perhaps you should explain what version supports apt-get out of the box without configuring anything towards using apt-get. Meaning in short, from what you are explaining, apt-get works without any tweaking, which is not true.

Also, I would not suggest to anybody using Linspire to use apt-get anymore due to the fact there are serious consequences towards the system. There are a large number of posts by veteran Linux users who have screwed up their system doing so.

More than likely you have a dev edition Linspire or you have modified the config repository file for apt-get in order for it to work properly. The only time since 4.5 that apt-get worked in its fullest without having the dev editon and no tweaking was 4.0.

Glad to see you are supporting Linspire to its fullest. I am much happier knowing my $50.00 CNR membership is going to such a great cause.

More than likely you have a dev edition Linspire or you have modified the config repository file for apt-get in order for it to work properly. The only time since 4.5 that apt-get worked in its fullest without having the dev editon and no tweaking was 4.0.

Glad to see you are supporting Linspire to its fullest. I am much happier knowing my $50.00 CNR membership is going to such a great cause.

__________________
`Simply Change


I paid my $50.00 and use the CNR library, yes I did modify my config repository, but that was so I could install the 20 apps I wanted on linspire, that were not in the CNR library....
star Office 7, which I have on my Redhat 9 machine,
in linspire it installed quite nicely, & why should I have paid for it through CNR, when I have had a copy for a long time?

Kind Regards,

PCfixinman

Very well, and it is appreciated of your honesty toward the matter of the CNR membership. Nice to see that the 'pirates' are not in full force as of yet, and there are still a few of us that support causes of LInux for further evolution.
Even though I use primarily SuSe, I do feel that Linspire has something to prove and offer all in the same breath, and I do think that 5.0 may be the one that could really make or break them, so I chose to support them at any rate in hopes they pull off a 'Hail Marry' pass.

On a more important note however, the one thing that should be explained to others that read this thread, or other threads regarding apt-get, is the simple fact that apt-get out of the box does not work, and in order for them to get it to work, they have some tinkering to do. They should know off hand that simple fact alone so there are no disappointments similar to what I went through when upgrading to 4.5.
Basically, there are members here that may be thinking there is something wrong with their Linspire OS because their apt-get doesnt do really anything, when in reality it is technically a disabled function in need of configuration changes.

Furthermore, I do understand where you are coming from concerning star office or other apps as well. I had some real issues with the way CNR became literally proprietary overnight while also slowly killing off apt-get and dpkg..so yes...I am in complete understanding and agreement.

I love it, never used the os on a computer except for a live cd, but anything that will piss of MS, i like.

Gee, nothing like Lindows to bring out the worst in penguins !!
heck I dont like lindows for me but why would i want to deny the possibility to others?

CNR/apt/URPMI its all moot. they all do different things for different types of people..
I find apt is better at server apps becuase of the post install questioning... but urpmi is possibly better for userland apps,
CNR just works... I got Lindows on my laptop becuase (well long sorry but it involves any RH based distro and my pcmcia) and I just ended up trying it out.
I paid once lifetime $100 and that includes everything, the only thing I paid for was legal DVD playback becuase it protects my laptop from being ceized if I ever travel thought the US with it.

The Wifi worked a treat, the FREE to members deviant art stuff is great ... and its a laptop so its no something I play with... just a stiad workhorse... I dont ENJOY using it...its for work and it gets the job done..

I run MDK10-AMD64/10CE/Gentoo/Debian stable and unstable too ... Im not against slack but havnt used it since 2.0 (and its come a long way since then ) but Lindows is the ONLY one Id give my mum. When you install from CNR it just works.... no further config needed... neither apt nor urpmi touch it in this respect.


Is Mandrake easy for beginers ...yes but not AS easy as Lindows/Linspire
If you want an appliance then lindows is the closest linux to it. OK I dot run as root but other than that I havent hacked it. If my mum didnt have Lindows Id get her a Mac... whats wrong with OS-X?? Oooh its commerical, whatever.... but thats what my mum needs. When my GF switched tolinux I gave her Mandrake becuase it allows her to learn ... tweak it a bit etc. but my mum hardly want to learn how to use a new VCR!!

Its original, theres a market and good luck to em....
every percentage point non-winodws machine helps the rest of us.
Look how OS-X has helped. More manufactuerers port a linux driver... becuase they can because its trivial from BSD to linux compared to Windows to linux.

every FREE CHOICE in OS helps every NON MS user....

gowator I agree with you 100%. i love OSX just the hardware is too expensive and it wont work on anyother hardware, so the only choice i got is Linux and FreeBSD both of which i run, and ur absolutly right when u say any free choice OS helps.

LindowsOS, now Linspire, produced by Lindows.com, most certainly is a GNU system, and the driving kernel of that system is the Linux kernel, so in every way, Linspire is a legitimate Linux system. They adhere to the GNU principles of making the source code to all GNU applications available, and they even adhere to the Debian notion of being able to install software that comes from the Debian stable, testing, unstable, or the most recent experimental binary download tree.

Out of the box, Linspire is a consumer grade operating system. Lindows.com has made many design decisions that cater to the consumer first rather than the tinkerer, but I can tell you without hesitation that it is possible to tinker and modify this system to your heart's content, and it isn't all that difficult to do, either.

I'd certainly consider using this software as the basis for a home hobbyist system.

I wouldn't give my mother Linspire, she had a hard enough time switching from Win98 to WinXP, and that was WITH the appearance changed to the Windows Classic style.

What's wrong with OS-X? The whole damn GUI. They focused WAAY too much on making it "pretty". Too many graphics and too many animations makes working on it counterproductive as you have to sit through the animations of the windows changing and such. The lack of file extensions really annoys me as well (I'm a programmer).

Yep but noones asking you to use it.
I know people who unhindered by having ever used a computer are given OS-X and are 'productive' (read surfing the internet) or typging a letter in no time!

My mum Id give Linspire because she hasnt used computers since old word processors whereas my Dad has still a decent knowledge of Windows ...
he expects any computer to work the same way... same menus etc so last XMAS I got hima new XP PC and set the style back to classic ....

I salute anyone who can use Linspire, I suppose. I tried it and then got rid of it very quickly...the whole damn thing bothered me to no end.

And keeping with the trend, if I were going to give my mom Linux, I'd probably go with a full-on Debian or Slack =)

I think Lynspire Lindows does a good job at converting some people to linux,

Lindows is Like a doorway to better distros for a large portion of users that are
insecure with full out linux. I started on lindows about two weeks ago, played with it for
a couple of days, felt I needed something with more options, and more power, so I moved to mandrake 10.

I've only been using linux for 2 weeks, but I feel that lindows does serve some sort of purpose as far as the linux community is concerned...

Although I do think that Mandrake or SuSE or RH is much better, just my opinion....


Chow,

-Aaron

I am using 98se and want to go to a non ms os so I have tried Lindows 4.0, 4.5, Mandrake10.0, Suse 9.1, Sun Java Desktop, and Mepis 2003. First of all I am not into religious wars and of all those distros Lindows 4.0 came close to my 98se box which has been a very good system for me. No one wants to believe me which is ok but I know I do not want to go any higher in ms so Linux is the only alternative for me. "I am only a user of a Linux os. I am not a Linux user". The os has to install at least as good and trouble free as 98, to be suitable for me. Yes, 98 takes a long time to install but it recognizes all my hardware. All I have to do is install the drivers.

My "Linux only box" has Lindows 4.0 which includes a burner I added, firewire card and external 80gb firewire hd, usb 1.1 hub, 32 meg ThumDrive and media reader, recognized all my hardware. One issue is the external hd and ThumbDrive are not recognized if left plugged in. They are only recognized when the computer is at the desktop and then plug in the devices. Lindows 4.5 does not recognized the firewire hd at all, a step back. Mepis and Sun Java did not recognize the usb or firewire. Suse and mandrake recognized them but they had other issues also. Since I am only a user of a Linux os, I am not into trying to break and then fix the distro. There are many like me that just want a trouble free os without a lot of hassle. It seems to be that to be accepted in the Linux field that you have to be a ms hater and want to constantly mess with the software. Linux is promising but to gather in the masses it has to get organized, another term Linux users do not like. Yes Lindows is a little expensive but it meets my needs for now.

My opinion.

Cheers

Richard

I think you guys looking for a easy distro should try out PCLinuxOS, its a live cd so you dont have to install untill u want to, it comes with synaptic already pre installed to download any program you want, as well as flash and java and all that good stuff is already pre installed, not alot of tweaking to do.

PClinuxOS is great....knoppix is great but non of them are as dumb as Linspire for my mum to use....

Gee I got gentoo/LFS/deb/MDK 64 but Linspire is the only one my mum could use.

klick n run on knoppix is geting VERY good (pronobo well done)
but only click n run is foolproof....

(posted from kanoitix : except KDE 3.2 and kernel 2.6 AMD64 ....)