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View Full Version : If Google use Linux why the lack of support for it?



Macfunky
June 18th, 2011, 01:39 PM
My understanding is that Google use their own customised version of Ubuntu for both servers and on their desktops. They obviously have an interest in Linux with Android and Chrome OS. Why then, does many of their software programmes not have any versions for Linux?

3Miro
June 18th, 2011, 01:48 PM
What Google app doesn't have version for Linux. I am only aware of Google web apps and those are OS independent.

cchhrriiss121212
June 18th, 2011, 02:08 PM
What Google app doesn't have version for Linux. I am only aware of Google web apps and those are OS independent.
Off the top of my head: sketchup, talk, picasa.

3Miro
June 18th, 2011, 02:16 PM
Off the top of my head: sketchup, talk, picasa.

Never heard of them.

The reason may be the same as video games. Most of the servers for on-line gaming run on Linux, yet the games themselves don't run on Linux. Google is in the business of making money, if they don't think they can make money out of it, they will not do it.

RiceMonster
June 18th, 2011, 02:45 PM
Never heard of them.

You've seriously never heard of google talk or picasa?

Merk42
June 18th, 2011, 02:47 PM
The Google Music transfer app isn't on Linux, but that's a beta and was just released so maybe it'll be like Chrome and get a port eventually.

BigCityCat
June 18th, 2011, 03:36 PM
Both Google talk and picasa work on Linux. Picasa has been working on Linux for several years. You would have to be seriously out of the loop to not know this.

Here is the latest version.

http://picasa.google.com/linux/

BigCityCat
June 18th, 2011, 03:40 PM
http://www.google.com/talk/

alphacrucis2
June 18th, 2011, 03:41 PM
Both Google talk and picasa work on Linux. Picasa has been working on Linux for several years. You would have to be seriously out of the loop to not know this.

Here is the latest version.

http://picasa.google.com/linux/

That is really a windows app running under its own customised version of wine. They haven't natively ported it to linux

Macfunky
June 18th, 2011, 03:44 PM
That is really a windows app running under its own customised version of wine. They haven't natively ported it to linux

Also it is an old version. As far as i know even the wine version hasn't been released for Linux for a few releases. You can get it working but it's not and never was native. Programmes like Sketch up never had a Linux, or even pretending to be Linux, version.

amauk
June 18th, 2011, 03:45 PM
Google got Sketchup by buying out the original company that developed it (I forget their name)

Initially it was windows only
then Google added Mac support (possibly just a Cider wrapper, I don't know)
Linux support may come in the future

But I think Google bought it for server-side integration with their mapping stuff (3D buildings, etc.) and are not really that interested in the client-side app that came with it

Spice Weasel
June 18th, 2011, 03:46 PM
While they support Linux on servers and mobile devices, they don't have any reason to support it on the desktop.

BigCityCat
June 18th, 2011, 03:46 PM
http://www.google.com/chat/video/download.html

here is the linux plugin for google talk.

Picassa works fine for Linux.

User3k
June 18th, 2011, 03:47 PM
The Google Music transfer app isn't on Linux, but that's a beta and was just released so maybe it'll be like Chrome and get a port eventually.

Yeah I signed up for it in the hopes they already had a Linux client. But...

I will wait patiently for Google to release a Linux client. Being a Linux user I both love and hate Google. On one hand they do take care of Linux in their own way, (which is much better then say, Job's who takes from BSD and doesn't give back anything. Or Oracle that takes from Red Hat and just likes to sue, sue, sue everyone in sight!!!)

But on the other hand their business is to gather information, especially on users. Privacy doesn't really exist for them when it comes to making a dollar.

So as much as they annoy me, I am also glad they are around. They are so big right now that if they wanted to they could just drop all Linux support and focus on the money making OS's, (MS, Apple.) Even if they use Linux that doesn't mean they HAVE to release Linux clients for any of their software.

Simian Man
June 18th, 2011, 03:53 PM
Because Linux is an awesome development tool, but a seldom-used desktop OS.

amauk
June 18th, 2011, 03:56 PM
Because Linux is an awesome development tool, but a seldom-used desktop OS.We're talking about google, here
You do know they've banned windows on all their corporate desktop machines due to security concerns

anyway...


*edit*
Linky link
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/7792685/Google-bans-Microsoft-Windows-on-office-computers.html

smellyman
June 18th, 2011, 04:08 PM
because when you run an enterprise as huge and all internet dependent like google, you run it on linux and not windows.

They are a giant advertising company with services. Don't be fooled by their love of open source. If they could run on windows and make more money they would do it. (as many business' would)

They are the new MS. Call me a conspiracy nut, but I only use their search engine. I don't trust them at all.

aysiu
June 18th, 2011, 04:58 PM
Google is in the business of collecting user information, but then so is pretty much every online business--Yelp, Facebook, Apple's App Store, Amazon, Bing...

If you don't like people collecting your information, don't use the internet.

That said, these businesses don't care about your information as an individual user so much as they care about trends. Google cares if millions of users are searching for a particular phrase, not what your own individual search history is. Personal search history isn't valuable to them--trends are. Part of this is purely pragmatic. There are far too many users for Google to expend human-power on looking into individual searches. Even when they tailor ads to your Gmail, that's all done automatically. It'd be a waste of time for Google employees to read your personal emails and then try to manually assign a "relevant" ad.

As far as corporations go, there is nothing to trust or not trust. If they're publicly traded, they'll do whatever they can legally do or legally argue to make a profit for their shareholders. Fortunately, caring about individual user's behavior (as opposed to aggregate behavior) isn't financially lucrative for these corporations (as opposed to identity thieves).

TheDoctorX
June 18th, 2011, 05:06 PM
i use picasa through my firefox browser ... and i don't have problems ;)... if u want u can use them through wine... for example i use virtual dj (that is only for win) through wine app and it works great !!!
Google use linux, but Google is a big company with the only interest of gaining money... with linux u can't make so much money so the won't support it ... it's a basic economical reasoning:D

User3k
June 18th, 2011, 05:12 PM
i use picasa through my firefox browser ... and i don't have problems ;)... if u want u can use them through wine... for example i use virtual dj (that is only for win) through wine app and it works great !!!
Google use linux, but Google is a big company with the only interest of gaining money... with linux u can't make so much money so the won't support it ... it's a basic economical reasoning:D

Google does support Linux.

Google Chrome PPA:
http://www.ubuntuupdates.org/ppas/8

Google Earth PPA:
http://www.ubuntuupdates.org/ppas/80

Google Talk Plugin PPA:
http://www.ubuntuupdates.org/ppas/47

Google Gadgets PPA:
https://launchpad.net/~googlegadgets/+archive/ppa

Google testing NonFree PPA:
http://www.ubuntuupdates.org/ppas/13

Google Picasa:
http://www.ubuntuupdates.org/packages/show/312661

Or for everything, Google Stable NonFree PPA:
http://www.ubuntuupdates.org/ppas/9

oldfred
June 18th, 2011, 06:05 PM
I find the windows version (3.8) of Picasa runs just find in standard Wine. I did have to install some fonts, winetricks and find a fix to get uploads to work, so it is not just a download & run.

Ric_NYC
June 18th, 2011, 06:08 PM
I find the windows version (3.8) of Picasa runs just find in standard Wine. I did have to install some fonts, winetricks and find a fix to get uploads to work, so it is not just a download & run.

Sketchup runs just fine in Wine too.

wolfen69
June 18th, 2011, 06:48 PM
Call me a conspiracy nut, but I only use their search engine. I don't trust them at all.

OK.
http://tinfoilhatparty.org/images/tinfoil-hat.jpg
Just kidding btw. ;)

beew
June 18th, 2011, 06:51 PM
Off the top of my head: sketchup, talk, picasa.

Googletalk (the plugin) is on Linux, I use it.

beew
June 18th, 2011, 06:53 PM
Sketchup runs just fine in Wine too.

Well WINE doesn't really count as Linux support. You can run MSOffice is WINE too.

User3k
June 18th, 2011, 08:35 PM
I am using Picasa 3 beta for Linux. The stable Linux version doesn't work for me on Ubuntu 11.04 but the Linux Picasa 3 beta is working just fine, (from the Google testing repo)

beew
June 18th, 2011, 08:46 PM
I am using Picasa 3 beta for Linux. The stable Linux version doesn't work for me on Ubuntu 11.04 but the Linux Picasa 3 beta is working just fine, (from the Google testing repo)

There is no Linux Picasa, that is just Windows Picasa with its own bundled version if WINE and Google has announced that it will no longer even bother to package that.

Maybe it is better to use Shotwell in the long run.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1763761

User3k
June 18th, 2011, 08:58 PM
There is no Linux Picasa, that is just Windows Picasa with its own bundled version if WINE and Google has announced that it will no longer even bother to package that.

Maybe it is better to use Shotwell in the long run.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1763761

Well I wasn't aware that is how Google was doing it with Picasa. I can't say I hate the idea. Maybe if more did something like that there would be even more support for wine.

Can you link where Google said it isn't going to package Picasa anymore for Linux? I am searching and can't seem to find it. Thanks.

pt123
June 18th, 2011, 10:27 PM
because Google doesn't care about the Linux desktop, you are better of using products from companies like Mozilla

RoflHaxBbq
June 19th, 2011, 02:27 AM
I really don't trust Google as far as I can throw them (not very far, obviously).
It seems to me that they really don't give a stuff about Linux, and only use it for Android because it's free and easy.

PhillyPhil
June 20th, 2011, 03:03 AM
It seems to me that they really don't give a stuff about Linux, and only use it for Android because it's free and easy.

Er... that sounds like a pretty good reason to use it to me. What reason do you think they should have?

Paqman
June 20th, 2011, 10:05 AM
My understanding is that Google use their own customised version of Ubuntu for both servers and on their desktops. They obviously have an interest in Linux with Android and Chrome OS. Why then, does many of their software programmes not have any versions for Linux?

That's a bit of a non-sequitur. It doesn't really follow that if they use something in-house, then that's what they should release to the wider market (when that market is only 1%).

I think Google support Linux really well. Certainly much better than most other companies. I'm amazed anybody bothers to develop Linux versions of their apps at all sometimes. There can't be much money in it.

RoflHaxBbq
June 20th, 2011, 10:24 AM
It's not that I'm bagging Google using Linux for Android, I'm just saying that if they are borrowing something (The Linux kernal for Android), then I think they should make a positive effort to give back to the community. One way to do this would be to make all google programs and services easily available for Linux users.

Amiright?

Macskeeball
June 20th, 2011, 04:29 PM
It's not that I'm bagging Google using Linux for Android, I'm just saying that if they are borrowing something (The Linux kernal for Android), then I think they should make a positive effort to give back to the community. [...]


The Google Open Source Programs Office (http://code.google.com/opensource/)
Google Summer of Code (http://code.google.com/soc/)
Android Open Source Project (http://source.android.com/)
Open Source Organizations that Google Supports (http://code.google.com/opensource/organizations.html)
About Chris DiBona (http://www.dibona.com/www/Biographies-and-Photos)
Chris DiBona interviewed on FLOSS Weekly (http://twit.tv/floss100)

Ric_NYC
June 20th, 2011, 05:16 PM
I think Google should support Linux 100% because:

*Their servers are based on Linux
*Android is based on Linux
*Chrome OS is based on Linux