[linux-help] Re: FreeRadius server

[John Goerzen <jgoerzen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Nov 25, 2002 at 10:04:27PM -0600, Jonathan Hall wrote:
> "Reasons not to give Linux to your mother":
> 
> 1) To install a user-friendly DE/WM, email client, web browser, and word
> processor for Linux would require at least 128mb RAM and probably a 400Mhz
> CPU.  To do so with Windows 95 requires a Pentium 100 with 32mb.

That is vastly overstating the case.  Having played with a 100MHz Windows 98
box just today, I can vouch for its inattantiveness and annoyingness :-)

It took two of us a good hour just to get the video card to work.  Finally
gave up and swapped it out for another.  Apparently its Windows 95 drivers
didn't work in 98.

Had trouble with applications needing MFC42.DLL, but it was on the system
already.  Downloaded an update from Microsoft, reboot, no go.  Finally found
a Visual C update from Google that did the trick.

It took me about the same amount of time to configure dual-head mode for my
Linux desktop.  (And before you talk about experience, our Windows admin was
working on it too)

I used Linux on a 486 sith 32MB of RAM for some time, with a full graphical
environment, user-friendly too.  You don't need much more than fvwm95 and
a simple file manager to provide the same "experience" you get with Windows
95.

Mozilla is a memory hog, but then so is IE 6 :-)

> 2) To install a user-friendly DE/WM, email client, web browser, and word
> processor for Linux would require several hours of my time.  For Windows, it
> takes about an hour.

I dunno, I have a pretty set list that I get with:

apt-get install task-x-desktop mozilla koffice abiword gnumeric gnucash kde kdm

> 3) To support a user-friendly DE/WM, email client, web browser, and word
> processor for Linux would require *MY* availability.  With Windows, my dad,
> siblings, or other friends are able to help her.

No doubt true.  As we move right on the adoption curve, though, that will
start to change.

> 4) The cost of the software for Linux is free, granted.  The cost of the
> software for Windows is probably about $45-$55 (~$30 for a Win95 license,
> ~$15 for WordPerfect).  But the time I save by using Windows makes Windows a
> more economical alternative very quickly.

You are not considering the cost of virus scanning software (how do you
train a user just what things are OK to click on?  Or to not even open a
mailbox if there's an Outlook virus on it), both in time and resources.  Nor
the greater burden of security updates (both in frequency and in difficulty
to apply).  Windows 95 is going to be chock full of security holes by now
(so is Windows 98 for that matter) -- what sort of impact on your time does
it make when the latest IE worm causes data loss, or the latest Outlook bug
causes another virus to get installed?

> Now, if I had no life, and enjoyed installing and mantaining Linux, then I
> might give her a Linux PC.  But I have things I like doing with my life
> other than mantaining Linux boxen for family members, so I choose Windows
> for that particular application.

Bah, simple solution: apt-get remove life :-)

-- John
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