Hello Fedora, Goodbye Ubuntu
goplexian.com
goplexian.com
I found the absence of any references to Debian odd. I say that because for me the choice among Linux distributions is largely a choice of what kind of package management you want to use.
One thing I related to in the article was the reference to the early days of trying Linux:
"I think the first version of Linux I ever tried was from some CD's I found in a magazine back in the mid to late 90's, I think it was version 5 of Redhat."
I like Ubuntu because I have always been more comfortable with dpkg/apt than rpm/yum. I have come to like yum alot more and find CentOS to be a fine choice for servers.
My fondness for Debian is not rational though. It was the first distribution I successfully used. Something just clicked - the install worked, the documentation made sense, apt worked pretty well.
I have dabbled with Gentoo and Slackware and can see the attraction of source based installing. Ditto with NetBSD and pkgsrc. But Debian was my "first"...
Just for clarification though: My point isn't that Ubuntu is related to Windows, my point is that it seems Ubuntu is specifically targeting ex-Windows users as prospective clients, and that this fact could explain some of its recent behavior.
And no, I dont think it matters which desktop I'm running, but I do think it matters that the Linux desktop community stay a deverse field, and if the trends we are seeing continue for a few more years that may no longer be the case.
1. Ubuntu is not targeting Windows users more than any other desktop operating system does. Ubuntu tries to create a really great desktop in a world in which the overwhelming majority of desktops run windows. If Ubuntu is converting users of existing operating systems (as opposed to gaining users who have never used personal computers before) then most of them are likely to be users of Windows. The same is true for Fedora and any other desktop operating system.
2. It doesn't matter what distro you're running. It's great that you experiment with different distros and I definitely think the GNU/Linux community benefits from this diversity, but it doesn't really matter in large scale. Most computer users don't choose which operating system to use - they get it with their computer.
I'm worried what might happen if this continues for another 5 years http://www.google.com/trends?q=Fedora+Desktop,+Ubuntu+Deskto...
I use my laptop with multiple monitors depending on where I am. Windows handles this perfectly. On all the Linux distros I tried, I always had trouble, and required some kind of editing of some text file hidden somewhere require root access or something. Horrible user experience.
He's dreadfully wrong, but it's nice to see a group so consensus-phobic. It means I certainly won't have to worry about a Linux monoculture any time soon.
We also won't have commercial apps running smoothly on all Linux boxes any time soon for the same reason, but lately Wine is handling that for me pretty well. Which is quite amusing, all things considered.
What do you think the Linux Desktop landscape will look like in 5 years if Ubuntu continues to rise at the same pace or even nearly the same pace that it is now?
As for Linux distros, I prefer highly flexible ones that start out small and powerful, but are easily customized and rolled into whatever you could possibly want. A long time ago, I thought that meant Gentoo, but I've acquired a soft spot on my heart for Arch Linux. Every install is YOUR distro, built your way.
That's great for me because I know exactly what packages I want to use for word processing, window management, web browsing, music playing, and graphics editing.
The difference, really, between some of the more bloated and popular distributions comes down to whose set of broad-sweeping assumptions do you ascribe to best.
Most computer users don't really care what program comes up for a given task. They just want it to do that task. To that end, both Ubuntu and Fedora should work just fine and I really see no need to get one's knickers in a twist over semantics like this. +1 to all who said it's flame bait.
Debian and Ubuntu have one major advantage going for them package management through apt and aptitude.
I thought that this would be my biggest hurdle, but it turned out to be a non-issue as yum has exceeded my expectations, so far at least.
I still really like Ubuntu, but several versions ago (I think around Fiesty) I realized they were headed in a direction I didn't want to follow, and I discovered Gentoo. That's where I am and that's where I'm likely to stay, though for fun I do try out other distros from time to time.
30% adoption in a tiny sector does not a monoculture make, Ubuntu really just is a better mousetrap from the perspective of wanting a low maintenance Linux based environment. Any project which is open in Fedora is just as open in Ubuntu.