Encourage Ubuntu everywhere

[happy1232]

Hi
Now that Windows 10 is almost here, the Ubuntu community now need to "promote" Ubuntu as much as possible

We need to make sure Ubuntu gets as much coverage as possible.

Recommend it to friends, family work colleagues

Install it on family laptops, let them see the power.

[euphoria42]

I would have to agree that it is important ramp up sharing Ubuntu and Linux in general during times like this since people will be preparing to switch/upgrade their OS anyway.

[mastablasta]

on the other hand i am exploring options to install windows 10. if not on this old PC then it will definitelly be on the new one. i also advise people with old PC's to get a new one and get windows on it (here you can buy no OS installed machines). In my opinion linux desktop is not ready for average user. i mean it is as long as no update messes up the drivers. sicne i can not be sure this wont' happen - it's ebtter that they have windows rather than calling me why this or that is no longer working. at leasr with windows they can get help elsewhere.

[grahammechanical]

People stopped buying Windows years ago. They buy Windows machines. I would not be surprised if purchasing decisions were made on the look of the machine more than on the hardware specification. Choice of OS is not part of the decision. And when it comes to mobile devices, then fashion is the deciding factor.

[mastablasta]

soem people still upgrade the OS only. i mena if they spent 800 EUR on a laptop not so long ago an dit is goo enough to run win8 or 10 then why not upgrade to that?

otherwise - yes most people buy PC with OS preloaded.

[richlion2]

As for me I switched to Kubuntu in Feb 2015 and installed it on all my home machines except one. So I have it on 3 HP laptops with an Nvidia graphics card (the most hated device in the Linux community), 2 PC's with ATI graphics cards, I've been running those machines for the past 5 months with all the daily updates and not one of those machines has stopped working in any way. Those who claim they had some trouble should at least give a short example. To be fair - I've heard from people using Windows 8 machines and having their printers not cooperating and stopping to work. So Windows is not immune from suffering from drivers causing devices to stop working and this evidence should be stopped from being used to dismiss Linux.

The only Windows machine I have is a Toshiba touch screen ultrabook, I only bought it to have a Windows machine because I trade on the forex market that does not have linux software in many cases - like Metatrader, apart from Oanda fxTrade with uses Java only, so it works brilliantly on Linux boxes. Also I could not get various webinars working because people use Linux-unfriedly software. Those can only run on Windows machines. As for me and my family - that's where the power of Windows ends.

So to answer the call to promote Linux - yes, for me as a computer guy I would encourage with all my heart, however with a few buts. Some of the software to work requires some experience and can be tricky to get all the pieces together. Start with a program called DVD-Rip and you will see what it means for the average Windows geek or person who has absolutely no clue how a computer works. The good news especially for Ubuntu users is that it has developed the most efficient way of installing missing software and that person can be easily talked through the process. The most important thing to promote is the fact that all software that comes in Linux distros is packaged, easily to install (Ubuntu's Muon it a really brilliant tool) and I have not yet seen it break the system. Try preventing a Windows non-computer-geek from installing malicious software because MS cannot control what software people choose and Windows looses it's game.

I am writing this from a perspective of someone who tried many distros, I've been with Sabayon-Gentoo for the past 10 years until I got fed up with untested drivers breaking my system.

[richlion2]

I think we should sue MS for steeling the concept of multiple desktops.

[mastablasta]

I think we should sue MS for steeling the concept of multiple desktops.

Good luck with that.

From wiki:

Switchable desktops were designed and implemented at Xerox PARC as "Rooms" by Austin Henderson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Henderson) and Stuart Card (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Card) in 1986[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_desktop#cite_note-1) based upon work by Patrick Peter Chan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Peter_Chan) in 1984. This work was covered by a US patent.[ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_desktop#cite_note-2)


As for me I switched to Kubuntu in Feb 2015 and installed it on all my home machines except one. So I have it on 3 HP laptops with an Nvidia graphics card (the most hated device in the Linux community), 2 PC's with ATI graphics cards, I've been running those machines for the past 5 months with all the daily updates and not one of those machines has stopped working in any way. Those who claim they had some trouble should at least give a short example.

HP preloaded with Linux - replaced by Kubuntu - worked well. until freezes started to occur. one of the updates updated the kernel but didn't patch it with AMD driver. result was a messy opensource closed source. causing freezes. solution remove closed source (I mean purge), install open source, reinstall closed source driver.
Same thing happened to me - HP laptop, not Linux preloaded.

to continue - HP laptop not Linux preloaded - installed kubuntu, all works (note laptop was Ubuntu certified) - upon upgrade to LTS (newer version) numerous Fn buttons stopped working. a few updates later PrtSc button stopped working. a few updates later AMD thing happened (drivers not updated properly, left me with blinking cursor). it's been quiet since then. well aside from things no longer working as they did before. +battery life is still not even close to the windows (installed on the other side of the disk).

Custom made desktop - has Linux compatible sound chip - constantly wrongly recognised - solution to reload alsa (made a script for that). sometimes even that doen't twork. has to be removed form power and then reboot to get the card properly recognised. sound worked after 12.04 for about 3 months then an update came and it stopped working. it has never worked well since then. at least I now have a few workarounds to make it work.
same desktop could not install the compatible NVidia card - only got the opesnoruce drivers to work in VGA mode, NVidia drivers gave blinking cursor and NVidia support didn't know what was wrong without logs/script which I couldn't make as it froze before.

[ruzekle]

Those considering Windows 10 consider these things:
https://www.fsf.org/news/the-fsfs-statement-on-windows-10

Also consider that updates are non-optimal. Hardware changes could invalidate your system-key "hash-key" and Microsoft can force whatever updates they want on your PC.

[mastablasta]

well smart people wait for SP1 anyway... :P