Linux is so cool!

[Nils Holland]

Danger - the following is a bit off-topic!

On Thu, 2005-03-10 at 14:50 -0700, Robin Laing wrote:

> I have installed Open Office and Firefox [on Windows] which each required a reboot.

Well, I'm not aware that Windows requires a reboot after installing
Firefox, since a while ago I had to install it on a lot of NT boxes. If
you also install Java, things might look different, though.

Now, staying a bit off-topic, I've recently had this "fine" experience
on Windows XP: I went to Windows Update
(http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com), and there were no required
updates, but under "Optional Components" the "Microsoft .Net Framework"
was available for download. Previously, I've always ignored this
"optional component", but this time, since there were no real updates
available to download, I thought I'd just install it. So I checked it,
clicked on "Install" and watched Windows Update download the .Net
Framework 1.0. After it had installed it, a reboot was required. Right
after that, XP's "Automatic Update" feature informed me about a ".Net
Framework 1.1". I downloaded and installed it, which required another
reboot. And after this second reboot ... well, Windows Update alarmed me
that there was a security update for the .Net Framework 1.1 available,
which I also downloaded and which also required a reboot.

So, let's sum it up: I went to Windows Update, which offered me an old
(1.0) version of a piece of software. After a reboot, it offers me an
update and forced me to reboot again. After that second reboot, it
offers me a patch to the update and asks me to reboot again. So, if
anyone seriously wants to use this .Net Framework crap on an XP machine,
it looks like three downloads and three reboots are required to get it
working. And that although MS praises "decreased number of necessary
reboots" as one of XP's biggest features. Great! I'm really glad that
it's not my machine I made this install-and-reboot eXPerience with. I'm
running Fedora, and every time I touch Windows I find more reasons why I
run it!

Greetings,
Nils