A lot of people seem too focused on the Linux replacing (killing) Windows idea that they seem to forget what Linux and the Open Source community is really all about in the first place.
Who cares is Joe User uses Xp on his machine? No skin off my back. I see Linux as being about choices. My OS can be exactly what I want and need it to be without anyone dictating it to me. That's how Linux started, Linus needed something better for his needs and so the Linux kernel was born. It was never about replacing Unix, or Microsoft, or anything else.
It's a tool, and a damn good one. If Linux meets your needs that's great. If it doesn't that's ok too. The greatest thing about Linux is that it can be formed and molded into just about anything you need to get the job done, not that it will somehow replace another OS. Who really cares if it get's the job done for you?
The fact that source code is openly distributed with license to change it into anything that you need it to be is what makes Open Source so fantastic. We aren't restricted to apps that perform a certain way, or look a certain way. We can modify the source code to make the app do whatever our little hearts desire.
That's the true strength of Linux. Trying to mainstream Linux, suggestions of creating common distribution and package management standards is exactly what Linux isn't. That's NOT what Linux is about. The very nature of Linux and Open Source in general precludes these sorts of standardized ideas.
There's nothing stopping a group from creating such standards and working with them and thus creating a distribution of their own, but Linux is not about forcing these ideas on others. Quite the opposite in fact.
Linux will likely never be the mainstream's desktop and probably shouldn't be as this would likely kill the true nature of Linux.
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A lot of people seem too focused on the Linux replacing (killing) Windows idea that they seem to forget what Linux and the Open Source community is really all about in the first place. Who cares is Joe User uses Xp on his machine? No skin off my back. I see Linux as being about choices. My OS can be exactly what I want and need it to be without anyone dictating it to me. That's how Linux started, Linus needed something better for his needs and so the Linux kernel was born. It was never about replacing Unix, or Microsoft, or anything else. It's a tool, and a damn good one. If Linux meets your needs that's great. If it doesn't that's ok too. The greatest thing about Linux is that it can be formed and molded into just about anything you need to get the job done, not that it will somehow replace another OS. Who really cares if it get's the job done for you? The fact that source code is openly distributed with license to change it into anything that you need it to be is what makes Open Source so fantastic. We aren't restricted to apps that perform a certain way, or look a certain way. We can modify the source code to make the app do whatever our little hearts desire. That's the true strength of Linux. Trying to mainstream Linux, suggestions of creating common distribution and package management standards is exactly what Linux isn't. That's NOT what Linux is about. The very nature of Linux and Open Source in general precludes these sorts of standardized ideas. There's nothing stopping a group from creating such standards and working with them and thus creating a distribution of their own, but Linux is not about forcing these ideas on others. Quite the opposite in fact. Linux will likely never be the mainstream's desktop and probably shouldn't be as this would likely kill the true nature of Linux.
Real life experience vs "research" hmmmmmmm which one is more likely accurate? Don't need to be clairvoyant to see what's right in front of my face.