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Ultumix Linux OS 2008 v0.0.1.0 Pre Release is ready for download. Seems Stable.
Welcome to Ultumix Linux OS. The OS designed for Windows users by previous Windows Users. Go to www.mindblowingidea.com/Ultumix to get the latest copy via Torrent (recommended) or http://FTP. If you want to know more about Ultumix Linux Click the FTP link and open the .pdf in your browser or read the summery on the www.mindblowingidea.com/Ultumix web page. We also will have a video demo up on our site shortly. :) Ultumix v0.0.1.0 is very stable. I haven't had any problems with it yet. Please let me know about any issues you may have in the SF.net forum. Moderators are needed for the IRC chat. Ultumix Linux is a remaster of PCLinuxOS and the source code can all be found in the PCLinuxOS repositories and in the SF.net packman project. |
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Comments (59)
Looping link
31 earlier comments in the full thread.
I even think he could do it without too much trouble IF he can win some trust back with Tex & gang. He should just stay away from advertising anything like a distro as he is obviously only getting deeper in trouble as he goes along.
I think I've crossed the point of no return when I started asking questions before I even distributed it because that was when people got cranky. If Tex would tell me exactly what he wants me to do or even communicate with me at all I would try my best to comply with his demands but when you just ban someone without giving them any instructions on what to do it's kind of pointless to expect them to be able to come back and rebuild the bridge they burnt.
The main problem with making a how to make Ultumix is that defies one of the purposes of Ultumix. That purpose is this:
Not to have to download all those extra programs and updates. It takes 1 - 3 hours on a high speed connection. The DVD contains them all so you don't have to download them.
Installing Windows XP takes about 2 hours. Installing PCLinuxOS with the updates takes 2 - 5 hours. This is crazy. Ultumix takes the burden off of PCLinuxOS's repos by giving the end user the updates and programs they need without needing to go to the Synaptic to get them. Maybe you will need a few extra programs but this still greatly benefits the PCLinuxOS bandwidth.
I had a qwest issue last night. It's fixed now though. My mirror FTP is working now and I will replace the older versions with the new one. That should take care of everything. I'm also going to redo my web site a bit and I've already taken the GPLv3 out of the OS and the readme. There is no license anywhere.
After 0.0.1.1 is available I will shut down my other torrents. So you don't need to talk to me any more about GPL problems unless you have tried 0.0.1.1.
Again thanks for the advice and thanks nixed report for defending me.
I think I've crossed the point of no return when I started asking questions before I even distributed it because that was when people got cranky. If Tex would tell me exactly what he wants me to do or even communicate with me at all I would try my best to comply with his demands but when you just ban someone without giving them any instructions on what to do it's kind of pointless to expect them to be able to come back and rebuild the bridge they burnt.
The main problem with making a how to make Ultumix is that defies one of the purposes of Ultumix. That purpose is this:
Not to have to download all those extra programs and updates. It takes 1 - 3 hours on a high speed connection. The DVD contains them all so you don't have to download them.
Installing Windows XP takes about 2 hours. Installing PCLinuxOS with the updates takes 2 - 5 hours. This is crazy. Ultumix takes the burden off of PCLinuxOS's repos by giving the end user the updates and programs they need without needing to go to the Synaptic to get them. Maybe you will need a few extra programs but this still greatly benefits the PCLinuxOS bandwidth.
I had a qwest issue last night. It's fixed now though. My mirror FTP is working now and I will replace the older versions with the new one. That should take care of everything. I'm also going to redo my web site a bit and I've already taken the GPLv3 out of the OS and the readme. There is no license anywhere.
After 0.0.1.1 is available I will shut down my other torrents. So you don't need to talk to me any more about GPL problems unless you have tried 0.0.1.1.
Again thanks for the advice and thanks nixed report for defending me.
Oh good, shoot the messenger! That's real polite, nixedreport. Our budding hacker got all kinds of polite, correct advice, and instead of accepting it, argued with it. Then the responses got a bit sterner, but nowhere near rude or incorrect. And then you get all bent because we're too mean. Mmmkay.
You don't like the word poach? I don't like people who misuse other people's software and resources. Maybe you would prefer words like "steal" and "ethically challenged"?
You don't like the word poach? I don't like people who misuse other people's software and resources. Maybe you would prefer words like "steal" and "ethically challenged"?
Quoting:After 0.0.1.1 is available I will shut down my other torrents.
You should have shut them down as soon as you found out about the license trouble.
Quoting:Not to have to download all those extra programs and updates. It takes 1 - 3 hours on a high speed connection. The DVD contains them all so you don't have to download them.There is nothing new there. MyPCLinuxOS already has a DVD project with technically savvy people. This is (again) not renewing or adding to the mix, but badly replicating.
If you are spending as you say 2-5 hours on an install, you ARE definitely doing something wrong. It is not the distro, it is your inability to analyze the underlying root causes for your failure and your inability to recognize failure when it bites you in the nose.
As to nixedreport, quit playing the reasonable party. You are in this with Justin up to your neck right from the beginning and you have allowed him to make a fool of himself much like you yourself with a forum no one but the two of you ever visits and your so-called "radioshows" on Linux. There are some guys on this thread right here that have forgotten more about Linux and FOSS than you or I will ever be able to learn. Get real and get a life!
Justin, there always IS an option to turn back and do the right thing. I think at this stage I'll throw in the towel on this one, so much good advice from so many people falling on two such deaf ears is too much.
Good luck, whatever you do. I remain unconvinced there is any real value in what you are doing and will continue to be very critical about this.
newmikey (and everyone else): Let's not degenerate into personal attacks and get this thread closed. There's plenty to discuss here without going down to that level.
Ok guys. I'm not going to be paying attention to this thread very often. I started a new one because it's a new version release that should make all of you as happy as clams. ()
Quoting:I remain unconvinced there is any real value in what you are doingI believe this sums it all up.
> I believe this sums it all up.
Pretty much so, doesn't it.
I, on the other hand don't see any problem with what he's doing as long as he meets the license requirements. It doesn't matter whether any of us finds what he's doing useful or not. If he finds it useful and is learning something, that's reason enough to do it. If anyone else finds it useful, that's a bonus.
He does have to make sure he's meeting the licensing requirements though.
Pretty much so, doesn't it.
I, on the other hand don't see any problem with what he's doing as long as he meets the license requirements. It doesn't matter whether any of us finds what he's doing useful or not. If he finds it useful and is learning something, that's reason enough to do it. If anyone else finds it useful, that's a bonus.
He does have to make sure he's meeting the licensing requirements though.
There is value in any endevour, it is not up to any outside party to validate that value by seeing a reason for it. Linus originally made the kernel as a project to teach himself about the architecture of the cpu he had. That was it's value to him, and he admitted at the time he did not expect anyone else to see any useful application for his work other than perhaps a handful of tinkerers.
I'm not saying that we have the next Torvalds on our hands here (although you never know, this just might be the spark needed). We have an obligation to point out when things are not right and hopefully suggest a solution. As we have done here with the licensing issues. The rest is moot, I pointed out before that there can be no controls over the decision to use PCLOS as the base to use, if someone cares to make the case that there is I need only point out that in turn the Mandriva crowd would in turn have the same rights.
He (they) have the RIGHT to do this regardless of opinions. While I personally have no use for their distro, and only suggest it's parent to new linux users as the most friendly and easy to use that I have seen to date, there is no reason what so ever to stomp on these ambitions. There are technical and (hopefully solved) license issues that can be resolved in a polite and supportive manner. While we do not have any obligation to help, the GPL itself gives them the absolute rights to try. No moral objections can be made to their right to try without also denying the GPL in it's entirety.
Success or failure is immaterial, I wish them the best and will lend my knowledge such as it is in the hopes that something is learned in the process. Personally I give terrible odds of this going terribly far, but one never knows. It is the voyage, not the destination, that is truly the important part.
I'm not saying that we have the next Torvalds on our hands here (although you never know, this just might be the spark needed). We have an obligation to point out when things are not right and hopefully suggest a solution. As we have done here with the licensing issues. The rest is moot, I pointed out before that there can be no controls over the decision to use PCLOS as the base to use, if someone cares to make the case that there is I need only point out that in turn the Mandriva crowd would in turn have the same rights.
He (they) have the RIGHT to do this regardless of opinions. While I personally have no use for their distro, and only suggest it's parent to new linux users as the most friendly and easy to use that I have seen to date, there is no reason what so ever to stomp on these ambitions. There are technical and (hopefully solved) license issues that can be resolved in a polite and supportive manner. While we do not have any obligation to help, the GPL itself gives them the absolute rights to try. No moral objections can be made to their right to try without also denying the GPL in it's entirety.
Success or failure is immaterial, I wish them the best and will lend my knowledge such as it is in the hopes that something is learned in the process. Personally I give terrible odds of this going terribly far, but one never knows. It is the voyage, not the destination, that is truly the important part.
darn you dix, you posted that while I was writing :)
> ...you posted that while I was writing :)
That's what you get for being so wordy. :)
That's what you get for being so wordy. :)
Thanks for your support azerthoth. Many of you don't see a use for an OS that has completely given in to the Windows user to help them make the transition but it seems to be increasing the ratio of Windows to Linux converts that I present it to. My biggest critic is my Father and the second is my Mother. They both don't use Linux more than a few seconds a month but they are not my customers now are they?
I think that what I'm doing is reinventing Linspire all over again but this time I'm not commercializing it and setting it up to be absorbed by Micro$oft's FUD department. At least thats the most accurate thing i can think of to say. Linspire was a great OS when it came out and started using WINE and giving Windows users what they wanted. They had the right idea there. I myself use to sell Linspire for a while. Then Linspire got too out of date and was not hardware friendly. Now they are owned by M$.
I think that if we all applied their original tactic of giving the customer / user what they want they will have more Linux converts.
You attract more bees with honey than you do with pollen. Sure the pollen might be better for the bees but they are attracted to honey. Or it might be better to say that you can give a man Linux but you can't make him use it. What you have to do is eliminate all excuses not to use Linux first. Then you can start showing advantages.
If you just try to scare customers by showing them the Vista EULA your only going to make them think your crazy. I've lost customers because they think I'm nuts for suggesting Linux. But if you show them a "new" operating system that has "more" features and the "same" features for "free" they will listen to you more often than not.
Our window of opportunity to convert frustrated Windows users is closing. As soon as they get back in the thought process that you must use Micro$oft and that Vista isn't that bad and there are always some problems with everything we have lost our edge. We can't hope to save any more lost soles.
thats why we need to strike now while the iron is hot. More and more people are realizing what Vista is every day and looking for something else. A lot of these people buy new Macs and whaste money and even throw away their old PCs. :( this is just wastefull.
We need to pull together and share information with one another rather than fighting to climb to the top and crush all the other Linux distros. It's fine if someone switches to another distro as long as that distro is not so confusing that they want to switch back.
I have had a lot of people tell me that they can't stand Linux. I ask them what version did you use? Most of them say red hat, Fedora, or Ubuntu. After I show them PCLinuxOS or Ultumix they say "I can learn this". It's not enough to provide a stable system that runs good or tons of free software but a UI that makes users feel welcome. Also they don't need to do all kinds of advanced set up after they get the iso and burn it to a CD / DVD because we all know how hard that is for the average Windows user to figure out on their own. lol :)
No one has bought a DVD from me yet and I don't expect them to any time soon. I know my distro has flaws. I know that it lacks some of the things that Linux users want. But as for me and my purpose it will serve me and my customers just fine.
I think that what I'm doing is reinventing Linspire all over again but this time I'm not commercializing it and setting it up to be absorbed by Micro$oft's FUD department. At least thats the most accurate thing i can think of to say. Linspire was a great OS when it came out and started using WINE and giving Windows users what they wanted. They had the right idea there. I myself use to sell Linspire for a while. Then Linspire got too out of date and was not hardware friendly. Now they are owned by M$.
I think that if we all applied their original tactic of giving the customer / user what they want they will have more Linux converts.
You attract more bees with honey than you do with pollen. Sure the pollen might be better for the bees but they are attracted to honey. Or it might be better to say that you can give a man Linux but you can't make him use it. What you have to do is eliminate all excuses not to use Linux first. Then you can start showing advantages.
If you just try to scare customers by showing them the Vista EULA your only going to make them think your crazy. I've lost customers because they think I'm nuts for suggesting Linux. But if you show them a "new" operating system that has "more" features and the "same" features for "free" they will listen to you more often than not.
Our window of opportunity to convert frustrated Windows users is closing. As soon as they get back in the thought process that you must use Micro$oft and that Vista isn't that bad and there are always some problems with everything we have lost our edge. We can't hope to save any more lost soles.
thats why we need to strike now while the iron is hot. More and more people are realizing what Vista is every day and looking for something else. A lot of these people buy new Macs and whaste money and even throw away their old PCs. :( this is just wastefull.
We need to pull together and share information with one another rather than fighting to climb to the top and crush all the other Linux distros. It's fine if someone switches to another distro as long as that distro is not so confusing that they want to switch back.
I have had a lot of people tell me that they can't stand Linux. I ask them what version did you use? Most of them say red hat, Fedora, or Ubuntu. After I show them PCLinuxOS or Ultumix they say "I can learn this". It's not enough to provide a stable system that runs good or tons of free software but a UI that makes users feel welcome. Also they don't need to do all kinds of advanced set up after they get the iso and burn it to a CD / DVD because we all know how hard that is for the average Windows user to figure out on their own. lol :)
No one has bought a DVD from me yet and I don't expect them to any time soon. I know my distro has flaws. I know that it lacks some of the things that Linux users want. But as for me and my purpose it will serve me and my customers just fine.
Perhaps enough has been said in this thread. Hopefully the issues have been ironed out. For those who keep arguing that things are being "stolen" etc.... Take a look here:
http://shiftlinux.net/
Shift is listed on distrowatch. They do what Justin and contributors are doing with Ultumix (except the Neowin crowd's been at it longer... about a year to be precise). They are Morphix-based at the moment with plans to switch to Ubuntu. Are they stealing from Morphix and Debian? When going over to Ubuntu, will they be stealing from Canonical?
http://www.tapioneer.com/
Pioneer also does a similar thing as well. They are primarily based on Kubuntu and use Automatix2 as an included feature. Are they stealing from Canonical? http://www.linux.com/articles/61243
Just to clarify, my issue wasn't with everyone's response. Azerthoth has been the most constructive, and I never had an issue with him. What I do have an issue with is the name calling and accusations of being a thief. When one is told, "You HAVE to do this!" the conversation is taking a forceful tone. What I was trying to demonstrate through the suggestions (via quotation marks) was how to things a bit more diplomatically. If something comes off as a suggestion rather than a command, then it is more likely to be listened to and followed. Perhaps I have been too harsh. It seems to me that things have been getting tense over the last several weeks, and I'm not talking about Ultumix alone either.
It appears that there is stress over the new opportunity afforded those who are in the FOSS arena due to Vista not going over really well with the consumer. It reminds me of reading about how people on the ninth floor of Tech Square at MIT used to throw chairs not out of anger at each other, but out of frustration concerning the most productive and best way to move forward as a group of hackers. Then again, I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time).
http://shiftlinux.net/
Shift is listed on distrowatch. They do what Justin and contributors are doing with Ultumix (except the Neowin crowd's been at it longer... about a year to be precise). They are Morphix-based at the moment with plans to switch to Ubuntu. Are they stealing from Morphix and Debian? When going over to Ubuntu, will they be stealing from Canonical?
http://www.tapioneer.com/
Pioneer also does a similar thing as well. They are primarily based on Kubuntu and use Automatix2 as an included feature. Are they stealing from Canonical? http://www.linux.com/articles/61243
Just to clarify, my issue wasn't with everyone's response. Azerthoth has been the most constructive, and I never had an issue with him. What I do have an issue with is the name calling and accusations of being a thief. When one is told, "You HAVE to do this!" the conversation is taking a forceful tone. What I was trying to demonstrate through the suggestions (via quotation marks) was how to things a bit more diplomatically. If something comes off as a suggestion rather than a command, then it is more likely to be listened to and followed. Perhaps I have been too harsh. It seems to me that things have been getting tense over the last several weeks, and I'm not talking about Ultumix alone either.
It appears that there is stress over the new opportunity afforded those who are in the FOSS arena due to Vista not going over really well with the consumer. It reminds me of reading about how people on the ninth floor of Tech Square at MIT used to throw chairs not out of anger at each other, but out of frustration concerning the most productive and best way to move forward as a group of hackers. Then again, I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time).
Quoting:Pioneer also does a similar thing as well. They are primarily based on Kubuntu and use Automatix2 as an included feature. Are they stealing from Canonical?The webpage you quoted says: "Techalign fails to provide any compelling reason to choose Pioneer Linux over Kubuntu"
[quote]Shift is listed on distrowatch. They do what Justin and contributors are doing with Ultumix (except the Neowin crowd's been at it longer... about a year to be precise)[quote] From another review, this time on Shift: "But it seems so much like Morphix and I couldn't stop asking myself, is it Morphix-2 or ShiftLinux. The developers from Neowin have really not changed much..." and "But more than a year later, is it what the developers were expecting?"
Is that the outlook you want to provide to Justin, his users, the "Windows" users? This is not about stealing, you are allowed to "steal" code if you want to call it that. This is about having something unique to offer. Ultumix doesn't have it and Justin doesn 't have the know-how to add it. The advice given above was solid: join another distro team and learn what it takes, before you roll your own.
As to stealing time, ideas and trust...every user will make up his mind. I personally am not impressed by a website that is focussed on selling a product it knows little about, along with the branded T-shirts, mugs, mousemats and all other stuff.
> This is about having something unique to offer. Ultumix doesn't have it...
Immaterial. As long as Justin follows the licensing rules, he can offer Ultumix regardless of what you, I, or anyone else thinks.
> ...and Justin doesn 't have the know-how to add it.
You have no way of knowing that. For all we know, Justin may be the next Patrick Volkerding. From what I've read, the SLS folks weren't too happy with his contributions either.
Immaterial. As long as Justin follows the licensing rules, he can offer Ultumix regardless of what you, I, or anyone else thinks.
> ...and Justin doesn 't have the know-how to add it.
You have no way of knowing that. For all we know, Justin may be the next Patrick Volkerding. From what I've read, the SLS folks weren't too happy with his contributions either.
Quoting:You have no way of knowing that.
Actually, he said so:
Quoting:I can't work on another Linux project because there is no other Linux project that I can contribute to. My skills are too limited.
> ...Actually, he said so:
That still a statement about the current state, Sander. The fact that Justin's skills are limited now says nothing about what he can accomplish in the future.
And skills aren't exactly the same thing as know-how.
That still a statement about the current state, Sander. The fact that Justin's skills are limited now says nothing about what he can accomplish in the future.
And skills aren't exactly the same thing as know-how.
Quoting:And skills aren't exactly the same thing as know-how.What point, if any, are you making? Nobody says he shouldn't learn, develop and grow. Off-course he can offer whatever he wants within the confines of the licensing rules, but does that mean that he must do so? I can follow his reasoning on remastering to avoid rework and wasting time on installs. That is more or less what everyone does, taking a solid, fully update install and turning it into a liveCD/DVD for backup purposes as well as installs for others.(at least for those distros that allow remastering a running system)
It seems that he is soliciting help for his forums, CVS, themes and programming as he lacks those skills. Soliciting help implies building a community and that's where he goes wrong. He started out by projecting a "profit first" image. Who in his right mind would help somebody else make money without a return on investment, financially or otherwise? He started out by making bloated claims that he couldn't make good on and then goes on to break every rule in the book.
If there's anything I learned in 25 years of Customs & Tax related legislation, it is that lack of knowledge does not provide excuses for not abiding by the law, ever.
The only user I have seen on his forum has been crying out for help because the bloody thing will not even run from the liveDVD - he has not received any reply yet. Not a good way to lure in volunteers.
So what do we have? A guy who has remastered a running PCLOS installation, claims it is a full-blown distro which he sells at an inflated price but offers no support of any kind on? A guy who opportunistically expects us to buy placemats, mousemats, mugs and baseball caps imprinted with the logo of a non-existing distribution?
I'm sorry, but that rates high on my scam-scale and should not be good news for anybody that has FOSS high on his personal list either.
Heck, even Tex started out building packages for Mandrake waaaay before he carefully released the first tryout of what would become PCLOS.
There is no case here, not a community and certainly not a business case!
> What point, if any, are you making?
See my last comment below.
> Nobody says he shouldn't learn, develop and grow.
Sure sounds like it to me.
> Off-course he can offer whatever he wants within the confines of the licensing rules, but does that mean that he must do so?
No. But it means it's none of our business if he does.
> There is no case here, not a community and certainly not a business case!
No. There is a person trying to do something he wants to do. As long as he abides by the licensing requirements, that's all there needs to be. What you, I, or anyone else thinks about it is immaterial. I use Slackware. I have no use for Ultumix. For all I know it could be utter and complete trash or the best thing since sliced bread. That's all beside the point. As long as he abides by the licensing requirements, Justin has the right to do what he wants with it.
See my last comment below.
> Nobody says he shouldn't learn, develop and grow.
Sure sounds like it to me.
> Off-course he can offer whatever he wants within the confines of the licensing rules, but does that mean that he must do so?
No. But it means it's none of our business if he does.
> There is no case here, not a community and certainly not a business case!
No. There is a person trying to do something he wants to do. As long as he abides by the licensing requirements, that's all there needs to be. What you, I, or anyone else thinks about it is immaterial. I use Slackware. I have no use for Ultumix. For all I know it could be utter and complete trash or the best thing since sliced bread. That's all beside the point. As long as he abides by the licensing requirements, Justin has the right to do what he wants with it.
0.0.1.1 is now available and the previous torrents are down.
I'm pleased to report both FTP servers are working. You may find that from time to time one of them will go down. This is due to a PCLinuxOS FTP error that someone else pointed out to me before I got started. I'm not sure how to fix it. It's caused by overloading the server with download requests.
You said in the other forum that if I'm spending 2 - 5 hours on install I'm doing something wrong? Ok let me go threw the procedure that I do when I go to someone's house and fix their computer.
1. Identify their needs and problems. 2. See what needs they have that Linux can meet. 3. Present Linux to them. (back up user data as well) 4. Run, Test, and install PCLinuxOS 2007 (10 - 20 minutes) 5. Reload the synaptic package manager (30 seconds) 6. Install all updates + Wine + codecs + players + programs specific to the customer + windows like programs that are already installed in Ultumix. (this takes 1 - 5 hours depending on the connection speed) 7. Wait for the packages to install (30 minutes to over an hour) 8. Reboot 9. Make the UI more Windows User Friendly and put their most used apps on the desktop. (5 minutes to 20 depending on the speed of the machine) 10. Resolve any dirver issues. (can take between 10 minutes to hours) (install done) 11. Install windows programs in Wine and configure the computer to open all .exe files with wine. 12. Have the customer take it for a test drive. 13. Resolve more problems. 14. I'm done and I collect the money.
Now lets look back at what parts of this we don't need to do with Ultumix. 6. Install all updates + Wine + codecs + players + programs specific to the customer + windows like programs that are already installed in Ultumix. (this takes 1 - 5 hours depending on the connection speed) 7. Wait for the packages to install (30 minutes to over an hour) 8. Reboot 9. Make the UI more Windows User Friendly and put their most used apps on the desktop. (5 minutes to 20 depending on the speed of the machine) 10. Resolving driver issues is easier because most of the drivers are installed. 11. Wine is already configured to open .exe files.
So in total here we can say that I save between 1.67 hours and 6.3 hours of time on these steps by installing Ultumix instead of PCLinuxOS. These are facts. I didn't make any of this up.
Certainly installing PCLinuxOS on a CD ROM only computer is best but if you have a DVD ROM you can save yourself a lot of time.
I'm not putting PCLinuxOS down here I'm just saying I found a way to save time and please the customer. :)
You said in the other forum that if I'm spending 2 - 5 hours on install I'm doing something wrong? Ok let me go threw the procedure that I do when I go to someone's house and fix their computer.
1. Identify their needs and problems. 2. See what needs they have that Linux can meet. 3. Present Linux to them. (back up user data as well) 4. Run, Test, and install PCLinuxOS 2007 (10 - 20 minutes) 5. Reload the synaptic package manager (30 seconds) 6. Install all updates + Wine + codecs + players + programs specific to the customer + windows like programs that are already installed in Ultumix. (this takes 1 - 5 hours depending on the connection speed) 7. Wait for the packages to install (30 minutes to over an hour) 8. Reboot 9. Make the UI more Windows User Friendly and put their most used apps on the desktop. (5 minutes to 20 depending on the speed of the machine) 10. Resolve any dirver issues. (can take between 10 minutes to hours) (install done) 11. Install windows programs in Wine and configure the computer to open all .exe files with wine. 12. Have the customer take it for a test drive. 13. Resolve more problems. 14. I'm done and I collect the money.
Now lets look back at what parts of this we don't need to do with Ultumix. 6. Install all updates + Wine + codecs + players + programs specific to the customer + windows like programs that are already installed in Ultumix. (this takes 1 - 5 hours depending on the connection speed) 7. Wait for the packages to install (30 minutes to over an hour) 8. Reboot 9. Make the UI more Windows User Friendly and put their most used apps on the desktop. (5 minutes to 20 depending on the speed of the machine) 10. Resolving driver issues is easier because most of the drivers are installed. 11. Wine is already configured to open .exe files.
So in total here we can say that I save between 1.67 hours and 6.3 hours of time on these steps by installing Ultumix instead of PCLinuxOS. These are facts. I didn't make any of this up.
Certainly installing PCLinuxOS on a CD ROM only computer is best but if you have a DVD ROM you can save yourself a lot of time.
I'm not putting PCLinuxOS down here I'm just saying I found a way to save time and please the customer. :)
Sounds fair enough to me! What are the reactions of your customers? Do they keep using Linux, or do they want to switch back? Do they have problems, and if so, what are there main problems?
(I'm asking these questions because I wanted to make some 'free Linux-newbie vids' aimed at Windows users, explaining the differences using animations and spoken text in non-technical language my mother should - theoretically - understand, and it seems very much to me you are in contact with my meant audience)
(I'm asking these questions because I wanted to make some 'free Linux-newbie vids' aimed at Windows users, explaining the differences using animations and spoken text in non-technical language my mother should - theoretically - understand, and it seems very much to me you are in contact with my meant audience)
Quoting: I'm asking these questions because I wanted to make some 'free Linux-newbie vids' aimed at Windows users
That's a wonderful idea, and kudos to you for taking the time.
Great idea hkwint. I'm trying to do the same myself but as you can see my video quality is poor. I just saw this editor http://openmovieeditor.sourceforge.net/HomePage that might be the answer to including audio and screen recording / casting together to make a (video professor's) guide to Linux. I am going to add it to Ultumix in the future if it works.
Historically here is my experience in this area hkwint.
First I was installing Fedora, SUSE, and Ubuntu on customer's computers. (ya I know big mistake) They not only were confused about installing packages and finding programs but the new interface threw them for a loop all together. They also complained about not being able to run some Windows programs on Linux. For some I also installed VMware-Server and put on XP. In order to get XP to print to the printer you need to set up a SAMBA server on the Linux side and allow the XP system to be bridged outside to the router as well as the Linux system. This makes it like there are two computers plugged into a hub that goes into your router allowing Linux to become a print server.
Then more friendly distros came to my attention like Lindows / Linspire and other KDE based distros. My customers liked this much better. But they were still not completely sold on it.
About a year or two ago I started installing PCLinuxOS on people's computers with a huge success rate of %75 of the users switching. Now you asked about going back to windows from Linux. Well about 2 - 5% of the 75% that switched to PCLinuxOS switched back. The rest stayed with it. Keep in mind that some had Windows installed and PCLinuxOS as a dual boot. But for those with non PCLinuxOS friendly PCs I had to run Ubuntu or something more hardware friendly. But Windows users still complained that there was too big of a learning curve to PCLinuxOS.
With Ultumix the only complaints I get are from the Linux community on how it does not meet this licence or that licence but now thats fixed and out of the way.
Last night for example my father tried to install Print Master 11 on his XP laptop. In the past you could always install it on XP. Now the new updated XP won't let you however you can install Print Master 11 in wine. The problem with this is that some programs require internet exploder. There are two things you need to do to get that message to stop showing up. 1. open Wine Doors and install Internet Exploder 6. 2. (do both) Go to ie4linux and use the instructions for PCLinuxOS on that site to install it. DON'T INSTALL AS ROOT! Now try to install your program again. It will install. DO NOT INSTALL THE WINDOWS FILES FROM WINE-DOORS! Some or one of these packages (with the windows logo) cause wine to stop being able to navigate files correctly. Also you should install Firefox for windows from wine and set it as the default browser. This will help protect wine from viruses. You should not use Wine for web browsing unless you can't view something in Firefox for Linux.
Another problem Windows users have is sites like ABC news and NASCAR don't let you view media with Linux. They only allow Windows or Mac. You can sometimes get around this by using Firefox on Wine. However you need to use the Wine Configurator under the Emulators section of the More applications menu to activate sound in WINE.
To install some Windows programs you will need to change the desktop settings in the configurator to have a windowed desktop. Always set the resolution to 1024x768 or higher because 800x600 wont let you use the configurator to change it back.
Windows users don't like that openoffice is not set to save in .doc .xls and .ppt format by default. So I changed that in Ultumix under the default owner user.
in short if windows users just use the Owner account and don't delete it they will be happy.
When logging in if you want to test your 3D abilities with Compiz Fusion just choose Drake3d under session. You will need your root password. Then the next time it brings you back to the log in screen select KDE for the session. If it does not work just go back to drake3d and change it again. This way you are not stuck with the Administration center that you have to log in to to access.
Most windows users are confused by 4 desktops and could live with just one.
Read my last post in the other forum for more info on Windows users switching to Linux.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Windows programs run slower and take up more space than linux programs so if you install programs like Print Master 11 with all of the art disks you will loose a lot of space. If you fill your hard drive over 95% it will become fragmented and you can't defrag it. Make sure your home partition has plenty of room as well as your root partition.
In Ultumix you can back up your entire comptuer to a Live DVD if you use this command: mklivecd --tmp /home/owner/tmp --workdir /home/ UltumixBackupinsertdatehere.iso You will need to log in as root and clean up the /home/ directory. You will find 3 files that don't belong there. Lost and found and owner belong there.
Looks like if open movie editor is everything it's cracked up to be I will be releasing a new version soon!
Historically here is my experience in this area hkwint.
First I was installing Fedora, SUSE, and Ubuntu on customer's computers. (ya I know big mistake) They not only were confused about installing packages and finding programs but the new interface threw them for a loop all together. They also complained about not being able to run some Windows programs on Linux. For some I also installed VMware-Server and put on XP. In order to get XP to print to the printer you need to set up a SAMBA server on the Linux side and allow the XP system to be bridged outside to the router as well as the Linux system. This makes it like there are two computers plugged into a hub that goes into your router allowing Linux to become a print server.
Then more friendly distros came to my attention like Lindows / Linspire and other KDE based distros. My customers liked this much better. But they were still not completely sold on it.
About a year or two ago I started installing PCLinuxOS on people's computers with a huge success rate of %75 of the users switching. Now you asked about going back to windows from Linux. Well about 2 - 5% of the 75% that switched to PCLinuxOS switched back. The rest stayed with it. Keep in mind that some had Windows installed and PCLinuxOS as a dual boot. But for those with non PCLinuxOS friendly PCs I had to run Ubuntu or something more hardware friendly. But Windows users still complained that there was too big of a learning curve to PCLinuxOS.
With Ultumix the only complaints I get are from the Linux community on how it does not meet this licence or that licence but now thats fixed and out of the way.
Last night for example my father tried to install Print Master 11 on his XP laptop. In the past you could always install it on XP. Now the new updated XP won't let you however you can install Print Master 11 in wine. The problem with this is that some programs require internet exploder. There are two things you need to do to get that message to stop showing up. 1. open Wine Doors and install Internet Exploder 6. 2. (do both) Go to ie4linux and use the instructions for PCLinuxOS on that site to install it. DON'T INSTALL AS ROOT! Now try to install your program again. It will install. DO NOT INSTALL THE WINDOWS FILES FROM WINE-DOORS! Some or one of these packages (with the windows logo) cause wine to stop being able to navigate files correctly. Also you should install Firefox for windows from wine and set it as the default browser. This will help protect wine from viruses. You should not use Wine for web browsing unless you can't view something in Firefox for Linux.
Another problem Windows users have is sites like ABC news and NASCAR don't let you view media with Linux. They only allow Windows or Mac. You can sometimes get around this by using Firefox on Wine. However you need to use the Wine Configurator under the Emulators section of the More applications menu to activate sound in WINE.
To install some Windows programs you will need to change the desktop settings in the configurator to have a windowed desktop. Always set the resolution to 1024x768 or higher because 800x600 wont let you use the configurator to change it back.
Windows users don't like that openoffice is not set to save in .doc .xls and .ppt format by default. So I changed that in Ultumix under the default owner user.
in short if windows users just use the Owner account and don't delete it they will be happy.
When logging in if you want to test your 3D abilities with Compiz Fusion just choose Drake3d under session. You will need your root password. Then the next time it brings you back to the log in screen select KDE for the session. If it does not work just go back to drake3d and change it again. This way you are not stuck with the Administration center that you have to log in to to access.
Most windows users are confused by 4 desktops and could live with just one.
Read my last post in the other forum for more info on Windows users switching to Linux.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Windows programs run slower and take up more space than linux programs so if you install programs like Print Master 11 with all of the art disks you will loose a lot of space. If you fill your hard drive over 95% it will become fragmented and you can't defrag it. Make sure your home partition has plenty of room as well as your root partition.
In Ultumix you can back up your entire comptuer to a Live DVD if you use this command: mklivecd --tmp /home/owner/tmp --workdir /home/ UltumixBackupinsertdatehere.iso You will need to log in as root and clean up the /home/ directory. You will find 3 files that don't belong there. Lost and found and owner belong there.
Looks like if open movie editor is everything it's cracked up to be I will be releasing a new version soon!
if you decide to post a how to video with my distro please by all means give me a link. Thanks.
Well, I plan on making very general, non-distro specific video's explaining Linux 'concepts' in Windows terms. Thanks for the info, it's useful. I'll try the open-movie maker you mentioned. Probably I'll also try 'synfig' for 2d animations and AutoDesk Inventor for simple 3d animations (because I have a license for it, and because I am used to working with it. Otherwise I wouldn't have used this closed proprietary non-free software).
Do you have a link?
Quoting:Read my last post in the other forum for more info on Windows users switching to Linux.
Do you have a link?
Yahoo Server is down for the count
Over 500 people downloaded copies of Ultumix via torrent or http://FTP. When the FTP was up and available for people to use torrent downloads were down by 2 thirds. Yesterday my site no longer functioned. I called Yahoo and asked them why. They said that I maxed out my bandwith even though their meter and my meter malfunctioned and said I used 0% of my limit. So they gave me an extra 5GBs of data transfer for the month. But this means that my web site won't have the download available via http://FTP. Pluss on my FTP server at home too many people are trying to access it at the same time and it crashes. So evedently there are a few Ultumix Linux users out there.
I hope someone helps me get more bandwidth soon via a mirror.
I hope someone helps me get more bandwidth soon via a mirror.
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It would be beneficial to his customers as they would have no problem in getting support from either Justin or the PCLOS forums. He can even supply a remaster made according to his own recipe to his customers, it would after all still be PCLOS with standard repo packages added and possibly a desktop theme changed. Nothing wrong with that.
Eventually, when the HowTo becomes so extensive, non-PCLOS content gets added, he could migrate support for the remaster to his own forums and who knows? It may grow into a distro after all, but in a controlled way where Justin's knowhow keeps tred with what he advertises. It basically buys him time to learn and grow and be the distromaster he so aspires to be.
Justin: have a look how PCFluxBoxOS and TinyMe are inching away from their parent, all the while continuing from full support and setting up forums to cover the differences only and sharing some of the repos.
Now, how's that for a reasonable, non-inflammatory response?