Hee! Linux for the win

[altivo]

I was sitting at the circulation check-in desk this evening and talking about the database that I'm recoding. I wanted something from my desktop machine, which was 40 feet away, logged out, and monitor turned off. So I logged into my machine remotely using xdm. That brings up the entire GUI/Desktop and you can switch between it and the local machine with ALT+Fkeys. It seems that made an unexpected impression. I don't think much about it any more, I just do it if it's convenient.

"No, you can't do that with Windows unless you have a bunch of extra commercial software installed at both ends."

"Yes, I can do it from any Linux machine in the building."

"Yes, Linux is free. Yes, you could install Linux and switch between it and Windows on the same machine. No, you don't need antivirus software with Linux..." And so forth.

Suddenly there was some actual interest in Linux from folks who have been using it daily without realizing how very different from Windows it actually can be. That's because the machines they use were set up to look as much like Windows as possible so they wouldn't panic and freak out.

In other news, we sighted a wood duck (female) this morning in an oak tree near the house. Wood ducks are one of a very few species of ducks that actually nest in trees. They build in cavities as much as 30 or 40 feet above the ground. When the ducklings leave the nest, they aren't able to fly yet. They just fall to the ground and head for the water. I've never seen this happen, and probably won't see it here because there are no suitable hollows in our trees as far as I know, but it was nice spotting and hearing the duck anyway. Wood ducks are very handsome too, resembling a colored painting of a waterbird in some northwest native American styles.

Gary has been looking for crochet cotton in finer, lace makers' sizes. At one time you could buy that at any dime store. He was having a lot of difficulty finding any at all. I got on the web and found it is still available in all sizes and many colors, but only by mail order. At least we can still get it.

Comments

[yasha-taur.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the new Ubuntu release? They have definitely polished the UI a lot. This is the first release that I think really could be used by 'Mom and Pop'.

[captpackrat.livejournal.com]

You can easily access a remote Windows desktop using VNC, many versions of which are free. There are VNC clients for most operating systems, including Windows Mobile.

[calydor.livejournal.com]

Seconded. I personally use WinVNC, which works like a charm and is even easy to set up.

[captpackrat.livejournal.com]

Oh, and of course, there's Remote Desktop, which is built into Windows XP Pro and Vista Business/Enterprise/Ultimate, plus most Windows Server versions 2003 and up.

[toumal.livejournal.com]

"...which is built into Windows XP Pro..."

Exactly.
But not home.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Oh, interesting, I didn't know there were ducks breeding in trees.

When my family and I went out to eat last Saturday, there was a duck (a mallard, specifically) tending towards her eggs right next to our table, too, although it took us an hour or so to actually notice - she was quite well-camouflaged in some low bushes. ^^ Once we'd seen her, though, it was quite obvious she was there, and we wondered how we'd missed her all the time.

Anyhow, I just thought it was rather cute that she was breeding literally about half a meter away from a table in a busy restaurant, but I suppose she knew that even though there were people there all the time, she wouldn't be bothered by them, and that their presence would keep away others that might annoy her, too (I have no idea if seagulls might bother ducks or steal their eggs, for example, but I wouldn't be surprised).

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I think it's the learning curve that scares most people away from Linux...well it's what scares me away. Too many releases for multi-use computers :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm not at all fond of Ubuntu but I do suggest it to people who ask me where to start with Linux if they've only ever used Windows.

I've used Slackware myself for 15 years or so, but of course it still isn't one to suggest to a beginner and even I am running Wolvix now. To Slackware, Wolvix is much like what Ubuntu is to Debian.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Compared to xdm, I find VNC sluggish and unpredictable, and it seems to use even more bandwidth than X does. You also seem to need added bits of software to get VNC working, where xdm is built in to Linux, OpenVMS, FreeBSD, and other systems.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You should look again if that's all that's stopping you. Debian or Ubuntu really has no bigger learning curve than Windows.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Just a few species of duck do that. I believe the wood duck is the only one found here.

Mallards are really adaptable to human environments and traffic. Dogs are probably their biggest risk in such places.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

But it took me so long to learn the foibles of Windows :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I have a standard answer to that. Unless you try some other options, how do you know that Windows is the best choice?

You could be like that fly who fell into a bottle of vinegar when it was hatched, and thought it was in the sweetest place in the world because it had never been anywhere else.

Myself, I find that being Windows-free is much better. No virus worries, no cost for software or upgrades, and I have a lot more control over what is (or is not) installed on my hardware.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

But that only works with other Windows machines, right? Microsoft should have implemented a universal standard rather than doing their own thing, as usual.

[shadow-stallion.livejournal.com]

I have a standard answer to that. Unless you try some other options, how do you know that Windows is the best choice?

That answer reminds me of my family and them asking me how I know I wouldn't like a food unless I tried it. :P

[altivo.livejournal.com]

And well it might, since the question is valid.

If you decline to try on ethical or other grounds, I won't argue, just as I won't taste puppy dog stew myself. But just saying "It's too much bother to learn anything new" is parallel to saying "I don't have time to learn a word processor, because I have so much typing to do." ;p

[shadow-stallion.livejournal.com]

*grins* My answer to them was that if it looks and smells nasty then why should I put it in my mouth and confirm that it tastes bad too. :P

Different strokes for different folks Tivo. My standard answer to people who don't use/don't like Windows is why should I switch when I am content with what I have and it works for what I want to do.

I always laugh at the iGeeks and Apple lovers who talk about the wonders of Apple OS over Windows but these are the same people who have to have a copy of Windows on their iToy to be able to run certain software.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, I can legitimately say that I've used all of these, for long enough periods to have a valid opinion:

Linux, Windows, MS-DOS, CP/M, Mac OS (the old one), Mac OS-X, FreeBSD, AIX Unix, UNIXWare, NetWare, OpenVMS, and good ol' IBM mainframe MVS.

Out of all of those, Linux wins for cost, efficiency, and flexibility hooves down. There can be specific arguments for one of the others, and to each his own. OpenVMS may well be the most secure environment in that list, closely followed by IBM mainframe MVS, but neither is exactly user friendly or easy to use, even though both can be had for free now. Mac OS-X is just a proprietary wrapper around BSD, which is ultimately a flavor of Unix-like just as Linux is.

Windows is the only living one of the lot that remains utterly proprietary, closed source, and with more security bugs than any termite nest has termites. It also costs more to deploy than any of the others except possibly OS-X (if you insist on Apple hardware for it, which I guess is no longer absolutely necessary.)

Which one was absolutely the worst? In my opinion, it was the old Mac OS (versions 6 and 7 I think.) But Windows is not a whole lot better. The fly in the vinegar analogy fits it perfectly.

[captpackrat.livejournal.com]

There is an RDP client for Linux. I've used it a few times, it works quite well.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I also note that VNC usually permits only one user at a time, and shouldn't be used to access a machine while someone is also at the real keyboard. Standard xdm supports multiple users at the same time, each with their own desktop and processes.

[soanos.livejournal.com]

How about Commodore Basic V2? :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Probably suits someone, but definitely not me.

[soanos.livejournal.com]

I used to use it. :P

Was not too complex. But then again, I didn't use it for much.
Mainly games. I was a boring colt.