On 03/02/2010 02:26, Richard Gaskin wrote:
Peter Alcibiades wrote:
The way you do Debian is, you stick with Stable, just getting the
security
and occasional really major application updates, for around 2 years.
This
is done with
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
And that's why I use Ubuntu. :)
In Ubuntu, you don't do anything - the OS checks for updates and
prompts the user as needed, an experience very much like OS X.
Mine notified me of updates just last night, and kindly reminded me
that I was on battery power rather than AC, suggesting I might want to
plug in because it would take a few minutes. It's that level of
fit-and-finish, letting me ignore the details of the OS and focus
instead on the apps I use within it, that has me enamored of the
Ubuntu experience.
The idea some people advocate here, that Rev should somehow
standardize on
Ubuntu, or that the world should for that matter, is a
misunderstanding of
Linux, and its also just plain wrong about the standing of Ubuntu as a
distribution.
For myself, my only advocacy at this point is that Rev standalones
work well under Ubuntu, and if they work well there they'll work well
in most distros.
But as for the Rev IDE product, I don't really care as much anymore.
Developers will sort it out; if Rev used a Debian package it would be
a little more convenient, but it's not at all difficult to put my Rev
icons where I want them in my system myself even with just a Zip file
as we have now.
Your earlier post about distros changed my mind about the details of
how Rev plays on Linux; you raised many good points, and indeed I have
come to agree that it doesn't hurt to have any number of distros
available for every taste.
But I've been able to relax about the variety of distros only because
one of those has done such an outstanding job of focusing on
simplifying the newbie experience. I'm referring of course to Ubuntu.
Yes, Ubuntu is not for everyone. There are plenty to choose from, so
everyone can get the exact flavor they find most tasty. There are
some truly mind-blowing packages out there - I think it's safe to say
that some of the boldest experimental UI work around today is being
done in Linux more than on Windows or OS X. With so many different
flavors there's no need for all of them to play it safe, but the
one-size-fits-all OSes don't have such a luxury, needing to cater to
everyone with a single product.
But please remember that one man's limitations is another man's
freedom. For an experienced user like yourself Ubuntu's less frequent
updates isn't helpful. But for newbies, updating every day is a
hassle. And for developers, less frequent releases means the platform
is less of a moving target.
I used to be concerned that the unique value Linux brings to the table
as the world's most mature and robust free OS would be hampered by
distros catering only to initiates, those who've paid their dues with
make files and shell commands and generally prefer what the average
computer user might think of as a bit geeky.
Since then, Ubuntu has emerged as a leader for folks who want to enjoy
Linux but don't want to learn it. Sure, it's as Linux as any other,
so if you want to dive into the deep end there's plenty of room to
swim. But for the average computer user who just wants to get stuff
done, Ubuntu's focus on the end-user experience makes it quite
accommodating, requiring far less prerequisite knowledge to use it
effectively than any other distro I've tried.
So for myself, and others who make consumer software products, Ubuntu
is a very appealing target. It's bringing the benefits of Linux to an
audience who might otherwise remain just a bit too intimidated to try
it, and that level of broad consumer adoption can only help the Linux
world as a whole. Indeed, it's essential in order to fix Bug #1. :)
Bravo Richard, extremely well stated!
sincerely, Richmond Mathewson.
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