How to Make People Love Linux
How to make people love Linux
by: Shawn Powers
There are two kinds of Linux people in the world, those that will help people fix their Windows spyware problems, and those that will not. I land squarely in the former camp, and I think that it’s important for us all to consider doing the same.
First, I have to clarify what I mean by, “Linux Person” — because there is a difference between a Linux user, and what I coin as a Linux Person. Most people I consider “Linux People” are very well versed in technology. They can usually fix any computer problem they’re presented, regardless of operating system, and have an inherent ability to logically solve computer problems in general. We’re geeks. We’re also knowledgeable enough to realize that Linux is a good thing on many levels. We want Linux to be the operating system of choice, because it makes the most sense. We understand the idea of Free software, and we also understand the advantages of free software (beer vs speech thing). As a group, however, we tend to stink the place up when it comes to evangelism.
How We Make People Hate Linux
- By telling people how much their Windows computer sucks.
- Instead of helping a Windows user fix their computer, brag about how Linux doesn’t have those problems.
- By being smug. Admit it. You’ve been smug.
- By bragging about how awesome Linux is, and then when someone tries it, and has problems, accuse them of being dumb.
- By pretending Linux has no shortcomings, and claiming other OSs are worthless.
Here’s the deal: Everyone knows Windows has problems. Rubbing it in to Windows users won’t make the like you (or your OS) any better. The end result should be that people want to use Linux, not that they’re forced to use it because Windows breaks and no one will help them.
How to Make People Want Linux
- Fix their spyware problem. Share with them that spyware is one of the reasons you don’t use Windows.
- Admit that using Linux has a learning curve, but it’s one that you think is worthwhile.
- Show them Compiz. Microsoft marketed an entire operating system on worthless visual thrills. Compiz is free, and cooler.
- Give them a LiveCD. Offer to help them. Follow through on the offer.
- Remember Wubi, it’s an easy way to try Linux.
That’s it! As with anything new, people will be resistant to change. Make them curious, not offended. Make them excited, not defensive. In the end, Linux is all about choice. I’m a computer user that can use Windows, OSX, Linux, Unix, etc, etc — and I choose to use Linux as often as possible. If we really want people to love Linux, we must give them the choice to use something else as well.
Source: http://www.linuxjournal.com
Slackware 12.1 is released!
Well folks, it’s that time to announce a new stable Slackware release again. So, without further ado, announcing Slackware version 12.1! Since we’ve moved to supporting the 2.6 kernel series exclusively (and fine-tuned the system to get the most out of it), we feel that Slackware 12.1 has many improvements over our last release (Slackware 12.0) and is a must-have upgrade for any Slackware user. Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements, you’ll find better support for RAID, LVM, and cryptsetup; a network capable (FTP and HTTP, not only NFS) installer; and two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: Xfce 4.4.2, a fast, lightweight, and visually appealing desktop environment, and KDE 3.5.9, the latest 3.x version of the full-featured K Desktop Environment.
The official announcement has more details. Also please consider helping to support the project financially at http://store.slackware.com (the CD set and DVD are off to replication, but pre-orders are being taken now). Your kind support and the help of many volunteers is what makes this project possible. Huge thanks are due to everybody who pitched in and helped with bug reports, patches, testing, suggestions, other comments, and everything else. Without this valuable input, Slackware would be nowhere near what it is today. Special thanks to the CREW, to the people developing and testing for slackbuilds.org (where many of Slackware’s future additions are first built and tested), and to everyone on linuxquestions.org, various #slackware or ##slackware IRC channels, other Slackware related web sites, and other places where the community shares their needs and concerns with the team. On behalf of everyone here, thanks. We think you’ll enjoy this new release, and hope that you’ll find it to be much more than 0.1 better than Slackware 12.0. 
Have fun!
Pat and the Slackware team
Source: http://www.slackware.com
Buildworld
It’s been 12 hours of wrestling with my newly installed FreeBSD. It took quite some time for me to install coz it’s a new environment for me and also I’m using the old version of FreeBSD (just for practice). Just want to be familiar with *nix. Buildworld took me 12 hours with this old p3 machine that was given by my friend from Reno. So far I didn’t encounter a problem.
It’s already 4.30 in the morning here and I’m currently compiling apache, php and MySQL and let’s see what happens.
[root@freebsd /etc]# uname -a
FreeBSD freebsd 6.3-STABLE FreeBSD 6.3-STABLE #0: Wed Apr 16 15:03:32 PHT 2008 root@freebsd.meridiantelekoms.com:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/MONKEYS i386
[root@freebsd /etc]#
Bash scripting
w00t! Just made my first bash script. It’s just a simple script though, it will just back-up all my database, archives it and ftp to my ftp server. At first i had a hard time but with perseverance and patience I made it. It’s just like a 25 line script mostly linux basic commands in it.
Through bash scripting makes your life a lot easier with linux. :p
Tat Kun Tao-Kung Fu
Kung Fu and Wu Shu are generally in the western world, the two main terms used when speaking of the mainstream Chinese Martial Arts or Chinese Boxing. Another name applied throughout southern parts of China and South East Asia when referring to Chinese boxing, less known in the west is ‘Kun Tao’. Kun Tao is translated into English to mean ‘Fist Way’. ‘Kon Do’, ‘Kon Tou’ and ‘Kun Taw’ are also some of the ways it has been orally spoken and written down by various Filipino’s and westerners.
Tat Kun Tao Kung Fu was originally formulated by ‘Jose Millan’ or by his Chinese name ‘Ju Go’, (or ‘Joe Go’) who was a Filipino-Chinese Martial Arts exponent from Cebu City. Having learnt a Balintawak style of Arnis, he set about to fuse the simplicity, and straightforwardness of Balintawak with his already existing Kung Fu or Kun Tao knowledge from the Go Cho Kun (Five ancestors boxing) style. The loose translation of Tat-Kun-Tao is, mind, brain or thinking-fist-way. His school was in the area of where now Gaisano-Metro now stands in Cebu city. The area mysteriously burnt down as was redeveloped. During this time the senior instructors of Jose opened their own schools and mostly trained from their different homes. Their most senior students at the time were ‘Victor Bulag’ (Bulag means blind, as he was blind in one eye and was his nickname) and ‘Fred Cabao’ (Cabao or Cabaw was his nickname, taken from the Carabao). As these people and other senior instructors trained from their respective houses they all produced variations in their teaching, as some added to their own teaching and some even removed certain aspects of Jose’s style and so different types of students were produced. The style splintered.
As Henry Jayme was later to remark:
“That’s why one time when I went to one club with Fred, I was so surprised because their method of teaching had been changed. After you finished the basic, supposedly you start learning the breaking or ‘bungkag’ just like the Balintawak, they however will simply teach you the two main patterns, which according to Fred Cabaw is not really a strong system. This was also my own observation”.
During the later years of his life Jose changed the name of his style to: ‘Gokusa’.
An effective closed door external style Kung Fu or Kun Tao style. Its practical teaching methods utilise kicks, punches, deflection and blocking defences and also Ch’in-Na or Chinese grappling self defence.
A simple outline of instruction as taught in The Visayan Martial Arts School:
Basic single person patterns are the elementary aspects of this style with the techniques of the patterns broken down into their basic applications for training sessions. Ch’in-Na or Chinese grappling, breakfalls and throws are also infused between the patterns.
Ch’in-Na, grappling self defence is an art that has aspects common to many Asian Martial Arts.In Korea the arts of grappling are often called Ho shin sool or Ho shin moo sool. The Japanese tend to call their grappling styles Aiki Jutsu or Ju Jutsu. Basically the moves are the same from each style as the human body is the same the world over and there are only so many ways to twist and lock a joint or limb.
Later when the student has achieved the grade of black belt or instructor the double person patterns are taught. These are patterns that teach more advanced moves and techniques to the student.