Cloud vs Local

dos2unix

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This is nothing new. We all know it, we're all seeing it. But still...

Perhaps the thing I like about Linux more than any other other operating system, is that almost everything runs local on my computer. If I want to create a LibreOffice word document, or Excel spreadsheet, no problem.
I don't have to be connected to the internet to do this.

If I want to edit graphics with GIMP, no problem, I can do this even if I am off-line.

I love this. Freedom. No dependencies on anything external.

Now of course I know there are some things that require internet access for Linux, the ISO's we download,
the system updates we receive from time to time... these would be a pain with no internet.
I do my banking on-line, I do a lot of my job on-line, I take classes on-line. But I can't really "own" those things.
I can own my documents, my music, my pictures and I can do whatever I want with them, anytime I want to.

In the Microsoft/Apple/Google world... everything is on-line. Office365, if you don't have internet, you can't use it.
PhotoShop ES, if you don't have internet, you can't use it. GoogleDrive or MS OneDrive where you store your "stuff". If you don't have internet, you can't get "your stuff". I can't even look at my picture I took with my camera. I can't even look at the documents I myself wrote. I can't listen to the Music that I already paid for.

Usually the internet is reliable. (I live in a remote area, in a new sub-division, lots on construction going on here)
But you never own anything. You don't own office anymore. You don't own Photoshop anymore.
I don't just pay one time, and then it's mine. I keep paying and paying forever. I have to subscribe.
And it's not just the software... I have to pay to join a community, Origin, Steam, Microsoft, whatever....

Even on gaming consoles... Xbox, PlayStation, I have to "login" to some online service just to play my games.

Well because of this... I don't use those services, I don't use that software, and I don't subscribe to those
requirements. What happens if I can't pay the subscription or afford internet anymore? I guess too bad for me.

A warning to the powers that be in Linux... if you follow this model. If you really want to be like Microsoft and Apple..

.. many of us will quit using you.. for the same reasons we quit using the others.
Maybe I won't have a computer. Maybe I'll never upgrade. Maybe I'll start using FreeBSD or some other operating system. I'm not sure what will happen, but I know I won't
put all my stuff someplace I don't have control over my access to them.

... off the soapbox now. Thanks for listening to my rant.
 
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I believe eventually every OS will be cloud base and everything will be done and stored in the cloud pretty much there now.

I'm not worried everyone already has your personal information.
 
The most GNU/Linux distributions aren't depended on a company but on a community. I don't see how it would be possible for those distributions to become cloud only and unusable without an internet connection and even the ones backed by companies like RHEL, Ubuntu and SLES. I don't really see it happening since companies also want to run machines in isolated networks where the machines don't have access to the internet but only to their local network. If they make this impossible companies running these distributions wouldn't react positively causing Redhat, Suse and Canonical to lose clients and money.
 
@dos2unix
A warning to the powers that be in Linux... if you follow this model. If you really want to be like Microsoft and Apple..

.. many of us will quit using you.. for the same reasons we quit using the others.
Maybe I won't have a computer. Maybe I'll never upgrade. Maybe I'll start using FreeBSD or some other operating system. I'm not sure what will happen, but I know I won't
put all my stuff someplace I don't have control over my access to them. . . .
Which is one reason why I am so glad I set my sights on learning Slackware, at the outset.
IMO, ubuntu sold out but slackers figured it out when the former bowed to corporate pressure and capitalistic perverse incentives and started heading the direction it and all of its daughters are now going.
Even Debian has become less since Ian was killed by police. And now M$ is invading GNU/Linux via 'conveniences' like incorporating Powershell into the FAI of the distro I reviewed cursorily here, AutoTux.
Maybe Stallman isn't so wrong, afterall, eh? Radical -- yes. Wrong -- not so much, perhaps.
Upshot: learn Slackware or BSD to fall back on, later, should your freedom be valued more than money.
My rant!
 
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I'm not worried everyone already has your personal information.

That's a small part of it. But even more than the information they already have about us all. It's free access to 'MY' stuff. I don't have any pictures, documents or music to hide from anyone. Chances are they can scan my computer at home at get whatever they want anyway.

It's more about I am the one who created that document, I am the one who took that picture, I am the one who composed that music. But even though it's 'MINE' I have to pay to access it.
 
Cannot now find the websites and reports was searching for -- amazing, isn't it?
Of course, police don't lie,
@dos2unix
My apologies for being off topic but since it was mentioned.






 
Nothing like a few conspiracy theories in the middle of a linux topic !
 
@dos2unix
I am in full agreement with you on the cloud issue.
It's one reason I moved to Linux - so I could access my stuff whenever I want it.
With the price of external memory today, I see no reason to store anything on some server out in the nether world when I can have it available to me all the time.
Why do the biggies push the cloud? It's a money tree for them - guaranteed income, every year.
Think about it - why sell something {older MS Office} when you can have a cash cow {Office 365}? It's all about the money tree that the biggies have created. Guaranteed cash flow.
I'll keep my stuff {and my cash} with me.
OG TC
 
... off the soapbox now. Thanks for listening to my rant.

Listening to that rant was a pleasure.

You have voiced what we all feel and actually know to be the case

I still have friends/acquaintances say to me..."why the hell do you use Linux....why dont you use microsoft".....and my answer is invariably, "why the hell would I use microsoft.......(and therefore why the hell wouldn't I use Linux ??!!)

Just a few of the reasons have been put in print by @dos2unix

Don't stop ranting. It is a breath of fresh air.
 
I actually booted freeBSD from a usb stick the other day- it makes Slackware look easy !!
If Slackware goes down Arch is looking favorite

Not even a Desktop , you can get one - yes via the internet but you haven't figured out how to connect to Internet yet. HAven't properly gone through thread yet - look foreward to rant
 
I am with Brian @Condobloke on this one, not just because Aussies stick together.

What an absorbing rant, @dos2unix as I might expect, I suppose.


I've allowed the off-topic by Nelson since Wile E. opened the door to it, but anything further on Ian's death, mysterious or otherwise, should be subject to a separate thread, and careful about defamation.

Thanks @dos2unix for getting my brain working :)

Chris
 
@dos2unix

Maybe Stallman isn't so wrong, afterall, eh? Radical -- yes. Wrong -- not so much, perhaps.
I don't think Richard Stallman is wrong but there are too many pieces in the Jigsaw; and no conductor to pull it all together and if there was one no chest of money to put into initiative.

Slackware is a good alternative to stolen Windows thats mostly used Ghana. Its not perfect because there are some elements that are not "free" according to Richard Stallman. But i take a pragmatic view , under the circumstances not bad, but to Ricjhard Stallman its all or nothing .

A typical waste of energy and talent and lack of direction by a "manager with common sense " is Zenwalk . The maintainer stated he will keep it going as long as Slackware is maintaining because its based on Slackware. Whats the point of that ?
 
If Linux goes cloud-based, probably somebody will fork it and remove the cloud-based part.

I don't personally mind cloud storage; in fact, I use it for a few small files that I don't really want floating around on my computer.

*** RANT ***

However, I am opposed to having everything as cloud-based. It seems that everybody (yes, Microsoft, I'm looking straight at you) assumes that the end-user has an unlimited internet connection that the operating system can use as much as it wants to. This is a flawed assumption. My family lives in an area where a wired home connection is not possible (I assume you can't get dial-up very easily anymore, and it's slow as molasses anyway), so we get our internet through our cellphone plan. However, this plan is (currently) 16 GB per month, so we need to be prudent with our internet usage. This would not be as big of a problem were it not for the computers that use lots of internet in the background. Thankfully, the computers are not too big of a problem. However, if everything goes cloud-based, suddenly people like us are going to be stuck between a rock and a hard place (and I'll do like @dos2unix and learn *BSD in order to escape this cloud-based racket).

*** END RANT ***
 
@captain-sensible
I don't think Richard Stallman is wrong but there are too many pieces in the Jigsaw; and no conductor to pull it all together and if there was one no chest of money to put into initiative.

Slackware is a good alternative to stolen Windows thats mostly used Ghana. Its not perfect because there are some elements that are not "free" according to Richard Stallman. But i take a pragmatic view , under the circumstances not bad, but to Ricjhard Stallman its all or nothing . . . .
Agreed. I feel we need a balance, however, and he provides a counter-point to Canonical and other even more greed-based Linux (corporations). Practically speaking, his approach does not work real well. But -- more power to him!
If Slackware goes down Arch is looking favorite]
I think I'd give gentoo another whirl before Arch, myself. To hell with 'favorites!' LOL!
 
If Linux goes cloud-based, probably somebody will fork it and remove the cloud-based part.

I don't personally mind cloud storage; in fact, I use it for a few small files that I don't really want floating around on my computer.

*** RANT ***

*BSD in order to escape this cloud-based racket).

*** END RANT ***
Well i have had a look at freeBSD and its no picnic
 
well all i know is i don't fancy freeBSD having looked at it; would certainly consider gentoo or other OS if there is some +ve feedback especially from another slack user
 


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