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50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil
Here is a
press release from BitWay Computadores, EnabledPeople, and IMTECH
Brazil proclaiming the deployment of 50,000 Linux desktops under the
Brazilian government's "Computers For All" program. Another 10,000 systems
are yet to be deployed. The companies appear to have developed their own
distribution: "Linux XP Desktop is a user-friendly desktop operating
system for home and office users. With a preinstalled version, a user gets
an applications set including OpenOffice package (supports .DOC, .XLS, .PPT
formats), corporate class Evolution e-mail client, Firefox web browser,
multi-protocol GAIM instant messenger and other software. Linux XP Desktop
is RedHat-compatible OS and therefore has a maximum of other software
available." (Thanks to Gary Smith).
(Log in to post comments)
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 13, 2007 16:38 UTC (Tue) by superstoned (subscriber, #33164) [Link] A nice bunch of screenshots for those comparing Linux to Windows:
http://www.linux-xp.com/whats-cool/index.php
Don't say KDE is a windows-XP clone, it really depends on the theme...
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 13, 2007 16:58 UTC (Tue) by superstoned (subscriber, #33164) [Link] btw, nice effort :D
I don't hope 70% of these desktops will be replaced by (illegal) windows
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 13, 2007 20:03 UTC (Tue) by eklitzke (subscriber, #36426) [Link] According to the page you linked to, it's actually based on Gnome, not KDE.
One question... Posted Feb 13, 2007 23:55 UTC (Tue) by hummassa (subscriber, #307) [Link] Why is KDE relevant, if LXPD is GNOME-based??
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 13, 2007 17:02 UTC (Tue) by nirik (subscriber, #71) [Link] Humm... this seems to be based on Fedora Core 3. They tout that they aren't Re-inventing the wheel: "We have no intention of creating and supporting our own software repository".
Are they aware that Fedora Core 3 is no longer supported at all by the Fedora project?
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 13, 2007 20:39 UTC (Tue) by sbergman27 (subscriber, #10767) [Link] And neither is FC4. FC5 is teetering on the edge. But FC6, being young, has 7 months of life ahead of it before it becomes abandonware. ;-)
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 13, 2007 21:22 UTC (Tue) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] Yup. And since "Linux XP 2007" (to be based on FC6) is not yet exist you can conclude that you'll get more-or-less adequate support for whopping 6 month (or may be less). Why more-or-less adequate ? It's easy: here you can find that intervals between updates will be few weeks - and if you need something more up-to-date you can use Gentoo. Sensible advice - but why Gentoo ? Most distributions out there offer more timely security updates and you are not forced to $20 to get them. Basically they know foist off this garbage (it's indeed has more racket in press then any sensible Russian distributions) but it does not make it any less garbage...
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 13, 2007 18:01 UTC (Tue) by gervin23 (guest, #13977) [Link] according to the download page at madtux.org (http://www.madtux.org/select.php?distro=Linux-XP):
"After 99 reboots, you need to buy an activation key for Linux XP here or delete it (apparently, it is not "free")."
and from http://www.linux-xp.com/buy-license/:
"This license key (serial number) allows you to register your Linux XP Desktop 2006 copy (infinite runs number) and to get official updates and technical support from our team."
i haven't downloaded this product so i wonder what's really going on here?
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 13, 2007 18:30 UTC (Tue) by ewan (subscriber, #5533) [Link] Well the main licencing page indicates that they've mixed in some unspecified proprietary components along with the Free components. It also, curiously, seems to indicate that the company responsible for this distro is based in Russia.
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 13, 2007 20:39 UTC (Tue) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] And the "latest and greatest" version was published more then year ago ((December 19, 2005) (plus some updates after that but AFAIK not even all securoty updates are included let alone enhancements). It's used as throw-away distribution by Russian computer makers: it looks and work enough like XP to not spook buyers and when it'll not run "latest and greatest" games or MS Office their neighbor guru will wipe everything and install Window XP corporate edition (typical price in Russia is $3 today; pirated, of course). They wanted to created "Linux like Windows XP" and they did it 100%: it's certainly buggy enough, has enough security holes and unusable enough to play in the same league. Who the hell decided to install that in Brazil should be shot.
A note on language Posted Feb 14, 2007 0:59 UTC (Wed) by pjm (subscriber, #2080) [Link] I suggest rewording from "should be shot" to "is incompetent". Not everyone will find it obvious what you meant.
A note on language Posted Feb 14, 2007 1:42 UTC (Wed) by k8to (subscriber, #15413) [Link] With a lot of potato guns.
heh Posted Feb 14, 2007 11:30 UTC (Wed) by gvy (guest, #11981) [Link] Oh, if Brazilian legalese provides that bribe acceptors should be shot then the language is perfectly correct; OTOH having read recent Linux.com article from Brazil developers on actually not-so-shiny affairs with free software in the country, I doubt it's really so.
Generally, if Mr. Khimenko meant "should have their legs shot off", I would rather concur :-]
PS: I don't know _facts_ on this one but have rather strong suspicion based on the way decision-making is largely performed in Russia (I live in Ukraine -- here too) and being never confident in "accidents".
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 14, 2007 1:48 UTC (Wed) by Ed_L. (guest, #24287) [Link] Hard to believe this decision to deploy "Linux-XP" was not informed, i.e. that whoever made it did so with full knowlege that Microsoft would end up being ripped off. The questions are who did it, and what is their agenda? Doesn't look like its to benefit Open Source.
50,000 Linux desktops deployed in Brazil Posted Feb 14, 2007 7:01 UTC (Wed) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] As pjm already said it is possible that it's just incompetence. You know it's dangerous to log in as root with wine installed and tuned to autorun .exe files by double-click, I know this, but if some "decision maker" hears the benefits (you can run "control panel" and install programs like in Windows - by double click; and no - you don't need to bother with passwords!) he (or she) can just believe that such a modus of operandi is the best thing since sliced bread. The same - with rare updates. You know it's sheer lunacy to keep your system unpatched for many weeks, I know this - but when some "decision maker" hears the benefits (you can save bandwidth and hassle of too-frequent-updates)... The flip side (your system is not only ready to accept windows viruses, windows spyware but also almost always has a lot o unpatched holes) is forgotten. Oh, and "obvious benefits" are still there, right: "it's not vulnerable to viruses, spyware and many other common threats" (number 1 praise from web-site)? Of course it's not, Linux is immune, right? Not if you log in to system as root and have wine ready to start any .exe file by double-click. Number 3 praise "you can use Windows applications and data" means just that - and it's default modus of operandi. How else can you say: Need Internet Explorer or other Windows applications? Just install and run them under Linux XP Desktop! In short: LINUX-ONLINE certainly knows how to sell Linux XP to "unwashed masses" (from their web site: beginner is not the one who has some troubles editing sendmail config-file; if you do know what's sendmail but can not understood who's newbie - than it means you can not understand who's the target group for this product). Too bad they are doing this by creating distribution which nicely conbines the worst traits of Windows XP and Linux... Most Linux illiterates liked Linux XP when they saw it, all Linux expert's I've seen who tried to work with it hated it and wanted to throw it away on sight, but when you only prominently show the first fact - you can just land the deal. What happens after that ? You guess is as good as mine...
Achtung, lame entrepreneurs on the wire Posted Feb 14, 2007 11:25 UTC (Wed) by gvy (guest, #11981) [Link] I have to warn folks that "Linux XP" authors have so far generally acted arrogantly towards Russian free software community and even failed to handle properly accusations of GPL violation (which might be no surprise in Russia where copyright isn't really covering software TTBOMK -- but FSF might look into this as operations go international).
From what I have seen, it's technologically lame group of marketing types at work. Not Robertson type, these are actually seeking a reality sync on them.
DISCLAIMER: I'm contributing to "another Russian Linux distro", ALT Linux (one of the two generally considered as such -- "another another" being ASPLinux). Still, communicating with colleagues on other teams is no problem; unless they have no faith, like this one.
I'd propose to just ignore the company/product for those previously interested in testing/helping (moreso buying), and if anyone FSF reads this -- you might be really interested to get them into compliance.
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