Support Linux by Not Writing Linux-Only Software
Linked by David Adams on Sun 6th Nov 2011 04:34 UTC
Linux While it may seem like Linux-only projects are betraying their loyal base by developing Windows or OSX versions, I would argue that cross-platform development is actually better for Linux as a whole, better for individual software projects and their developers, and ultimately better for Linux users.
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RE[4]: Seems simple enough
by lemur2 on Mon 7th Nov 2011 04:23 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: Seems simple enough"
lemur2
Member since:
2007-02-17

There is far less malware on Linux not because it's more secure, but because it's often not. Linux systems can be extremely easy to compromise as we see time & time again. This is usually credited to poor configuration and administration. What Windows does for you, Linux leaves up to the user. When you have inexperienced users, the holes tend to remain open. And of course Windows being used by millions and millions of people make it a bigger target by default.


Rubbish. Almost every case reported Linux systems have not been "compromised" but rather, simply hacked. Someone has obtained a password. In the hands of ordinary users, Windows systems are often compromised simply by the system being on the net. No password guessing required. There is a whole class of activity called "phishing" devoted simply to getting Windows users to visit malicious sites with a view to compromising their Windows systems. Simply by visiting the wrong website.

I strongly disagree about package management. Linux dependencies are a complete mess more often times than not, which is the result of laziness and poor design.
Disabling optionA doesn't actually remove it and all it's dependencies, it just doesn't present itself as an option to the user. And of course optionA depends on packageB, which depends on packageC, which depends on packageD, E, F, G. This can usually be avoided but that of course requires more effort on the programmers part and I don't know many who bother.


Sigh! Clearly someone who doesn't know the first thing about Linux package management, and hasn't used it (or, if they have used it that was ages ago, or they are simply lying).

Windows "solution" to dependencies is ... every package includes static copies of all the libraries it uses. The size of Windows itself is a dead giveaway ... I made a set of Windows 7 recovery DVDs, it took four DVDs, whereas a Linx installation (with far more functinality out of the box) can be done from a single LiveCD!

Edited 2011-11-07 04:29 UTC

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