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First Ubuntu Billboard spotted

ubuntu.wordpress.com — "The above billboard was spotted near the Ralston exit in Redwood"

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  • cooltom2006, on 10/12/2007, -9/+83Ubuntu rocks!
    • zirtbow, on 10/12/2007, -4/+61Ubuntu is great... but unfortunately its so great some will just compare every little feature directly to windows. So that if it doesn't do something the way that user liked in windows then they will give up on it. After I tried it I -really- liked it. I got my brother to install it and he only used it for a few weeks before he gave up on it and uninstalled it. Reason?.. It didn't always pick up the shares on his windows computer (or so he says). I had another friend I convinced to use it and he tried it on his laptop but got rid of it because the power management wasn't as good as windows. I know there is TONS of help on boards out there but Ubuntu's biggest challenge is that there is always going to be power users such as those on digg.com that can do what they need to use a good system like Ubuntu and then there will be those who want everything to work exactly as they imagined right out of the box.
    • becominglumberg, on 10/12/2007, -28/+8True true. I would much rather have a billboard in a metropolis like NYC instead of in Redmond. It may be a cute stunt, but i assume that many Redmond citizens use MS products exclusively (read: contractually).
    • detrate, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22http://img8.imagepile.net/img8/91713ubuntubillboard.jpg
    • estvir, on 10/12/2007, -3/+22It's cool and good to see, but I really, really doubt this is going to spark the interest with the 'common people' that they want.

      It will get attention from those of us who know about it, but as for making people switch, you wish.. it'll be as succesful as the OO ads, or as uncessful I should say.

      Anyway, I hate to be cynical/blunt, but it's the truth. :(

      Well.. it's a start, anyway . .
    • masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -46/+15Linux just is not user friendly enough. That's why most of us haven't migrated, yet.
    • masamunecyrus, on 10/12/2007, -27/+1@detrate: You could have just linked here.
      http://duggmirror.com/linux_unix/First_Ubuntu_Billboard_spotted
    • berock, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11@becominglumberg

      The article says its in Redwood City, not Redmond. I think thats in CA.
    • izzajoker, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8True true. I would much rather have a billboard in a metropolis like NYC instead of in Redmond. It may be a cute stunt, but i assume that many Redmond citizens use MS products exclusively (read: contractually).


      Dude, redWOOD not redMOND
    • 2damntall, on 10/12/2007, -7/+45@masamunecyrus

      1) Judging from the fact that you refer to it just as Linux instead of Ubuntu, I'm going to wager that you have no clue how user friendly it is.

      2) He linked to the image so if you dont want to, you don't have to load all the crap around it.

      3) I bet you smell like pickles.
    • CBTF, on 10/12/2007, -5/+37For the past month I've trolled here on DIgg bugging LInux users. Last night I tried the Ubuntu LIveCD.. and now i'm writing this comment from my new Linux partition. It really is that good.

      ""Linux just is not user friendly enough. That's why most of us haven't migrated, yet."

      To be honest I expected this to be hard, but it wasnt. There are still some things that I cant figure out.. but I expect those to fade, it appears to be a learning curve, simular to what is required to run windowss at it's fullest.
    • hchaudh1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16@cbtf

      I checked your comment history and you were not kidding about the trolling part.

      But glad you like Linux. The key is not to get frustrated and get on IRC and ask if there are some problems.
      A couple of tips: Use Synaptic and Automatix. They will make stuff so much easier. And you will really love it once those automatic updates/functionality enhancements start rolling in.
    • tranquilize, on 10/12/2007, -10/+0oops
    • CBTF, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"I checked your comment history and you were not kidding about the trolling part."
      I know =(

      "A couple of tips: Use Synaptic and Automatix."
      I have not looked into these yet, thank you for the advice. Sounds like something I should grab.

      I'm having some problems with screen resolution (currently asking for help in the forums) but other than that everything is still smooth.
    • cremate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@CBTF:
      You probably need the drivers specific to your video card.
    • yottabite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22damntall I feel vindicated.
      You put exactly what I felt into words in an instant.
      Masamunecyrus... the double comments need to stop!
      Use the edit button.
    • rockintom99, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2izzajoker:

      Redmond, Washington is where Microsoft is located.
    • hchaudh1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@cbtf

      Forums are a good place, but IRC is faster.
      And I agree, I think its most probably a graphics driver issue.

      Here's a terrific guide on how to set up XGL/Compiz on Ubuntu. It also has a link for ATI cards. I used this specific thread and everything was smooth. It starts with installing the correct drivers and then moves on to XGL/Compiz which you can leave if you don't want to use that.

      http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=131267

      But do make a backup of data just in case things go bad. And reinstalling Ubuntu should just be a matter of about 15 minutes.
    • johngarofalo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Ubuntu offers so much. I have taken it as a server and a desktop machine. The community support is becoming phenominal and I am looking forward to the next few years! It's a great Windows alternative!
    • dpcamp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I like his idea of replacing Ubuntu Cd's with AOL cd's at Walmart. People should get projects going in each cd to mass producs Ubuntu cd's and replace them with AOL Cd's at walmart late at night!!!
    • Snakey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2In one of the above posts it says about installing the drivers which is in the XGL/Compiz guide, and then says you can skip the rest of this guide.
      If you've installed those drivers, you should continue to install XGL/Compiz, if it works properly, you'll be blown away :) Offcourse, it still contains some manual edits, so I suggest you to read carefully if you need to replace/add some code in a file.
    • CBTF, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Hey thanks for all the tips guys. Turns out it was a hardware issue, not Linux after all. It's all well now. :)
    • tuxuser, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i have a live version of ubuntu an di gotta say its nice its the mac of linux distros. its got got drag and drop fuctions only thing it needs now is improved multimedia.
  • Z_Man, on 10/12/2007, -6/+9Woah. Sweet.
    • popfrogs, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Billboard marked as inaccurate. If I tried installing Ubuntu on the servers where I worked, I'd be beaten by a 20lb Unix Cluebook.

      Debian stable, ok. Redhat Enterprise, ok. SuSE Enterprise, fine. Ubuntu? Keep it on your desktop friend.
  • Goobersmooch, on 10/12/2007, -22/+1yes it does
  • kasra, on 10/12/2007, -10/+25But the URL for the Ubuntu site isn't even on there! People will just see this and say: "uh..ok".
    • Z_Man, on 10/12/2007, -9/+21have you ever heard of google?
    • Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -2/+39Advertising isn't just about getting people to straight-off use your product - it's about brand awareness ("mindshare").

      If you can get Ubuntu in the eyes of the public they're more likely to go "oh, yeah, I've heard of that" and listen with at least a little interest, rather than staring blankly as you talk about "ubun-what?"
    • Veamon, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15Not the point. You don't advertise a product and expect people to go try and find it. You at least point them in in the right direction.
    • Giever, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Also, I don't see it making mention of what it even is. Most people don't know what Linux is, or haven't heard of it, if these ads are trying to pander to the casual PC users, they'll probably have to make some kind of mention at least of it dealing with computers in the first place.
    • 2damntall, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Because people aren't likely to try ... ubuntu . com....

      "Not the point. You don't advertise a product and expect people to go try and find it. You at least point them in in the right direction."

      I don't... but I'm not in advertising. Are you?
    • toekneebullard, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8 work alongside ad people all day long, and I can tell you now that Brand awareness is more important than a website. How many time do you see a big Coke sign, with no mention of "get it at your convenience store now!"

      But I don't think this is really effective advertising. Anyone who knows the word "Linux" but doesn't know much about it, pretty much thinks it's way to complaicated. Especially saying that it's "Linux for Human Beings" just solidifies the idea that Linux is a scary, complicated thing. Even if this is Linux designed for Humans, it's still something that originates from a dark scary place. I just don't think it's a good tagline.
    • vectorprime, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8@flamekebab: Right on the money. Advertising is groundwork for when my friends walk up and see my laptop with a beautiful gnome/compiz desktop and a bunch of clean, professional, unfamiliar looking apps and they ask what I'm running. If I say I'm running Linux, then they say "huh?" and assume it's some complicated toy for power users (which, in their minds at least, I am and they are not). But if I say I'm running Ubuntu, and they've heard the name and associated it with some clean graphics and the phrase "for human beings", then they say "Oh, cool, tell me more" and I let them poke around my computer a bit then burn them a livecd.
    • wvdavis, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8@ Giever - "Most people don't know what Linux is, or haven't heard of it..."

      I think that more credit should be given to the general population than that. As mentioned before, people know how to use a search engine. If a sign stirs up the question and makes one want to find out more about something, they will pursue it. Ten minutes ago I had never heard of Ubuntu, though I have played around with several flavors of Linux before. I'm downloading it now (and judging by the slow download speed, so are most diggers), I'll give it a try. What's it going to cost me, some time??? A blank CD?
    • somerandomnerd, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11Seriously, if you need to be given the URL to find the distro, you don't want to be experimenting with a new OS.
    • dbr_onix, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7"Advertising isn't just about getting people to straight-off use your product - it's about brand awareness ("mindshare")."
      Exactly, even if it doesn't have the website, when someone, say, gets a computer with "Ubuntu" installed, it's better to think "Hm, I've heard of that", than "That stupid thing I saw a billboard to and couldn't [download and burn/install without breaking the computer/etc]"
      Open Source needs more advertising in general, not to force people to use it (Since open source is "about choice"), just to make them aware of it, and be less.. scared? of it when they do use it..
      Hopefully the advertising works out for Ubuntu, and other projects will borrow the idea
      - Ben
    • whisk3rs, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6I say if a person doesn't know what Linux is (read: hasn't heard about it) and isn't bright enough to google "ubuntu," they shouldn't be using a computer period (or, rather, ubuntu)
    • RedKrieg, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@wvdavis: I'm really not sure how you've been so active in the digg community without hearing about ubuntu... But hey, better late than never!!! Welcome to the party!
    • wvdavis, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5There are those people who don't know that you can pick up the mouse when it reaches the edge of the mouse pad. I don't think even Video Professor can help them but my 83 year old grandmother can Google stuff on her own.
    • natterca, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6@Giever...
      I doubt they're directed at Joe six-pack. Oracle, I believe, is HQ'd in Redwood. I'm sure there's a lot of high-tech there.
    • wvdavis, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5@ RedKrieg - Thank you, I guess. What can I say... I've had my head buried in the sand, but then again I *was* a Republican too.
  • SentOne, on 10/12/2007, -29/+5WOW!!! I just jizzed in my pants from the excitement!!!
  • speel, on 10/12/2007, -15/+4Awsome.
    • speel, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2Wow ***** digg... i get negative diggs for saying awsome.
    • zigid, on 10/12/2007, -3/+71) You misspelled awesome.
      2) "Awsome" doesn't really contribute much to the conversation.
  • gxcdesign, on 10/12/2007, -6/+21I'm sure all the average user community will just look at this and pass
    • Desolite, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15i've used only windows for the past... forever. i gotta say, Ubuntu is doing something right cause i'm going to install it on my next computer i build. it may be part of a dual boot, it may be for a network server or other server, but thats still a step to the linux direction.
    • gxcdesign, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8I see what you mean, and honestly I am not bashing Linux at all...if I had use for it I'd use it.


      But Linux will forever be looked at the Independant Party while the other OS are more like the Republican and Democratic party.


      Even if Windows was better than OS X...or vice versa, most people have established their allegiance with either OS.


      I am not a Win XP fan, but doesn't mean that I don't like it. I actually use it more than I use OS X, but just because I play a lot of Counter-Strike.

      If I step into graphics, I'll just boot back into OS X and Adobe Creative Suite
    • Desolite, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4yeah, i've been the same way which is why i never bought a mac. your analogy is quite good, but i think that while they are indeed the independent party, they may see a decent marketshare eventually as things improve.. maybe even somewhere in the 20-25% range maybe (wild speculation). a market share like that is significant when its between 3 parties which would allow people to basically switch to whatever OS they wanted.

      i think that this will happen as newer generations replace older generations in terms of the age group using computers (which i believe is starting to happen). for sure younger people learn computer systems better than older people and have less bias towards which they may use. there are other aspects that contribute to its popularity, such as driver support, programs being made specifically for it, or atleast making them able to run on it that are slowly helping "the cause."
  • pbaehr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I suppose the exposure won't hurt the distro's image, but will it capture new users? The billboard makes the basic assumption that you know that Linux is an operating system. Current Linux users would have to have been living under a rock for the past 6 months to not know about Ubuntu and the OS ignorant masses will not make much of the sign. Granted, a billboard is not the place for an explanation, but maybe there is a better way to at least let less tech saavy people know that it has something to do with their computer.
    • mrchucklepants, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3It also makes the assumption that you even know what an operating system is. How many users know that Windows is an os?
    • Shadowman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@pbaehr
      I agree. The billboard is okay for a little name exposure but that's it. Most average computer users will not use any Linux distro until it is pre-installed on the PC/laptop they bought at Best Buy or Wal-Mart. Firefox has only reached 10-15% and it's obviously much easier to install than a completely different operating system.
  • MoeB, on 10/12/2007, -8/+11What an ugly billboard. Couldn't they pick livelier colors?
    • wedderburn, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2like the nice warm shade of orange that they brought out in 6.06 "dapper Drake"
    • epohs, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6Agreed. I love Ubuntu, have it installed on several machines and recommend it often but that billboard is not very eye catching at all. It doesn't give the well polished distrobution justice, imho.
    • bash, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@MoeB: You just inspired an awesome idea. The Ubuntu community should hold a contest to see who can design the best billboard. The winner gets a cookie. ;)
  • itguru624, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16I prefer Knoppix, but Ubuntu is going to dominate the market. All it takes is a good solid WINE, video drivers, and game support; maybe ubuntu will one day be the desktop for the masses. Honestly I am sick of windows and I support the linux move.
  • belibem, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6go go ubuntu :)
    Powerfull branding has the ability to bring linux to the masses!
  • usp8riot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Awesome! Hopefully we can all help do our part who use Ubuntu or other Linux distro's and promote them via virtual billboard, aka, internet.
    • g33kfu, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12There are several things you can do to help promote Ubuntu:

      1) Order some free CDs from Shipit
      2) Hand them out to your friends at work/school
      3) Install it on your grandma/grandpa/aunt/uncle's computer next time Windows ***** up on them, show them how much easier it is to use over their "old system"
      4) Last but not least, live by example, USE IT YOURSELF!
    • 2damntall, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Do you honestly think there's people out there promoting Ubuntu that aren't using it? If they are, they have stranger, deeper problems then I want to worry about.
    • cesclaveria, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I have done my share then, but now the folks from Ubuntu rejected one of my orders from shipit :( Everytime I got some, they go flying like fresh baked bread, especially the Kubuntu CD's

      For some reason when I show them my KDE+XGL/compiz its almost an instant convertion, they dont mind the easy installation, the easy way to update and install new apps, the good hardware support, etc, etc... they only want their rotating cubic desktop :p

      I make my best promoting (K)Ubuntu, but you always need to try not being too snobish (sp?) or pushy, or you will annoy them instead.
    • vectorprime, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I promote Ubuntu, and I carry around a livecd just in case, but I'm planning to use Fedora on my new laptop. The wonderful thing about Linux is that there's a distro to fit your needs, whatever those needs are. I'm a long time Linux user who's comfortable with the Red Hat family, mostly because it's what I learned Linux on. Ubuntu makes some interesting decisions that promote usability or security at the expense of power users. The sudo-only setup and the lack of gcc/make in the default install spring immediately to mind. These are great tradeoffs for a desktop or business user, but annoyances for a developer or power user. And yes I know both of those are relatively easy to change, but I'd prefer to just use a system that's set up like I like it to begin with. Ubuntu is wonderful at what it's for. It's the first distro that I'd really feel comfortable recommending to my friends and family. But let's not forget that there are other distributions out there.
    • sumadartson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I'm not a zealot, but...

      First of all: sudo su will give substitute the current user to the super user.

      Second, if you're a power user, you must be able to figure out how to download build-essential from synaptic. It's not that hard.
  • coolguy2k, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15i sport the ubuntu bumper sticker (on my car) i received w/ the 10 ubuntu disks i ordered - gotta represent!
    • Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11I've printed out some Ubuntu stickers and sport one on the lid of my laptop - it got some positive comments from the CEO of Sirius (Mark Taylor) along with quite some interest from other attendees of the ICT conference I was attending.
    • Veamon, on 10/12/2007, -21/+11dork.
    • Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11Isn't it fun to sit on the sidelines hurling abuse at others brave enough to get out there and do their best for the cause?

      I may be a geek, but that doesn't mean I'm a dork. Ask my girlfriend..
    • rawnnie, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1You were sounding somewhat reasonable until you last sentence.
    • bepe86, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I put a sticker on my laptop as well, it actually looks great on my Dell Inspiron 9400, especially after i peeled the "Designed for Windows XP | Windows Vista Capable"-sticker off :)
  • katsanes, on 01/30/2008, -1/+12I saw that on my drive into work just 15 minutes ago, I was definitely surprised, and even more surprised to see it one I got into work on digg!
  • Zanneth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Awesome! Pretty funny too. I hope we get some of these in Arizona.
  • Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -23/+5The billboard is the same, drab colors of the Ubuntu desktop. Boring.

    When will the Ubuntu fanboys understand that Ubuntu is overrrated? Probably because it's the only Linux distro they have ever gotten to install properly and have never been exposed to anything else.

    Don't get me wrong, Ubuntu isn't a bad distro, but come on guys, there's other stuff out there! Jump off the band wagon and try something else. And stop glorifying anything of Digg that contains the words "Ubuntu" in the title.
    • Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Isn't it better to support a cause that's making real headway than to say "Oh but they're not doing everything the way I want it to be done!" ?

      I mean, sure, there are other distros that are great too, but Ubuntu is that's advancing in leaps and bounds.
    • Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2It's "advancing leaps and bounds" from extremely agressive advertising and just being in your face 24/7 that you CAN'T get away from it.
    • Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5And I'd LOVE to know why my comment is getting buried from all these hardcore "Ubuntu-gurus". What makes Ubuntu so much better from, say, Gentoo or FC5?
    • evilTak, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Different distributions target different audiences.

      Debian targets those who know how to configure their systems, and want a large amount of control and a huge repository of easily-installable-and-removable prebuilt free software at their fingertips.
      Gentoo targets those who want to hand-compile, optimalize (;-)), and tweak every aspect of their systems.
      RHEL and SLE[SD] target the enterprise market.
      Ubuntu is targetting users who want some of the power and flexibility of Debian without the necessity of hand-configuring everything themselves.
    • Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1@evilTak...exactly! Thanks. So why all the "Ubuntu is end-all be-all sentiment" lately? That's what I'm driving at...
    • Shadowman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@ Phocion55
      You will probably get the usual "it just works" replies. It isn't necessarily better than Gentoo or Fedora. Ubuntu is just the cool Linux distro right now. I agree it is overrated but if it gets more people away from Windows and onto Linux that's a good thing.
    • 2damntall, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I've used a lot of different distros. Ubuntu is an easy OS for common everyday uses. You're the mayor of wrong-ville.
    • DigOdug, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Maybe it isn't an accident that ubuntu is the first distro which these guys have been able to install properly for the first time on their rig...
    • evilTak, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3GNU/Linux distributions have phases of popularity.

      The "Just Works" popular distributions have gone from RedHat to SuSE to Mandrake to Corel to Lindows->Linspire to Ubuntu.

      The "Real Geeks" popular distributions have gone from Slackware to Debian to FreeBSD (yes, I know it's not Linux, but for a while it was "real geeks use FreeBSD") to LFS to Gentoo.
    • agrumbine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@Phocion55(2nd comment)

      Ubuntu is most importantly a bridge between the Linux world and the rest of the tech world. It's not supposed to be the most powerful, or most particularly useful distro. It's supposed to be the easiest to understand for non-Linux users. I think it accomplishes this purpose beautifully.
    • Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I tried FC5 and found it's okay, but compared to Ubuntu it was a pain to set up. It took forever, required a whole DVD and its updating process left a lot to be desired compared to Ubuntu.

      I don't even want to go near Gentoo.

      agrumbine made a good point though - it's a good in-road into Linux. Perhaps the user will not be happy with what Ubuntu offers and want to try another distro and they are quite welcome to!
    • DarthTurducken, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1"The billboard is the same, drab colors of the Ubuntu desktop. Boring."

      ME LIKEY DA WINDERZ CUZ IT GOTS DA PWETTYIST CULURZ!!!!11111
    • sgamer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5ive installed everything from linux from scratch, to gentoo and slack, and the reason i use ubuntu now and it is good enough to change over as a desktop os, is the easy automatic updates and notifications. sure, i can upgrade when i learn something new is out, or when a new exploit comes out for something i use, but why not just sit there and let them send it down the pipe at me, updating it with two clicks? so easy, and those updates are why i can easily put this on another family member's computer without having to worry about something major messing up and having to come fix it myself.

      ubuntu = set it and forget it linux.
    • ucg1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I see your talking about Ubuntu being overrated again (and I'm responding again). I've been a Linux user since 1995 (and a UNIX user for a bit longer). For me, Ubuntu's user-friendliness isn't what makes it great. Debian unstable was my distro of choice for quite a while. Ubuntu is great because its Debian with 6-month release cycle. There's other reasons, but that's the big one especially for people who migrated from Debian to Ubuntu.
    • Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ucg1...good feedback. I certainly value your opinion more than the "Ubuntu-is-the-only-distro-I've-ever-tried-and-I-rave-about-how-awesome-it-is-every-chance-I-get-and you-better-listen-to-me" Linux user. You've seen the lot of Linux distros and have credibility. I too have tried numerous distros, including Ubuntu.

      ...and with the "Ubuntu just works" comments...tell me why I have a better success rate getting an app to work by compiling manually from source than using apt...
    • Shadowman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ucg1
      So instead of "Ubuntu:Linux for human beings" the billboard should read "Ubuntu:Debian with 6-month release cycle"? That's why it's not overrated?
  • Mooinakan, on 10/12/2007, -18/+2OH EM GEE A BILLBOARD! CALL CHANNEL 4!
  • wedderburn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6What this billboard is going to do is get the name into average people's minds. its easier to convert someone over when they are familar with it... just take intels adds for example not too many people know what a CPU is but hell they still want a Intel Pentium.
    • pintong, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Exactly. Though they still don't know what a "linux" is or why it will help them.
  • Duca, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4That is awesome. yay for Ubuntu
  • gosix, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9Disco Stu doesn't advertise!
  • aforonda, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4I'm new to Ubuntu and am curious if there are any development frameworks that will install on it i.e. Rails or .Net (not)? Thanks.
  • Antagonist, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I'm pretty sure it's here: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Redwood+City,+CA&ie=UTF8&ll=37.531552,-122.275461&spn=0.004756,0.011126&t=k&om=1

    Don't know WHICH billboard, but at least we know it's not Redmond.

    This also means it's on the 101, one of the busiest freeways in the world, and in the heart of silicon valley. w00t.
    • MrChonks, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Yeah, that is on the 101. It is just down the street from Oracle. They usually have interesting billboards there. That was the same place where Google put their code billboard to attract engineers.
  • Dynapen, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Why are so many people saying that this is supposed to get it into the minds of average people. Isn't Redwood City site to the F.Y.O. billboard as well, which is right outside the Oracle Headquarters. That area seems to be filled with IT people who have probably already heard of Ubuntu, and if not, at least Linux. They can google for the damn site if they need to.
    I think it's great that a linux distro is doing some off-line advertising like this. We need more of it, but I think we need to stop spending our damn time bashing individual distros, and work together to expand linux as a whole. I personally use Fedora (mainly becuase that's what my company uses for dev which made it eaiser for me to learn on) but I have used SuSE and even a little Mandrake. I have looked into Ubuntu, but am holding off until I change jobs here soon. Each has it's good and bad points, but if we keep slamming each others distros, we won't get anyway. All distro-specific fanboys need to learn to just be linux-fanboys.
    • Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2We may argue over the route for our journey, but we should not let ourselves lose sight of the importance of the destination.
  • fantomonkey, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1The Ralston Exit is in Belmont, CA and the Redwood refers to Redwood Shores, where Oracle and EA are located in the Silicon Valley / San Francisco Peninsula.
  • djuniah, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2VERY nice. I just installed kubuntu this week (this is about the 5th distro ive installed in the past year) and i think ive finally found the one that fits me. Highly customizable, yet it has that "it just works" aspect to it without losing the configurability and power of other linux distros
  • kevin45, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2It's cool and all, but from a marketing standpoint it doesn't really catch your eye (for the non-Linux user). The average person is probably more like "WTF is Ubuntu" instead of what the product is. Could be more colorful, too.
  • cody50, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3They should use Tux as a marketing tool for his Cuteness.
  • 0crabby0, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1So what???

    A sign???


    I live on Red Hat Road... seriously...lol
  • motang, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I think this is first linux billboard I have ever seen.
  • inkubux, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7One day we might see a television ad. How awesome would it be ?
  • chriscromp, on 10/12/2007, -16/+2I finally decided to google "ubuntu" to see what it is. Got to their site. I read this:

    "The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Philosophy: that software should be available free of charge"

    Why would anyone believe that software should be free. That is like saying:
    "computers should be available free of charge."
    OR
    "groceries should be available free of charge."

    It is nice and all for them to give away something for free, but what's with the "we hate money" and "business is evil" philosophy? I'm sure that all of us who make an income are glad people pay for things in this world.
    • xe54, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4shut up.
    • MoeB, on 10/12/2007, -13/+3i agree chris. the open source cults that live on the internets are trying too hard. they are too frustrated with and are angry at companies that try to sell software for money. they want everyone to use their crummy software just so they can push open source to the mass markets to prove some stupid point. in the end they end up bashing every business model associated with software that generates money.

      ubuntu for example. why are you advertising the OS now? i don't think it's a matured product. Lets say some guy who saw the ad. decided to download and try ubuntu. turns out some of his devices don't work properly... do you think he is going to spend the time and find out why? no. he will most likely get frustrated and buy a crapbook or install windows back.
    • cesclaveria, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8you are going to get modded down hard (probably you are already below viewing treshold at the moment of my writing) the philosohy its not "we hate money", its more about the tools being free, software its a tool, with it you can make great things. I am not sure how to put it and its kind of hard to me doing it in english, but the spirit of FOSS its not everything free.

      For example I work building and maintaining community websites, the tools I use are free and/or open source, but the service provided is not free. The FOSS (free open source software) allows to keep prices down, and a constant innovation.


      //I really hope that make some sense.
    • MoeB, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2I understand where you're going with your points. but it does not change the fact that the hardheaded open source type will always be the one that flames everything and repells everyone from the "good" that open source is able to achieve.
      If you try to feed someone raw food they will just throw it all back up.
    • barbobot, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4"It is nice and all for them to give away something for free, but what's with the "we hate money" and "business is evil" philosophy? I'm sure that all of us who make an income are glad people pay for things in this world"

      It has nothing to do with business is evil, As a matter of fact Mark Shuttleworth the founder of ubuntu has said multiple times that he wants to start a business model from it.

      I think the difference between software and groceries is that you can't eat groceries and then give them to your neighbors. (however you can do this with recipes which is a much better example as neighbors can improve upon them)

      "i agree chris. the open source cults that live on the internets are trying too hard. they are too frustrated with and are angry at companies that try to sell software for money."

      And it's not about the price MoeB it's about being able to change software to your needs or wants. I dont get angry when business try to sell software at all, but I do get mad when I have a problem i cant fix by opening up a tar ball and looking through it for an answer.

    • Saffa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I actually kind of agree with you. It seems that so many people nearly look down on others who want to write software to make money, rather than releasing it for free and possibly open sourcing it. If I'm going to plough hundreds/thousands of hours of my time into something, I think I'm entitled to try make a buck out of it. If you do however use a lot of open source tools, it would seem the decent thing to do to try and contribute back. But at the end of the day, if everything was open source, we'd (developers) all be out of jobs....
    • barbobot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Saffa, I dont entirely agree that everyone would be out of jobs, as a matter of fact it would spur creativity in the free market as more custom built applications would need to be made.
    • cesclaveria, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3sadly, you are rigth with that, some people will alienate the rest with a bad attitude, I do not believe FOSS its the answer to everything, heck, my favorite browsers its not open source, Opera, and its great (for me).

      Many projects in the open source community are far from perfect, but they keep improving everyday, and most of them aren "raw".
    • zagi1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@chriscromp
      I dont understand where u read that "we hate money" and "business is evil" statement
      Even Open Source community is trying to make business from GNU/Linux
      Look at Red Hat they made millions of dollars selling their distro. They have been criticized for selling something that is free, but apparently people liked the idea of buying a packaged product that comes with a manual and help support. If you dont feel like giving money to them you can download it for free from their web site.

      @Saffa you are so wrong!
      "It seems that so many people nearly look down on others who want to write software to make money, rather than releasing it for free and possibly open sourcing it"

      free is not Free. Nothing prevents you from selling Free software.

      "If I'm going to plough hundreds/thousands of hours of my time into something, I think I'm entitled to try make a buck out of it."

      There are growing number of Free software fields where you can get payed. Generally people who work on their own projects tend to not care about money but more about success. But in any case you can always contribute $
    • hchaudh1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@zagi1

      Don't waste you breath on these neanderthal, COBOL coders. They have never tried OSS and they never will.
  • lamestory, on 10/12/2007, -14/+2Wow, another Ubuntu story on digg! I may actually have to install this new flavor-of-the-week OS and see what all the geeks are busy with while they're not getting laid!
    • inkubux, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5[sarcasm]Wow youre soooooooooooooooooooooo cool dude[/sarcasn]
    • xqb4dpx, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1you are so cool dude i wish i got laid it sounds like it should be great (snork)
  • biofusion, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5I just tried out Ubuntu last night. While it was nice, I just don't think I would make the full switch over to using Ubuntu. I just don't see what extra values it has over XP, okay I'll get flamed for this. However, please somebody tell me what I can get out Ubuntu that I can't get out of XP.

    Overall this billboard is a bit weak, I doubt it will grab any attention. It's a start however.
    • cesclaveria, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5The question is not about what you can do in Linux that you cant do in windows, it gets more interesting the other way around.

      What can you do in windows you cant in linux? make a list and then decide if those things are worth the $ you are paying. If they do, great you are a happy customer and thats good for everyone, if not, then ask your self why are you paying?
    • CrazyZ, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3Nothing. Seriously, if you know how to secure your workstation, you have absolutely nothing to gain from switching between any OS. The one thing Windows XP does get you is more robust software, ability to play games, etc.... The typical stuff. More "free-ware" still exists for the Windows platform than any other. and it truly does JUST WORK, meaning that when you install it, and browse the web, your flash player plugin will work, you multimedia extensions will play wmv/mpeg/avi/mp3 formats without any hassle, the financial software of your choice will work with your bank website, etc..

      I like Ubuntu. I like Suse. I run them both in Vmware, but for the casual desktop user etc. there is nothing to gain over OSX or XP. I know I'll get modded down, but it's true.

      The initial install of Dapper plus Automatix gets you up and running in a snap compared to XP, but then install Flashplugin-nonfree or have Automatix do it and go to Disney.com for instance (which only requires flash 7) and see how easy it is to make the games portion of the site work. It works fine with Firefox/XP/Flash7 why not Firefox/Ubuntu/Flash7? Not a big deal, it is if you have children.

      Download x amount of AVI files and see how many play in mplayer or totem? Some will, some won't with no easy fix. Install any stable version of GnuCash and MS Core Fonts and try to work in it. Install the latest version of GnuCash, setup all your accounts, only to have it crash intermittently(sp) etc. Dropped network connections, constantly having to chmod, or sudo, etc.. Trying to make links to folders on your other workstations to play multimedia files off of them etc. All while and good if you know what you are doing, but very discouraging(sp) for the "newbie".

      It's all these little things piled up on top of each other that make ANY Linux distro unusable for the masses.
    • Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3To be perfectly honest, I've found that if I want to watch a video and I want it to just work, Ubuntu works far better than XP. Based solely on my experience.
    • whiteguysamurai, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1No, i agree with you.

      And i think it's wrong for people to assume linux can "replace" windows, but instead it's a promising alternative to windows that can do most of the same things as windows and mac.

      But it's no replacment, and i think it should be used to complement windows.

      -Windows for games, media creation and for it's apps

      -linux for surfing the web and development.


    • CrazyZ, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0@Flamekabab

      "To be perfectly honest, I've found that if I want to watch a video and I want it to just work, Ubuntu works far better than XP. Based solely on my experience."

      Okay, so you are telling me that if you take a plain vanilla install of Ubuntu, and browse to say redvsblue.com and download some episodes, that the experience will be smother/easier than doing the same with a plain vanilla instal of windows XP ?

      I call BS. Even if you run Automatix or manually install the ms codecs etc.. you still have to install mplayer, or f*ck with totem etc... With XP you just download and watch.. How's the Ubuntu experience better than that?
    • Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3You can call BS all you like.

      With Ubuntu I only have to install the w32 codec pack and it works.

      With XP I have to screw around with all sorts of different codecs before I find the one that works for it. I have to worry about the file extension and using the correct media player.

      Vanilla Ubuntu won't work, but neither will vanilla XP. The steps to get it working are fewer on Ubuntu, in my experience.
    • CrazyZ, on 10/12/2007, -6/+0@Flamekabab,

      Um,, avi/mpeg/wmv all play out of the box, Quicktime, divx, and a dvd codec is usually pre-installed if you purchased your pc from a vendor, and if you built your own, installing those three codecs are a cinch as quicktime and divx is a quick download and simple install, and the dvd codec will come with our video card.

      So yes, a vanilla install of XP is easier than a vanilla install of Ubuntu. My BS comment still stands.
    • Flamekebab, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4The only PC I've ever bought from a vendor was my laptop.

      So you're saying that finding the standalone quicktime installer, the DivX installer and the XviD installer along with a suitable media player that supports them all is somehow easier than enabling a repository and clicking "install w32codecs"?

      I call BS.
    • aeoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@biofusion
      "tell me what I can get out Ubuntu that I can't get out of XP"

      - Security.

      - A library of apps that install from a repository with a few clicks (vs. searching on Google for shareware and freeware and hoping not to get infested with viruses and adware)

      - Advanced features, such as XGL/compiz (available before Vista's Aero, in other words, market leading innovation), encrypted filesystems, file systems specialized for data streaming, superb software development environment, multiple/virtual desktops built-in (no need to search for shareware/$$).

      - Total transparency: you can understand what's going on, for example, during the boot-up, unlike in Windows, which is essentially a black box with a very complex boot up process that relatively few people understand correctly and completely.

      - Customizability.

      - Peace of mind: It's made by people who care about people and their craft more than money. You won't be sold out to the highest bidder. You won't be DRM'ed. You won't have phone-home software installed against your will. You don't need to know complicated license numbers. Your premises cannot be raided by Microsoft (when you buy it, you agree to being raided/audited at any time; regardless of legality, the intent is there, so even if law protects you, do you want to deal with a vendor who, if not for the laws, would prefer to raid you and is only stopped by a mere legality?).

      And I'm sure there are other (perhaps even obvious) reasons I've missed.
  • dot2guy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5My royal prediction is that Linux in general (and ubuntu in particular) will gain considerably over the next year, exactly, and be ready for mainstream adoption. I know that probably sounds a little early/ambitious, but I think we're looking at Firefox levels of Linux adoption, starting precisely one year from now.

    Naturally, I would be most interested to hear everyone's comments on this rather 'farfetched' (if not aggressive!) proposition of mine here... :)
    • CrazyZ, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1It's not so much far fetched as it is a dupe of predictions made for the last 10 years. I swear if I see one tech headline that reads "This is the year of Linux on the desktop" I'll shoot someone.
    • dot2guy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3No but I actually think this *will* be the year... 2007-2008, for sure. Ubuntu is just ironing out some final bugs; the critical mass conglomerating here will bring this to fruition.
    • redcard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Normally, I'd disagree. Normally, I'd say that we've been saying that for years and it's not happened.

      But .. I've been with linux from right near the start, and the advances that Ubuntu has made in its two short years are inspiring. Incredibly inspiring.

      For me, it went from "Linux might take over sometime down the road maybe" to "Linux WILL, inevitably, take over." It went from something I had doubts about to something I have no doubt at all about.

      Ubuntu has come a long distance in just two short years. If it continues this level of production, then this year and 2007 might just be that year of linux.

      Couple it with OSX's increasing technical issues, and Vista's delaying releases and developer lockins... and we might just have some big things happening.
  • f4k3n4m3, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I'm happy the linux is becoming more and more popular, but as said before me the whole ubuntu is the 'be all and end all' of linux distros. I mean really how many (K) (X) Ubuntu users have used some of the newer linux distros, even test a live distro.

    Ok some of you may have heard of slackware, for some slackware is the daddy of linux.
    So that said have you tried zenwalk? http://www.zenwalk.org/
    xfce / kde / gnome, pick which you want.
    • inkubux, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Haven't try zenwalk, it looks good, but tell me what it have more than Ubuntu?
  • biffta, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Seriously chaps if and when you decide to give Ubuntu(linux) a try you should actually try and experience it fully. Rather than trying to find how you can do "all the things you currently do in windows" in linux try and find the linux way of doing it. I'm not saying you will prefer it but you won’t know until you try!

    Its like moving to a foreign country, then as soon as you get there finding a restaurant that serves cheeseburgers and fries, only mixing with people who speak English and only watching the NFL via a satellite dish. If you want to experience something new and different you got to be prepared to make a few changes!
    • MoeB, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Lets say you find the perfect woman. Funny, witty, smart and charming. But she has a mustache. Would you marry her?
    • xqb4dpx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3the whole apt-get / portage automatic (and automatix) updates for linux distros made me switch. i love seeing that your programs update themselves like that.
  • archerx, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2That billboard is pointless, you'll only get it if you already know what linux or ubuntu is.... so yea...
    • inkubux, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Well some persons would go to the School of Clowns if they saw it announced on a billboard ;)

  • davefretty, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I use Ubuntu almost exclusively now but it was a bit alien at first just because it's not Windows. I'm trying to get my family to use it because they always have trouble with virus/spy ware but I don't expect to convince them which is a shame.
    I think it's a little like the qwerty keyboard, everybody knows something better could be achieved but they just stick with what they know even if it's harder in the long run.
    However people should give it a go for 2/3 months and they won't look back.
  • jejones, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I think Red Hat should have an ad campaign as a joint effort with the Red Hat Society. With enough grandmothers in red and purple using Linux, those spouting the tired "Linux is too hard to use" line will be met with the howls of derisive laughter they deserve.
  • PSPDS, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I think this is a good think because micorosoft is too dominant and apple is to expensive but they are cool.
    • xqb4dpx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2MS is dominant, but their OS is vulnerable.
      Apple is "cool" but not supported by many programs (although thats seeming to change) and also expensive.
      Linux is a great OS (not expensive lol), but difficult to learn to a computer novice, but hopefully ubuntu will change that. another minus is the hardware setup but thankfully ubuntu has good hardware compatability.
  • h0zae, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2The billboard is a great start for branding, however most people will have no clue what its about.... one thing to keep in mind is a lot of home PC users don't even realize they are paying for an OS -- they already assume it's free. They go to bestbuy, see the MSRP, and buy the machine.
    • xqb4dpx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4true, but people with intelligence know why bill gates has so much money
  • xqb4dpx, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3the first step for ubuntu to become mainstream

    and i did see novell try this once with suse
  • cesclaveria, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I wonder, its this an official ad?
    Something sponsored by canonical? or just the work from a group of ubuntu users?

    Anyway, its a great move, but its not enough, i hope this to be just the first step.
  • xqb4dpx, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3does anyone remember the IBM Linux ads?
  • whiteguysamurai, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3You know, if the guys behind ubuntu keep this up, they might sway some of these "me three" distro makers to start backing them.

    One can only hope.
  • fraggle35, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1*****, even the billboards ugly.
    • whiteguysamurai, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1After all, it was made with gimp...

      Yeah, i went there.
  • Smeltn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3this is awesome.. I am soo glad Ubuntu is getting its name known. The more the name is out there, billboard and American McGee just to start, means more programs will start taking note and working for Ubuntu.. Hopefully someday even World of Warcraft. AND ventrilo !!!
    • dharm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4those programs you specified do work...
  • h0zae, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1...next up a DIGG.COM ad in times square... where is the "make a donation" link?
  • MrTea, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Nice; although I prefer Kubuntu.
  • deodand, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3Can we please have more stories about Ubuntu on Digg? I don't think 1000 a day is enough. I would like more stories about Ubuntu. "Ubuntu story posted on Digg" would be a good one. How about "Ubuntu installation goes flawlessly, reports area nerd." I for one cannot wait to log onto Digg to read more about Ubuntu and its non-existent invisible ad campaign.

    Perhaps you all are too busy modding up each other's insightful comments such as "Awesome!" and "Ubuntu is awesome" to turn on a television, but the last I checked its Apple who is making inroads in mainstream mindshare with its "Hi I'm a PC, I'm an Apple" ads...

    For the love of god, is there some way I can toggle a switch or something so I don't have to look at these ridiculous self-congratulory Ubuntu nonsense stories anymore?
    • barbobot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6my profile > manage topics uncheck linux/unix

      (I didnt previously know how to do that but i spent a whole 10 seconds looking around and found it.)
    • Crypty, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3People, including myself, like to hear about progress on good, free stuff such as Ubuntu.
    • Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1@deodand..................Smartest thing said all day.
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