Opportunities with Linux

[anileve]

Not that anyone here cares, but I decided to waste some of my time anyway. A very interesting article, sounds like a promising future for technology expansion. Linux is being seriously promoted by IBM which is investing billions into the campaign. That would represent a serious completion for Microsoft; so far Linux is the only one to pose a threat to the monopolizing giant.

That would mean more job opportunities for Linux Agents. Pat, perhaps you should look into learning Linux instead? It operates in C++ and deals with a great portion of programming as well as Networking skills. Plus Linux Certified Agents receive a hefty salary in comparison to Microsoft. I am definitely going to brush up on my Linux.

Here is the article.

http://www.forbes.com/home/free_forbes/2004/0607/086.html

[Anonymouse]

Well, I don't know of anyone else who would know this other than Seapahn. Thus this post was only meant to give my post count a boost. Cheerio.

[patlajan]

OK interesting. I've got a C++ book, maybe I'll read it sometime. It's too bad those certification people only plop out tests and don't teach you anything.

[Anonymouse]

Oh, by the way, it should be added that Microsoft is a government created monopoly. Not that anyone here cares.

[Sip]

Well, I don't know of anyone else who would know this other than Seapahn. Thus this post was only meant to give my post count a boost. Cheerio.

In C++ lingo, we just say: Anonymouse.post_count++;

About Linux and C++... Linux is written in C/C++. Knowledge of C/C++ will help if you plan to hack into the kernel and make modifications to it or write drivers or other applications. Although there are utilities that come packaged with most linux distributions that streamline the customization of the operating system kernel with easy to use menus and graphical user interfaces. So you make a bunch of choices and it'll recompile the kernel to your liking. You don't need C knowledge to install and operate most linux distributions. It is very similar to Unix in nature.

Having said that, knowing C is not a bad thing as it can only help!

[Sip]

By the way, to those who wish to dabble around with linux, I highly recommend VMWare, available from www.vmware.com and to start with Mandrake www.mandrake.org .

If you can't figure out what to do with the info in this post, you are not ready to mess with linux.

[Anonymouse]

Why does all this matter? Soon the machines will rise, and we will have to destroy all of them.

[Sip]

Because you'd probably want the machines to rise under anarchy (i.e linux) as opposed to an evil government (i.e. Microsoft)

[anileve]

Well, I don't know of anyone else who would know this other than Seapahn. Thus this post was only meant to give my post count a boost. Cheerio.

My darling....I've been meaning to say this to you for quite some time...Will you be my cheerleader?

Seapahn, GUI interface is not used for servers in which case it is much wiser to operate in text mode and know your commands. Also to execute some maintanance scripts, one should be a little familiar with C++. Only if the user intends on using his/her PC as a Desktop machine for a simple purpose GUI interface is preferred. I guess it depends on what you intend to do with Linux; one can get away with GUI only so much, beyond that it becomes very complex.

[anileve]

By the way, to those who wish to dabble around with linux, I highly recommend VMWare, available from www.vmware.com

I remember using VMWare to do NT Server installations. I really didn't like it. To do an installation it works, but it's always best to screw up a system once or twice to get a good hang of it.

More on Open Source OS.

France Challenges Microsoft in Software Re-Fit
Fri 18 June, 2004 15:47

By Emmanuel Jarry and Jean-Baptiste Vey

PARIS (Reuters) - France's cash-strapped government is giving alternative software firms the chance to win state business from Microsoft in a pioneering drive to challenge the U.S. software giant in the public sector.

Civil service minister Renaud Dutreil told Reuters France wanted to use "open-source" software providers to resupply part of the almost one million state computers under a government cost-cutting drive designed to trim a bulging public deficit.

"We are not starting a war against Microsoft, or against American companies in the software sector," Dutreil said in an interview. But he added that Microsoft "must return to being one supplier to the state among others."

"The competition is open," he said. "My estimate is that we can cut the state software bill at least in half."

At stake, in the case of office suite software alone, is around 300 million euros ($362.5 million) worth of software to be introduced to state computers over three years. Savings on operating systems could be of a similar order, officials said.

France's conservative government is trying to cut costs as it seeks to rein in a public sector deficit which is set to bust the European Union limit of three percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2004 for the third year running.

Open-source software -- uncopyrighted software which has no license cost -- like Linux, OpenOffice, Mozilla, Apache, MySQL and Evolution -- was "very credible," Dutreil said.

Microsoft, which is appealing a European Union fine for breaching antitrust law, said it would seek to show the French government it could offer software at a competitive price.

"In fact, open-source software is not free. It is very expensive because it shifts the cost to maintenance, services, integration and training," Microsoft France chief Christophe Aulnette said.

Open-source software suppliers welcomed the news.

"This decision will allow us to increase our presence in France," said Jacques Le Marois, president of the French open-source software company MandrakeSoft.

"This will also help us sell our solutions to other governments," he said, adding that he believed the German, Israeli and Malasian governments also envisaged shifting to open-source software.

France's culture, agriculture and finance ministries had already signed deals with MandrakeSoft, the company said. ($1=.8275 Euro)