Does Linux have an Amiga feel?

[commodorejohn]

Windows/AmigaOS are definitely easier to use and way harder to break though. I would probably have to spend 5 hours and 10 pints of beer to screw things up inside Window's registry the way I did for Linux with one silly command.

And then you'd at least have ten pints in you to soften the blow!

[Blinx123]

And then you'd at least have ten pints in you to soften the blow!

Haha. Yea.

Which reminds me. I should probably get me some pints in order to soften the blow of screwing up my Linux build

[psxphill]

Yea. Amiga OS is definitely more like Windows.
It's not always a good thing, since stuff like torrent software or unpackers are easier to get for Linux and are already included with most distros, while Windows/AmigaOS are pretty barebones and leave you with a sense of not knowing what to do.

If you don't know what you're doing then I can't imagine there is any difference between finding utorrent online and installing it than finding where a torrent client is pre-installed on Linux.
 
The only difference is that you have to be more careful when installing Windows software so you don't install hidden extras. If Linux had any meaningful user base then people would be bundling crapware on that too.
 
Linux is ok if you like a challenge & want to "be different".

[Madshib]

If you don't know what you're doing then I can't imagine there is any difference between finding utorrent online and installing it than finding where a torrent client is pre-installed on Linux.
 
The only difference is that you have to be more careful when installing Windows software so you don't install hidden extras. If Linux had any meaningful user base then people would be bundling crapware on that too.
 
Linux is ok if you like a challenge & want to "be different".

I think that the crapware challenge with Linux is that there is no true conglomerate backing with marketing schemes wrapped into installers. If that was the case, the community would sniff it out and develop an alternative. An example of this is the beta Steam client(when it was briefly beta). It didn't take long to find out that an alternative was found to installing the full featured version with little extra effort at the command line.

Also, I disagree with the wanting to be different but more so to have options. A big sell for me to Linux was the ability to customize the environment, choose my window managers easily, and dispense with the constant need for virus protection. I like the option to use older hardware with a modern OS. Granted there have been some challenges, but not enough so to deter me from continuing on with using it.

Besides, what computer hasn't given anyone a challenge here or there...

[commodorejohn]

Besides, what computer hasn't given anyone a challenge here or there...

Plenty of systems have given me a challenge. Only Linux has ever made me want to slit my wrists.

[Madshib]

Plenty of systems have given me a challenge. Only Linux has ever made me want to slit my wrists.

That was MS-DOS for me, but I was still a kid fresh off the 64 at the time I attempted to "use" it.

Linux has great online documentation and support, it hasn't brought me to the point of cutting myself...yet.

[psxphill]

and dispense with the constant need for virus protection.

You need virus protection on Linux, there just isn't any.
 
When someone can be bothered to target you then you'll be stuffed.

[desiv]

Plenty of systems have given me a challenge. Only Linux has ever made me want to slit my wrists.

Don't feel bad..
Computers are confusing..  But keep at it...  You'll get it...  ;-)  :roflmao:

I've been using computers for quite a while also...
No system has ever gotten me that frustrated...
Every system has it's moments / quirks..

But they are all pretty similar, even if they don't admit it...  ;-)

I find that most of the people I work with who can't stand a particular system had a bad experience with that system early on, and then they just "shut down" for that system.
No amount of tweaks or fixes or improvements will matter..  They've decided, and that's OK.  There are plenty of options...

I have systems I prefer.. I have systems I'm not a huge fan of...  
But, at the end of the day, they are all computers..  Even the midrange systems...  ;-)
(I remember getting our AS400 (at the time) admin mad at a meeting when we were discussing importance of systems and I told him that they were all important, and his AS400 was just another node on my network.. ;-)

desiv

[desiv]

You need virus protection on Linux, there just isn't any.

Yes there are..  Several options in fact..
When I was doing Linux work at our datacenter, we installed and configured ClamAV on all of our servers for scheduled scans...
Need to watch out for those Windows viruses when they plop onto a Linux server.. ;-)
(and we needed to watch out for bad linux programs too (rootkits mostly it seems), they are out there...)

desiv

[nicholas]

Don't feel bad..
Computers are confusing..  But keep at it...  You'll get it...  ;-)  :roflmao:

I've been using computers for quite a while also...
No system has ever gotten me that frustrated...
Every system has it's moments / quirks..

But they are all pretty similar, even if they don't admit it...  ;-)

I find that most of the people I work with who can't stand a particular system had a bad experience with that system early on, and then they just "shut down" for that system.
No amount of tweaks or fixes or improvements will matter..  They've decided, and that's OK.  There are plenty of options...

I have systems I prefer.. I have systems I'm not a huge fan of...  
But, at the end of the day, they are all computers..  Even the midrange systems...  ;-)
(I remember getting our AS400 (at the time) admin mad at a meeting when we were discussing importance of systems and I told him that they were all important, and his AS400 was just another node on my network.. ;-)

desiv

Ha ha, I bet that went down like a lead balloon.

On reading some of the posts in this thread I'm reminded of the old clichés "A good workman never blames his tools" and "Use the right tool for each job".

There are no absolute truths in computing and everything is subjective. Just use the tools you are most productive with or the tools you get paid to use that you have no choice over.

Here endeth the sermon.

[nicholas]

You need virus protection on Linux, there just isn't any.
 
When someone can be bothered to target you then you'll be stuffed.

If I write a new virus today tell me how your anti-virus will protect you against it.

No matter what the OS is the proper solution against viruses is the prompt installation of a patch for the security hole the virus exploits.

Once the OS vendor patches said hole, why would there be any need for an anti-virus program?  It can't protect you against a new virus and there is no need for it to protect against holes that have been patched.

Anti-virus software is just snake-oil.

[Mrs Beanbag]

If I write a new virus today tell me how your anti-virus will protect you against it.

No matter what the OS is the proper solution against viruses is the prompt installation of a patch for the security hole the virus exploits.

Once the OS vendor patches said hole, why would there be any need for an anti-virus program?  It can't protect you against a new virus and there is no need for it to protect against holes that have been patched.

Anti-virus software is just snake-oil.

Exactly this, security against malicious software should properly be the OS's responsibility. Of course that wasn't an option in the bygone age before updates were instantly available from the Internet but there's no excuse for it now.

Sometimes Linux does have its vulnerabilities though, we left our house server without updating it for a while and someone got in and messed it up through a flaw in its particular old version of SSH.

[polyp2000]

No matter what the OS is the proper solution against viruses is the prompt installation of a patch for the security hole the virus exploits.

Once the OS vendor patches said hole, why would there be any need for an anti-virus program?  It can't protect you against a new virus and there is no need for it to protect against holes that have been patched.

Which kinds of operating systems are likely to get "prompt" security patches? Open Source ones or Closed Source ones coming from a single vendor?

[desiv]

Anti-virus software is just snake-oil.

Yes and no...

You have to look at it politically also..
If you get hit by a virus/trojan and you are fully patched (which happens) AND you don't have AV installed, try telling your management or business partners that AV is useless 99% of the time and is just bad for performance...

That 1% can get you in the paper..  ;-)

I'm not saying it's a good idea or not..  Just something to consider...
We were hit by a zero day and made the paper..  
Luckily, we were patched and running AV.
Having AV didn't stop the trojan, but it did make the meetings about it much easier.. ;-)

desiv

[desiv]

Which kinds of operating systems are likely to get "prompt" security patches? Open Source ones or Closed Source ones coming from a single vendor?

Historically, they both do well, although I've found the closed source ones seem to be a bit better for quick turnaround...

I'm a big fan of open source, but depending on your vendor, I've found some of the closed source AV vendors are generally really quick..

When it comes to patching apps, it gets trickier...  If you use a server vendor for Opensource (like a SuSE or ?), your turnaround for patched apps (like Apache) is generally much slower as they have to test/vet the patch internally...
If you need QUICK turnaround for those (i.e. you have a publice facing Apache reverse proxy), you will probably want to build that from source, so you can deploy security patches quicker...

desiv

[Kremlar]

If I write a new virus today tell me how your anti-virus will protect you against it.

Nowadays, most decent AV packages have firewall and proactive features that not only look for particular viruses, but virus-like activity as well.  So, it's very possible that an existing AV package will catch a previously unknown virus before infection.
 
Of course some of the better viruses are written and tested to ensure they circumvent most major AV packages, so sometimes your particular AV will not help.