'bout time
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| helios Feb 25, 2006 1:57 PM EDT |
Thank you, Thank you.....and Thank You. As some know, and many more do not, Lobby4linux will be sponsoring/spearheading the first-ever community driven advertising campaign for Linux. I have been flamed to a cinder for choosing PCLinuxOS as the featured distro. We will also feature SimplyMepis and a couple others...both for their noob friendliness and because they run well as live cd's. Over 250 replies/emails to the announcement screamed, "Whyyy Nottt Ubuntuuuuuuu! Devnet makes our point clearly thank you. While PCLinuxOS is technically listed as "beta" "experimental" software, it still outperforms most any distro for the new Linux User. While some above me believe that the new linux user should suffer the slings and arrows of Noob-dom, I disagree. Besides, with the guidance of the pclinuxos wiki and the soon-to-go-online MyFistLinux.com, people will know exactly why there are the differences between Windows and Linux. It is explained on the MFL website in detail. Thank you Mr. Devnet for so succinctly saying what thousands of us have been thinking. I applaud Shuttleworth for his work and I both envy and thank him. With his billions, I friggin' refuse to spend community donated dollars to advertise HIS distro. If he wants to promote Ubuntu via TV and radio, I believe he has the means. helios http://www.lobby4linux.com/WordPress http://www.lobby4linux.com |
| tadelste Feb 25, 2006 3:14 PM EDT |
I don't want to curb your enthuisiasm at all, but don't use that energy to diss Ubuntu. I don't even agree with the article but I have respect for you and devnet. So, I'll put it up. Praise your favorite distributions don't bash others. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. |
| jimf Feb 25, 2006 6:27 PM EDT |
I agree. Ubuntu may have it's faults, but it has done nothing to deserve this rant. |
| SFN Feb 25, 2006 7:12 PM EDT |
Why do anti-distro rants always sound like "I liked The Anti-Nowhere League better before they went all commerical"? |
| devnet Feb 25, 2006 8:23 PM EDT |
This isn't an anti-Ubuntu rant people. I really wish you'd read the article instead of deciding what it is about just because you don't agree with the assumption. I agree in the article that Ubuntu is solid and a good distro. I also admit to using it. I just don't agree with everyone trying to force it onto new Linux users saying "Ubuntu is easy!!!". I'm not against Ubuntu as a distro...just as a distro for new Linux users. Give them something like SimplyMEPIS or PCLinuxOS so that they can get up and running right away without installing tons of plugins via console/shell. That's my motto and I'm sticking to it. |
| tadelste Feb 25, 2006 10:08 PM EDT |
I read the article. |
| jimf Feb 25, 2006 10:15 PM EDT |
here too |
| dotmil Feb 25, 2006 10:56 PM EDT |
I posted this on the comments on your blog too devnet, but I'll expand a bit here (so you have to read both to get the whole picture; yes I like being a PITA that way...lol). Where and how did the assumption that GUI's are some kind of usability holy grail come from? Simply because there is a GUI to do installation or whatever else you assume a new user would want/need doesn't automatically mean it's simpler to use. If that were the case, then WIndows would be almost intuitive to a new user; obviously that's not the case at all. Also, "new Linux users" is such a broad and vague term as to be almost meaningless to me. What this new user wants to do or needs to do would have more bearing on what they consider to be easy, as would any experience with other OS's. A GUI can be slapped onto anything with minimal effort; a good GUI is a bit more involved. And what if this new user (like me) hates Flash and doesn't want that plugin installed? the lack of a pointy-clicky installer wouldn't be an issue at all. I just think you're tending to lump together too many potential differing views and expectations by claiming any one distro is the "perfect" one for all new users. Chasing after some perceived ideal is a waste of time; the ideals are different for each user and each situation. What if this new user is on a corporate desktop and shouldn't be installing thigns anyway? Then sudo and a CLI may end up being effective deterrants. |
| Koriel Feb 27, 2006 2:27 AM EDT |
I don't see the article as a rant at all, I believe Devnet has put the case fairly succinctly that in his opinion Ubuntu isn't ready for Joe Sixpack user to use out of the box. If something isn't ready then it just isn't ready it has nothing to do with dissing a distro, he's just calling it the way he sees it. I certainly can't comment on whether Ubuntu is ready or not as i don't use it. I agree with Dotmil that "New Linux User" is too broad a term, and Devnet should probably have referred to "Mr. Joe Sixpack Ex Window User" as your average GUI user more specifically, but as far as i can see the article is fine other than that. What i can comment on is that PCLinuxOS even in it's current beta form is the closest thing i've come across to an out of the box Linux distro, it certainly isn't perfect but its the best i've seen. Anyways i will continue to recommend to all new users Slackware as the ultimate out of the box desk top distro. Ok just kidding on the last one :) |
| jdixon Feb 27, 2006 3:20 AM EDT |
Koriel: > Anyways i will continue to recommend to all new users Slackware as the ultimate out of the box desk top distro. Just remove "out of the box" and insert "after days of customization" and you'll have it right. :) |
| salparadise Feb 27, 2006 3:44 AM EDT |
From a users point of view Slackware is terrifying. From a "trying to learn Linux" point of view it's wonderful.
It now takes me about 20 minutes to set up a slackbox with nvidia drivers, most of the browser plugins, xine, mplayer, OO and so on.
My main box at home is currently running Ubuntu and Slackware 10.2 - I screwed Debian into the ground trying to upgrade it, so I took it out and shot it and replaced it with Slack - I do have some slackware boxes that I'm responsible for first line tech support on, so I thought I'd better start using it.
The lack of wizards, gui tools and admin shortcuts actually saves time (in the long run) and forces you to learn how to do it on the command line. For a wannabe sysadmin this is invaluable. |
| Koriel Feb 27, 2006 3:54 AM EDT |
My first distro was Slackware 2 on about 20 floppies way back in the day, (days it was more like months) but boy did i learn was extremely educational :) It can be considered an "out of the box" distro in that you would truly have to be out of your box if you thought it was for Joe Sixpack :) |
| jdixon Feb 27, 2006 6:05 AM EDT |
> t now takes me about 20 minutes to set up a slackbox with nvidia drivers, most of the browser plugins, xine, mplayer, OO and so on. Well, I've never tried to get mplayer working on Slackware, but since Xine handles pretty much everything I throw at it (with the appropriate codecs from the mplayer site, of course), I've never need to. Likewise I've never installed OO, as I have no need for an office suite. But other than that, I agree. The problem is that learning how to get to that twenty minutes is not something I'd want a complete newbie to go through as their first Linux experience. And this is a hardcore Slackware user speaking: I've been running Slackware as my desktop since 1994. Now, once the newbie gets used to Linux, and wants to learn more, Slackware is the best distribution for actually learning Linux. |
| salparadise Feb 27, 2006 6:22 AM EDT |
The only thing xine seems to struggle with is media embedded in webpages. Granted the gxine app sometimes works but mplayerplug-in plays stuff in the page as it should be played - 99% of the time. |
| jdixon Feb 27, 2006 6:26 AM EDT |
Sal: > The only thing xine seems to struggle with is media embedded in webpages. Hmm, I've never noticed a problem with it, but then most "embedded media" translates as ads to me, so I've probably really never noticed. I'll have to give mplayer another look and see if it's any easier to install now. Thanks for the tip. I do use the gxine plugin. |
| Koriel Feb 27, 2006 6:42 AM EDT |
I can vouch for MPlayer working fine in Slackware, once all the correct codecs are installed, i never have a problem with it but thats the great thing about Slack once its all been configured it just runs and runs and as Sal says the mplayer plugin works well. Im suprised that more folks are not attempting to build a desktop distro other than Slax, Vector using Slackware as a base as it seems to me most suited to the job, granted i know zilch about putting a distro together other than it involves lots of hard work. |
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