Another fun Gather was had last night. Here are some related info and links to items discussed:
Linksys NSLU2 – This little Linux based device is what is powering the backup system Michael and I set up at my place. It has two USB 2.0 ports and an ethernet jack. Thus allowing one to share out USB drives to the network. Because it is Linux based, the code is open source and several replacement firmware projects exist. Highly hackable server the size of an iPod.
Zimbra – We are switching out groupware package here at Carleton. Here is what we are switching to. It managed to beat out Novell Groupwise and M$ Exchange. It is really coming around fast and there is an open source version.
Ubuntu – Linux that just plain works. I am a big fan and have converted Michael.
Schtickers – Once Michael finally breaks down and gets a MacBook Pro, maybe he can use these to keep anyone from knowing he is using a Mac.
New Uses for Old Macs – Tim Eian has an old Bondi G3 tower he is looking to get some use from. Here are some ideas. My favorite, especially for his ultra modern home, is to use it for home automation.
Quicksilver – I tried to get Rodney to drink the Quicksilver kool-aid by showing him these cool videos about al the things it can do.
Thanks to everyone who came. If I missed something feel free to edit this post.
“Ubuntu – Linux that just plain works.”
Except for hibernate and maybe shutdown after Michael’s upgrade.
I was wondering who was going to be the first wiseacre.
It’s the incessant infighting that keeps Linux from going really mainstream, ya know.
I’ve been saying that for months, if not years. Distro wars are the biggest thing crippling Linux from hitting the desktop.
For average Joe consumer, there are WAY too many to choose from, and seemingly more all the time. Do I choose Fedora, RedHat, Debian, Gentoo, Slackware, Ubuntu, SuSe, Mandriva, CentOS.
Heck, even my current personal favorite, Ubuntu, can’t even decide what to be: Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu, Xubuntu.
RedHat is no better either. Do you want…well, I can’t even figure out the list any more.
I’m into this stuff and willing to experiment a bit, but sometimes even I get confused. Imagine how it must be for someone brand new to it. And if they ask a Linux enthusiast for their opinion, it’s nearly impossible to get a reasoned answer. I like to think I can pull it off, but the plethora of suggestions makes it hard keep track of it all and make a worthwhile suggestion.
RMS doesn’t help either with his bleating. I appreciate his position and admire his principles, but his presentation scares people.
Windows isn’t much better either, especially when it comes to Vista. There’s almost as many vista versions as there are Linux distros.
At the risk of further haranging by the Mac people, I have to admit that Apple has this one right. There’s Mac OX X. That’s it. 1 choice, then it comes down to what applications you install.
</soapbox>