Making an ubuntu remaster for teens?

[karimruan]

I was wondering, what if there were an ubuntu remaster for teens, with all of the non-free codecs installed be default? What would the legal issues be with that, if the community did it instead of Canonical?

I have so many plans for it, but not the technical know-how. I would preinstall all kinds of modern (free as in beer) 3d games, all of the best that teens would like. It would be marketed like a linux gaming OS. I think it could help bring more younger people like me to ubuntu/linux. Especially if we made it so that EVERYTHING a teen uses works out of the box!

I mean including all the necessary nvidia drivers, tweaking the gnome theme with our own custom theme, have flash working out of the box, I mean, it would be great! I would use it (mostly because my wife likes an OS to work, while I prefer to do the work, lol). But it would be a cool idea.

Anyone have any input?

[ninjapirate89]

I was wondering, what if there were an ubuntu remaster for teens, with all of the non-free codecs installed be default? What would the legal issues be with that, if the community did it instead of Canonical?

I have so many plans for it, but not the technical know-how. I would preinstall all kinds of modern (free as in beer) 3d games, all of the best that teens would like. It would be marketed like a linux gaming OS. I think it could help bring more younger people like me to ubuntu/linux. Especially if we made it so that EVERYTHING a teen uses works out of the box!

I mean including all the necessary nvidia drivers, tweaking the gnome theme with our own custom theme, have flash working out of the box, I mean, it would be great! I would use it (mostly because my wife likes an OS to work, while I prefer to do the work, lol). But it would be a cool idea.

Anyone have any input?

The problem with making a branch like that of ubuntu is that they usually tend to be stereotypical. For example, who says all teens like games? They also don't usually offer anything that can't be easily done in a regular install of ubuntu. As for codecs, I think you have to pay royalties or something to put them on the cd by default.

[xuCGC002]

Apparently, most teenagers I know surf the web and IM. You could relabel some ordinary Ubuntu CDs.

[Squonk07]

Something like this might already exist, but I think it's for a slightly younger (and--I hope--predominantly female) demographic:

Gah! My eyes! (http://hannahmontana.sourceforge.net/Site/Home.html)

[Dharmachakra]

If anything, teens are the age group that have the least need for a remix.

[RichardLinx]

Something like this might already exist, but I think it's for a slightly younger (and--I hope--predominantly female) demographic:

Gah! My eyes! (http://hannahmontana.sourceforge.net/Site/Home.html)
Beat me to it! :)

But I think you're talking about something like Linux Mint. It's Ubuntu, but changed around slightly and comes with a bunch of multimedia codecs pre-installed.

[ad_267]

Yeah Linux Mint is probably more what you're after.

[ninjapirate89]

Something like this might already exist, but I think it's for a slightly younger (and--I hope--predominantly female) demographic:

Gah! My eyes! (http://hannahmontana.sourceforge.net/Site/Home.html)

No. This distro is for soul-less people with no self respect. No offense to anyone using that crap. :P

Edit -> I second (or third) the Linux Mint comments. I use it on my laptop and it's great.

[yey]

I'm 14 and I do not need all that pre-installed codecs IM,short-attention span stuff, etcetera,etcetera.
I think ubuntu is fine the way it is. :)

[Cam42]

seconded on the Linux Mint suggestion.

EDIT: I am 14, and see no need for this. I'll install what I want to. If someone my age is using Ubuntu, I'd think they know how to install stuff.

[-grubby]

1) Installing codecs by default is legally dubious
2) I'm not trying to flame here, but games on Linux are... well, not that great

[Squonk07]

No. This distro is for soul-less people with no self respect. No offense to anyone using that crap. :P

I imagine it might make a great consequence for losing a bet. "If you lose, you have to install and use Hannah Montana Linux on your computer for one month, and you're not allowed to customize away the default theme."

On a more serious note, +1 for Mint, though I've heard of others, like Super OS. Which just goes to show that there's really no original ideas anymore. :(

[RichardLinx]

but games on Linux are... well, not that great
I think you're giving Linux games a little too much credit here.

[Frak]

I'm 14 and I do not need all that pre-installed codecs IM,short-attention span stuff, etcetera,etcetera.
I think ubuntu is fine the way it is. :)


seconded on the Linux Mint suggestion.

EDIT: I am 14, and see no need for this. I'll install what I want to. If someone my age is using Ubuntu, I'd think they know how to install stuff.

Holy crap, there are a lot of 14 year olds.

[tc3000]

2) I'm not trying to flame here, but games on Linux are... well, not that great
Depends on if you count sudoku, solitaire, etc. Those are pretty normal to great compared to the windows side of things.

[RichardLinx]

Holy crap, there are a lot of 14 year olds.
Is it really such a surprise?

[RichardLinx]

Depends on if you count sudoku, solitaire, etc. Those are pretty normal to great compared to the windows side of things.
Not really. It sounds like you're comparing to the default offerings of Windows XP (3D Space Pinball was awesome!). Chess on Windows is miles ahead of chess on Linux, and games like Sudoku and Tetris are pretty easy to download for free.

[Squonk07]

Is it really such a surprise?

The age range? No. The mode? Kinda. Is there some sort of Birthday Problem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_problem) involved here?

EDIT: Or (duh) is it just because this thread concerns them? #-o

I've been thinking about the premise of this thread, and I find I agree with something that was said before. Teens especially resent things that claim to cater to them; they find it patronizing. So while the concept might not be too bad, you'd have to be careful how you presented it. If it seems like you're singling them out (or, worse, playing up stereotypes), they'll avoid it like the plague, and maybe all OSS along with it. :shock:

I still say Mint would work, though it's not like it's rocket surgery to get the codecs in standard Ubuntu. Time consuming (on a slow connection), maybe. Difficult? Less so even than Windows because though you can download codec packs there, too, you have to click through an install process, which is extra work. APT FTW!

[tc3000]

Not really. It sounds like you're comparing to the default offerings of Windows XP (3D Space Pinball was awesome!). Chess on Windows is miles ahead of chess on Linux, and games like Sudoku and Tetris are pretty easy to download for free.

O.K. Mac side of things.

[MaxIBoy]

Speeking as a teen, I find that vaguely offensive. That's like saying you're making a Linux distro that "even women will want to use."

[Cam42]

I mean, the required codecs are really easy to find. Ubuntu-restricted-extras and libdvdcss2 are all that I've needed.

Oh, and VLC will play ANYTHING.

[drawkcab]

It's already been mentioned but as soon as you say "x is for teens," they will want nothing to do with it.

[RichardLinx]

Speeking as a teen, I find that vaguely offensive. That's like saying you're making a Linux distro that "even women will want to use."

Spoken like a true teenager, spelling mistakes and drama included. :D

[ninjapirate89]

Spoken like a true teenager, spelling mistakes and drama included. :D

LOL. I had to read it three times to find the spelling mistake you spoke of! :P

[yey]

Speeking as a teen, I find that vaguely offensive. That's like saying you're making a Linux distro that "even women will want to use." I agree, but please use a spell-checker. Your making our age group look bad. :(

[ad_267]

I agree, but please use a spell-checker. Your making our age group look bad. :(

Aww fail. You can't comment on someone else's spelling and then make the "your" vs "you're" mistake.

[RichardLinx]

I agree, but please use a spell-checker. Your making our age group look bad. :(

It's "you're". :twisted:

[yey]

Danget! Illiterates Unite!

[Frak]

Inb4stuffgoezdown

[xuCGC002]

Speeking as a teen, I find that vaguely offensive. That's like saying you're making a Linux distro that "even women will want to use."

Remember Della? :p

[ninjapirate89]

Inb4stuffgoezdown

:lolflag: It won't be too much longer.

[chillicampari]

Remember Della? :p

Somehow I managed to not have known about that before. That was... something.

[Squonk07]

Remember Della? :p

Stuff like this has existed forever. The old Sears catalog used to have things like the "Lemon Frog Shop" for girls and the "Put On Shop" for boys. And, no, I'm not old enough to have any business knowing this. I learned from the best. (http://lileks.com/institute/sears1973/index.html)

Retailers have been trying forever to market exclusively to teens. Some have been successful, but others have failed dismally.

[karimruan]

The age range? No. The mode? Kinda. Is there some sort of Birthday Problem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_problem) involved here?

EDIT: Or (duh) is it just because this thread concerns them? #-o

I've been thinking about the premise of this thread, and I find I agree with something that was said before. Teens especially resent things that claim to cater to them; they find it patronizing. So while the concept might not be too bad, you'd have to be careful how you presented it. If it seems like you're singling them out (or, worse, playing up stereotypes), they'll avoid it like the plague, and maybe all OSS along with it. :shock:


I do remember hating to be called a teenager when I was. Good point. I was an adult in the making. This thread did make me think, I was just thinking of teenpup, which of course, was geared more towards the preteen age. I had no idea so many 14 year olds used linux. I remember when I was 14 I installed linux for the first time. I had an all command based distro. I loved it (I spent most of my time in win95 in dos, playing around.

I guess I just want to make an ubuntu based distro, but to be honest, I do know that ubuntu is fine the way it is. Wouldn't change much, execpt maybe adding the CNR repository. I read somewhere it was in the works, anyone able to confirm?