[wplug] open source distribution mission

[Mike Procario]

I endorse the OpenCd idea.  I run a lot open source on Windows at
work where I cannot get access to a Linux box. OpenCd has mozilla
which I run everywhere and I find it works better than IE. Gimp
works very well on windows and it is a lot cheaper than photoshop.
I use filezilla although there are probably plenty of free but
non open source downloaders. 

It has openoffice and abiword. I try to argue that people should
not steal Microsoft Office. I have a license to run one copy of
office at home, but I have four computers.  I have told the kids
that they are using abiword from now on. It has everything they
need and it is light enough to run well on their K6 500 MHz
machine.     

I also use cygwin but I find that cygwin is not something that the
masses are dying for. It lets us old command line freaks have our
usual tools on windows. I also use vim on windows, but that takes
a certain nonWYSYWIG mindset that may not be common outside the
Linux/Unix world. 

Mike

On Mon, Feb 16, 2004 at 02:29:50PM -0500, Will Rodina wrote:
> [de-lurking for a suggestion or two]
> 
> >Open Source benefit: 
> >Those will receive a CD with some sort of open source foo will be exposed
> >to something that is open source that the may not have known to even exist.
> >There is a wide an wonderful world of open source out there! It may peak
> >curiosity in Open Source in general.
> >Linux benefit:
> >Surely some of the CDs collected will have Linux on them and it would be
> >exposing those who receive it to Linux. I'm hoping for Live CDs since
> >they're on one CD and people can try without commitment.
> >WPLUG benefit:
> >WPLUG gets any left over media which will hopefully build WPLUGs library
> >of open source software. It is also a publicity stunt for WPLUG. Hopefully 
> >we'll get some press over it.
> 
> How about a 2-CD compilation to hand out --
> 
> CD 1: Use a downloadable ISO image from either the GNUWin project or 
> TheOpenCD project. For those who haven't heard of those projects, they 
> are ready-made compilations of open-source applications that run on 
> Windows (designed for folks who have never heard of linux).
> 
> GNUWin -- http://gnuwin.epfl.ch/en/index.html
> TheOpenCD -- http://theopencd.sunsite.dk/
> 
> CD 2: As mentioned, a live linux CD such as Knoppix.
> 
> Whip up some quick liner notes with a paragraph along the lines of "What 
> is Open Source software?" and another paragraph involving "These CDs 
> provided to you courtesy WPLUG. For more info, visit our website or 
> email (whomever)."
> 
> In this way, folks can see that open source does not necessarily mean 
> linux... but with the live CD, they can still catch a glimpse of linux 
> and how it doesn't really look all that different from Windows.
> 
> [$0.02 deposited -- re-lurking now]
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-- 

--
Mike Procario
"Another casualty of applied metaphysics" -Calvin and Hobbes