Linux user *forced* to use Windows as part of home confinement

[Hard core Rikki]

Original article here, with funny comments

If you think doing five months of hard time in the slammer for uploading a feature film to the internet is tough, try using Windows for nearly half a year when your heart belongs to Linux.

Unfortunately, this heartbreaking scenario is indeed true, as the "ex-administrator of the EliteTorrents BitTorrent tracker" is now being forced to use an operating system in which the US government can install monitoring software on. According to Sk0t, who has served his jail time and is now sitting through five months of home confinement, he believes that the government "should have software that conforms to [him]," especially considering how expensive it would be to replace all of one's software... without a job. Of course, his alternative seems to be just living out the sentence without using a PC at all, but c'mon, we all know that ain't happening.

Slashdot story here, with comments

A guy who uploaded the latest Star Wars movie got arrested, pleaded guilty to 'conspiracy to commit copyright infringement' and 'criminal copyright infringement' and got jail and home confinement. As part of his home confinement, he agreed to install some tracking software on his computer. The problem is He's an Ubuntu Linux user and the gov't doesn't have any tracking software for Linux. So he's been told that he must use Windows for the term of his confinement. Looks like a case of cruel and unusual punishment to me"

Here's another possible punishment for warez an' BIOS swappers : stop using emulators for 12 months (GASP !!!). Would anyone here not prefer doing community work instead of that ?

[Samor]

I hope the guy will realise why everyone uses Windows.


(I've in the past been more or less "forced" to use Linux. It ended with me changing everything over to Windows and reducing workload with 90% or so, because you don't have to look up the ****ing MAN page for everything you do).

[Proto]

(I've in the past been more or less "forced" to use Linux. It ended with me changing everything over to Windows and reducing workload with 90% or so, because you don't have to look up the ****ing MAN page for everything you do).

It's a matter of being familiar with the environment. I haven't had to look for a tutorial for doing my home OS administration work for a year now. That and after becoming familiar with all the quirks, shortups and features that Linux has I can't stand working on Windows anymore

That's why...

I hope the guy will realise why everyone uses Windows.

Because Windows is built in a OS for dummies kind of way. If you don't like your OS pampering you and thinking you can do all your work into a little sandbox you go to the *nix side of the force

... either way it's a cruel punishment. I would install a Virtual Machine myself

[Xtreme2damax]

Originally Posted by Proto

It's a matter of being familiar with the environment. I haven't had to look for a tutorial for doing my home OS administration work for a year now. That and after becoming familiar with all the quirks, shortups and features that Linux has I can't stand working on Windows anymore

That's why...



Because Windows is built in a OS for dummies kind of way. If you don't like your OS pampering you and thinking you can do all your work into a little sandbox you go to the *nix side of the force

... either way it's a cruel punishment. I would install a Virtual Machine myself

To think there is even people who don't know how to use windows as simple as it is and need a guide.

Me I uninstalled Ubuntu a month ago, not because I didn't like it or found it too hard only because the 162.18 drivers for nvidia cards came out, my hard drive space space was limited and I wanted to test the new nvidia drivers for improvements or performance gains (Which there were none) so I uninstalled Ubuntu, reinstalled xp.

Lately I've just been too lazy to do everything once again to get Ubuntu set back up in a Dual-Boot.

[Samor]

Originally Posted by Proto

It's a matter of being familiar with the environment. I haven't had to look for a tutorial for doing my home OS administration work for a year now. That and after becoming familiar with all the quirks, shortups and features that Linux has I can't stand working on Windows anymore

I guess for normal work (opening a word document, making a drawing), it's fine... I had over half a year to familiarise my with the environment, and no doubt things were going quicker in the end, but still too much stuff that didn't happen to my liking. There were also some specific issues and whatnot... well, maybe I feel like explaining once. =P
...looking at my first post in this thread though, I should be a bit more careful making posts after having had a few drinks. ;P
(I don't outright hate Linux, but I always end up being frustrated with it)

Because Windows is built in a OS for dummies kind of way. If you don't like your OS pampering you and thinking you can do all your work into a little sandbox you go to the *nix side of the force

dummies? perhaps; I feel very strongly that a PC should be easy to use though. Linux got better in that regards for common tasks, but go beyond that and it can become unnescesarily difficult/tedious.

I see Linux more as an OS for enthusiasts, hobbyists and people who are scared of or angry at MS.

[Proto]

dummies? perhaps; I feel very strongly that a PC should be easy to use though. Linux got better in that regards for common tasks, but go beyond that and it can become unnescesarily difficult/tedious.

I see Linux more as an OS for enthusiasts, hobbyists and people who are scared of or angry at MS.

¨Personally I see it a lot easier than Windows in terms of programming, setting up servers, OS administration and the such. I mean, in Ubuntu for installing a certain library I just got to type apt-get install <mylibrary> and I can use it outright from there, while in Windows I'd have to find where the heck can I download it from, coyp the dll's to system32, find where the heck the IDE I'm using wants the .h and the .lib's... in that respect *nix got a file organization that is much more standard and easy to learn.

Of course there are many fields where *nix is lacking, like gaming. But for things in the programming, computer science investigation and the such *nix got a big edge IMO.

[firyace]

Originally Posted by Proto

¨Personally I see it a lot easier than Windows in terms of programming, setting up servers, OS administration and the such. I mean, in Ubuntu for installing a certain library I just got to type apt-get install <mylibrary> and I can use it outright from there, while in Windows I'd have to find where the heck can I download it from, coyp the dll's to system32, find where the heck the IDE I'm using wants the .h and the .lib's... in that respect *nix got a file organization that is much more standard and easy to learn.

Of course there are many fields where *nix is lacking, like gaming. But for things in the programming, computer science investigation and the such *nix got a big edge IMO.

Agree in the programming department, linux wins windows by alot. Nothing can beat windows when it comes to producing alot of crap when compiling even a "hello world" c program.

Linux also had alot of research-specify tools that are free to download and are pretty useful too.

Also, Linux's customization of the desktop is 100 times better than windows. Window blinds and Aston cannot even be called customization compared to changing Linux's sessions, which allows you to completely change the look on your desktop without running programs in the background.

However, Linux doesn't have any games as i still have some problems running cedega (maybe because I am an ATI user ), and wine needs windows to generate the files anyway. Also, nothing is worse than if programs are incompatible due to using different library paths and names, you have to actually need to modify the source code itself

For me, I am just dual booting Ubuntu 7.04 and Windows XP SP2 right now because in some way both cannot fully replace one another

[Samor]

well, if we're talking the availability of compiler tools and such, I agree. Also, things like SSH are quite convenient and they can be used in Windows but not quite in the way as they can in Unix/Linux.

But, if you have an entire developer environment (something from Borland, or MS themselves) it's fine. Eclipse too. Well, that last one's available under both...

[Coolsvilleman]

Thats pretty funny. I'm sure he will have more fun trying to hack windows anyhow.

[firyace]

Originally Posted by Samor

well, if we're talking the availability of compiler tools and such, I agree. Also, things like SSH are quite convenient and they can be used in Windows but not quite in the way as they can in Unix/Linux.

But, if you have an entire developer environment (something from Borland, or MS themselves) it's fine. Eclipse too. Well, that last one's available under both...

Agree in SSH, and I really hate using Cygwin or putty too. However for scp I like to use winscp cuz I am still leaning towards the GUI interface.

And aside for compiler issues, notepad++ is a pretty good choice in programming for windows, even though my best preference is still gedit in linux (no emacs for me )

[Coolsvilleman]

Originally Posted by firyace

Agree in SSH, and I really hate using Cygwin or putty too. However for scp I like to use winscp cuz I am still leaning towards the GUI interface.

winscp is a godsend when you have many files and folders to send to uni.

[Samor]

Originally Posted by firyace

Agree in SSH, and I really hate using Cygwin or putty too. However for scp I like to use winscp cuz I am still leaning towards the GUI interface.

And aside for compiler issues, notepad++ is a pretty good choice in programming for windows, even though my best preference is still gedit in linux (no emacs for me )

I use pspad (similar), but dedicated environments are nicer to work with. PSpad I use to quickly look up code or paste all kinds of stuff in.
I've used WinSCP to access files on both Linux and Windows machines (using cygwin), allthough under Windows it feels kind of insecure with access to every drive letter...

I actually use quite a lot of open source software..... some stuff is great, like Audacity and Gimp (Gimp not having a very straightforward interface though, took some effort to learn how to make it useful, but once you do it's easily as good as Paint Shop Pro), OpenOffice I've also used but it's only redeeming factor is that it's free, otherwise a poor man's MS Office (except for the PDF exporting).

[Hard core Rikki]

Alternatively, Windows people being forced to use Linux is generally considered too cruel and thus never enforced by Win-using courts. Jail time is considered more humane

[TheCloudOfSmoke]

Originally Posted by Proto

Because Windows is built in a OS for dummies kind of way. If you don't like your OS pampering you and thinking you can do all your work into a little sandbox you go to the *nix side of the force

Hmm. You make it seem like that's a bad thing. Seriously, who wants to deal with doing things the hard way. Easy is better imo. Another way of putting it: Why walk up to the television to switch the channels when you can use a remote?

More on topic: That is so much torture. How can someone be so inhumane to make someone use Windows? How is that legal? I would prefer the jail sentence instead. Not really. I love my Windows.

[Samor]

Originally Posted by Hard core Rikki

Alternatively, Windows people being forced to use Linux is generally considered too cruel and thus never enforced by Win-using courts. Jail time is considered more humane

well, in my case it wasn't jail-related but work-related. It was kinda cruel, though.

[Hard core Rikki]

Originally Posted by Samor

well, in my case it wasn't jail-related but work-related

Poor soul. Here, have a rootkited Sony audioCD. You should enjoy it more on Windows

[Samor]

thanks....I'll play it in my Dreamcast