[ILUG] Is Linux a windows based operating system ??

[Stephen_Reilly at dell.com]

	Thought that might get your attention. I remember when I first set
about using Linux, it was about, what, 5 years ago now ?? Something like
that, Slackware that was. Great fun. I didn't actually get near a box until
several years after that. I simply telneted to the college box, skynet.
Wrote a web page, in PICO, launched myself into lynx, IRC, ltin, muds,
nethack, e-mail, ftped stuff for no particular reason, the whole lot. It was
great, open Win3.1 Dos prompt, "telnet 136.201.105.2" and open the whole
world. And of course later on running Win95 and then NT telnet, then Putty,
windows is just a telnet/ftp/rconsol launcher. Like Kerry the best thing
about it is the road out (sorry!). It was incidental to me at the time that
Slackware was handling all my little requests, that things like ytalk were
linux based and not an application run in an app in windows. 

	Meander would we ?? Anyway back to the original point. I remember
when I discovered XWin32 (I think it was called). You know the kind of
thing, eXceed, remote desktop effort. I said "wow !!" it's an operating
system. So from then on I'd launch XWin32, open a consol prompt and continue
doing exactly the same things as before, still in text !!! I now have to
literally force myself to press Alt+F7 to KDE, but how else am I gonna play
with Linux anymore ?? XWindows killed the Virtual Terminal Star. Even
Netware is attempting to hop on the preverbial bandwagon, (albeit a woefully
half hearted attempt, good for them !!). 

	I know a guy, been using Linux for several months now, init 5 on
boot up. He's been playing games, using kdevelop, yada yada, never knew you
could switch between VTs ?? 

Just a thought,
Steve