Re: R: MS marches on

[Kevin Colby <kevinc grainsystems com>]

I don't want to start a war on this, so this is the only post I will
make on this subject (any personal replies are welcome, of course).

A lot of the current difficulty with hardware setup is really
the fault of manufacturers, not Linux.  When a laptop manufacturer
puts out a new SCSI card, for example, they write drivers or
outsource driver development--for Windows.  Few make the same
committment to Linux support.  In fact, many deliberately hinder
any attempt to write drivers, refusing to release information
critical to supporting their hardware.  Thankfully, many are
now seeing the error of this approach and are releasing specs
and/or writing their own drivers.

However, the lack of good documentation is still a problem.
Due to the nature of free software development, there is little
that can be done about the matter.  Those intimately involved
are busy developing the actual product, and few others volunteer
to write documentation, or may even be able to.  Generally
though, if you look hard enough, you will find what you're
looking for.

I prefer to take off the training wheels, even if I do fall down
at first.  Others may not wish to put that much energy into it.

	- Kevin Colby
	  kevinc grainsystems com



demartino vittorio grtn it wrote:
> 
> Matthew,
> Let's face it! At an overly expensive cost Windows comes with a complete
> on-line documentation and (expensive) support enabling the final user to use
> the system effectively (from a user's standpoint, of course). I don't
> believe that many people working with MS Windows have ever had problems on
> how-to-do-this-or-that.
> Nevertheless I share your view that Linux is by far much more effective and
> flexible than MS-Windows. My old 32 MB Pentium laptop was panting with
> win98. I built my own linux kernel to occupy 19 MB of memory instead of the
> 30 MB taken by the standard RH6.2 installation, and now it flies!
> The problem with Linux is the poor, scattered documentation. Missing infos,
> references to by- now-obsolete techniques, lack of a general view upon a
> subject, of a step by step explanation (and of a real troubleshooting). For
> instance, having read everything on Irda,it took me more than a month  to
> make my laptop's Irda work satisfactorily! With Win98 I didn't have to worry
> about all the technical details: Irda worked as I wanted since the very
> beginning!
> That's why many companies rely upon Windows servers rather than Linux ones.
> Ciao
> Vittorio
> 
> -----Messaggio originale-----
> Da: Matthew Halliday [mailto:matthewh fesa co uk]
> Inviato: giovedì 12 ottobre 2000 13.30
> A: redhat-install-list redhat com
> Oggetto: MS marches on
> 
> Cc Samba Digest
>    linux-config
> 
> 
> Hi all
> 
> It is with great saddness and regret that I wish to inform you that due
> to Windows 2000 issues with Samba, and being unable to connect, that I
> have been told to abandon all further attempts and our Linux server is
> to be converted to Windows 2000...........................
> This now removes what is in my opinion a far superior OS from our site
> and extends the march of Microsoft..............................