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> I'm reminded of the old sarcastic comment that "Linux is free, if your time has no value". Wow, a thread about supply chains and you manage to take a cheap j

> I'm reminded of the old sarcastic comment that "Linux is free, if your time has no value". Wow, a thread about supply chains and you manage to take a cheap jab at Linux. In response, try running Windows on a computer you only use once a month. You can watch it update every time instead of getting work done. Linux you can update while working.

DonHopkins 5y ago
Not only: "Linux is free, if your time has no value." But also: "Free software: more expensive than money." Those old sarcastic comments remind me of Cygnus Solution's more up-beat slogan (they ported and supported free software like GCC, and were bought by RedHat): "We Make Free Software Affordable" Instead of just whining about cheap shots, Cygnus Solutions deftly channeled the doubts and problems raised by the first two slogans (which they didn't originate, but were going around at the time), into a successful service under the last slogan (which they did originate, in response). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_Solutions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_Solutions https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1641664 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1641664 http://www.h-online.com/open/features/GCC-We-make-free-software-affordable-1066831.html http://www.h-online.com/open/features/GCC-We-make-free-softw... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23884395 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23884395 https://minnie.tuhs.org/pipermail/tuhs/2020-May/021225.html https://minnie.tuhs.org/pipermail/tuhs/2020-May/021225.html
lucumo 5y ago
Once a month? No. I hardly even reboot my Windows machine once a month... Only the major releases of Windows 10 need a stop the world reboot. Those happen once every six months. And it's usually only a few minutes. That's for a home machine. I've seen some enterprise machines take forever. I have no idea how they managed to fuck that up, but it's on the IT organisation of those enterprises, not on Windows.
- erikbye 5y ago
  I said once a month, because if you use your computer once a month there is no point having it powered on 24/7, not economical. What happens is you power it on when you need to use it, Windows starts downloading updates in the background, the next time you power on, installation starts on boot.
  - lucumo 5y ago
    Those updates don't get installed at boot time. Modern Windows installs most updates in the background. The only ones that require a reboot are the big ones, every 6 months.
    - phatfish 5y ago
      You lost me there. Which version of Windows will install the monthly cumulative update without a reboot? Server 2016 (and older versions of W10) are horrendous for updates. You can have servers stuck on "configuring updates" during shutdown or startup for over 30 mins. Server 2019 is much better though.
sumtechguy 5y ago
To be fair any newish computer OS is going to act the same way in that condition, linux included. I know if I put any of my linux computers in that mode of use they would. My PS4 I use maybe every 2-3 months. Large update every time usually on the order of an hour to do so. I am pretty sure I have not 'paid' for a copy of any OS in 15 years (and that was because I built a computer). Yet I spend a good amount of time 'fixing' things. I pay in spades in time, no matter what little amount I may have forked out when I bought the computer.

DonHopkins 5y ago

Not only: "Linux is free, if your time has no value." But also: "Free software: more expensive than money." Those old sarcastic comments remind me of Cygnus Solution's more up-beat slogan (they ported and supported free software like GCC, and were bought by RedHat): "We Make Free Software Affordable" Instead of just whining about cheap shots, Cygnus Solutions deftly channeled the doubts and problems raised by the first two slogans (which they didn't originate, but were going around at the time), into a successful service under the last slogan (which they did originate, in response). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_Solutions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_Solutions https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1641664 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1641664 http://www.h-online.com/open/features/GCC-We-make-free-software-affordable-1066831.html http://www.h-online.com/open/features/GCC-We-make-free-softw... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23884395 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23884395 https://minnie.tuhs.org/pipermail/tuhs/2020-May/021225.html https://minnie.tuhs.org/pipermail/tuhs/2020-May/021225.html

lucumo 5y ago

Once a month? No. I hardly even reboot my Windows machine once a month... Only the major releases of Windows 10 need a stop the world reboot. Those happen once every six months. And it's usually only a few minutes. That's for a home machine. I've seen some enterprise machines take forever. I have no idea how they managed to fuck that up, but it's on the IT organisation of those enterprises, not on Windows.

erikbye 5y ago
I said once a month, because if you use your computer once a month there is no point having it powered on 24/7, not economical. What happens is you power it on when you need to use it, Windows starts downloading updates in the background, the next time you power on, installation starts on boot.
- lucumo 5y ago
  Those updates don't get installed at boot time. Modern Windows installs most updates in the background. The only ones that require a reboot are the big ones, every 6 months.
  - phatfish 5y ago
    You lost me there. Which version of Windows will install the monthly cumulative update without a reboot? Server 2016 (and older versions of W10) are horrendous for updates. You can have servers stuck on "configuring updates" during shutdown or startup for over 30 mins. Server 2019 is much better though.

sumtechguy 5y ago

To be fair any newish computer OS is going to act the same way in that condition, linux included. I know if I put any of my linux computers in that mode of use they would. My PS4 I use maybe every 2-3 months. Large update every time usually on the order of an hour to do so. I am pretty sure I have not 'paid' for a copy of any OS in 15 years (and that was because I built a computer). Yet I spend a good amount of time 'fixing' things. I pay in spades in time, no matter what little amount I may have forked out when I bought the computer.