Re: Why I use Linux

From: Bernard Peek (bap_at_shrdlu.com)
Date: 07/28/05 

Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 20:32:58 +0100

In message <qIadncmZCdMitnTfRVn-ow@comcast.com>, Linønut
<=?iso-8859-1?Q?lin=F8nut?=@bone.com> writes
>Bernard Peek poked his little head through the XP firewall and said:
>
>> That's how it should work. But if Linux takes off the same people
>> writing crap Windows applications will be writing for Linux instead. I
>> hope Linux is more forgiving but we won't know until it happens.
>
>Yeah, I see your point about crap writers. Hopefully, the current state
>of open source, in which crap quickly disappears, will maintain.
>
>> I'm just thinking of something that I'd like Aunt Maud to have. A boot
>> DVD that will restore the Linux system but leave /home untouched. I
>> think it's possible. Something like, check the size of /home. Shrink the
>> partition to leave enough free space for a copy. Copy /home to the new
>> partition. Reformat and reinstall a vanilla OS on / then copy /home back
>> again.
>
>Why even touch home? Except maybe to read it to see what config files
>are there to know what extra apps to load.

Good point. I'm not sure whether it would be best to blow away
customised config files though. They might be where the screwup is.

>
>> It would be doable in Windows too if data files were only stored in the
>> Documents and Settings folder. It would take a while to persuade Windows
>> developers to do that.
>
>Pet peeve of mine:
>
> Linux: /home/linonut
> Windows: My Documents (single user)
> C:\Documents and Settings\linonut (multiple users or domain)

The Windows system has potential because of the All Users folder. To me
that seems the obvious place to put shared data files. If it was
possible to know that all of the user's data was in a particular area it
would be possible to cold-load an OS and be reasonably confident that it
would be safe. 

-- 
Bernard Peek
London, UK. DBA, Manager, Trainer & Author.

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