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89 Comments
- Felshadow, on 10/11/2007, -2/+32I think Ubuntu hit the nail on the head with a few key issues and because of that alot of the community is standing behind it.
But mostly its the noobs (myself included) who start using it and see that its not as scary as we thought it was, and because of THAT, its the pathway into Linux, away from MS, while other distros have tried to do this, Ubuntu got lucky with some things i guess ;) - stmiller, on 10/11/2007, -4/+19Article title should read: "Is Ubuntu the way forward for DESKTOP Linux?"
- ToadLeg, on 10/11/2007, -2/+15from what I know about Linux, "is [insert any distro name] the way forward for Linux?" doesn't make any sense. Linux doesn't work that way. If someone wants to use Slackware or Mandriva, that's the way forward for them. Being decentralized benefits the Linux community as a whole because nobody controls what happens to Linux, so it gets developed in an unbiased way. If Fedora does something that Ubuntu likes, Ubuntu can take it, use it, and help develop it for its own system.
- jackyyll, on 10/11/2007, -6/+16Actually, I think Ubuntu is great and all, but at the same time it's taking something away from Linux. It's taking away the term.. Linux. How many articles/comments do you read on digg where people use Ubuntu in place of Linux? Too many. People who are new to Linux think "Oh Yeah sure i'll try this Ubuntu thing out" and never learn anything else about Linux and what it's about. They start thinking Ubuntu is the only good version of Linux or Ubuntu is the only Linux.
Just my two cents :/ - ozw703, on 10/11/2007, -3/+11I've yet to come across a Linux community as friendly and helpful as the Ubuntu community. This is definitely a big part of why Ubuntu is encouraging so many to make the switch from Windows.
I have a feeling next year is going to be a big year for Linux. - ragnar0kk, on 10/11/2007, -4/+11Ubuntu rocks. It is not as hardcore as slackware or gentoo (so hardcore nerds may not be as interested), but for the average computer user it is the perfect intro to Linux
- Spr0k3t, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7Go complain to the companies who make the games. Why does one operating system have to support another framework before you are happy with it? Did the XBox360 come with a PS2 emulator so you could play your PS2 games? No? Well then, the XBox360 sucks. See the point?
- schestowitz, on 10/11/2007, -9/+15The way forward to Linux has never changed. It's the way of *CHOICE*. Even Ubuntu has derivatives. So does Debian. Assuming that one distro leads to some sort of convergence misses the point about Linux and divergence as a trait, not a a flaw. Look at POCLOS. Red Hat derivate -> Mandrake -> PCLinuxOS, which in turn 'beats' Fedora. Is it Fedora? It doesn't matter? Is Ubuntu just Debian simplified? Where does GNOME come from? They all have the same kernel.... blah, blah, blah...
The point to make here is that the article misses the point totally. - funkyou, on 10/11/2007, -5/+11- No rolling updates (It feels like being in the 90s when you have to reinstall after half a year, and most people updating a release have problems afterwards because it (debian) is just not really build for that kind of stuff).
- Making own packages (checkinstall doesnt count) is too much hassle.
- Splitting packages into -package- and -package-dev- is just pointless in the world of 500gb drives. (btw, how many of you have seen an Ubuntu newbie with a "does not compile here" problem where a missing -dev package was the cause? I have seen too much...)
There is propably more, but i still like Ubuntu :-) - floguy, on 10/11/2007, -4/+9Yes.
- ToadLeg, on 10/11/2007, -5/+10If you've ever tried to install Linux, you'd understand why Ubuntu is, by far, the easiest for a beginner to install and use. I've spent weeks trying to set up different Linux versions to do what Windows does. With Ubuntu, you just have to put the CD in the computer and it starts, fully operational with a web browser and word processor, among other things.
I think that if a beginner who uses Ubuntu thinks that "Ubuntu is Linux", that is not a bad thing. - Spr0k3t, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6So uhm... change it... or perhaps use a different distro/variant? How hard is it to change the "orange" though? Right-click and select "Change desktop wallpaper"... that's one. Go to System/Preferences/Themes menu and change it to oh I don't know... clear looks... that's 2. Go even further by changing the boot logo and login screen if you want... but it doesn't take but maybe 10 minutes... less if you know what you are doing.
- meteorash, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Come to think of it, Ubuntu IS actually a step forward in the right direction for Linux. That's not to say every other distro has to base itself off debian and make a *buntu, but they have to take note of the feathers in Ubuntu's hat, namely user-friendliness, elegance, ease of use and good support.
The ONLY way Linux is going forward is a strong community and the ONLY way to make the community stronger is to make Linux attractive enough. And testament to Ubuntu's strength is the number of distros that have shifted to an Ubuntu base instead of debian to play on a level playing field instead of playing catch-up and have, not surprisingly, gained a meteoric rise in their popularity over a short time.
And I have no doubt that all the *buntu talk that goes on these days has only brought up the extra publicity and the extra interest for linux which is what is needed in the first place. People are starting to sit-up and take notice and a lot of credit to that must go to Ubuntu. - Shadowman, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6No, it's not. Ubuntu just has the loudest fanboys, especially on digg.
- truck87bp, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5I recently showed Ubuntu to a Carpenter that said his dad was kind of a computer nut and used Linux and windows. Then he said to me, " Wow, I didn't know Linux worked so much like windows, I wonder why my dad hasn't ever showed me Linux before, that's really cool.
I was pleasantly suprised to his reaction. I hardly use my XP anymore ( 6 hours maybe since Fiesty Fawn release). - meteorash, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4It's not at all necessary for new users to know everything about Linux right from the moment they start. In fact that will actually push them away from Linux. It is perfectly possible for new users to start with Ubuntu, use it over a period of time and learn about Linux as they go through the experience and after a certain period even shift to another distro as they become knowledgable enough. It is only quite obvious that people will learn more about Linux the more they use it and its never the case that after using Ubuntu for a year or half, they still think "Ubuntu is the only Linux".
- raseel, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5It's always a pleasure to listen to Mark's views. He believes in them so much..... and acts like it too
- meteorash, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Very true.
- bruenig, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5You sound like an excellent arch linux candidate. Rolling release, easy package building framework called makepkg and no splitting of includes.
- Tsen, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Godwin'd in the first reply. A new record!
- srg13, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4What was the point of coping your stupid post from above and posting it again after changing three or four words? Nobody cares
- ToadLeg, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6It's simple: if you want to develop Debian, you can. If you don't like the way Debian is being developed, develop Gentoo instead. That way, whatever you want to do with Linux gets developed. No single group of people can determine what happens to Linux.
I hardly think someone who knows so little about Linux that they think Ubuntu is the only version is going to be developing it anytime soon.
I like the part about how you used Ubuntu because you were lazy...Usually I hear about people using Windows because they're lazy! - Spr0k3t, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5Are you sure you have tried Ubuntu... and what other distro? My wife uses Debian Etch and doesn't touch the terminal. Sudo on the other hand, if you don't want security, turn it off. Not everything is tied to the terminal in Linux these days. It's just more support issues are resolved faster with the help of cut&paste single line command rather than the narrated novel of mouse movements.
- slapthemonkey, on 10/11/2007, -3/+6Ubuntu is great.
- stephenwq, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4http://www.fedoraforum.com is great too, really helpful.
- SteveMax, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3The LSB defined RPM as the standard packaging format. By your logic, Ubuntu is "refusing to go along" and not "getting past the outdated and worthless" DEB format.
To each its own. If something (say, Ubuntu's InitNG) is better than the alternative in every single possible situation, it will eventually be adopted by the others. If the "current standard" is better suited for a given usage (say, a never-off server where a 100% predictable init is needed), it will remain in use in distrubutions focusing on that. This is not a "major problem", it's just "don't use a screwdriver to drill a hole". - kazamx, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I think Ubuntu is a really good thing for Linux. Its about breaking the hld Microsoft has on the OS market. Ubuntu (at the moment) is one of the best Distros for someone brand new to Linux. Once these people have played with Linux and aren't scared at the idea of using a different OS. They can then expand out from Ubuntu and find a distro that fits their need even better. For some Ubuntu will be all they need, for others it will be a stepping stone.
The important thing is more and more people are finding out that just like with everything else in life, choice is a good thing. Just because you used Microsoft since you started on computers doesn't mean its the best fit for you now. - mikedoth, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3It's popular, and that's exactly what Linux needs. Word of mouth is Linux's advertisement and it can use all it can get. As more users start using it, more software developers will see it as a money making opportunity and build on it and I don't just mean Ubuntu at that point.
- OBKenobi, on 10/11/2007, -6/+8I'll like it more when it stops being orange.
- CoolSilver, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4One word....
KDE - bruenig, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2It is unquestionably inferior to pacman from arch. Good maybe, but not as good as arch.
- embeem, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2reinstall? what?
The command to update from one release to the next:
update-manager -c
(you can add a -d if you want the development releases) - marx2k, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2The only times Ive had gnome panel crash was when NFS crashed on me during client/server large file transfers. Apparently a bug in NFS. Switched to CIFS, no problems and gnome panel does not crash during regular use. (which, for me, includes everything but using NFS) :)
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2 There are lots of Linux community as friendly and helpful as the Ubuntu one.
- bruenig, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5If people used the wiki more than their garbage blogs to put up fixes, you would be able to find it much more easily I am sure. People would rather put stuff on their blog and get digg traffic than help out the community and add it to the wiki which is why you will see 200,000 results from google and have to wade through so much nonsense instead of a quick wiki query on the wiki like other distros. http://digg.com/linux_unix/Ubuntu_wiki_this_is_where_community_documentation_goes
- init100, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2First, you say that all Linux distros are pieces of *****, then you advocate using SUSE, *another Linux distro*. Do you enjoy playing with crap? Maybe you do in the physical world too...:p
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -4/+6I think this article or this interview has been posted several times before.
- init100, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2No.
- mountaincable, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1It originally took me a year to first install slackware in elementary school, back when linux was difficult to install. The important part is I actually learned something about linux.
- init100, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1"ask a vendor if their own product is the best"
Well, that's not unique for this article or writer. It's about as bad as when a "journalist" goes to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/facts/default.mspx to get information about Windows compared to Linux. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1 Using Freespire...Moving to Klikit Linux when it goes bets.
- init100, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I agree. Of all distributions, none have as many fanboys as Ubuntu. That's not the problem though, the problem is that they sneer at users of other distributions, and proclaim Ubuntu to be the "one and only" good Linux distro.
- mikedoth, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Sounds promising but I can't see it being the end all for Linux switchers, Gnome is already really very good.
- init100, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1My thoughts exactly. I use Linux with Gnome every day, and Gnome-panel has never crashed on me, at least not that I can remember. And I switched to Gnome from Fvwm2 several years ago, when I moved from Red Hat 7.2 to Fedora Core 1.
- coolbru, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Ubuntu works nicely for me on servers. Debian's ageing 'stable' is something I can do without, though admittedly it's not bad right now since 4.0 went stable not so long ago.
- init100, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Your link is wrong though, http://www.fedoraforum.org/ it is.
- init100, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1There is another way: Don't read the articles and discussion threads, just ignore them.
Or are you a masochist? - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2 Actually, I have tried to install a non -Ubuntu version of Linux...Took all of ten minutes...Much quicker than Windows.
This is what gets my goat. Ubuntu users claiming thir distro is the easiest to install,and the easiest to do everything else too.
Most versions of Linux are just as easy to install,such as fedora,Sabayon,Dreamlinux,,Mint,Freespire,Linspire, MEPIS,etc.etc,etc....And with the GUI,they are as easy to use as Windows or a Mac.. I'm using Linux (not Ubuntu) right now.
- init100, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I completely agree. Have been running it on both my work laptop and my home desktop since Fedora Core 1 (And Red Hat Linux before that). I'm especially pleased with the latest release, which could do wireless networking, Compiz, suspend and hibernate on my laptop straight out of the box.
- phantom_mullet, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2I agree. If you had told me a few years back that I'd be running Linux full time on one of my machines, I'd have called you crazy. Once I finally took the jump with Ubuntu, I realized Linux wasn't so bad after all.
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