Well I am going to do my part to help deploy Linux. However, I need the help of others.<br><br>I envision weekly deployments onto 2 dozen machines. That's 1, 248 deployments annually. If all local groups could match this pace then 1 million Linux deployments is possible annually nationally or throughout North America.<br>
<br>I believe weekly 10am - 10pm, 12 hour shifts should produce 24 Linux deployments onto computers brought in by the general public.<br>These Linux deployments would be offered as free computer repairs.<br><br>That's 1 million new Linux users each year!<br>
<br>So far I have deployed Linux onto 4 computers (1 mac and 3 PCs) belonging to 4 different paying customers. Feedback so far has been positive!<br><br>Remember my image of Linux is barely 30 days old!<br><br>Another high growth usage market would be Africa, the Caribbean, China, India, etc.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 1:30 PM, D. Hugh Redelmeier <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hugh-pmF8o41NoarQT0dZR+AlfA@public.gmane.org">hugh@mimosa.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
| From: charles chris <<a href="mailto:cccharlz-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org">cccharlz@gmail.com</a>><br>
<div class="im"><br>
| The usage of Linux can be greatly increased by providing an easy<br>
| deployment method to computer stores, recyclers and non profits like<br>
| Free Geek Toronto and Computers for schools in Mississauga.<br>
<br>
</div>This is the second message where you seem to be saying:<br>
<br>
1) "what Linux needs is X"<br>
<br>
2) as if that were the answer to the problems listed in the Economist<br>
column<br>
<br>
3) where X is already the case<br>
<br>
Perhaps you need to phrase your answers in the form of a question<br>
"Does Linux have X?".<br>
<br>
As I understand it, Free Geek does deploy Linux on their used<br>
computers.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
| Many computer stores do NOT load Windows on used computers because<br>
| they cannot afford the license fees.<br>
<br>
</div>I don't know. Used computers aren't that common in stores -- new<br>
computers are so inexpensive now and old computers are usually weaker<br>
/ obsolete.<br>
<br>
There are a few places that sell off-lease computers. They don't load<br>
OSes because it is labour intensive (off lease computers that I've<br>
bought usually have stickers with Windows licenses).<br>
<div class="im"><br>
| Recyclers and non profit<br>
| organizations like Computers for Schools in Mississauga and Reboot<br>
| Canada should deploy Linux onto the computers they donate or sell.<br>
<br>
</div>I think that they do. It scares Microsoft enough that they have a<br>
program for cheap or free licenses for some operations like this just<br>
to crowd out Linux.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
| Also, good support is needed to help people with Linux boxes install<br>
| peripherals.<br>
<br>
</div>Labour intensive!<br>
<br>
These days, skilled labour to deal with that kind of random minutae<br>
would seriously increase the cost of a used computer.<br>
<br>
The arithmetic of recycling most things is like this. When producing<br>
a computer in the first place, the runs are 10k to a million (pure<br>
guess), resulting in economies of scale. With recycling computers, you are<br>
lucky if you get any run at all. Think of Walmart vs Value Village --<br>
the run lengths have drastic effects.<br>
<br>
The hardest computers to deal with are the most worthless: the oldest.<br>
Although I use computers that are a dozen years old, it makes no<br>
practical sense to redeploy a machine older than perhaps four years<br>
old. As a hobby, the rules are different (my oldest hobby computer is<br>
approaching 40 years old; older if you count my sliderules).<br>
<br>
There are stores that sell used Macs. I think that this is viable because<br>
<br>
1) the Mac world has much less diversity than the PC world<br>
<br>
2) Macs retain their value much more than PCs<br>
<br>
3) the stores selling used computers gain an edge selling new ones<br>
since they can offer to take the old ones in trade.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
| I believe my method of deploying operating systems onto standalone<br>
| computers is most efficient. See <a href="http://drpcdr.ca/LMLXDE.pdf" target="_blank">http://drpcdr.ca/LMLXDE.pdf</a><span onmouseout="cancel = false; window.setTimeout(WRCHideContent, 1000); clearTimeout(showTimer);" onmouseover=" var self = this; showTimer = window.setTimeout(function(){WRCShowContent({'rating':{},'flags':{},'single':true,'ttl':7200,'expireTime':'20120407231716'}, self.className)},600);" class="wrc0" style="padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><br>
<br>
</div>A pretty strong claim. Since you haven't even enumerated let alone<br>
discussed other methods, I find that hard to credit.<br>
<br>
Do you know the other methods? Heard of Kickstart? PXE booting? Live<br>
Fedora or Ubuntu CDs? And there are plenty more.<br>
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