Re: (Fwd) Re: [linrad] Lindows

[chrisalbertson90278@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> Hi Chris and others:
> 
> Please excuse my ignorance on this matter. Can you explain what  a
> root is and why this limitation might be a problem? My only interest
> in Linux is to run Linrad. Is this like a DOS root directory, so
> there
> are no sub directories? If this is the case would it prevent Linrad
> from working?

Sorry, I made a wrong assuption.  I assumed anyone working with linrad
would be somewhat of a linux expert or if not at least somewhat
knowagable.

Lunux and UNIX are systems that allow many, many users to be logged in
and using the computer at the same time.  UNIX was written back in the
days when for economic reasons computers where a shared resorce that
cost as much as a house.  UNIX was designed so that one user simply
could not mess up the work of another user. This includes messing up
the other guy's files, "hoging" the CPU or crashing the system.  There
is one exception:  A user called "root" is alowed to basically do as he
pleases.  It is not good to run "normal" programs while signed in as
"root" as a mistake can trash the system.

Note that anyone using an MS Windows 9x system is effectivly signed on
as "root" and can trash the system if he wants or by making an error
like typing "format C:" or the like.  So it is undertandable that
Windows and DOS users would see no problem with Lindows having only one
user called "root".  But UNIX/Linux users are used to very robust
protections.  It is kind of like if you had lived in a tent your whole
life.  The concept of a door key would be foriegn.
> 
>  The target market for this computer is your
> > gandmother not a software engineer.  The Walmart/Lindows machine is
> > a first cut attempt to prove that Linux can be a better desktop
> > machine for a non-expert PC user than MS Windows.  It's biggest
> > advantage is the "click and install" web site where you can
> > automatically download and install Linux software.  (But if you
> know
> > what a *.tar file is you don't need or want this and having to run
> > as root is so bad you will re-format anyway.)
> 
> This would be a nice way to handle Linrad updates if it is practical.
> I do not know (yet) what a tar file is, but I do have a good
> understanding of DOS.

Do you know what a DOS "zip file" is?  "tar is the same thing but about
15 years older.

> 
> > But if you are reading this we assume you know a bit about Linux
> and
> > will simply re-format the disk and pick up a PC for $199.
> 
> I followed the links to the Walmart web site. Perhaps the prices went
> up or I did not look in the right place. I think the prices started
> at
> $299. Did I miss something?

OK $299.  Possably the lowest end system is no longer available.
Either way it's cheap.  You can do as well however by looking
at www.pricewatch.com  It's a kind of search engine that finds PC
hardware vendors and sorts the result by price. 

> 
> > 
> > Next question is, will the low-end Celeron CPU run FFTs fast
> enough?
> > The Celeron's Cache is small and the FFT allgorithum runs faster if
> > the whole thing fits in cache.  
> 
> I think the low end CPU was 800 mhz. This was the $299 one. I don't
> know what the cache size is, but I suspect its size would need to be
> known to answer the question

All Celerons have smaller caches than Pentiums.  That is how Intel
can offer the Celeron at the lower price point.  I guess you can read
www.intel.com to find the details.

 The PC sounds interesting to me, but I
> am not sure I wish to be the first. If something prevents it from
> working with Linrad, my lack of knowledge would put me at a severe
> handicap. Certainly the idea of pre-loaded software is apealing. They
> offer Linux pre-loaded on a PC as well.


=====
Chris Albertson 
  Home:   310-376-1029  chrisalbertson90278@xxxxxxxxx
  Cell:   310-990-7550
  Office: 310-336-5189  Christopher.J.Albertson@xxxxxxxx

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