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Linspire Announces Freespire Distribution
LinuxScribe writes "Is the world ready for another community Linux distro a là Fedora and openSUSE? We're about to find out, as Linspire used the Desktop Linux Summit to announce a community-driven version of Linspire, to be called Freespire. But here's the twist, Freespire will come in two flavors: a completely open source version and a version that includes all of the fully-licensed proprietary apps, drivers, and codecs in Linspire."
Linspire, in contrast, is rather staid and unadventurous. One questions whether a "bleeding edge" is even required for that distro.
So what is the purpose of "Freespire"?
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
Let's not forget what we're dealing with here. This is a company with a known history of pulling whatever attention getting stunt it can, including starting with a name of "Lindows" that got shot down by MS. All along, their goal has been simple: try to find a buck out of distributing open source software, including making their "Click and Run" store of mostly freely available apps.
This is about as newsworthy as a paid-software vendor announcing a free trial edition that replaces all the "good stuff" with reminders to buy the full version.
Looks like Linspire is planning on giving away the razor and trying to sell the blades for $20 a year.
On the other hand, at least the "creating a user account so you don't run everyhing as root" step isn't optional in Freespire. This "new" distribution is something that might be a good first step for newbie Linux users that want certain features (DVD/MP3 playback) immediately after install.
weren't the add-ons the ones that gave Linspire the viability to ACTUALLY replace Windows? Without them, Linspire is naked, and I don't think they have the experience to handle a "plain vanilla" distro.
So if I had to choose between Freespire and say, Ubuntu Dapper, I'd choose Dapper all the way.
To build apps from source in Linspire is to miss its point completely.
Many of the hottest and newest apps on SourceForge and Freshmeat don't have binary releaases. And if they aren't popular enough to get packaged by Linspire themselves you're SOL and have to make due with a shitty equivalent, or even worse nothing at all.
If I wanted to put up with sub-par software selection I would just use windows.
I have always found any linux/unix system can read more types of files and file systems. Playing games does not count as a file.
For people who are used to the Windows way of doing things, the deliberately simplified Linspire way of doing things is a very good thing. It's good that they are "getting religion" about the inadvisability of running as root. And the ultimate best thing of all might be CNR technology being opened up. Imagine alternative Free CNR repositories! With CNR 100% opened up, there will be no stopping people from creating a F/OSS-only CNR repository that people who might not want to get chained to Linspire, Inc. might use instead. This was something the Lycoris community was trying to do with IRIS, Lycoris' answer to CNR.
With Lycoris by and large a dead issue, a Freespire might be just the ticket for folks who are just not ready for Ubuntu/Kubuntu yet.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
I say the more the merrier. Everybody keeps saying "oh why don't all the distros just come together and make a superdistro."
I hate to break it to some, but a lot of the people working on improving the distros (as a hobby or a job) wouldn't be doing so if there was only 1, 3, or even 7 ultra-distros.
Especially the hobbyists. They'd feel like their voice wouldn't be heard, that they are just another cog in the machinery, or the distro doesn't go in the direction they want (can 1 distro satisfy the goals of LPS or Gentoo or Ubuntu or DamnSmall and an Embedded linux all put together?) - and out they'd be out the door, working on something else that interests them.
If someone wants monolithic, go Windows or MacOSX. For me, complaining about the amount of distros is like shitting on someone elses work...
Though I can sympathize sometimes:)
That sums up my take on this. It's like an Object Desktop version of Windows ME. Glitzy to start, but under the hood... (insert blood curdling newbie scream here...)
I really don't see people who use this only because of nebulous dissatisfaction with Windows XP who don't even know what DOS and Windows 3.11 were (or even ME) learning to get under the hood and tinker and learn Linux. CNR sounds nice, but ultimately the bag of hammers Unix lineage cannot be avoided and will hit them in the face like a 2x4. Back to Windows.
I think it is nice that they want to do this. I also think it is a sign of desperation. And an admission of how far Linux has to go before any sort of real desktop adoption. It took Apple to get a *nix OS on the desktop, not insignifigant backing. It's going to take the same sort of chutzpah and power and polish and support to get Linux out there. I don't see these people bringing that, Red Hat and Novell are rabidly corporate, and who's left to address the desktop?
If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
They're announcing a Linux distribution that won't be available for download in BETA for another 4 months?
...only the cheap ones. This was asked by a member of the audience and answered by the CEO during the presentation where the announcement was made today in San Diego. Specifically, no DVD licence.
Computer scientist, Software engineer.
And two are clearly RedHat and SuSE. Third.. Debian or other uber-geek version. Today there are hundreds or thousands of Linux distributions. It is like hippie movement from 60s: every a**hole can make their own OS and put it on public servers. They got downloaded (new stuf!! check it out) and forgotten within week. IMO they better apply for jobs in RH, SuSE and bring in their ideas, and help Linux (that matters) as whole gain share. With years things just are going worse: more and more "unique" distros pulling in different directions. Quality over quanity. RedHat makes money - small distro companies don't.
You know what should be illegal? Making a public site for refugees that only works on one OS and Browser. That's should be criminal.
Buy Microsoft and run IE or we won't help you. Holy crap, my taxes pay for this?!
The ratio of people to cake is too big
If you're telling these people it doesn't work and to take it up with the publishers, then wow, you're a better man than I.
I really think that DRM and proprietary codecs are completely antithetical to the entire idea of a public library, more so than censorship and law enforcement accessing records. Librarians, on the whole, don't seem to understand that yet. If we could get them, as a group, to denounce DRM and proprietary codecs, we might prevent a Right to Read scenario...
> Making a public site for refugees that only works on one OS and Browser. That's should be criminal.
Well the flames they got over it has caused them to finally correct their site. But that is just one down and thousands to go, all too many of them government agencies that have idiot MCSE types designing web portals. The point is that we have to be able to provide a solution that allows patrons to get to IE only sites. It just isn't something that we can compromise on. So a 100% Free Software stack isn't possible. And once you admit that you can go for what you can actually do. Linux on the desktop can work if you are willing to drop in several closed parts. But things are getting better, it was only a couple of years ago that Office was just as much a 'must have' item.
Democrat delenda est
Actually I dont give a flying F**K what they call themselves or what their motives are, or for that matter how many friggen distros there are. Give me a viable, easy to use alternative to m$ crapware is all I ask. The key words here are "easy to use" I use OS X at home M$ at work and FC4 for my server. IMHO, OS X rocks, M$ sucks and FC is somewhere in between. I also don't give a F**K what you think about my opinions by the way, so any flames wont be responded to. In general Linux distros are too different to M$ to attract new users - unless they are like me and read/digest/think about viable alternatives. Come on guys .... get into the real world and ask yourselves why the linux distros have not taken off ...... they are too efffin different to M$ shitware. And M$ is what we are being fed.
As soon as linux distros "lookand feel (whatever the hell that means)" familiar, and are easy to: install new software/ play the latest shit game/install the latest and newest usless piece of crappy software, then we may be getting somewhere.
For f**cks sake, give linspire a go. At least they are attepting to make the user experience consistent and friendly.
Jeez its good posting to Slahdot whith a skinfull under my belt .......
Yours in the spirit of inebriation
TimTheTosser
I think it will be interesting to see how they integrate the proprietary stuff, (and how it's paid for, free as in beer is a big attraction of OSS, whatever the principles at stake).
Well if those drivers work in the Freespire with all their codecs and stuff, I'll give it a try. I've yet to get those to work in anything but Windows so far.
Look, for the last friggin time, desktop users don't care about high falutin' ideas of freedom. They want to watch DVDs, play MP3s and watch those oh-so-funny videos of people falling over on eBaumsWorld. Going on a rampage against such functionality because it isn't under the GPL is bullshit, and yet another example of certain sections of the Linux community placing ideology above functionality.
By summer it was all gone...now shesmovedon. --