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Why Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux

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Re: Why Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux

#41

Post by ctb_mg »

ckozlowski wrote: post #4
stinos wrote: post #2

our superior operating system is only superior to computer savvy users who are able to fix what they break and configure what they buy and who have the patience to figure-out things like why a configuration made in the KDE UI disappears at reboot. Hint–it might be because that particular configuration in your particular distro must be made in the distro’s configuration panel which overwrites anything done in KDE’s pa…

I agree. It's also why Windows does work on the desktop. For all of its issues, it works the vast majority of the time. I never truly appreciated it as an OS until I tried using something else as a daily, desktop OS.

Counterpoint -- this could be just that you are used to using a tool, and any other tool would initially be unfamiliar, unintuitive, and difficult.

People stick to what works for them until a compelling value proposition comes along. Indeed, the value proposition of FOSS to the average user isn't compelling (yet).

Re: Why Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux

#42

Post by korethr »

jb17 wrote: post #35
Shorel wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have tried it, it just takes a week to install, while Ubuntu takes some hours (I test several configurations until I'm happy with one).

How did it take you weeks to install? You basically just extract a small archive.

I'm confident that that was hyperbole, but the overall idea is not wrong. It takes much less time to install a pre-compiled binary from a .deb or .rpm file than it does to configure and compile source code, even if you have an especially powerful CPU to hand. Why? Your distro has already done the hard work of configuring and compiling for you.

Re: Why Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux

#43

Post by [deleted] »

stinos wrote: post #26
davexunit wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many perfectly usable, free, desktop environments to choose from on GNU/Linux. I just can't take complaints like this seriously.

yes there are such environments. Never denied that. But as I said, I consider them only perfectly usable for computer savvy users who are able to fix what they break and configure what they buy and spend time on it . That last part kills it for me.

[deleted]

Re: Why Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux

#44

Post by oinksoft »

hack_edu wrote: post #32
hpaavola wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So does Asus Zenbook Prime and many models from Lenovo. I have Zenbook and it's almost perfect. Minor touchpad issues, ambien light sensor does not work and screen is always at max bright after reboot, that's about it. The problem of course is that this is fairly expensive machine and people won't tolerate those quirks when enough money is involved.

almost I have a ZenBook too as my primary Ubuntu machine. It's almost good enough. I also suffer all the points you list, each of which are 100% dealbreakers and perfect examples of how almost it is yet no one goes the extra mile. A little bit of effort/sway from Canonical would go a long way.

As they say, "God is in the details."

Re: Why Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux

#45

Post by ctb_mg »

hack_edu wrote: post #31
vacri wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thinkpads. Thinkpads have good build quality - they pass more military toughness tests than 'toughbooks' do, and they're generally 'just work' when it comes to linux (sometimes you'll need a broadcom driver or similar if you're using Debian)

generally ... and I hate to be that guy, but Thinkpads build quality has really suffered of late; plastic is not a way to go. And, 'military-grade' or 'passed all one-hundred and whatever tests used to certify for the US Army' are well-known marketing gimmicks used out of context.

Recently bought a thinkpad (Christmas 2012). I didn't encounter any marketing specific to military grade/army use. Perhaps it's different now.

Some plastics are very durable, and the type that comes with the thinkpad is not the cheapo dell plastic. Regardless the plastic shell isn't designed to provide structural strength in the first place. The inner frame is the core strength of the thinkpad; magnesium or some kind of metal (I forget exactly).

Please provide links for your claims of suffered build quality... if only for my sake to perhaps look at other laptop manufacturers.

Re: Why Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux

#47

Post by alipang »

jorgecastillo wrote: post #11

I could write more but I don't want to. Whether Ubuntu is the best Linux distribution or not is debatable, whether Ubuntu has made or not made significant contributions to desktop Linux is also debatable, saying otherwise is ludicrous. Preference of one distribution over another comes down to personal taste, individual experiences with hardware support and individual experiences with the maintenance of the system. Ho…

I'd say for sure it's one of the best "gateway" desktop linuxes. The only competition here I see are the ones based on Ubuntu, like Mint.

Re: Why Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux

#48

Post by SeanDav »

themstheones wrote: post #17
Mikeb85 wrote: post #3

Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux because he's the only one with vision, and the means to carry out that vision. He's making the tough, unpopular decisions that are advancing desktop Linux into the mainstream, and the only one with the balls to go at it alone. Despite its issues (and it has them), Ubuntu is by far the most usable Linux variety, both on the desktop and server...

Apparently you've never tried gentoo.

"Apparently you've never tried gentoo."

and this right here (sorry Parent, just using this as an example) is the reason that Linux has always been consigned to the ranks of the also-rans on the desktop. Someone will always come up with a reason why flavour x is better than flavour y. No matter what aspect of Linux is discussed, there will always be a significant proportion of users that think their flavour is better.

If you care about Linux on the desktop, you have got to see that people like Mark Shuttleworth are absolutely essential if Linux is ever to compete meaningfully on the desktop with Microsoft and Apple.

Re: Why Mark Shuttleworth is important to desktop Linux

#49

Post by keithpeter »

mkr-hn wrote: post #40
keithpeter wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would say Canonical rather than Shuttleworth himself personally, but that is a minor nitpick. I have used and like Unity. One issue I really hope gets sorted before 14.04 is the LibreOffice menu bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/7... That is definitely under the 'fit and finish' heading! Imagine a future version of Ubuntu with Unity with that bug landing on the desktops of a few thousan…

Having the good sense to set up a system that can create Ubuntu and let it work is a kind of vision. I vaguely recall something about this being how Steve Jobs worked: he created a system where people could work on ideas, and he only acted as the gatekeeper who kept the bad ideas from reaching the market.

Yes, Shuttleworth has good leadership skills and has pushed an agenda all these years, not to mention putting quite a few $million where his mouth was.

Do you think Jobs would have allowed a MacOs X update to badly break the way MS Office worked?

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