Microsoft Offers Ubuntu, Suse And Fedora Through Windows Store

Hi there

If Ms wants to do this --fine -- but will it be a Linux with a GUI or just an enhanced BASH type of shell.

These days Linux has just as good GUI's (or better ones) than Windows so I can't really see the point of this unless it centralizes Linux distros from a central area.

I'm actually using Windows less and less these days -- about the only three major applications I really can't give up on Windows are Ms OFFICE including OUTLOOK -- still streets ahead of any other substitute, email (I LIKE outlook, I don't yet like any Linux email client - even things like Thunderbird and evolution), PHOTOSHOP although I'm liking GIMP more and more, and some Video hardware capture.

Some corporate front end stuff I also need Windows for like access to SAP ERP systems from a Windows SAPGUI even though the backend databases and ERP system runs on Linux. You can also use the Windows front end with things like FIORI which uses the Internet to create applications from the SAP ERP system -- design on a Windows front end but all the real work is done on the Linux server backend.

Here's the way Fiori works now

1) On Windows logon to SAP system and enter FIORI logon screen -- the Fiori application runs on the Linux system.



2) After Logon - simply enter your development application -- all Data base calls done on the Linux system but the user / developer is still using all the Windows front end tools etc etc s the main work is done on Windows front end work stations relieving a lot of load on the servers - so a Linux callable system from Windows could make a nice development environment without the need for VM's etc.

The application is presented to the user on Windows so no probs whatsoever in unfamiliar desktops etc. A lot of E-Commerce is done this way too.



A winner however you look at it.


I'm also using an XP VM to run recording studio hardware (creating personalized VINYLS for people -- getting quite profitable these days).

Other than that I find running any type of server stuff (files, multi-media etc) and Internet browsing can be done easily on ANY Linux distro.

It's nice though Ms is beginning to see the light -- although using Linux as a dedicated gaming platform won't appear quickly any time soon --bit I'm not a gamer so that doesn't bother me.

And as far as rolling releases are concerned that's fine --much easier than the " Cheese sliced portions" of Windows updates that get rolled out -- and of course if you just want a stable server you keep to the Long Term Release stuff and only update if you have new hardware or if there's a big security problem --- the nature of Linux makes a hack of the sort we all read about yesterday very unlikely (although not impossible).

Cheers
jimbo

Rocky said:

$$$$$$$$$$

Hi there
Both SUSE and REDHAT are HUGE commercial organisations so tying up a bit with Ms will certainly be beneficial to both sides.

SUSE : Enterprise Linux, Openstack cloud, software-defined storage | SUSE

REDHAT : The world's open source leader

Both these support their open source distros completely -- SUSE -->OPENSUSE and REDHAT-->FEDORA and CENTOS.

My issue though with UBUNTU is unlike the other two organisations it's managed by Canonical -- a much more "Greedy" type of organisation and is going rather against the spirit of Linux in making a whole slew of proprietary stuff.


I can see lots of advantages of having both a Windows and Linux stack running on the same machine without say the need for different VM's - especially given the power of modern hardware -- even an average Laptop should be able to manage it quite successfully.

Note Fedora is the "Developer" version of RHEL (Red HAT) - it gets new updates and leading edge software so is not always the most stable. Centos is the open source "Clone" of the actual RHEL enterprise version - very stable and geared to Long term support so often runs older kernels and software -- built for 100% reliability and stability which is why it's used in 1000's of servers world wide - you can update kernels etc on it but you have to do it youself. For me I use it as a NAS server so I don't need to run "The latest and greatest" -- just boot it and let it run straight OOB 24/7 for months on end.

You can use FEDORA packages on it (Centos) too if you want to try the absolute latest software / hardware on it -- I use my server as a stable system not as a desktop OS so that's not important for me. For experimenting I'd probably try something like MINT though.

BTW CENTOS does have rolling releases also
Index of /rolling/7/isos/x86_64

The only downside I can see for this -- is trying to imagine some overloaded I.T dept having to manage defective machines and not knowing whether it's the Windows or Linux stack (or even both) causing the problem !!! -- A lot more education and training I think will be needed !!!!!.


Cheers
jimbo