[TriLUG] Where is Linux today?

[Kevin J.]

Wow, awesome answers Cristobal (I keep forgetting how to put the little mark above the "o"). I can't add much  except to further agree with your statements in regards to users needing or asking for ongoing Linux assistance. We've given away dozens of computers through the Free Linux PC program (www.freelinuxpc.org), and have had almost no issues with users requiring assistance after they got their system home. Outside of someone needing a root password change one time, and a mother who called me because she had forgotten how to log-in to her glubble.com account (we show them how to lock down Firefox with Glubble if they have kids and are interested in that option), there have been no problems. We had one gentleman who had never used a computer in his life come to an event and receive a FLPC and some (very) basic training. He then came back to the next event to help others. While there he offered his phone number to new FLPC recipients in case they needed
 any assistance. That just blew my mind. Some folks learn rather quickly given the opportunity.

Kevin


----- Original Message ----
From: Cristóbal Palmer <cristobalpalmer at gmail.com>
To: Triangle Linux Users Group General Discussion <trilug at trilug.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 3:30:50 PM
Subject: Re: [TriLUG] Where is Linux today?

On Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 12:56 PM, Maxwell Spangler
<maxpublic08 at maxwellspangler.com> wrote:
>
> I recently recommended that a
> good friend get a new laptop WITH Vista (for a high quality yet
> inexpensive out of the box experience) and I generally tell anyone
> asking about selecting a computer to look hard at Apple Macintosh (for
> an excellent overall hardware + software experience.)

If people ask me directly, I recommend that they get a Mac. If they're
asking, they need a Mac. Unless they're college sophomores or younger,
in which case I ask if they like to tinker. :)

> I don't recommend Linux.  Why would I recommend Linux to a typical user
> who wants to do simple tasks that OS X and Vista both do so well and
> require no specialized training or support with?

Specialized training? I set up an Ubuntu box for my mother almost two
years ago and the only major bump she hit was trying to open MS Office
2007 files awhile back. What is this specialized training or support
you speak of? Ubuntu really is kid tested, mother approved.

> I especially don't
> want everybody's brother calling *me* personally to support their Linux
> system when it can't get on the net or "runs really slow" (as every
> computer seems to do over time.)

Every computer? Really? You've been in windowsland too long.

Also, you're sending people the wrong signals if you feel like they're
always turning to you for free desktop support. Just tell people flat
out: "I'm a computer professional who charges for support, and I do
NOT do desktop support. Period. I know _________ and _______ provide
support if you need it."

I have a friend who has a different approach: "Suuure. I'd be happy to
help you with desktop computer support, but I have to warn you that my
rate is $120/hour for Windows-based systems and $70/hour for
everything else."

> If you put your personal politics and preferences aside, you have to
> admit that Linux, Mac OS X and Vista are all very powerful and capable
> operating systems.

Yes, and? Now that we're back in the real world where our politics and
preferences matter quite a bit, are we going to recommend systems that
we believe represent a broken approach to software? Are we going to
steer people towards doing business with a company that violated
antitrust law and managed to navigate the political waters (kudos to
their legal and lobbying teams... and the Bush administration) out of
being broken up, or any real consequences for that matter? Are we
going to advocate lock-in and abuse of patent and copyright law with
our purchases and recommendations?

The OOXML ridiculousness should be interesting to watch as it unfolds.

> It's a much better computing world than it was just
> over ten years ago when Windows 98 would have been the default operating
> system used by the world.  Back then I would have said Linux multi-tasks
> better, crashes less, has a mountain of freely available programs, etc.
> But now all three operating systems multi-task in multi-CPU environments
> extremely well and the quality of applications available for Mac and
> Vista seems to be easily surpassing Linux.**

You were actively promoting Linux on the desktop ten years ago? Seriously?

> I think Linux is stalled and I think that's why we don't see community
> events anymore.

Stalled how? I don't call Dell's or Asus' push with netbooks stalling.
Open your eyes a bit. You're not seeing the progress you're hoping for
because you've defined progress too narrowly. I think Linux-based
"ultra-portables" and low-cost Linux-based desktops for browsing the
'net are going to make a huge difference. You might see some
interesting network effects if sales of systems with Linux
preinstalled pass 5%.

> So what do you think?  Are you excited about Linux?  Why?

Hell yes. Ubuntu keeps Fedora on its toes, the 1st-gen OLPC (which
arguably paved the way for the netbooks) would have gotten precisely
nowhere if not for Linux, the mainstreaming of the terms "Linux" and
"Open Source" have consequences for law, politics, etc.

Turn your eyes for a moment to the amazing Dean campaign of recent
memory and also the ongoing 'net-powered campaigns of Ron Paul (yes,
they're still around) and Barack Obama. Obama's website is a SNS. It's
a thing of beauty when you take a step back and think about it, and
it's made possible in part by Linux/Apache (in a technical sense) but
more by the Open Source Philosophy, by the Bazaar. The brilliance of
Obama's and Paul's campaigns isn't how they use hardware or software.
It's that they've empowered all their supporters with existing stuff.

That's what Linux and other Open Source projects can do: they can
democratize innovation [0] faster. Linux keeps me excited both for
what it can do technically and for the ready metaphors that it gives
me. I can make the honest argument that an army of strangers with a
common cause can produce (in many contexts) better results than
Microsoft. If you want to go to conferences, just look for the
projects or groups that _are_ having conferences. There are plenty out
there. Hell, Red Hat Summit starts tomorrow:
http://www.redhat.com/promo/summit/2008/

Stay excited. Linux will never "make it" on the desktop the way many
of you might have wished, but that's because the desktop is not the
future. This is not a loss or even a setback. Keep looking forward and
keep enjoying the amazing times we're living in.

Cheers,
-- 
Cristóbal M. Palmer
http://tinyurl.com/3apraw "They also abandoned other volumes, later,
while fleeing from the librarians."

[0] http://web.mit.edu/evhippel/www/books.htm
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