Desktop Linux (was Re: [ILUG] From the register. XP machine rooted in 200 seconds.)

[John Madden]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On (01/12/04 09:54), Rick Moen didst pronounce:
> My information is that Lindows 1.0 defaulted to not creating a regular
> user, and included default kdm autologin.  Ergo, absent action by the
> installing party to create a non-root user, a lot of simple-minded
> persons ended up running as root all the time through inertia -- not
> that the distro was incapable of proper security roles, as has been so
> often alleged.
> 
Ya, it's that long ago that I heard about it. Have pretty much heard
nothing (apart from MS suing them) since.

> What I heard was that they fixed that installer hazard starting with
> Lindows 1.1 (which was later renamed Linspire).  
> 
> The traditional Linux community mostly misunderstood the problem's scope
> all along:  I can't tell you how many times people (not you) have told
> me, utterly in error, that Lindows runs only as root.  They also
> generally fail to credit Linspire with immediately fixing the problem,
> which they reportedly did.  
> 
Good stuff. I didn't know any of this. Did they do a press release or
anything, or is it just that the press release wasn't picked up in the
mainstream because it's good news?!

> Our community's failure to give credit where due is probably mostly
> because you and I might never actually encounter Lindows/Linspire:  Why
> would we go out of our way to buy a somewhat feature-shy shrinkwrapped
> retail Linux distro aimed at novices?  But really they've been done
> something of an injustic.
> 
I actually signed up for the free copy when they were offering that.
Never got it though. I _would_ like a copy of it to play with for a
while though. And, if I found it particularly easy (read GUI oriented)
to use and configure, I'd try (again!) to convince the Windows users I
know to switch to something different, and show them a lovely shiny
Linspire desktop!

While I've wandered onto the subject of desktop linux, I have to comment
on the desktop debian-amd64 machine I'm now running. After doing the
install and usual package adding, I am _very_ impressed with it. The
desktop is lovely to use (Gnome), and it has even impressed my
girlfriend (a long-time Windows user, who I never stop pestering to 
change!). She has even gone and recommended someone to talk to me 
about putting a linux desktop build on their home desktop machine, based
on what she's seen of this one.

- -- 
Chat ya later,

John.
- --
BOFH excuse #218: The UPS doesn't have a battery backup.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.5 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFBrgocQBw+ZtKOvTIRAlCFAJ9q0zVk6isKBlJ8aWPriGifFlcrUQCfdKOU
0AmMAlE1XGrjL0WPGhR1Db4=
=UF+x
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----