[KLUG Members] Lindows

[Tony Gettig]

Quoting Rusty Yonkers <therustycook@yahoo.com>:

> > other distros, but from an "end user" perspective, was most
> > impressed 
> > with Lindows. I just got version 4 last week and loaded it into
> 
> I can understand what you are saying in regards to "from an end user
> perspective".  I would disagree with the choice of Lindows however. 
> I would have to say that the easiest distro for the uninitiated end
> user is Lycoris.  This is escpecially true when in an envirionment
> when they have to attach to Windows systems.  The tools that they
> have put together for that are phenominal.  They have a network
> neighborhood program that so closely mirrors the look and
> functionality of Windows XP that a user can hardly tell the
> difference.  The whole distro is built to look like Windows XP and
> does a great job of it.  The learning curve from one to the other is
> VERY small.  

Actually, this is probably my other beef with Lindows (and distros like it):
trying to be too much like Windows.

For an end user that has all their preferences just the way they like them,
knows which icon to click to do which task, has all their macros setup in their
word processor, etc., switching might not be fun. But when it gets down to
getting business done efficiently and cost effectively, on any scale, there are
times when business decisions override end user preferences. If the business
considerations are there, and saving money is certainly a business consideration
everywhere I have ever worked, then the techie types with vision for such things
need to honestly assess what users are doing and how it can be accomplished with
Open Source software. 

A lot of people put a lot of effort in trying to get their Windows apps to work
on Linux. Heck, that's what the whole Lindows thing started out as. And indeed,
I used to have that same hangup. But one day, it's like the light turned on and
I said to myself, "Self, why don't you put that energy into finding a LINUX app
that runs on Linux?" Wow. Strange thought. :)

It might seem Draconian, but if a user were to complain to me that it didn't
look like MS-Windows, yet they had been given ample opportunity to define their
tasks and requirements, then trained on a new standardized corporate desktop,
I'd tell them to take a hike. In fact, I actually an experience not unlike that
with Windows once when we switched from 3.11 to 95. All you need is management
support. And if you're saving them money, they are (usually) behind you.

> 
> It uses the lizard installer which is, IMHO, the best installer out
> there.  The install is smooth and easy.  It starts actually
> installing the system even before all of the questions are answered. 
> When you are done answering the questions you get to play solitare.  

Isn't this the same installer that Open Linux (now Caldera) used?

> 
> It has a fair listing of open source software that comes with the
> system.  Good or bad, they do not use the click to run stuff that you
> have to pay for.  In my classroom I recommend Lycoris for anyone that
> is looking to "get started" with Linux as a newbie with no
> experience.  

Maybe for a home user, or like you say, to "get started". But in a corporate
world, is Lycoris up to the challenge? I can see managing 6,000+ desktops with
Ximian Red Carpet, but I've not heard of Lycoris before. In a corporate world,
Red Hat and Suse seem pretty safe bets for manageability and vendor support.

In the context of the Lindows discussion, I'm curious to see how their
Click-n-Run might work on a larger scale for workstation management. Instead of
reimaging a PC, if our frontline people can pop a CD in, reinstall the OS
completely in 8 minutes, then go to an "aisle" to get the standard software,
that might be cool for a lab. I also want to see how auto updating works (if at
all). 

...

> 
> 
> =====
> Rusty Yonkers
> CNE, MCP, A+, CCNA, Linux+, Server+, Network+ certified
...

Just curious...are you looking at the CLE from Novell? If you pass your 6
upgrade test before 10/31, you can get a voucher to take the exam for free.


-- 
Tony Gettig
Voiceovers, PGP key, and more at
http://gettig.net