts".  Web
servers were almost all Unix, now almost a 1/3 are Windows.
Fileservers, factory robotic control units, geeks toys and gadgets and
their software tools were all Unix only, now almost all of these
things are Windows only.

It has been downhill for years.

New people who think Linux is catching up, with no memory of how it
was ahead before, and make the comments as I quoted above, are just
annoying.  But they are not the reason the fight is almost lost.
Those who have used Unix, especially Linux based systems for years,
who have switched to putting up with Windows at work, just as it's less
hassle than to fight with those currently in charge of these
decisions, make me very sad.  Very technically competent coders I've
known, have changed and say they've ported their app to Windows or are
using Windows as wifi "just works" or similar, are possibly the
biggest cause of the downhill slump.

Yes there are plenty of fighters still out there, but when I see Linux
experts using Windows it makes me write ranty verbose emails.  Sorry
everyone :)

Damion

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