Hi all,
Today there was an article in Madhyamam daily (in special page -- I guess Kudumba madhyamam) about Sarath Lakshman and 'his' slynux [Linux is the trade mark of Linux Torvalds --who developed the linux kernel for the free (swathanthra) gnu syatem]. The writer's knowledge about Free Software and Linux is very pathetic. He saya Richard Stall man wrote Linux !!! It is a pity that he didn't go though the sites and learned what is free software and linux. There is nothing new in slynux (probaly malayalm fonts that knopper couldn't include). The writer says the mounting of windows partitions has become easy. It is easy in every other distributions too. All the features he calim for 'his' slynux is availabe with knoppix (transpond compression of 2 GB to 700 MB). For those who are in doubt check the knoppix site http://www.knoppix.org
GNU/Linux has grown at a very rapid rate that it has come to a level as user friendly or even in cases more user friendly (you can install softwares from internet with a click) and inovative (Project looking glass, enlightenment ...)
But people don't change easily and many stick to the windows-till-death attitude.
Knoppix has all these features and it was there for a long time.
Anyway one thing is that
I really appreciate Sarath's efforts but the media's response has been really sickening. Of course it helped to spread the message of free software and GNU/linux (mistakenly used as linux -- which is only one of the many kernels available for the gnu system. It is like the engine of a car -- though most important, useless without other accessories). It is really a nice thing he has done, but what I'm criticising is the media. It is not his fault that knoppix already had all these options and nobody cared to look at it !!! I hope this publicity (though not the right thing) will have good effect on the masses about free softwares, especially among students.
The thing is that, when you are writing something for the public, atleast think that some people will be out there who knows what he is talking about. For God's sake when write about something please read the basics !! Check the relevant sources