[Onno Kreuzinger]

OT, but i just got a good thoight to explain different linux and windows versioning.

XP is win32 (no ndifference to w2k, similiar t nt4, no big difference to w9x, all are win32), they differ mostly by hardware interfaces offered (USB 2.0, WDM drivers, directx or not, GDI+). For the non hardware dependent app's you only need the prober runtime libs (msvcrt.dll) for the languages used (C/C++;.NET;Java), so running modern software on w9x is no prob.

linux (which a kernel not an OS) has a kernel _and_ a glibc version, but applications do not use the kernel, but the libs, so speaking of 2.4 linux is useless for app. problems, the glibc (base lib with all c system functions) verrsion matters, as of todax 2.2 and 2.3 are common, the are indicated by using i386 (2.2) or i686 (2.3) in the name of a application. Problem is that i686 apps wont run on glibc 2.2 because linux does not offer an intermediate layer where new libs could extend old libs; but the must replace it. so some systemcalls like those for dns can't be upgraded for old libs w/o breaking the whole system, so dont change glibc 2.2 to 2.3 it will crash everything.

jzst my saturday enlightment