Comments on: Christian, Linux and Microsoft

By: Steven

Steven — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:29:23 +0000

I think everyone has missed an important point.

If I can do what I need to do on Linux, I can take the money I would pay for Windows, OSX and the related software and put it to better use. I recently added up what it would cost someone to purchase Windows 7 and a copy of Office. Anyway you look at it a legal setup will run $400.00 or more. I can provide a meal for a homeless person for $5. That means that I can provide 160 meals to hungry people.

I don’t think everyone should use Ubuntu, but those who can should– and then put the money to better use.

By: Jereme

Jereme — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 11:29:09 +0000

@Simon

You can simply extract the archive that you downloaded. Then open the folder and you will find a “ReadMe” file that should get you going.

Jereme

By: simon

simon — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:34:18 +0000

I am new to all of this but I like what i see I have ubuntu fiesty and want to run CE and have downloaded the convertme script but I dont know what to do with it can I please get sum detailed instruction on how to run the script.
I know it is probably verry simple but i simply have not found any details so far
Thank you Simon from Tasmania Australia

By: Roger Franklin

Roger Franklin — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:52:34 +0000

Hey all,
just a pat on the back for you Jereme, ive use a few versions of Ubuntu. As enjoy the distro.
For those whom have not used open source nor know it. Fear not it has many benefits that far pass any economic ones. A whole Church/Christian Community can benefit from free servers, as many other features.
:)not too mention that there are many Christian programes and applictions that can be installed with apt-get(:

regards
Roger Franklin

By: Lukas

Lukas — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:38:56 +0000

Hi!
I like your distro very much, Jereme Hancock!
Have anyone of you tried Ichthux which is another distro with bible study and stuff.

Open source to the people!

//Lukas

By: Jereme Hancock

Jereme Hancock — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 00:34:50 +0000

Hi,
I am the developer of Ubuntu CE. Just to clarify things a bit. The convert_me script is provided for those who are already using Ubuntu and would like to easily “convert” to Ubuntu CE. Ubuntu CE is actually a full iso distro. It is of couse mostly Ubuntu with the addition of Christian apps and themes. The main benefit is the inclusion of dansguardian web content filtering with a built in GUI to adjust the settings. Ubuntu CE also has a secondary goal of easing the transition from Windows. If you take a look at the latest release you will notice many of the changes that have been made. There are even more new things coming.
Jereme Hancock
Ubuntu CE Developer

By: tj Lofeld

tj Lofeld — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 02:34:25 +0000

Paul Dubuc spoke truer then he realized possibly… Have anyone ever read teh Microsoft EULA? (End User License Agreeement)? It is literally true, you do NOT own the copy of Windows. What you have paid up to as much as $350 for is tehright to use one copy of Windows on one computer. You literally do not own the disk or the software. If you don’t believe me read the EULA if you have the disk otherwise it is easy enough to find on line. Oh, and if you buy it preinstalled, you agree to the conditions of hte license by using Windows on your computer. Now to add to the interest on this front, Microsoft’s profit is about 75% of the price of every normal retail purchase. At this rate, of course they can afford to give discounts.

I too spend my time (I’m on disability with Parkinson’s) building computers from bits so the church I belong to can give them to needing members of the community. For these purposes, I find a LInux a far better choice than Windows. The reasons primarily one the lack of cost, and two Linux is faster and more forgiving inolder machines than recent Winodws releases.

having taken your attention for a bit, I will blush, climb down off my soapbox, and proceed to thank anybody who reads my rant.

By: Paul Dubuc

Paul Dubuc — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 05:20:45 +0000

Walt Robinson says that Microsoft provides deep discounts to non-profits, schools and students. Sure, they would rather get some money from you rather than none and lock you in for a time when they may not be so “generous.” The issue with free software isn’t just money. Standardize on Microsoft and you are completely dependent on them. They’re locking you in. You will be “encouraged” to upgrade (hardware and software) ready or not. When you can’t run your system or read your Word format documents because Windows thinks your license is invalid or needs to be renewed for a fee, you’ll realize that your computer and the software you use isn’t really yours. It’s Microsoft’s.

By: Pastor Tim

Pastor Tim — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 23:37:40 +0000

Interesting discussion!

Another aspect of this whole discussion which no one mentioned is MS validation of their product. As I understand it Vista is licensed to one computer and one computer only. If my computer fails, or I choose to upgrade my MB, I am expected to purchase another license! Now hold on… if I only use it on one computer I have to wonder about the ethics of being so restrictive. As long as I only install it on one computer, I should be able to use it only any computer I choose.

A monopoly is usually only good for the owner… never for everyone else.

By: mouldy

mouldy — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:06:59 +0000

i’ve been using Ubuntu for 2yrs and recently installed Ubuntu ce as it saves me the frustration of finding ,installing and configuring the packages needed to “Baptise”my pc.(water Baptism is not recomended)
As I believe JC needs us to work together and not compete against each other,the choice to use open source is easy.

To do with pirated software ,I find most nonfree software to choked up with security to be usefull and find the whole idea of copyright non christian. THANK GOD CHRIST DID NOT COPYRIGHT HIS IDEAS !!!!!

Because of the linux comunity and our waistful capatilist world I can now build a system out of bits from the local tip ,instal a free user freindly operating system and give it to someone who could never afford it if Bill Gates and his mates had there way.now with Ubuntu ce i can also spread Gods word as well.
(Bill Gates is not evil,he’s just doing what our lovely world has taught him, that is ….be a capatilist pig).
If putting a bit of God into an O/S distro is “nothing more than a gimmick ” then please give the world more gimmick’s of the like.
God bless ya’s

By: airtonix

airtonix — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 12:55:36 +0000

wow, this is a angle of appreciation for pimping linux that i have not considered….

BUt i do work with a non-profit org…..and they laugh at me when i say that they will be better of with ubuntu dapper.

it causes me great frustration to see morons lauging at me…..isnt there a quote from plato concerning this scenario….I know of the cliche modern one that goes “god must love stupid people, coz IT made a lot of them”.

By: putzmuffin

putzmuffin — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 03:53:04 +0000

I love the idea of this, and tried it myself a while back but decided it was to much work. But why Ubuntu? I wish they had done it with Mepis or Kanotix or any other more polished Linux distro that is Debian based.

Microsoft selling it’s OS at discounts to non-profits still does not make up for the many evil practices it still uses to discourage free enterprise, and I setup old computers and give them to missionaries in my free time and use Mepis and BibleTime and the like.

By: Beppo

Beppo — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:24:39 +0000

Regarding your comment : “as Christians we should put off downloading pirated software, MP3 and movies.” I agree. It amazes me how many people seem to not “get it”. I’ve heard the rationalization and justification, but it’s still stealing. It doesn’t matter how rich some person or company is, nor how corrupt they are (in regards to this) — stealing is stealing, and it’s wrong. Most of us wouldn’t steal from Walmart just because they’ve done some bad things and are rich. It’s just that online we are less likely to get caught. But we’ll still have to answer for God for all we do…

By: Ron

Ron — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 21:44:41 +0000

Although I do not have Ubuntu CE installed, I plan to in the near future. My main OS is Simply Mepis Linux, and have been using it for about 1 1/2 years. I like the idea of having the afore mentioned software set up during the install process. It doesn’t look like a gimmick at all to me; it does look like something that might attract a segment of people to Linux that might not look at Linux at all.

Use whatever tools you can to help people with their computing tasks. In my opinion, it would be nice if a few things were changed by default in Ubuntu, but it’s okay like it is. For instance, I don’t like the “sudo” thing, but that’s a minor issue.

Scott, I couldn’t agree more with you about the legal copies of M$ software. There’s only a couple of things I have to boot into XP for, and as soon as I figure out how to do them in Linux, I’ll happily wipe out that partition and use it for something else. I am in agreement with Pastor D. C. Parris, who wrote “Penguin in the Pew”. I think churches should use open source as much as possible, but some people don’t want to take the time to learn something new.

As Christians, I believe it is important to be seen in this world of ours, and UCE is just one way we can do that. It is certainly not an end in itself; it is a tool that can be an effective part of what we do. Thank you for your time.

Pastor Ron

By: Walt Robertson

Walt Robertson — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 05:30:01 +0000

Well said. I work for The Salvation Army, a branch of the evangelical Christian church. Microsoft provides deeeeeeep discounts to non-profits, including churches, to the point that it’s almost free. The Salvation Army in the Western USA is standardized on Microsoft products for OS, OP, Accting, and DB. Bill Gates may not have any use for God in his domain, but God is using Bill for His Kingdom.