Another person who spends too much time on linux...
 

Hi, I am somewhat new to linux. I am mostly posting this message to be able to reference other URLs on my actual linux question.
I first got Mandrake Linux 10, but believed it to be too bulky for my old computer, so I searched for a quiker distro and got Vector linux. After this, I eventually downloaded and burned DSL linux.

I tried to learn my way around mostly through man files, etc. The first time I booted up a linux system, I had to turn off the computer without shutting down because I didn't know how to manage to desktop system (and it wasn't a user friendly one, either).

I don't actually think linux has too much of a future... I like it, and appreciate the work so many people are putting into it, but I figure the GNU licence agreement really keeps linux 1/2 developed, it seems. (however, other OS's, such as Windows, also often seem 1/2 developed...)

In more recent news, I accidentally wiped both of my computers partitions in the span of about 24 hours in my vector linux system, and since then have started from scratch. Right now I am mostly trying to get my hardware acceleration working for my graphics card on DSL linux.

cue flame war <ducks>

How do you mean?

The GPL itself has been around quite a while now and has solid institutions behind it. GPL code, by it's very nature cannot go away. So it cannot be the life of the GPL itself you are thinking of.

Are you thinking of the reluctance of certain parties to believe that they don't have to part with their IP? GPL has nothing to do with that.

Perhaps you mean that you, personally, disagree with the GPL in principle? In which case, linux will have a very short life on your computer.

However, companies like intel, hp, IBM and so on disagree with you about the GPL and OSS/FS's future.

Yeah, I am not trying to start a "flame war" thing... I think I don't really know that much about it. Maybe it is just that I don't like spending all the time making things work correctly.

I guess there is a quality to programs that you pay for that isn't there often in programs that are free. Not that this is always the case... But even with word processors - it doesn't seem like AbiWord or OpenOffice have matched Microsoft Word, despite all the problems it has.

It would be nice if Linux had both - but, as far as I can tell, it can't - unless the program you pay for doesn't use linux libraries, etc, and in that case, you might as well have gotten an operating system like windows or Mac OS X.

I guess there is a lot more to developing software than programming. In order to make the entire process worthwhile, developers should be paid for their software somehow.

(Note with the flame wars thing: I know people can present differing opinions till they are blue in the face, but it is nice to have an opportunity to present my opinion.)

... there exist commercial programs for linux.
1. the GPL does not exclude you charging for your software
2. you can use the libraries without requiring GPL-type disclosure because there is a special licence for that
3. Have you seen Opera - runs on linux, proffessional polish.

However, you have to explain what you mean when you talk about that polish. Personally, I cannot tell the difference between OOo writer and Word (except Word won't export to pdf).

... sometimes they are. Mostly they get paid by being able to work on something they feel passionate about which is also useful. Have a look at the theora project for an example of why people code free software.

Opinions are like anuses - everyone has one. Voicing them seldom makes things better and all to often makes things worse. (Even positive opinions can be like that.) Concentrate on the reasons behind your opinions, check to see how well informed they are. Then write about that side of things. Act on your opinion, be prepared to challenge it, be prepared to be shot down.

So far it looks like you're working your way through a paradigm shift. Free software just works differently. We've all been through this ourselves. Usually we have just got a lot of bad habits from an OS that encourages us to be ignorant. We start out so ignorant that we don't even know that they are bad habits - we think they are cool (Word macros and VB code tricks for eg.)

Now, when I have occasion to use windows, I find I chafe at how little it lets me do. I have trouble navigating the menus. I keep hunting for the desktop switcher when the workspace gets too cluttered. I get annoyed when an app pops up and preempts what I wanted to do through trying to be helpful. And what is that paperclip thing? Where are the secure apps?