Ubuntu = The Best Distro In The World -- For No One!

[Collins Richey]

On 8/14/06, Net Llama! <netllama at linux-sxs.org> wrote:
> > ... the pictures in the welcome page would make me run away immediately. ...
> > Whenever I see the equivalent of a multiratial, hand-holding, smiling-faced,
> > photographed-from-above, wheel of human beings, I know from experience that
>>I must keep an eye on my umbrella or risk a walk in the rain.

I'm afraid I don't pay much attention to that. Also, I have no problem
with the hand-holding, etc.

>
> Indeed.  Ubuntu is mostly just marketing fluff wrapped around a Debian
> core.

It's not marketing fluff in the classic sense, since it's only
marketing a free product. Lots of distros are wrapped around a Debian
core, and I have no problems with that.


> What irks me the most is that Shuttlesworth is mostly ego, and thinks that he can
> spend his way into being a big name in the Linux world.

Evidence, please. I think that most wealthy people have a
well-developed ego. Shuttleworth would counter that he hopes to spend
his way into making a big difference for Linux users. The jury is
still out on that, but he's attracted a lot of supporters, and there's
nothing wrong with that.

> What rung true as well in the blog post above, is the comment towards the end
> where Ubuntu claims to be for everyone, yet they don't even install any
> development tools (no make, gcc, etc).

True for the initial install, but well-documented is the fact that all
you need to do is install one meta package, ie 'apt-get install
build-essential' to have a complete build environment. When you read a
phrase like "everyone" in most cases that's "everyone who isn't a
geek". Even on Red Hat enterprise offerings, the prefered method of
installing anything is binary. We experienced users think nothing of
compiling our own packages, but certainly not "everyone" .

I'll sign off with this. Most of the anti-Ubuntu stuff is just that:
fluff. I have yet to encounter the perfect Linux distro. You pays you
money (in my case zippo), you makes you choices. I don't have a dog in
the fight. If Ubuntu continues to supply a product that is valued by
its users, it will thrive, and it doesn't make a damn bit of
difference whether I like it or not.

-- 
Collins Richey
     If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries
     of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.