Text 3754, 180 rader
Skriven 2005-10-11 17:18:36 av Maurice Kinal (1:340/401.1)
   Kommentar till text 3752 av CHARLES ANGELICH (1:123/140)
Ärende: software for linspire
=============================
Hey CHARLES!

Oct 11 12:04 05, CHARLES ANGELICH wrote to MAURICE KINAL:

 CA> I would guess-timate that Microsoft continues to have 70-90% of
 CA> the desktops. Macs account for a few but not sure how many. 

I haven't run into any Macs lately around here.

 CA> A bit of inertia (for me) lately but once I get moving on it I
 CA> expect to stay with it indefinitely. I will have to keep at
 CA> least one Windows machine for the sound/graphics/video but
 CA> that's not a problem. 

If you say so.  I have discovered better Linux apps for all the above except
that they tend to be less user friendly to set up and, most often, use.  The
problem is that Linux apps tend to lean towards absolute power, which requires
one to learn in order to exploit.  MS cannot compete with Linux in the area of
quality and power.  MS software is crippleware at best.  It is for sheeple and
not for hardcore computer users.  On all the above listed criteria Linux is
better.

 CA> Just SourceForge is almost overwhelming in quantity of linux
 CA> projects and then there are the other sources plus individual
 CA> projects. It would be difficult to index all of it I think much
 CA> less have intimate knowledge of all that is available for linux. 

Right.  I don't bother anymore.  Far too much and I already know what I want so
they aren't always much help.  Also SourceForge's pages are hard to read using
lynx and never tell me what I want to know anyhow.

 CA> First a person would have to know the word "Linux" and have
 CA> some idea what that was then find a person who could tell them
 CA> where to find the files. So ... I guess the right question
 CA> would be something like "Where can I get a working copy of the
 CA> Linux files?". Before the internet was 'popular' the files
 CA> would exist only on _certain_ BBS scattered around the world.
 CA> :-) 

I managed to get started without any of them.  Mind you I have never been your
average computer user either so that probably explains why.  Also I am fearless
for the mostpart when it comes to PC's as I treat them fairly rough if they
don't listen to me.  Bottomline is the job gets done even if things have to get
seriously altered to achieve that end.

I like Fido for echoes and shooting the breeze in them.  It hasn't been a
source of knowledge for me ... much.

 CA> Younger 'experts' are not finding their way to FIDO for a
 CA> multitude of reasons. 

I suppose.  What do you suggest to change that?

 CA> "Time is the destroyer of ALL things". 

Also a creator.

 CA> I agree. The CLI for linux is very useful once a person becomes
 CA> acquainted with it. 

It is power.

 CA> I'm only comfortable with hardware issues at the time I'm
 CA> dealing with them. Once I get everything resolved I move on to
 CA> other things and begin to forget the details.

The note taking idea is best I find.

 CA> same issues daily it would be 'easier'. Trying to be on top of
 CA> 'everything' is difficult. 

To say the least.  I hear ya!  Boy do I hear ya!

 CA> When I got involved with my two mini-installs there were some
 CA> stumbling blocks trying to add FIDO access to the installs. 

For sure.

 CA> 1.) linux users don't think zmodem is worth having and don't
 CA> really know much about it.

I know and have completely ditched it.  You don't need it.  Much better stuff
available to achieve the same end.

 CA> Took me awhile to find out there was
 CA> a modified 'telnet' that has zmodem capability. Ztelnet works
 CA> but it's a bit awkward - spawns a shell for sz/rz which isn't
 CA> how it's been done in DOS/Windows. 

Also it is abandonware.  I doubt you could compile the source here without
heavy-duty hacking.  It isn't worth it.

 CA> 2.) The word 'zip' has been misappropriated by others writing
 CA> compression utilities (gzip, bzip2, etc.) so that finding a
 CA> PKzip compatible utility becomes a process of being told
 CA> repeatedly "You _should_ use Bzip2 because it comrpesses
 CA> better" which is irrelevant because it's incompatible with DOS
 CA> BBS use of 'zip' archives. I finally found InfoZip. :-) 

I have it here, have since the beginning, to deal with DOS and Windows people. 
I don't use it for myself.  Personally I wish it would just disappear
completely.  It is of no consequence in the grand scheme of things, never has
been, and probably never will be.  Listen to the 'gurus' on this issue.

 CA> 3.) Those who haven't been accessing BBS are unaware of offline
 CA> readers. I happened to have had some correspondence with
 CA> William McBride some years ago and knew his MultiMail was
 CA> available in both source code and linux binaries. I also had
 CA> been using ATP which compiles for *nix OS as well as DOS. For
 CA> average newbies finding an OLR might be problematic. 

Yeah.  Easily resolved if the formats get ditched.

 CA> 4.) How to locate a FIDO BBS isn't obvious to the uninitiated. 

True.  What do you suggest?

 CA> 5.) Many linux installs have non-functioning dialup routines
 CA> that need 'fixing'. I had to completely replace the PPP dialer
 CA> for both of my mini-installs and THAT (PPP dialup) is something
 CA> no one seemed to really understand. I had to get help from a
 CA> UNIX group on usenet. 

This I know nothing about.  I haven't used a dialup modem for a decade now.  I
did have an external one working back then but I lost interest in it since it
went nowhere.  Nobody local was interested so it made no sense to have a 24/7
system on a dedicated line.  Too expensive just for nothing.

 CA> 6.) An editor that works in a way similar to a Windows/DOS
 CA> editor would help ease newbies into the process of posting to
 CA> FIDO echos. The SCO editor, JOE, and others (I forget which but
 CA> there are some linux editors that look very much like DOS
 CA> editors). 

Yep.  I believe MBSE BBS takes the above issue into account.

 CA> A _working_ dialup install containing all of the above,
 CA> preferably on a livecd, might give FIDO a shot in the arm? I
 CA> think DamnSmallLinux is a CLI SlackWare livecd? Add all of the
 CA> above to that and distribute it from SourceForge? 

ttylinux is what I use since it is the best bar none.  I have been seriously
contemplating the above issues to make a BBS using ttylinux as the base.  An
extremely good foundation for a project like that.

Hm.  Now that you bring it up I am going to have to talk to the MBSE guru about
this issue.  I think that might be the way to go.

 CA> Well when evangelizing linux telling them how helpless they are
 CA> won't gain 'converts'. :-) 

I am not an evangelist.  I'd rather the mindless lazy bums stuck with pirating
MS crap then screwing up Linux and I am not afraid to tell them that too.  They
are dead weight by their own choosing and tend to do a shoddy job of a crap job
to begin with.  Ye ol' heave-ho applies in this circumstance.  ;-)

 CA> I think of it as a process of refining. Get as many people
 CA> involved as possible and then let the natural process of
 CA> 'selection' or 'survival of the fitest' trim that number down
 CA> then restart the process again etc. I think I see this
 CA> happening with Apple computers frequently as the 'group' grows,
 CA> shrinks, then grows again. 

Could be.  It isn't my choice nor do I wish it to be.  If someone is serious
and wants help I am more then willing to share.  If they pay me BIG bucks to do
it for them I will but not otherwise.

 CA> Everything that involves a person on an emotional or highly
 CA> focused mental level is that way, yes. 

Yeah I get over emotional every once and awhile.  I don't mind but others
around me tend to shirk when I do.  The ones that know me well tend to smile
when I get that way since they know I am harmless.  Shhhhhhhh ... don't tell
anyone.

Life is good,
Maurice

--- Msged/LNX 6.1.2
 * Origin: Coffin Point - Ladysmith, BC Canada (1:340/401.1)