Free Windows or Open Source UN*X ?[was] under Windows

["Drews, Jonathan*" <DrewsJ@cder.fda.gov>]

-----Original Message-----
>From: Robert Citek [mailto:rwcitek@alum.calberkeley.org]
>Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 9:09 AM
>To: silug-discuss@silug.org
>Subject: Re: OpenSource under Windows

>That is, people need to:
>
>  - Hear about it
>  - Acquire it
>  - Install it
>  - Run it.
>
>The more simple HAIR is, the more likely people will be running your 
>software.  The more difficult, the less likely.  Take MS Windows as an 
>example.  
>

I have to ask the question: Do these people want a Free version of Microsft
Windows or do they want an Open Source UNIX? It's really important to
prequalify those who want to switch to *NIX. The hard part is not getting it
or even installing it. The hard part is understanding the administration
tasks and how to use UN*X effectively. Let me give an example. 
 Here at work we usually do things the Microsft way. Which means:
1) Type in or manipulate data in one computer.
2) Print the modified data out.
3) Retype all that stuff back into another computer. 
4) Spend hours doing this repetitive mistake laden work :-/.

My labor saving solution to this is:
1) Boot FreeSBIE/Knoppix and mount the windows drive.
2) Execute a shell script that descends into the appropriate directories and
concatenates the data in one file.
3) Use awk and sed to format the data and insert tabs in that concatenated
file, so that Excel will import it.

 This UN*X way of handling the data is: A) accomplished in about 15 minutes
instead of 4 hours and B) has no typos. The point is windows is a poor
desktop distro because it requires you to do lot's of repetitive and boring
stuff, again and again, and again...

 The point is not that people get a new operating system on which they can
perpetuate the old paradigms they learned in Windows. They get a new
operating system *and* acquire new skills  to exploit the advantages offered
by their new Linux/*BSD OS.

 Finally, I get no joy from the fact that other people make the same choice
in Computer software as I do. If huge portions of the world want to run
windows then that is regretable but it's OK with me. What I don't want is
for OpenSource UN*X to be morphed into Windows because of some need to win a
popularity contest.


						Kind regards,
						Jonathan


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