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Ubuntu Stealing Linux Thunder


mystified
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There is a growing identity crisis in the Linux community. In simplest terms, is Ubuntu taking the spotlight away from other deserving Linux distributions? While some people might feel that Linux is being seen as a single distribution, the Ubuntu developers and the companies that support Ubuntu are not doing anything that cannot be duplicated.

 

Similar Distributions: Without High Adoption Rate. I don't care if your distro is a non-profit or directly sponsored by a for-profit entity. Without dedicated individuals addressing more than mere development, you will see what has happened to other distributions continue in Ubuntu's wake.

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I don't think it matters what brings users into the Linux fold, once they are there, if they have even half a mind of their own, they will soon look around and find other distros some of which will be better than Ubuntu. Speaking as somebody who has just recently erased Ubuntu from my hard drive because (imho, of course!) it is not as good as Linux Mint and nowhere near as good as Mandriva, then I don't see any dangers in their success although I admit it surprises me. Of course if the 'glint of gold' ever caused them to move away from an open source model then that would be the time to worry, but I can't really see that happening.

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Lately I have the feeling there are more and more fanbyos who don't have half this mind of their own, just look at all those "How to... ...on ubuntu" blogs, while most of the things they write about are not distro-specific.

 

I don't mind if ubuntu brings new users to linux, but I just can't stand all those fanboys selling me ubuntu as THE linux.

 

Without Debian there wouldn't even be an ubuntu.

Edited by lavaeolus
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Envy is a bad thing :D

 

Lately I have the feeling there are more and more fanbyos who don't have half this mind of their own, just look at all those "How to... ...on Ubuntu" blogs, while most of the things they write about are not distro-specific.

 

Nothing wrong with an enthusiastic supporters. What worries me is the lack of enthusiastic supporters of other distros. We're talking about image/face to the outer world here, making known you're there. The Ubuntu community of artists, programmers, bloggers, musicians, writers etc. etc. are part of the success, they are giving the distro a face.

 

I'm an Ubuntu enthusiast, what do I like about computing? Gaming. What did I do? Making an Ubuntu Gaming Site and wrote a tons of installation guides aimed at Ubuntu and made a game list, which have now atm. 3000 hits everyday and estimating triple of hits when this year running out.

 

Create something for your distro that give it a face is my advise.

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Compared to most other distributions, Ubuntu is still the new kid on the block/blog, thus there is more enthusiasm for it and a more "auditive" community filling blogs and newspages and forums with news and propaganda about Ubuntu.

 

If you take a look at the folks at Debian, Centos, Fedora or Suse, they are more quiet because most of their users are long time users who probably don't see any need for cheering about their distro, that don't think that they need to start any new "hype-projects". They are happy with what "their project" has achieved and many really don't see any need to propagate e.g. Debian and to worship it and to convert other users to their distro. Or they became lazy (just like me).

 

If someone is unsatisfied with Ubuntu after some time, they will look elsewhere and might end up with e.g. fedora. People will flock to other distros sooner or later - out of curiosity, out of boredom or because of problems with distro X.

 

I remember that when I first used Red Hat 7.2, I was overly happy and cheering and one of those "stoopid linux-evangelists" (without even knowing it!). After some time, it became absolutely irrelevant for me which distro I use, as long as it allows me to do my job.

 

I guess in maybe three years, much of the "Ubuntu-hype" will be gone and another distro will be the new "in" distro with the "most active community".

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Envy is a bad thing :D

 

 

Nothing wrong with an enthusiastic supporters. What worries me is the lack of enthusiastic supporters of other distros. We're talking about image/face to the outer world here, making known you're there. The Ubuntu community of artists, programmers, bloggers, musicians, writers etc. etc. are part of the success, they are giving the distro a face.

 

I'm an Ubuntu enthusiast, what do I like about computing? Gaming. What did I do? Making an Ubuntu Gaming Site and wrote a tons of installation guides aimed at Ubuntu and made a game list, which have now atm. 3000 hits everyday and estimating triple of hits when this year running out.

 

Create something for your distro that give it a face is my advise.

 

Well said.

 

I think it is great that a distro like Ubuntu has been able to attract enthusiastic individuals like yourself, adding to what I believe to be an incredible marketing effort that continues to gain steam.

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First, I'm glad that a distribution is good enough to pull people away from Windows and bring them to Linux (on the whole). Very seriously, it's what the community (again, on the whole) has needed. Linux has long been seen by many as the OS of nerdy college kids and and the very technically literate few. The tools have been there for several distributors to make a release which was that attractive and they just haven't done it. Ubuntu has done that, and I say good for them.

 

Second, I'm a Fedora fan. I run Fedora 8 and it works very well for me. But I also have an installation of KUbuntu on a desktop at home. It's good. It's clean, fast, and usable. I think a lot of tools in Fedora are clunky and the menus often reference the same tools. My mother-in-law who knows nothing of Linux can use my KUbuntu box. I'd never unleash her on my Fedora lappy.

 

I agree that in time many may move on. People like most of us who are willing to go out and fix the broken things. But, a good deal of people are looking at Linux as an attractive free alternative to an OS which charges dollars per seat. Why not use one that is efficient and easy to use?

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I seriously doubt if any serious Linux user would ever touch Ubuntu again after a thorough Debian Sid experience (either via Sidux, or by other means).

Or, as they said some years ago, Ubuntu is an ancient african word which means "I can't install Debian"

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I seriously doubt if any serious Linux user would ever touch Ubuntu again after a thorough Debian Sid experience (either via Sidux, or by other means).

Or, as they said some years ago, Ubuntu is an ancient african word which means "I can't install Debian"

 

 

You talking out of your ass again, scarecrow. Go troll somewhere else.

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I seriously doubt if any serious Linux user would ever touch Ubuntu again after a thorough Debian Sid experience (either via Sidux, or by other means).

Or, as they said some years ago, Ubuntu is an ancient african word which means "I can't install Debian"

 

 

Thats some funny stuff right there. I've done a Debian install when Debian wasn't easy to install. (thanks iph) I've done a Gentoo install. (thanks vampy). I've done a Slackware install back in the day.

 

Reason I installed Ubuntu. Cause its easy thats why. I want to look at email, read sites, chat thats it. When I do get the wild bug up my ass to do more I still can cause Ubuntu is still Linux underneath.

 

I don't understand some people. Bitch and bitch because Linux isn't becoming main stream. Then when you have a distro that is making headways they start bitchin cause its not "their" distro making the headway. People now a days never satisfied.....

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Dear mr. Artificial Intelligence,

this is a democratic forum, where anyone can freely express himself.

If you do not like this, then you can pack your toys and go play at Ubuntubeach.

 

Ofcause it's democratic. But your so called elitism don't suit you by trolling each distro you don't like. It's very arrogant.

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I have Ubuntu 64 bit. It simply works, and that's what I want it to do. I don't particular want to have to keep jumping through hoops to get suspend/hibernate working. It's only worked under Ubuntu for me on my particular laptop.

 

Mandy, Fedora and others would never work for suspend/hibernate.

 

The whole idea about Linux is to be able to have a system that is stable, powerful and works. It shouldn't have to be a system where you spend all your time fixing things or living with functionality that doesn't work. Ubuntu has managed to do that where others have failed or can't be bothered to tidy it up and think the user will tinker around and fix it themselves later.

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I seriously doubt if any serious Linux user would ever touch Ubuntu again after a thorough Debian Sid experience (either via Sidux, or by other means).

Or, as they said some years ago, Ubuntu is an ancient african word which means "I can't install Debian"

I used debian for a long time and ... use ubuntu now. :P

 

And please stop fighting each other, otherwise I will close the thread.

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Guest rivenought

Sure, Ubuntu may be getting the hot-off-the-press releases and the popular headlines, but in the end, it is the Linux banner being flown. Ubuntu is a very good distro for beginners and experienced uses alike. Do I use Ubuntu? I tested the Live CD a few times and it did everything I need. Is Ubuntu in the same big league with Mandriva and openSUSE? I do not think so, but it may only be a matter of time.

 

I do frequent several forums and run a few distros on my machines. In every forum I always see "I am a noob with X distro, but I just left Ubuntu and wanted to give X a try." Some Ubuntu users are branching out into other distros as part of the learning a experimenting process. I think most of us in this forum have made a few migrations over the years. My point is that the vast majority of the moves from Ubuntu are to another Linux distro and NOT back to Windows. Mandriva, openSUSE, Linux Mint, and PCLinuxOS are getting new citizens every day in these migrations. This a very good thing. Ubuntu is not really stealing the Linux thunder, but is actually amplifying the thunder so that it is being heard more and more often. This is just the way I see it.

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