[NCLUG] re: What is a Linux user?

[nighthawk999 at bigvalley.net]

Paul Hummer wrote:
> This week, Chad started thread about entitled "local end-user
support"
> that asked the question "Is there any local linux end user support?"
> This got me thinking about the nature of Linux (and *BSD) users,
and why
> some "normal" computer services are not available to Linux users.
Is it
> because the business world doesn't completely acknowledge Linux as a
> viable OS? Is it because people who use free software are poor, or
just
> stingy with their money?

I think it is because there are so many distributions of Linux.
In order to support 'Linux end users' support personnel would
have to know how to troubleshoot all of the major distros. Also,
Linux can be whatever you want it to be. I use (mostly) Slackware
Linux for general web browsing in a wireless environment on
unencripted networks. YMMV

[snip]
>
>
> I guess what I'm getting at is, what is the "nature" of a Linux/*BSD
> user? I've thought about those of you I've encountered at Hacking
> Society or the NCLUG meetings. Some of them are minimalists, opting
for
> the window manager with 8 desktops, each running a terminal. Others
are
> running full blown Gnome with every possible Compiz Fusion plugin
> imaginable. Some use Evolution, while others opt for fetchmail and
> mutt. Are Linux users "hackers" in the sense that they solve
problems
> themselves, or are they just really lucky to have great systems?
What
> is it really that makes a Linux user tick?
>
> I look forward to your insights.

Thanks, I have followed this thread with great interest.
I am a Linux enduser. The reason is simple. In 1992
I moved from DOS to OS/2 with no experience in Windows.
In 1999 I got my first laptop - it came with Windows 98.
Windows 98 was horrible, it crashed all the time, I had
conflicts between Real Player and Windows Media Player.
etc etc. IOW Windows did not act like a 'real OS' meaning
OS/2. Then I moved to Linux and found that my experience
in OS/2 gave me a hugh leg up in Linux.

My experience in OS/2 trained me to provide my own
tech support, and that is true in Linux as well.
That's why I read this mailing list. Many of the
discussions are way over my head but from time to
time I find diamonds.

I moved from Slackware 10.2 to Slackware 12.0
which changed me from 2.4.31 to 2.6.21.5 and then
couldn't get my wireless card to connect at coffee
shops. Want to know why? That's because with Slackware 
as opposed to SuSE or Ubutu you have to type dhcpcd in
order to get an address. Turns out that dhcpcd can
take an argument  Yes, it was that simple, though it
took me weeks to find it. I know that if I had taken
my computer in to the socalled Geek Squad  they would
never find out what was wrong.

Bottom line, I use Linux because it has a future and
OS/2 doesn't. I use Linux because I think it is 'better'.
I use Slackware because I think it is way easier than
any version of Windows I have any experience with.
I use Linux because it processes SETI at home work units
with much less overhead than the corresponding 
Windows end user application does.

I hope these thoughts add to the discussion in
some way.

--Shorter Rankin

---- Original Message ----
From: nclug-request at nclug.org
To: nclug at nclug.org
Subject: NCLUG Digest, Vol 140, Issue 8
Date: Fri,  9 Nov 2007 12:00:05 -0700 (MST)
[all snipped]




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