One Distribution for the Lion & Ox is Oppression.Finally, a couple years ago, I managed to gird my loins like a man and install Debian GNU/Linux 2.1. The Debian distribution is a bit unique among the Linuces. It is entirely run by volunteers. Debian almost refused to bundle software that was in any way encumbered by licenses on the source or user. Debian is more like Unix than Unix. It is command line-oriented, well-engineered and, like Slackware, does not use Red Hat package manager natively.—William Blake (as adopted, Debian Policy Manual)
Debian does some things very well. Debian's apt (automagic package tool) and apt-get (the command line version) are very powerful tools for a networked computer. Simply configure /etc/apt/sources.list to include CD-ROM's, http and ftp sites with deb package files (debian.org, ximian.org) and apt will track current packages, resolve dependencies, fetch and install the deb files. Debian also enforces a keyboard policy that eliminates the dreaded Backspace key error in console and X terminal emulation. The Debian Policy Manual is a fascinating read for you human interest types, as are the policy revision and bug discussions of the developers.
On the downside, though the deb standard now supports encrypted CRC checks, most debs do not have these checksums. Debian does not often release new versions of itself. The stable tree is release 2.2, or potato, as of this writing. Stable will not be upgraded but for security patches. The unstable tree will be 2.3, or woody, in a year or two. The software in unstable will be always perfectly up to date but Debian does not make ISO images of this tree. You need to install potato, then have a fast net connection to keep your Debian system current. I call that, at 26.4 bps, a big pain.
Debian, sadly, is not aimed for the newbie. Those posting in the debian-user mailing list should keep in mind that frustration is often the penance for being in a state of intellectual sin. Expressions of frustration from all but the wizards may be frowned upon. Debian's X Window System maintainer Branden Robinson, a non-voting member of XFree86, vented on debian-user one day. (Of course, X has that effect on people.)
Someone, someday, will design a PowerPC box designed to take maximum advantage of cheap PC hardware by emulating Intel microcode and port Linux to it. (Are you listening, IBM?)
OS/2 was fun, but no one was developing for it. So, onto Windows 95, then 98. The software base is rich, but shareware apps tend to fall between the two poles of powerful crippleware and flaky freeware. And, of course, all those games; perhaps the best bit of the OS. The least worthy is the inherent crashworthiness of Windows, which is to say it is worthy of having a reputation for crashing. The RegEdit Way of Configuration is my second choice for dain bramaged feature.
I have used a Macintosh to connect to the Internet—face it, multiple platforms give you a fighting chance to accomplish something. I've not really tried OS X. Though I applaud the effort, I am skeptical. Apple's reactionary, and in character, strike on the Freetype and Mac skin editor leave me cold. Seeing the Apple control freaks allied with the "We just give it away no matter what" BSD anarcho-pacifists is the scariest thing I've seen since the Abschluss des Hitler-Stalin-Paktes.
Recently here at my employer's worksite I've been operator and tape backup manager for about 40 OpenVMS stations which range from MicroVAXen 3300 to AlphaServer 8400's. These are fast machines, no doubt, but I must say I find VMS even more inscrutable than WindowsNT (no, thank you, David Cutler). The whole idea of logicals in VMS is Unix symlinks gone bad. They get abused enough under Linux (especially because the system is still evolving) but at least the Unix filesystem hierarchy tends to encourage the imposition of order. Yes, order. Freedom is not mere liberties and feel-good acquiescence; true freedom is self-determination whether for order or chaos. Unix does not dictate your file order, but it rewards, as it should, standard placements that keep the learning curve more shallow for us all. I watched one day as the VMS old schoolers picked around the backup system files (in VMS's non-hierarchical directory tr–, um, bush) and 'discovered' the logfile for the multinode, programmable backup policy server. Boy, look at that! That must be the main logfile! they said, and my blood simply chilled.
How could you not know where your logfiles are kept?! They're in /var/log, fer chrissakes! Everyone knows that! And yes, but not under VMS. Logicals can be aliases or symlinks; they can be used to control access. They can be incredibly abused and are. They are the ultimate security through obscurity misfeature.
This file last modified 22 August 2001, 22:00 UTC.
