[ale] Lindows vs the semi-annual Windows suck-a-thon

[Greg]

Using Gnome with the "Redmond" them is pretty Windows-like I think.  You
also might want to try Lycoris.  It is supposedly another distro that is
really easy.

On the GPL issue, well, I *think* that Lindows, Inc interprets the GPL to
say that they have to provide the source code to USERS only, and in order to
be a user you need to pay at least $49.00 for the OS.  Their EULA (!??!)
says this also (note the  first sentence "source code" ???)

2. PROPRIETARY RIGHTS.

All right, title and interest in LindowsOS, including source code,
documentation, appearance, structure and organization, are held by Lindows
and/or its licensors and are protected by copyright and other laws. You may
not copy or otherwise use LindowsOS, in whole or in part, except as
expressly permitted in this Agreement. Title to LindowsOS, or to any copy,
modification or merged portion of any of the Software Programs, shall at all
times remain with Lindows and/or its licensors, subject to the terms of the
applicable Third Party Agreement(s) to the Software Programs under
consideration.

also, per the link: http://www.lindows.com/lindows_products_license.php :

The GNU General Public License (GPL) requires that for any software covered
under the GPL which is distributed to someone in an executable binary
format, that the source code also be made available to those users. Those
who have received from Lindows.com the binaries for any GPL'd software can
also find the source code available for download in their my.lindows.com
account.

I am wondering if the FSF has grounds for suing Lindows.  I know that MS is
doing so - but for trademark infringement.

Greg

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ale-admin at ale.org [mailto:ale-admin at ale.org]On Behalf Of Joe
> Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 11:59 AM
> To: ale at ale.org
> Subject: [ale] Lindows vs the semi-annual Windows suck-a-thon
>
>
> Hi folks,
>
> I'm sitting here trying to get Win98 working on my wife's machine
> *again*. As usual, the box, which boots and runs beautifully under
> Linux, absolutely refuses to function properly under Win98
> (specifically, it refuses to install any driver for a PCI
> network card of any description - well, Netgear FA311s and
> DLink D530s, anyway). There's little bits of computer guts
> scattered all over the living room as I try different combinations
> of junk-bin hardware, trying to create a system that Winblows
> will deign to boot properly on. Not exactly a recipe for marital
> bliss. I'd love to just install some variety of Linux on the
> thing and be done with it, but my last attempt to convert
> my wife ended with a fizzle.
>
> So into my inbox drops a CNN article about the new Lindows.com $799,
> 1Ghz, 256MB, 20GB laptop. It looks pretty sweet, and the desktop looks
> familiar enough (read "Windows-esque") to prevent my lovely and
> talented but technophobic spouse from having a stroke. I wonder, can I
> download this OS? Surely I can, it says right on their web site it's
> based on Linux, so certainly it ought to be available under the GPL,
> no?
>
> But no, it's a proprietary EULA, with a specific exception
> for any open-source licensed software included in the
> distro. What's up with that?
>
> The Lindows OS is $129, and apparently I can get a complete
> system with Lindows pre-installed at Mall-Wart for $199.
> Hmm.
>
> So, anybody using Lindows? What do you think? If it sucks,
> what then would be a good distro to use for someone who doesn't
> necessarily like Windows, but is used to it and doesn't
> want to have to learn something else? (Hear those "distro
> flamewar" sirens wailing in the distance?)
>
> Thanks,
>
> -- Joe Knapka
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
>

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