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I didn't mean to start a "Compiler War" on whose compiler
produces the smallest or fastest binaries for the Intel or
whatever else cpu.

"Free Software" and Operating Systems such as Debian GNU/Linux
are a whole  new way, you might say of looking at the world,
and has quite a philosophy behind it.

Both the "Open Source" and the "Free Software" movements
have a lot in common although they have different philosophies,
and goals.

I switched to GNU/Linux because I got tired of "upgrade-itis".
Re-buying everything I already owned all the time.

The last time I bought a Microsoft Compiler was Microsoft C 5.1
with an upgrade to 6.0. at a cost of $450+

I was trying to compile a program and I kept getting a message
"Internal Compiler Error" Contact Microsoft. After being on hold
for half an hour, their "Tech Support" tried to tell me my program
was at fault. That worked until I pointed out that it was an example
program that came with their compiler!

They kept me on hold for another 15mins and then told me the problem
would be fixed in the next upgrade. I asked if I got a free upgrade
for pointing out their bug. The answer was no and have a nice day.

That was the last time I bought any Microsoft products with the
exception of Windows 98SE, because I needed it to transfer work from
the school I work at to home and so on.( $200+ )

I bought Debian GNU/Linux from

http://www.lsl.com ( Linux Systems Lab ) for about $15 and never looked
back. No longer was I going to pay major bucks for a proprietary
program that I didn't have access to the source code and couldn't
get help with.

I also got the GNU Software disks from http://www.gnu.org for about
$75 or so, and I joined the "Free Software Foundation" as an associate
member.

Any documents I want to write I use LaTeX or TeX. The programs come
with Linux or get the disks from http://www.tug.org. Fantastic programs.

Debian GNU/Linux come with almost every computer language you can think
of, and it won't cost you an arm or a leg.

If you want to know more about the "Free Software" philosophy
listen to some of the speeches of Richard Stallman at
http://audio-video.gnu.org They are in the "Ogg" format a really
cool audio type that rivals MP3.

Now I guess, back to Navigation.

-- Gordon

--
                              ,,,
                             (. .)
+-------------------------ooO-(_)-Ooo------------------------+
| Gordon Talge WB6YKK               e-mail: gtalge AT pe.net |
| Department of Mathematics      http://www.nlmusd.k12.ca.us |
| Norwalk High School                    Norwalk, CA         |
| (o-    Debian / GNU / Linux                                |
| //\    The Choice of the GNU Generation                    |
| v_/_                  .oooO                                |
|    - E Aho Laula -     (  )   Oooo. - Wider is Better -    |
+-------------------------\ (---(  )-------------------------+
                           \_)  ) /
                               (_/

   

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