The Linux Identity Crisis

Jayze Calrtini writes "From an article from ZDNet:"If you've been following the current rift in the Linux community between Linus Torvalds and his minions squaring off against Con Kolivas and the mainstream Linux fanatics, you probably know that it's getting quite heated. You also probably know that these two entirely different ideas could create three possible paths Linux can take for the future: stay geeky and appeal to the advanced tech guru in all of us; go mainstream and leave the advanced functionality and reliable kernel behind to compete with Microsoft and Apple; or face a "civil war" that could lead to total Linux annihilation."

Comments

Re:My Vote

[johnsie]

Lol, Vista is a load of crap. I'm glad M$ have screwed up so badly with their new operating system. Hopefully it'll give some competitiors a better chance :-)

Re:Not FUD - This is What Needs to Happen

[WED Fan]

This is a vastly overblown issue. Normal people don't install OSes. Normal people don't even understand what an OS is. They buy computers, not OSes.

And here is one of the examples that typify a roadblock.

Joe Notageek buys a new computer every 5 to 10 years. That computer is mostly likely to have Windows (98 to Vista) installed. If you want to get Joe Notageek to use Linux, and feel comfortable with it, he is going to have to do what?

A. Buy a new computer with Linux pre-installed

B. Install the OS himself

C. Call his smelly geek brother to install Linux (then his brother doesn't have to pay him back that $200 he borrowed)

D. None of the above, Linux will magically appear on his system

We already know there is a dearth of OEM Linux installs. To consign those that we would recruit to options A or C is one of the roadblocks to greater acceptance.