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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.rmit.EDU.AU!goanna.cs.rmit.EDU.AU.!yallara!ashelton From: ashelton@yallara.cs.rmit.EDU.AU (A Shelton) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.advocacy Subject: Re: Historic Opportunity facing Free Unix (was Re: The Lai/Baker paper, benchmarks, and the world of free UNIX) Date: 20 Apr 1996 12:59:52 GMT Organization: Comp Sci, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia Lines: 34 Message-ID: <4lan48$j9l@goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au> References: <4ki055$60l@Radon.Stanford.EDU> <4l5k51$3fg@dyson.iquest.net> <4l663t$1ajq@news.missouri.edu> <tporczykDq3C55.4zE@netcom.com> <4l96pm$mrt@nnrp1.news.primenet.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: yallara.cs.rmit.edu.au NNTP-Posting-User: ashelton X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #1 (NOV) Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.system:21956 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:750 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:3395 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:3237 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:17842 comp.os.linux.advocacy:46597 jstern@primenet.com (Josh Stern) writes: >Tony Porczyk <tporczyk@netcom.com> wrote: >>rhys@vortex.cc.missouri.edu (Justin "Rhys Thuryn" McNutt) writes: >>> Now given that incredible hassle [necessity to install NT from >>> scratch], plus all the other given advantages of Linux (price being >>> first and foremost), don't you think that some businesses, particularly >>> those who want to save $$$ might consider some alternatives to NT? >Objectively, I think it has to be said that in the main, smooth >installations are one of MS's strengths. One can be a big fan >of free (or commercial) Unix and still admire the way that >MS installs just run themselves for things like NT workstation >and MS Internet Explorer. But doesn't this happen because they just bulldoze their way through? They don't really allow you to chose a modular install, they will quite happily set your monitor to ridiculous values and rely on vendor supplied drivers to get over the exceptions. They also don't support third party replacements for system components, which is part of what linux is all about. Xfree can cycle through modes, so clearly they could simply put all the VESA modes there and have a stupid program to allow you to chose between them (like the NT one) and return to a known after X seconds. But if you suggest it the Xfree guys'll probably go ballistic because they are not willing to have their software take that risk, MS is. -- Linux, because raw power can be....addictive. Andrew Shelton s9406182@yallara.cs.rmit.edu.au GCS(2.1)-d+H+sw+v-C++UL+>L+++E-N++WV--R++tv-b+D++e+fr*y?