Hello and 你好 from Dalian, China

A

asterisktom

Guest
Just a note to say "Hello, Linux World" in a forum that I have come to really appreciate, but have only lurked. Thanks to all of you here who give great advice and information.

My first computer was a Mac Performa in the early 90s, and I was pretty much a Mac person for about 10 years. I see now that what I liked best in that OS; freedom of choice, customizability, individuality, are actually best embodied in GNU-Linux. I have moved over from Windows (which my job at the time required) to Ubuntu Hardy Heron. I dual-booted for a couple years, but now I only run Linux. My main distro I use now is Linux Mint 15 on my Inspiron with Knoppix 7.2 as a faithful sidekick. I also have a stack of isos that I make of various distros that I give out here.

Here in China I am trying to put in a good word whenever possible about switching over to Linux. This is (at least in the school environment where I work) the land of Windows - especially Windows XP. I suspect that many of them are the Chinese version of "open source" - really cheap, unlicensed copies. The computer the university gave me here is a 32-bit pre-Y2K dinosaur with Windows XP and some kind of Chinese nanny program (360). But now I run a Knoppix flashdrive on that. Surprised how good it looks.

Anyhow, just wanted to say, Hi.

Tom Riggle (asterisktom)
Dalian University of Finance and Economics
 


Ni hao and welcome to Linux.org.

My youngest daughter teaches at Renmin University in Beijing.

Ubuntu Kylin seems to have achieved some popularity in China judging by the number of downloads.
 
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Welcome to this forum and good luck destroying the Blue Empire in China. :D
 
Hey, if these computers use a modified version of a soon-to-be-defunct OS by, most oddly, M$... You could suggest the IT department a software reform project involving Linux. Office applications are no problems, and if there are other specific programmes written by small companies/independent programmers, it might not be hard for a university to get their hands on the source code :D
 
Ni hao and welcome to Linuxorg.

My youngest daughter teaches at Renmin University in Beijing.

Ubuntu Kylin seems to have achieved some popularity in China judging by the number of downloads.

Good for her. I've heard good things about that school.

Thanks for the welcome. I am one now one of those downloaders of Kylin. I'll see what I can make of it with my laptop, though I am not a real fan of the Unity desktop. But I am hoping that this Kylin might be a good tool for me to continue learning Chinese. Also, I plan to distribute these among interested computer users.

Edit: Funny that I had to change your line to "linuxorg" in order to post.
 
Welcome to this forum and good luck destroying the Blue Empire in China. :D

Hey, thanks! One Smurf at a time. :)

I just downloaded Ubuntu Kylin. I guess I'll give it a spin. Hey, that's a good pun a live-CD.

Thanks for the welcome.
 
Hey, if these computers use a modified version of a soon-to-be-defunct OS by, most oddly, M$... You could suggest the IT department a software reform project involving Linux. Office applications are no problems, and if there are other specific programmes written by small companies/independent programmers, it might not be hard for a university to get their hands on the source code :D

Probably the sticking point will be their willingness to consider other options. Many Chinese I have met here are very much stuck in groupthink: "What the crowd does is what I need to do". Very hard to break this mold. But we'll see.

The first thing to do is for me to is to try out this new Chinafied Ubuntu, get familiar with it. I still have a whole stack of other distros to show here, but I understand that those distros that have a good Chinese language support will have the edge.

I am wondering if the people here at this school even know that their MS mothership will be pulling out soon.
 
Edit: Funny that I had to change your line to "linuxorg" in order to post.
Ironically it's the link censorship thing, we can only hope the admins see the light at some stage... you don't need to go all the way to china these days for absurd censorship...
 
Ironically it's the link censorship thing, we can only hope the admins see the light at some stage... you don't need to go all the way to china these days for absurd censorship...

Unfortunately, I cannot fix that issue. Even though I am a "Super Moderator", I cannot make major changes to this site. Placing such limits on mentioning web addresses is supposed to limit spammers. However @asterisktom , once you have received 10 "Likes", you will automatically be given the privilege to post links on this site.
 
I'll see what I can make of it with my laptop, though I am not a real fan of the Unity desktop. But I am hoping that this Kylin might be a good tool for me to continue learning Chinese. Also, I plan to distribute these among interested computer users.

Edit: Funny that I had to change your line to "linuxorg" in order to post.
You can easily install multiple desktop environments that may also have good Chinese support.

About that funny linuxorg thing, I guess I've helped a little with a couple of likes hehe.

Many Chinese I have met here are very much stuck in groupthink: "What the crowd does is what I need to do". Very hard to break this mold. But we'll see.
China is definitely conquering the World (kidding), because people think in this hive fashion everywhere... It's hard to make them believe a free OS can be stunningly better than their overpriced bloatware. "The more expensive, the better" (not).

Some governments have been throwing GNU/Linux on their computers. Public universities included. As many countries have strong governments, with nearly 1/10 population working for them, sometimes even twice more, and a lot of public college students, really many people are learning how to deal with GNU/Linux. I already heard complaints about getting acquainted with the "new" OS. Still, I guess it's a fantastic measure. I bet famous, greedy companies have lost near billions because of such witty change.

Bad that many IT departments are run by stubborn admins, much money is thrown away on replaceable OS's and software suites.

I am wondering if the people here at this school even know that their MS mothership will be pulling out soon.
Most people are prone to think their computers work out of magic... They probably have little idea on what's running there. If you keep spreading the Chinese 'buntus, you may have a pleasing surprise :)
 
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I am wondering if the people here at this school even know that their MS mothership will be pulling out soon.
Wrong question. The correct question is; Do the people at the school even know that Windows is not the world's only operating system?
 
Wrong question. The correct question is; Do the people at the school even know that Windows is not the world's only operating system?
Actually, thanks to all the knockoff "authorized" Apple retail outlets here, they are aware of one - and only one - other OS. The view here seems to be that Apple is a pricy but prestigious option. But they mainly choose Apple for their phones and other devices. For desktop and laptops you are probably right. Linux, for most people here, is almost totally unheard of. That has been my experience, at least.
 
You can easily install multiple desktop environments that may also have good Chinese support.

I need to try this. I downloaded VirtualBox (is this what you mean, something like this?) I need to read up on it and make sure I don't screw things up. I am fairly savvy on things I have done a lot, but not this.

BTW: The link you gave was blocked. China does not like Blogspot. I assumed it was about virtual machines.
 
My experience is a little different. When I tell them I do not use Windows, the usual response is:
Jaw drops.
Then ask with incredulity, "How does your computer work?"
(Yes, I live in China.)
 
No. More than one GUI (desktop environment or window manager) can be installed simultaneously on a single system. Which GUI is used during a session is chosen when logging in. The display manger provides a list of the installed GUIs. No dual-booting. No virtual machines. No problems (usually).
 
I need to try this. I downloaded VirtualBox (is this what you mean, something like this?) I need to read up on it and make sure I don't screw things up. I am fairly savvy on things I have done a lot, but not this.

BTW: The link you gave was blocked. China does not like Blogspot. I assumed it was about virtual machines.
I mean, if you don't enjoy Unity that much, you can install, for instance, LXDE (Knoppix 7.2 default desktop environment) on your Ubuntu, so that you can pick it from session options on the log in screen. Much less complicated than virtual machines :)
tlRhA.png

(random pic about multiple desktop environments I found on google images, just to make sure)

To install bare-bones LXDE on ubuntu:
Code:
sudo apt-get install lxde

If you want to install LXDE plus a lot of general use applications (Lubuntu):
Code:
sudo apt-get install lubuntu-desktop

As to censored links, are kproxy.com and 4proxy.de also blocked in China?
After clicking them, you'll be redirected to that link I first tried to provide you with, through proxies, if everything goes smooth.
 
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Actually, thanks to all the knockoff "authorized" Apple retail outlets here, they are aware of one - and only one - other OS. The view here seems to be that Apple is a pricy but prestigious option. But they mainly choose Apple for their phones and other devices. For desktop and laptops you are probably right. Linux, for most people here, is almost totally unheard of. That has been my experience, at least.
My experience is a little different. When I tell them I do not use Windows, the usual response is:
Jaw drops.
Then ask with incredulity, "How does your computer work?"
(Yes, I live in China.)
This is not a strictly Chinese phenomenon - I live in the UK and the general consensus is:

1. Windows is part of the computer. I know people who go out and buy a new computer once windows slows down to a crawl and chokes on its own filth.

2. Internet Explorer is the "internet". A few know about other browsers, but most stick with IE - and don't know that it's IE (what MS intended).

3. iphone/ipad is what everyone wants, but many settle for android based other brands - once they can afford it they will go Apple.

4. Apple Mac laptops/desktops is the prestige/rolls royce of computers - there are plenty of people who like to stroll around the Apple stores and gaze drooling at the overpriced shiny stuff they will never be able to afford (churned out from the same old far eastern sweat shops, by teenagers working for a few pounds or less per week).

5. Linux could be a brand of detergent or cough medicine.
 
My experience is a little different. When I tell them I do not use Windows, the usual response is:
Jaw drops.
Then ask with incredulity, "How does your computer work?"
(Yes, I live in China.)

You really do live in China @Cyber-Berserker ! Wow, that explains why you are so knowledgeable about computers. Asians know a lot about computers and Americans know a lot about ..........(*still thinking*)..... Nothing comes to mind. :D

@Yesyesloud , your real name is James Gifford? Nice name. I knew your username is not a real name (Yes-Yes-Loud), but is your picture real?

@asterisktom It seems like many people think Windows, OS X, and Android are the only operating systems. Few people know about GNU/Linux and very very few know about *BSD, Solaris, AIX, Haiku, BeOS, ...........
 


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