1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology? With 3 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: tech Stuff from how stuff works dot com. Hello there, everybody, 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: and welcome to tech Stuff. My name is Chris Pollette. 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: I'm an editor here at how stuff works dot com, 6 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: and sitting across from me, as usual, is senior writer 7 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: Jonathan Strickland. Hey there, alright, Well, we're gonna start this 8 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: one off the way we've started off several of our 9 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: more recent podcasts with a little a listener mail. And 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: this listener mail comes from my friend Ari Edney, who 11 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: befriended me on Facebook, and she's swell, and she has 12 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: bugged me quite a bit. I mean, she has been 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: after me quite a bit to talk about a specific subject, 14 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: and so let me just read. I'm just gonna read 15 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: a little bit of her email, which is much longer 16 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: than the X that I'm going to do right now. 17 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: Could you please put together a podcast extolling the virtues 18 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: of Lennox as a cheap perin free in peren alternative 19 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: to a Mac and recommend your favorite flavors. I have 20 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: used Red Hat and Sues in the past, and if 21 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: I missed if I didn't pronounce that right. I'm sorry. 22 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: I don't know much about this stuff, but my favorite 23 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: so far has been Ubuntu's Jaunty Jackal Loop. Thanks a 24 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: whole lot. It would save us all some grief. Smiley face. 25 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: I love the podcast. Erry Edney. Then, actually, we've She's 26 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: not the only person who's asked us to talk about learnings. No, 27 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: We've received many, many requests to talk about Lenox, and 28 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: the only reason we haven't spoken about Lennox is because 29 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: Chris just hates that operating system so much. He's been 30 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: just yelling like every time I'm like, hey, Chris, do 31 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: you want to do Lenox? I mean, it's really cool, 32 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: and he says no, No, No one uses that only 33 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: losers these linex M all right, Okay, truth be told. 34 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: I knew nothing about Lenox other than the very bare basics. 35 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: I've been a Windows and Mac us are pretty much 36 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: my entire life. I mean Doss before Windows even and 37 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: Apple before that. But I was the one who was 38 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: holding us back because I just didn't have the experience 39 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: or the knowledge base really to talk about it. So 40 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: I know a little bit more now, but I'm gonna 41 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: let Chris take the controls here and I will I 42 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: will pipe in with smartass comments whenever appropriate. Uh. Well, 43 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: I felt like we should probably start with a little 44 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: maybe just a little bit of history. It's funny because 45 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: every time we start talking about computer history, all of 46 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: a sudden, we're twenty six minutes into the podcast and 47 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: we haven't gotten at the topic, right, UM, So just 48 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: a little bit of history. UM. It's a derivative of 49 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: Unix UM, which was an operating system originally planned in 50 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties. Is a you know, a robust operating 51 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: system that would be uh worked on by ultiple companies 52 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: and everybody was going to come together and use this 53 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: this operating system. UM. It didn't quite work out that way. UM. 54 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: Actually it ended up at Bell Labs and the project 55 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: actually initially UM was called something entirely different UM. But 56 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,399 Speaker 1: Unix is uh you know, it was actually called Multics 57 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: at first UM and UH but and then the coalition 58 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: of companies that we're gonna do this fell apart. The 59 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: whole reason behind that was at that point in the 60 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: in the nineteen sixties, they had all these giant computers 61 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: and none of them could talk to one another because 62 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: they didn't they all had their own proprietary operating system, 63 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: which is exactly like it is now. Oh um oh anyway, UM, 64 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: so the coalition between the companies fell apart, but Bell 65 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: Labs UM some some guys that were Bell Labs in 66 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: the murray Hill, New Jersey office, UM Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, 67 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: Doug McElroy and jf Osana basically kept working on it 68 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: because basically their bosses felt like it was a worthwhile 69 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: use of their time. I guess um and and it 70 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: basically panned out for them because the more they worked 71 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: on it, UM and they basically started for scratch. Once 72 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: the Multics thing fell apart and the new project ended 73 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 1: up being called Unix. UM started about spring nineteen sixty nine. 74 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: We uh have a belated happy birthday to to Unix 75 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: and birthday birthday to Unix. That's all I can do. 76 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 1: Otherwise we have to pay rights. Yeah yeah, and you know, 77 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure it would give you a nice greeting in 78 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: binary in response to that. UM, and we're talking giant 79 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: computers here, you know, the size the size of bookcases. 80 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: Um A PDP seven actually is the first that it 81 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: ran on UM and the nineteen seventy actually upgraded to 82 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: a PDP eleven for only sixty five dollars. But that's 83 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: sort of a test to what Bell Labs thought it 84 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: could do, because you know, otherwise they wouldn't work over 85 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: uh sixty five grand, you know for for an operating 86 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: system UM. January one seventy isn't that what marks the 87 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: Unix epoch? They had an epic. They count, They count 88 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: up from January one, nineteen seventy in seconds. So back 89 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: in I think it was February thirteenth of this year, 90 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: we had the moment where the counter reached one, two, three, 91 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: four or five, six, seven, eight nine zero. Huh, yeah, 92 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: I had no idea. I remember that it was very special. 93 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: My wife was upset because I forgot Valentine's Day the 94 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: next day. So where were you on Unix Day? That's 95 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: almost that's almost a specialist pie day. However, I knew 96 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: I could get in with that UM. But the original 97 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: Unix UM was written an assembler, a very old and 98 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: uh robust computer language UM. And then Mr Thompson kept 99 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 1: working on it, basically decided he wanted to write a 100 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: new language for it, which he called be like in 101 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: the or B and then uh, gradually as he made adjustments. 102 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,039 Speaker 1: There was a new language called new B and then 103 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: UH a new one which you may have heard of, 104 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: called C. So that's where those UH languages come in. 105 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: And UM, you know, there's sort of an August history there. 106 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 1: So UM, basically, the only the only reason we're bringing 107 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 1: up Unix here is because Lennox is a derivative of Unix. UNI. 108 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: U Unix is you know, open for people to uh 109 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: to mess with and uh Lennis Torvold's who was a 110 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: student at the University of Helsinki in Finland, was kind 111 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: of interested in one of the derivatives called minics, and 112 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: then from through he started working on his own UH 113 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: Unix derived operating system, which essentially, since his name is 114 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 1: Lenis he called it. And this is born in officially 115 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: when the one colonel and so let's talk a little 116 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: bit about what an operating system is before we go 117 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: into Linux, just to give a groundwork. So you're operating 118 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: system this is UH. It acts sort of as a 119 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: liaison between your applications and your computer's hardware. It is 120 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: what facilitates your applications UH and lets them work. Otherwise 121 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: there's you know, your application Stone just immediately plug into 122 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: your your computer's processor. UM it also an accident, right, 123 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: So the operating system is is a liaison. It's also 124 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: you can think of it as a foundation. You can 125 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: think of it as like the ground floor of a building. 126 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: And the applications are the stories that you you build 127 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: on top of the ground floor. And uh. And so 128 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: you know, we're all familiar with various kinds of operating systems. 129 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: Most of the United States is familiar with Windows, for example, 130 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: at least some format of it. Um that you said, 131 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: the operating system is the ground floor, but there are Windows, 132 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: and there's Windows Windows being a graphics oriented operating system 133 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: graphic user interface or can we as we say, uh now, 134 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: granted when, back when, back when I was starting with computers, UM, 135 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: I used a command line interface which was much more 136 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 1: It required the user to be much more of a 137 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: kind of a repository of bizarre and obscure commands run C, 138 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 1: d LS, tree, so you know you had but you 139 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: had to know these different commands in order to to 140 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: navigate your way around the computer. Now, the nice thing 141 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: about Gooey's, of course, is that it changes all that 142 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: into a graphics oriented UH interface. So that's doing all 143 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: the work for you. You just have to click around 144 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: to activate stuff, and all the command line things that 145 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: you would normally do manually is it actually goes on 146 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: in the background. So the operating system, the very core 147 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: of the operating system is called the kernel. This is 148 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: these are the the core programs that interact with the hardware. 149 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: It's a seed like a kernel of corn. Yes, it's 150 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,839 Speaker 1: not a kernel like KFC. It's not that kind of kernel, 151 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: not Sanders. So so you've got the kernel, and then 152 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: you have various layers built around the kernel and on 153 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,319 Speaker 1: top of the kernel to that make up the operating system. 154 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: The kernel is the important thing to remember here because, uh, 155 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: the when we talk about the Lenox one point, Oh, 156 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: that's we're really talking about the Linux kernel there. And 157 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: then because Lenas decided that this operating system should be 158 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: open source, he allowed anyone to look at the code 159 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: and make changes and make their own derivatives. Um, and 160 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: that started a pretty uh, pretty robust craze of operating 161 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: system development, I would say, at least within the open 162 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: source community. True. Um, So it's funny because it's it 163 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: really is very much like a tree. Once you start 164 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: with Unix. I mean, they're all the other derivatives of 165 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:03,079 Speaker 1: Unix other than Lenox, like you know, Berkeley Standard Distribution, 166 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: which some of you know as b S D or 167 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: os X, which is not OS ten, the Mac Operating 168 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: System UM, which was developed for Pyramid communters in early 169 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: in NINETEENES and q n X, which you know, I 170 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: know from the connection to the Amiga after they were 171 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:25,439 Speaker 1: talking about redoing the Amiga os UH using q n 172 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: X as its base. But there are tons of those, 173 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: and then a lot of these have other derivatives like 174 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: b s D UM shares some of the kernel with 175 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: the OS ten operating system for the Mac UM, and 176 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: likewise Lenox has lots and lots and lots of derivatives UM, 177 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 1: some of which we've already mentioned, some of which are 178 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: for pay. Like red Hat, UM releases different versions, and 179 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: you know they're they're certainly welcome to do that. They 180 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 1: can package their own Linux operating system and sell it 181 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:58,079 Speaker 1: to you if you like, and you can get support 182 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: from the company, which other versions of Linux you cannot. Right, 183 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: there's a trade off. There are plenty of free versions 184 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: of Linux. We and versions in Linux in the Linux community. 185 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: We call those distribution a distribution of Linux, and so 186 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: each distribution is really a version of Linux. So it's 187 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: somewhere on that that tree, that tree that branches out 188 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:25,439 Speaker 1: from the Linux kernel and uh yeah, so some of 189 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:27,719 Speaker 1: them are free, some of them you pay for the 190 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: free ones. You know, there's no investment up front. But 191 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: the downside of that is if something does go wrong, 192 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: there's not really a person you can just easily go 193 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: to and say, hey, this isn't working. Fix it. You 194 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:46,200 Speaker 1: can go to different Linux communities, either online or you know, 195 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: even if there's a group that meets in person, because 196 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: there are people who do that. Um, you may be 197 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: able to go to someone or some community online and 198 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: and state what your problem is and get some help 199 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 1: that way, but it's not going to be as quick 200 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: as it would be if you had a dedicated helpline. 201 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: So that's one downside, um. But the flip side is 202 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: you've got people who really want this stuff to work, 203 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: so they're gonna work very hard to fix any problems 204 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 1: that that exists on the back end. You know, if 205 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: it's a user error, that's one thing, but if it's 206 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: something that's fundamentally wrong with part of the operating system, 207 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: you can bet there's someone out there working to fix it. Yeah. 208 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: And I think it's funny because I've talked to so 209 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: many people who really love Lenox and they seem a 210 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 1: little surprised in some way that Lennox is not more 211 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: popular UM. And I think I think it comes down 212 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: to a lot of the In a lot of cases, 213 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: the people who really really like Lenox UM don't mind 214 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,719 Speaker 1: getting their hands dirty a little bit. They they're kind 215 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: of interested in trying to make it work and figuring 216 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 1: out how to bridge gaps that might be bridged otherwise, 217 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: um by a company operating an operating system, offering an 218 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: operating system, or you know, the company in between that 219 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: and the company oper offering I can't talk today offering 220 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: a a program that you buy. And sometimes you know, 221 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:12,199 Speaker 1: you go, okay, well I've got this file, but I'm 222 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,079 Speaker 1: not sure what player I can use to play this file, 223 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: and in some cases there's not one. UM. So you 224 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 1: don't call, you don't get on the phone with tech 225 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: supporter or email somebody. You have to start searching on 226 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,079 Speaker 1: forums or talking to your friends who know how to 227 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 1: use Linux and saying, well, you know, what is this thing? 228 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,679 Speaker 1: You know learning to program yourself. Yeah, and that's and 229 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,959 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people, um, you know myself 230 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: included in in some cases, are just lazy. They just 231 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:40,559 Speaker 1: want it to work and they don't want it. They 232 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: know that if you want the plug in for so 233 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: and so, you go to their website and download it 234 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: or that it's even if your browser is gonna prompt you, hey, 235 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: I can't play this. You want me to go get 236 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: the plug in for you? Um, thankfully. Uh. There's tons 237 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:58,479 Speaker 1: and tons of software that's cross platform enough, like Mozilla's Firefox. 238 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: Firefoxes Firefox regardless of whether you're using it on Mac 239 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: Windows are Linux, and Firefox is pretty smart and goes, well, 240 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: you know, hey, I know there's a plug in for 241 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:08,679 Speaker 1: this that works for Linux. Would you like me to 242 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: go get it for you? Um? You know. So that 243 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: I think that helps. That's going to help adoption more. 244 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: But I think there's that's why there's that gap, as 245 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: people just want to turn on their computer and have 246 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: it work for them. Well, there's the other problem is 247 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: that there's not one easily recognizable flavor of Linux. You know, 248 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: when you when you're talking about Linux, you are talking 249 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: about hundreds of different variations none that there are a 250 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 1: few that are really popular and leap to mind faster 251 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: than others, Ubuntu being one of the the big ones 252 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: right now. But uh, you know, if you're talking to 253 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: someone who just said, you know, you just tell my 254 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 1: I use a Linux based machine, and they go when 255 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: they do a search for Linux, you can get confused 256 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: very quickly. You know. When you're talking about Windows. Yeah, 257 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: there's still a lot of variations. I mean, there's still 258 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: versions depending on what you know. It is a Windows Vista, 259 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 1: is an XP is it? Do you have Windows seven early? 260 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: What did you do? Um? But you know it's lenox. 261 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: That problem is compounded because you're talking about hundreds of variations, 262 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: not just you know, a few, like even even up 263 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: to a dozen. If you're talking about the Windows ones. 264 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: If you're talking about Max, you're talking about you know, 265 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: leopard or snow leopard or pole cat or whatever the 266 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: hell they're calling that. Um, I don't know, they've got 267 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 1: a cat fixation over there. But uh, yeah, it's I 268 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: think that's one of the big barriers is that, you know, 269 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: it's it's there's not an easy thing to point to 270 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: and say this is what I'm talking about. Like you said, 271 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: This is one variation of what I'm talking about. I think, um, 272 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: there's something else too. People don't trust it because it's free. 273 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: Well that's so too, you know. You think about, well, 274 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: if it's free, that must mean that it's somehow inferior, 275 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: when when really most I would I would think that 276 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 1: a lot of Lenox fans would argue that the opposite 277 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: is true, that because you have this big, open community 278 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: all dedicated to trying to make stuff that works really well, um, 279 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: that the products are in some ways superior to the 280 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: things that are available on the market. Uh. We were 281 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: talking earlier before we started recording about the fact that 282 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: if something if something is is missing a feature or 283 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 1: a function, you've got developers out there who may recognize 284 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: that and will work to go ahead and include that 285 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: so that the next version of that has that functionality. 286 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: Whereas if you are purchasing a big name product from 287 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 1: Apple or Microsoft, you may have to wait a really 288 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: long time before they get around to adding more features 289 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 1: and functions because it's whatever the corporation deems important. In Linux, 290 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: you're talking about what the community deems important, and that's 291 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 1: likely to be a whole variety of things. Yeah. Well, 292 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: and they're gonna be looking at it from a you know, 293 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: a user and developer standpoint, as opposed to what's going 294 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: to make money. You know. So, yeah, well I can 295 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: I can tell you that. Um, you know, if those 296 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: people are discounting Linux because it's free, sorry pardon the pun, Um, 297 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: they're wrong because frankly you can do if you're if 298 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: you're looking for I mean, this story goes back to 299 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: the whole low cost thing. Um, You're you're totally getting 300 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 1: far more than what you're paying for with it, because 301 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: basically what you're paying for is the cost of a 302 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:23,400 Speaker 1: c D. You download a distribution of Linux, you burn 303 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: it onto a CD, then use that c D to 304 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,679 Speaker 1: boot your computer and install Linux. Actually, in most cases, 305 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: you can run the distribution right from the CD and 306 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: you don't even have try it out. Yeah, that's that's 307 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,159 Speaker 1: one of the really nice things I like about Lenox 308 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: is that if you are nervous about installing this operating 309 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:41,879 Speaker 1: system on your machine, if you think, well, what happens 310 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: if I don't like it? You know, I've got Windows 311 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: pre installed. What am I gonna do? A lot of 312 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: these allow you to boot directly from a CD, so 313 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 1: you can test it out, see if you like it, 314 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: and then make your decision based upon that experience. So 315 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: if you decide, you know what this is neat and all, 316 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 1: but I prefer the functionality I have with Windows. There's 317 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: no buyer's remorse or anything. Yea, yea, and you can 318 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: you could do this. I mean, if you think about 319 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: what most people do with their computers. You know, they 320 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: get online, they check email, they use the web, they 321 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: use productivity software. Wait we said most people. Yeah, I 322 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: didn't say that, Uh, just pointing out that that was 323 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,719 Speaker 1: Jonathan um in case you were listening. Of course, they 324 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: know what your voice sounds like. Um No. I mean 325 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: for what most people do at their desks, you know, 326 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,400 Speaker 1: at at their jobs, you don't need Windows for that 327 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,719 Speaker 1: at all. You could do Linux and use all free software. 328 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: You're just paying for your hardware. You could download a 329 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:45,160 Speaker 1: distribution of Linus, and everything you need to do right 330 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 1: there is free. You can listen to music, you can chat. 331 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: All those programs are actually they're all pre installed with 332 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:57,120 Speaker 1: some distributions. I installed um Bun two on our test 333 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:00,360 Speaker 1: machine and it's get all that stuff pre installed. Now. 334 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: There of course, otherre are other issues. For instance, if 335 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: your Office does not adopt Linux completely, you know, corporate wide, 336 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,160 Speaker 1: then you may have compatibility issues if they're running other 337 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: proprietary software depending on what it is, and some stuff 338 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,119 Speaker 1: like you know, things like basic word documents and things. 339 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: They're they're Linux programs that will easily open those up 340 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: and you can make edits and all that kind of stuff. Well, 341 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,919 Speaker 1: I mean, open Office is available for Mac, Windows and Linux, 342 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: and it has its own standard, but it also reads 343 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:36,439 Speaker 1: and writes files in dot doc format. Yeah, that so 344 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:38,880 Speaker 1: you can share with Windows people exactly so, But if 345 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 1: you are using any other proprietary software, let's let's say 346 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: that goes beyond just the word processing or spreadsheets or whatever, 347 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: that might be a problem because it means, you know, 348 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,160 Speaker 1: if it if it's designed to run on Windows, Uh, 349 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 1: it's not going to run on Lenox unless you have 350 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: either some sort of emulator or someone has built a 351 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: version of it specifically for Lenox. So there are there 352 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,400 Speaker 1: are other barrier. There's the whole software barriers. The same 353 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 1: thing in a way that that prevents a lot of 354 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: people from switching over to Max because they sit there 355 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: and they'll say, wow, this is a really cool machine. 356 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:13,040 Speaker 1: It's very sexy and sleek and pretty, but I can't 357 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: run blah blah blah on it because it's they don't 358 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 1: make it available for Max. Well that that same problem 359 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: exists for Linux to some extent. Then again, there are 360 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:26,919 Speaker 1: solutions to that too. You could use uh Sun's virtual Box, 361 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,439 Speaker 1: provided you're not a company, because it's well, I mean 362 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:31,679 Speaker 1: you could, you just have to pay for it. But 363 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: if you are a user at home, you can use 364 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,120 Speaker 1: virtual box and run Windows and Linux at the same 365 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: time simultaneously on your machine. Or you can always dual boot, 366 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 1: which you are not running them at the same time, 367 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,880 Speaker 1: but you get to choose which operating system you want 368 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: to use. True enough, but that does compartmentalize your resources. 369 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,880 Speaker 1: So but if you are looking for an easy way 370 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 1: to take a computer, even a lower power machine, because 371 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: Lenox uses many fewer resources than say, I don't know Vista, 372 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: it's not as big a draw on your computer's hardware. UM. 373 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: And I'll say why in a second, UM, you could 374 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: totally use an inexpensive machine UM with less processor requirement 375 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:18,360 Speaker 1: and uh you know, in free installation of of Linux 376 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: and you're pretty much off and running UM. Now, I mean, 377 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: that's why it's so popular. With netbooks is because those 378 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 1: you know, those machines don't have nearly the process of 379 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 1: power that a full sized laptop would have, which is 380 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: why Lenox is found on some of those. UM The 381 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: thing is, uh, this and this might affect people, especially 382 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: uh us Mac users who like everything fancy. Now that 383 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,880 Speaker 1: we've got to S ten. Uh Yeah, Linux just isn't 384 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: as pretty in a lot of cases. I mean, there 385 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: are ways around that too. But actually that's one of 386 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: the things that I've read from the Linux community. Two 387 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: is they're trying there. They want to spice up the uh, 388 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: the look and feel, the gooey a little bit more. So. 389 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,400 Speaker 1: They wanna they want to kind of adopt that esthetic 390 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: approach that Apple has masters. Yeah, and and the reason 391 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: why if they can get more people and gain critical mass, 392 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: you know, they could they could take over the world. 393 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: And people say the operating system war is over, but 394 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: I think it's just a matter of time before somebody 395 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: comes out with something better, and Lenox could very well 396 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: be that. Well. And you look at some of the 397 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:22,239 Speaker 1: other UM operating systems out there that are based on 398 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: the same sort of stuff. I mean Android, the Android 399 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: operating system for Google phones, that's got based off the 400 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 1: Linux kernel. Well, that's that's true. We didn't talk about 401 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: any of the other stuff. There's tons of stuff. You 402 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: may have something running Linux in your home right now. 403 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: For example, if you have a Ti Vo, it's got 404 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: Lenox in it. Lots of things have linings in it. Yep, um, yeah, 405 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:46,160 Speaker 1: it's it's it's a very versatile operating system, very robust 406 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: and uh and like you said, because it demands so 407 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: compared to other operating systems. The demands are so low 408 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,920 Speaker 1: for for hard um for processing power. It can run 409 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: on lots of different things. Now, granted, even the people 410 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: who love Lennox say you shouldn't think of Lennox as 411 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 1: a way to turn your old machine into a cutting 412 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 1: edge like lightning fast computer. That's not that's not going 413 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,680 Speaker 1: to happen. But it will allow your computer to run 414 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: and operating system that allows you access to most of 415 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 1: the programming that you're accustomed to, even on an older machine. 416 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 1: It extends the the useful life of a computer by 417 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 1: a few years. Really. Uh, you know, I've got computer. 418 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:31,200 Speaker 1: I've got a couple of computers at my home that 419 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: probably couldn't run I know, I've got one that couldn't 420 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 1: run Windows Vista if I wanted to, it just doesn't 421 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: have the capacity for it. But it could run a 422 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 1: Linux based operating system without too much trouble. Now, again, 423 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: it's not gonna go lightning fast. It's not going to 424 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: suddenly turn my machine into this miracle computer. But it 425 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: is going to work, and it might run Linux fashion 426 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: that run Windows. Um. You know, I I just think 427 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: it's uh it's one of those things that I'm really 428 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:00,919 Speaker 1: glad that I tried using a while and it's got 429 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: some definite advantages um to the Windows operating system. A 430 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: little while ago for the blog, I wrote about this 431 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:13,159 Speaker 1: um uh third party app store for Mac called Bodega. Well, actually, 432 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,399 Speaker 1: Lennox has something very much like that built in. It's not, 433 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 1: uh like exactly like the app store, but it's called 434 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: the Synaptic Package Manager. And so say you're looking for 435 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,679 Speaker 1: something that would run that will play music files, you 436 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 1: can go in and search those and see if you 437 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,200 Speaker 1: can find something. If you say, oh, well, this looks interesting, 438 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:33,879 Speaker 1: maybe i'll try that out, you can tell it to 439 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 1: go ahead and install it. It will take it will 440 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:37,959 Speaker 1: get all the files it needs and install it on 441 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 1: your machine for you without you having to search on Google, 442 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 1: for example, and look for things. Well, I don't know 443 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 1: which one is the best. You know, you might be 444 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: able to You'll have all of them right there. And UM, 445 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,360 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure that not every piece of Linux software 446 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 1: is in it UM. Again, I have somewhat limited experience 447 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,119 Speaker 1: with Lenox to only a few dozen hours with it, 448 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:01,439 Speaker 1: But lots of is in it. And you can generally 449 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,960 Speaker 1: find programs that you need UM just by looking in 450 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: the package manager, without having to go online to the 451 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: web and start fooling around with that. So I think 452 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: that's a nice feature. I think that the operating system 453 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: should help you find software. It's like, well, you know, 454 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:17,679 Speaker 1: what do you want to do? You want, you know, 455 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 1: to balance your checkbook, while here are some financial programs, 456 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: try one of these. You want to build a website, 457 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 1: here's some cuff for it. I'll help you do that. 458 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: I think it's it's nice. And it also has UM 459 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,880 Speaker 1: a version of what the Mac os has, a spaces, 460 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:36,240 Speaker 1: basically multiple desktops that you can flip back and forth between. 461 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,239 Speaker 1: So it uh, it's sort of like virtually having more 462 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,159 Speaker 1: than one monitor, and I think that's a very nice feature. 463 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: I would like to get on my Windows desktop that 464 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 1: I use at work. I've got it on my Mac 465 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:47,920 Speaker 1: at home. I've got it, you know, on the Linux 466 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: test machines. I'd like to see Windows do that too, Yeah, yeah, 467 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:55,399 Speaker 1: where you can set up different approaches depending on what 468 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:57,680 Speaker 1: you want to use the computer for. Ye yeah, Like 469 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: I don't necessarily need my Neo Steam uh m m 470 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:05,399 Speaker 1: O RPG icon sitting right there on my desktop for 471 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:09,360 Speaker 1: my my work layout, but you might need to access it, 472 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,639 Speaker 1: you know, in between, so you can flip over, you know, 473 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:14,880 Speaker 1: to the other to the desktop. I use that sometimes 474 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 1: for music when I have the Pandora up and running 475 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: in my in my browser. But I may not want 476 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 1: to look at that, and I keep you know, and 477 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: keep sting in the way I can move it to 478 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: the other desktop backing it again, like as useful, It's 479 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 1: very efficient and U I've got to say, if I 480 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: had a choice between Linux and Windows, you know in general, 481 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: and probably choose Linux just because I like it a 482 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: little bit more and the more I know about it, 483 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:43,880 Speaker 1: the more I like it. And we should also point 484 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: out that Linux is also very very popular for things 485 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,199 Speaker 1: like on servers. A lot of servers run Linux, and 486 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: a lot of work stations, so stations that are usually 487 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: used to to check up on things like servers and 488 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: server farms. Um. And part of that is because it's 489 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 1: it is bust and yet again it doesn't demand too 490 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:05,640 Speaker 1: many resources, so more of that machine's resources are dedicated 491 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 1: to what it's supposed to do, which is serve content 492 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 1: or route traffic or whatever. Um. So yeah, that's that's 493 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: another one of the more popular uses for for Linux. 494 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:21,919 Speaker 1: In fact, a lot of the really really big data 495 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 1: centers are filled when machines running Linux Googles for example. Yeah, 496 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:29,919 Speaker 1: and um, you know, if you go hunting for a 497 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:34,959 Speaker 1: Linux distro to download, you're going to find your you 498 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: will find two versions generally, uh on virtually anybody's servers, 499 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,120 Speaker 1: at least the ones I've checked. You're gonna see desktop 500 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: or server. Like, well, you know, I'm gonna choose desktop 501 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 1: because that's what I'm going to use it for. But 502 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,640 Speaker 1: you could get a PC and add the server software 503 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: on it and you can run your run your own 504 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: home server, which I've actually considered doing. Yeah, because I've 505 00:27:57,480 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 1: got a couple of machines that are just gathering dust 506 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 1: and if everything's in working order, then I might I 507 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,919 Speaker 1: keep saying this though I talked about turning one of 508 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 1: them into a media center many many episodes ago, and 509 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 1: now I don't have TV. I went the opposite way. 510 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,119 Speaker 1: I went the I went. I don't know how I 511 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: turned left when I was supposed to go right. It 512 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: was that darn Albuquerque sign. Always gets me, always gets me. 513 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: All right, Well, I think we should. I think we 514 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:29,399 Speaker 1: should revisit this in the future. And er Andy did ask, like, 515 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: what what flavors of Linux do you like? Well, I've 516 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 1: only used the ubun two and so UM. I liked it, 517 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: but I have nothing to compare it against UM. I 518 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,239 Speaker 1: have very little. I admit I have very little too 519 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: compared against UM. I considered DSL, which is damn small, 520 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: Linux a very much smaller distribution. You know what, I 521 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: have Android. Now that I think about it, I guess 522 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 1: I could argue, but it's not the same thing. It's 523 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: I have the TVO operating system, right, Yeah, androids awesome, 524 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's just it just it's just based on 525 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 1: the Linux kernels. Um. Yeah, I mean I tried what 526 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: I thought. It was pronounced susy. The novel actually that 527 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 1: that distribution is called is called Susy s U s 528 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: E and it's UM from Novel the company. It is free, UM, 529 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: and I messed with it a little bit. I still 530 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: prefer one too, a little bit more. UM. And I 531 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: have used another very very specialized version of Linux, but 532 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: it is for computers. It's called sugar Stick UM. It 533 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: basically is a distribution of Linux that is designed to 534 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: fit on a one gigabyte thumb drive as educational four kids. UM. 535 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 1: And the graphics are very very simple so that it 536 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: fits on that small drive. But UM, it's it's pretty 537 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 1: cool you can boot from this little thumb drive and 538 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,880 Speaker 1: use the system. Of course it's not you know one too, 539 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: and that's the one I'm used the most. UM. I 540 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: did use Kubon too a little bit. UM, but it uh, 541 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 1: you know, they're so similar because both of them are 542 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: from canonical so um, you know, yeah, it's it's my 543 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: favorite too, But I don't have as many distributions to 544 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: compare it to, right, So sorry that we haven't experienced 545 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: the whole wide world of Lenox. We'll keep playing with it. 546 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 1: What we have experience we've enjoyed so far. Yeah, I 547 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: haven't had any horror horror stories at least so No, Nope. 548 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: The only the only thing I had in trouble with 549 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: was installing initially, and that was a few when I 550 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: actually started using I tried to use the six point 551 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 1: four Oh sorry six point oh four, and I had 552 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: so much trouble installing that. But with uh Gutsy Gibbon 553 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: and Johnty Jackalope, I really didn't have that much trouble 554 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: at all. But I don't think I tried intrepid ibex. Yes, 555 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: and karmit Koala is due out this fall, so um 556 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 1: that the next version of of Ubuntu Linux is not 557 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 1: far off if you're ready to switch from Polecat with 558 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: naming things after animals. Microsoft is not on board with this, 559 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 1: and Lenox even has a cool uhge chosen by Lennis 560 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 1: Torvald's himself, also open source. You can you can use 561 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 1: it's under the CANW so you can use it freely 562 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 1: if you like. Um. No, I was gonna say that 563 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 1: Windows ye, Windows seven doesn't follow the animal thing, and 564 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: yet we can't figure out where the seven comes from. 565 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:32,479 Speaker 1: Every time I count up, I don't come up with 566 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: seven whenever I go through the different versions. So if 567 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 1: you know where the seven comes from, Microsoft Windows seven 568 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: right us tech stuff at how stuff works dot com 569 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: because we don't know. Yeah, I'm sure there's some weird 570 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 1: there's some weird math in there where it works out. 571 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:51,959 Speaker 1: But you know, you just have to ignore this. And 572 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: Mr Gates, why if it's balmer, then it'll be a 573 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: very entertaining email with profanity maybe maybe the word developers 574 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: eighty times. Uh. Well, that's that's everything I've got for 575 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: for life. You're done, you know. I hope that. I 576 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: hope that was a good Lenox episode. I really do 577 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: intend to come back to it. I want to. I 578 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: want to keep going with it and come back to 579 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 1: it because I could use the nap um. All right, 580 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: ladies and gentlemen. That brings us to our second installment 581 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:29,840 Speaker 1: of Listener more so pleasant. Yes, isn't it nice? So 582 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:35,720 Speaker 1: here's our listener mail. This comes from Larry. Just listen 583 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: to the three D Printing podcast. I can't believe you 584 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 1: change the listener mail sound frownie face. Your podcast has 585 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 1: never made me this sad before mentioned so pleasant as 586 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: to risk, sigh as to risk. I was so shocked 587 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:54,840 Speaker 1: I couldn't even really listen to the podcast. I guess 588 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 1: we'll go back and re listen to it now, Larry, 589 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. We had a lot of people writing us 590 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: and saying that they found my listener mail delivery very annoying, 591 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:07,240 Speaker 1: and the Clackson even more so. In fact, there are 592 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: people who are saying, keep the way you say listener mail, 593 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 1: but get rid of the alarm. So eventually we decided, well, 594 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 1: we'll try and and switch it around, and so we did. 595 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: We we got the new sound effects, and I decided 596 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 1: I would do listener mail a little differently and hopefully 597 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: you'll get used to it and you'll come to love 598 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: it the way you love the old one. And if not, 599 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: I suggest all the people who love the old way 600 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 1: go into the thunder dome with all the people who 601 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: hated the old way, and you fight it out amongst yourselves, 602 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 1: and whoever comes out, that's the version I will do 603 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: from then on. So so eight and seventy five intern 604 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:45,920 Speaker 1: one leaves what are stuff? From the B side had 605 00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:50,400 Speaker 1: an opening? Well, we can ask around. I hear there's 606 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: some shifting in some of the podcasts, So just keep 607 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 1: your ears open. Techonic stuff technics alright, So if any 608 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:00,360 Speaker 1: of you have anything else you want to add, I've 609 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:02,600 Speaker 1: already given the email address once but once more. It's 610 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: tech stuff at how stuff works dot com. Do you 611 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:08,399 Speaker 1: want to learn more about various operating systems of other 612 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:11,239 Speaker 1: things that make computers go beep? You can check that 613 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 1: out at our website how stuff works dot com and 614 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,720 Speaker 1: Chris and I will talk you again, probably about Linux 615 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: really soon for more illness and thousands of other topics. 616 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,160 Speaker 1: Does it how stuff works dot com And be sure 617 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 1: to check out the new tech stuff blog now on 618 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:34,200 Speaker 1: the house stuff works homepage, brought to you by the 619 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:37,600 Speaker 1: reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you