For Discussion: Article that discusses Ubuntu, Mint and recent Distro Endings

[stephen-d-allen]

@popey

Unity is still in use by a massive number of people today, in 2019. In fact there are likely more people running Unity right now on Ubuntu (16.04) than there are total users of all other desktop distros combined. You may not be one of them, and that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean nobody uses it.

Oh, I"m sure Redhat experts would argue that with you.

[stephen-d-allen]

@popey

The fact that I work for Canonical doesn’t actually matter for a few reasons. Firstly, before I started working for Canonical I was a massive fan of and advocate for Unity. I loved it then and still love it now. It performs better than GNOME Shell at the things I do and has all the features I need. In addition, Canonical doesn’t mandate what desktop their employees use. Indeed some employees don’t even run Ubuntu on their primary machine. There’s a slight exception for those people in the Ubuntu Desktop Team who work on making Ubuntu Desktop - you’d expect them to “drink their own champagne” on their main machine, and they probably all do. But as far as I know, nobody at Canonical ever got fired for running Arch

Well being that I’m aware of what companies go through when preparing for an IPO, and when they’re public - This will all change shortly if not after this. All people speaking in any public forum will be required to follow a script. You won’t be able to say much because anything might be construed to affect the share price, and therefore the shareholders that own the company.

So, of course you being a company employee matters, you must adhere to the company script. I observe your opinions with that lens. Anyone should.

[chanath]

@popey

The competition is really the proprietary operating systems people get by default on their systems.

Actually, that competition was there, before Linux distros had a DE. That competition is pretty hard to get rid of, or even come near. We at Linux distros don’t give a ready to use Linux system with hardware. We fight each other, distros, DEs, file managers, etc, and also taking away features. It is pretty easy to use a Windows 10 laptops, especially the touch screen ones and 2 in 1s. Swipe from the left, swipe from the right, from the bottom, and the Windows Key. Virtual desktops are there too.

Linux world is fragmented, and fights itself. iOS concentrates on one OS, DE and so on, Android too. Windows 10 2 in 1s are both laptops and tablets, can work in both ways in both modes - you an attach the keypad, but still work on the tablet mode or the other way, without the attached keypad. We, at Linux are not going there.

Its pretty hard to get a no OS laptop. A computer can’t be sold without an OS, so maybe, just maybe one might get a “Dos” laptop. A “dedicated” Linux laptop is pretty expensive, for a device that carries a free distro, free office suite. So, most laptops that run Linux in the world had been first bought as a Windows device, paying for the Windows OS. No, until Cannonical or some Linux only company creates a Linux laptop and market them with an OS, that competition cannot be taken up. (Oh, System76 etc are no-go.)

To bring the users of proprietary systems to Linux, just the OS is not enough. You need a dedicated device. Even Android is a competitor.

It can’t be expected from computer users to look for an OS, choose one and install on a computer. No one is ready to buy an expensive device that won’t run, after switching it on. Even if the person knows how to download a Linux distro, and even install it, he/she first have to have a device that runs an OS to do that. No, people are not ready for that. They need a ready to work device. The Linux world doesn’t give that.

[popey]

Well, this conversation has taken a decidedly negative turn. What a shame.

[chanath]

There are 27 families in my block of flats. I know everyone of them. There are no computers in 2 of the flats. But, everyone has an Android smart phone, except one, who uses the last Nokia Lumia Windows phone. He also has a Windows Vista laptop, which he won’t throw away, for it works. Some flats have more than one computer. I am the only one, who has a Linux box. I even let them try Ubuntu off my box, but none of them wants a Linux distro installed in their boxes, even with my proposal to look after the distro and teach them how to use.

When I tell them that they use Linux everyday with their Android smart phones, Android smart TVs, they just smile, but no go with changing their Window computers. The kids have heard about Linux, but dream of buying a iPad or a Macbook. Few even have a 2018 iPad, for it had become so cheap.

I wish for a Linux dedicated laptop and tablet available everywhere in the world, ready to work from the first push of the start button. It should be less than 329 USD, the price of an entry level 2018 iPad. Not these prices.

Btw, I forgot about Chromebooks, which would allow people to use Linux apps and Android apps, so there might be chance for Linux in the device-world.

[stephen-d-allen]

Yeah, sorry about that. Re-reading this at a later date, I should have been wiser with my choice of words and being respectful. My bad!

[agentl074]

I agree. Mint is Ubuntu at its core – and will always be. I would love for both Mint and Canonical to share more development so they may decrease the amount of fragmentation within the Linux community. Mint does a lot of things that I would LOVE to see in Ubuntu… and Ubuntu does a lot of things that Mint could learn from.

[lucap]

Me points to Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix.

edit

WOW!, the forum smileys are suddenly big?