Will Ubuntu 'become' Linux?

[X-BANE]

Do you think that if Ubuntu carries on sucking up all the new linux users in the current fashion, that it will effectively 'become' Linux in the sense that it owns the greatest piece of the Linux pie?

[derekeverett]

I think for sure that out of all the distros it will continue to be the one that the newbie's find. That's why I think this forum is so important!

If not for this forum I can honestly say I would still be an OS X user exclusively.

I haven't touched the mac in weeks now. I would have last night if not for the help I got in this forum.

[izizzle]

No way. Not everyone is attracted my the same qualities. That's why we have so many distros.

[doorknob60]

To a lot of people, it already is. I voted yes, because it's alread7y the standard starting distro that most people start with nowadays (I did). That doesn't mean other distros will disappear though, just Ubuntu will become the norm.

[tcoffeep]

No.

While it may bring people to the scene, some people will look at different distros to see what they have to offer. Some, of course, will stay, but others, like me, might prefer Gentoo or Arch Linux while others will stay for a bit and move back to Windows.

However, Ubuntu has made great strides in making Linux more mainstream.

[SunnyRabbiera]

No, but I think soon Ubuntu might have its own download category along side a version of Windows, Mac and Linux.
Ubuntu sort of stands out on its own right,

[JillSwift]

I think, perhaps, "the face of Linux" - that is, the first real glimpse of Linux that people get to see. But Linux as a collective is far too diverse for any one distro to be so dominant.

[tcoffeep]

I think, perhaps, "the face of Linux" - that is, the first real glimpse of Linux that people get to see. But Linux as a collective is far too diverse for any one distro to be so dominant.

This is what I meant to say.

[fela]

It will, and already has a pretty large piece of the Linux pie. But there'll always be small, minor distros so long as Linux and it's frontends are open source. The two can't live without each other. After all, if programmers can make their own custom version of something, why wouldn't they?

But Linux as a 'commercial OS' - commercial in the sense that it's mainstream and installed on alot of standard PCs and not just the custom built hardware in a geek's bedroom - in my opinion would be better to stick to just two distros - one for the desktop (Ubuntu) and one for the server - Ubuntu is also a good candidate (the server version). I would quite like this to happen because the ultimate effect would be that there would be more support for this one distro - more drivers etc. that are optimized for this one particular distro.

What I would like to happen is that, but not for all the other distros to completely dissappear (they're essential for things like lightweight distros, recovery distros etc.) but for them to gently 'fade' into the background - so that when people new to operating computers discover Linux, they don't have to go through the many thousands of Linux distros available, as there will be one distro sat there staring them in the face.

But whatever does happen, the minor distros will NEVER disappear.

[SunnyRabbiera]

I think, perhaps, "the face of Linux" - that is, the first real glimpse of Linux that people get to see. But Linux as a collective is far too diverse for any one distro to be so dominant.

Yes but in its own right Ubuntu has been its own force, still retaining the linux name but it also seems like its own OS.

[ibutho]

For many desktop users Ubuntu is synonymous with Linux, but I don't ever see a time where Ubuntu becomes the defacto Linux distro. Remember that Ubuntu is popular on the desktop, but when it comes to servers and the enterprise, Red Hat is king and when you mention Linux in those circles most people think about Red Hat (and to a lesser extent SUSE and Debian) and not Ubuntu. There are also a lot of Linux users out there who have no interest in Ubuntu, so they stick to the distros they like. Personally I don't think Ubuntu's popularity will last forever. At some point something else is going to come along and many people will switch, just like people switched from Red Hat, Mandriva, Gentoo etc to other distros.

[ibutho]

Yes but in its own right Ubuntu has been its own force, still retaining the linux name but it also seems like its own OS.
What you are describing here is a generic Linux distro. Each distro is a Linux based OS, but it has some aspects that are unique and therefore make it different from others.

[JillSwift]

Yes but in its own right Ubuntu has been its own force, still retaining the linux name but it also seems like its own OS.
Linux is the name of the Kernel. Ubuntu is the name of the collection of software around that kernel, its patches, the repositories, and the support system. Ubuntu is it's own OS, just as Arch is its own OS, and Debian is its own OS... etc.

"Linux" as a collective is incredibly broad. Not only is there the desktop computer, but servers of all sizes and applications, VM hosts, embedded devices, "smart" phones and handheld devices, and more. Ubuntu can never be all things to all people, but it sure can be a fabulous introduction to that vast and fascinating world.

[fela]

I think that a great reason why Ubuntu could become a very dominant (and already has done) distro, is that it is good for both geeks and novices - I have proof. I've been using Ubuntu for around 3 years now (since 7.04), I have a talent with computers anyway, and I love Linux - so it's not surprising that I took to it very well. But when I introduced my mum (who's not the best at finding her way around the standard GUI) to Ubuntu, because the winblows wireless drivers wouldn't work on her laptop - I was surprised to see that she could operate it perfectly well, and not a peep of problems in months of using it. Well there was a printer problem but that was due to a one-line configuration error on our home (ubuntu) server.

But ubuntu isn't just good for novices, I know that because I am a, well, geek and I just love Ubuntu Linux. It doesn't restrict your options at all, has practically the best software management tool around - I won't bother you with the details. I love how any Linux distro doesn't restrict your options like winblows or (to a lesser extent) OSX does.

[X-BANE]

For many desktop users Ubuntu is synonymous with Linux, but I don't ever see a time where Ubuntu becomes the defacto Linux distro. Remember that Ubuntu is popular on the desktop, but when it comes to servers and the enterprise, Red Hat is king and when you mention Linux in those circles most people think about Red Hat (and to a lesser extent SUSE and Debian) and not Ubuntu. There are also a lot of Linux users out there who have no interest in Ubuntu, so they stick to the distros they like. Personally I don't think Ubuntu's popularity will last forever. At some point something else is going to come along and many people will switch, just like people switched from Red Hat, Mandriva, Gentoo etc to other distros.

I was refering strictly to the desktop, nothing else. Also I highly doubt any other distro will ever get away from the core FOSS ideals enough to realise that not everyone cares about opensource drivers, and that some actually want to use proprietary drivers for things like graphics cards.

[dragos240]

No, arch will always be here ^.^

[swoll1980]

It already has. The question would be "When did Ubuntu 'become' Linux?" and the answer would probably be when Feisty 7.04 came out.

[swoll1980]

No, arch will always be here ^.^

Cannon will always be there too, but we don't "Cannon" things. We "Xerox" them.

[ibutho]

I was refering strictly to the desktop, not anything else. Also I highly doubt any other distro will ever get away from the core FOSS ideals enough to realise that not everyone cares about opensource drivers, and that some actually want to use proprietary drivers for things like graphics cards.

Many distro maintainers already realise that many desktop users may require proprietary drivers, plugins etc. This is why some distros like Mandriva, Mint, PCLinuxOS and others include proprietary drivers on their default installs and many distro maintainers have proprietary stuff in their software repositories (this obviously annoys the OSS purists). I remember about 5 or so years ago, I had a Mandriva Powerpack version that included nvidia drivers, flash, java etc. Ubuntu is very progressive, but some things that its credited for are not new.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Linux is the name of the Kernel.
Yes but even linux at its core can be considered a OS in its own right, the linux kernel is so diverse it might as well be classified as a OS.

[JillSwift]

Yes but even linux at its core can be considered a OS in its own right, the linux kernel is so diverse it might as well be classified as a OS.
Huh? :-s
A kernel isn't useful all by itself. You need a command shell, interface modules... you know, a "system" to "operate" your computer hardware. :)

[days_of_ruin]

It already is. Most PCs that come installed with linux use ubuntu.

[doas777]

the way i see it, ubuntu has made linux feasible for a new segment of users: those who care not a whit about the technology itself, just whether it works for what they want to do. the better the ubuntu team does that, the more ubuntu becomes the defacto standard, or at least the standard by which other distros are judged.

the existing user segment for linux (technologists and hobbiests) will come and go as they always have. in that regard ubuntu will be a gateway drug, leading to other distros or even (gasp) other os's. i do imagine that once ubuntu approaches anything resembling critical mass, that the uber-technocratti will have left the community for a wild-er west. ubuntu has always been pretty good about balencing advanced users needs with those of non-technical ones, so hopefully that consideration will continue into the forseeable future.

[credobyte]

A: Do you know what Linux is ?
B: Ubuntu ?


I'm pretty sure, if you'll ask this question to a non-Linux user, answer will be one and the same - Ubuntu ( for sure, with exceptions ). More over, you'll not find any notebook with pre-installed "Linux" other than Ubuntu ( and again, with exceptions ).

[Arup]

I feel Ubuntu will get people into Linux and take the fear out of it, then they will get more adventorous and like a kid in candy store, start trying out other distros as well, this is the inherent advantage with Linux, unlike the other two, you are not stuck with one flavor.

[murderslastcrow]

A few of my friends asked to kife my Ubuntu CDs when I was showing them some of the new features in Jaunty (as much as some of you may dislike the new notifications, they've been attracting a lot of attention).

They didn't even know what Linux was until weeks later, and the only one that needed to know was my friend installing it on his Mac. (apparently the iLife suite isn't as important as speed and flexibility)

So I'd say that a lot of new users and Joe-shmoes are totally happy with it, but totally don't understand the concepts of Linux, much less the history of GNU apps and the birth of open source/libre software.

But hey, just like Windows users have no clue about what they're using half of the time, having preinstalled/easily installed (LiveCD and wubi) Ubuntu is becoming pretty popular with my family members and friends. They rarely ask me for help, too, which goes to show how user-friendly it is.

So, in that right, especially with the Dell PCs (Inspiron n15 has 2 GB RAM and is only 300 dollars with Ubuntu), Ubuntu 'is Linux' by any measurement.

[monsterstack]

To a lot of Linux users I know, the way many people use "Ubuntu" as a substitute for "Linux" is a major source of ire. But I do think it's evidence to go towards just how much Ubuntu has done to raise awareness of Linux and free software in general. Ubuntu is the number one distro for users wishing to migrate from Windows. Or as some people like to put it, Linux for noobs! And there isn't anything wrong with that. So long as Ubuntu remains true to the cause (meaning ideas like this one (http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/20508/) get fired into the heart of the sun), all Linux distros benefit from a larger userbase. Ubuntu may be the first distro for many people, but it's not always the one people stick with.

[Sublime Porte]

Ubuntu will most likely become the 'desktop face' of Linux. But it will never cover all bases, since the beauty of Linux is in it's scalability and ability to be customised. For instance I can never see ubuntu competing with a distro like Tinycore, for the simple fact that ubuntu will never slim down to 10mb, and if it did, it wouldn't really be ubuntu. And then if you look at some of the dedicated embedded distros, then you'll see they're in a completely different league.

[RATM_Owns]

If Linux and Ubuntu becomes synonymous, I'd be pissed.

Ubuntu better not 'become' Linux.

[X-BANE]

A few of my friends asked to kife my Ubuntu CDs when I was showing them some of the new features in Jaunty (as much as some of you may dislike the new notifications, they've been attracting a lot of attention).

They didn't even know what Linux was until weeks later, and the only one that needed to know was my friend installing it on his Mac. (apparently the iLife suite isn't as important as speed and flexibility)

So I'd say that a lot of new users and Joe-shmoes are totally happy with it, but totally don't understand the concepts of Linux, much less the history of GNU apps and the birth of open source/libre software.

But hey, just like Windows users have no clue about what they're using half of the time, having preinstalled/easily installed (LiveCD and wubi) Ubuntu is becoming pretty popular with my family members and friends. They rarely ask me for help, too, which goes to show how user-friendly it is.

So, in that right, especially with the Dell PCs (Inspiron n15 has 2 GB RAM and is only 300 dollars with Ubuntu), Ubuntu 'is Linux' by any measurement.

Interesting. I also think Ubuntu may be a sort mini panacea against the fragmented nature/problem of Linux. If it can suck up say 70% of the marketshare (of Linux) then I think more & more mainstream propriety applications may make the leap to our side of the fence.

P.S. Too all the 'freedom is good!' comments I'm more than likely to get, just remember the phrase "too much of a good thing". It holds true for Linux also.

[Cope57]

Will Ubuntu become Linux?

Hardly...

I would like to see a operating system "become" a kernel...



Yes but even linux at its core can be considered a OS in its own right, the linux kernel is so diverse it might as well be classified as a OS.You must be new to using Linux distributions, or Ubuntu is your first distribution.

Linux is the kernel or the core of the operating system...
Let me put it plainly, if I rip your heart out, will it be useful by itself? No, I did not think so. You need your heart, just like your heart needs you to function properly.

The Linux kernel needs a operating system to be able to run, and the operating system needs a kernel to run...

Linux is not a operating system, but there are Linux distributions, also known as operating systems.

There will always be the Linux five major distributions, Debian, Slackware, RedHat, Gentoo, and SuSE. Most all Linux distributions were based on, or came after them.

Yes Ubuntu is popular, and the forum reminds me of a Linux MySpace, nothing wrong with that at all. The signal to noise ratio is a bit off balance, and it can be difficult for individuals to get questions answered here when there is about fifty posts a minute appearing here.

Ubuntu may be popular, but it does not amount to being the best. Microsoft has a game that has been played by every computer user known... The game is solitaire, and it is the most played game known, but it does not mean that it is the best.

I am finished with my little rant, and " Will Ubuntu 'become' Linux?"...
Very unlikely.

89% of all stats are useless.

[X-BANE]

Will Ubuntu become Linux?

Hardly...

I would like to see a operating system "become" a kernel...


You must be new to using Linux distributions, or Ubuntu is your first distribution.

Linux is the kernel or the core of the operating system...
Let me put it plainly, if I rip your heart out, will it be useful by itself? No, I did not think so. You need your heart, just like your heart needs you to function properly.

The Linux kernel needs a operating system to be able to run, and the operating system needs a kernel to run...

Linux is not a operating system, but there are Linux distributions, also known as operating systems.

There will always be the Linux five major distributions, Debian, Slackware, RedHat, Gentoo, and SuSE. Most all Linux distributions were based on, or came after them.

Yes Ubuntu is popular, and the forum reminds me of a Linux MySpace, nothing wrong with that at all. The signal to noise ratio is a bit off balance, and it can be difficult for individuals to get questions answered here when there is about fifty posts a minute appearing here.

Ubuntu may be popular, but it does not amount to being the best. Microsoft has a game that has been played by every computer user known... The game is solitaire, and it is the most played game known, but it does not mean that it is the best.

I am finished with my little rant, and " Will Ubuntu 'become' Linux?"...
Very unlikely.

89% of all stats are useless.

Your giving a stat saying stats are useless! :lolflag:

[Cope57]

And you quoting me for no apparent reason shows that your post is also useless...
I made the stats up just like most stats are.

[X-BANE]

And you quoting me for no apparent reason shows that your post is also useless...

What's your problem?

[chessnerd]

Nope. I do think that it will take over the beginners market, but I don't think it will take over the intermediate or advanced users market in a severe way. Ubuntu is not the best distro for every situation. For instance, I had to install Xubuntu as my first Linux distro because my computer couldn't handle Ubuntu until I did some upgrades. Any computer older than 10 years would never be able to run Ubuntu and so other distros are needed to cover that niche market. I've considered trying to find a distro for an old 32MB, 200MHz Pentium 1, 2GB HDD, computer, and I don't think Ubuntu can quite fit on that. ;)

As for the rest of the market, Linux Mint is gaining ground pretty fast for Windows converts and Mandriva still has a pretty good following as well from the same people. Fedora and OpenSuSE have a good professional following and of course Debian and Slackware aren't going anywhere any time soon.

Ubuntu will likely be on top for a good three or four more years, but some new distro will come along and knock it down in the rankings and it will eventually become like Debian is to it - a classic, old-reliable type distro that provides a strong base for new, better ones.

[fballem]

There are things about ubuntu that make it a very good face for Linux. I think it is highly unlikely that I would be using Linux if not for ubuntu. I imagine that this is the case for many other users as well. Over time, as I've understood what I've gotten into better, ubuntu still seems solid for the majority of users who come to Linux.

I have tried Fedora, and even tried OpenSolaris. Both have their strengths, but ubuntu seems to have found a good balance for most users. It's small things - such as disabling the root account, which is a good thing in my opinion. It is also a reflection of the quality of information that's in the forums - both the information itself and the patience of the people who provide it.

I gather that ubuntu has become the most popular distro in spite of the fact that it is relatively new. It is very focused on the end user and overall, it works well.

Will ubuntu become Linux - probably. There will always be other distros. It will be interesting in a few years to see where Fedora and openSuse will be. It will also be interesting to see if OpenSolaris has any legs. All of these are well funded, and provide open source 'playgrounds' for commercial versions.

Just another opinion.

[aesis05401]

It is more likely that Ubuntu will 'become' gnome... as in neither one is gonna happen.

[X-BANE]

It is more likely that Ubuntu will 'become' gnome... as in neither one is gonna happen.

Huh?

[michaelpagz]

Speaking from my own personal experience with converting to Linux, I'd have to say that Ubuntu is more of a gateway to Linux for new users if they are into computers. For example, I was a Windows user and Mac user who switched to Fedora, then Ubuntu. Ubuntu became my stepping stone into the world of open software and now that I know more about Linux, I am trying different distros. But my wife doesn't care what she uses as long as it doesn't hassle her. For her, Ubuntu is essentially Linux insofar as she doesn't care about Slackware's take on Linux.
I do think that Ubuntu loses something in its translation of Linux to users. I had to look deeper into Linux, GNU, and all the rest of what Linux is in order to understand the importance of the command line, where Ubuntu came from, and what Linux is becoming and now even I ( a noob by most accounts) get sort of frustrated when I hear people misrepresenting different aspects or asking questions that are obviously limitations of the GUI or can't do anything without synaptic. But this is what happens when you have such ease of use, you attract people who don't want much more than just that. That's not really a problem. My wife doesn't care about the "bloat" of her system; there are no pop-ups or viruses and she can get what she wants done efficiently.
So yes, I think for some people it is the most they can get out of Linux and therefore the most they want out of it, for now at least. For those of us who want to geek out or explore something different and possibly better, its great that I can have different flavors and different experiences within Linux. I don't think that will change.

[armandh]

NO due to Ubuntu's self imposed limitations.

[aesis05401]

Huh?

Saying Ubuntu could become synonymous with 'Linux' is not like the phenomenon where IE became known as 'The Internet' among many Windows users - because IE was a tool for browsing the Internet and that was all it did.

My point was just that there isn't any reason that Ubuntu would become synonymous with 'Linux.' Most of the people I deal with only understand MS/not-MS anyhow. I don't tell technically challenged people to try Linux, I tell them to try Ubuntu, and so on.

[swoll1980]

I don't tell technically challenged people to try Linux, I tell them to try Ubuntu, and so on.

That's exactly what the op is talking about. To a lot of people Linux is Ubuntu. For a few people in my family this is exactly the case.

[moster]

I think it will not happend. ubuntu had plenty of time from 2004.

But I think one distro should be "standard" and others should be that other "choice".

It would really suck that hardware vendors put label on hardware "compatible with linux" and you install some God forgotten distro and it WONT WORK. In this case, you put label "Designed for Ubuntu" and it WORK.

[Tipped OuT]

Linux is a kernel.

[moster]

Linux is a kernel.

Of course it is kernel. Question is, when you mention linux to people, will that mean Ubuntu to most people. As some kind of standard.

[Paqman]

The vast majority of desktop users are running Ubuntu already. One figure I heard based on hits on repos put the figure at over 80%, although that does seem rather high.

So for all intents and purposes Ubuntu already is the face of Linux. There will always be a place for lots of different distros to accommodate different people, however.

[chaos51]

The vast majority of desktop users are running Ubuntu already. One figure I heard based on hits on repos put the figure at over 80%, although that does seem rather high.

So for all intents and purposes Ubuntu already is the face of Linux. There will always be a place for lots of different distros to accommodate different people, however.

I for one have used my own local repos to do installs/updates and we also keep local copies of ISO's for our students to use so I don't see how any stats based on repo hits could prove that the majority of desktop users are running Ubuntu. It's like counting every PC that sells with a Windows OS on it as being a Windows desktop user. While I assemble most of my PC's from parts, I did have to purchase my laptop with Windows on it because what I wanted was not offered with Linux.

Red Hat and SuSE have been available from vendors for a lot longer than Ubuntu and you could have easily said years ago that Red Hat was the face of Linux but the only real face of linux should be Linus Torvalds ;) Many Manufacturers are customizing and re-branding Ubuntu, Debian, or any number of distros so even though it might be Ubuntu based or Ubuntu under the hood it's not necessarily going to be recognized as Ubuntu. Look at HP for instance and you'll note that they are calling MIE Linux (not Ubuntu even though it us Ubuntu underneath).

I personally still favor Fedora Core and the Red Hat way of doing many things. There is alot about Ubuntu that I find annoying and just plain broken. I've had to spend days patching autofs to work with an Enterprise LDAP system which Fedora/Red Hat/SuSe have no problems with out of the box.

There are a lot of things Ubuntu does right but there are also a lot of things that could be improved. While I do like the use of sudo/gksudo for admin tasks and I think synaptic works really well. But, many of the packages are old versions and many patches and build options seem to be left out making building recent version of some apps difficult (I always build ffmpeg from svn).

But I rant, Long and short. No, I don't think that Ubuntu will 'become' Linux.

[kc3]

I think Ubuntu's market will become a lot stronger than it is, however there's still many uses for other distros out there and until that's not the case there will be multiple distros out there.

[forrestcupp]

No, Ubuntu will not become Linux. Chrome OS will become Linux, and it's a darn shame that Linux is getting polluted like that.


Linux is a kernel.
GNU/Linux sounds stupid.

[Simian Man]

Linux isn't "just a kernel". True it is the name of the kernel, but it is also the common name for a full system incorporating the kernel, GNU tools, X and other free software components. Ubuntu includes the Linux kernel, but it is also a version of Linux. If you don't like it, tough because that usage of the word "Linux" has been in use since well before Ubuntu existed.
Ubuntu wouldn't even exist without the upstream work of Debian, Red Hat or Novell. Ubuntu may be your favorite distro but it is actually one of the least important in terms of actual open-source development.
Ubuntu likely has a plurality of Linux users (the biggest slice), but I guarantee you that they don't have a majority (a slice over 50%). And it likely never will. I really think most of Ubuntu's popularity is that they tend to have "louder" users than most of the distros.


This is nothing against Ubuntu, it does a good job producing a stable, polished distribution. But the notion that it will "become" Linux or even the most important distro is utterly ridiculous.

[Viva]

No, I hope not anyway.

[lykwydchykyn]

Once upon a time, Red Hat "was" Linux. In fact if you talk to someone who "tried Linux" sometime in the 90's or up to around 2004, most likely what they tried was Red Hat. I can remember even seeing stuff back in those days that said it supported "Linux 8" or "Linux 9" (referring to Red Hat's current version number).

Even after Red Hat officially exited desktop Linux and spun off Fedora, they were still "Linux" for a lot of people. Obviously, Ubuntu changed that over the last four or five years. So 9/10 times when someone starts talking about trying Linux or comparing Linux, they're talking about Ubuntu.

The real question is, how long will that last? How long until some bright young distro comes along and displaces Ubuntu with some fresh ideas and unconventional approaches?

Time will tell.

[issih]

Too many cats to herd....

Hopefully it will become the slickest, most consistent distro......one which really does tempt new users away from proprietary software.

Linux can not and will not be tamed...its free nature means it will always be a mass of conflicting ideas, personalities and everything else. Ubuntu should try to be the best it can at it's selected version of "linux" - that is all.

[iponeverything]

Ubuntu is a Linux Distribution - One of many.

They are all linux.

The mistake that a lot of people seem to make is thinking that it's some kind of competition. It's not.

[Swarms]

The real question is, how long will that last? How long until some bright young distro comes along and displaces Ubuntu with some fresh ideas and unconventional approaches?

Time will tell.

Red Hat or Fedora was never as dominant as Ubuntu is now.

I think Ubuntu = Linux for a very large group of people. And I like that since it has its benefits (for example: easier for developers to package than it is now because no universal API exists).

If people want to experiment they can still dive into other distros.

[forrestcupp]

The mistake that a lot of people seem to make is thinking that it's some kind of competition. It's not.

You couldn't tell it by the way some people talk. There are a lot of people who are fiercely committed to their distro, DE, and everything else.

I'd say it's a huge competition.

[master_kernel]

No, because this might just be a wave, and Linus Torvalds would probably stop developing the kernel if Ubuntu became the sole version of Linux available. Linux is about freedom, not monopolies, so if Ubuntu ever becomes Linux, I would switch over to Mac.

[theidkman]

What I would hope anyway is that people realize that Linux is just a kernel, and that tons of operating systems use the Linux kernel. If someone were to confuse an OS as "being" Linux, I would assume it would either be Red Hat, Ubuntu, or Mac OS X.

[MasterNetra]

I said no because Linux isn't a OS to begin with. Its a Kernel. Will Ubuntu become the most popular Linux distribution. It already is.

[x33a]

i would say, that for newbies or freshers, linux = ubuntu. just as was the case with red hat for a lot of folks a few years back. i still know a lot of people who think linux = red hat :lolflag:

but, anyone with decent knowledge knows that linux is basically the kernel. and ubuntu and others are linux based distributions.

[Tipped OuT]

i would say, that for newbies or freshers, linux = ubuntu. just as was the case with red hat for a lot of folks a few years back. i still know a lot of people who think linux = red hat :lolflag:

but, anyone with decent knowledge knows that linux is basically the kernel. and ubuntu and others are linux based distributions.

I just say, Linux distros are operating systems that use the Linux kernel, whenever I am talking to a newbie.

[forrestcupp]

People who make a big deal about Linux just being a kernel and not the entire OS are either GNU extremists or noobs who want to show off their newly acquired knowledge.

To the rest of us, it doesn't matter if someone calls the entire OS Linux. It's much easier than having to explain yourself with a hundred words every time you want to mention what system you're running.

If you're running the Linux kernel, it's just assumed that you're also running a whole GNU OS. ;)

[Distorted Humor]

No - First of all, Ubuntu does a great job of repackaging a lot of other peoples work (which is quite alright) Novell, Red Hat, Debian, at el are the bedrock that people enjoy with Ubuntu, and in a few years someone will make the next great distro and Ubuntu may still be wonderful, but not the dominate OS using the Linux Kernel.

Heck, if Dell, HP, and Lenovo annouced that tomarrow that they are going to offer a standard Linux based OS based off slackware with user frendly graphical overlays, in two years that would be the "Face" of desktop Linux for many people.

[RiceMonster]

people who make a big deal about linux just being a kernel and not the entire os are either gnu extremists or noobs who want to show off their newly acquired knowledge.

To the rest of us, it doesn't matter if someone calls the entire os linux. It's much easier than having to explain yourself with a hundred words every time you want to mention what system you're running.

If you're running the linux kernel, it's just assumed that you're also running a whole gnu os. ;)

+1 :).

[tjwoosta]

Will Ubuntu 'become' Linux?

Even if most people do begin to associate Ubuntu as Linux, it wont make any difference. Most people would just be idiots, its always been that way. Linux will always exist in various forms, it can never collapse into one single distro. Ubuntu's success will promote the success of all Linux distros.

[Tibuda]

Have Windows 'became' PC?

[starcannon]

Ubuntu is a distribution that includes a Linux Kernel.
This would be akin to asking if Ford will ever 'become' the internal combustion engine.

Also noteworthy, is that while Ubuntu may become the GNU/Linux Distro of choice to the masses; because of its Free and Open nature, it is highly unlikey that other distributions of GNU/Linux would perish. People want lots of things, no one distribution is likely going to be capable of handling all the niches.

Ubuntu will become, if it has not already, the GNU/Linux juggernaut in my opinion, but I doubt it will be synonymous with "Linux"; indeed, branding is something that should be paid close attention to, it lets one stand apart from the crowd.

I'm rambling, so I'll quit now hehe.

GLaHF

[JordyD]

Regardless of whether it will or won't, it shouldn't.

Ubuntu brought innovation, but in order to let more innovation come out, it needs to be on an equal level with other distros. For instance, if Ubuntu has, say, 90% of the Linux share, then if NewDistroX comes out, with some great ideas, but nobody notices it, its great ideas will be lost.

New distros are taking the market away from the old all the time, and I like it that way. I hope something comes along in the future that just blows away what Ubuntu has to offer, then it will get a lot of developers, they will develop the innovation out of it, and then another distro will pop up, with more ideas.

[JordyD]

Have Windows 'became' PC?

Err, yes.

Even though Macs are also PCs, people think that Windows is synonymous with PC.

If you mean literally, they are PCs, then no, and they never will be.

[JordyD]

People who make a big deal about Linux just being a kernel and not the entire OS are either GNU extremists or noobs who want to show off their newly acquired knowledge.

To the rest of us, it doesn't matter if someone calls the entire OS Linux. It's much easier than having to explain yourself with a hundred words every time you want to mention what system you're running.

If you're running the Linux kernel, it's just assumed that you're also running a whole GNU OS. ;)

I call them 'Linux distros'. Then we know that they're just a package that includes Linux, and we don't need to say 'slash' or 'plus' all the time.

Otherwise, when somebody asks me what OS I use, I say 'Ubuntu'. They ask 'what's that?', I say 'a Linux distro'.

[Tibuda]

Err, yes.

Even though Macs are also PCs, people think that Windows is synonymous with PC.

If you mean literally, they are PCs, then no, and they never will be.
Yes, I mean what people think.

[Mulenmar]

People who make a big deal about Linux just being a kernel and not the entire OS are either GNU extremists or noobs who want to show off their newly acquired knowledge.

To the rest of us, it doesn't matter if someone calls the entire OS Linux. It's much easier than having to explain yourself with a hundred words every time you want to mention what system you're running.

If you're running the Linux kernel, it's just assumed that you're also running a whole GNU OS. ;)

-1

We're not extremists, we just like being accurate. Higher signal-to-noise ratio that way. "I use Debian." "What's that?" "It's a distro, or version, of an operating system called GNU/Linux." "GNU/Linux?" "Well, it's not the shortest story on earth, but basically Linux is the part that handles the hardware, and the GNU is the rest -- the tools and such used to make it do what you want." "Ok..." Even the least computer-literate people understand that, and aside from the fact that the folks at Debian are working on working on BSD and Hurd kernel support, it's accurate. And in only 50 words. :lolflag:

Great, now I want to see someone hack together the Windows OS with a Linux kernel. Talk about a waste of time! :p

[JordyD]

Great, now I want to see someone hack together the Windows OS with a Linux kernel. Talk about a waste of time! :p

Reminds me of ReactOS. 'Specially the last bit.

[forrestcupp]

-1

We're not extremists, we just like being accurate. Higher signal-to-noise ratio that way. "I use Debian." "What's that?" "It's a distro, or version, of an operating system called GNU/Linux." "GNU/Linux?" "Well, it's not the shortest story on earth, but basically Linux is the part that handles the hardware, and the GNU is the rest -- the tools and such used to make it do what you want." "Ok..." Even the least computer-literate people understand that, and aside from the fact that the folks at Debian are working on working on BSD and Hurd kernel support, it's accurate. And in only 50 words. :lolflag:

Or, I could save myself the breath and say "Linux" and they would be more likely to know right off the bat what I'm talking about.

Most people really don't care about all that mumbo jumbo. I've found from personal experience that most people aren't interested in hearing a dissertation of how my operating system is put together. They get bored hearing me explain the inner workings of an operating system that they're probably never going to use. They seem much happier when I just say "Linux" and shut up.

There are so many different distributions and possible setups out there that it's mind boggling. Linux is the umbrella that holds it all together. Linux is the one thing that makes an independent binary file run on any distribution.

Gnome or KDE can run in Linux, BSD, OpenSolaris, or any other Unix-like kernel. But I'm not using BSD or OpenSolaris; I'm using Linux.