Re: [ubuntu-in] If not Ubuntu then what

[Amarendra Kumar]

Great post Ram.

I have been mulling over such issues recently. And similarly, I like Ubuntu
but I used to love Ubuntu. Some changes have happened that I personally
don't like and it's bound to happen in case of such a huge user base distro.
But things like moving widgets to the left side is something I find weird as
most of the users are windows migrants like me and left side widgets are
painful too (I tried it on my friends Mac for long enough to be sure).

I am triple booting Vista (for stuffs like Counter Strike etc.), Fedora
(used seldom, didn't like actually) and Ubuntu is my main OS. I have
planning on an Ubuntu alternative myself especially in case I have top ditch
it seeing the growing control over it. I had chosen Arch Linux for that
purpose which is included in Ram's list.

So I will replace Fedora partition ===> Arch Linux.

I don't know why but I have this strong feeling that I may convert to Mac
once I can afford one :P
After all if I have to go for closed open source why not go for a better and
solid closed closed source.

These developments made one thing clear - I am not going to be a complete
one-OS convert , not at least in near future. Options are always good.

Somebody once rightly said in an IRC channel: " don't stick to one distro
for long, you will lose the thrill". I am loosing it :)

Cheers!!

On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 1:55 PM, Ashutosh Rishi Ranjan <
ashutoshrish...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > So not debating the specifics of Mark Shuttleworth's comments and the
> reactions
> > and the interpretations, I am getting an uneasy feeling. That maybe just
> maybe
> > we are becoming Ubuntu dependent and too complacent.
> >
> > I can walk blindfolded through a typical Ubuntu install and its
> subsequent
> > setup of additional programmes, tweaking programmes to work like they
> should
> > for me.  Knowing what repos to add to get exactly what software and where
> to
> > source software (tuxwire, zyware).
> >
> > I cannot be happier with what i have. But what if we need to move to a
> freer
> > system. Are there any other distro's out there. Sure there are 600 plus
> many
> > of them with a passionate user base and with its attendant problem.
>
> Ubuntu has gone far from being a typical linux distro and its because
> of canonical. Ubuntu is now capable of challenging the macintosh and
> windows in their own game as a proper all-level consumer product.
> Getting its own music-store, thats an amazing feat (and its possible
> because of Canonical). Free and open source softwares are good. But in
> the main OS battlefield you cannot place your linux OS without a
> strong dedicated company (which will steer the advertising and
> management) backing it. Of course, the linux OS can be amazing in
> functioning, but thats it. It won't create much of an impact on
> 'everyone'.
>
> Canonical can rightfully guide ubuntu (and its amazing that they do it
> as saints). Because ubuntu is getting so popular, its essential for
> ubuntu to have Canonical securing its interests. The final decision to
> what appears in ubuntu is Canonical's decision and they really have to
> base their decision (now) on the fact that ubuntu is being eyed as a
> fierce competitor to mac and windows (even though there are other good
> linux OS, Ubuntu has entered the consumer stream more deeply). A good
> proof of this happening is that all the major softwares when available
> for download focus on ubuntu as a major consumer linux OS.
>
> I love Ubuntu because frankly till now I have had no objections to
> Canonical's decisions. I weigh their decisions in terms of its effect
> on new users not me because I know that the decision won't really
> affect me because I can choose what I want after installing the
> default. Canonical does not enforce but merely makes their decisions
> idiot-proof.
>
> > My questions are how would people feel about trying out a distro other
> than
> > Ubuntu (specially first time users), in fact have first time linux Ubuntu
> users
> > tried other distro's and what do they feel.
> >
> > I started of with fedora 1 and went through a variety and can make
> another
> > distro do to my bidding.
>
> I tried fedora. Found it not much different from my experience on
> ubuntu. Even though Ubuntu is moving to be more idiot-proof, it has
> definitely not left behind the powerhouse of linux like what fedora
> has. This is the best thing I like about ubuntu. You can team up
> old-school and new-school. Plus, I found ubuntu's development and
> package managers more better.
>
> Another distro I tried was Archos. Its brilliant! and fun. You can
> build your own OS based on your choice. I ruined my OS :P
>
>
> > My other question is how many of us dual boot a second linux OS and is
> your
> > secondary OS as well set as your primary, are you comfortable with it,
> under
> > all conditions.
>
> I had windows, ubuntu, fedora on the same computer. For some time I
> used fedora more than Ubuntu to see whether I should keep it.

Re: [ubuntu-in] If not Ubuntu then what

[Anish Mangal]

Hi

Staying on the topic of having complete control over h/w AND s/w for better
solutions, interested folks may have a look at
opencores.
It is an initiative to design open-source hardware. The community strength
is nowhere near what it is behind any open-source distro but its picking up,
though some good amount of work has been done.

In earlier days (and to a large extent, even today) hardware design used to
be exclusively proprietary due to astronomical capital costs involved, but
the trend has changed with the advent of 'fab-less' companies, who basically
design stuff and get it made by someone else. They are the ones who stand to
gain the most out of such an initiative. As a great example AMD, Qualcomm
and Broadcom are all fab-less (meaning no manufacturing capability)!

Regards,
Anish Mangal


On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 8:17 PM, Ashutosh Rishi Ranjan <
ashutoshrish...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 7:35 PM, bkd.jdk  wrote:
> > On Tuesday 23 March 2010 12:33 PM, K Ramnarayan wrote:
> >> Hi
> >>
> >> This isn't exactly a poll but thought that it would be good to know what
> >> people would choose if they had to move away from Ubuntu.
> >>
> >> Before saying anything i want to put this on record. Ubuntu is one of
> the best
> >> distro's i have ever used. , its ease in installation, responsiveness to
> >> multitude of hardware, the incredibly large and varied repositories, the
> very
> >> decent derivatives (Mint, Ultimate etc) . The huge forum and support.
> >> Basically i like it very much
> >>
> >> Over the recent months there has been a lot of chatter about minor and
> maybe
> >> not so minor aspects.
> >>
> >> First there was the dropping and inclusion of different programmes (e.g.
> GIMP)
> >> not big things but when many small things add up they become to big.
> > (OT)
> > These changes may seem small, but they are really big ones. Especially
> > the 'window buttons on the left' one. I really don't understand it, they
> > shouldn't add such changes in an LTS release. If they would want to
> > experiment, they can experiment in Lucid+1.
> >> Then there is this
> >> Ubuntu is not a democracy, Mark Shuttleworth
> >>
> >> Sounds crazy saying it like that but to read what he had to say check
> out
> >>
> >> Mark Shuttleworth: "This is not a democracy"
> >> http://www.webupd8.org/2010/03/ubuntu-is-not-democratic.html
> >>
> >> and some related discussions
> >>
> >>
> http://www.osnews.com/story/23039/Kicking_in_Open_Doors_Open_Source_Is_Not_a_Democracy
> >>
> >> and
> >>
> >> http://www.itworld.com/open-source/101641/open-source-not-
> >> democracy?source=smlynch
> >>
> > Well, Ubuntu has become very big and that's all because of it's
> > community. Not because of Canonical. There are people who spend nights
> > contributing to Ubuntu, just for the sake of the community and Canonical
> > is now completely ignoring them. In my opinion there should be some kind
> > of open poll before making big changes that would affect the whole
> > community, but no why will they do it, "Ubuntu is not a democracy" ya
> > know :)
> >
>
> Well thats what he meant. Kind off. The kernel team decides the kernel
> because they are the ones who work on it. No one else can vote for
> their decisions because they have the merit of packing the kernel. The
> design team contribute to design and no one outside their team decides
> upon the design because they spend nights contributing to it. That
> sounds like a professional way to manage things.
>
> On a personal note, I am completely OK with the buttons on the left.
> In fact I had them on the left even before Canonical decided to (my
> reason was because mac has it and mac > windows.. stupid reason though
> ). Plus, now I am used to it and sometimes feel weird using the
> buttons on the right in MS Windows (I have the opposite problem). What
> I reason to myself is that:
> 1) Canonical's design is new, it does not imitate mac (mac has the
> opposite order) nor does it imitate windows. That is bad if you look
> at it in terms of user migration from windows to ubuntu. But people
> migrate to mac too from their windows and adapt well to it. So ubuntu
> has something unique.
>
> 2) Mark Shuttleworth said that the next Ubuntu will have something
> good on the right hand side. Right now there is the extra options to
> move the windows from one workspace to the other and all that. But
> hopefully they will get something good. I want a zeitgeist activity
> journal integrated there. But lets hope for something better.
>
> --
> Ashutosh Rishi
> Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish
>
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>
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