Adding to my serious doubts about Windows 10

[sophisticles]

Linux is an alternative to UNIX, not to Windows.
And the Linux "gods" simply don't want the kernel to become 'less-unfriendly'.
In other words, they want the whole world to believe that usr, bin, etc, boot, home, lib, mnt, var, whatever,
are "eternal and immutable realities"

If you want to get technical Linux is not an alternative to UNIX, it's a kernel for the GNU OS, which itself was meant to bring UNIX to the desktop decades ago.

Today, GNU/Linux is an alternative to Windows and a damn fine one at that.

The term "User Friendly" does not apply to the Linux kernel nor can it apply to any OS Kernel, not even the Windows Kernel. The term can only apply to the whole OS and Linux distros have become very "user friendly", especially the Ubuntu based ones.

As for your comments about "usr, bin, etc, boot, home, lib, mnt, var" I can assure you that you are wrong. The folders have nothing to do with the kernel, they have nothing to do with the file systems Linux supports, they are the folders that most Linux distros use and evolved from the fact that Linux uses shared libraries. But they are not "eternal and immutable" and nobody has claimed they are, I can't recall which distro it is but I know I have used one that did not in fact use that folder hierarchy.

@usually_quite: Android was never meant to be a desktop OS, it uses the Linux kernel and was always meant for touch screen devices mobile devices and as of 2015 it has the largest installed user base of any OS.

As for the handful of vulnerabilities, you can not extrapolate to the Linux desktop security concerns based on Android, not to mention that it's still less exploits and security holes than Windows can even dream of.

[usually_quiet]

@usually_quite: Android was never meant to be a desktop OS, it uses the Linux kernel and was always meant for touch screen devices mobile devices and as of 2015 it has the largest installed user base of any OS.

As for the handful of vulnerabilities, you can not extrapolate to the Linux desktop security concerns based on Android, not to mention that it's still less exploits and security holes than Windows can even dream of.

The point of bringing up Android is that if a big company pours billions into developing an OS based on the Linux kernel, they are going to create something for their benefit, and maybe it will be a less than perfect OS. ...and yes, it is likely not going to be something that runs on a desktop or laptop. All those free Linux distros guarantee that nobody will bother to waste money creating yet another Linux-based OS competing with the rest for desktop users.

[Edit]Oh sorry, I almost forgot about another Google OS based on the Linux kernel, Chrome OS. Now, that one is for laptops and desktops, although its primary purpose is to run a browser and web-based applications with limited ability to do anything offline. Chrome OS is not as successful as Android but Chromebooks/Chromeboxes are an attractive option for a few people, and can run some Android applications. Chrome OS suits Google's purposes, but is probably not the kind of commercially successful product that most Linux users would wish for.

[Edit 2]Later, I remembered that SteamOS was derived from Linux. Valve intends for it to be used for playing video games but wants to add features to allow media consumption. Although it is possible for users to install and run some Linux software with a little effort, it is yet another specialty OS aimed at selling a particular company's products/services.

[El Heggunte]

......

As for your comments about "usr, bin, etc, boot, home, lib, mnt, var" I can assure you that you are wrong. The folders have nothing to do with the kernel, they have nothing to do with the file systems Linux supports, they are the folders that most Linux distros use and evolved from the fact that Linux uses shared libraries. But they are not "eternal and immutable" and nobody has claimed they are, I can't recall which distro it is but I know I have used one that did not in fact use that folder hierarchy.

Interesting. Just wondering why the "geniuses" haven't learned the lesson yet.
Certainly because they are more narrow-minded than the GNU and open-source enthusiasts would like to admit.

P.S.: Of course you are incorrect, and here is the proof;
apologies for the delay, but lazyness affects even great old people like myself

Certain conventions exist for locating particular kinds of files, such as programs, system configuration files and users' home directories. These were first documented in the hier(7) man page since Version 7 Unix; subsequent versions, derivatives and clones typically have a similar man page.

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_filesystem#Conventional_directory_layout

[Seeker47]

BTW, it looks like MS is now forcing people to upgrade to Win 10:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3015238/microsoft-windows/microsoft-narrows-win10-upg...e-tonight.html

Note that there isn't a "No Thank You" option.

Woody's column has become a MUST. In the course of this discussion, I kept forgetting to mention the sneaky ways MS has been trying to slip a forced 10 upgrade under the door, past uninformed or incautious users of 7 and 8.1. Avoiding that deception has required 'NO Auto Updates' and continued vigilance. New update KB's for this with altered names keep reappearing. (For example, BEWARE of anything that mentions "Customer Experience", "Ease", or "Telemetry.")

[usually_quiet]

For months various sources have predicted that the Windows 10 free upgrade will become a recommended update some time next year. If that happens it could become even more difficult to avoid installing the Windows 10 free upgrade.

[sophisticles]

P.S.: Of course you are incorrect, and here is the proof;
apologies for the delay, but lazyness affects even great old people like myself

Certain conventions exist for locating particular kinds of files, such as programs, system configuration files and users' home directories. These were first documented in the hier(7) man page since Version 7 Unix; subsequent versions, derivatives and clones typically have a similar man page.

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_filesystem#Conventional_directory_layout

"Of course" I'm incorrect?!? How about explaining to me how anything in that link contradicts what I have said?