[wplug] Re: which linux is for me

[Vance Kochenderfer]

Bill Moran <wmoran at potentialtech.com> wrote:
> Steve Bierly <s_bierly at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > I am leaning towards red hat. But I am not sure and I
> > read that linux does not support all computer
> > hardware. Could I use a brand new computer or should I
> 
> To choose an OSS operating system, you should look deep inside
> yourself and figure out what kind of person you are.  Then you
> should go out and find software that has the same _philosophy_
> about software that you do.

You may be getting a little *too* philosophical.  Think about the shoes
you're wearing now.  Did you deeply consider the materials they're made
from and their impact on the environment?  Did you ponder the working
conditions of the people who made them?  Did you thoroughly investigate
the business and marketing practices of the manufacturer?  Or did you
just buy a pair that were comfortable and reasonably priced?

I'm not discounting the philosophical issues.  And hey, maybe we should
be more thoughtful when buying shoes.  But a large number of people are
interested primarily in practical concerns, and I think new OSS users
especially fall into this category.  I know when I started using Linux
it was for the "this is neat" factor, not the "this is right" factor.
The philosophy developed later.  While I refuse to use some non-free
software (nVidia), I still accept some (Acrobat).  As the years pass, I
find myself thinking that Stallman makes more and more sense.

So while the philosophy is important, I don't think we should greet
newcomers with "Choose wisely, for as the true operating system will
bring you freedom, the false operating system will take it from you."
Let people discover on their own how good freedom can be.

Back to the original point, Beth Lynn talks about the Wheel of Distros.
I think it would be a cool project to have a hackathon on this at some
future installfest.  The idea is to combine the SuSE, Mandrake, Ubuntu,
Knoppix, FreeSBIE, Slax, etc. live CDs onto one bootable DVD.  Spin the
wheel, and take your pick!

Vance Kochenderfer        |  "Get me out of these ropes and into a
vkochend at nyx.net          |   good belt of Scotch"    -Nick Danger