Was there any time where you had to use non-free (as in freedom) operating systems in any way?
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Before i start let me say this first. This ain't about recommending non-free software in any way of form. This is was about the time where you HAD to use proprietary (non-free) software. Let's be honest. Where you could not use GNU/linux? My school is a big example. Only computers with Windows and OS X (both proprietary) are allowed in the system. Why? because supposedly, GNU/Linux does not support WPA2 Enterprise. Any situations where you had to use Non-free OS'es in any way?
Well, I for one use Windows for university, since we are basically forced to run Adobe and Office software.
Also, I'm pretty sure GNU/Linux does support WPA2 Enterprise.
>>Also, I'm pretty sure GNU/Linux does support WPA2 Enterprise.
Oh, I didn't know that (at first). Because my I.T Technicians in my school said that GNU/Linux (Or "Linux" as they call it) didn't support it. If you can, tell me the source where you find it.
Have you tried it? It should work out of the box.
Yes, GNU/Linux supports it. I use my Trisquel machine on my schools wifi all the time. However, you may have to try multiple options (LEAP, PEAP, PEAP w/ GTC, PEAP, w/ TKIP, etc). At my school I have to use PEAP with GTC.
My university uses WPA2 Enterprise to encrypt the Wifi and Trisquel works (thanks to Network Manager that relies on wpasupplicant).
Even if you cannot access your school's network, I doubt you "have to" use your own laptop to access the network: http://ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2010/08/09/have-to-use.html
Hasn't the school any computer that you can use?
>>I doubt you "have to" use your own laptop to access the network
Well, I do NEED to use a laptop. Because next year (In 2016), There will be e-books instead of physical books (Which is SaaSS, Which in turn is Obviously a blow to free software) And the laptop needs to last 6-8 hours (Which has nothing to do with the operating system)
& thanks for the link! I will read it in my spare time!
>>Hasn't the school any computer that you can use?
Yes, But they all run proprietary operating systems. From the teachers to the students to the ones in the school library. NONE of them run GNU/Linux AT ALL. Once i had a laptop (which is now got a broken screen due to improper repair) had dual boot with Windows 7 & Lubuntu 14.04 LTS (i think) & it had a 1 hour battery life. the I.T. guys said i could only use Windows or else i would not be able to connect to the network.
PS: i will try wpasupplicant someday!!
Not SaaSS, but the way these e-books are presented, they probably can only be read with proprietary software so that you can't copy them.
It's disgusting that this is what university textbooks are moving towards. In the 21st century, e-books should be putting the cost of textbooks down to 0, but instead they're being used to kill off the used book market.
Don't forget High School as well! & indeed they are killing off the used book market! Which one do you prefer?
I'd rather use the school's computer (which therefore has to support the cost of their decisions) than use proprietary software on a machine I administrate.
Anyway, WPA2 Enterprise should work out of the box on Trisquel 7 (Network Manager and wpasupplicant, one of its dependencies, being installed by default). Have you tried?
E-books are not SaaSS. They may be "defective by design" if they are crippled with a DRM though. Without DRM and in a format that free software can read, e-books are OK.
What e-book formats are free and what formats are not? I'd like to know because i haven't used them yet!
The most famous ones are EPUB, PDF and Mobipocket (which is not a standard)... and all of them can contain DRMs. Or not.
The description of FBReader (a famous e-book reader in Trisquel's repository and in F-Droid) lists those "open e-book formats":
"fb2, html, chm, plucker, palmdoc, ztxt, tcr (psion text), rtf, oeb, openreader, non-DRM'ed mobipocket, plain text, epub, eReader"
At work. There's no way around it besides quitting. Unfortunately, I'm not confident enough in my skills and (short) education... yet.
I can't afford to "just take another job and earn a living playing poker" or something.
Plus the company I work with won't stop using Windows because I quit.
Anyway, besides work, I still have to force friends to switch to free software alternatives. Gotta try jitsi online.
And emails of course. Doesn't matter if I use an ethical provider or if I'm self-hosted if virtually everybody else uses gmail and co. Specially since that same gmail recieves ethical providers as spam. Unfortunately, it doesn't encourage switching (imagine everybody asking their contacts to unspam their mail adress. specially if they're work-related contacts).
Other than that, I had to use MS Office recently (Word), because again, the file needed to be sent in word since the Writer version was all messed up.
I might be able to improve that with knowledge, but for now I had to use Word.
Last but not least, on my phone, I installed a few proprietary apps again (even though I had installed none), because it was an emergency and I needed a driving map.
I also installed a communication app because that's what a group I need to stay in touch with once a week uses.
I feel dirty, I need to remove them.
If I have to install them again in emergency, I'll remove them again.
Other than this, I'm happy with free software.
Forgot about Javascript though. This is actually a good reason to use virtualisation : to occasionally use a website even if it's with one js file allowed.
I am a member!
I currently use Windows 7 at work because it is the operating system installed on my current work machine, and have a suite of free software tools installed for my daily tasks. The old IT director was a real Apple fanboy and wanted to replace the PCs we use with Macs. Luckily he was fired before that happened.
The new IT director is (as he describes himself) a "Linux guy" so I am going to ask if I can replace Windows with Trisquel (or at least Mint) because I don't support Microsoft. With any luck I can be Windows-free even at work which has never been an option for me before.
Well, i hope you succeed in replacing Windows with Mint or Trisquel. Personally i don't like Microsoft either and i only use Windows for school (because those buggers dont support GNU/Linux, only proprietary C***)
I once had a computer class that required me to use Microsoft Silverlight. I had to use an install of Windows XP just for that, and as soon as the course was over, I removed it.
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