Re: OT: Live Win32 bootable CDs (was Re: Knoppix & DemoLinux)
On Sun, Oct 20, 2002 at 12:12:20PM -0700, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> on Sun, Oct 20, 2002, Andy Saxena (andyML@nyc.rr.com) wrote:
> >
> > Let me up the challenge just a notch. How about Windows Live
> > Filesystem CD that includes a full-blown office suite, programming
> > environment, web browser and <add your commonly used apps here>.
> > Perhaps, you'd need the source for that level of customization :-}.
>
> Actually, that exists. There's a company, French IIRC, which produces a
> live "runs from CD" version of Legacy MS Windows. They had to play some
> tricks with a number of files which must be writeable by the system, not
> sure what exactly these were. I've also spent fifteen minutes googling
> for any reference to them, no dice.
>
> A couple of near misses:
>
> Booting Windows from CD
> http://24.191.72.75:88/WinOnCd/winoncd.html
>
> Booting Windows From CD-ROM
> (largely same as above)
> http://www.heise.de/ct/english/99/11/206/
>
> I realize this is pretty OT, point being that MSFT _can_ do these
> things, but generally chooses not to. Again, largely for licensing and
> revenue issues. A classic vendor-customer goal mismatch, and signs of
> long-term trouble.
>
Very interesting. I wonder if they managed to do all that without
violating the licensing terms. This is getting quite OT, so I'd like to
close my contribution to this thread with the following note:
Perhaps MS advocates should worry less about the innovation coming out
of Linux, and worry more about the throttling that takes place because
of MS licensing restrictions. This may be an acceptable evil for the
shareholders, but from a purely technological point of view it is not
helpful.
Anyway, in the end any software is about the code, the developers, the
user community and the license - overall I prefer my Debian.
As for the innovation argument, I will let those more knowledgeable than
me put together a list. I Googled around for "linux innovation" and
mostly came up with links that talk about the MS assertions. It would be
nice to have a website called linux-innovation.com that documents
innovations in the Linux community. I am, personally, tired of hearing
Mr. Balmer rant about this in every interview. Once we have such a
website, he may change his rant.
-Andy
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