As a public service, I am merging this thread with the long and detailled "Linspire (LindowsOS) isn't Linux" thread as most of the emerging arguments here are covered in great detail in that thread.

Keep it clean, keep it polite guys.

I would not normally bother to respond, but in this instance because this person's attack was likely to cause confusion to the original enquirer, I shall.

His response is clearly FUD, and I quote from the introduction to one of many urls devoted to the ways in which FUD is propogated. Here is the opening paragraph which concisely states the problem...

FUD sands for Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. It is a marketing technique used when a competitor launches a product that is both better than yours and costs less, i.e. your product is no longer competitive. Unable to respond with hard facts, scare-mongering is used via 'gossip channels' to cast a shadow of doubt over the competitors offerings and make people think twice before using it. In general it is used by companies with a large market share, and the overall message is 'Hey, it could be risky going down that road, stick with us and you are with the crowd. Our next soon-to-be-released version will be better than that anyway'.In the computer world, FUD was first practiced on a large scale by IBM in the 1970's. Many people cite Amdahl as coining the phrase when he left IBM to start his own company thus making himself a FUD target.

I also rather dislike their signature block: "If this helped you, please click the 'Thanks' button." which I consider arrogant and inappropriate on a forum of intelligent people, as it can easily suggest that they have all the answers and everyone else is a dum-dum.

I am also aware of many attempts to resolve this issue about "root only" , but the previous poster seems to have same mindset as the Superintendent Outfitting at a shipyard I worked at many years ago. It was said of him that his pet saying was "Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up"

Regarding Linspire and its predecessor Lindows being "root only", here is a series of screen captures I took this morning in response to indicate that I was accurately portraying the situation because I am familiar with the product and support its aims and ideals.

In order to do this, of course it was necessary to spend time doing a brand new installation to an empty HDD, merely to dispel the FUD. I used version 4.5.122 (from about a year ago). I could have used v4.0 except that the screen capture utility is not packaged with the product. From memory, there was no difference between 4.0 and 4.5 in this regard.

After installation, the first screen that comes up is a root login. That is exactly the same with ANY operating system which is automated. Indeed if you are installing the same OS on to a number of identical machines, the standard procedure is to install on one, and then ghost (or similar) that OS to the HDDs of the others. You cannot have users at this point because each different machine has (by definition) different users.

Having logged in at the particular machine, Linspire (and its predecessor Lindows) pops up centre screen a FIRST TIME CONFIGURATION

http://linspire.homelinux.org/captur...timesetup1.jpg

This is not unusual on any operating system, it may just be worded differently, which is what I stated in my post.

Here is a readable image of the dialogue box...

http://linspire.homelinux.org/captur...timesetup2.jpg

You will notice that there are two buttons below. The first is a one spot setup for date and time (instead of the multiple regular KDE setup boxes) which shows my customisation for time zone, location, and time

http://linspire.homelinux.org/captur...date&time1.jpg

By next selecting the other choice, you have four choices presented... and remembering this is a once only setup because the modified KDE menu system has access to all these functions anyway.

I emphasise... Initial setup screen for new users...

http://linspire.homelinux.org/captur.../advanced1.jpg

which allow the user to select...

change administrator (root) password

http://linspire.homelinux.org/captur...anced2-pwd.jpg

check, change and/or set the display resolution

http://linspire.homelinux.org/captur...anced3-res.jpg

then next on the list, adding users... three captures here...

http://linspire.homelinux.org/captur...nced4-usr1.jpg

http://linspire.homelinux.org/captur...nced4-usr2.jpg

http://linspire.homelinux.org/captur...nced4-usr3.jpg

There we are. The facts are there in evidence.

Well first, every single distro i have ever used(and that's a lot) required you to make a user account, or extremely recommended you to create a user account before even booting into the system,(debian, gentoo, redhat, fedora, mandrake, yopper), and the only way you get that option in linspire is if you choose an advanced installation, which is something most people that linspire targets will not do.

Goodness. I just read through this flame fest and I'm just shaking my head.

Let me say a few things:

1. Linspire uses the Linux kernel so yes it is in fact a Linux distribution

2. Linspire does NOT have to release source for proprietary developments; only the components which rely on GPL code or are statically linked to GPL code.

3. If Linspire doesn't charge $$ for *something* just how long do you think the distribution is going to be around? I think the paid "Live update" subscription is a fair deal considering how easy they make Linux for beginners - or save time for experienced users

4. Don't want the GUI? Stuck in the 1972 mentality? Are you an elitist? Well, I have a solution for you: Runlevel 3. For everyone else, there is Runlevel 5, with all of the power of bash, tcsh, and perl just an xterm away!

5. Do you like to simplify tasks? Runlevel 5 is for you. If you think there should be no GUI to make life easier, See #4, above.

6. Be glad there is a distribution like Linspire. Competition is good for the Linux world because it attracts more users, developers, and of course, commercial vendors who will soon see there is a market for apps like games, hardware drivers, and productivity packages (Adobe, cross-compile Photoshop PLEASE!!!)

7. If you come here for flamefests, man I suggest alt.lamers.die.die.die on usenet instead?

Ha. Excellent post! I don't use Linspire, but completely agree with your thoughts. Well said!

I see you want this to descend into a personal vendetta I am going to say my piece which unfortunately is now nothing to do with Linspire but your stupid personal attacks. You don't know me, so don't make flawed assumptions about me. I am not arrogant and I don't see the people on this forum as being dumb, thats just you making unfounded assumptions. I have no reason to sread FUD against any Linux distro, I simply state the facts, my opinions and my own views, because I am entitled to that.

My signature will remain as it is and I don't give a toss if you don't like it, because I am not here to please you. You obviously don't know the use of the Thank You and why people ask others to click it. You need to examine other peoples signatures and you will notice that there are a lot that are quite similar to mine because they would like to raise funds for charitable organisations. I am not gonna waste anymore time and effort engaging with someone whos got some sort of personality problem and goes on the attack on people that he doesn't even know, making unfounded assumptions and allegations. You need to go back to school and learn some interpersonal skills coz you got some serious issues that need resolving.

I love this thread. Yes, really. It keeps dropping almost to the level where I will close it and then rises again.

To the points (in no particular order):
Signatures: Asking to be "thanked", politely, is absolutely fine. The Affero/Thanks system benefits a number of not for profit organisations, LQ is among them. Check my signature.

The whole root or not thing:
Everyone is right. Especially me. Yes, Linspire has a place where you can set up a non-root user. But it's not obvious - unless you wish to click around, you won't find it. On the other hand, we are all Linux users here - clicking around is what we do. So that's a draw.

The tone of the post by eagles-lair:
I think you are taking this all waaaaaaaaaaaay too personally. Back off, just answer the questions, politely dispel any genuine FUD and back away from making it personal. Nice screenshots, btw.

That is all - let's get back to discussing the OS

Lindows OS=Dog artichokes

Who the hell buys Lindows, it's the linux equvlient of something of which I know nothing.

Wow, that was intelligent. Could you please elaborate on that statement?

Wow you don't give up do you asparagus, I suppose you searched my post count for this, well good job, try replying to the other post instead of attacking me on nothing to do with "stupid threads", "please elaborate on that statment" really big words really don't mean asparagus. Nobody cares if your intelligent and dont't use LOL, U, b4, etc, really we don't care.

Yes we all know how big of words "elaborate" and "statement" are.

What the f*ck (yep they turned on a filter) is your beef, pants specs, did anyone ask your opinion. Hey heres a big word for you, gigantic how do you like that?

yes you are correct my pc does suck. It is because i am 16, and have a shitty job, yet i still have to pay my own bills.

My pc costs a total of 310$ when i bought it, and i could barely afford it.

And this is a public board. If you don't wnat my opinion, then don't post here becasue you will most certainly get it.

Yes, okay but the thing is does this have anything to do with you, wow, I certainly am an angry young man

Actually no, this is about why Linspire isn't linux, not about your own personal vendettas you have against the users here.