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<TITLE>The Answer Guy 29: Why Linux? </TITLE>
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<!--endcut ========================================================= -->
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<H4>"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
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</H4>
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<P> <hr> <P>
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<!-- =============================================================== -->
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<H1 align="center"><A NAME="answer">
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<img src="../gx/dennis/qbubble.gif" alt="" border="0" align="middle">
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<a href="./index.html">The Answer Guy</a>
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<img src="../gx/dennis/bbubble.gif" alt="" border="0" align="middle">
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</A></H1> <BR>
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<H4 align="center">By James T. Dennis,
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<a href="mailto:linux-questions-only@ssc.com">linux-questions-only@ssc.com</a><BR>
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Starshine Technical Services,
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<A HREF="http://www.starshine.org/">http://www.starshine.org/</A> </H4>
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<p><hr><p>
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<H3><img src="../gx/dennis/qbub.gif" alt="(?)" width="50" height="28"
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align="left" border="0">Why Linux? </H3>
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<p><strong>From Grey on 07 May 1998
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<br><br>
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Answer Guy,
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<br><br>
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I am trying to understand why there is so much interest in Linux. What does
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it offer, in this world of Macs and Win95 PCs, that makes it ....attractive
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and useful?
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</strong></p>
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<blockquote><img src="../gx/dennis/bbub.gif" width="50" height="28" alt="(!)"
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align="left" border="0">
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My first stunned impression on reading this question was:
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<br><dl><dd>Is this a shill? How did this guy manage to
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find my column in LG without knowing a variety
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of answers to this question?
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</dl><br>
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But that was a quick uncharitable moment.
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</blockquote>
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<p><strong><img src="../gx/dennis/qbub.gif" width="50" height="28" alt="(?)"
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align="left" border="0">
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Are there any good 'What is Linux?' type articles I can look at. I am always
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tempted to purchase the Linux packages to try and determine what it is but I
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would not mind knowing before.
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<br><br>
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Thanks,
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<br>RL
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</strong></p>
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<blockquote><img src="../gx/dennis/bbub.gif" width="50" height="28" alt="(!)"
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align="left" border="0">
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The fact that you are "tempted" (curious) is why you should play
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with Linux. It's your computer, and you should be able to "play"
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with it --- and you should have choices about how it operates.
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You computer should work in a way that suits your preferences and
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style --- you shouldn't <strong>have</strong> to adopt the style
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that's dictated by the trade press, the mass media,
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<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/BillGates/">Bill Gates</a>,
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<a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/jobs.html">Steve Jobs</a>,
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<a href="http://www.parc.xerox.com/parc-go.html">Xerox PARC</a>,
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or anyone else.
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<br><br>
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(I'm presuming you are a home user in this case --- but my
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argument applies equally to whole institutions --- they should
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have the choice to use and run software that suits their
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needs and preferences --- even such preferences as they dictate
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to their employees or userbase).
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<br><br>
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So, what is great about Linux? Choice.
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<br><br>
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You asked for some URL's to read testimonials about this: here's
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one that I'm reading right now:
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<br><dl>
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<dt>John Kirch's "NT 4.0 vs. Unix"
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<dd><a href="http://www.kirch.net/unix-nt.html"
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>http://www.kirch.net/unix-nt.html</a>
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</dl><br>
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(This isn't Linux specific --- but it does go into great detail
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and mentions Linux frequently in its analysis).
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<br><br>
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I found the link to that site from one of the LDP (Linux
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Documentation Project) mirrors. These LDP mirrors are the
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definitive place to get info about Linux. The "master" site
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is at:
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<br><dl>
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<dt>Sunsite (U. of North Carolina):
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<dd><a href="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/"
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>http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/</a>
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</dl><br>
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... which is also the master repository for Linux software
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(just as <a href="ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/">ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/</a>
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is the master repository for FSF GNUware). The LDP mirror I
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usually visit is at:
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<br><dl>
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<dt>SSC's Linux Resources Pages:
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<dd><a href="http://www.linuxresources.com/LDP/"
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>http://www.linuxresources.com/LDP/</a>
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</dl><br>
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A couple of other great sources of Linux information are:
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<br><dl>
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<dt>Linux Weekly News:
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<dd><a href="http://www.lwn.net/">http://www.lwn.net/</a>
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<dt>Slashdot (Daily) News for Nerds:
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<dd><a href="http://www.slashdot.org/"
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>http://www.slashdot.org/</a>
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</dl><br>
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... and, of course Linux Gazette
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(<a href="http://www.linuxgazette.com/">http://www.linuxgazette.com/</a>)
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which was the first "webazine" to cover the topic and is still
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100% volunteer.
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<br><br>
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Now, before I babble a bit about some of the other advantages
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to Linux let me digress to make two observations:
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<blockquote>
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I can talk about <strong>features</strong> of
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<a href="http://www.linux.org/">Linux</a>,
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<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/products/fam_win.htm">Win</a>
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'95, NT,
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<a href="http://www.apple.com/macos/">MacOS</a>,
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<a href="http://www.be.com/">BeOS</a> and
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<a href="http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Software/Operating_Systems/">many other</a> operating systems
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and packages until my fingers are worn to nubs and you
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justifiably have no reason to care what I've said.
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<br><br>
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In order to discuss the possible <strong>benefits</strong>
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of Linux <strong>to you</strong> I'd have to know more
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about you --- your requirements, preferences, and
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constraints. I'd have to engage in a process of
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requirements analysis --- and the first step of that is
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to identify the involved parties (particularly
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<strong<you</strong> the customer).
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<br><br>
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Modern mass marketing and advertising does not meet this
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need. It focuses on <strong>features</strong> rather than
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<strong>benefits</strong> because features can be touted
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with no understanding of a specific user's needs. For any
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given <strong>feature</strong> it may be of
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<strong>benefit</strong> to a given user, or it may be
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irrelevant or even detrimental to them.
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</blockquote>
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That said, the other observation is that Linux is not quite
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yet appropriate for just anyone. To paraphrase a popular
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signature from USENET: "Linux is 'user-friendly'; it's just
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particular about <strong>who</strong> its friends are"
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<br><br>
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At the moment Linux is not the system I would provide to my
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mother for her first computer. She was interested in two things
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--- playing Mah Jongg and surfing the 'net. I got her a Mac
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Performa.
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<br><br>
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By the end of this year I might have a different view ---
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the
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<a href="ttp://www.kde.org/">KDE</a>,
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<a href="http://www.gnome.org/">Gnome</a>, and
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<a href="http://www.gnustep.org/">GNUStep</a> projects, among
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others, along with incremental improvements to the package
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management and management of products like
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<a href="http://www.debian.org">Debian</a>,
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<a href="http://www.redhat.com/">Red Hat</a>, and
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<a href="http://www.suse.com/">S.u.S.E.</a> (among
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<strong><a href="http://www.linuxlinks.com/Distributions/"
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>many</a></strong> others) may get us (the Linux community) to
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the point where shipping Linux systems to complete novices will
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make good business sense.
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<blockquote>
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(Note: a number one priority advance that would help
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with this would be a multi-media "Welcome to Linux"
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interactive video system --- that would be run off
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a CD or (if they're supported by then) DVD disc).
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</blockquote>
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I think it is already to the point that "normal" users can
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productively use Linux. Customers can go to
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<a href="http://www.varesearch.com/">VAResearch</a>,
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<a href="http://www.tesys.com/">Telenet</a>,
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<a href="http://www.apache.com/">Apache Digital</a>,
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<a href="http://www.promox.com/">PromoX</a>,
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<a href="http://www.swt.com/">SWT</a>, and other hardware
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vendors to get a system with Linux pre-installed. They can
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use these systems as easily as they could a similarly
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configured Win '95 box (and somewhat more easily than using
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an NT system).
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<br><br>
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We are now past due for Dell, Gateway, HP, Compaq, Zeos,
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IBM or some other upper tier hardware vendor to offer Linux
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pre-installed on their "BTO" (Build to Order) price lists.
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Soon I also hope to see Apple and UMAX offer mkLinux and
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LinuxPPC options on their PowerMac clones. I think this will
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happen before the end of this year (for at least one of them).
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<br><br>
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I hope that either this will happen, <strong>or</strong> one of
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the Linux hardware vendors will move into the same volume of sales
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and production currently enjoyed by one of these. Every reader of
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<a href="http://www.linuxgazette.com/">Linux Gazette</a>,
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<a http://www.lwn.net/">Linux Weekly News</a>,
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<a http://www.slashdot.org/">Slashdot</a>,
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<a http://www.ssc.com/lj/">Linux Journal</a>,
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and all of the <a href="news:comp.os.linux">comp.os.linux.*</a>
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and linux-* newsgroups and
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<a href="http://oslab.snu.ac.kr/~djshin/linux/mail-list/">mailing
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lists</a> can help make that happen by calling their
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vendor and just saying: "<strong>NO!</strong> I will not pay for
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a copy of Win '95 or NT that I plan to immediately and permanently
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replace with Linux!" (and taking their business elsewhere).
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<br><br>
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Now, "Grey", back to your question.
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<br><br>
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What is "great" about Linux?
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<br><br>
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The first thing I like about Linux is that I don't have to
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use any GUI. I don't like graphical screens. I often spend
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twelve hours at a stretch in front of my monitor and my eyes
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just can take any GUI for that long. My supporting a full
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range of applications from it's multiple text consoles Linux
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allows me to focus on one task at a time, giving it my full
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screen. At the same time I can be logged into a dozen or
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more session, as one or more users, to have all the benefits
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of multi-tasking. In addition I have options to use keyboard
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or mouse driven "cut and paste" between my applications.
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<br><br>
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I can use this same suite of applications on my old 386 and
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my Pentium 166 and on my Pentium II. I can use any
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application on any system on my network regardless of which
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machine is sitting in front of me (using <tt>telnet</tt>,
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<tt>ssh</tt>, or <tt>rlogin</tt> for text mode apps, and the
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communications protocols that are native to the X Windows System
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when I need a GUI).
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<br><br>
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I can sit in a coffee house a few miles away, dial into one of my
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machines (the 386 is the one with the modem) and use everything
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from my Ricochet equipped laptop that I could use if I was
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sitting at home in front of the machine myself.
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<br><br>
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That same modem (the one on the 386) is used to get all my
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mail and netnews (<tt>uucp</tt>) and was used as the dial-on-demand
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PPP link for my entire LAN for months (before I got the
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ISDN router that I currently use). When the ISDN goes out,
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I can switch back to using the 386 gateway in a couple of minutes.
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<br><br>
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That same modem is also used for dial out BBS and shell mode
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access by any system on my LAN (given that the user has the
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appropriate level of access).
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<br><br>
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That same modem is also use as the outgoing and incoming fax
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gateway.
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<br><br>
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So, I can use one modem for dial and out shell, networking, and
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fax <strong>for an entire network of systems</strong> --- and
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<strong>none</strong> of these functions "trip" over the others
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or conflict with any of the others.
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<br><br>
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Meanwhile one of my house guests might be using that same
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386 to read mail or news, from a serial terminal line I
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keep in the living room, and my wife might be at the console
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(as she is now).
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<br><br>
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That 386, Antares, is over ten years old now. It has 32Mb
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of RAM, a 2Mb video card (yes, it can run X --- though it is
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a bit slow --- almost as slow as MS Windows used to be on it)
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about 6 Gig of disk space, a tape drive, a magneto optical drive
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and a few other toys. It ran Linux just fine with 16Mb of
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RAM and a 200Mb IDE disk drive (and still would, though I'd
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never fit my personal mail archives on that tiny drive).
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<br><br>
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(Incidentally, the the Caviar 200Mb drive in question is sitting
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in Canopus --- where it's not even in use. I have some
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purely archival files on it).
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<br><br>
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While MS Windows users were essentially forced to upgrade their
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systems to 486's and Pentiums in order to keep upgraded one their
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OS and major, critical software, I've been able to continue using
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my old system.
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<br><br>
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It wasn't until mid last year that I finally moved my home
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directory over to one of the Pentiums (<tt>Gnus</tt>, a newsreader for
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Emacs, just got to be <strong>too</strong> slow when I wanted to
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read a few thousand messages in a mailing list archive --- it would
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take two hours threading through them in the background before
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I could read them --- that same process take about 2 minutes
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on Canopus, the P166).
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<br><br>
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So, one advantage of Linux is its support for older equipment
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and unfashionable modes of use. Text mode is still widely used
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--- but every time I hear an "old-timer" say so it's amazing
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the looks it generates among "hip, savvy, modern users."
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<br><br>
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A byproduct of this support is that Linux is very friendly to
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blind and other physically
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<a href="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/Access-HOWTO.html"
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>challenged users</a>. A friend of mine
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was hit with a stroke a couple of years ago. He has yet to
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regain significant use of one of his arms. Linux and MacOS are
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the easiest environments for him to use. It is trivial to
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enable "sticky" shift (Ctrl, Alt, and Shift) keys --- so that
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the user never has to co-ordinate the operation of two keys
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simultaneously (an action which the vast majority of us
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take completely for granted).
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<br><br>
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Once you reconfigure you keyboard under Linux <strong>all</strong>
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of the console applications use the new bindings. I've never seen
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a conflict. You can also configure similar features in X Windows
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(XFree86). Thus you can, with changes to the configuration of two
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subsystems, make every application on the system behave in a way
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that's compatible with a user's needs.
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<br><br>
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(It is also simple to associate these changes with a particular
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user -- so that other users of that system will not normally
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be affected by them).
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<br><br>
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I could go on and on. However, it would make sense for you
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to look at some of the other sites on the web that talk
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about Linux. Obviously you'll be completely overwhelmed if
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you do a Yahoo! search on just "Linux" (they are up to
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13 categories and almost 600 sites --- compared to 17/1900
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for "Unix" and about 19/660 for "Microsoft Windows" and
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2/16 for MacOS)
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<br><ul>
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<li>(Granted that this is an incredibly simplistic
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metric. It is nonetheless amusing. Incidentally
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Alta Vista gives about 2 million hits with "Linux"
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and about 21 million with "Microsoft Windows" and
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HotBot only gives 1.3 million to Linux and 1.2 million
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to "Microsoft Windows")
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</ul>
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My point is that there are too many of these to explore in
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a reasonable amount of time (I supposed you could surf the
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Yahoo! listed Linux sites in about 10 hours if you averaged
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only one minute per page --- and didn't follow any of them
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to anywhere else).
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<br><br>
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Obviously the Linux Gazette is one place to find out more,
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and the Linux Weekly News (<a href="http://www.lwn.net/"
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>http://www.lwn.net/</a>) (formerly at <tt>
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http://www.eklektix.com/lwn/</tt> is pretty good too
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(and comes out four times as often). If you
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start at SSC's Linux Resources Page
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(<a href="http://www.linux.resources.com/"
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>http://www.linux.resources.com/</a>) and follow all
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links there you should get your fill of unabashed Linux advocacy.
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</blockquote>
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<!--================================================================-->
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<P> <hr> <P>
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<H5 align="center"><a href="http://www.linuxgazette.com/copying.html"
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>Copyright ©</a> 1998, James T. Dennis <BR>
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Published in <I>Linux Gazette</I> Issue 29 June 1998</H5>
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<P> <hr>
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<!--================================================================-->
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<p align="center"><table width="95%"><tr align="center">
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<td rowspan="4"><A HREF="lg_answer29.html"><IMG
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SRC="../gx/dennis/answernew.gif"
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ALT="[ Answer Guy Index ]"i
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align="left"></A></td>
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</tr><tr align="center">
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<!-- begins -->
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<td><A HREF="tag_versions.html">versions</A></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_lilo.html">lilo</A></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_virtdom.html">virtdom</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_kernel.html">kernel</A></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_winmodem.html">winmodem</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_basicmail.html">basicmail</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_betterbak.html">betterbak</a></td>
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</tr><tr align="center">
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<td><A HREF="tag_shadow.html">shadow</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_dell.html">dell</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_dumbterm.html">dumbterm</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_whylinux.html">whylinux</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_redhat.html">redhat</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_netcard.html">netcard</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_macrovir.html">macrovir</a></td>
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</tr><tr align="center">
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<td><A HREF="tag_newlook.html">newlook</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_tacacs.html">tacacs</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_sendmail.html">sendmail</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_dialdppp.html">dialdppp</a></td>
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<td><A HREF="tag_ppp233.html">ppp233</a></td>
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