[KLUG Advocacy] What users want from Linux?

[Adam Williams]

Here is a supposedly postive (overall) article on Linux adoption.  It
starts out with saying that the biggest hurlde is probably FUD -

http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2003/1020linux.html?docid=8139

- then goes on to reveal itself as so hopelessly unresearched that it
itself might qualify as FUD.  I just want to know where they find these
experts?  Half the people at a KLUG meeting are more knowledgable than
these twerps.

The problems they site are -

1. Lack of monitoring tools.

You've got to be kidding!  From OpenNMS to Trivoli, everything supports
Linux if Linux isn't the tools native platform.

2. Reliability

I like the quote "Commonly used applications such as OpenLDAP need to be
made cluster-aware.". &*&^(@ *$&*(@ $(@*$)@@#$_$%@ #$*@*#$&(  Can't
these "experts" even bother to subscribe to the Linux Journal which has
covered High Availablity LDAP at least twice.

3. Security

I'll give them this one, the Linux security model in 2.4.x is stupid -
poor EA support, MAC is a hack, etc...  These go away in 2.6.x (assuming
it ever gets released).

4. Simplicity

Oh, whatever.  Windows is *SO* simple.

5. Hardware Support

Here is another good one - "Every time I have to visit all the systems
that need access to the printer".  Um, IPP?  Standard in CUPS, the
printer service included in RH9 and just about every other Linux
distro.  Or even better "Some sort of directory allowing users to locate
and connect to printers on their own would be very nice."   (?) 
derrrr...

6. Cohesiveness

Whatever this even means.

7. Applications

"Support for Windows-based applications would be a definite plus," God,
No!

8. Skilled Developers

"Many universities just teach students how to program on Windows, and as
a result they don't get to learn much (if anything) about how a computer
really works. Then when it comes to debugging race conditions, network
programming, or library code they don't have a clue about what to do."

Yes! Yes! Yes!  But what does this have to do with Linux?  They can't
program worth a crap on Windows either?  How to you graduate from a
University with a developer focused program AND NOT KNOW HOW TO USE
VERSION CONTROL SYSTEMS????

9. GUI

http://www.ximian.com

10. Consolidation

http://www.ximian.com

Who can't come up with ten problems that plague Linux?  But this is a
list made by people who don't know what they're talking about,  and it
gets printed, and they get paid.  What a crock.