Re: [OT] Relavant mailing list or USENET group
On 12/02/2017 02:01 PM, Joe wrote:
On Sat, 2 Dec 2017 13:17:14 -0600
Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> wrote:
On 12/02/2017 12:02 PM, rhkramer@gmail.com wrote:
On Saturday, December 02, 2017 12:17:39 PM Richard Owlett wrote:
6. *NOT* be a "smartphone".
Well, I am curious about why you don't want it to be a smartphone,
and whether doing something like removing the SIM from a cell phone
(and possibly epoxying the socket) would meet your needs?
You might say it's the 3 P's ;/
[ Philosophical Practicality Prudence ]
Philosophical - application of Linux philosophy
> As stated by McIlroy, and generally accepted throughout the
> Unix
community, Unix programs have always been expected to follow the
concept of DOTADIW, or "Do One Thing and Do It Well."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_philosophy#Do_One_Thing_and_Do_It_Well
So you'll be avoiding anything containing systemd...
<chuckle> Systemd hasn't {that I know of} has gotten in my way yet.
Practicality - avoidance of Android
Most "smartphones" come only with Android which presumes someone who
has never met the user knows best what the user needs (let alone
wants) and then goes to great lengths to prevent the end user from
installing a suitable OS.
And there, I think, you encounter the brick wall. It cannot possibly
be accidental that modern portable hardware makes it so difficult to
install Linux, or indeed any alternative OS. I think it is not desired
that people should carry around devices which are not under the complete
control of the manufacturer, particularly in terms of data collection.
Monopolistic enterprises have fallen before ;}
In short, I think you're trying to fight the system.
Who? ME?
Not so long ago an Emeritus Professor and a senior professor had a
conversation in my presence.
Emeritus Prof: "Do you know that this young man {I was in my 50's}
can be persistent?"
Senior Prof: "<pause> Yes, <longer pause> about what he wants to be."
I wish you luck: I have an eight-year-old Acer Aspire One, which I
bought second-hand and which must be on borrowed time. It has Ethernet
and three real USB ports, and runs straight Debian unstable without a
trace of a problem. I've been looking to replace it for a few years,
but have seen nothing promising. It's all 'runs Debian flawlessly,
although the sound, Bluetooth and wifi don't work yet...' and even that
in a chroot with the host kernel running.
Ahhh! Recorded potential market penetration has just increased 50% .
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