[Discussion] [Linux] Starting the move to MAC

[Carl Gehr]

On Sat, 21 Mar 2009 08:29:25 -0400 (EDT), Julian Thomas wrote:

>On Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:08:05 -0400 (EDT), Carl Gehr wrote:
>
>>Sorry for the length of this.  But maybe it will get some discussion
>>going.  [I hope the POSSI list owner(s) don't mind that we've just
>>jumped into this. 
>
>At least this list administrator (not owner) has no objection whatsoever. I find that I need to sharpen and maintain 
>my Unix/linux skills (which developed when I was working on AIX at IBM) and am casting about for a linux distro 
>to install on a secondary machine that should arrive in another week, along with eCS and XP [which I also need, 
>since the websites I do for my clients sometimes behave very badly under IE:-(
>
>I've lost track of the languages I've used over the years; just about all of them self-taught. Like you, I started with 
>Rex (before it got the second x) on VM, back when file IO was not quite ready for prime time

I have been playing with Ubuntu 810 that I installed on a 4GB FLASH
drive.  This has several advantages:
1)  It does not disturb the HD on my TPad - The bread/butter
    that pays the bills.
2)  It is fully customizable, versus the S/A CD where you loose
    everything when you shutdown.
3)  Ubuntu can actually read all the HPFS files on the TPad.
    I've not tried to actually change anything yet, so I don't
    know how safe that process is.
40  Since it is on a FLASH, I plan to take it with me for
    emergency use when I go on vacation.  I can carry it in my
    pocket; no laptop to carry around.

The downside is that it is very slow.  If you try it, be sure you get a
SanDisk or other reasonably fast FLASH.  I don't know first hand, but
one of the guys in what used to be the Cincinnati OS/2 User Group is
very much into this.  He works for Miami Univ., so he seems to have a
lot of time to play.  He says there are dramatic differences in the
speed of various USB devices, even when they are all 2.0.

Ubuntu creates a new distro in April and October.  Their release
numbering is YMM, so their next release will be 904.  I've been told
that the big thing in this next update is to improve the boot speed. 
Supposedly, it will be less than a minute from power on to a ready to
use desktop.  I believe they also consider the April releases as 'long
term' as far as support is concerned.  Of course, the 'free' package
does not really have 'support' as such, but they do have an automatic
update for fixes, enhancements, etc.  It puts an icon on the toolbar
whenever there are updates available.

OK, I've now said more than I know about this.  As I said I'm just
getting started with this.

--
Carl