Linux why does it fly but penguins don't ?

[ozzie]

I started this thread as I see a few folks playing with linux..
as preface I have used just about every OS (Operating System) around and I have been crushed by them all. LOL. I don't need a microsoft bashing session either.

This is just some random notes and maybe it will help folks ..

The many flavours of linux..
Look at linux it's like cars many types shapes and sizes but in the end transportation..

My preference is Debian www.debian.org..
It's harder to work with but is very secure and VERY well tested..
Many say Debain is too slow at releases but it's the turtle and hare ..

Redhat was OK until they went retail..
Now its linux bloatware at it's worst..

Hardware
Select your operating system FIRST then get the hardware..
If you time is valuable this will save you bunch of money..
Get the right horse it does not matter how much you change the saddle a donkey is a donkey..

Ram and fast hard drives is the game..
AMD INTEL I stay with INTEL as it better supported ..
When I can buy dell server for $600 odd and get a 3 year on site warranty. Building boxes went out with the commodore 64..
Celerons are OK but better to have the P4 or whatever more onboard cache and cache is king..
OR look around on ebay for an old Dual Xeon 450 or better ram is dirt cheap and you can have a dual cpu with one gig of ram for maybe $500.. Look for optiplex or precision workstations.. Cheap and still well supported..

oz

[Scroggie]

Ozzie, what do you think about using a linux box (new, Dell type, not my old Cel400) as a file server, mainly to back up windows type files and keep them secure. Probably at a remote site (back up from office to home)?

This is what I had in mind but tried to do it on the cheap.

Eventually, I may upgrade/migrate to a cross platform SQL server and keep the data primarily on Linux and the front end on Windows.

Have you tried menute OS (http://www.menuetos.org/)? Just to be complete you should. THe whole OS fits on a floppy. Its makes a neat GUI, but doesn't seem to do much else.

[Kursk]

Hardware
Select your operating system FIRST then get the hardware..
If you time is valuable this will save you bunch of money..
Get the right horse it does not matter how much you change the saddle a donkey is a donkey..

Ram and fast hard drives is the game..
AMD INTEL I stay with INTEL as it better supported ..
When I can buy dell server for $600 odd and get a 3 year on site warranty. Building boxes went out with the commodore 64..
Celerons are OK but better to have the P4 or whatever more onboard cache and cache is king..
OR look around on ebay for an old Dual Xeon 450 or better ram is dirt cheap and you can have a dual cpu with one gig of ram for maybe $500.. Look for optiplex or precision workstations.. Cheap and still well supported..

oz
To clarify....
Decide what you want the computer to do for you (games, HTTP server, file server, desktop) and your top 5 applications you have to have.

Understand what makes these apps fly (memory, HD size, reliability, processor speed or some combo).

What money you can spend but hide from the wife.

Multiply by your own internal calculus to get the "braggin factor" you need to impress the drinkin' buddies.

Then goto harware/software/os.

If you go Linux realize that latest USB/firewire gotta have gizmo is unlikely to be supported unless you write the driver your bad self and that you need to relearn all the linux based apps except for a scant few cross platform applications like Word Perfect. It's not about the money as you will waste many hours learning Linux to save $100 on MS OS.

Also your conscience will eat away at you, knowing as you do that Linux is pirated software, ripped from the mother bosom of SCO where it cries to return....

Hey it is fun, don't get me wrong. Here's a link to an article comparing some different distros on laptops, with an example of the continuing problem of hardware recognition (which isn't a show stopper, but it is damn frustrating!)
Linux.com (http://www.linux.com/article.pl?sid=04/03/30/1932230)

[ozzie]

Have you tried menute OS (http://www.menuetos.org/)? Just to be complete you should. THe whole OS fits on a floppy. Its makes a neat GUI, but doesn't seem to do much else.
Dos works off a floppy too.. and ......

The key is Linux was is and will be a server operating system.
It was never designed to be a desktop,,
Until a total focus and new desktop kernel is developed thats the way it is..
Does not make it bad just different..
Mac has taken a shot at it but int reality most mac X users are just linux users who want a easy laptop...lol

Want a desktop use MS want a server use Linux depending..
it's really a scalpel versus an axe.. Both work fine within the design..

To answer the other question intall linux harden it and add Samba and Webmin.. windows file server /firewall Mysql is nice as it is well developed stable and powerful but postrgres is the hard core db BUT KINDA MORE CRANKY..
MS SQL is very powerfull also but the underlying dependency to MS OS's kinda weakens it .. Needless to say it's not cheap either

Oz

[Kursk]

Along those lines, several major distros have a bootable CD you can use to check out the OS without having to do an install.
Here's Mandrake's version: http://www.mandrakesoft.com/products/mandrakemove
Here's a SUSE link: https://shop.linuxit.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=107

[Kursk]

ozzie - got a good resource for mySQL tutorial/books? What admin program you using? Whats this "never a desktop" 'tude all about, its the latest thing!

Really, when you think about it most folks could get along with a midlevel or low level PC for word smithing, net access and corpate DB functions rather nicely. Most non-gamers don't use 1/10 the computing power (or storage) of their current PC/OS/apps (which kind of matches the portion of their brain in use, hmmmmm). Openoffice/mozilla/ximian/mysql seem reasonable for that. Power users aren't afraid to use anything anyway.

[ozzie]

When you read up on this it's just Mc Bride being a nut .. Novell never sold the farm just part of the farm..
If anything it is Westinghouse that got ripped off as they wrote the first unix flavour and gave to a college way back when all has stemmed from there..
It more so like henry ford trying to enforce patent on the motor car..
When the smoke clears it will be obvious that SCO has just pulled stunt to get bought out which has backfired..


What SCO didn't plan on is all the other not playing the game.. it's SCO's pithy attempt to get market share..
And lets not forget SCO has been distributing Linux SCO ( not the same as ScoUnix ) So I guess they will sue themselves LOL
The more you look into this the more you will discover what a scam it really is.

Mc Bride should understand the laws of a school yard fight . Never pick on a bully when you are one.. IBM can fight and afford to fight.. The burning question is can SCO afford it

Should folks be aware yes.. should they be worried no..
I was concerned at one point but after a little research I have draw my own conclusions..

OZ


Hummph snip
Also your conscience will eat away at you, knowing as you do that Linux is pirated software, ripped from the mother bosom of SCO where it cries to return....

[ozzie]

After beating myself up many times http://www.mysql.com. is when I end up..
Oh it's no a tude..
Desktops were designed to stand alone sans server..
Unix is server based with shell client with limited access and capability (by design) Two diffrent matrix shall we say..
Just because folks are trying to make a server into a desktop it does not mean it will work..
Look at lindows http://www.lindows.com tastes great less filling ..Except one major issue all users run as root..
Thats a design issue that cannot be changed in unix and should not be changed..
But overall very dangerous amonst AOL script kiddies LOL

Also until gui are integrated closer to the kernel it will be be problematic..
The best work around is like most are doing.. Running a webserver with a html front end locally on the machine..
But underneath it's still client server.. (grin)

Oz



ozzie - got a good resource for mySQL tutorial/books? What admin program you using? Whats this "never a desktop" 'tude all about, its the latest thing!

[Kursk]

Tanks for the links. Is there an admin tool for mysql or are you running it against the command line?

[Scroggie]

Try this controller for mysql: Navicat (http://www.navicat.com/) another to consider is Mysql control center.

Keep in mind, I haven't used either, just picking up some tidbits here and there.

[Kursk]

Try this controller for mysql: Navicat (http://www.navicat.com/) another to consider is Mysql control center.

Keep in mind, I haven't used either, just picking up some tidbits here and there.
Thanks. Downloaded MySQL; gonna give it a go.

[Mike]

Scroggie and Kursk, you guys really physicians?

[Scroggie]

No doubt I am. Just toyed with mySQl, I'm better off with Access.

[Kursk]

Scroggie and Kursk, you guys really physicians?
Hmmmm let me see. Cynical, on the wrong end of every business dealing, used and abused by patients, making less than the plumber, on call more than the plumber, years behind the guys in my frat that went to B school, .... Yeah, I am think I am a doctor after all. 'puters are to me what cars and engines were to me dear old da. Of course now he can't work on em cause he doesn't want to use a 'puter but thats another story...

[Scroggie]

OZ: Yes, but DOS doesn't have a GUI now does it?

[Kursk]

When you read up on this it's just Mc Bride being a nut .. all

Should folks be aware yes.. should they be worried no..
I was concerned at one point but after a little research I have draw my own conclusions..

OZ


Now, I'm just a cave man lawyer but ....
I really a bit worried about all the smugness of the open source crowd on this one. Lotso bizzarre scat has come out of the US court system. It doesn't matter that OS people understand GPL and open source what matters is whether the folk on the jury get it. And how many of them do you think are gonna be running FreeBSD at home?

[ozzie]

http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/ is nice gui mysql tool
mysqladmin from the command line works too..


oz

[ozzie]

maybe the jury will believe IBM Novell

Well the legal system has not been so kind to MS..
It will be interesting but by the time it gets to court 2005 and counting up
A new kernel will be around which will make this case moot anyhow..
But remember all the folks that GPL all their parts can turn that licence around too and make it an everything but NOTSCOware license LOL

So time will tell .

Oz


Snip
Now, I'm just a cave man lawyer but ....
I really a bit worried about all the smugness of the open source crowd on this one. Lotso bizzarre scat has come out of the US court system. It doesn't matter that OS people understand GPL and open source what matters is whether the folk on the jury get it. And how many of them do you think are gonna be running FreeBSD at home?

[Scroggie]

Okay, I finally have things humming on mySQL. So far webYog is the best interface for controlling things. (www.webyog.com).

Check it out.

[ozzie]

I use www.webmin.com to do all the linux stuff it's great html gui for Linux..
It has basic mysql tools.. Once it gets past the tools in webmin I hand off to my Db partner.. I will aske her what she uses and let you know..

Oz

[ozzie]

phpMyAdmin

http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/downloads.php#2.5.6

just tar -zxvf in the web viewable area of your virtualhost site
/home/whatever_this_is/public_html

or whatever you decided your DocumentRoot should be

[robodoc911]

I would like input and recommendations from those more familiar with LINUX and Microsoft alternative systems. I have two computers at home (currently linked by network) and I plan to isolate one "clean" computer for email and online browsing and use the other computer for business and professional activities - keeping it isolated from the web and email. I had originally planned to set up Windows XP on both computers, but now I am wondering if LINUX might be a better choice for my web & email access computer. How easy is it to set up and configure LINUX? Can I transfer ASCII data files from one computer to the other? I am no expert on computers but I did cut my teeth on CPM and DOS, so I am not averse to non-GUI environment.

[ozzie]

yes you can do it..
Maybe tommorow I will post a complete how to on debian..
Oz

[BigDoc]

I'd still go for XP Prof on both, unless u intend to run a server on one of them, Linux has got a bit of a learning curve, you can setup your LAN with a good router that has hardware firewall, and software fierwalls on both the PCs, Scroggie and Kursk may too have more to say about Linux

[ozzie]

Running mozilla and firebird and Samba will give you a bulletproof solution and I would have my biz stuff stored on the linux box too.. You can install a management system and have everthing in the same place and have secure access via the web from anywhere..
You can email me and I can show you a system live on the web you can play with to get an idea of the management system..

XP is fine too but it's getting REAL old with all the browser crap ..Email is not a problem for me as I use Yahoo and have done and will so for many years..

oz


I'd still go for XP Prof on both, unless u intend to run a server on one of them, Linux has got a bit of a learning curve, you can setup your LAN with a good router that has hardware firewall, and software fierwalls on both the PCs, Scroggie and Kursk may too have more to say about Linux

[Kursk]

Can you do it - sure!
Do you WANT to do it - maybe.
How much time do you have?
What devices do you want to use that connect via firwire/USB or are cutting edge
What about palm/pocket pc, digital camera.
What apps are going to port directly to Linux. Using voice recognition? Games? Photo editing, word processing?
Although hardware recognition and configuration is better than ever getting some devices to run takes some time on the web reading "how tos" and Linux discussion groups. Most Linux distros will automatically read windows files on the same computer.

Ozzie - please do post the Debian how to, I'm going to give it another go (done some dual boots with Mandrake and SUSE so far).

[ozzie]

All valid comments however the person asked about a web browser file server and mail server which would need none of below..
As I have said and will repeat Linux is a SERVER system, the desktop is just not there yet..
All the tools below are desktop related NOT server related..
Consider the doctor to be the server and the practice and staff to be the desktop. The efforts of the desktop get all the information to the server.
the efforts of the practice and staff get all the information to the doctor. So the doctor does not need an appointment book, a cash reciept pad, the switchboard for the phone system, all the files is the doctors room. The desktops take care of that..

I will post the debian stuff but I will not write about dual boot as it's is problematic.. If your time is not worth spending $600 on a new test box then you have the time to futz around with dual booting. I look at as every hour I spend testing as paid work hours, so I would want the right tools to do the right job.. Or spend $295.00 on www.vmware.com and not have to dual boot at all..
Just so everyone understands I am not linux zealot and I am writing this on a windows 2003 advanced server using Internet Exploder..

oz

Can you do it - sure!
Do you WANT to do it - maybe.
How much time do you have?
What devices do you want to use that connect via firwire/USB or are cutting edge
What about palm/pocket pc, digital camera.
What apps are going to port directly to Linux. Using voice recognition? Games? Photo editing, word processing?
Although hardware recognition and configuration is better than ever getting some devices to run takes some time on the web reading "how tos" and Linux discussion groups. Most Linux distros will automatically read windows files on the same computer.

Ozzie - please do post the Debian how to, I'm going to give it another go (done some dual boots with Mandrake and SUSE so far).

[Kursk]

Actually have done it both ways. Suse is the only OS on an older box. Surfs without problems, but I think the hardware is a little too old to really judge overall performance. I certainly understand the dif between sever and desktops, but I am not sure its clear from Robo-D that he does (no slight intended).

[ozzie]

just for the record I try to give simplistic answers as I know many on this board may not be be as geeky as others so if some replies seem long winded please forgive me..

oz

[Anon_3b215c]

:confused: I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but Kursk, this here bit you posted somewhere above: "I really a bit worried about all the smugness of the open source crowd on this one."...is THIS ABOUT US? Should we be worried about something? Now IS the time to confess, before it is too late! You can confess inside the Physicians Only section, if you must!

[Kursk]

:confused: I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but Kursk, this here bit you posted somewhere above: "I really a bit worried about all the smugness of the open source crowd on this one."...is THIS ABOUT US? Should we be worried about something? Now IS the time to confess, before it is too late! You can confess inside the Physicians Only section, if you must!
Not unless you are "linux only" believer. The most rabid antimicrosoft pro linux crowd exude this aura of invincibility. No one that I know on this board so far would fall into this group. Having seen bizarre court results on malpractice as well as other issues, I just don't think it's a done deal. As lawyers I know have told me at times, don't go court, almost anything can happen!

And don't get me wrong, Linus and Linux are cool with me.

[Anon_3b215c]

:) LOL, thank you for re-assuring me!

[ozzie]

The most rabid antimicrosoft pro linux crowd .

In the interest of truth justice and the comics I am none of the above .. I love my wife and my children.. I USE software ..sleeping with my wife is much preferred than a bed full of CD roms whate ever the operating system LOL..
:eek:

[Scroggie]

You can download the image files for most of the common linux distributions from the web and then burn them to CD rom.

If I was patient enough, I would set up the linux box as a server (two network interface cards, one to the web, the other to the local LAN). The have it function for email and browsing (Mozilla Firebird) and as a file server (SMB or Samba allows linux to read/store windows based files. You can actually have it configured to run as a router (a sophisticated, customizible router).

For your second box, set up the XP Pro (not Home) and run your office stuff off that, those type programs tend not to be cross platform).

But don't skimp on the hardware for the linux box, good hardware + good OS = good product. Scrap hardware + good os = tax deductible paperweight.

[ozzie]

Debian 3.0 install
http://www.darknet.org.uk/content/how_to_install_debian_3.0.html
note change the UK stuff to US settings.
A quik peep with the jaundice eye says it looks OK ..If were written by me I would stop at the gui part .. webmin is far easier and less likely to get ugly on you.. If you have gobs of RAM you can make the swap file bigger
make sure the swap file is twice the ram size..
Sure you should never really need the swap file but if you do and it's less that the data stored in RAM you will end up with the Linux no screen of death.
Aka "whats is the sound of a curser not blinking" to get a tad Zen like about it..
oz

[Kursk]

Debian 3.0 install
http://www.darknet.org.uk/content/how_to_install_debian_3.0.html
note change the UK stuff to US settings.
A quik peep with the jaundice eye says it looks OK ..If were written by me I would stop at the gui part .. webmin is far easier and less likely to get ugly on you.. If you have gobs of RAM you can make the swap file bigger
make sure the swap file is twice the ram size..
Sure you should never really need the swap file but if you do and it's less that the data stored in RAM you will end up with the Linux no screen of death.
Aka "whats is the sound of a curser not blinking" to get a tad Zen like about it..
oz
Reply from KURSK: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL 128
Ping statistics for KURSK:
Packets Sent = 4, Recieved 4, Lost=0 <0% loss>,
Approximate round trip times in mili-seconds:
minimum = 0ms, maximum = 0ms, average = 0ms
Gratitude=high

[buslick]

I use Suse Linux on a old computer at home.

I also like this version of Linux for old computers as it runs completely in RAM so is very fast: http://www.goosee.com/puppy/

[Kursk]

Welcome buslick. Whats your current EMR setup?

[buslick]

I am using Praxis 3 beta at work on a Windows network. I use Suse Linux on a home computer. I use the Puppy linux CD to boot linux on several windows computers that have the correct file system type (does not support NFTS). I'm an all around computer nerd. I have 4 computers at home on a network. I play around with MySQL, Apache, Tcl/Tk, and PERL.

[Scroggie]

A praxite?!? Well you are a techie too, so you might be okay, but no chanting or jihads against Al (he's considered unclean by the head of Praxis).

I'm gonna check out the puppy link. Had falling out with debian and fedora.

[Kursk]

PCs in exam rooms? Tablets? Wired/wireless?

[ozzie]

I'm gonna check out the puppy link. Had falling out with debian and fedora.
Dont fall in love with the puppy..
When you finally realise that you will use linux and the puppy pees on the rug aka dies and all you data is in RAM .. Then you will understand why it's time to do the mans mission than keep on with this silly boy mission thingy LOL..
If you wish to play please use the Man toys http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

Chicks on trampolines to follow

[buslick]

The data is stored on the hard drive. The programs all run in ram which speeds things up since the only time the hard drive is accessed is to save data. I have a CD with Knoppix also. Knoppix won't fit on my USB thumbdrive but Puppy Linux will. The nice thing is they are both free. Hard to beat free.

[buslick]

I do not have PCs in the exam rooms at this time. Our network is wired. I do have the rooms wired, I just have not spent the money to buy small footprint PCs for the exam rooms. As a specialist I have a relatively low volume of patients so I just chart while the patient is changing and after they leave. I have ordered an Airpanel that Al has been talking about to help me document the ROS data in the room. The HPI and plan I will type up at my desktop. I have been debating buying a tablet PC but am turned off by the expense. Plus it looks from the post Al made that Microsoft is going to abandon the Tablet PC OS and fold some of its functions into Longhorn. The price of first generation tablets has fallen 30-50%, more if you buy refurbished so I guess I will wait for the price of the second generation tablets to fall in 6 months to a year.

[BigDoc]

PCs in exam rooms? Tablets? Wired/wireless?

Kursk, won't the Tablets walk if you leave them in exam rooms?
B

[ozzie]

I think its important to note that there are many ways to skin the feline here and the uber geeks way in general is not good biz practice. As the uber geeks of the world like to play test pilot .. It's a wannabe deal, I am not a pilot so I made it to med school thingy LOL,, Or subtittled chuck yeager meets flo nightingale, now Bill gates looks like a challenge department..
So whilst there are some lessons to be learned here lets not forget that this is trial type medicine and NOT standard patient care stuff..
So when I pipe in as the oh great grumpy one it's in the interest of the masses..
So my answer to tablet etc would be to buy cheapo used laptops for $500 a pop and run as thin clients. This way you can have 3 rooms hooked up with a spare and still be under the tablet price..

oz



I do not have PCs in the exam rooms at this time. Our network is wired. I do have the rooms wired, I just have not spent the money to buy small footprint PCs for the exam rooms. As a specialist I have a relatively low volume of patients so I just chart while the patient is changing and after they leave. I have ordered an Airpanel that Al has been talking about to help me document the ROS data in the room. The HPI and plan I will type up at my desktop. I have been debating buying a tablet PC but am turned off by the expense. Plus it looks from the post Al made that Microsoft is going to abandon the Tablet PC OS and fold some of its functions into Longhorn. The price of first generation tablets has fallen 30-50%, more if you buy refurbished so I guess I will wait for the price of the second generation tablets to fall in 6 months to a year.

[Kursk]

For smaller PCs I like this one: http://www.cybernetman.com/default.cfm/DocId/602.htm
Put a flat screen monitor on the chart shelf/desk, use a good keyboard tray to hold the computer, works great, price is reasonable and chart/papers still fit on the desk as you talk to the patient.

I am not a big tablet/laptop guy as I type a lot and don't like laptop keyboards, worrying about battery life, etc. I tried handwriting recog about 1 year ago and I think it's not even close to where VR is now, plus I find typing easier on my hands than writing. But that's just me, I know a lot of folks are big into ink and tablets. I also think TCO for laptops is higher especially for me given I feel very comfortable replacing any component on a PC but find laptops a lot harder to deal with, easier to break, less durable over all. I am not paperless so walking in the room with a big chart and a laptop is too much hassle as well. I did use the Fujitsu B142 touch screen for a year or two, but gave it up for the above reasons. I use it on my wireless G network at home though.

[Kursk]

whats the latest on SCO?
What are the oddsmakers saying?

[ozzie]

this is really the guts of the SCO suit..
Sco says linux is using proprietory code that SCO own.
IBm says Bull $hit its code we wrote way back when and published it as open source..
So SCO said nope we bought it from Novell

Novell said nope we gave it to you as open source therefor you cannot sell it..
SCO forgot they were publishing linux as well as SCO Unix. So now they will sure themselves for copywrite violations LOL SCO also forgot that detail also.
At first I was very concerned but know the smoke has cleared a bit..
http://www.opensource.org/halloween/halloween9.php stuff like this shows that SCO will not get anywhere as the case is so mixed up now one will ever understand..

Also SCO hedged a few bets on Itanium which turned into Itanic LOL So also this part of suit also saying the IBM really pushed SCO out because of the basic failure of Itanium.. Hellooooooooooooooooo SCO you never made 64 bit CPU chips so how was IBM pushing you out, infact by IBM helping intel make 64 bit CPU's it would help you sell more software as the Intel chips would be cheaper than the IBM chips ..


If you look at the basic time line of unix who owned what where http://livinginternet.com/i/iw_unix_war.htm

personally I think it was more a market deal for force IBM to buy out SCO then IBM looked and said what does SCO have the we don't nothing..except a jerk for a CEO
AIX our flavor of unix has better and bigger market share ..Ok SCO sue us.

When or if it gets to court by then kernal 2.8 will be out and all of SCO. alleged crap will be out but you can bet that a new licence called the NOSCO will be around which says you can use any of my stuff as long as it is NOT packaged with SCO


Oz

Snip
The suit specifically blames Linux founder and leader Linus Torvalds for allowing proprietary Unix code into Linux.

"As IBM executives know, a significant flaw of Linux is the inability and/or unwillingness of the Linux process manager, Linus Torvalds, to identify the intellectual property origins of contributed source code that comes in from those many different software developers. If source code is code copied from protected Unix code, there is no way for Linus Torvalds to identify that fact," the suit said. "As a result, a very significant amount of Unix protected code is currently found in Linux 2.4.x and Linux 2.5.x releases in violation of SCO's contractual rights and copyrights."

Torvalds said in an e-mail interview that the Linux developer community's process is transparent and called on SCO to reveal what its specific complaints are.

"It's not our side that isn't identifying the code. We'll work damn hard to identify everything they care to name," Torvalds said. "In fact, the source control system is out there in the public, and it identifies the source and the reason for patches," mentioning the BitKeeper repository he's used for the past two years to keep track of code in the heart, or kernel, of Linux.

Torvalds sided with IBM over what rights Big Blue has over its code. "IBM, as the original sole author to a particular piece of code, has full copyright rights, and they (not SCO) can use the code they wrote themselves in any way they see fit," Torvalds said.

[Kursk]

Playing with the SUSE 9.1 live disk (burned the iso from Novell.com site, you have to register but its free, about 30 minutes on Charter broadband for the download, few minutes to burn the ISO to a CD. Reboot, set Bios so the CD is 1st boot device, boot and you get the green screen in a few minutes).

Browse net at start - no problems. Fonts much better than in the past although definitely not the same windows fonts.

Interestingly spell check is working as I type this - is this you BigDoc or is SUSE doing this?

Root login has no password, although it does have a red background with pictures of bombs suggesting that you could do some damage.

Printer setup was very easy, (as root), much better than previous experience with Mandrake which required a 3rd party driver.

All in all pretty cool way to check out SUSE for just the right price, no risk, no major install/uninstall worries.

Now to check out USB drive, digicam ....

[Kursk]

Look out - cue jaws shark creepy music - SCO is attacking:

IBM to turn over code to SCO (http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20842)

A small victory


By Nick Farrell: Friday 21 January 2005, 08:24

A FEDERAL JUDGE in Utah has ordered IBM to turn over more code to SCO whose lawsuit accuses IBM of illegally inserting its flavour of Unix into the Linux operating system.
SCO complained to the judge that IBM had not provided relevant material, including code and programmers' notes.

Big Blue said it had met SCO's requests, and that expanding the lawsuit's discovery process amounted to a fishing expedition.

However, the Judge decided this time to give SCO what it wanted. However it might be a hollow victory that SCO wants as now the company will have to go through lots more code to see if there is an appearance of its own. Legal observers say that it could drag out the case, which is set for November even longer.

SCO is running out of time as its own Unix operating system business is plummeting and its money for expensive court cases is running out. On the plus side, if it does win it will be extremely wealthy

[Kursk]

Oz - you'd be proud -- installed Debian on my little B142 Fujitsu Lifebook (I know you're disappointed that it's a dual boot config with the original win 98). Had to use Partition Magic to make some room (only 6 gig hard drive) and do a net install (PCMCIA CD-ROM is not bootable). No problems except the PCMCIA card for the CD rom is not supported (arrrgggh!). Upgraded to the 2.6.8 kernel without problems, even got the USB thumb drive supported, sound is working and the neomagic video driver is working fine.