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As part of an upgrade to strict standards compliance, I'm adding to my codehelp site under the Linux section - specifically targeted at Windows users who may want to look at Linux. How's this for a summary of the appeal of Linux (to those users)? ***************************************** The key to understanding Linux is the community. Linux is Open Source - the code that generates the operating system is freely available for anyone to look at as long as improvements are fed back into the community not locked away under a commercial licence. Linux is also Free Software - free in terms of speech - so that anyone is welcome to contribute new ideas, new projects, new directions. This may sound technical but the best ideas come from co-operation between users and developers. Linux projects actively encourage such interaction and as well as fixing bugs, developers gain insight into what the users really want and users can request features and adjustments without having to get involved in the complexities of code. The majority of Linux programs are also free in terms of cost too. As a new user, it is advisable to pay for a packaged set of manuals to help if things do go wrong, but new programs, updates, even whole distributions can be downloaded free of charge from the internet if you have a fast enough connection. The combination leads to: A distribution that can be freely copied onto more CD's for your friends without legal threats. An operating system that can be installed on 100,000 machines for the same cost as one. Free, comprehensive and friendly help online from an ever growing network of Linux User Groups and HOWTO websites. An operating system with the security heritage of Unix. Software that is developed to meet the needs of the users, not shareholders. Developers who are not only contactable, but friendly and open to requests. Reliable and standard-compliant solutions. Re-use of old hardware (like 486-based machines) as fast, usable network terminals, firewalls and routers. Through projects like Wine, the ability to run specialist programs only available for Windows in a Windows-free Linux environment. ********************************** (The security heritage of Unix is touched upon briefly on the same page.) The existing page, before the upgrade or these additions, is at: http://www.codehelp.co.uk/html/linux.html (The upgrade isn't complete yet - only those pages with the W3C icons are finished.) This section needs to remain short and to the point. There is scope for further pages to expand on some of these themes - contributions (and links) welcome! -- Neil Williams ============= http://www.codehelp.co.uk http://www.dclug.org.uk http://www.wewantbroadband.co.uk/
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