Re: [tlug] searching but don't where to look!!

[Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>]

On Wed, Aug 07, 2002 at 08:49:35PM +0900, Gavin Rollins quoth, and most verily thus:
>
> 1. Is linux more difficult then windows?

It depends on your point of view. If you are coming from a
Windows-only background, then yes, probably. If you are a hard-core
Unix type, then no.

However, your questions serves well to highlight a pet peeve of
mine. Linux is nothing more than a kernel.

Your question should then be:

"Are the Unix-based desktop environments (e.g. GNOME and KDE) more
difficult than Windows for someone with no Unix experience? What about
administration?"

> 2. Is linux more expensive?

It can be. The software itself tends to be free (as in beer) to those
who do not require vendor support. i.e. you can download ISOs for
free, but you do not get any support from Red Hat / SuSE for them.

Where Linux might cost more is in a corporate environment, where you
are paying for your sysadmin's time.

Let's face it, Windows sysadmins are easier to come by, especially for
companies that are willing to hire anyone with an MSCE. Unix sysadmins
are traditionally more experienced, much higher pay-bracket types. Red
Hat and those vendors are starting to change that, but you are still
paying for your Red Hat certified but green sysadmin to learn how to
admin even a homogenous Red Hat network in real life.

> 3. Does it have Japanese support?

Yes. Is it as fall-off-a-log easy as in Windows? No. But see:

http://www.tlug.jp/m17n/

for some helpful links.

> 4. Licences...how much...(hahaha) what licence!!

What license indeed? See:

http://opensource.org/licenses/index.php

But there exist many commercial packages for Linux these days, with
closed-source, proprietary licenses.

> 5. can I play games? (some students)

Yes. Tragically, Loki Games (which ported many excellent games to
Linux) is now defunct, but you should still be able to get your hands
on some of their software.

See also TransGaming: http://www.transgaming.com/
And for Linux native games: http://www.linuxgames.com/

And I should not talk about games on Linux without plugging a project
that I myself work on (on and off, as time allows), Adonthell:

http://adonthell.linuxgames.com/

> 6. many security and virus questions

Such as?

> 7. which distro is best..bla bla bla

Whichever one solves *your* problems the best. No one distro is
objectively better than another (except for Gentoo, which is better
than them all, scientifically proven ;). Try a few, see what they have
to offer. (Gentoo!)

> Just think of some of the questions you had when you first started working 
> with linux.

Urm... how do I vote against Microsoft and what I feel that they are
doing to my chosen profession and the Internet in general?


-- 
Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>

Associate Systems Administrator
INCOGEN, Inc.