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Shuttleworth Answers Ubuntu Linux's Critics
climenole writes "Technomancer wrote: 'Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu Linux's founder, maintains that he and Ubuntu are doing right by the Linux community and the even larger open-source community. In recent weeks, Ubuntu has been criticized for not giving Linux enough support. Specifically, the complains have been that Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, doesn't do enough for producing Linux source code.'"
Ubuntu is not Linux - it is a distro BASED on Linux.
Maybe I'm just unlucky, but my experience with Ubuntu has been a polar opposite. I can't boot into the Live CD on either my desktop or laptop, and about the only way I can get things to work seamlessly is to run it in a VM.
To put that in perspective, I have OSX running natively on my desktop PC with 0 KPs since 10.6, with all components working except a PCIe NIC (which also doesn't show up in Ubuntu). Fortunately my onboard NIC shows up just fine in OSX, but again, not in Ubuntu, where I had to use a USB wireless NIC just to get connectivity to download my other NIC drivers. Even then, getting even binary video drivers working properly in Ubuntu is a chore, let alone the roll-your-own OSS variants. Which is no worse than other Linux distros, of course, but certainly no better.
In my experience, Ubuntu is an overrated, overblown Debian fork that has added zero value, and possibly even removed value if the reports of demoralized Debian developers are true. I don't mind getting down and dirty with my OS, but if I really want to do that, then Ubuntu is not the best choice. On the other hand, if I want to keep things at arms-length (just to run a Linux-only app here and there for network administration) then Ubuntu is still not the best choice -- BT4 fits that bill nicely.
I am only one or two data points, true, but searching for various cryptic error messages in Ubuntu App Center leads me to believe that I am far from alone.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
Almost all of the vocal critics of Ubunutu I've seen have been trolls, FUDsters, and other worthless people. Has anyone raised serious legitimate criticism of Ubuntu?
Funny how distros like opensuse, in comparison, have almost no complaints. Shuttleworth talks about "bringing linux to the masses" - the stats show that the number of people ubuntu turns off from all linux distros is a serious problem. The most telling is that, if current trends continue, ubuntu will have more complaints than Windows in 2 years.
More people might "try" ubuntu, but then they dump it and go back to Windows. Or they complain to someone like me who then wipes the crapware from their machine and installs a real distro.
Yes. They also help their users learn Linux due to Ubuntu's fragile nature. Well Done!
Seriously, the clockwork new release takes some of that pain out, but as a long time user of Debian, and its derivatives, I do find that Ubuntu has some really bad problems upgrading and for long term stability.
When you challenge the world saying your post is worded precisely as intended, does that include misspelled words?
This I can definitely agree with
There Fixed That For Ya!
So now, mod me down!
But goddamn it, consult a dictionary or using a spelling checker before challenging the world!. Particularly if you tend to misspell words (I count at least three such mistakes, without going into proper grammar and such.)
Now get off my lawn!
Be very, very careful what you put into that head, because you will never, ever get it out. - Cardinal Wolsey
Shuttleworth's a parasite. Remember when the idiot tried to demand that Red Hat synchronize its kernel releases with him?
Ubuntu takes the work of thousands of others and tries to take credit for it. Period.