But what if that person in question uses their free choice to choose Microsoft Windows...


lol - But doesn't sound as bad as my brother!! :P

why do people bash lindows so much? if a newbie wants to try lindows, let them. if they want to figure out linux the hard way by using lindows, let them, just quit bashing lindows/linspire. i use mandrake 10, so bash mandrake now.

every linux IRC chat i go to, everyone *always* bashes mandrake and linspire just because they're easier to use. maybe some people want something as easy as windows without using windows, which is why i use mandrake 10. i havent posted a question on these forums in a bout 4 months now because i havent had a question, mostly because ive been using mandrake 10 and it "just works".

Well said!
Seems people feel threatened by dists like Linspire and Mandrake. I think it is because they have had to go through alot to learn Linux and to set up their hardware. They might have been laughed at in debian/slack/gentoo IRC channels for not knowing how to do things in the beginning, and now when they finally can manage linux the hard way, they feel threatened by dists that let people "just use it". Maybe they feel like their Linux experience and knowledge is rendered less valuable?

Myself I have a Linux background in Redhat, Mandrake, Debian and Gentoo. Now I only run Linspire, even though I can do anything I want in Debian and Gentoo. Linspire just makes it easier and faster...

There is no such creature as Lindows. That is a company. Linspire is their operating system. It is debian based.

Also, what exactly is Linux? It is any os that uses the Linux kernel. Linspire meets that requirement. True, it is garbage to most users, but it fullfills what it was made for. To provide an alternative to w*indows. It even goes as far as to cost money for applications which is what w*indows does.

lindows was my first linux distro(live cd version) and its whatreally got me into linux in the first place. However, i really dont like it anymroe and i dont feel the need to use it. i can do what i want in MEPIS with no trouble, why pay for lindows?

although i dont know how to code, i still like having the source code. in most distros, when there is somthing wrong, you can fix it. in lindows, you cant cause its closed source.


as for mandrake, i didnt like that either. it tries to hold your hand, but it cant. os you end up stuck in the middle. if you want to do anything worth your while, you have to do it the hard way, so you might as well just learn all linux the hard way and get a better distro like mepis. its faster, is more customizable, and it has apt. rpm sucks. speaking of package managers, cnr should be open sourced too. its a cool little app, but you have to be using linspire so it turns people off. if it was OS on the other hand, it would be beneficial to everyone. IMO, if youre smart enough to navigate to linuxquestions.org, then your smart enough to use MEPIS.

I agree. Running Linspire is too much like running MS. Why buy a car if you can never open the hood? Right?

Linspire pretty much lets you open the hood, but really only to peek inside. Debian based is probably the closest to what what originally intended for Linux. Still, I use SuSE. But that is because it works well with my amd64 bit laptop.

u guys are all wrong. lindspire IS OPEN SOURCE!!!! you can get the source code to it via the lindows website. i saw it a few months ago right around the same time i was switching to mandrake 10.

"I agree. Running Linspire is too much like running MS. Why buy a car if you can never open the hood? Right?"

linspire is linux, get over it. you may not like it, but that's the fact. i dont use lindows, i dont plan on it, but im jsut tired of the bashing. i think this is the 6th forum thread ive found with the "lindows isnt linux" subject.

DA,

I think you completely misread the forum. The message above reads Linspire is debian based. It also says that Linux is any OS that uses the Linux kernel. Since Linspire uses the Linux kernel, It is Linux.

So, why the argument?

How can you say what was originaly intended for Linux? What about PCLinuxOS? all open source, Federoa? all open source, and both are community driven, there are many more examples of open source only community driven projects, you should take a peek at distrowatch.com and so what if people are making a easy to use Linux distro, u dont think debian has gotten easier over the years, heck they just now testing a new installer to make it easier for newbies!

dirty, is hte installer available ATM? i might just use debian itself instead of MEPIS.

Edit: and how can linspire be opensource? there is no free version so it cant be OS. sure, red hat isnt free, but it has fedora and etc.

"Free as in speech and not as in beer" is a phrase you will see a huge number of times when you deal with FOSS. Open Source does not mean that it has to be given out free of charge, it refers to the fact that the source is open for all to see - as against the closed source method preferred by Microsoft.

As has been stated: Linspire uses the Linux Kernel, it is a Linux distribution. Nowhere in the GPL does it say that you cannot charge a fee of some description for a distro or for software. In fact, the GPL is explicit in saying that you can charge if you want to. The only restriction is that if you use GPLd software that your software adhere to the GPL.

Frankly, this thread is becoming boring. The same arguments are occurring over and over again. If this keeps up, it will be closed - it was inflammatory from the start and hasn't really improved.

check this article for the debian installer
http://applications.linux.com/articl...4/08/09/164207

Linspire is free, follow my note, and you'll have your very own copy.

Note: all you have to do is go to Linspire.com click on the my linspire tab at the top, It will ask u if u want to create an accout or if u have an existing accout, if u dont have an account all they ask for is ur e mail address and for u to create a password, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BUY ANYTHING! What your really registering for is to join the community, that gives you access to some of the producs for free, as well as the forums. after you register log in and go to my linspire again , then products ont he left hand side and CD download to get your free copy of Linspire and Linspire Live ISO either through them or the torrent both are free, 4.5 is the current version

Also i was reading an article in Linux Format that read that you can download RHEL 3 for free somwhere on their site, i tried, and couldnt find the link, Happy hunting.

im trying to switch over to debian. ive been considering mepis and knoppix, or just plain debian (if the installer has been improved for easier installation). i might just try linspire, if a new version is due soon.

^use mepis, you wont regret it.

after reading that article posted above aboutthe debian installer, its still got a while to go.

in my experience, knoppix is a better live-cd and mepis is a better hdd installed distro.

Even though dibian has a distro for almost every chip, why not make the lives of those using 386 and up easier? i understan they want a universal installer but i would look for the esiest ones for each platform they'er trying to cover.