What do you mean it's not straightforward?
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| cmost Sep 25, 2016 6:45 PM EDT |
I'm tired of these non-tech writers implying that Linux is somehow harder than Windows. It's child's play to install Chrome on Ubuntu by simply downloading the DEB file and double clicking it to install using Gdebi, just as easily as installing it on Windows or Mac. Or, a more advanced user could simply add the Chrome PPA using a GUI and then install it from either the software store, Synaptic or using the command line (apt-get install chrome - wow, that was complicated.) After that, the package will always be kept up-to-date. How is that not straightforward? It's certainly just as easy as downloading an EXE online and then manually installing that on Windows. Now that we have Snappy packages the process will become even MORE straightforward. |
| penguinist Sep 25, 2016 6:54 PM EDT |
It's always a coin flip when an author must choose the level of his or her target audience. Some excellent articles appear targeted at the advanced Linux user. This is not one of them. That said, I've installed Linux for people who are totally new with Linux. Their computer experience might be 100% Windows up to now. This target audience needs someone to show the way. There is so much information available for Linux users that the new user can easily become overwhelmed while trying to figure out how to do the simple things. So I'm ok with some articles like this aimed at helping the newcomer. As an advanced user I can easily skip over them, but the new user may find some benefit. |
| AwesomeTux Sep 26, 2016 3:46 AM EDT |
Why not just suggest users install Chromium instead? It's in the app store, just open the app store and click install. Done. |
| JaseP Sep 26, 2016 11:49 AM EDT |
As far as I am aware, Chromium does not contain the libraries that are necessary for things like Hulu and Netflix to run, while the "official" Chrome does. That is one reason not to use Chromium and use Chrome instead. On the other hand, Chrome no longer supports a 32-bit version in Linux (and probably not in Windows or OS X, either). Chromium, being open source, IS available in a 32-bit version. |
| gary_newell Sep 26, 2016 1:42 PM EDT |
I think the problem stems from the fact that we bang on to Windows users that you don't install software the same way in Linux as you do with Windows. We say you don't have to go to the company's website and download an exe and install it. We say that in Linux we use software repositories and package managers to search and install software from those repositories. Then the user searches for Chrome and it isn't there and so if you want the official Chrome release you have to do the one thing we told them they didn't have to do which is go to the website and download a file and double click on it to install it. I always choose Chrome over Chromium because it has all the stuff you need for watching things like Google Play, Netflix etc without any pfaffing around. I would say that the guide does what it says it will and shows a user how to install Chrome. Although it could easily have just linked straight to the Chrome download page rather than linking to Chromium.org first. I don't think the article is really inaccurate either. 1. Is Firefox on the decline? Arguably yes. It certainly isn't as good as Chrome. 2. Is Chrome available from the software manager in Ubuntu? No it isn't, therefore it isn't as straight forward as it could be. The only really inaccurate bit is where he says a .DEB package is like a Windows exe file. Weirdly the guy has 75 comments on the post and most of them negative but he is just trying to show people how to do something they might not be able to do. |
| dotmatrix Sep 26, 2016 9:13 PM EDT |
Why not chime in? Well... the short 'how-to' seems fine to me. I don't have any problem with someone describing a deb file "as being sort of like a .exe file {betanews}" ... to a Windows user who is used to an .exe file meaning something that is installed. I do have a bit of a problem with the intro... there's really no need to spit on FF. Perhaps it would be better if the intro was a 'sort of friendly how-to-install Chrome' rather than unqualified or unquantified and disparaging comments. |
| BernardSwiss Sep 27, 2016 4:20 AM EDT |
Whether one browser is superior to another depends on the criteria you choose, and how you measure. For my usage and by my criteria, Firefox is definitely superior to Chrome -- and should Firefox not remain suitable for my own usage and no longer meet my criteria to my satisfaction, there are plenty of suitable alternatives that I would give precedence to, over Chrome. PaleMoon, SeaMonkey, Opera, Vivaldi... come readily to mind -- and there must be others, depending on requirements. To be honest, although it may have its own strong points, I don't foresee Chrome ever becoming my preferred browser. |
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