Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Google Moves To Debian For In-house Linux Desktop (zdnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the to-each-his-own dept.

Google has officially confirmed the company is shifting its in-house Linux desktop from the Ubuntu-based Goobuntu to a new Linux distro, the DebianTesting-based gLinux. From a report: Margarita Manterola, a Google Engineer, quietly announced Google would move from Ubuntu to Debian-testing for its desktop Linux at DebConf17 in a lightning talk. Manterola explained that Google was moving to gLinux, a rolling release based on Debian Testing. This move isn't as surprising as it first looks. Ubuntu is based on Debian. In addition, Google has long been a strong Debian supporter. In 2017, Debian credited Google for making [sic] "possible our annual conference, and directly supports the progress of Debian and Free Software." Debian Testing is the beta for the next stable version of Debian. With gLinux, that means it's based on the Debian 10 "Buster" test operating system. Google takes each Debian Testing package, rebuilds it, tests it, files and fixes bugs, and once those are resolved, integrates it into the gLinux release candidate. GLinux went into beta on Aug. 16, 2017.

62 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. Linux inhouse by jfdavis668 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Windows outhouse. The only way to support it.

  2. Fuchsia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    But for how long? Google appears to be readying its own home-grown OS, to replace Linux (and Android).

    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/googles-fuchsia-os-on-the-pixelbook-it-works-it-actually-works/

    1. Re:Fuchsia by ctilsie242 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The issue isn't the OS; it is the apps. Right now, app designers have five major platforms to consider: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. It would take a lot of work and a critical mass of users to woo them to spend the development effort to add a sixth platform. As the article said, Google has a long way to go, but Google already has written the world's most popular app platform, and it wouldn't be farfetched for them to do it again.

      The good thing is that Google always seems to be innovating, one of the few companies that actually has completely new stuff, even if it might have rough edges.

    2. Re:Fuchsia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      For some reason I always assumed Google had their own customised OS built on top of Debian instead of using Ubuntu OOTB. Debian offers a much more stable base which someone with the resources like Google has can easily customise for internal Engg usecases. Esp. in the last few years, Ubuntu has been having a rough time with the ups and downs, while Debain-land has been much calmer. End of the day, Ubuntu has to bring in new bells and whistles for the user community (which has backfired multiple times) as it's targeted as a daily general-use distro while Debian only has to guarantee stability. Also the guy that runs ubuntu talks like a retard and his shit is all fucked up.

      That's more or less the approach many Engg teams with much lesser Engg resources also take. Or are the Engg teams I've worked with just the minority?

    3. Re:Fuchsia by iggymanz · · Score: 2

      google could actually meld the app AP for android and its new OS so apps could run on either

    4. Re:Fuchsia by randomErr · · Score: 2

      You're thinking about Google's server / desktop OS they run internally. If you believe the marketing, Fuchsia is meant to be a fusion of web app (Chrome OS) and the power of its current API's (Android.) Rust was pushed hard when Fuchsia first appeared as if that was going to be the replacement for Java and C++.

      Also that about when they started pushing PWA (Progressive Web Apps ) and dropping support for the Chrome apps as the 'light weight alternatives for light weight OS's like Fuchsia that can run on low end phones.'

      I know at one time Google talked about an Android virtual machine for Fuchsia ala ChromeOS's limited Android support. But obviously was never demo'ed it.

      --
      You say things that offend me and I can deal with it. Can you?
    5. Re:Fuchsia by HiThere · · Score: 2

      Also, I notice that gLinux isn't listed at Distrowatch http://www.distrowatch.com/ . It may be based on Debian testing, but it doesn't seem to be publicly available. This causes me to wonder what the differences are. They're within their rights, of course. but ...
      And, of course, perhaps it's just too new to be listed on Distrowatch.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    6. Re:Fuchsia by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      I've never understood why some distros are based on Ubuntu, which is based on Debian, rather than directly on Debian. Why not cut out the middleman, especially when that middleman has some wierd ideas?

    7. Re:Fuchsia by PrimaryConsult · · Score: 1

      As someone who used Debian as a main distro for a while, I'll take a stab at this one - Debian is completely stable, but Debian stable itself is very behind compared to Ubuntu. Debian testing is closer, but every so often an update will sneak through and cause a fantastic dependency break which uninstalls all of X (yes I know, safe-upgrade is your friend...).

      Ordinarily being "behind" isn't a big deal, but the areas it is behind are the ones desktop users care most about:
      -Graphics drivers
      -Multimedia codecs
      -Support for newer hardware (wifi, printers, etc)

      To get better versions of that, you need to resort to manual install (which needs some finesse to reconcile against official packages) or third party repos.

      Basing off of Ubuntu reduces the amount of behind-the-scenes polish needed, just desktop manager customization and apps.

    8. Re:Fuchsia by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Firefox hasn't been ported to Fuchsia. Users would complain they were forced to use an inhouse Chromium-based browser.

  3. Contributing fixes.. by sqorbit · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It states that google is "fixing bugs" in the distro before rolling it out. Is Google submitting any of this back to Debian? It'd be interesting to know the involvement in development that Google has back to Debian.

    --
    Sent from my TARDIS
    1. Re:Contributing fixes.. by ctilsie242 · · Score: 2

      I hope Google does do some pull requests, so this goes into Debian, and perhaps filters to Ubuntu. Done right, their changes can have a major positive effect on the entire Linux ecosystem.

    2. Re:Contributing fixes.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Done right, their changes can have a major positive effect on the entire Linux ecosystem.

      yes indeed we all need to be presented with google's domain login screen, that will have a positive effect on everyone

      it's very important that all of our linux systems spend all their time attempting to connect to google's internal servers, it will for sure help us all

    3. Re:Contributing fixes.. by Kjella · · Score: 1

      I hope Google does do some pull requests, so this goes into Debian, and perhaps filters to Ubuntu. Done right, their changes can have a major positive effect on the entire Linux ecosystem.

      My impression on this from the Linux kernel split, wakelocks etc. is that Google doesn't keep any of this to themselves. But they're also not going to fight upstream if upstream disagrees with what they're doing or how they're doing it. I mean the reason most people want something upstreamed is so they don't have to maintain it themselves, Google is essentially saying we're big enough to maintain this ourselves so if you don't want it.... whatever, not really our problem.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    4. Re:Contributing fixes.. by swillden · · Score: 1

      I hope Google does do some pull requests, so this goes into Debian, and perhaps filters to Ubuntu. Done right, their changes can have a major positive effect on the entire Linux ecosystem.

      They'd have to be crazy not to upstream their changes. Otherwise they'd end up with an endlessly growing pile of patches to integrate and test, every time an upstream package changes. That would quickly become unmanageable.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    5. Re:Contributing fixes.. by HiThere · · Score: 1

      You're assuming a target. If they are targeting smart phones, most of the upstream packages don't have a big impact, and a lot of them don't have ANY impact. If they are targeting IoT devices, there's even less effect.

      It's not clear to me that they are developing a general purpose distribution. I only did a tiny bit of search for it, but I didn't find anything that mentioned it, so my guess is that this "gLinux" is for some internal use...and that could be pretty specialized.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    6. Re:Contributing fixes.. by Knuckles · · Score: 1

      It states that "Google takes each Debian Testing package, rebuilds it, tests it, files and fixes bugs, and once those are resolved, integrates it into the gLinux release candidate"

      --
      "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
    7. Re:Contributing fixes.. by Knuckles · · Score: 1

      You're assuming a target. If they are targeting smart phones, most of the upstream packages don't have a big impact, and a lot of them don't have ANY impact. If they are targeting IoT devices, there's even less effect.

      It's not clear to me that they are developing a general purpose distribution. I only did a tiny bit of search for it, but I didn't find anything that mentioned it, so my guess is that this "gLinux" is for some internal use...and that could be pretty specialized.

      The target is their "in-house Linux desktop", it's in the first sentence of TFS

      --
      "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
    8. Re:Contributing fixes.. by xanthos · · Score: 1

      All your base (code) belongs to us!

      --
      Average Intelligence is a Scary Thing
    9. Re:Contributing fixes.. by HiThere · · Score: 1

      You're correct, it *does* say that. But this is Google, and for all of me their "in-house Linux desktop" might be essentially a web server page. After all, that's what most of their users see. There must be *some* reason they are holding this as "internal use only", and the easy explanation is that it's highly specialized in some way. (Otherwise, why bother.)

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    10. Re:Contributing fixes.. by Knuckles · · Score: 1

      You did find this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
    11. Re:Contributing fixes.. by Knuckles · · Score: 2

      Shuttleworth said that they do, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
    12. Re:Contributing fixes.. by HiThere · · Score: 1

      No, I was looking for gLinux, but the link you gave said it adds some features and removes some features, without being very specific about either (though it did say some of the added features are to improve security). This doesn't imply to me that it's a "general purpose Linux distribution". It all depends on what's removed, which is totally unspecified.

      Well, it actually also depends on what's available to optionally be installed, but I haven't seen *anything* about that. Presumably they have some selection of add-on packages for different use cases...but that's a guess. They *could* even allow installation from Debian repositories, but I really doubt that.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    13. Re:Contributing fixes.. by Knuckles · · Score: 1

      I dunno what you are talking about. It's clearly not targeting smart phones

      --
      "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
  4. Is this allowed by Chrisq · · Score: 2

    Don't bother looking for this new Linux distro. You won't be able to find it. GLinux, like Goobuntu before it, is strictly for internal Google use.

    Don't they have to publish the source under GPL? (I realise that this is different from having a downloadable pre-compiled distribution, but it is still available)

    1. Re: Is this allowed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      If they are not distributing it then no they donâ(TM)t have to make the source code available.

    2. Re: Is this allowed by Chrisq · · Score: 1

      OK thanks!

    3. Re:Is this allowed by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 4, Informative

      Don't bother looking for this new Linux distro. You won't be able to find it. GLinux, like Goobuntu before it, is strictly for internal Google use.

      Don't they have to publish the source under GPL? (I realise that this is different from having a downloadable pre-compiled distribution, but it is still available)

      No, they only have to distribute source if they distribute binaries. If they only use it internally they don't have to distribute source.

    4. Re: Is this allowed by cloud.pt · · Score: 1

      What if they internally host changed binaries, but allow their employees to take home and install those images for personal uses? How would that fit into the GPL?

    5. Re:Is this allowed by cloud.pt · · Score: 1

      same question as above, now sans binaries: what if they allow their devs to build straight from Google's trunk and are allowed to take them home for personal use?

    6. Re: Is this allowed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Google corp images are strictly restricted to corp hardware (we have a lengthy certification process for that). However the gLinux team does contribute upstream code changes (where do you think Retpoline comes from?) and Legal routinely audits code to ensure compliance with the various licences, GPL included.
      Also, this news is 3+ months old.
      Posting AC because I don't want to be known where I work.

    7. Re: Is this allowed by F.Ultra · · Score: 1

      Under the GPL they are only obliged to make the source code available for the people who they distribute to (and if any of them requests the source code), if an employee takes it home and distributes these images to other people then that obligation falls on him/her and not Google.

  5. Ubuntu seems to be faltering by PvtVoid · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Having been a big Ubuntu fan (yes, including Unity) for quite a while now, I have been severely underwhelmed by the 16.04 LTS. The thing that really gives me pause (in addition to the basic instability of what is supposed to be a stable release) is the show-stopper bugs in major projects that have gone not only un-fixed, but unaddressed for nearly two years.

    Here's one (Status: confirmed / Importance: High / Assigned to: Unassigned)
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubu...

    Here's another one (Status: confirmed / Importance: High / Assigned to: Unassigned) :
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubu...

    Both of these examples are _major_ bugs in _major_ packages in the distro. And nobody has bothered to work on them, at all. This suggests to me that Ubuntu is too short on manpower to actually maintain the distro at an acceptable level.

    Canonical, WTF?

    1. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by KiloByte · · Score: 3, Funny

      Unity was the worst thing that happened to Linux adoption. I hope that those who created it fall off a cliff.

      Unity was abysmal, but just look what Ubuntu replaced it with. Now THAT's bad!

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    2. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by Rutulian · · Score: 5, Informative

      Sympathize, but...

      Your first link is to an issue encountered during a release upgrade. Release upgrades are tricky and nearly impossible to get perfect, especially when the software involved (in this case mysql-server) is complex and had an upstream change that affects configuration settings. There will always be edge cases that fail in these situations, and it is not necessarily worth it to try to fix every edge case as long as it doesn't corrupt data and the user is able to fix the problem manually. In this case, the upstream mysql-server change was noted in the release notes, so users upgrading should have been aware of potential problems going into it. The packaging of mysql-server-5.7 itself is not broken.

      In your second link, the problem is an issue with the OpenGL rendering support in libreoffice and is likely hardware/driver dependent. It is not something Canonical is in a position to fix.

      Also, both of these packages are in the universe repository and not officially supported by Canonical. So what you are getting from these bug reports is community support, which is why they are unassigned and don't receive much (if any) attention by a Canonical employee. I agree Debian is much better in this regard, but there is only so much a single company with a handful of employees can reasonably do.

    3. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by PvtVoid · · Score: 1

      [... lots of finger pointing ...]

      Then these versions of the packages shouldn't be in a stable release in the first place. They are not ancillary systems: they are core functionality, and if they have major bugs, they shouldn't in something called a "stable release".

      Fuck you very much.

    4. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by PvtVoid · · Score: 1

      Also, as a followup, the mysql bug also happens on fresh installs (it just isn't included in that particular bug report):

      https://serverfault.com/questi...

      There is no excuse for this.

    5. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by FrankSchwab · · Score: 1

      So take your money and find a better supplier.

      There's no excuse for continuing to complain about how poorly a product is being maintained, and not doing anything about it.

      --
      And the worms ate into his brain.
    6. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by mysticgoat · · Score: 1

      Unity has been bad both as a desktop, and for the corporation. But it was a positive improvement to the train wreck that was Gnome at that time.

      I looked at the first Unity package then went to Ubuntu Studio, that uses a low latency version of Xfce, which had some buggy corners but was mostly good and not too heavy on resource demands. I've now moved on to Ubuntu Mate, which for me is a good fit since I really do like my coffee, and it has turned out that I'm not doing the audio capture and editing I hoped to get into, where Xfce really shines.

      With Unity, Ubuntu took a chance that computer, tablet, and smart phone interfaces would converge on a single interface, so that the user experience when moving between their gadgets was seamless. That isn't happening; Ubuntu lost that gamble and has quit that game. It now seems that we won't see the same interface on phone, tablet, and computer until we do it all with voice commands. Think of Scotty in the time-travel episode, talking into the computer's mouse.

      Gnome appears to have learned from its mistakes and by all reports the combo Gnome 3.28 - with 3.27 Nautilus will be a big win for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. I'll be giving that a try. My fall back will be to Mate, but I doubt that I will need to do that.

    7. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by PvtVoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So take your money and find a better supplier.

      There's no excuse for continuing to complain about how poorly a product is being maintained, and not doing anything about it.

      This, right here, is how open-source software companies end up circling the drain.

    8. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by chapstercni · · Score: 1

      I know there is a lot of hate for Unity, but I really like it. I'm sad to see it going away. It just sat over there on the left, hidden til I moved my mouse over there, with a great interface.

      Well... that's my opinion. I'll adapt to whatever comes next.

    9. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by cloud.pt · · Score: 1

      Ubunto Mobile; Unity switched for Gnome; that MIR thing nobody uses (even themselves)... Canonical has been trying so hard to reinvent the wheel, but it's like they're always 6 months behind... Like how they are always behind Debian and Gnome for releases...

      They need to either get ideas out the oven that are very fresh, or focus on their main monetization. Maybe only stray for endeavors that can leverage that monetization. They have a thing or two to learn from the likes of Redhat or even Google (if you neglect the non-open source nature).

    10. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by Rutulian · · Score: 1

      Whoa, emotional much?

      I wasn't finger pointing, just trying to explain your observation (marked as unassigned bugs), and I think it is reasonable. If you don't agree, please explain why instead of attacking with expletives.

      The packages are stable. As I tried to explain, and you apparently missed, the problem with mysql-server is due to an upstream change. The software and packaging are not broken. The bug report refers to a problem during a major release upgrade. It was known possible issue that a user might encounter during upgrade reported in the release notes and is recoverable, so not generally something considered to be a show-stopper, by anybody. The problem with libreoffice was experimental functionality that the user enabled and is known to have problems. Solution: don't enable it. Again, not a show-stopper bug.

      They are not ancillary systems: they are core functionality

      That may be, but a commercial company cannot offer free support for every software package that someone considers "core functionality". Red Hat certainly doesn't. If you are having a problem with a package that is not in the "main" repository, and you haven't purchased a support package, you are left with community support only. This is clearly stated on their website, https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/se....

    11. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by Rutulian · · Score: 1

      This is not the same problem. His configuration file is fine. Not sure what the problem is in this case, but plenty of people install mysql-server 5.7 on fresh 16.04 without encountering it. So suffice it to say it is probably something weird to do with his particular circumstances, maybe the slightly odd Microsoft Azure configuration. Weird stuff happens in VMs sometimes, especially on cloud services.

      FWIW, I don't agree with the sibling poster. I think companies, like Canonical, are best served by supporting their ecosystem as best they can, including for non-paying users, but they can't support every combination of every package. Nobody does that. If you were having this problem installing on Windows, would Microsoft provide free support? No.

    12. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by PvtVoid · · Score: 1

      This is not the same problem. His configuration file is fine. Not sure what the problem is in this case, but plenty of people install mysql-server 5.7 on fresh 16.04 without encountering it. So suffice it to say it is probably something weird to do with his particular circumstances, maybe the slightly odd Microsoft Azure configuration. Weird stuff happens in VMs sometimes, especially on cloud services.

      Nope. Happened to me on a bog-standard from-scratch 16.04 install onto an empty drive. BTW, if you poke around on this one, you'll see that this, and apparently related install problems, are pretty widespread. And, apparently miraculously, the install works just fine on 17.10, which uses a different version of mysql-server. As it did in 14.04.

      I'm not sure about you, but if I were Canonical, and suddenly a whole bunch of people were discovering that the install script for a very widely used database server was all of a sudden nontrivially borked for a whole bunch of people using my "stable" release, I would do more than shrug and call it somebody else's problem. Or at least backport the fix once it showed up upstream. YMMV. Me, I'm looking into other distros.

    13. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      PostgreSQL, and the companies that contribute heavily to it, are doing just fine.

    14. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by Rutulian · · Score: 1

      The only widespread problem with mysql-server that I can find is the aforementioned upgrade problem. Nobody seems to be having problems with fresh installs, as I would expect.

      I happen to be running 16.04 right now, so just to satisfy my curiosity...

      $ sudo apt-get install mysql-server
      Reading package lists... Done
      Building dependency tree
      Reading state information... Done
      The following additional packages will be installed:
      mysql-server-5.7 mysql-server-core-5.7
      Suggested packages:
      mailx tinyca
      The following NEW packages will be installed:
      mysql-server mysql-server-5.7 mysql-server-core-5.7
      0 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 94 not upgraded.
      Need to get 10.4 MB of archives.
      After this operation, 94.6 MB of additional disk space will be used.
      Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
      Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/u... xenial-updates/main amd64 mysql-server-core-5.7 amd64 5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 [7,670 kB]
      Get:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/u... xenial-updates/main amd64 mysql-server-5.7 amd64 5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 [2,708 kB]
      Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/u... xenial-updates/main amd64 mysql-server all 5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 [10.2 kB]
      Fetched 10.4 MB in 2s (3,561 kB/s)
      Preconfiguring packages ...
      Selecting previously unselected package mysql-server-core-5.7.
      (Reading database ... 898644 files and directories currently installed.)
      Preparing to unpack .../mysql-server-core-5.7_5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1_amd64.deb ...
      Unpacking mysql-server-core-5.7 (5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1) ...
      Selecting previously unselected package mysql-server-5.7.
      Preparing to unpack .../mysql-server-5.7_5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1_amd64.deb ...
      Unpacking mysql-server-5.7 (5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1) ...
      Selecting previously unselected package mysql-server.
      Preparing to unpack .../mysql-server_5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1_all.deb ...
      Unpacking mysql-server (5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1) ...
      Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
      Processing triggers for systemd (229-4ubuntu21) ...
      Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-19) ...
      ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
      Setting up mysql-server-core-5.7 (5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1) ...
      Setting up mysql-server-5.7 (5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1) ...
      update-alternatives: using /etc/mysql/mysql.cnf to provide /etc/mysql/my.cnf (my.cnf) in auto mode
      Renaming removed key_buffer and myisam-recover options (if present)
      Setting up mysql-server (5.7.20-0ubuntu0.16.04.1) ...
      Processing triggers for systemd (229-4ubuntu21) ...
      Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-19) ...

      $ systemctl status mysql
      mysql.service - MySQL Community Server
      Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/mysql.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
      Active: active (running) since Fri 2018-01-19 14:51:15 EST; 4min 52s ago
      Main PID: 27140 (mysqld)
      CGroup: /system.slice/mysql.service
      27140 /usr/sbin/mysqld

      Jan 19 14:51:14 chris-ThinkPad-T420s systemd[1]: Starting MySQL Community Server...
      Jan 19 14:51:15 chris-ThinkPad-T420s systemd[1]: Started MySQL Community Server.

      So, works for me. As you said YMMV, but quirky system-dependent issues are difficult to debug. I'm not so quick to blame Canonical for a package that passes all

    15. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by Knuckles · · Score: 1

      Me too, I am missing it badly, I got so used to all its space savings like the integrated title bar. The current gnome-shell in 17.10 is terrible and wastes a considerable part of a a 1440 screen. When I enable the spacesaver extension, which is poor anyway, gnome-shell needs 50% of one core for doing nothing. Not that it is ever frugal, 10% is not unusual anyway.

      --
      "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
    16. Re:Ubuntu seems to be faltering by chapstercni · · Score: 1

      I'm still on 14.04 myself. Interestingly, the same installation on the third laptop. 1st one died, second one I spilled coffee on and FRIED it, and third one still going strong. Just moved my drive to the 2nd and 3rd laptops and continued on.

      I like 14.04, but it is getting a bit long in the tooth. It is time to upgrade to see the performance in the newer kernels, and other things. Even then, I've messed with this install so much I think I've done a few things to make it less performent.

        I'm thinking strongly about Mint.

      Whatever I use, I'd like it to be a Debian base.

  6. Filling voids, not replacing giants by DrYak · · Score: 4, Interesting

    but Google already has written the world's most popular app platform, and it wouldn't be farfetched for them to do it again.

    Then why aren't APK the current most popular way to run your word processor on your laptop ?

    Part of the reason is that Google (an Apple with their AppStore - the *other* most popular app platform) didn't as much take over an existing eco-system, as they actually managed to build an entirely new eco-system and fill a void.

    This void was due to the emergence of a new class of platform (specifically smartphone, the combination of former PDA and dumb phones in the same device).
    At that point, the former ecosystem that existed were either to old and a bit out place, or pretty much meh to begin with. (e.g.: PalmOS was a giant success on older PDA. By the time smartphone started emerging, it was a very old platform that didn't fill the needs anymore. Even Palm Inc started to ship WinCE on their smartphones.) Or where straigh killed by mis-management (Elop at Nokia).

    But despite their tremendous success on the new platform, the same ecosystem didn't manage to displace older eco-system that where still successful. No matter how much we collectively hate Windows here on /., it's still dominating the classical laptop/desktop segment, because that's what every body is used to and that what everyone has already invested into - we Linux-running people are the odd guy out.
    The segment where Windows doesn't dominate are the new different segments that emerged since (Chromebooks, Smartphones, etc) where Windows didn't have any establishement to leverage.

    I expect the same fate might be waiting Fuschia :
    - on newer emerging segment that didn't exist before and where there aren't already well established leader, it might create its place : IoT devices, wearables, etc.
    - on well established segment, the current iOS / Android will be hard to displace (Smartphone tablet). Any wannabe competitor will have to keep compatibility with them (e.g.: the various Android compatibility layer on minor smartphone OSes like Tizen, Blackberry, Sailfish OS... or failed attempt thereof: what WSL began its life as under Windows RT before being repurposed as "Bash in Windows").

    Fuschia could only succeed if it basically "a different way to run android apps on your smartphone". And then being based on an entirely different kernel, it will also need to convince hardware manufacturer who have invested large amounts of know-how in Linux kernel (mainly for Android).

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
    1. Re:Filling voids, not replacing giants by kzwork · · Score: 1

      I expect the same fate might be waiting Fuschia : - on newer emerging segment that didn't exist before and where there aren't already well established leader, it might create its place : IoT devices, wearables, etc. - on well established segment, the current iOS / Android will be hard to displace (Smartphone tablet). Any wannabe competitor will have to keep compatibility with them (e.g.: the various Android compatibility layer on minor smartphone OSes like Tizen, Blackberry, Sailfish OS... or failed attempt thereof: what WSL began its life as under Windows RT before being repurposed as "Bash in Windows").

      Fuschia could only succeed if it basically "a different way to run android apps on your smartphone". And then being based on an entirely different kernel, it will also need to convince hardware manufacturer who have invested large amounts of know-how in Linux kernel (mainly for Android).

      Fuschia can displace Android overnight if Google decide so. It is their call, their children. their control.

  7. Ubuntu 18.01 Margarita Manterola by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    when I read Margarita Manterola at first i was thinking it was an Ubuntu release name

    1. Re:Ubuntu 18.01 Margarita Manterola by slashrio · · Score: 1

      Actually it's her sister that's involved in Go! (in Swahili).

      --
      "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
    2. Re:Ubuntu 18.01 Margarita Manterola by skoskav · · Score: 1

      Indeed, neither of those are first nor last names of a person.

  8. Re:Uh, GLinux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here are some posts from creimer's old accounts. I'll start with his love of child brides.

    If all my assets were liquidated, I would still have enough cash to buy a new car and head off to Mexico to find a chica to marry.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    You're aware that are some states in the U.S. that allow underage marriage as young as 14 years old?
    https://slashdot.org/comments....
    As for my comment, I've heard stories of engineers retiring at 50, moving to Mexico and marrying underage girls. Since I work with ex-military, the Philippines is a popular retirement spot for marrying underage girls as well. It's all about getting the most bang for your retirement dollars.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....
    That only works if you retire to Mexico, build a mansion (by local standards), marry an underage sweet thing and bequeath all your possessions to the village.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    You need to be more specific. I wrote 3,000+ comments this year.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    Nah... I just do it to piss off my trolls and make coffee money off of them.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....
    We have different priorities. You want to climb the corporate ladder. I want to own the corporate ladder.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    Your bitch licks your balls. Most people don't brag about practicing bestiality. Is there a reason why you married a dog and not a goat?
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    My employers don't care about what my Slashdot trolls think. Now go off and lick your balls somewhere else.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....
    iPhone 6s and reduce my monthly bill from $80 to $50. As a phone and a video camera, the iPhone 6s isn't obsolete. As a Sprint customer for 20+ years, Sprint will always offer me a new iPhone if I decide to stop using the 6s as a phone in the next several years.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....
    Miracle workers are never afraid to ask for a second opinion. Supervisor gave me his opinion ? and a mess to clean up. Lesson learned from this incident: if something isn't quite broken, break it.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    So you can turn around call me a liar again? People have been playing that game with me for years.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....
    Based on what I've read about Uber, he need to tell the boys to clean up their locker room behavior, zip up their pants, and attend sensitivity training until everyone agrees that women are not sexual objects.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    Which doesn't violate the Slashdot TOS. If you got a problem with that, take it up with management.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....
    This year I've posted ~4,000 comments.
    https://slashdot.org/comments....

    I don't bother with mod points. I'm doing something much more sinister. It took ten story submissions ? I'll have to double check the

  9. Re: Yuck by AutodidactLabrat · · Score: 1, Informative

    Don't tell that to the 18 people murdered for political gain by alt-righties last year. a DOUBLING from the previous year.
    Thanks for leading the cheerleading brigade.

  10. Re:Yuck by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

    So they didn't hire you, huh? Well, I'd say that's one plus if I every apply there. I won't have to work beside some alt-right goon.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  11. Re:systemd? by slashrio · · Score: 1

    Of course it does. Why else do you think Google is financing Debian events?
    To be able to damage it.
    [/paranoid]

    --
    "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
  12. Re:Google Debian value add by slashrio · · Score: 1

    If it has been 'improved' by Google...

    --
    "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
  13. Re:systemd? by HiThere · · Score: 1

    It's a distro for internal use only, so it doesn't matter. To me it's not even clear that it's a general purpose distribution, so its not using systemd wouldn't mean anything.

    --

    I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  14. Replacing overnight... by DrYak · · Score: 1

    Fuschia can displace Android overnight if Google decide so. It is their call, their children. their control.

    So, if Google snap their fingers, suddenly, all the hardware manufacturer that make embed SoCs will have stable Fuschia drivers (you know, the same manufacturer where you're still stuck with a 3.10 linux kernel, despite the current version being 4.15), all the manufacturer of boards will have all the other ancillary drivers for the rest of the chips ready too, and all the android manufacturers who takes ages to swtich between current versions of android (despite all of them being the same general Android/Linux structure) ?

    Yeah... sure...

    Nope.

    If Google leverage their influence, they might manage to convince a certain subset of the chip manufacturer to accept keeping in mind to also write a Fuschia driver-daemon, next to linux kernel modules for the next chip that they are currently working on. (Forget about trying to persuade to shed any resources to write something for chips that they have sold)
    Meaning that 1-2 years down the line, the smartphone/tablet manufacturers would have a choice of ready-to-integrate PCBs that could also offer a Fuschia deamon to assemble into a Fuschio OS, in addition to an Android Linux kernel to install Linux onto.
    Meaning that within 3-4 year you would have a reasonable wave of cheap asian no-name smartphones with decent specs, available in big enough quantities that Fuschia would make a attempt at significant market share.

    Until that point, you'll only be seeing "boutique" smartphone that Google can be custom making with a couple high profile tightly collaborating manufacturer.
    And it will have the exact same market-wide shattering effect that Samsung's Tizen has.

    (Currently, any contender that even just try to "exist" on the market and that doesn't have the same influence as Google / their own manufacturing as Samsung / bought they way (=Nokia) into it like Microsoft, can only manage to quickly reach market by harnessing the general android Linux efforts. e.g.: Jolla's Hybris being used for Jolla's own Sailfish, Canonical's former/now UBports' Ubuntu Touch, etc.)

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  15. Re: Yuck by AutodidactLabrat · · Score: 1

    No. Because Muslims are not left wing
    Left wing is not religious