ubuntu inquiry for use of internet cafes in imus, cavite

[Conrad Knauer]

On 10/17/06, Zak B. Elep <zakame at ubuntu.com> wrote:

> internet browsing in Ubuntu is a given;

The default is Firefox, BTW, though there are others, notably
Konqueror and Opera (the latter is proprietary, but free of cost)
should you desire something else.

> MMOs usually need some emulator if
> there are no native GNU/Linux versions; Ubuntu installation and
> configuration isn't as difficult as it seems to be, especially with
> Edgy 6.10 around the cornet ;) but I'd like to have an update of this
> classic.

Basically, he is talking about Wine, which is not technically an
emulator since it does not emulate a processor; please see
http://www.winehq.org/

"Think of Wine as a compatibility layer for running Windows programs.
Wine does not require Microsoft Windows, as it is a completely free
alternative implementation of the Windows API consisting of 100%
non-Microsoft code, however Wine can optionally use native Windows
DLLs if they are available. Wine provides both a development toolkit
for porting Windows source code to Unix as well as a program loader,
allowing many unmodified Windows programs to run on x86-based Unixes,
including Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, and Solaris."

To check for the compatability of specific software, please see
http://appdb.winehq.org/
(e.g. MMORPGs: http://appdb.winehq.org/appbrowse.php?catId=103 )

> Also of note is the final paragraph; for those playing at home, there
> had been some major concerns here in the Philippines last year about
> Microsoft, et al. cracking down internet cafes using pirated Windows,
> and caused a major scare that even companies running legit Windows got
> wobbly-kneed in the fear of being targeted by the NBI dogs hired(?) by
> MS.

This is part of Microsoft's business strategy; consider what Bill
Gates said about China in 1998:

"Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but
people don't pay for the software [...] Someday they will, though. As
long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours.
They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to
collect sometime in the next decade."

(as per http://news.com.com/2100-1023-212942.html )

genermorada wrote:

> i would like to inquire if this program
> would be able to help us operators of internet cafes as a substitute
> for windows due to its licensing requirements.

Yes indeed!  From the back of the CD:

"Ubuntu is software libre.  You are encouraged and legally entitled to
copy, reinstall, modify, and redistribute this CD for yourself and
your friends.  Share the spirit of Ubuntu!"

Please see also http://www.chinwong.com/

"Digital Life is a weekly technology column appearing every Tuesday in
Manila Standard Today, a national daily from the Philippines."

specifically:
http://www.chinwong.com/index.php/site/comments/desktop_linux_revisited/
http://www.chinwong.com/index.php/site/comments/life_without_windows/

Sincerely,
Conrad Knauer

P.S. I keep my notes on Ubuntu here:
http://members.shaw.ca/Limulus/ubuntu.html