Hi folks,

Nice writeup, Rick!

I just have a little time while compiling Kernel 2.6.1 and downloading some Linux stuff, so I wite a short summary over the past few years. As I live in Switzerland, so forgive my lack of english, won't you?
As I work as a software engineer and Unix/Windows admin, I have a lot of frinds who contact me about some PC relatet trouble, about 2 a week. Some of you may know all these kind of things...
I started using Linux around 10 Years ago. First there was just the couriosity about that new thing, but slowly it got bigger and better until 1998 it became my OS Nr 1 on both my main machines, and still is!
For years, Linux was just a thing for the experts and geeks, just think of all these "install partys". But since 2001 the usage of Linux among Joe Average exploded literally, it seems to me. And guess, everybody who knows me, even those who met me hardly two or tree times in their lives come and ask if I could help them solve some PC trouble. (In fact, these are always Windows trouble, not to blame Hardware )
Now let me point out the thinking of the majority of people using the mainstream Windows, as here are a lot of geeks, probably:
So, in the last month I have started to tell them: "Hey, sorry guys, but I do no longer support windows-related stuff 'n trouble". I am simpy tired of fixing 'magically' messed up OSes. And then they are always surprised and ask about how and when and why and ... whatever, the first question is often "What do *you* use for working?"
During explenation about Linux and its reliability etc. etc. there is always a big surprise how viruses can't get into the system whitout firewalls, why a PC can work over months without crash or any other problem and why on earth a OS for free can be so obviously better than Windows XY?
Believe me, for Joe Average it is totally normal and ok that a OS slowly destroys itself during a few months of usage, that it catches virii and worms, that it crashes if it is busy with more than 4 Applications at the same time, yada, yada...
How can it be otherwise?
No go and explain to them how an *real OS* is expected to behave!
*THAT* is the major obstacle in convincing people why they would suffer much less stress using a different OS. The other reason is the lack of games.

And, as the famous c't magazine in Germany and Switzerland this month includes a Knoppix CD, imagine, I am about to get much more "customers" as Knoppix gets widely known... Is that now good or bad? *grin*


So long