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Greetings fellow beings!
As you may have perceived I'm a newbie and to top it all I'm not
too knowledgeable (YET) in the intricacies of linux, but I'm also
an obnoxious newbie who does not know his own place, so I have the
nerve to propose:
Introduction to the Linux-il FAQ or "What do I need to keep in
mind while reading the Linux-il FAQ?"
One of the self proclaimed reasons for the existence of the
linux-il group is to promote Linux, this however meets with the
"Linux Conundrum", for even if those who use linux think of it as
the most wonderful operating system yet to leave the provervial
drawing board, it is not an operating system for every PC. Fact is
that it is quite difficult to use and maintain (compared to other
operating systems for personal computers). Linux as a Unix clone
comes from a time in which the, oh so vogue today, phrase 'User
Friendly' would just draw a blank stare from any system
programmer. Another, more painful to admit, hurdle in Linux's path
to popularity is that, let's face it, nobody 'needs' Linux. There
are very few fields in personal computing for which Linux is more
uniquely suitable than other, simpler to use, operating systems,
there are however many people for which installing and using linux
is a must.
So, who 'must' install linux?
Identifying said individuals is not an exact science however there
are some tell tale signs:
(The next list assuming the subject under test comes from a DOS,
Windows(tm) background, which is mostly true specially in Israel.
If this is not the case with you extrapolate):
1. Your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files span a few dozens of
lines and contain multiple IF THENs and complex logic expressions
in order to meet all the quirks of every program you have
installed.
2. You can't help but feel a bit of loathing towards 'intelligent'
installation programs which change configuration files, without
you being able to know what exactly was changed and why.
3. You can't help but feel a bit of loathing at the "Big Brother"
approach of the "new and improved" operation systems that make
computers more "friendly".
4. After fully configuring your system you go through the
documentation and readme files to see whether there is some
obscure feature you can still twiddle with.
5. You still don't understand what's all the fuss about PnP, and
what was so tough about installing cards before it came along.
If you fall into one or more of these categories then you
probably have a hidden craving for linux. Install it! Even if you
don't know what to do with it, after you start playing with it a
bit the need will become apparent. You'll find it enables you to
do things with your computer (specially in the communications
field) you never thought possible with a 'mere' personal computer,
and even if you still require other operating systems to perform
some menial tasks the mind bogging unfriendliness of linux is
absolutely refreshing and the sensation of power and control it
gives, is sure to get your eyebrows tingling with delight.
Eli Algranti <OR17367@elbit.co.il>
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