I'd hate to see a BSOD happen while in the air... the system needing a reboot?

It's well known that Windows machine routinely need to be rebooted, usually within a couple months when you turn them on. For many this isn't a problem as they turn it off after they are done using it per day or week.

I've personally experienced BSOD a hundred times maybe. Linux kernel panic? Twice on a laptop, and that's when i unplugged a wireless router device while the machine was still using it. Other times don't count as programming a module and device driver in linux you're bound to kill it in the process, but debugging and using UML, you can go a long ways in kernel hacking. But that was years and years ago.... god now i feel old.

But some things need to be on 24/7. Linux systems have been known to run for months at a time, we're talking 8+. Some businesses can't risk turning the systems off even for an hour to upgrade the system because they depend on their software running.

WHDownloader on a machine with internet, then DISM to update the install.wim file with the updates. Burn to disk (or USB) and install.

Same is true for GOG games as well. Does that mean that they can't be run offline because you need an online machine to get them? (I am joking btw, but it is a similar case)

It may not require internet activation, but it's equivalent to going to a hotel, and when your key doesn't work buzzing the managers to come unlock the door... It's outside intervention to get it to work, regardless if it uses a Ethernet port or TCP/IP to do the job.

edit: I actually meant apartment or rented house (rather than hotel/motel)... Since it's assumed you're given a key and you only call them when something's really wrong..

You should check your hardware. I doubt I've encountered 100 BSOD in the 20 years of using Windows, and most of those were due to faulty memory or HDD.

Somehow NASA manages to successfully do their flights with Windows and not have crashes, well sometimes some of NASA's spacecraft does crash.

NASA, the U.S Government in general has a huge partnership with Microsoft.

If you were really curious you would have googled it. But to answer your mild curiosity, you can activate Windows by phone, and here's How to manually download and install Windows Updates.

Edit: I see there's already been a lot of discussion on the subject between the time I clicked Reply and the time I posted.

SLIC doesn't. It just checks the BIOS and OS table and it's done.
And as for the Hotel example, it's more like saying "Hi, I came to your hotel, can I get the key to my room? Sure, here it is". If you do lose the key, then you do need to bother them again, but under normal hotel stay, you only bother them once.
Do you mean that Linux is like a hotel with no keys, and anyone can use any room he wants without checking? Not sure I'd like such a hotel (Yes, I am joking again).

Have your credit card handy! Microsoft has no liability or responsibility for keeping track of if you purchased a product from them so if you have to re-format you may have to buy it again!


I am serious. I worked with an IT guy for a while who ended up losing his key to his MS Office, and Microsoft didn't keep his purchase on record... He had to buy the whole program all over again to activate it... It's like micro transactions...


Yeah that's exactly what it's like...

Activation (online or offline) is naturally irrelevant for Linux as it doesn't need to be activated.

I haven't done it myself, but I presume Linux distros can be updated offline as well, e.g. (quick googling):

http://askubuntu.com/questions/974/how-can-i-install-software-or-packages-without-internet-offline

http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/1059

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallingSoftware#Installing_packages_without_an_Internet_connection

So I am unsure if there is still point to claim (by OP) that Linux somehow depends more on net connectivity, than Windows does? Is the conclusion now that practically everything (installing games, applications, updates etc.) can be performed offline in both Windows and Linux?

When first installing it, Yes because you enter your own admin keys... After it's installed, it's your own personal security. Sure you can get past it by direct access of hardware and running off a boot disc or thumb drive, but you can fix it yourself.

Don't forget Linux and GNU source code is open and GPL'd so you can look over it yourself and learn from it, or submit patches. There are hundreds of thousands of users that pour over free software for bugs, and it's considerably less bug prone vs what M$ pushes out. In most cases the quality is much higher.

Plus Linux internally employs 216 functions to handle everything... Windows uses 20,000 was it? I don't recall exactly where i read this, but while Linux will use the same file handler functions to handle the OS, drivers, sound system, printer, etc. Windows will employ a different set of functions for each and every device with it's own API as well. I'll see if i can find that source...

edit: Not quite the sources of choice... But they are there.

Embedded Hardware

Linux vs Windows



GNU/Linux does not require the internet at all.... (to install, maintain, or use)

Now certain features found in Ubuntu and online installers/updaters for software WILL depend on the internet, but that's separate.

I have a legitimate license, but I use a tool to activate Windows offline. It works by simply pressing a button.

By the way, you might find this tidbit interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_PowerShell#Background

In short, even Microsoft understood that a console (command prompt) is needed for various (more advanced) things, hence the development of PowerShell. So much for wanting command prompt to die for good.

I find it natural that online installers/updaters depend on internet (sounds logical), but isn't it so that there are also ways to install software and system updates offline on Linux (like the links I presented suggested)? I presume that was OP's point, he felt that it can't be done on Linux, like it can be on Windows.

My Spell checker missed it.

It's more of a principle thing, but yes it is. In this day and age I think it's quite ridiculous to expect uses to have to use a console to use their computer.

I think it would be like starting a car with wires instead of keys.

Cough*Heartbleed*Cough

At least 2 errors, one of which can be excused due to age.
1) Windows XP had more than one Text Mode Interface, cmd and Powershell. Ignoring Powershell while wishing to use a text based scripting is like using half the keyboard letters for commands.
2) Windows can run from a live CD. (Not sure if it could back in 2007, but I have found WinXP live CDs, so I'd guess yes).

Either way, having dedicated functions for specific things does make sense, since you wouldn't want the function that opens the jpgs to be able to partition the drive (doubt it happens in any OS, used as an absurd example). And most of the 20000 functions are application specific patches due to shoddy 3rd party programmers (did you know that the memory cleanup had a specific if case for Sim City? Sim City used memory right after clearing it, and while that worked on DOS, it would crash under Win95. Special code was added on Windows for that case). As I recall, the Linux approach is "Source code is available, fix it yourself", which may also work.