Dell flirts with the Linux desktop

Desktop Linux ^ | Feb. 23, 2006 | Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

Is Dell is on its way to becoming the first tier-one PC vendor to offer a mainstream business Linux desktop to US customers? It's starting to look that way.

In the recent past, Dell has toyed with shipping a Linux-powered PC to the US market. But, when push came to shove, the results -- a Dimension E510n PC shipped with an empty hard drive, a copy of the obscure, open-source FreeDOS operating system and no support if you did install Linux -- were less then impressive.

It's a different story for so-called workstations priced nearly as cheaply as desktops. Dell has started advertising a trio of affordable workstations with RHEL WS 4 (Red Hat Enterprise Linux workstation 4) preinstalled.

[Golden Eagle]

According to the sources I linked, groklaw and mozillaquest. Attack them not me:

http://mozillaquest.com/Linux04/Dell-Linux_Story-01.html

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20040918105850387

[N3WBI3]

I already addressed the first atricle as junk. Funny I cant see you trusting mozillaquest when they say something with which you dont agree..

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1585665/posts?page=36#36

[Echo Talon]

yea i found it, i just right clicked the desktop and choose "configure desktop" it was in there... it was already on 1024x768 but my screen was shifted over to the right and had to manually movie it with the monitor controls... wonder why?

[Echo Talon]

Hey guess what? got mepis to work on the laptop with WiFI, im pretty surprised, any idea how to get firefox on linuix to "look" like firefox on windows? you know with the fonts, the fonts are all off and wrong sizes and such... just wondering if theres a plugin that would fix this easily.

[N3WBI3]

Ive had to do the same thing with windows, sometimes when you adjust the resolution the position slightly changes..

[N3WBI3]

Is it just firefox or do all the fonts look the same?

[Echo Talon]

I think they all look te same, just will take some time if i have to do it manually.... just thought someone might have a plugin or something to fix it quickly. BTW im using it right now on the laptop with WIFI, live CD

[ShadowAce]

If all the fonts on your system look the same, then there is an option in the Control Center to set your default fonts.

I don't know what WM Mepis uses, but I've been using Xfce4 for my WM for about 6-9 months now, so my knowledge of KDE is disappearing... :)

[N3WBI3]

Heh, we must have crossed paths Im moveing from XCFE to KDE but im not near a Linux box right now..

[ShadowAce]

KDE is a good WM, IMO. However, I found myself not really using most of its features, and I just wanted to run a leaner, sleeker WM. So I found one that was fairly easy to use and smaller in footprint.

I tried Fluxbox for a while, but that was too lean. I like the compromise of Xfce4.

[N3WBI3]

I actuall like the eye candy and given that KDE4 will be ported to windows I thought it might be a good WM for me to make my default because other than OSX I would run it on everything and even on OSX I can run Konqueror

[FLAMING DEATH]

"Those are not my words"

You have no idea what your words are. That text was copied and pasted from your first post on this thread, #35. Good Lord are you thick.

"Making up other people's quotes, the lowest of the low."

Yeah, that would have been the lowest of the low, if I had done it. But how does denying your own stupid words rank in comparison?

My work here is done. You've made a far bigger fool of yourself in one post than I ever could.

[Golden Eagle]

You didn't link or reference your quote, not to mention I was simply paraphrasing what these sources claim. Take it up with them.

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20040918105850387

http://mozillaquest.com/Linux04/Dell-Linux_Story-01.html

[ShadowAce]

Both of those links are older than a year and a half. Is that how you get your info? You google around for old pages?

This is the internet age, dude. Get with the program. Your comment was in the present tense. Yet you base it off ancient articles.

< shakes head in pity >

[N3WBI3]

I was simply paraphrasing what these sources claim

Somehow you turned:

"they offer a few desktops, 4 to be precise" From Groklaw and "While we offer Linux on all of our server range (Dell PowerEdge servers) we don't offer Linux as a factory installed option on our clients with the exception of the Dell Precision line of Workstations." From the mozilla quest article into:

"Dell made it almost impossible for them to buy a Linux system from them."

The is, at best, as irresponsible a twisting of the facts as has been seen on this thread and, at worst, an intentional attempt to deceive..

[ShadowAce]

Wow. You actually read the articles?

I stopped when I saw the dates. :)

[N3WBI3]

It must be nice in a world where you are the sole determiner of what is a valid and invalid source. I cant, for the life of me, see GE using this mozillaquest article as bible truth. But an article about how some people feel Dell should act is more solid than reality..

[N3WBI3]

if you want to see how badly he mischaractized the content of the articles see http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1585665/posts?page=36#36

[Golden Eagle]

You can keep whining if you want, but like I already posted even Steven Vaughn Nichols has finally admitted his self created rumor was BS. Time for you to finally accept it, too.

http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7763046071.html

"Last Thursday, when I wrote about Dell's new Linux desktop, was one of the most frustrating days of my professional life. My eWEEK colleague John Spooner and I tried our best to get Dell to confess that they really had released an honest-to-God Linux desktop. But Dell simply wouldn't do it."

[N3WBI3]

Wether or not Dell releases Linux on the Dimension was not what you were saying when you said "Dell made it almost impossible for them to buy a Linux system from them." That was you making stuff up which was not even supported by the articles you drew that conclusion from.

For the Record: I never said I thought Dell would release Linux on a significant portion of their line, I never said they should, and I never said if I was a decision maker at Dell I would endorse such a plan, I said:

"The authors of this article had pretty unreasonable expectations of Dell given that Dell is a private business and have every right to piss on a pengo daily. The whole thing amounts to some sales people who were not well trained and some guys thinking Dell has a responsibility to provide a product they do not see a market demand for."

You have said:

"Dell made it almost impossible for them to buy a Linux system from them."

One is an opinion that supports Dell it whatever action they decide is best for their Business the other is a bald face lie trying to lie about what Dell does.. I offered the opinion suporting a private company you just brought the lie..