Ubuntu Kane and Abel community struggle - Linux

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I used to use Ubuntu. Then I stopped. Why? Because it *was* getting too easy. I installed Gentoo on one partition, and OpenBSD on another. I like it when things don’t work straightaway. I prefer to think about it, work it out, fix the problem, and come out of it all with a deeper understanding of how Linux and my computer work. If you’re not like me, thats fine. Use Ubuntu. Maybe you’re not a computerey person, or maybe you want to spend a minimal amount of time getting things running.

But I don’t think wanting things to be hard is such a "bizarre reason". All the same, I have a huge amount of respect for the Ubuntu developers. They have put craploads of effort into making Linux user-friendly.

When it comes down to it, it is each individual’s choice to make a decision about what they use, be it Linux or Windows, Slackware or Ubuntu. However, having arguments about it just wastes everyone’s time. So use what you like, and be proud of it!

by Jamie on Saturday 13th of October 2007 at 23:30

I co-admin a forum dedicated to my distro of choice and the number one of topic discussions are about Ubuntu, and 99% of those threads are started on a negative tone. It’s amazing really what some find to be wrong with Ubuntu, but what bugs most people seem to be the fact that Ubuntu is a relative easy distro both to install and getting started with. For some bizarre reason a lot of longtime Linux users want Linux to be hard. To run Linux you should put in a huge effort learning the CLI, kernel compilation etc, and don’t dare to come dragging with GUI apps that make traditional hard stuff easy. Thats the Windows way.

I really think a lot of Linux users are afraid of loosing the l33t status if Linux becomes too accessible. If anyone can get up and running with Linux in an hour we that use ’real distros’ have nothing to brag about anymore.

Then some are concerned about prorietary drivers and stuff like that, others are afraid Ubuntu will in some way eradicate the other ’real distros’.

Popularity is scary and can often feel threatening. If the eight million users were spread over several distros everyone would be happy, but when one single distro acquire such huge user base in such a short time people get suspicions.

For years we have discussed how we could make Linux more popular. Now that Ubuntu have broken some serious ground on that aspect it’s not at all good. The reason for the Ubuntu scare is complex but I really believe it will calm down and become just another choice.

by Lavene on Friday 11th of May 2007 at 05:35

As someone who dosn’t like Ubuntu myself I thought I would share my reason:

It simply comes down to the fact that I don’t want a monopoly distro, if you have 1-3 popular distros then it becomes easy for hardware/software developers to support those and only those distros (software is only a real problem for closed source that is still important in Linux, like Oracle’s databases). If you have no distro with >5% of the market then you have to find a way to support all distros equaliy like useing the LSB.

There are other reasons, like the fact Ubuntu is IMO not actually such a good distro, and the overexposure of Ubuntu in the news, but the one above is the main one

by me on Friday 11th of May 2007 at 05:20

We’re all on the same boat with Ubuntu Linux.

by Roy Schestowitz on Friday 11th of May 2007 at 03:22

Linux distro is like a religion, once you are a (name any distro) believer :
chances are you cannot see what another person is trying to tell you.
chances are you will feel one is better than the other (vi against emac, kde against gnome) etc etc etc

Linux distro is like a dress, it may be suitable for you but may looks damn ugly on another.

Add the above together, Linux is somethihng you use and keep your big mouth shut, cause you are already blinded by your distro. Trying to analyse the situation only makes things worst.

Look at yourself as a religious fanatic and you will understand what I mean. The more people writes about this or that distro, the more divided Linux will become as we will be more rooted to our own miserable views.

by Caesium on Thursday 10th of May 2007 at 16:07

i think that ubuntu is an ice breaker so to speak in pulling people over to linux

the biggest problem stopping linux going more mainstream (and maybe whats stopping it) is the nature of the beast

the fact it is "community" based means that some people will not move over to it

just to clarify something, i am a linux user ive been using gentoo as my main distribution the last few months and i love it but i deal with alot of people who are not into computing and cannot understand how the linux community works

by ~CW~ on Thursday 10th of May 2007 at 15:09

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