Why everyone should use Linux

Hello,

I know I'm a genius, but I'm still sometimes amazed by my own ideas.

Indeed, pure, absolute logic is hard to find, but I think I did. Here's an article explaining why using Linux is in your best interests - financial. Everyone should use Linux, you, you and you. Linux wants YOU! Read and learn how users can force software companies to sell products of better quality more cheaply. Pure logic, pure genius.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-everyone.html


Cheers,
Mrk

 

Well written as usual and as expected from a genius

 

You have been FOSSIFIED.

 

I really like your attitude mate!

 

Oh well.

 

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/linu...ly-is-over-gentoo-ships-backdoor-updated/2206

 

Its an infected server and that too Gentoo based which even most Gentoo users wouldn't bother. Old news and more of an understandable hype by MS crowd. None of the major distros install via obscure servers so none are affected. Read the explanation here.

http://www.itworld.com/security/110942/linux-secure-ever

 

Okay! It had to happen sometime. The good thing is the complacency will be gone.

And there's this:

Source

 

Linux can't afford complacency, its used by 91% of the mission critical servers around the earth, some of them being the backbone of finances and therefore far more lucrative to hack than Joe Q. Public's PC where all you can get if lucky are some nude pics of his wife or a bank account number with $1500 cash in it. Since military uses Linux, its under barrage of attacks on daily basis. So this is what makes Linux for us average users safe, not some obscure malware in some remote Gentoo IRC server.

 

I don't disagree (necessarily), but I argue most people don't need armorclad security. If they did, we would all have Cisco Pix firewalls at home.

I argue there is a trade-off between comfort and utter security, and I have mainly opted for Windows 7. I cannot run certain apps like InDesign on Linux. If I could, I might, and please don't suggest that horrid Scribus app.

 

That horrid Scribus app works fine for many leading desktop publications but again, its your choice. I find Adobe apps in Windows to be bloated pigs while some consider them to be their bread and butter. If you are into sound editing, try find a real time kernel in Windows to do some real serious stuff. No wonder Hollywood and other leading studios including some of the biggest names in India where 800+ movies are made every year are all into Linux.

 

While Linuxforall has made the point that many if not the majority of servers run Linux, the challenge remains at the desktop-level.

I fully buy the argument cited by the original poster that competition will bring down prices and I don't feel it is "quixotic" but it's d@mned difficult for the "average" Windows user to make a 100% switch. Incompatibility in document formats and the need to have Internet Explorer to open certain sites prevent me from contemplating a total switch. Also certain software that I need for my daily work (over the net) is a .exe that needs .NET. For my spreadsheet work, I'm quite happy with Calc (OpenOffice.org 3.2).

However, I would like to use Linux for accessing the net for pure browsing whenever possible.
I don't want to play with partitions and dual boot.
I don't have enough "broadband quota" to download Ubuntu.
If there's a way to install a tiny Linux that would run the Chrome browser and a couple of extensions (for example) in a virtual box situation, I'd be only too happy to try it.
I have a Dell Inspiron 1545 with Win XP SP3, about 90 GB free on the E: drive, and ~2GB RAM. (There's also ~30 GB on the C: drive, but I'd rather leave that alone.)

I haven't installed Virtual Box as yet; I'm still at the "reading about it" stage.

I also don't feel comfortable with using a "flash drive" because of the three USB ports, one has gone to a mouse connection, one is taken up by the USB stick with which I connect to the internet, and the third is going to be a really tight fit because the second hogs space.

Any pointers would be most welcome.

 

How bout smaller Puppy which will run Opera or Chrome and is based on LTS Lucid.

 

I found puppy: http://puppylinux.org/main/index.php

 

Yep sadly no x64 but its small download and quite fast.

 

vasa1, you could buy an external usb hub - this is what I do with laptops that are blessed with too few usb ports.
Mrk

 

Very good idea, most laptops usb ports let out less voltage and that means drop in transfer rates so make sure its a powered hub.

 

Just bought a non-powered one !!!!!

 

Hi!

As suggested, I'm looking at Lucid Puppy (LuPu) available at this site:
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/put-lucid-puppy-on-usb-flash-drive-from-windows/. (My Google search for smaller puppy didn't come up with anything relevant.)

I've got me a new USB stick (Transcend, 4 GB, USB 2) and a non-powered USB hub. Re. the hub, will voltage be a problem even if I'm running my laptop on the mains supply?

Before, I go any further, I want to know about this booting business: will I be getting a GRUB type of loader that gives me a choice (hard disk (= WinXP) versus USB (LuPu)) each time I turn on my laptop? Or, will I have to catch the startup process each time to make a choice?

 

If you run Puppy live from the thumb drive, then no grub would be installed to your mbr, otherwise it would be placed and every boot you will get a choice. Try to run it without usb power hub and see if it works smoothly, the power hub is a good suggestion as many have issues with usb transfer rates dropping and the reason is the low voltage problem with most laptop and even desktop usb ports.