Example of Linux's hippie roots

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Homer
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Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by Homer »

Linux is based on GNU with is based on Unix. Unix was born in Corporate America at Bell Labs, a part of AT&T. AT&T released it as freeware.

A group at University of California Berkeley built on the Bell Labs work, producing a version that is still in use. Those grad students had little use for Corporate America, and they were probably getting stoned often.

One result are command names. There are several commands that let you know, with varying degrees of intrusion, that you've got mail. The most intrusive one is biff. What does biff stand for or mean? It was named after a dog that was known for barking at the mailman.

Another result is help documentation like this: (it's amusing if you read it all)

// Request for help info
timtamtower-desktop:~$ dpkg -Dhelp
// Response
dpkg debugging option, --debug=<octal> or -D<octal>:

Number Ref. in source Description
1 general Generally helpful progress information
2 scripts Invocation and status of maintainer scripts
10 eachfile Output for each file processed
100 eachfiledetail Lots of output for each file processed
20 conff Output for each configuration file
200 conffdetail Lots of output for each configuration file
40 depcon Dependencies and conflicts
400 depcondetail Lots of dependencies/conflicts output
10000 triggers Trigger activation and processing
20000 triggersdetail Lots of output regarding triggers
40000 triggersstupid Silly amounts of output regarding triggers
1000 veryverbose Lots of drivel about eg the dpkg/info directory
2000 stupidlyverbose Insane amounts of drivel

Debugging options can be mixed using bitwise-or.
Note that the meanings and values are subject to change.
handdrummer
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by handdrummer »

How does ease of use with Linux compare to Microsoft? Is it easy to learn after using Microsoft for many years and still being digitally impaired? I've noticed that a few laptops come with a version of Linux installed, is it worth buying?
bram
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by bram »

handdrummer wrote:How does ease of use with Linux compare to Microsoft? Is it easy to learn after using Microsoft for many years and still being digitally impaired? I've noticed that a few laptops come with a version of Linux installed, is it worth buying?
Linux is free, and all the software that operates on linux is also freeware. The only downside is that you can't use microsoft office, unless you install windows on a partition. The freeware office clones are not as reliable as word, excel and ppt.

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Gregjam
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by Gregjam »

The OP just highlight how ignorant I am about computers. To me it is all gobbledygook.
handdrummer
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by handdrummer »

Linux is free, and all the software that operates on linux is also freeware. The only downside is that you can't use microsoft office, unless you install windows on a partition. The freeware office clones are not as reliable as word, excel and ppt.

That wouldn't affect me as I don't use Microsoft office. I just do simple stuff: email, internet searches, youtube, etc.

I'd still like an opinion on ease of use, learning curve, is it more or less complex than windows 7, or the same?
Homer
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by Homer »

Gregjam wrote: Sat Sep 08, 2018 10:20 pm The OP just highlight how ignorant I am about computers. To me it is all gobbledygook.
This is plain English:

40000 triggersstupid Silly amounts of output regarding triggers
1000 veryverbose Lots of drivel about eg the dpkg/info directory
2000 stupidlyverbose Insane amounts of drivel
Homer
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by Homer »

handdrummer wrote: Sun Sep 09, 2018 10:31 am That wouldn't affect me as I don't use Microsoft office. I just do simple stuff: email, internet searches, youtube, etc.

I'd still like an opinion on ease of use, learning curve, is it more or less complex than windows 7, or the same?
Linux versions are aimed at different sorts of users. Linux Mint is the most popular 'beginner' Linux. It is available in 3 different 'desktops', or the system of what you click on and type into to get to the programs. The MATE desktop was designed to be familiar to Windows 7 users. I've been using it since July. The transition was easy. It copies many of the conventions, like an 'X' button in the upper right corner of a window to close it next to minimize and unmaximize ('restore' in Windows) buttons. Programs / apps are found through a menu system with Icons and 2 line descriptions of the the program's name and purpose.

Linux had a reputation for consuming batteries faster than Windows. Don't know if that's still true.

The Mint philosophy is summed up in this review:

In some ways, that means Mint has become what Ubuntu once was—a stable, new-user-friendly gateway to Linux. Mint installation is now simpler than upgrading to Windows 10 (though there is one additional headache with 18.0). And once installed, both the Cinnamon and MATE desktops will be familiar to anyone switching from Windows.

While Ubuntu's Unity and GNOME's 3.x series opt for sometimes radical changes, Cinnamon and MATE have taken a slower, more progressive path. Mint has elected to evolve overall rather than "revolutionize," making it a far more comfortable choice for newcomers who aren't likely to enjoy having the rug pulled out from under them every time they upgrade.


https://arstechnica.com/information-tec ... than-this/
handdrummer
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by handdrummer »

Cinnamon and MATE.
Thanks Homer.
I only use my laptop plugged in so batteries aren't a problem.
Homer
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by Homer »

handdrummer wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 7:59 am Cinnamon and MATE.
Thanks Homer.
I only use my laptop plugged in so batteries aren't a problem.
You're welcome. I chose MATE over Cinnamon because I wanted to run on both PC and laptop. MATE uses less computer resources. Other reason is Cinnamon is newer. Solving problems in Linux can be difficult, so more stable is more better.

You can run Mint from a DVD. No need to install. Load. time. Will. BE. SLOOOOW. Apps will be slow until loaded into memory. You can't save anything. It's a test drive. Using it assumes you can burn a file to a DVD and know how to boot from DVD. Both are easy. The big file you download to make the DVD contains both the install version and the 'Live' one, that runs from a DVD.

Latest version https://linuxmint.com/download.php
Need 32-bit? That ended with the previous version https://linuxmint.com/release.php?id=31
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by handdrummer »

MATE

I think MATE will it. Easier is better for me.
Ralfredo
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by Ralfredo »

handdrummer wrote: Sun Sep 09, 2018 10:31 amLinux is free, and all the software that operates on linux is also freeware.
It's not necessarily true that "all the software that operates on linux is also freeware". IBM DB2, IBM Websphere, SAP and different versions of Oracle Database are just a few examples of software wildly being used on Linux and those products are definitely not free.
Homer
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by Homer »

Ralfredo wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 5:54 pm
handdrummer wrote: Sun Sep 09, 2018 10:31 amLinux is free, and all the software that operates on linux is also freeware.
It's not necessarily true that "all the software that operates on linux is also freeware". IBM DB2, IBM Websphere, SAP and different versions of Oracle Database are just a few examples of software wildly being used on Linux and those products are definitely not free.
It's not necessarily true that knowledgable Linux users treat social, figurative speech in forums as if it were technical, literal speech. It just happens a lot.
handdrummer
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by handdrummer »

It's not necessarily true that knowledgable Linux users treat social, figurative speech in forums as if it were technical, literal speech. It just happens a lot.

The handdrummer quote isn't from me. I dunno nuffin.
hin
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Re: Example of Linux's hippie roots

Post by hin »

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/5cbb4e07-ff ... tware.htmlIBM announced today it would pay a record $34 billion in cash and debt to acquire enterprise open source provider Red Hat.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ibm-acqu ... 42148.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ibm-buys-sof ... 57655.html
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