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Getting Wet Feet© Copyright Darrell Anderson. As I began researching Linux, I did not initially concern myself much about a one-for-one ability to migrate. My first goal was simply getting familiar with Linux. Of course, there are limitations to book and web site reading, but a patient student nonetheless begins to develop a taste for Linux. Visiting and browsing numerous forums also helps establish the flavor of Linux thinking. I learned a lot. What Linux “newbies” will learn is that much of Linux seems cryptic, and indeed, such an observation is true. Linux is basically a port of Unix to the PC world. Unix evolved over many years. What any Unix/Linux user learns is that acronyms are standard in the Unix/Linux world. Many commands are strange looking unless a user knows the history of how the command evolved and got named. The trick for newbies is to not get obsessed with this cryptic world because most people who migrate are going to remain GUI users, not command line people. Like Windows, a user can later peek “under the hood,” and today’s Linux is the same—just point and click. Unfortunately, the Linux community of people have gone out of their way to rename many standard GUI tools because they do not want people to think they have merely copied Windows. For example, the familiar Windows task bar is called the kicker or the panel. Things are always just a little different in Linux. Thus, for the person migrating from Windows, there is no escaping learning a new language. Of course, eventually a user must roll up the sleeves and get dirty hands. That means installing at least one distro (distribution) of Linux. This is where the Windows user might first become a little confused. In the Windows world, consumers merely buy the total Windows OS, install, and get to work. Not necessarily so with Linux. Unlike the proprietary world of Windows, Linux is open source and generally operates under the GNU General Public License. Fundamentally, that license means the source code is available to the public for inspection. No hanky panky is possible as with the proprietary world. Microsoft can write spy code (and has done so many times), but to do so in the open source world is more difficult. Not impossible because some Linux software is sold as proprietary, but overall, the Linux community greatly distrusts proprietary “corporate thinking.” To the end user, this means just about anybody can assemble a collection of Linux software and distribute that software to users. Where Linux distributors earn their revenues is not by religiously controlling software code, but through convenience packaging, distribution, and after-sale support. Therefore, source code is free in the sense of being freely inspected but not necessarily in being freely distributed. However, many consumers are not software programmers and therefore are willing to buy “polished” versions of Linux—just as they have become accustomed to in the proprietary software world. Yet, here too lies another twist where Windows users will roam into unfamiliar territory. Windows is sold as a one-size-fits-all product. No matter what kind of hardware used, consumers expect Windows to function (although this isn’t always the case as many consumers discover). Linux distributors take a different approach. Linux distributors often sell or distribute all kinds of options. Whereas a consumer who buys and installs Windows expects to see “Windows,” a Linux consumer can install various desktop options. Windows is installed with a “my way or the highway” attitude, but with the open source philosophy Linux allows all users to change just about anything. The core of the Linux distribution is always the same—the core code that provides Linux its foundations is regulated, although still open source. However, the enforced “eye candy” that consumers are accustomed to seeing with Windows varies greatly with Linux. Many consumers have no idea which options to choose. To the typical consumer these options actually render Linux as a scary OS, and that is why many consumers do not migrate. Consumers become confused. Remember that Windows was originally a GUI (graphical user interface) slapped on top of an existing operating system—DOS. Remember that in the heyday of Windows, several vendors provided add-on products that allowed end users to change the look and feel of the GUI; Symantec’s Norton Desktop, for example. Linux works with that same original model. In other words, all distros come with the Linux core code, but each end user must decide what desktop GUI they want to install and use. In fact, Linux can be installed without any GUI at all and still provide a functional computer just like in the “old” DOS days. Because most consumers are unfamiliar with the command line world, these seemingly simple installation decisions are actually daunting in scope. Therefore, distributors take one of two expected marketing approaches. One is to throw into their distros everything but the kitchen sink so end users can explore and later select the desktop environment they want. The other approach is similar to the Microsoft approach of providing limited options. Both models are workable, but consumers need to educate themselves as to what model or approach a distributor uses. When choosing a distro, be sure to know what is being offered and provided. If you do not have the time or interest to roam and explore the inner secrets of Linux, then you are best off choosing a tightly packaged distro. Likewise, if you do have the time or desire, choosing a tightly packaged distro will leave you frustrated. Finis. |
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