[TriLUG] making Linux look like Windows XP

Mon Jun 11 11:13:40 EDT 2007

<opinion preference"personal">
I like the one-button approach a lot more, and personally find Ctrl-clicking
faster than right-click.
</opinion>

On 6/11/07, David McDowell <turnpike420 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> macs only have 1 mouse button by default... :p
>
> On 6/11/07, Tim Jowers <timjowers at gmail.com> wrote:
> >  I attended the IBM OpenSource VP's talk (Bob Sutor?) at Chapel Hill a
> few
> > months back. The Open Source club at Chapel Hill was brainstorming about
> how
> > to promote Open Source there. Apparently all of the students get a
> > (Windows-based) system image from some department of the school. So,
> their
> > idea was to hand out Knoppix or portableapps type materials to each
> student.
> > I guess the concept is most people do not even know what Open Source is,
> > Linux is, OpenOffice.org is, et cetera. I guess you cannot recognize
> freedom
> > if you've never seen it. Just look at the forced abortions in China.
> > Horrific when nearby countries such as Kazahkstan have very low
> population
> > densities and even 1/8th of the land in the USA is owned by the federal
> > government. Such atrocities leave little surprise people cannot even
> > recognize the freedom of innovation in computer software.
> >
> >  I think the Windows-look-alike is one simple way to overcome an
> objection.
> > It is easy now to say Linux works like Windows or Mac. Sure, I don't
> have to
> > go through four different layers just to set an environment variable and
> I
> > can work with most any compression format as well as fs format, but, in
> > general the mouse and the overall layout can be the same. The objection
> of
> > having to learn a new system is removed for the average user. Any
> advanced
> > user (knows where things are in the Registry hive etc) should be happy
> to
> > move to Linux.
> >
> > My $.02,
> > TimJowers
> >
> > On 6/11/07, Kevin J. <mrkevinj at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Oh, that's excellent! Let me know how it goes. If you make any
> > > modifications that would help the presentation please send them back
> to me
> > > so I can incorporate them in to the original. We're planning to give
> this
> > > presentation to a lot of orgs in the Greenville-Spartanburg area.
> Everything
> > > from churches to libraries to schools if we can get someone to talk to
> us.
> > > Also, I have the original in both ppt and odp formats as well if
> you're
> > > interested.
> > >
> > > Next Saturday we're going to set up some pc's for a local youth summer
> > > camp; and the B&G club we spoke with last week is interested in
> setting up a
> > > small lab in their library area (basically just a bunch of very old
> books on
> > > a shelf) for kids ranging in age from 6-13. We are running Edubuntu
> with KDE
> > > for a little more Windows-like feel. They were highly impressed with
> the
> > > number of apps available (we sorta overloaded it actually), not having
> to
> > > deal with viruses and spyware (a lot of the older kids spend time on
> myspace
> > > and other sites which was loading them down with ad/spyware), and no
> > > licensing issues (she couldn't even get in to the e-open site to get
> her
> > > Microsoft server license and didn't know who to contact about it.)
> > >
> > > We haven't actually done an install yet and we're still trying to pin
> down
> > > the characteristics of the final product, but it's looking like an
> Edubuntu
> > > base (for LTSP convenience mainly), KDE, and a tiered user grouping
> which
> > > would present an age-appropriate desktop based on the login (i.e., 6-8
> > > year-olds would get a more childish background, the GCompris suite,
> > > Childsplay, etc. while the 10-13 group would get more science, math,
> and
> > > english software, etc. with an age appropriate background.)
> > >
> > > If you get something going, please keep in touch so we can compare
> notes.
> > >
> > > Kevin
> > >
> > > Have you F/LOSSed today?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > From: Tom Eisenmenger <teisenmenger at charter.net>
> > > To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list <trilug at trilug.org>
> > > Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 8:28:25 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [TriLUG] making Linux look like Windows XP
> > >
> > >
> > > Very cool presentation, Kevin.  I've actually been talking with some
> > > other folks at Chowan University about launching such a project in
> > > northeastern North Carolina (I teach at Chowan).  The plan (as I see
> it)
> > > is to form a student service organization that would (a) solicit used
> > > computer systems from area businesses, (b) develop and install a
> > > tailored Linux distro (probably Ubuntu-based), and (c) provide
> > > grant-funded dial-up Internet access to recipients.  I do like your
> idea
> > > of partnering with an ISP to provide broadband, though.
> > >
> > > Oh, and I'll probably use a modified version of your presentation to
> > > drive home some points.  Thanks for putting that together!!
> > >
> > > Tom Eisenmenger
> > >
> > > On Sun, 2007-06-10 at 19:35 -0700, Kevin J. wrote:
> > >
> > > > here here!
> > > >
> > > > Btw, I created a quick "FOSS Presentation" which we presented with
> much
> > > success to our local Boys and Girls Club. You can view it on
> > > http://www.thinkfreedocs.com/ under the "Featured Presentations"
> section.
> > > Please feel free to modify it and/or use it to present FOSS to your
> local
> > > orgs.
> > > >
> > > > Kevin
> > > >
> > > > Have you F/LOSSed today?
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > > From: Jason Tower <jtower at cerient.net>
> > > > To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list <trilug at trilug.org>
> > > > Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 8:15:04 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: [TriLUG] making Linux look like Windows XP
> > > >
> > > > i'd suggest that apeing windows is exactly what linux *shouldn't* be
> > > doing as it
> > > > sets false expectations (it looks like windows but doesn't behave
> like
> > > windows,
> > > > therefore it sucks).  on the surface windows, kde, and gnome are
> > > fundamentally
> > > > very similar - same basic conventions, same desktop metaphors,
> > > etc.  anyone who
> > > > wants to can adapt to them very quickly.  changing the desktop
> > > background or
> > > > icon theme isn't what is keeping people from using linux.
> > > >
> > > > there is one primary, overriding reason people use windows: the
> > > apps.  you can
> > > > make a linux desktop look *exactly* like windows but that won't make
> an
> > > ounce of
> > > > difference to 99% of people if it can't run quicken, photoshop,
> itunes,
> > > > $FAVORITE_GAME, or whatever.  while there are replacement apps for
> many
> > > things,
> > > > there are plenty of apps that are important to people (particularly
> in
> > > the
> > > > business world) that for one reason or another are
> windows-only.  and
> > > *THAT* is
> > > > why people use windows and not linux.  they don't care about
> stability,
> > > they
> > > > don't care about security, and they sure as hell don't care about
> > > freedom or
> > > > community or any of the things that are important to many of
> us.  they
> > > don't
> > > > care about these things in much the same way i don't care about the
> > > ivory billed
> > > > woodpecker or indian casino regulations.  let's see, i had a point
> here
> > > but i've
> > > > forgotten where i was going with this so i'll just trail off
> muttering
> > > to myself...
> > > >
> > > > jason
> > > >
> > > > Kevin J. wrote:
> > > > > I just installed PCLinuxOS 2007 (www.pclinuxos.com) based on the
> > > recommendation of a new LUG member who recently made the switch from
> Windows
> > > after trying it. I am highly impressed. It defaults to a KDE
> environment
> > > that is very clean and easy to navigate (probably the most intuitive
> I've
> > > seen to date.) There is no reason why any Windows user couldn't
> comfortably
> > > switch to this OS.
> > > > >
> > > > > Kevin
> > > > >
> > > > > Have you F/LOSSed today?
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > > > From: Magnus <magnus at trilug.org>
> > > > > To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list <trilug at trilug.org>
> > > > > Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 2:15:49 PM
> > > > > Subject: [TriLUG] making Linux look like Windows XP
> > > > >
> > > > > Someone asked awhile back and while I was cruising for KDE themes
> > > today
> > > > > I ran into this:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php/kde3+xp+style?content=1499
> > > > >
> > > > > Not to my liking but anyone who is looking for the XP look & feel
> will
> > > > > be right at home here.
> > > > --
> > > > TriLUG mailing list        :
> > > http://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
> > > > TriLUG Organizational FAQ  : http://trilug.org/faq/
> > > > TriLUG Member Services FAQ : http://members.trilug.org/services_faq/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
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> > >
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-- 
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