[TriLUG] making Linux look like Windows XP

Mon Jun 11 11:05:37 EDT 2007

macs only have 1 mouse button by default... :p

On 6/11/07, Tim Jowers <timjowers at gmail.com> wrote:
>  I attended the IBM OpenSource VP's talk (Bob Sutor?) at Chapel Hill a few
> months back. The Open Source club at Chapel Hill was brainstorming about how
> to promote Open Source there. Apparently all of the students get a
> (Windows-based) system image from some department of the school. So, their
> idea was to hand out Knoppix or portableapps type materials to each student.
> I guess the concept is most people do not even know what Open Source is,
> Linux is, OpenOffice.org is, et cetera. I guess you cannot recognize freedom
> if you've never seen it. Just look at the forced abortions in China.
> Horrific when nearby countries such as Kazahkstan have very low population
> densities and even 1/8th of the land in the USA is owned by the federal
> government. Such atrocities leave little surprise people cannot even
> recognize the freedom of innovation in computer software.
>
>  I think the Windows-look-alike is one simple way to overcome an objection.
> It is easy now to say Linux works like Windows or Mac. Sure, I don't have to
> go through four different layers just to set an environment variable and I
> can work with most any compression format as well as fs format, but, in
> general the mouse and the overall layout can be the same. The objection of
> having to learn a new system is removed for the average user. Any advanced
> user (knows where things are in the Registry hive etc) should be happy to
> move to Linux.
>
> My $.02,
> TimJowers
>
> On 6/11/07, Kevin J. <mrkevinj at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > Oh, that's excellent! Let me know how it goes. If you make any
> > modifications that would help the presentation please send them back to me
> > so I can incorporate them in to the original. We're planning to give this
> > presentation to a lot of orgs in the Greenville-Spartanburg area. Everything
> > from churches to libraries to schools if we can get someone to talk to us.
> > Also, I have the original in both ppt and odp formats as well if you're
> > interested.
> >
> > Next Saturday we're going to set up some pc's for a local youth summer
> > camp; and the B&G club we spoke with last week is interested in setting up a
> > small lab in their library area (basically just a bunch of very old books on
> > a shelf) for kids ranging in age from 6-13. We are running Edubuntu with KDE
> > for a little more Windows-like feel. They were highly impressed with the
> > number of apps available (we sorta overloaded it actually), not having to
> > deal with viruses and spyware (a lot of the older kids spend time on myspace
> > and other sites which was loading them down with ad/spyware), and no
> > licensing issues (she couldn't even get in to the e-open site to get her
> > Microsoft server license and didn't know who to contact about it.)
> >
> > We haven't actually done an install yet and we're still trying to pin down
> > the characteristics of the final product, but it's looking like an Edubuntu
> > base (for LTSP convenience mainly), KDE, and a tiered user grouping which
> > would present an age-appropriate desktop based on the login (i.e., 6-8
> > year-olds would get a more childish background, the GCompris suite,
> > Childsplay, etc. while the 10-13 group would get more science, math, and
> > english software, etc. with an age appropriate background.)
> >
> > If you get something going, please keep in touch so we can compare notes.
> >
> > Kevin
> >
> > Have you F/LOSSed today?
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Tom Eisenmenger <teisenmenger at charter.net>
> > To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list <trilug at trilug.org>
> > Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 8:28:25 AM
> > Subject: Re: [TriLUG] making Linux look like Windows XP
> >
> >
> > Very cool presentation, Kevin.  I've actually been talking with some
> > other folks at Chowan University about launching such a project in
> > northeastern North Carolina (I teach at Chowan).  The plan (as I see it)
> > is to form a student service organization that would (a) solicit used
> > computer systems from area businesses, (b) develop and install a
> > tailored Linux distro (probably Ubuntu-based), and (c) provide
> > grant-funded dial-up Internet access to recipients.  I do like your idea
> > of partnering with an ISP to provide broadband, though.
> >
> > Oh, and I'll probably use a modified version of your presentation to
> > drive home some points.  Thanks for putting that together!!
> >
> > Tom Eisenmenger
> >
> > On Sun, 2007-06-10 at 19:35 -0700, Kevin J. wrote:
> >
> > > here here!
> > >
> > > Btw, I created a quick "FOSS Presentation" which we presented with much
> > success to our local Boys and Girls Club. You can view it on
> > http://www.thinkfreedocs.com/ under the "Featured Presentations" section.
> > Please feel free to modify it and/or use it to present FOSS to your local
> > orgs.
> > >
> > > Kevin
> > >
> > > Have you F/LOSSed today?
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > From: Jason Tower <jtower at cerient.net>
> > > To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list <trilug at trilug.org>
> > > Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 8:15:04 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [TriLUG] making Linux look like Windows XP
> > >
> > > i'd suggest that apeing windows is exactly what linux *shouldn't* be
> > doing as it
> > > sets false expectations (it looks like windows but doesn't behave like
> > windows,
> > > therefore it sucks).  on the surface windows, kde, and gnome are
> > fundamentally
> > > very similar - same basic conventions, same desktop metaphors,
> > etc.  anyone who
> > > wants to can adapt to them very quickly.  changing the desktop
> > background or
> > > icon theme isn't what is keeping people from using linux.
> > >
> > > there is one primary, overriding reason people use windows: the
> > apps.  you can
> > > make a linux desktop look *exactly* like windows but that won't make an
> > ounce of
> > > difference to 99% of people if it can't run quicken, photoshop, itunes,
> > > $FAVORITE_GAME, or whatever.  while there are replacement apps for many
> > things,
> > > there are plenty of apps that are important to people (particularly in
> > the
> > > business world) that for one reason or another are windows-only.  and
> > *THAT* is
> > > why people use windows and not linux.  they don't care about stability,
> > they
> > > don't care about security, and they sure as hell don't care about
> > freedom or
> > > community or any of the things that are important to many of us.  they
> > don't
> > > care about these things in much the same way i don't care about the
> > ivory billed
> > > woodpecker or indian casino regulations.  let's see, i had a point here
> > but i've
> > > forgotten where i was going with this so i'll just trail off muttering
> > to myself...
> > >
> > > jason
> > >
> > > Kevin J. wrote:
> > > > I just installed PCLinuxOS 2007 (www.pclinuxos.com) based on the
> > recommendation of a new LUG member who recently made the switch from Windows
> > after trying it. I am highly impressed. It defaults to a KDE environment
> > that is very clean and easy to navigate (probably the most intuitive I've
> > seen to date.) There is no reason why any Windows user couldn't comfortably
> > switch to this OS.
> > > >
> > > > Kevin
> > > >
> > > > Have you F/LOSSed today?
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > > From: Magnus <magnus at trilug.org>
> > > > To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list <trilug at trilug.org>
> > > > Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2007 2:15:49 PM
> > > > Subject: [TriLUG] making Linux look like Windows XP
> > > >
> > > > Someone asked awhile back and while I was cruising for KDE themes
> > today
> > > > I ran into this:
> > > >
> > > > http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php/kde3+xp+style?content=1499
> > > >
> > > > Not to my liking but anyone who is looking for the XP look & feel will
> > > > be right at home here.
> > > --
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> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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