Microsuck branded computers

[noob]

What about some of us on here building and selling Linux or BSD based systems for Windows users. Have a full set of office and home software and some custom "wizards" (name them differently) for networking and setting up network drives and such.

[worker201]

This thread probably belongs in the Ideas forum...

Selling hardware is a loss-leading business, and wouldn't be worth the time and trouble.  Anybody who has that kind of capital is probably using it for something already.

However, a Microsuck Linux distro might be something to think about.  Assuming that none of the current distros was acceptable for transiting users.  I'd hate to put out a Linux distro that was mostly indistinguishable from any other.  But if we could collectively come up with something new or intriguing, I would offer any services/resources I have to the project.

[noob]

I am using Project Looking Glass now and it is just great. More RAM maybe cause it's a bit jumpy.

[Aloone_Jonez]

Perhapps a very easy to use distro that'll run on older hardware, like a p400 with 128MB RAM. Something that will help people who have an old version of Windows and don't want to upgrade their hardware to run XP, Linux or spend ages learning a new system.

[worker201]

Hmmm, Linux98.  Getting together a nice functional Linux system that runs on an older box is not a problem.  Making it as user friendly as that might require a lot of work.  I mean, explaining the concept of /bin to many people is challenging.  Switching to Linux does require you to learn a "new system".

If we wanted to do something like this, we would need to come to some sort of consensus as to what works and what doesn't, what needs to be improved on, and how much our distro would reasonably demand from the user.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

It might work as not too many computers ship with Linux ... and if they do it's probably Lin$pire. But I'm not sure it will be too profitable ... and may even waste money.

[noob]

I would use a stripped down Ubuntu. Massive software archive available online and synaptic. I am working on some wizards now for networking and shared files/folders, which will hopfully be famliar to most windows users. A windows like interface that has a lot of things in the same places will help aswell. I have old systems that I can try it out on. It may work.

[Refalm]

Xubuntu?

[Calum]

i think there are plenty linuces out there which work fine without there having to be another microsuck one. anyway, i doubt anybody would actually get it together to put one together.

although if they did, i would try it.

[pofnlice]

I would have to agree with Calum. Part of the problem with the switch is the incredible amount of distro's. To someone who's looking to go to the dark side, It's got to be a bit intimidating (or it was for me, thinking about what if I don't get/don't like the distro I do pick).

I think if you want to band together and make a microsuck distro, it should be either exclusive or "for fun" type distro that we would just kick around as kind of like an ongoing project.

Again, as Calum said, I doubt it would ever get kicked off. As long as I've been coming here, many have talked about it, a few have tried it and a handfull have finished it (other distro development).

Damn, I didn't mean to sound so discouraging.

[piratePenguin]

I think if you want to band together and make a microsuck distro, it should be either exclusive or "for fun" type distro that we would just kick around as kind of like an ongoing project.

Yea - a livecd might be fun. If it's not a livecd then people would expect at least security updates and all - who in their right mind wants to sort all that crap out?

I agree with calum too. There are many good GNU/Linux distros. For Windows users, they'd probably want Ubuntu/KUbuntu, SuSE, Fedora (those 3 for higher end computers), Vector or XUbuntu (those 2 for lower end computers).

What we need is guides, explaining the differences between the alternatives, not just listing them, and giving the simplest instructions on getting started with whatever program, and some tips if we can provide them (e.g. for Firefox, tell them to see Help > For IE users to see the changes from IE). If only we had a CMS...

The Microsuck day (maybe we should call it MS-eradication or something else..) was a cool idea I thought. We could build a CD (Windows only even) with alternatives to MS products, but we should provide a way for users to easily update all the products like Google do with their Windows -utilites (or whatever it's called) download.

[Calum]

well, this idea did come up a couple of years ago, and it resulted in a few people from this site, myself included, trying to set up websites, forums etc etc, thought about doing live CDs, made nice friendly logos and all that crap under the umbrella name of the openopen project. peter and panos actually set up websites to try and promote the good software so newbies could cut through the crap, and the idea was we would provide like a sort of easy help environment too, but it hasn't really worked out that way. peter's site here: http://openopen.org/ has apparently ground to a halt many moons ago, and panos' site here: http://support-freesoftware.org/ is currently undergoing immense overhauls now that panos is back in the land of the living again. incidentally, he does need some users (well, regular site visitors), and eventually i think he will be looking to hand off the admin tasks to users who he trusts because he is short of time, which is the main reason for all this not getting it together in the first place.

well, i think i rambled along off topic pretty well there, but what i am saying is, this exact topic about how we should all get together and actually do something like this did come up before, and those were the results.

[piratePenguin]

well, this idea did come up a couple of years ago, and it resulted in a few people from this site, myself included, trying to set up websites, forums etc etc, thought about doing live CDs, made nice friendly logos and all that crap under the umbrella name of the openopen project. peter and panos actually set up websites to try and promote the good software so newbies could cut through the crap, and the idea was we would provide like a sort of easy help environment too, but it hasn't really worked out that way. peter's site here: http://openopen.org/ has apparently ground to a halt many moons ago, and panos' site here: http://support-freesoftware.org/ is currently undergoing immense overhauls now that panos is back in the land of the living again. incidentally, he does need some users (well, regular site visitors), and eventually i think he will be looking to hand off the admin tasks to users who he trusts because he is short of time, which is the main reason for all this not getting it together in the first place.

well, i think i rambled along off topic pretty well there, but what i am saying is, this exact topic about how we should all get together and actually do something like this did come up before, and those were the results.

It's not a brilliant idea to stop allowing users to register when you want new members  "This forum is not accepting new registrations." (http://www.support-freesoftware.org/community/register.php)
Also OpenOpen look alive and well ATM.

[davidnix71]

Dynebolic Rasta Linux runs well on older stuff. I've used it in VPC on a Mac.

The trick to making a Linux distro that runs straight off the cd is finding a safe haven to host the image, like the Chech Republic or India. If you want to include VLC with commercial dvd playing capabilities, you can't host it most places without getting a takedown letter real fast.

A two cd set would be better. One for the OS and one for apps. You need that much space now.

[Calum]

well, sorry sorry sorry.

i was only giving you the information as i know it, however thank you for correcting me.