On a sunny day (Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:27:41 +0000 (UTC)) it happened "Max"
<
non...@noreply.com> wrote in <k8o85t$98k$
1...@speranza.aioe.org>:
>Jan Panteltje wrote:
>
>> I think we need to add a bit to that truth,
>> it recently came to my attention the Microsoft's attempts to create
>> or rather force a secure boot option on computer users,
>> is prohibiting Linux from making a usable bootloader is a NASTY way.
>
>I heard the news too and I agree is a very stupid idea. However didn't
>surprise me a lot since MS is not new to these idiot strategies.
>However you must consider the big difference between MS and Linux.
>Linux is an open source OS where a lot of programmers over the world
>work *for free* to the improvements. On the contrary MS is a commercial
>company where the people working in need to be payed so, as every
>company, need to use all the possible strategies to get a gain also try
>following some stupid idea like this.
But this is the point, people can get a good OS for free, or nearly free.
So I do not see a reason for MS to exist, unless they outperformed
everything else (Linux specifically in this case), but they sell feature limited stuff,
and the not-feature limited stuff they sell is not better than the open source versions,
and for sure covers a smaller spectrum of applications.
>Anyway, excluding this strange
>ideas, I don't think anything coming from MS is bad. In my opinion MS
>is able to develop a very good products like, for example, Visual
>Studio that I like a lot.
I have used it, and had to use it in my job, boss wanted to sell hardware
with a MS windows PC program...
We used Linux too.
In Linux, I just have fvwm with 9 virtual screens, several xterms,
sources in some, compile in other, some pdf and documents in other,
fast, very fast, joe as text editor, in my view it makes no sense to put up all those
variables in little windows,
you have to trust the compiler, I am not interested in register values.
I can program in asm for many different micro controllers, and THEN I am
VERY interested in register values.
But in C (or C++) just use some printf if you need a trace in a program.
Visual C(++) is a joke really.
Also I want to see as much source as I can on the screen, not just 7 lines in a small window
with idiotic coloring, sort of template filling.
No wonder that guys who program with that shit create instable bloat.
>> them or their crap in any way. Personally I burned my xp disk
>> because it was unusable.
>
>Here I'm very curious since "unusable" is a very strong word. Always
>talking without "defiance" but just for personal curiosity may I know
>what are these thing you can do using Linux that can not be done using
>Windows? I'm using Windows from a lot of years and never had big
>problem in use them.
Apart from the appalling install that took ages (OEM disk),
showing silly MS commercials all the time,
once it ran, took me a whole Saturday afternoon, many drivers needed installing,
and every thing worked fine, next Monday morning it did NOT work, told me my mouse was a Microsoft mouse,
and cursor all over the place.
I do not even have a Microsoft mouse, but Logitech.
It advertised itself as being able to simply fix things, but it could not do that either.
I bought the OEM disk with new hardware because I was curious, somebody else boasted it was so good.
So I removed it, and installed Debian (IIRC), and everything worked fine from then on.
Amazingly enough I have not come across an application that I could not find.
There are a few things I run in wine, like LT spice, technical software,
as there is no Linux version AFAIK.
But the incredible waste of time and bloat and lack of features and support that came free with xp
taught me a lesson: never again.
>>On top of that you will then have to pay for most applications,
>> some as simple as 'Hello world'.
>
>Here don't agree. There are a lot of good Windows application released
>as freeware too.
True, although I cannot seem to remember one now,
there are application programs that come with hardware that are really nice,
you pay for that by buying the hardware.
>> Here is a nice article in German about
>> how Linux saves million in Muenchen Germany:
>>
http://www.heise.de/open/meldung/Linux-in-Muenchen-Ueber-10-Millionen-
>> Euro-gespart-1755574.html
>
>And I think they made a very good choice. If they need only a desktop
>tool with common office app like OpenOffice is quite stupid to pay for
>have the same Windows feature you can have for free using Linux.
>
>> I am well aware of MSDOS, DRDOS, and older versions of windows being
>> used. DRDOS was way better, MS got scared, and make win98 with an
>> integrated DOS (killed the concept of a GUI on top of a simple kernel
>> with command line), for market protection. That is the time I went
>> for Linux. Everything has its learning curve, but already with Linux
>> .98 (SLS) the absence of that nasty memory limitation, plus
>> multitasking, was an incredible plus.
>
>Correct, but if you don't need all these features but only a quick way
>to check memory, IO or PCI, just for make an example, in my opinion
>using MS-DOS is still the fastern way. Immediate boot from USB key,
>ridiculus quanity of memory need and completely free access to all
>hardware.
I am not sure I understand what you mean here, I have Linux on an USB stick,
Linux on an SDcard, and I have experimented with that.
I even put a whole distro on a stick and it worked (
grml.org).
You can access PCI and run all your programs as normal ( iopl(3) ).
There are of course also the many 'live CDs'.
Main I/O on a PC is parport, and writing to a parport directly
is very simple, you do not HAVE to go through the driver module if you a are single user
and not using the parport for anything else like printing for example.
(Now people here will jump in perhaps), but for what you do just write to it directly:
// Program toggle_pin_7.c
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <sys/io.h>
#define PAR_PORT 0x378 // address may differ
#define PAR_PORT_CONTROL 0x379
void scll()
{
int a;
a = inb(PAR_PORT);
a &= ~32; /* reset bit 5 (d5 on pin 7) */
outb(a, PAR_PORT);
}
void sclh()
{
int a;
a = inb(PAR_PORT);
a |= 32; /* set bit 5 (d5 on pin 7)*/
outb(a, PAR_PORT);
}
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
iopl(3);
while(1)
{
sclh();
usleep(1000000);
scll();
usleep(100000);
}
exit(0);
}
Compile:
gcc -o toggle_pin_7 toggle_pin_7.c
Run:
./toggle_pin_7
>> MS Windows only got worse since, for marketing reasons, they started
>> writing it over and over again, and 98, 2000, NT, that other POS that
>> never was accepted, 7, and now a total direction change with 8, well
>> they made their first loss this year, They still have no clue that
>> those who criticize Unix are destined to re-invent it so to speak.
>> Once investors design software it will be all over.
>
>I don't gree also in this point. Windows Vista was really bad but using
>Windows 7 I'm really satisfied and I think it work very well. Not tried
>Windows 8 yet because I'm not interested to have always the last OS
>just for try than I can not express my opnion about it.
Right, I have not tried 7, and not 8.
Simply no need, 4 PCs here some on 24/7, all Linux, including the laptop.
Laptop also had xp on it.... removed it, some stuff is left in a partition
as I was afraid to kill the bootloader.... very expensive laptop.
>> Supporting Microsoft in any way is a crime against humanity.
>
>This point of view is a bit too "dramatic" for me but is your point and
>I respect it. I'm glad to discuss and compare different point of view,
>the only important thing is to keep always a peaceful attitude without
>be rude.
>
>Anyway I agree with other user. We went totally off-topic so is better
>to stop here the discussion. Everyone will continue to work with their
>preferred OS and we'll be all happy.
Na, crime against humanity it is,
think how many man-years of irritation and frustration,
reboot waits, what not...