I’m writing this from Ubuntu 8.04 in a live session (booted from USB stick). This *nix distribution runs well, does what I want it to do and runs just fine without complaint. Let’s forget the fact that it’s super-awesome-cool I can just pop in a USB stick, boot Ubuntu, run it, connect to a wireless network with no problems at all and do my work. You can’t do that with Windows or OS X. Let’s also forget the fact for a moment I’ve been using *nix distros off and on since Red Hat 5 (Apollo).
Small note before continuing: “*nix” means Linux or Unix. The asterisk is there as a “wildcard” to signify both, or basically anything that ends in “nix”.
Linux fans have been arguing – very loudly – for years that we should all be using Linux. They say it’s better, faster, etc. and you can easily escape the corporate shackles of retail operating systems by using it. Ubuntu finally comes along which is one of the easiest *nix distros you’ll ever use. It’s got fanatical worldwide support. It’s also got corporate support from companies like Dell.
For all intents and purposes, this is a win. The Linux fans finally got what they were looking for, that being a distro people can actually use as their primary OS if they so chose to do so. Lots of support, lots of apps, all for free, total coolness all around. And recognition where it counts.
Here’s what I don’t understand: There are quite a few *nix fans that say if you use Ubuntu, it’s a “for noobs only” OS.
It is this attitude that, said bluntly, pisses me off about the Linux community as a whole. Even if you muster up the courage, download Ubuntu and say “Hey, not bad.. I think I’ll use this”, fervent *nix fans say you’re not running a “real Linux” – even though that yes, Ubuntu is a real Linux distro and always has been.
It is a truth that Linux’s own community destroys just about any success they achieve outside of server applications. You guys got what you wanted and more people than ever are using Linux, yet you complain. You feel if the OS isn’t “difficult” to use, it’s not worth anyone’s time to use it. You believe that if everything can be done from the GUI without going to a terminal prompt, that’s “too easy”.
I have never yapped at anyone for using any particular *nix distro. Even if they tried it and didn’t like it, I would say “Well, at least you tried and there’s no harm in that.”
Why any *nix fan would yap at someone for using Ubuntu I’ll never know.
My advice for any *nix fan that complains about Ubuntu: Cut the crap. You’ve got far better things to do than be engaged in arguments in your own community about your own offerings. Those arguments are what shoot people right back to Microsoft – and stay there.
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This ‘elitism’ is turning people away, indeed. Not everybody is a programmer, not everybody is using the computer for software developing and /or having fun in typing 20 minutes in order to start a program. I considered switching to Linux, but i found it’s impossible because i mainly use the computer for graphics. Ah, and because on various Linux forums a lot of explanations start with ‘open the terminal and type [..and from here it becomes incomprehensible for me]‘ even for the simple actions that can be performed without using commands.
As soon as photoshop and similar programs will run on Linux, my first choice will be Ubuntu or another ‘n00b’ distro, instead picking up a ’serious’ one, that would be absolutely useless in my work.
Sorry for my poor english.
Photoshop will run on Linux. It has for some time now. You’ll need Wine to get it going. The Gimp can be as good as Photoshop, perhaps even better. But I am aware that if you do much in Photoshop you have endured a serious learning routine and have time and emotion invested in it.
I do need to say that heavy duty professional video people apparently run neither Windows nor Linux. Hard core custom video gear can even stem from the Amiga era of computing. Some of these pro systems use insane computing power and the programs even for windows users are in the multi thousands of dollars. I do not study or try to keep up with video issues or movie making. You need an inside with someone from a studio like Lucas who is willing to spill a few of the beans. I do know that those who consult in that industry under contract are getting 5-7K per week in compensation and perhaps even more under certain circumstances.
Well K, I agree that the Linux community’s elitist attitude does turn many new users back to whichever OS they started with. However, at least when I give advice I choose to give terminal commands because it is nigh impossible to mess up. Most of the time all you have to do is copy and paste commands.
If I was going to help you partition your hard drive (for example) I’d say:
-open the terminal (located under Accessories)
-type “gksudo gparted” (without quotes) and hit enter
-enter your root pass from the prompt that pops up.
In my opinion, those instructions are fairly simple. However, it can get complex if you’re doing something like compiling a program from source.
Most of us *other* *nix users (other as in not Ubuntu), will never put down anyone for using Ubuntu without just cause. If I see an old lady using Ubuntu, or a not-so-computer-savy teen, I would tell them how excellent that was that they were using Linux. The problems arise when the Ubuntu kids try to come play in our territory and try to act like they can play with the big dogs. Well sorry, but they can’t. They don’t even know what “sudo rm -rf /” does. If you don’t know, don’t try it. They sure as well can’t “bE 1337 H4XoRs” like they all seem to want. This is when we say, “You use Ubuntu. Sorry kid, go home and keep learning, then, come back when you can impress me”.
Scribute, if deleting the root of the file system from the command line is your test of “1337 H4XoRs”, then I question how big the “big dogs” are in “your territory”.
I have tried lots of distros, learned much, don’t consider myself a “big dog” nor do I consider Linux “my territory”, and after, Gentoo, Redhat, Slack, DSL, Coyote, Puppy, Knoppix, Sabion, Madrake, Mandriva, Fedora, Freesco and a bunch of others I have forgotten, I use Ubuntu. It likes my hardware, it lets me get my work done, and it seems devoid of asshats.
To anyone who wants a friendly community, that will not give you a pseudo elitist attitude, Ubuntu has a community full of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet; come on in, the Linux is fine.
rm -rf / is “fix’d” btw from the huge demand to filter this command (discussed in Ubuntu Bug-Reports). –not-preserve-root will underrun this “security-measure” even thou there are tons of self-destructing commands to run from command line ( dd if=/dev/null of=/dev/sda , your weapon of choice ). Linux never meant to save the user from its own stupidity, but now ubuntu tries to as this os tries to compete in mass market.
anyway, even stumbleupon is flooded with “lectures” about how to use ubuntu and which free software there is etc.
it really starts getting on my nerves, but still i would recommend ubuntu linux for beginners.
Cheers
I couldnt agree more. I first started using linux when I bought an eeepc for my gf. From there I installed ubuntu on an old laptop that she had and when trying to find information in forums the result was terrible. Most replies to posts for help were pretentious and derogatory. I had some difficulty finding the information that I needed simply because most forum threads were just flaming these people instead of helping to find a solution. I now run suse on my desktop and ubuntu on two laptops. But I consider myself a fairly computer savvy person and am incredibly stubborn when I want to do something. But I could easily see why many people would give up shortly after trying linux. The whole situation is a bit like music bands. When they first come out people love them because theyre hip and ‘underground’. As soon as they get signed they “sold out”
To become an officially recognized Ubuntu member you need to go through an interview process. Part of what the review board looks for is your attitude in the community. Users with this type of mentality are usually rejected which hopefully says something.
I even have people that know nothing about Linux come up to me and made uneducated remarks that they’d think I’d be using Gentoo. I have people that know me that think I should use Gentoo because I like to compile things myself. In the end, I choose Ubuntu because it fits my exact needs without budge. As far as I’m concerned, there’s not many more improvements Ubuntu can do other than faster boot speeds (already 15sec).
This isn’t “Ubuntu is da bomb diggity”, this is “I found something that does exactly what I want.”
This (IMHO) IS what Linux is all about. There shouldn’t be a fight over distros.
I’ve tried Gentoo, Zenwalk, Debian, Fedora(bad), CentOS, Arch, PCLinuxOS(BAD), openSUSE, LinuxMint, Mandriva, DreamLinux, gOS, Ubuntu, Yellow Dog, openBSD, etc. I’ve also tried a number of Live CD’s. With enough time to have a solid opinion.
With the exception of Windows clone systems (because of their poor security concepts) such as PCLinuxOS, and Fedora, I won’t ever say that your choice sucks. I may perhaps suggest you try Ubuntu, but if you tell me you tried it, I won’t push it. (secretly not a fan of debian community but nothing against the os)
One thing that is keeping Linux strong IS the availability of choice. If every user in the world switched to Ubuntu, then Ubuntu would quickly become a bloated piece of crap. Ubuntu devs work one way, RHEL devs work another way, etc. I hear about unifying all distros and hate that because it would become Windows. On the other hand, the constant bickering among the community makes me with I could burn the computer of those who say things like that.
[I'm tired and this probably got off topic a few times.] [Hope it still made sense.]
‘Play with the big dogs’? Jesus.