[Dirk Gently]

Every distribution of Linux I've seen so far has made a clear and obvious path to getting both the source code and the operating system itself on their website, generally for free.
But what's with Lindows?? I have been looking into it out of curiosity and they have no apparent way to get the source, let alone download the OS. I thought it was required via the GPL that Linux distro's make their source available.

[Dirk Gently]

Ah. I've partially answered my own question.

"As discussed above, parts of the LindowsOS product are licensed under the GPL. Lindows.com fully supports the use and redistribution of those parts of LindowsOS which are covered under the GPL[. . .]"

"[. . .] Those who have obtained a copy of LindowsOS can find the source code for any of the GPL portions of LindowsOS in their my.lindows account or on the computer if they purchased LindowsOS pre-installed on a new computer."

So what does THAT mean? I can't get at the code, even the GPL'd parts, unless I buy Lindows??? I'm no copyright lawyer or whatever, but that sounds fishy...

[twotugs]

They make the full kernel source code available if you become a registered member (buy the OS outright from an authorized reseller, like Lindows.com; then you gotta pay another fifty bucks for the membership).

Here's their feelings about Open Source:

http://help.lindows.com/cgi-bin/lind...=source%20code

Basically, they've figured out a way to package Linux for people like me who are used to Windows OSs, and don't know a tar.gz from an RPM, much less how to install either (Lindows is Debian-based, so I found out pretty quick which one I needed; still working on installing!) I refuse to pay for programs I can download for free; Lindows just dummies up the installation. I'm tenacious enough to eventually work it out, but most poeple probably aren't; hence, the wonder that is Lindows!

FYI, they also claim to have evened-up with SCO, thus freeing themselves from future litigation. Not that anyone else appears to be worried.

[Dirk Gently]

Ok, thanks. I guess I figured I just hadn't understood that correctly. I have the same philosophy about paying for free stuff, which is one of the reasons I wouldn't consider Lindows for myself. Oh, and as for the SCO issue, it doesn't really surprise me that Lindows is the one (is that right [only them]?) Linux providing company to comply with their demands. I personally hope everybody else involved (IBM, Red Hat, etc) basically tells SCO to go $#!$ itself, but that's another topic

[JayTheHun]

To quote from "Hacking Linux Exposed, 2nd Edition," by Brian Hatch and James Lee, Chapter 1, page 8:

"There's a new product called LindowsOS that promises the ease of Windows with the stability and power of a Linux base. It runs many Windows applications (through WINE, a Win32 API emulator) and emulates the Windows security model: everything runs as root. Until the LindowsOS folks make it possible to run things as non-root, we suggest you avoid this product--as you would the operating system it is attempting to emulate."

[Dirk Gently]

Yeah, the idea of emulating pretty much anything from Windows is not very appealing to me... I'm using XP right now but in a few days should not be anymore (whew!)

[JayTheHun]

Woot! Still trying to get the b@11s to make the jump myself. Thinking about dual-boot to 'wean' myself off of 'the beast'.

[Dirk Gently]

I've had my share of "false starts," though, that's for sure. Mostly because of bad (non-existent, really) hardware along the lines of winmodems. But this time it comes preinstalled, and I KNOW the hardware is there, which is pretty nice.

[twotugs]

Lindows 3.0 can add non-root users. I found out real quick not to mess around logged on as root!

Not that I'm endorsing it or anything. I just use it because if I break it too bad, it only takes about 10 minutes to re-install. Plus, I can't get RH8 to recognize on-board sound.

[Dirk Gently]

RHL8 recognized my on-board sound thingamajig at one point (on this computer) which impressed me, since it's a crappy emachines pc, but couldn't handle the lack of a video card (i can't really blame red hat for that, lol).

P.S. yes, i have read that Lindows is pretty good in the hardware support / install department compared to other distro's.

P.P.S. don't buy an emachines. they suck.

[JayTheHun]

Lindows, yes, allows you to add users that're non-root. What the author of "Linux Hacking Exposed, 2nd Edition" was referring to is how the Operating System itself, Lindows (not the users) runs too many processes as root and sets file permissions too loosely to be secure.

Just to explain...