Posted on 11/13/2006 1:51:43 PM PST by bigdcaldavis
Anyone can tell you an interesting story, but when it comes to Microsoft and Novell’s recent deal Linux enthusiasts around the world have more than a couple up their sleeves.
Microsoft has a long history at killing competition. They started with Novell’s Server market, they tried to do with Java, and today they are trying to do it against the Anti-Virus vendors. They succeeded against Netscape, gained significant grounds against Sony’s Playstation, and killed a thousand other products that I can’t name because I forgot about them after Microsoft obliterated them out of the market. If any of you are XBox lovers, I don’t have to tell you that in the war over consoles Microsoft has been losing money on every XBox it sells. Zune (the competition to iPod) is said to have a similar strategy. In short Microsoft has a huge bank balance and can pump in a lot of money until the competition goes bankrupt.
As a result of this announcement its not a surprise that the Linux world is almost up in arms against Novell for giving in for a few pieces of silver. I on the other hand have a different prespective on it.
* Microsoft isn’t interested in suing anyone (anytime soon atleast) because of its Vista launch schedule and the tricky negotiations going on in Europe * SCO has already tried the same FUD which Microsoft is accused of trying. In fact if you remember Microsoft had “licensed” SCO unix in a similar deal which was indirectly used to fund SCO’s battle against IBM/Linux * Most of the other visible products Microsoft has went after till now have been markets where Microsoft didn’t really have a foothold. Linux is one of the very few unique products which started up as a competitor to Microsoft has has gradually increased in popularity over the years. [Firefox/Mozilla is the other one which I admire] * The other interesting point to note is that unlike most other commercial vendors who got nailed by Microsoft’s pump and dump strategy, Linux is not a commercial entity which can go bankrupt. They can kill Novell, but it will be very hard for them to kill the whole linux movement.
My personal analysis is that Microsoft is afraid.
* Its so afraid of loosing this battle that in its moment of desperation its ready to do anything short of launching a Microsoft branded Linux distribution. * The Financial deal Microsoft and Novell signed has a few hints of where this might be heading. * To begin with its clear both of them want to integrate each others OS using each others technology to provide a better virtualization experience. * Its also clear that though Novell might use significant portions of proprietary Microsoft technology (for example for authentication, authorization and accounting) Microsoft will mostly be using GNU code to which Novell doesn’t have any rights anyway. * So why is Microsoft paying Novell ? * And what’s the deal with 240 million dollars for linux license subscription cost ? What is it going to do with that many copies of linux distribution ? * Oh wait, they could embed it into your Microsoft operating system ? Have you ever thought which distribution of Linux you would use if your Microsoft OS copy you already have, has a Linux distribution pre-bundled with it? * Novell also mentions that it will pay Microsoft a minimum amount of licensing fees, which can increase depending on its own sales. So may be it will sell Windows as well… who knows. But it will sell something with at least some part of Microsoft code in it. * Finally based on my personal opinion (with no understanding of financial details) it almost looks like Microsoft has kind of bought a share of Novell’s company and wants a piece of the action every year. * May be Microsoft is going to announce something even much more significant which will dramatically increase Novell’s sales. May be Novell is an investment after all… not just a pump-and-dump target.
My thought process finally took me to the one place I didn’t want to go… Its the thought that Microsoft will soon bundle Suse linux with one of its own products.
Coming back to the discussion on whether we should abandon Suse or not, I personally think it doesn’t matter as long as Microsoft is not trying to kill it. Stop acting like a 5 year old kid who doesn’t like the big guys. If anything, you should be excited about more commercial support behind your favourite OS. And if they really do bundle Suse with every Desktop/Server OS thats exactly what I wanted when I joined the revolution. Linux on every desktop… I have said this before, and I’ll continue to say it that I’m not opposed to Microsoft Linux as long as others can innovate and keep Microsoft on its toes.
The way I see it, it looks like the fellow meant that, to figure out Linux OS, it will take quiet some time to figure it out and make it happened! More so versus installing MS windows mind you!
It is there fore safe to say that it take a whole lot more time and knowledge to install and run Linux than your regular Joe Six pack installing and running Windows OS!
Hey, St Dogbert chose a GREAT day!
"One really cool Linux utility that you may, or may not have running is Webmin. If you're having trouble connecting to a printer connected to a windows box, you might not be terribly familiar with Samba (no offense intended, I'm no Samba guru either). The Webmin interface helps you to connect to samba shares."
The printer works fine from every Windows box I have. It even shares over the VPN from home.
The 120 hours I have into it includes a great deal of time with Samba. Samba just can't recognize that there is a printer there. It sees the computer but not the shared printer.
I have not tried Webmin. This is the first I have heard of it.
One thing I have learned while trying to solve this problem is that 100,000 pages of help files makes finding answers impossible in some cases. The Internet help forums haven't been much help either. Most times somebody calls you too stupid to have a computer. The rest of the time they say to use Samba.
I've decided it's a domain problem, not a printer problem. Since I don't have domain administrator priveliges and the Linux dweebs on campus are baffles, I'm up the creek.
I finally installed a cheap laser printer on the Linux box. I should have done that the first day and saved myself a whole lot of trouble.
My main observation here is that Linux isn't for dummies just yet. There isn't enough support. When things don't work on your Windows box you can ask a local nerd like me. When they don't work on your Linux box, you are pretty much lost. I'm four years into the Linux box trial computer in my office. It's better than it was, but still not ready for the average desktop user.
Besides, it won't run Doom like my SLI box with XP and a fast Athlon.
I won't mention how often I turn the MacIntosh on. It looks cute on the desk.
"It's an OK deal if you want to run Apple's operating system (which only runs on Apple hardware)."
I was always under the impression that Apple's OS was quite a bit more stable than Windoze.
Here's the thing...
I was actually waiting for the late bus out to my car--so I had some time to kill. Hence I decided to FReep...
Not that it's any of your damn business...
Mark
Sure you are, just like you're the network admin without the password.
I'd have to email him first. Instead I'll leave that to obsessive losers like yourself.
You're the Rome Clone that maintains his Ping List, not me LOL.
The problem I've had is in updating the kernel, I have to reinstall the NDIS wrapper modules after doing so.
No, as usual I was exactly right. And here's the thread to prove it.
Here's Mike claiming he's the administrator of his network:
I administer a Windows 2000 and WinXP network and I see BSOD every day.
Yet here he is shortly later, when questioned why he doesn't fix it LMAO:
I only wish I had enough rights on this crappy network to fix it. Unfortunately I don't.
ROFL! His denials of course didn't end there, now he's lying about it, what a loser.
I just posted your own words where you first claimed you administered your network, then admitted you didn't actually have rights to administer it, and tried to blame all the supposed problems on others. Face it dude, your a habitual liar like most linux freaks, and I just proved it. Again. See ya round, loser.
your = you're
Gold Eagle Out
Way to take things out of context, but that's a given coming from you.
Let's start here first:
"I administer a Windows 2000 and WinXP network and I see BSOD every day."
And I still do, although we've been mandated to migrate each and every user to Winblows XP. And now we are moving more and move towards Solaris and thank God for that. Now onto your next stupid comment:
"I only wish I had enough rights on this crappy network to fix it. Unfortunately I don't."
I don't have enough rights on our UNCLASS network. That's not saying I don't have the right "password" you dipshit.
But it's not a surprise since you've never worked in an environment remotely like the one I work within (3 different networks at 3 completely different CLASSIFICATION LEVELS), that you wouldn't have a clue.
Look at it this way clown, two of our networks work just fine (if the Air Scouts can keep the power on), one doesn't. You'd never guess which one my group doesn't have complete control over (hint it's the one that YOU claim to have a major role in building).
Come on back when you've decided to lie about me again.
I can't say because I don't use Apple's OS. It's based on Unix and up until about 8 or 9 years ago, I was a Unix guy (professionally), so that's a plus. But now I'm a Windows guy (that's what makes me money). As for "stable", I guess it depends on your definition of "stable". I use XP and Window 2003 and I don't consider them unstable.
But it's more than that. The software I need to use runs on Windows, and people pay me to develop software on Windows, so that's what I use. It doesn't much matter to me if Apple's OS is more "stable" or "better". Those criteria can be used by someone who might be using their PC for fun/casual use or just uses it for generic things like word processing, web surfing, etc. and can accomplish those generic things with any OS. In the business that I am in, it's mostly Windows. (And computers to me are business, not a religion.)
Good point.
Again, this is about mainstreaming Linux by giving it a larger and broader path into the business community. I hope it succeeds. If it does, Linux will benefit enormously from it.
If it doesn't, well, Linux could remain an enthusiast's operating system with niche acceptability and usability (Apache etc) in the business world.
That actually makes a fair amount of sense.
Perhaps there is a specific reason that the domain can't authenticate you. I know that there is some weirdness authenticating to AD domains because the protocols aren't fully documented.
The particular issue you're having isn't something I've come across, as all the printers here that I have a right to use either have jetdirect cards, or are slaved to a Unix print spooler. Naturally, these are pretty easy cases because Unix print services are well defined and documented, and with the jetdirect stuff, generally, if you can connect, you can make it print.
One of the things that I see as hopeful, is the printing stuff is (in a general sense) getting better over time for Linux. Six years ago, when I first went to work for the company I'm with now, I had a lot of difficulties with some Ricoh document stations. (I'd call them printers, but they are a hell of a lot more than just printers). These days, I can print booklets with ease printing 2-up, long edge, full duplex. I generally print multipage documents as booklets as they are smaller (I like the form factor better), and doing so saves on ink and paper.
As far as your specific printer issues, have you ever been able to get the domain admin folks to assist?
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