[lug] M$ does it again...down under

[John Karns]

On Tue, 7 Aug 2001, John Hernandez said:

> Bill Thoen wrote:
>
> > So maybe Linux could be used with old parts, but it's a bit of a
> > job figuring out all the tweaks and problems. You need to have a
> > set of skills beyond what most people have, and you will probably
> > have difficulties with upgrades.
> >
>
> Part of the reason I floated the question was an attempt to gauge how
> much of a headache Linux would present to a charitable organization
> that deals with a hodgepodge of old hardware.  After reading some of
> the answers provided, even if installation challange was ironed out, I
> think the resources required by X and its associated apps
> (particularly productivity suites) are beyond the capabilities of many
> older machines.  RAM and video hardware seem to be the biggest
> problems.

How about installing an older version of Linux?  Back when my machine was
a 100MHz 486, I found that Slakware was more easily installed than the
others I tried.  Re: office suite software, for resource starved machines
of the older generations, I think perhaps Applix would be a smarter
choice than StarOffice.  I don't know how the Corel suite stacks up as an
alternative though.


> > Seems to me that since Microsoft made such a fuss about insisting
> > that all computers be sold with Windows, what right to they have
> > to insist that just because a new human is behind the same
> > keyboard that that human must buy the latest copy of Windows? And
> > good luck getting Win2000 to work on old computers!
> >
>
> As everyone else pointed out, Microsoft has the legal right crack down
> on them -- and even the obligation to defend the copyright, but I
> still think they should choose their targets with more tact.  I am
> convinced they MUST practice selective enforcement already, because as
> a matter of time and efficiency, they cannot possibly follow up on
> every piracy lead, aside from perhaps sending a toothless nastygram.
>
> Yes, yes, the charity pirates software and breaks the law.  It's
> analagous to the tale of Robin Hood.  Sometimes ethics, morals,
> philanthropy, and the law don't agree.  In cases like these, every
> interest has a strong case, but my (perhaps irrational) romanticism
> makes me want to side with the law-breaker.

There are some examples of OS's & applications which are distributed to
educational or other non-profit org's with relaxed license terms.  One
example is Caldera's OpenDOS (evolved from DR-DOS) ver 7.01 which is
available to educational institutions without a fee:

"Caldera grants you a non-exclusive license to use the Software in
source or binary form free of charge if (a) you are a student,
faculty member or staff member of an educational institution
(K-12, junior college, college or library), a staff member of
a religious organization, or an employee of an  organization which
meets Caldera's criteria for a charitable  non-profit organization" ...

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John Karns                                        jkarns at csd.net