[Gloucs] Lindows: Beyond Windows, Before Linux

Mon Dec 2 11:48:00 2002

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Hi Folks,

Thought you may like to have a read of this article that arrived from my =
old friend Fred Langa this morning...

The article, although long, seems to be pretty comprehensive and I have =
added direct "click through" links to take you straight to the internet =
sites that are mentioned so you can get the full picture of the story, =
and also may be of use to any new users of Linux based systems to get =
useful information to help general development.

As some of the members who joined early on when I first started the LUG =
for this area are aware, I have always thought that one of the major =
problems for business computer users who want the advantages of the =
stability of the Linux Platform but wish to use many of the programmes =
designed for "Microsoft Windows", has been the compatability problems =
between the two systems and I have followed developments in this area =
very closely...

Please read on and I would be very interested in any "feedback" from =
members...

Best wishes to one and all... Barrie Haycock

*************************************************************************=
****

"Langa Letter: Lindows: Beyond Windows, Before Linux=20

Fred Langa test-drives the latest version of this Linux-based Windows =
work-alike operating system to see if it's ready for prime time.

By Fred Langa, InformationWeek - Dec 1, 2002 (12:00 AM)

Lindows (http://www.lindows.com/), a commercial version of Linux that =
looks and feels very much like Microsoft Windows, made news in three =
major waves during the past year.=20

First was its splashy arrival on the scene: Lindows garnered instant =
attention with its claims that it would be able to run many native =
Windows applications as-is, letting you, for example, install and use =
your familiar Microsoft Office tools in a Linux environment. This was =
touted as a major advantage for Lindows because businesses and users =
could switch to the new non-Microsoft operating system without =
necessarily having to replace all their Windows-based applications.=20

Next, several months later, Lindows attracted still more attention =
through an aggressive bundling deal that packaged the Lindows operating =
system on Microtel PCs =
(http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020618S0006) , sold though =
the retailer Wal-Mart, all for less than $200--an incredible price on =
the face of it, and fully $100 less than a comparable PC equipped with =
Windows XP Home edition.=20

At around the same time, Microsoft inadvertently helped Lindows capture =
still more attention by suing the tiny software vendor for trademark =
infringement on the basis that some consumers would be confused between =
names "Lindows" and "Windows." Although the full legal wrangling isn't =
over yet, Microsoft has for the most part lost its legal challenges =
(http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020517S0021) so far.=20

All that made for a tumultuous year, and the new, just-released version =
3 of Lindows shows some of the effects: It's a little more expensive =
than before ($129, up from $99) and has a new focus that de-emphasizes =
Windows compatibility, probably in part to avoid further legal hassles =
and in part because Windows compatibility caused problems for Lindows on =
many fronts. Here's why:=20

Wine And Whines
For one thing, Lindows' initial emphasis on Windows compatibility =
alienated large portions of the Linux community who knew what was going =
on behind the scenes. You see, Lindows gets its Windows compatibility =
through the same Wine ( http://winehq.com/) subsystem that is freely =
available for virtually all Linux and Unix implementations. When Wine is =
installed on any *nix platform, it gives that system the ability to run =
some native Windows applications that normally run only on the Windows =
operating system.=20

The name "WINE =
(http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=3Dwine&x=3D24&y=3D9)=
" is actually a recursive acronym: Wine Is Not an Emulator. Despite the =
silly name, Wine is an amazing software project that has done a very =
impressive job to date, generating more than a million lines of code and =
indeed letting many major Windows applications run usably under most =
flavors on *nix, including Lindows. But Wine is an open-source project, =
so any changes made by any Wine implementer are supposed to be released =
back to the Wine community as a whole, and vice versa. This means that =
there is--and cannot be--anything unique about the Lindows =
implementation of Wine. And so, to the Linux community, Lindows' early =
self-promotion about its ability to run native Windows applications =
seemed unfair and perhaps a bit misleading: Wine works on almost any =
flavor of Linux, and not just Lindows.=20

What's legitimately unique about the Lindows approach was that it =
included and promoted Wine not as an afterthought or as a curious =
add-on, but as a core strategy to win Windows users over to the new =
operating system. Alas, the law of unintended consequences kicked in and =
even that benign intent caused problems because--as the Wine project =
(http://winehq.com/about/index.php?status) itself points out--Wine will =
never run all Windows apps perfectly. Even those its runs pretty well =
still may not have all features and functions available. The idea for =
Wine is mostly to allow important native-Windows applications to be more =
or less usable in a Linux or Unix environment, not to provide 100% =
compatibility in every tiny detail.=20

But, some early adopters thought they'd be able to fire up Lindows and =
immediately run all their current Windows applications as-is, with =
perfect fidelity. When that didn't happen, some of those users felt =
misled.=20

And finally, as mentioned above, Microsoft also took issue with Lindows' =
early claims of Windows compatibility, as it added to the potential for =
confusion in the minds of some users.=20

For all these reasons, Lindows has backpedaled in a major way from its =
initial heavy focus on Windows compatibility.=20

Windows Compatibility Still Present, But De-Emphasized
Lindows version 3.0 offers the same level of compatibility as previous =
versions, but you'd almost not know it because the issue has been played =
down so significantly. Now, instead of encouraging users to install =
their native Windows applications under Lindows, the operating system =
tries to steer users to install and use native Linux applications that =
offer file-level compatibility with Windows applications.=20

This gentle steering away from the use of Wine, and toward native Linux =
applications, starts in the up-front chatter that greets new and =
prospective users of Lindows, such as in one the FAQs =
(http://info.lindows.com/askmichael/question19.htm . But it also is =
built into every page--at least every page I could find--where a user =
might go exploring for information on Wine or on Windows compatibility =
in general. It's even coded into the actual operating-system software =
itself:=20

For example, to see what would happen, I inserted a Microsoft Office =
2000 setup CD into the CD drive on a fresh install of Lindows 3.0, and =
was greeted with this dialog:=20

  Microsoft Windows CD Found
  It appears you've inserted a CD into your computer that is designed to =
be run on Microsoft Windows. LindowsOS is based on the Linux operating =
system. The easiest way to install new software on your LindowsOS =
computer, is using Click-N-Run. Below are several popular programs from =
the Click-N-Run Warehouse that you might consider which perhaps may =
perform many of the same functions you're looking for from the CD you're =
trying to install. These programs can be added to your LindowsOS =
computer with one simple click...

  Click here for a complete listing of all the software in the =
Click-N-Run Warehouse, sorted by popularity and category.

  Click here for information about running MS Windows-compatible =
software on LindowsOS.
If you choose the first-offered option, you're then given a choice of =
free-for-the-download Linux-based Office suites (such as Star Office or =
Open Office). These are replacements for Microsoft Office that can read =
and write files in Windows-style formats (such as DOC files for Word or =
XLS files for Excel) without using any element of Microsoft Office =
itself. This is clearly the option that Lindows now wants you to take.=20

If you chose the second option--"information about running MS Windows =
compatible software on LindowsOS"--and if you dig deep enough, you'll =
eventually find the Lindows implementation of Wine still present, but =
now buried in the "Components & Libraries" section of the download area =
under the heading Software Development =
(http://lindows.com/lindows_products_details.php?id=3D8949) , a =
placement sure to scare off just about all casual users. But there's =
more, because Lindows' description of Wine now also includes the =
warning, "Success with installing and running various Microsoft Windows =
programs varies greatly from user to user."=20

Clearly, Lindows is trying (1) to steer users away from the Wine option =
in the first place, and (2) to lower the expectations of users who do =
choose that route anyway. In fact, about the only thing they don't do is =
paint a skull and crossbones on the download page.=20

But, ironically, despite all that, Wine on Lindows worked fine for me; =
the Windows compatibility is still there for those who want it.=20

Fine Wine And More
I was able successfully to install and use Microsoft Office 2000 on =
Lindows 3.0; in fact, my whole Lindows experience was impressively =
glitch-free: The base operating system set up in about 10 minutes and =
correctly identified and worked with all the hardware in my test =
system--an AMD-based Micron Millennia equipped with an nVidia graphics =
system and Creative Labs sound card. The only thing that didn't work =
right after installation was the networking, but that's my fault because =
of an unusual configuration I use for security purposes: No operating =
system I've ever tried has gotten my network setup right the first time, =
so this is not a slam against Lindows. And, with just a couple of manual =
entries in the networking control panel (exactly the same manual tweaks =
I need to use with Windows XP, by the way), I was online.=20

And getting online is key to the Lindows experience, as it is with most =
flavors of Linux. Although Lindows 3.0 is available by CD, it's normally =
installed by downloading a 397-Mbyte ISO-standard CD image of a setup =
CD, which you then burn to a blank CD and use for installation. Once =
online, one of the first tasks is to connect back to the Lindows site to =
download updates, additional components, add-in applications, and =
utilities. Moving all those bits consumes a fair amount of bandwidth; =
Lindows (like most flavors of Linux) really is meant for use on a =
broadband or LAN-based setup and would be painfully slow to set up via =
dial-up. But with a reasonably fat data pipe, it all goes smoothly.=20

In fact, the online component is a real strength of Lindows and is the =
true center of its business strategy. The purchase price for Lindows not =
only gets you a copy of the operating system but gives you a year's =
access to the "Click-N-Run" site, which features a selection of software =
(currently, some 1,600 titles) optimized for or known to work well with =
Lindows. (Although most of these titles are available from other =
sources, it would be daunting to track them all down.) What's more, the =
Click-N-Run facility isn't just a download service; it's an integrated =
download-and-install utility that automatically sets up whatever =
downloads you choose, making software selection and use incredibly =
simple. Plus, by aggregating good software in one place and hosting it =
on private servers, Lindows lets its users avoid the sometimes-long =
delays or slowdowns common to more trafficked Linux search-and-download =
sites.=20

What It Is And Isn't
As this brief overview has shown, Lindows' strength isn't its =
technology. In fact, virtually all of Lindows' technology is =
nonproprietary and available from many sources: The base operating =
system itself is the open-source Linux (http://www.linux.org/) ; the =
Windows-lookalike interface is provided through the open-source KDE =
(http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=3Dkde&x=3D24&y=3D9) =
 interface; and the Windows compatibility is provided through the =
open-source Wine. In fact, any sufficiently motivated individual could =
cobble together essentially the same pieces as Lindows offers, for free. =

But Lindows is providing an added value to its customers beyond the bits =
themselves by doing the aggregation of components for you, ensuring that =
the pieces all are easily accessible, easily downloadable, and easy to =
get working together. In fact, I've never seen a distribution of Linux =
quite as polished and easy to get going as is Lindows.=20

Of course, it's not wart-free. More-experienced Linux users probably =
will chafe at some of the choices and biases that Lindows has built into =
the operating system. As one example, most Linux distributions either =
have reasonable security settings and permissions in place or can be =
locked down without a lot of hassle. But Lindows glosses over security =
issues and features to an amazing degree. For example, a very broad =
Google search of the entire Lindows site =
(http://www.google.com/search?as_q=3Dsecurity&num=3D10&hl=3Den&ie=3DUTF-8=
&oe=3DUTF-8&btnG=3DGoogle+Search&as_epq=3D&as_oq=3D&as_eq=3D&lr=3D&as_ft=3D=
i&as_filetype=3D&as_qdr=3Dall&as_occt=3Dany&as_dt=3Di&as_sitesearch=3Dwww=
.lindows.com)  or any instance of the word "security" turns up just 20 =
hits; the same search on the Red Hat Linux site =
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&lr=3D&ie=3DUTF-8&oe=3DUTF-8&as_qdr=3D=
all&q=3Dsecurity+site%3Awww.redhat.com) turns up nearly 4,000 hits; the =
same search on the Microsoft site =
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&lr=3D&ie=3DUTF-8&oe=3DUTF-8&as_qdr=3D=
all&q=3Dsecurity+site%3Awww.microsoft.com) turns up almost 90,000 hits.=20

On the flip side, some fairly unpolished elements of Linux that you =
might expect Lindows to bury or disguise are left in plain view where =
they're bound to confuse less-experienced users. Imagine the confusion =
when new converts from the world of Windows see their hard drive listed =
in some places as "Root Direct (Z:)" or when they install a Microsoft =
Windows application and find the default user name is "Root." (This also =
highlights another security issue in Lindows.)=20

Who Is Lindows For?
It's a little overstated--but only a little--to think of Lindows as =
"Linux with training wheels." To be sure, experienced Linux users =
probably won't like it. But it could be a good choice for people whose =
only previous computing experience has been with Windows or for people =
and businesses looking for the smallest possible initial speed bump in =
transitioning to a Linux environment from Windows. Lindows is easy to =
set up and use--and that goes a long way toward making converts.=20

That said, I'm just one person--not a testing lab full of technicians. =
To broaden the data for this article, I recently asked the readers of my =
newsletter to describe their experiences with Lindows, good or bad. I've =
collected the most-representative replies and posted them in the =
Listening Post discussion area ( =
http://www.informationweek.com/forum/fredlanga).=20

If you've used Lindows or any other Linux distribution, please see what =
your fellow readers have to say, and then add your comments.=20

Or, if you're just thinking about Linux or Lindows, or any alternative =
to Windows, come check out the additional information in those reader =
posts to get a broader picture.
To discuss this column with other readers, please visit Fred Langa's =
forum (http://www.informationweek.com/forum/fredlanga)."

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Hi Folks,
Thought you may like to have a read of this =
article that=20
arrived from my old friend Fred Langa this morning...
The article, although long, seems to be pretty =
comprehensive=20
and I have added direct "click through" links to take you straight to =
the=20
internet sites that are mentioned so you can get the full picture of the =
story,=20
and also may be of use to any new users of Linux based systems to get =
useful=20
information to help general development.
As some of the members who joined early on when I =
first=20
started the LUG for this area are aware, I have always thought that one =
of the=20
major problems for business computer users who want the advantages of =
the=20
stability of the Linux Platform but wish to use many of the programmes =
designed=20
for "Microsoft Windows", has been the compatability problems between the =
two=20
systems and I have followed developments in this area very =
closely...
Please read on and I would be very interested in =
any=20
"feedback" from members...
Best wishes to one and all... =
Barrie=20
Haycock
*********************************************************=
********************
"Langa Letter: Lindows: Beyond =
Windows, Before=20
Linux 
Fred Langa test-drives the =
latest=20
version of this Linux-based Windows work-alike operating system to see =
if it's=20
ready for prime time. 
By Fred Langa, InformationWeek - Dec 1, =
2002 (12:00=20
AM)
<A =
href=3D"http://www.lindows.com/lindows_products_screenshots.php?desktop=3D=
yes"=20
target=3D_blank>Lindows</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>&nbsp;(<A href=3D"http://www.lindows.com/"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.lindows.com/</A>), a =
commercial=20
version of Linux that looks and feels very much like Microsoft Windows, =
made=20
news in three major waves during the past year. 
First was its splashy arrival on the scene: =
Lindows garnered=20
instant attention with its claims that it would be able to run many =
native=20
Windows applications as-is, letting you, for example, install and use =
your=20
familiar Microsoft Office tools in a Linux environment. This was touted =
as a=20
major advantage for Lindows because businesses and users could switch to =
the new=20
non-Microsoft operating system without necessarily having to replace all =
their=20
Windows-based applications. 
Next, several months later, Lindows attracted =
still more=20
attention through an aggressive bundling deal that packaged the =
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020618S0006" =
target=3D_blank><FONT=20
face=3DArial>Lindows operating system on Microtel PCs</A>=20
(<A =
href=3D"http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020618S0006"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020618S0006=
</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>) ,&nbsp;sold though the retailer Wal-Mart, all for less =
than=20
$200--an incredible price on the face of it, and fully $100 less than a=20
comparable PC equipped with Windows XP Home edition. 
At around the same time, Microsoft inadvertently =
helped=20
Lindows capture still more attention by suing the tiny software vendor =
for=20
trademark infringement on the basis that some consumers would be =
confused=20
between names "Lindows" and "Windows." Although the full legal wrangling =
isn't=20
over yet, Microsoft has for the most part lost its <A=20
href=3D"http://www.informationweek.com/search/search?queryText=3Dlindows&=
amp;x=3D68&amp;y=3D16"=20
target=3D_blank>legal challenges</A>=20
(<A =
href=3D"http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020517S0021"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020517S0021=
</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>) so far. 
All that made for a tumultuous year, and the new,=20
just-released version 3 of Lindows shows some of the effects: It's a =
little more=20
expensive than before ($129, up from $99) and has a new focus that =
de-emphasizes=20
Windows compatibility, probably in part to avoid further legal hassles =
and in=20
part because Windows compatibility caused problems for Lindows on many =
fronts.=20
Here's why: 
Wine And Whines For one thing, Lindows' =
initial=20
emphasis on Windows compatibility alienated large portions of the Linux=20
community who knew what was going on behind the scenes. You see, Lindows =
gets=20
its Windows compatibility through the same <A =
href=3D"http://winehq.com/"=20
target=3D_blank>Wine</A> ( =
<A=20
href=3D"http://winehq.com/">http://winehq.com/</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>) subsystem that is freely available for virtually all =
Linux and Unix=20
implementations. When Wine is installed on any *nix platform, it gives =
that=20
system the ability to run some native Windows applications that normally =
run=20
only on the Windows operating system. 
The name "<A=20
href=3D"http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=3Dwine&amp;x=3D=
24&amp;y=3D9"=20
target=3D_blank>WINE</A>&nbsp;(<A=20
href=3D"http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=3Dwine&amp;x=3D=
24&amp;y=3D9"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=3Dwine&a=
mp;x=3D24&amp;y=3D9</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>)" is actually a recursive acronym: Wine Is Not an =
Emulator. Despite=20
the silly name, Wine is an amazing software project that has done a very =

impressive job to date, generating more than a million lines of code and =
indeed=20
letting many major Windows applications run usably under most flavors on =
*nix,=20
including Lindows. But Wine is an open-source project, so any changes =
made by=20
any Wine implementer are supposed to be released back to the Wine =
community as a=20
whole, and vice versa. This means that there is--and cannot be--anything =
unique=20
about the Lindows implementation of Wine. And so, to the Linux =
community,=20
Lindows' early self-promotion about its ability to run native Windows=20
applications seemed unfair and perhaps a bit misleading: Wine works on =
almost=20
any flavor of Linux, and not just Lindows. 
What's legitimately unique about the Lindows =
approach was=20
that it included and promoted Wine not as an afterthought or as a =
curious=20
add-on, but as a core strategy to win Windows users over to the new =
operating=20
system. Alas, the law of unintended consequences kicked in and even that =
benign=20
intent caused problems because--as the <A=20
href=3D"http://winehq.com/about/index.php?status" target=3D_blank><FONT=20
face=3DArial>Wine project</A> (<A=20
href=3D"http://winehq.com/about/index.php?status"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://winehq.com/about/index.php?status</A>)=20
itself points out--Wine will never run all Windows apps perfectly. Even =
those=20
its runs pretty well still may not have all features and functions =
available.=20
The idea for Wine is mostly to allow important native-Windows =
applications to be=20
more or less usable in a Linux or Unix environment, not to provide 100%=20
compatibility in every tiny detail. 
But, some early adopters thought they'd be able to =
fire up=20
Lindows and immediately run all their current Windows applications =
as-is, with=20
perfect fidelity. When that didn't happen, some of those users felt =
misled.=20

And finally, as mentioned above, Microsoft also =
took issue=20
with Lindows' early claims of Windows compatibility, as it added to the=20
potential for confusion in the minds of some users. 
For all these reasons, Lindows has backpedaled in =
a major=20
way from its initial heavy focus on Windows compatibility. 
Windows Compatibility =
Still=20
Present, But De-Emphasized Lindows version 3.0 offers the same =
level of=20
compatibility as previous versions, but you'd almost not know it because =
the=20
issue has been played down so significantly. Now, instead of encouraging =
users=20
to install their native Windows applications under Lindows, the =
operating system=20
tries to steer users to install and use native Linux applications that =
offer=20
file-level compatibility with Windows applications. 
This gentle steering away from the use of Wine, =
and toward=20
native Linux applications, starts in the up-front chatter that greets =
new and=20
prospective users of Lindows, such as in one the <A=20
href=3D"http://info.lindows.com/askmichael/question19.htm" =
target=3D_blank><FONT=20
face=3DArial>FAQs</A> (<A=20
href=3D"http://info.lindows.com/askmichael/question19.htm"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://info.lindows.com/askmichael/question19.htm</A>=
<FONT=20
face=3DArial> . But it also is built into every page--at least every =
page I could=20
find--where a user might go exploring for information on Wine or on =
Windows=20
compatibility in general. It's even coded into the actual =
operating-system=20
software itself: 
For example, to see what would happen, I inserted =
a=20
Microsoft Office 2000 setup CD into the CD drive on a fresh install of =
Lindows=20
3.0, and was greeted with this dialog: 

<BLOCKQUOTE>Microsoft Windows CD Found It =
appears=20
 you've inserted a CD into your computer that is designed to be run on=20
 Microsoft Windows. LindowsOS is based on the Linux operating system. =
The=20
 easiest way to install new software on your LindowsOS computer, is =
using=20
 Click-N-Run. Below are several popular programs from the Click-N-Run =
Warehouse=20
 that you might consider which perhaps may perform many of the same =
functions=20
 you're looking for from the CD you're trying to install. These =
programs can be=20
 added to your LindowsOS computer with one simple =
click...</BLOCKQUOTE>

<BLOCKQUOTE>Click here for a complete listing of all =
the=20
 software in the Click-N-Run Warehouse, sorted by popularity and=20
 category.</BLOCKQUOTE>

<BLOCKQUOTE>Click here for information about running =
MS=20
 Windows-compatible software on LindowsOS.</BLOCKQUOTE>
If you choose the first-offered option, you're =
then given a=20
choice of free-for-the-download Linux-based Office suites (such as Star =
Office=20
or Open Office). These are replacements for Microsoft Office that can =
read and=20
write files in Windows-style formats (such as DOC files for Word or XLS =
files=20
for Excel) without using any element of Microsoft Office itself. This is =
clearly=20
the option that Lindows now wants you to take. 
If you chose the second option--"information about =
running=20
MS Windows compatible software on LindowsOS"--and if you dig deep =
enough, you'll=20
eventually find the Lindows implementation of Wine still present, but =
now buried=20
in the "Components &amp; Libraries" section of the download area under =
the=20
heading <A =
href=3D"http://lindows.com/lindows_products_details.php?id=3D8949"=20
target=3D_blank>Software Development</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>&nbsp;(<A=20
href=3D"http://lindows.com/lindows_products_details.php?id=3D8949"><FONT =

face=3DArial>http://lindows.com/lindows_products_details.php?id=3D8949</F=
ONT></A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>) , a placement sure to scare off just about all casual =
users. But=20
there's more, because Lindows' description of Wine now also includes the =

warning, "Success with installing and running various Microsoft Windows =
programs=20
varies greatly from user to user." 
Clearly, Lindows is trying (1) to steer users away =
from the=20
Wine option in the first place, and (2) to lower the expectations of =
users who=20
do choose that route anyway. In fact, about the only thing they don't do =
is=20
paint a skull and crossbones on the download page. 
But, ironically, despite all that, Wine on Lindows =
worked=20
fine for me; the Windows compatibility is still there for those who want =
it.=20

Fine Wine And =
More I was=20
able successfully to install and use Microsoft Office 2000 on Lindows =
3.0; in=20
fact, my whole Lindows experience was impressively glitch-free: The base =

operating system set up in about 10 minutes and correctly identified and =
worked=20
with all the hardware in my test system--an AMD-based Micron Millennia =
equipped=20
with an nVidia graphics system and Creative Labs sound card. The only =
thing that=20
didn't work right after installation was the networking, but that's my =
fault=20
because of an unusual configuration I use for security purposes: No =
operating=20
system I've ever tried has gotten my network setup right the first time, =
so this=20
is not a slam against Lindows. And, with just a couple of manual entries =
in the=20
networking control panel (exactly the same manual tweaks I need to use =
with=20
Windows XP, by the way), I was online. 
And getting online is key to the Lindows =
experience, as it=20
is with most flavors of Linux. Although Lindows 3.0 is available by CD, =
it's=20
normally installed by downloading a 397-Mbyte ISO-standard CD image of a =
setup=20
CD, which you then burn to a blank CD and use for installation. Once =
online, one=20
of the first tasks is to connect back to the Lindows site to download =
updates,=20
additional components, add-in applications, and utilities. Moving all =
those bits=20
consumes a fair amount of bandwidth; Lindows (like most flavors of =
Linux) really=20
is meant for use on a broadband or LAN-based setup and would be =
painfully slow=20
to set up via dial-up. But with a reasonably fat data pipe, it all goes=20
smoothly. 
In fact, the online component is a real strength =
of Lindows=20
and is the true center of its business strategy. The purchase price for =
Lindows=20
not only gets you a copy of the operating system but gives you a year's =
access=20
to the "Click-N-Run" site, which features a selection of software =
(currently,=20
some 1,600 titles) optimized for or known to work well with Lindows. =
(Although=20
most of these titles are available from other sources, it would be =
daunting to=20
track them all down.) What's more, the Click-N-Run facility isn't just a =

download service; it's an integrated download-and-install utility that=20
automatically sets up whatever downloads you choose, making software =
selection=20
and use incredibly simple. Plus, by aggregating good software in one =
place and=20
hosting it on private servers, Lindows lets its users avoid the =
sometimes-long=20
delays or slowdowns common to more trafficked Linux search-and-download =
sites.=20

What It Is And Isn't As this brief =
overview has=20
shown, Lindows' strength isn't its technology. In fact, virtually all of =

Lindows' technology is nonproprietary and available from many sources: =
The base=20
operating system itself is the <A href=3D"http://www.linux.org/"=20
target=3D_blank>open-source Linux</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>&nbsp;(<A href=3D"http://www.linux.org/"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.linux.org/</A>) ; the=20
Windows-lookalike interface is provided through the <A=20
href=3D"http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=3Dkde&amp;x=3D=
24&amp;y=3D9"=20
target=3D_blank>open-source KDE</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>&nbsp;(<A=20
href=3D"http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=3Dkde&amp;x=3D=
24&amp;y=3D9"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm?term=3Dkde&am=
p;x=3D24&amp;y=3D9</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>) &nbsp;interface; and the Windows compatibility is =
provided through=20
the open-source Wine. In fact, any sufficiently motivated individual =
could=20
cobble together essentially the same pieces as Lindows offers, for free. =

But Lindows is providing an added value to its =
customers=20
beyond the bits themselves by doing the aggregation of components for =
you,=20
ensuring that the pieces all are easily accessible, easily downloadable, =
and=20
easy to get working together. In fact, I've never seen a distribution of =
Linux=20
quite as polished and easy to get going as is Lindows. 
Of course, it's not wart-free. More-experienced =
Linux users=20
probably will chafe at some of the choices and biases that Lindows has =
built=20
into the operating system. As one example, most Linux distributions =
either have=20
reasonable security settings and permissions in place or can be locked =
down=20
without a lot of hassle. But Lindows glosses over security issues and =
features=20
to an amazing degree. For example, a very broad Google search of the =
entire=20
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/search?as_q=3Dsecurity&amp;num=3D10&amp;hl=3D=
en&amp;ie=3DUTF-8&amp;oe=3DUTF-8&amp;btnG=3DGoogle+Search&amp;as_epq=3D&a=
mp;as_oq=3D&amp;as_eq=3D&amp;lr=3D&amp;as_ft=3Di&amp;as_filetype=3D&amp;a=
s_qdr=3Dall&amp;as_occt=3Dany&amp;as_dt=3Di&amp;as_sitesearch=3Dwww.lindo=
ws.com"=20
target=3D_blank>Lindows site</A>=20
(<A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/search?as_q=3Dsecurity&amp;num=3D10&amp;hl=3D=
en&amp;ie=3DUTF-8&amp;oe=3DUTF-8&amp;btnG=3DGoogle+Search&amp;as_epq=3D&a=
mp;as_oq=3D&amp;as_eq=3D&amp;lr=3D&amp;as_ft=3Di&amp;as_filetype=3D&amp;a=
s_qdr=3Dall&amp;as_occt=3Dany&amp;as_dt=3Di&amp;as_sitesearch=3Dwww.lindo=
ws.com"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.google.com/search?as_q=3Dsecurity&amp;num=3D10&am=
p;hl=3Den&amp;ie=3DUTF-8&amp;oe=3DUTF-8&amp;btnG=3DGoogle+Search&amp;as_e=
pq=3D&amp;as_oq=3D&amp;as_eq=3D&amp;lr=3D&amp;as_ft=3Di&amp;as_filetype=3D=
&amp;as_qdr=3Dall&amp;as_occt=3Dany&amp;as_dt=3Di&amp;as_sitesearch=3Dwww=
.lindows.com</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>)&nbsp; or any instance of the word "security" turns up =
just 20 hits;=20
the same search on the <A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&amp;lr=3D&amp;ie=3DUTF-8&amp=
;oe=3DUTF-8&amp;as_qdr=3Dall&amp;q=3Dsecurity+site%3Awww.redhat.com"=20
target=3D_blank>Red Hat Linux site</A>=20
(<A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&amp;lr=3D&amp;ie=3DUTF-8&amp=
;oe=3DUTF-8&amp;as_qdr=3Dall&amp;q=3Dsecurity+site%3Awww.redhat.com"><FON=
T=20
face=3DArial>http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&amp;lr=3D&amp;ie=3DUTF-=
8&amp;oe=3DUTF-8&amp;as_qdr=3Dall&amp;q=3Dsecurity+site%3Awww.redhat.com<=
/FONT></A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>) turns up nearly 4,000 hits; the same search on the =
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&amp;lr=3D&amp;ie=3DUTF-8&amp=
;oe=3DUTF-8&amp;as_qdr=3Dall&amp;q=3Dsecurity+site%3Awww.microsoft.com"=20
target=3D_blank>Microsoft site</A>=20
(<A=20
href=3D"http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&amp;lr=3D&amp;ie=3DUTF-8&amp=
;oe=3DUTF-8&amp;as_qdr=3Dall&amp;q=3Dsecurity+site%3Awww.microsoft.com"><=
FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.google.com/search?hl=3Den&amp;lr=3D&amp;ie=3DUTF-=
8&amp;oe=3DUTF-8&amp;as_qdr=3Dall&amp;q=3Dsecurity+site%3Awww.microsoft.c=
om</A><FONT=20
face=3DArial>) turns up almost 90,000 hits. 
On the flip side, some fairly unpolished elements =
of Linux=20
that you might expect Lindows to bury or disguise are left in plain view =
where=20
they're bound to confuse less-experienced users. Imagine the confusion =
when new=20
converts from the world of Windows see their hard drive listed in some =
places as=20
"Root Direct (Z:)" or when they install a Microsoft Windows application =
and find=20
the default user name is "Root." (This also highlights another security =
issue in=20
Lindows.) 
Who Is Lindows =
For? It's=20
a little overstated--but only a little--to think of Lindows as "Linux =
with=20
training wheels." To be sure, experienced Linux users probably won't =
like it.=20
But it could be a good choice for people whose only previous computing=20
experience has been with Windows or for people and businesses looking =
for the=20
smallest possible initial speed bump in transitioning to a Linux =
environment=20
from Windows. Lindows is easy to set up and use--and that goes a long =
way toward=20
making converts. 
That said, I'm just one person--not a testing lab =
full of=20
technicians. To broaden the data for this article, I recently asked the =
readers=20
of my newsletter to describe their experiences with Lindows, good or =
bad. I've=20
collected the most-representative replies and posted them in the =
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.informationweek.com/forum/fredlanga" =
target=3D_blank><FONT=20
face=3DArial>Listening Post discussion area</A>&nbsp;(=20
<A href=3D"http://www.informationweek.com/forum/fredlanga"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.informationweek.com/forum/fredlanga</A><FO=
NT=20
face=3DArial>). 
If you've used Lindows or any other Linux =
distribution,=20
please see what your fellow readers have to say, and then add your =
comments.=20

Or, if you're just thinking about Linux or =
Lindows, or any=20
alternative to Windows, come check out the additional information in =
those=20
reader posts to get a broader picture. To discuss this column with =
other=20
readers, please visit Fred Langa's <A=20
href=3D"http://www.informationweek.com/forum/fredlanga"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>forum</A> (<A=20
href=3D"http://www.informationweek.com/forum/fredlanga"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>http://www.informationweek.com/forum/fredlanga</A><FO=
NT=20
face=3DArial>)."</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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