Embarrassed to say this to a fellow linux user ...

[Scarath]

"I'm embarrassed to say this to a fellow linux user ... but i use Ubuntu"

This is what some guy said to my girl friend (shes a linux user) in response to the question of 'What distro do you use'?

In this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=613537, i think its is clearly established that Ubuntu is a gateway to the linux world.

For me Ubuntu was the first steps into a larger world and i must say (this may sound sad) that linux has changed my life.

But this said, is Ubuntu getting too mainstream for the hardcore alternative linux peeps?

Has anyone else come across this attitude towards Ubuntu? Does anyone else feel the shame? Does anyone actually look down on Ubuntu users as lowly n00bs?

I have tried many distros but still use Ubuntu on my thinkpad (although modified) as i find it the most simple to get along with and know it will always do the job.

so anyone else come across this?

matt

[steveneddy]

I stopped going to the local LUG because all of the "founders" used anything but Ubuntu and those that came seeking like minded people all used Ubuntu and they poo-poo-ed the fact that they were using a "mainstream" version of Linux.

When one of them told us to start using a "real" version of Linux, I stopped going.

Ubuntu is a great version of Linux, it just happens to be better maintained and tweaked than any of the other distros.

[kodak]

There was hype about Ubuntu on my home Linux forum, where the members are experienced in Linux, and initially had concerns over Ubuntu (security) and how they enforce sudo on you
A cleverly crafted web page can change the root password on ubuntu

Ubuntu leaving sudo active for 15 minutes once it gets activated is another big whoopsy

[PriceChild]

A cleverly crafted web page can change the root password on ubuntuErm... could you back this up?

[kopinux]

our local community is fine, except piracy issues.

anyway what we are experiencing is the internet culture, we need to be aware of it. it is not happening just here in ubuntu, its happening everywhere in the internet...

anonymity+accessibility+11yearold+49yearold=troubl e

[NullHead]

Ubuntu is delicate in all of it's mainstream glory ... let me explain.

Ubuntu may be mainstream, but it's also so expandable that it is what ever you want it to be. So an old Redhat expert says Ubuntu is to mainstream for him ... well its built on the same core, it uses the same programs, but it is just a little bit different from his "expert" linux version just because it's user friendly.

I'm not embarrassed to say I use Ubuntu ... after all it has changed my life so much I don't think it will never be in my life ever again!

[SomeGuyDude]

Anyone who avoids an OS because of something as asinine as popularity or "mystique" bothers me.

I won't lie, part of me wants to hop over to SuSE or something because it's a "real" distro, but then I keep realizing that that's idiotic and Ubuntu's popular for a reason: it's AWESOME.

[RAV TUX]

I stopped going to the local LUG because all of the "founders" used anything but Ubuntu and those that came seeking like minded people all used Ubuntu and they poo-poo-ed the fact that they were using a "mainstream" version of Linux.

When one of them told us to start using a "real" version of Linux, I stopped going.

Ubuntu is a great version of Linux, it just happens to be better maintained and tweaked than any of the other distros.

This is why UUG's(Ubuntu User Group) are so cool.

[kodak]

Erm... could you back this up?



All it needs is to be one security hole in your browser or even a browser plug-in and that be exploited to run arbitrary code and this gives them access to the command line where the root password could be changed due to how Ubuntu lets users change it. A cracker would not even have to crack that users password as they could just change it, and then the root pass

[p_quarles]

All it needs is to be one security hole in your browser or even a browser plug-in and that be exploited to run arbitrary code and this gives them access to the command line where the root password could be changed due to how Ubuntu lets users change it. A cracker would not even have to crack that users password as they could just change it, and then the root pass
You would sort of have to already have the user's password before you could change the root password. I'll give you a chance before calling FUD, but I ain't buying it so far.

[Nano Geek]

So using a buggy, unsupported distro is "real" Linux?
Who cares what they think. Ubuntu is Linux just as much as Gentoo or Slackware is.

[jflaker]

"I'm embarrassed to say this to a fellow linux user ... but i use Ubuntu"

....SNIP.....

Has anyone else come across this attitude towards Ubuntu? Does anyone else feel the shame? Does anyone actually look down on Ubuntu users as lowly n00bs?

I have tried many distros but still use Ubuntu on my thinkpad (although modified) as i find it the most simple to get along with and know it will always do the job.

so anyone else come across this?

matt

I have tried other distros, but I just wanted to get up an running, and I am...........Ubuntu is what convinced me to switch from windows.

Security is what you make it and if you change something or if you download untrusted or unknown applications,, you must then sleep where you crapped! Otherwise, I think Ubuntu is secure and does exactly what I intend....keeps me from using windows

[kodak]

You would sort of have to already have the user's password before you could change the root password.

Not if the users password is cached :)

[Nano Geek]

Not if the users password is cached :)Unless you entered it into the web-browser (which would be a really stupid thing to do on any OS) I don't see how a web-page could access it.

[p_quarles]

Unless you entered it into the web-browser (which would be a really stupid thing to do on any OS) I don't see how a web-page could access it.
No he/she is saying that if a cracker were able to execute a command in firefox that opened a command line, and you had "sudo'd" something in the last fifteen minutes, the remote attacker could execute a sudo command without needing to (re)enter your password.

That would be a Firefox vulnerability, though, and is just one of many reasons to use NoScript.

[maybeway36]

In my opinion, Ubuntu is just as easy as Debian to customize.

[Nano Geek]

No he/she is saying that if a cracker were able to execute a command in firefox that opened a command line, and you had "sudo'd" something in the last fifteen minutes, the remote attacker could execute a sudo command without needing to (re)enter your password.

That would be a Firefox vulnerability, though, and is just one of many reasons to use NoScript.Ah, I see. Still, you would have to get a Ubuntu user to your site who had sudoed anything within the last 15 minutes. I doubt that it is going to happen anytime soon.

[Paul820]

I would never change from ubuntu just because others say it's not a real linux distro :lolflag: Yes, it is laughable. Ubuntu is just as much a linux distro as all the others, don't let it bother you.

[p_quarles]

Ah, I see. Still, you would have to get a Ubuntu user to your site who had sudoed anything within the last 15 minutes. I doubt that it is going to happen anytime soon.
Plus, to my knowledge there are no exploits like that in Firefox. I think a vulnerability that allowed web sites to run desktop applications on your computer would be a pretty high priority fix if it were ever demonstrated.

OT: I would never answer the question "which distro do you use" by apologizing for it. If I thought it was embarrassing, I wouldn't use it.

[saulgoode]

That would be a Firefox vulnerability, though, and is just one of many reasons to use NoScript.

An operating system shouldn't rely upon on the security measures of the applications it runs.

[kodak]

Let me point out that Ubuntu is not or in no way inherently insecure but i do know of attacks on Ubuntu machines, in one instance the attackers only stored mp3's on the victims disk, funnily enough the person who was hacked traced the attackers via the apache log and found that they were all running Ubuntu boxes.

[Nano Geek]

Let me point out that Ubuntu is not or in no way inherently insecure but i do know of attacks on Ubuntu machines, in one instance the attackers only stored mp3's on the victims disk, funnily enough the person who was hacked traced the attackers via the apache log and found that they were all running Ubuntu boxes.Do you have a link?

[p_quarles]

An operating system shouldn't rely upon on the security measures of the applications it runs.
And yet, it does rely on that. Unless you are running no applications.


Let me point out that Ubuntu is not or in no way inherently insecure but i do know of attacks on Ubuntu machines, in one instance the attackers only stored mp3's on the victims disk, funnily enough the person who was hacked traced the attackers via the apache log and found that they were all running Ubuntu boxes.
Yeah, I've seen various cases like that in these very forums. My impression is that it's almost always because of lax security policy, and I have yet to see an attack that didn't involve some sort of service, whether Apache, FTP or bittorrent. You do indeed have to be cautious when you make your machine available to others.

[saulgoode]

An operating system shouldn't rely upon on the security measures of the applications it runs.

And yet, it does rely on that. Unless you are running no applications.

If you are referring to applications which are integral to the system or even SUID root, you are correct. What I was referring to was that user applications (especially complex, multipurpose ones such as Firefox) should not be able to, under user-level circumstances, compromise the OS.

[jrusso2]

Lets see, when I started using Linux in 96 if you used Redhat you were a noob cause it was dumbed down.

In 98 Mandrake came out then you were a noob if you used Mandrake cause it was dumbed down.

In 99 Corel Linux came out and you were a noob if you used that for sure.

The Lindows came out.

And now its Ubuntu.

Why don't you just make up your own minds and use what you like?

Who cares what some guy living in his mom's basement compiling Gentoo all day thinks?

[Paul820]

Lets see, when I started using Linux in 96 if you used Redhat you were a noob cause it was dumbed down.

In 98 Mandrake came out then you were a noob if you used Mandrake cause it was dumbed down.

In 99 Corel Linux came out and you were a noob if you used that for sure.

The Lindows came out.

And now its Ubuntu.

Why don't you just make up your own minds and use what you like?

Who cares what some guy living in his mom's basement compiling Gentoo all day thinks?

Very well put =D>
Especially this bit


Why don't you just make up your own minds and use what you like?

I use what i like and i don't give a damn what anyone else thinks.

[NineseveN]

What you're running into here are masters-of-the-universe-types that do what they do merely to be different. It doesn't matter if it's from Goth kids, Everquest players or supposed hardcore *nixheads, when something that makes them feel like an individual and superior to others gets popular, they feel like society has stolen a piece of their soul. The real reason for this is they're pretty much losers without something they can badge themselves with to give the illusion of being better/smarter/more hardcore/non-conformist and they take to losing that like armpits to acetone.

Much of the Linux community wants it to become more mainstream because they believe it's a better OS, the cellar-dwellers want it to remain obscure because they believe using it makes them better.

Personally, I'd like poop in their collective hat sometimes, but then I realize, I've seen a real woman naked and thus, life has already been cruel enough to them as it is. :cool:

[toupeiro]

Sorry, I do not subscribe to the whole "distro X is for n00bs, Distro Y is for the elite", and especially coming from Redhat/Fedora. People running redhat / fedora that slam ubuntu quickly forget when they were under the same line of fire from the slackware and pre-novell SuSE runners. It doesn't matter what you run, and I am not embarassed at all to say I run ubuntu at home and I work in a company where RHEL reigns supreme.

Why don't I use Redhat at home anymore? Because I do not subscribe to their OOG philosophy that they impose on their users. Thats my choice. I don't slam people for using it.

Why don't I run Slackware anymore? Because I want something a little more bleeding edge at home. Slackware is a rock solid linux distro, but it doesn't fit the role I need in an OS.

Why don't I use SuSE, because I don't like novell's baseless CYA partnership with Microsoft. I had hoped for more from it in the beginning, but have seen much less. This was just Novell being smart enough (because they have a similar business model) to know what MS has the financial bankroll to do, and to get under their umbrella for the impending rain we may or may not see in the years to come with MS and other Distro vendors like Redhat and Canonical. That being said, I have nothing, technically, against SLED or OpenSuSE, and do not think about or treat differently, anyone who runs those versions.

My point is, don't be embarrassed to tell people what you run, unless you are running vista :-D

[g4ry.l33]

Ubuntu is getting people to use Linux, and that's good! I've tried Debian, Red Hat, Fedora, Suse and I like Ubuntu. It's a good distro for the average computer user. I think of my self and "geek" not "1337". I can still do shell programming, play with Python and C++ and have a lot of fun that I would have with any other Linux distro. So if the Hard Core Linux Users want to kick me to the curb because I use Ubuntu then that's fine with me. But they should read this first!

http://www.linuxisforbitches.com/

[tcpip4lyfe]

I use whatever works best for me. Its just a computer.

[crimesaucer]

Ah, I see. Still, you would have to get a Ubuntu user to your site who had sudoed anything within the last 15 minutes. I doubt that it is going to happen anytime soon.

You could always make a site that has a guide for installing something, or for tweaking a .conf file for a faster computer. So, if they were on your page and following a guide specific for ubuntu, the probability would be that they were using their terminals with the sudo command.

I see these type of pages everyday, and follow the guides with the good tips (using the sudo command when needed):

http://www.linuxmonitor.net/blog/2007/03/ultimate-ubuntu-performance-tweaking.html
http://www.santa-li.com/linuxonbb.html

I'm not saying these pages do anything like that, and I'm glad people make pages with tips like these, but if you were the type of person writing a script to do this to an Ubuntu user, then it would be pretty easy to draw an Ubuntu user to your "scripted site", since most of us (me included) are very new to Linux and open source, so the minute we see any sort of guide to improve our computer, we usually just open up the terminal and go for it.

I also would like to say that I loved using xubuntu, and still love Ubuntu Forums and everything having to do with ubuntu/xubuntu... but I recently moved to Archlinux for the added quickness. (and because of pacman, and a bit higher of a learning curve)


I'll probably try out the next release of xubuntu 8.04 and ubuntu 8.04, and could care less about anybodies view of ubuntu being a "mainstream" or "noob" friendly distro. I'm thankful for the fact that ubuntu welcomes "noobs" to Linux, it made using a computer so much nicer, in so many ways.

[ticopelp]

Anyone who would sneer at a Linux distro because it's too accessible and easy to use obviously doesn't have the best interests of the Open Source movement at heart, doesn't want Linux to gain market share, and I wouldn't take anything they say seriously ever again.

[jpkotta]

Without trying to sound too full of myself, I know my way around Linux well enough to use any distro I want (including LFS). I want to use Ubuntu because it is easy and stable, so I can spend my time doing more interesting things.

Just because you use Ubuntu doesn't mean you're a newbie. It just means you spend your time concentrating on other things than maintaining your installation. I don't even use Gnome, KDE, or XFCE, I use FVWM, arguably the most "manual" Wm of them all. I like to configure FVWM instead of my system. Ubuntu affords me that luxury. The same goes for any software I use.

I think that when you pick a distro, you pick an installation mechanism, a package manager, and a philosophy. I like all three of Ubuntu's versions of these things.

[zyg0t3]

I use whatever works best for me. Its just a computer.

Nice, and thats the point isn't it? Use what you need to use.

[SomeGuyDude]

The anti-Ubuntu movement feeds into the two biggest stereotypes of Linux users:

1) Linux users chiefly do it because they're different. If everyone used Linux, they'd have to move to something else.

2) Linux users aren't interested in an OS that makes doing things easy, they'd rather everyone have to compile it from source and configure everything from the command line.

Thus, a popular distro like Ubuntu that can be up and running in less than 30 minutes (I've heard Mandriva is similarly mocked) is an object of ridicule to the "real" Linux users.

I was talking with my mother a little while ago about all this when I was trying to get her on Ubuntu. We were just chattering about Linux in general and I mentioned the kind of "geek pride" that people have with using OS's that are incredibly difficult to get up and running or install things in.

She made one of the most surprisingly clear observations I'd heard in a while, asking if "Linux users are more interested in configuring and tweaking the OS than actually having it do anything". Made me laugh, it did.

[tact]

Ah, I see. Still, you would have to get a Ubuntu user to your site who had sudoed anything within the last 15 minutes. I doubt that it is going to happen anytime soon.

I seriously doubt that this is a worry...

pull up a terminal and type "sudo ls"
enter your password

now open a second terminal and type "sudo ls"
your password is required (again) even tho it is cached in that other open terminal.

So you have used sudo in the past 15min... a specially crafted webpage viewed in a firefox session is a different session...

You'd have to type "gksudo firefox"
enter password
..then maybe... but if anyone is that silly.. heck may as well just enable root and login as root all the time. ;)

[K.Mandla]

Steering the thread back to the original topic ...


s Ubuntu getting too mainstream for the hardcore alternative linux peeps?
No, I don't think so. I use some of the other "hardcore alternative" Linux distros and the end results are usually the same. One desktop looks very much like another, in essence. How you get there is one thing, but for the most part, everybody is going the same place.

Anyone who turns their nose up at another person because of the Linux flavor they use ... should divert that energy toward convincing Windows users to try any flavor of Linux.

[bash]

Ah, I see. Still, you would have to get a Ubuntu user to your site who had sudoed anything within the last 15 minutes. I doubt that it is going to happen anytime soon.

Hmm ... but then now that we have AppArmor, shouldn't we be able to restrict the general access of Firefox to the terminal? Because this is what AppArmor does, restrict the access applications have. So if we would have an AppArmor profile for Firefox that defined that it could never access the Terminal the sudo problem should be solved. So even if Firefox gets exploited we still have AppArmor in place.

[mivo]

Not if the users password is cached :)

The time how long the password for sudo is remembered can be changed, though. I'd me more concerned about people installing an SSH server, especially since Ubuntu comes with a firewall that has zero rules, so in essence it has no working firewall out of the box.

[PartisanEntity]

This is an insult to our intelligence. If the only reason someone uses an OS is because it is 'leet', 'hardcore' or 'alternative' then they need to go out more. And shame on that friend of yours for having uttered the words "I'm embarrassed to say this to a fellow linux user ... but i use Ubuntu"

If someone is going to look down on you due to the combination of 1s & 0s you use then I am seriously worried about the future of humanity. We can't be that shallow and limited can we?

[Cochise]

I was thinking of using fedora 8 recently and went to the irc channel for it and they were snobby compared to the ubuntu irc channel, offering no help etc except fot 1 or 2 people in there. The main reasons i use ubuntu is apt and these forums even tough i rarely have to ask for help anymore, i still like to have the support network ubuntu offers to people.

[Nunu]

"I'm embarrassed to say this to a fellow linux user ... but i use Ubuntu"

This is what some guy said to my girl friend (shes a linux user) in response to the question of 'What distro do you use'?

In this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=613537, i think its is clearly established that Ubuntu is a gateway to the linux world.

For me Ubuntu was the first steps into a larger world and i must say (this may sound sad) that linux has changed my life.

But this said, is Ubuntu getting too mainstream for the hardcore alternative linux peeps?

Has anyone else come across this attitude towards Ubuntu? Does anyone else feel the shame? Does anyone actually look down on Ubuntu users as lowly n00bs?

I have tried many distros but still use Ubuntu on my thinkpad (although modified) as i find it the most simple to get along with and know it will always do the job.

so anyone else come across this?

matt

Dude i think that ubuntu has made a major impact on the way people view Linux. It might be mainstream, but at least it hasn't sold out to the Devil. lets not mention those guys with the green lizard *cough-Suse* who partnered with Novell and then sold out to the boys from Redmond.

[kanem]

Most of the time whenever someone says something stupidly condescending about Ubuntu you can just repeat the sentence with Debian inserted instead of Ubuntu in order to show them how juvenile they are being since, except for the ways you upgrade, you can do with Ubuntu what you can with Debian.

Debian isn't a real distro.
Debian is for noobs.
Debian isn't customizable.
Real coders don't use Debian.
Debian is trying to be just like Windows

See how obviously silly those sound? It's just as dumb to say them about Ubuntu.

[hkgonra]

It seems to me that people with this attitude don't want linux to be popular , they are happy with it being an underground movement that stays underground and stays complicated so that they can feel like they are smarter than others because they know how to use it.

[bonzodog]

Yes, unfortunately, I am coming across this elitist attitude towards Ubuntu, even in my other community of Zenwalk, where a lot of our new users are ex-ubuntu.

Some of the older users who came straight from Slackware to Zenwalk (Zenwalk is based off Slackware), often go "ugh...you used ubuntu???"

There again, they display that same attitude towards anything Debian based, including Debian itself. Slackware and Debian have very old rivalries that go back to the early 90's.

They see Ubuntu as being some kind of false version of Linux for n00bs (sic), as it does so much to help users in the GUI, and does not teach them to use the command line as such.

[Dimitriid]

I have no shame in using an inert line of 1s and 0s that constitute an OS. How could I be? If somebody forms a value judgment on me because I learned a lot through Ubuntu before moving to Arch then that means such persons use their knowledge of operative systems and computers to validate themselves and base ( to one degree or another ) their self esteem on that.

If life has taught me something in this last 26 years is that persons are valuable because of so many reasons that good memory and technical knowledge are only a tiny parts of us as human beings. I wish more people could see it like that.

[ericdsr]

My first Linux distro was Soft Landing Systems which was the predecessor to Slack. Trust me when I say that your Ubuntu hatin' associates haven't seen a real distro! I had alot more time to tweak around with my OS in those days but alas, this is no longer the case. Your choice of distro is a personal matter. If I had the time I did back then I'd probably still pick Ubuntu. I like the philosophy behind it and tire quickly of the diva-esque mentality some of the other communities disply. Ubuntu suits me just fine thank you...

[akiratheoni]

Ubuntu is my first distro. But I'm not going to just stay with Ubuntu; I use Ubuntu to get acquainted with Linux in general, then eventually I am going to start testing out other distros. I've got Slackware installed on a VirtualBox, and if I get a new computer, I will be trying out Slackware because I've heard a lot of good things about it. For me, Ubuntu is a gateway to Linux.

[SuperMike]

I stopped going to the local LUG because all of the "founders" used anything but Ubuntu and those that came seeking like minded people all used Ubuntu and they poo-poo-ed the fact that they were using a "mainstream" version of Linux.

When one of them told us to start using a "real" version of Linux, I stopped going.

Ubuntu is a great version of Linux, it just happens to be better maintained and tweaked than any of the other distros.

My sentiments exactly. I like to get work done, not fart around.

[luvdemheels]

I am definitely not embarrassed...as a matter of fact, I was sporting my ubuntu polo last night at Best Buy and had someone from Best Buy tell me they like my shirt and gave me a thumbs up for ubuntu.

:D

[NineseveN]

I am definitely not embarrassed...as a matter of fact, I was sporting my ubuntu polo last night at Best Buy and had someone from Best Buy tell me they like my shirt and gave me a thumbs up for ubuntu.

:D

There are shirts? I don't have an Ubuntu shirt! :(

[luvdemheels]

You can get one here:

https://shop.canonical.com/index.php?cPath=14&osCsid=0484e42a10f985074d105ccb529c0f93

I think you can also get some from cafe press.

[DrMega]

Ubuntu is great. What a bizarre idea that because it is popular it is not a "proper distro". Is it not the goal of every techie to make their solution better than everyone else's?

If you were buying a car would you buy a model that looks good, drives well and is easy to maintain, or would you ignore such a car and choose one that requires constant effort to keep it running?

The thing I like about about Linux (barring the fact that it is technically good), is that there is a good choice of distros to suit different tastes and requirements. I think there are far more important matters in todays world than whose distro is better and why someone else distro is "not proper".

[NineseveN]

You can get one here:

https://shop.canonical.com/index.php?cPath=14&osCsid=0484e42a10f985074d105ccb529c0f93

I think you can also get some from cafe press.

Sweet! :guitar:

Thanks!

[p_quarles]

@DrMega: Well, dunno about you, but I would probably just compile the car from source. You learn more that way. ;)

[Metacarpal]

I'm a SysAdmin, so I'm surrounded by Linux nerds. We run RedHat for our business servers, so some of the guys have the attitude, "If it isn't RPM-based, it's crap." We also have the requisite Gentoo Evangelical. But at least half my department, when I mention Ubuntu, say they've heard good things and are thinking of trying it.

I used to bounce from distro to distro to see what I liked best. I went to Ubuntu initially because it was the only thing I could find that worked with my previous laptop's hardware 100% out of the box.

Oddly enough, the thing keeping me from trying other distros now is my fiancé. We both use the same computer, and since she uses it for work, downtime isn't really an option.

Plus, I don't want to make her a Linux Widow by spending hours a day for a week trying to get another distro juuuuuuuuuuust right - so for me, until I get another computer to break and she takes a week-long trip without me, Ubuntu is home (not to mention /) for me.

[Incense]

I proudly sport an Ubuntu sticker on my notebook. (which runs openSUSE). I think we all need to realize that it's not PCLOS vs Ubuntu vs SUSE vs Fedora vs Mandriva vs Debian vs.... we are all Linux, and if we do not learn to play nice with each other, then we all lose.

[Incense]

Ubuntu is home (not to mention /) for me.

You know you're a real geek when you not only understand what that last line means... but you LOL'd when you read it.

:lolflag:

[hkgonra]

Ubuntu is great. What a bizarre idea that because it is popular it is not a "proper distro". Is it not the goal of every techie to make their solution better than everyone else's?

If you were buying a car would you buy a model that looks good, drives well and is easy to maintain, or would you ignore such a car and choose one that requires constant effort to keep it running?

The thing I like about about Linux (barring the fact that it is technically good), is that there is a good choice of distros to suit different tastes and requirements. I think there are far more important matters in todays world than whose distro is better and why someone else distro is "not proper".

But how much better would the linux world be if you could get all the developers working on the same distro , just making specialty packages for them ?

[DrMega]

@DrMega: Well, dunno about you, but I would probably just compile the car from source. You learn more that way. ;)

Very witty, that made me laugh:)

[mivo]

But how much better would the linux world be if you could get all the developers working on the same distro , just making specialty packages for them ?

There are some fundamental differences between various distros, even in how they are developed and released (i.e. a rolling release distro like Arch vs. a cyclical release distro like Ubuntu). I believe the diversity is what makes the Linux world so interesting, though I agree that this makes it less interesting to commercial software houses and that there is a lot of reinvention.

[NineseveN]

Personally, I find that having so many flavors to choose from is one of the best features of *nix...even if it is a little overwhelming at first.

[Wiebelhaus]

I stopped going to the local LUG because all of the "founders" used anything but Ubuntu and those that came seeking like minded people all used Ubuntu and they poo-poo-ed the fact that they were using a "mainstream" version of Linux.

When one of them told us to start using a "real" version of Linux, I stopped going.

Ubuntu is a great version of Linux, it just happens to be better maintained and tweaked than any of the other distros.

lol......wow

those elitists really hurt the impending success , I personally feel this is the best distro and if I wanted to be a ***** about it , the only "real" distro because it (real)lly and actually works in a consistent manor.

as opposed to say....

Fedora , crashing & freezing.

Mandrake , Out of range......then freezing with the alt/+/- technique

Suse , package manager so slow I'd rather run Windows ME

*buntu , Holy crap man.....it just works! which at the end of the day is all people really want.

[BDNiner]

I can't believe that this argument exists. Linux to me is about freedom of choice. I couldn't care less who coded what for whatever they are trying to do. I want to freedom to do whatever I want to do with my computers.

[Bruce M.]

You would sort of have to already have the user's password before you could change the root password. I'll give you a chance before calling FUD, but I ain't buying it so far.

Taken from: http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=13

USN-536-1: Thunderbird vulnerabilities
Referenced CVEs: CVE-2006-2894, CVE-2007-1095, CVE-2007-2292, CVE-2007-3511, CVE-2007-5334, CVE-2007-5337, CVE-2007-5338, CVE-2007-5339, CVE-2007-5340

Description:
Ubuntu Security Notice USN-536-1 October 23, 2007 mozilla-thunderbird, thunderbird vulnerabilities CVE-2006-2894, CVE-2007-1095, CVE-2007-2292, CVE-2007-3511, CVE-2007-5334, CVE-2007-5337, CVE-2007-5338, CVE-2007-5339, CVE-2007-5340

A security issue affects the following Ubuntu releases: Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Ubuntu 6.10 Ubuntu 7.04 Ubuntu 7.10 This advisory also applies to the corresponding versions of Kubuntu, Edubuntu, and Xubuntu. The problem can be corrected by upgrading your system to the following package versions: Ubuntu 6.06 LTS: mozilla-thunderbird 1.5.0.13+1.5.0.14b-0ubuntu0.6.06 Ubuntu 6.10: mozilla-thunderbird 1.5.0.13+1.5.0.14b-0ubuntu0.6.10 Ubuntu 7.04: mozilla-thunderbird 1.5.0.13+1.5.0.14b-0ubuntu0.7.04 Ubuntu 7.10: mozilla-thunderbird 2.0.0.8~pre071022+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.7.10 After a standard system upgrade you need to restart Thunderbird to affect the necessary changes. Details follow: Various flaws were discovered in the layout and JavaScript engines. By tricking a user into opening a malicious web page, an attacker could execute arbitrary code with the user's privileges. (CVE-2007-5339, CVE-2007-5340) Flaws were discovered in the file upload form control. By tricking a user into opening a malicious web page, an attacker could force arbitrary files from the user's computer to be uploaded without their consent. (CVE-2006-2894, CVE-2007-3511) Michal Zalewski discovered that the onUnload event handlers were incorrectly able to access information outside the old page content. A malicious web site could exploit this to modify the contents, or steal confidential data (such as passwords), of the next loaded web page. (CVE-2007-1095) Stefano Di Paola discovered that Thunderbird did not correctly request Digest Authentications. A malicious web site could exploit this to inject arbitrary HTTP headers or perform session splitting attacks against proxies. (CVE-2007-2292) Eli Friedman discovered that XUL could be used to hide a window's titlebar. A malicious web site could exploit this to enhance their attempts at creating phishing web sites. (CVE-2007-5334) Georgi Guninski discovered that Thunderbird would allow file-system based web pages to access additional files. By tricking a user into opening a malicious web page from a gnome-vfs location, an attacker could steal arbitrary files from the user's computer. (CVE-2007-5337) It was discovered that the XPCNativeWrappers were not safe in certain situations. By tricking a user into opening a malicious web page, an attacker could run arbitrary JavaScript with the user's privileges. ( CVE-2007-5338 ) Please note that JavaScript is disabled by default for emails, and it is not recommended to enable it.

USN-535-1: Firefox vulnerabilities
Referenced CVEs: CVE-2006-2894, CVE-2007-1095, CVE-2007-2292, CVE-2007-3511, CVE-2007-5334, CVE-2007-5335, CVE-2007-5336, CVE-2007-5337, CVE-2007-5338, CVE-2007-5339, CVE-2007-5340

Description:
Ubuntu Security Notice USN-535-1 October 23, 2007 firefox vulnerabilities CVE-2006-2894, CVE-2007-1095, CVE-2007-2292, CVE-2007http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=13-3511, CVE-2007-5334, CVE-2007-5335, CVE-2007-5336, CVE-2007-5337, CVE-2007-5338, CVE-2007-5339, CVE-2007-5340

A security issue affects the following Ubuntu releases: Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Ubuntu 6.10 Ubuntu 7.04 Ubuntu 7.10 This advisory also applies to the corresponding versions of Kubuntu, Edubuntu, and Xubuntu. The problem can be corrected by upgrading your system to the following package versions: Ubuntu 6.06 LTS: firefox 1.5.dfsg+1.5.0.14~prepatch071011b-0ubuntu1 Ubuntu 6.10: firefox 2.0.0.8+0dfsg-0ubuntu0.6.10 Ubuntu 7.04: firefox 2.0.0.8+1nobinonly-0ubuntu1 Ubuntu 7.10: firefox 2.0.0.8+2nobinonly-0ubuntu1 After a standard system upgrade you need to restart Firefox to affect the necessary changes. Details follow: Various flaws were discovered in the layout and JavaScript engines. By tricking a user into opening a malicious web page, an attacker could execute arbitrary code with the user's privileges. (CVE-2007-5336, CVE-2007-5339, CVE-2007-5340) Michal Zalewski discovered that the onUnload event handlers were incorrectly able to access information outside the old page content. A malicious web site could exploit this to modify the contents, or steal confidential data (such as passwords), of the next loaded web page. (CVE-2007-1095) Stefano Di Paola discovered that Firefox did not correctly request Digest Authentications. A malicious web site could exploit this to inject arbitrary HTTP headers or perform session splitting attacks against proxies. (CVE-2007-2292) Flaws were discovered in the file upload form control. By tricking a user into opening a malicious web page, an attacker could force arbitrary files from the user's computer to be uploaded without their consent. (CVE-2006-2894, CVE-2007-3511) Eli Friedman discovered that XUL could be used to hide a window's titlebar. A malicious web site could exploit this to enhance their attempts at creating phishing web sites. (CVE-2007-5334) Georgi Guninski discovered that Firefox would allow file-system based web pages to access additional files. By tricking a user into opening a malicious web page from a gnome-vfs location, an attacker could steal arbitrary files from the user's computer. (CVE-2007-5337) It was discovered that the XPCNativeWrappers were not safe in certain situations. By tricking a user into opening a malicious web page, an attacker could run arbitrary JavaScript with the user's privileges. ( CVE-2007-5338 )

[gn2]

I use what i like and i don't give a damn what anyone else thinks.

+1

Couldn't have put it better myself.

EDIT That post above this one looks to me like a Thunderbird vulnerability rather than an Ubuntu vulnerability......?

[Bruce M.]

+1

Couldn't have put it better myself.

+ 1

Ubuntu is the only distro I have ever used, I'm a newbe to Linux.
I like it. No, I love it!
I'll give it at least as much time as I gave that "other" OS.

If "I" last that long that is! :lolflag:

[gn2]

If you were buying a car would you buy a model that looks good, drives well and is easy to maintain, or would you ignore such a car and choose one that requires constant effort to keep it running?


Depends whether you want an engineering hobby or practical transport.

Ubuntu falls into the practical transport category.
It just gets the job done with the minimum of fuss.

[Raval]

What you're running into here are masters-of-the-universe-types that do what they do merely to be different. It doesn't matter if it's from Goth kids, Everquest players or supposed hardcore *nixheads, when something that makes them feel like an individual and superior to others gets popular, they feel like society has stolen a piece of their soul. The real reason for this is they're pretty much losers without something they can badge themselves with to give the illusion of being better/smarter/more hardcore/non-conformist and they take to losing that like armpits to acetone.

Much of the Linux community wants it to become more mainstream because they believe it's a better OS, the cellar-dwellers want it to remain obscure because they believe using it makes them better.


Thats pretty much what I was going to say.

When I wanted to try Linux a friend pointed me to Distrowatch, I had no idea which distro to try.

I am on 56K so downloading and trying different distros wasn't an option so naturally when I saw copies of Ubuntu 5.04 were shipped for free I picked it.

Ubuntu is for the everyday computer user, thats what I am and the fact that it is so popular only reinforces this.

I remember the recent poll IBM had about what flavor the comunity wanted, Ubuntu was number one with something like 26,000 votes,t the runner up had about 8,000 to me that says something.

[JAPrufrock]

I've used Ubuntu for about a year, both 32 and 64bit OSs. When I first started with Dapper, setting up the 64bit was a pain- getting flash to work, etc. With Gutsy it was really easy. So I thought I'd be geekish and install another distro on one of my boxes. I chose Debian Etch, downloaded it, and then googled info on how to install it.
I soon realized how similar Debian was to Ubuntu (since Ubuntu is a Debian derivative). Sure, the installation would be harder because I would not be able to rely on the how-tos that are available to Ubuntu users. It seemed to me that installing Etch would be like installing Ubuntu 64bit without the how-tos. Harder? yeah, a little, but did I want to spend the extra time doing it? Most of the 3rd party apps were the same (open office, firefox, etc., etc.) so using it wouldn't be much different. Synaptic was there too, and apt-get.
Here's the thing- it would take longer than setting up Ubuntu, but I knew that I could do it. I would get a more stable distro (supposedly), but I wouldn't get the Ubuntu cutting edge updates and upgrades. Debian may be more stable, but Ubuntu seems to be more dynamic. So I asked myself, why do it? I couldn't come up with a good enough reason, so I didn't. The Debian iso image is still sitting there on my desktop, soon to be trashed.

[stunner]

Apropos to this thread: http://www.linuxgangster.org/forums/showthread.php?t=619

The crack on not being able to configure debian is humorous (and perhaps warranted in some cases /ducks) but I consider ubuntu's appeal amongst new linux users to be a great achievement.

[mdsmedia]

I stopped going to the local LUG because all of the "founders" used anything but Ubuntu and those that came seeking like minded people all used Ubuntu and they poo-poo-ed the fact that they were using a "mainstream" version of Linux.

When one of them told us to start using a "real" version of Linux, I stopped going.

Ubuntu is a great version of Linux, it just happens to be better maintained and tweaked than any of the other distros.I was actually referred to Ubuntu by my local LUG, 2 years ago.

It happened to be one of 3 distros I had on magazine CDs at the time and IIRC it was the only one that worked properly. I think the others were Knoppix and Xandros.

I used the LiveCD for a few hours and, believe it or not, the one thing I liked about it compared to XP at the time was how quick it was. It was just so clean and smooth.

No, I'm not embarrassed to say I use Ubuntu. I can still poo-poo any Windows user (because I still swear at the Windows screen every day at work).

[kevdog]

When I get time I would love to move to a more advanced distro than Ubuntu -- thinking of gentoo (may be too big of jump), sabayon, or arch. Slackware has been recommended, but one of my biggest beefs with Ubuntu/Debian (and probably Slackware from what I have read) is that I really like cutting edge software. Software stored in Ubuntu repositories (at least for me) is usually really old. I try to do a lot of compiling of programs that I commonly use from svn. It usually works, however not in all cases. I dont have enough knowledge to debug why in some cases the compilation fails. Anyone who is seriously interested more about Ubuntu/Linux in general should at least compile their own kernel once. Ive done it a few times -- I'm no expert -- but its given me a lot of insight into what's in the generic vanilla version, versus modules that the Ubuntu developers have rolled into their kernel.

Ok sorry about the blabbing.

[peacepipejv]

Leave the Ubuntu haters alone. Those poor guys. I feel so bad for them I want to cry. Linux is the only thing that makes them like everyone else, cool different. Linux is an Ego inflater and an inflated ego is part of the status quo. I call em Linus's cuz they use linux as a security blanket. Cut the poor babies some slack. Awe, do duh baby gotta booboo? Do duh baby need to growd up? Just kidding. My cool is what makes me cool. Not my distro. The only thing Ubuntu does for me is keep me free:biggrin:

[peacepipejv]

and happy

[p_quarles]

When I get time I would love to move to a more advanced distro than Ubuntu -- thinking of gentoo (may be too big of jump), sabayon, or arch. Slackware has been recommended, but one of my biggest beefs with Ubuntu/Debian (and probably Slackware from what I have read) is that I really like cutting edge software. .
Install Debian and enable the unstable repository, and you'll be on the bleeding edge forever. I can't guarantee it'll work all the time, but if you want the latest software, nothing will be very ahead of Sid.

[tact]

Taken from: http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=13

USN-536-1: Thunderbird vulnerabilities
Referenced CVEs: CVE-2006-2894, CVE-2007-1095, CVE-2007-2292, CVE-2007-3511, CVE-2007-5334, CVE-2007-5337, CVE-2007-5338, CVE-2007-5339, CVE-2007-5340

Hey Bruce M

Read what you posted and notice it says can take over the "user's account". Thats not root.

It also talks about being able to steal passwords for the next page visited... again while this can be used to try trick people into giving up root password - it is not in itself root access.

If the user had started thunderbrd with root privs (eg gksudo thunderbird) then the attacker has that user (root) controls...

[aysiu]

Hey Bruce M

Read what you posted and notice it says can take over the "user's account". Thats not root.

It also talks about being able to steal passwords for the next page visited... again while this can be used to try trick people into giving up root password - it is not in itself root access.

If the user had started thunderbrd with root privs (eg gksudo thunderbird) then the attacker has that user (root) controls...
It also says the vulnerability can be dealt with by upgrading to the latest version of Thunderbird available in the repositories.

[HermanAB]

Deep down, all Linux distributions are exactly the same. To any one person, the 'best' version of Linux is the one that happens to work smoothly on his hardware. So, to compare versions and declare that one is 'better' than another is mostly meaningless.

The only real differences between distributions are the software package systems and the wizards and the better you know things, the less it matters.

[Flying caveman]

I tend to agree that Ubuntu doesn't get the respect it deserves. http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/not_really_into_pokemon.png

see what I mean.

[SomeGuyDude]

Deep down, all Linux distributions are exactly the same. To any one person, the 'best' version of Linux is the one that happens to work smoothly on his hardware. So, to compare versions and declare that one is 'better' than another is mostly meaningless.

People really do forget that. Ubuntu's the only one that worked swiftly on my system without exploding. Granted I haven't tried every single one, but I recently took a whack at OpenSuSE 10.3 and can add that to the list that simply didn't whiz along the way Ubuntu did, and actually work (SuSE, for example, could not enable the 3D effects).

People told me about Sabayon's amazing speed, for example, but it moved like molasses. I'm sure it's blazing on many machines, but it wasn't on mine. Meanwhile, aside from the balls-slow login, Ubuntu is generally click-bam.

[tubasoldier]

I can see what the original poster meant. Reading through this forum there are people who want information now and who want answers in the way they want to hear them. The majority of questions have already been asked and a simple forum search can quickly give answers to most users. But for some reason there are a lot of people who seem to think that their particular problem is somehow different.

Another thing that gives ubuntu that "noob" reputation is that there are a lot of users who think they need to reinstall to get Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, UbuntuCE, the list goes on... Of course you have to reinstall windows if you want to go from XP to Media Center Edition so why should it be any different in Linux? Its easy to find someone with this mindset when they are new to linux. The reality is that all the software comes from the same place, it just seems to take on a different idenity if you install that particular software.

I'm still using Ubuntu. I've been a distro jumper since 2003 and never quite found one that fit me well. However, That stopped last year after Edgy Eft was released. Sadly it began again after the release of Gutsy Gibbon, mostly because it wasn't as stable as a release should have been. At least in my opinon. I guess I'm just getting tired of moving around and trying to get the latest and greatest. I've gone back to what works. Sure the stable release may have older software but it works and is rock solid. After four years of configuring and reconfiguring I just want a distro that will run as solidly as possible with minimal chance of breakage on an upgrade. To me it doesn't matter what distro.

[gn2]

aside from the balls-slow login, Ubuntu is generally click-bam.

You using 7.10? If so the slow booting can usually be fixed.

[frup]

If the people using linux to be different feel threatened, they could always start working on the HURD. I'd be quite happy to see faster progress on that and the emergence of an alternate F/OSS system.

As for ubuntu users being "n00bs", while I don't exactly believe this, who cares. Logically though since Ubuntu is the fastest growing distro with the most users, surely it would have more "n00bs"... we all have to start somewhere.

Ohh well I am happy with Ubuntu on the desktop and the web servers we use are fedora, from a command line perspective I see very very very little difference.

[jrickard]

Distro yak is inherently feeble. Basically all the distros use some version of the same kernel and drivers. I've noticed a couple of basic differences in distros that are important to me.

1 and really 1 through 3. Application distribution system. I used Fedora through a couple of upgrades. YUM and RPM was actually a horror. There were lots of applications. But it would break weekly with little circular dependency version problems. I constantly thought I was hosing up my system somehow. Most of the time, it was in the releases themselves. They also had a huge political problem between their repositories which would cause conflicts. But even if you religiously kept to one side or the other in the repository conflict, it would break quite often.

4. Device support. The biggest problem with Linux is lack of support by device manufacturers. I've got the latest SoundBlaster WiFII sound card in my machine, but I can't use it yet. In a few months, somebody will work it out. But if you like the latest and greatest hardware, Linux has a problem. The support lags, and the drivers never really get there like they do with *******. You live with partial features and partial bugs. The latest NVIDIA imbroglio with multicore processors is a good example. And NVIDIA is probably one of the most Linux supportive hardware companies out there. If you get into video and cameras, forget it.

5. Community. The forums on Fedora are just hideous. 90% of the questions never get answered at all, and it is just a horribly negative culture. FIX IT YOURSELF YOU IDIOT is the normal response to anything. Ubuntu's forums are very supportive.

Ubuntu ready for prime time? Methinks not. The Gutsy install lead to a blank black screen for many of us. Yes, the fix was easy and was on the forums within a few days. But really....

The best part of Ubuntu is the TUTORIAL/TIPS section where people post detailed HOWTOS. It's the closest thing Linux has to documentation.

[mivo]

The forums on Fedora are just hideous. 90% of the questions never get answered at all, and it is just a horribly negative culture. FIX IT YOURSELF YOU IDIOT is the normal response to anything.

How is a statement like this different from the prejudices discussed in this thread?

[antharr]

It's quite simple. If I had the time and equipment I would try another distro. The fact of the matter is that I need my desktop up and running. I don't have time at the moment to spend compiling and tweaking. One day I might but I don't now. I am going to use the flavor that has my desktop up and running with the least amount of fuss. I love Linux and have no problem with other distros. I have tried and I want to try some of them out again when I have some spare time. So all in all, I don't care what others think. If they want to live like teenagers that exclude others for the type of music you listen to, the way you dress, ..etc...then let em. Their lost really.

[sloggerkhan]

An operating system shouldn't rely upon on the security measures of the applications it runs.

I'm just curious, on any linux distro, if the user left open a terminal that they'd used su in or had recently sudo'd, wouldn't the same vulnerability exist?
From your explaination of the this security flaw, it basically sounds like the only fix is to block web browsers from opening if somebody's using root privileges.

Am I missing something?

[gfd_2]

I've tried Puppy, Fedora, Mandriva 2007 and '08 and Ubuntu and without a doubt this forum is MUCH more user friendly then the Fedora board... dead on about the attitude on Fedora... I asked for help numerous times regarding the problem with my Realtek sound card and got bupkus.... Here I found about a dozen replies... some of which crushed my system and forced me to reinstall but its all good. Stable, quick, lots of extras to play with.

[khurrum1990]

I don't believe it, why r people ashamed? Its still Linux. If anyone says to u that Ubuntu is for new Linux users and stuff, tell them its simple, this distro works for me, its still Linux whether its easy or not, and this is one of the few distros which is attracting regular people to Linux otherwise before that Linux users were like what, some programmer who has nothing better to do then stare at his pc all day. Atleast with Ubuntu or Kubuntu in my case I can even get my female friends to give a damn about Linux.

[khurrum1990]

I'm just curious, on any linux distro, if the user left open a terminal that they'd used su in or had recently sudo'd, wouldn't the same vulnerability exist?
From your explaination of the this security flaw, it basically sounds like the only fix is to block web browsers from opening if somebody's using root privileges.

Am I missing something?
Don't worry about this, even if something does enter ur machine while ur terminal is in root. The script would have to issue a command to the terminal and the terminal will display something being run and that is impossible. This would require root priveliges still and u will be asked to enter ur password.

[Linuxratty]

I don't believe it, why r people ashamed? Its still Linux. Linux.

I agree..Why should it matter if it is popular or not? Does using a less popular Linux make you a cut above all the other Linux users? I think not.
I use a distro based off Kbuntu and really don't care how popular or trendy it is...I like the distro.

[saulgoode]

I'm just curious, on any linux distro, if the user left open a terminal that they'd used su in or had recently sudo'd, wouldn't the same vulnerability exist?

If a separate terminal is opened with root privileges, it has its own process. Each process has a user associated with it. The user running the browser does not have access to privileges of the terminal's user just because a terminal is open. (If you look at running processes there are already many that a running under root privileges, yet that does mean your user account has root privileges.)



From your explaination of the this security flaw, it basically sounds like the only fix is to block web browsers from opening if somebody's using root privileges.

Indeed. Users of other distros would be extremely reluctant to ever opening a browser as 'root' (I daresay they would never do it). However, I would hazard that the majority of Ubuntu users do run their browser as the 'admin' user (are you logged in under your privileged account right now?).

Now even with the use of the sudo-tools, just because another process gets escalated to root privileges (say you performed a sudo operation in a terminal) does not mean that your browser process gets escalated as well; but it does mean that if your browser tries to execute privileged code and you provide your password, your browser will have admin privileges (without prompting) for the next fifteen minutes (or whatever the SUDO timeout is set for). And basically, you should never give your webbrowser admin privileges (just as users of other distros should never run their browser as root).

The safest way to be certain that you never do this would be have a separate admin account which you only use when conducting administrative operations; but then you lose much of the convenience of always being a sudo away from complete control of your system.

[lespaul_rentals]

I do feel it is quite a horrible thing to be called a "n00b" just because you use Ubuntu. The people who say such things are very arrogant and are just happy that they know how to compile from source and the "n00b" doesn't.

However, I must say it annoys me when someone uses a very watered-down version of Linux (think Linspire) and talks about how cool they are for running it, having no intention of ever learning what really goes on under the hood. You're not some 1337 hax0r for running Linspire and not even knowing what "su" means.

When it comes to calling people n00bs, though, no one has a right to do that, especially to an Ubuntu user. Most people who use this distro are willing to learn how to get down and dirty in places like the command line. Especially those who attend Linux user groups...it's not like they're some pimply-faced 24-hour-a-day gamer dorks that want to use Linucks just to impress girls.

Yes, I do pride myself on the fact that I use Linux and I know how to use it. I do feel pride when I think about all the Windows users who ask me for computer help. But not I, nor anyone else, have the right to put down anyone for their operating system choice.

[khurrum1990]

If a separate terminal is opened with root privileges, it has its own process. Each process has a user associated with it. The user running the browser does not have access to privileges of the terminal's user just because a terminal is open. (If you look at running processes there are already many that a running under root privileges, yet that does mean your user account has root privileges.)




Indeed. Users of other distros would be extremely reluctant to ever opening a browser as 'root' (I daresay they would never do it). However, I would hazard that the majority of Ubuntu users do run their browser as the 'admin' user (are you logged in under your privileged account right now?).

Now even with the use of the sudo-tools, just because another process gets escalated to root privileges (say you performed a sudo operation in a terminal) does not mean that your browser process gets escalated as well; but it does mean that if your browser tries to execute privileged code and you provide your password, your browser will have admin privileges (without prompting) for the next fifteen minutes (or whatever the SUDO timeout is set for). And basically, you should never give your webbrowser admin privileges (just as users of other distros should never run their browser as root).

The safest way to be certain that you never do this would be have a separate admin account which you only use when conducting administrative operations; but then you lose much of the convenience of always being a sudo away from complete control of your system.
Exactly, there is no threat to Linux. Even if a sript does enter through ur browser when a konsole is open with sudo then that script will have to run through that specific konsole and since that konsole is root the script would require u enter ur password in order to get root access.

[rune0077]

I agree..Why should it matter if it is popular or not? Does using a less popular Linux make you a cut above all the other Linux users? I think not.
I use a distro based off Kbuntu and really don't care how popular or trendy it is...I like the distro.

I agree with this statement. As long as your happy with what you're using, what does it matter if it's Ubuntu, or even - gasp! - Windows. To hell with what everyone else thinks, stick to what you like.

[khurrum1990]

One more thing, if such a vulnerability does exist in Linux then that means OS X is vulnerable to right?

[bruce89]

One more thing, if such a vulnerability does exist in Linux then that means OS X is vulnerable to right?

Why this logic? MacOS X isn't based on Linux you know.

Nothing is safe.

[khurrum1990]

For this sudo command thing in terminal just do this. As soon as u r done using the sudo command then type in ur terminal "sudo -k". It ends sudo session and if u need to use sudo again then it asks for ur password again so u r safe.

[khurrum1990]

Why this logic? MacOS X isn't based on Linux you know.

Nothing is safe.
Yes, but OS X does use the sudo command so the same vulnerability will exist.

[bruce89]

Yes, but OS X does use the sudo command so the same vulnerability will exist.

You can't patch human stupidity.

[khurrum1990]

What do u mean by that?

[khurrum1990]

First of all whats stupid about that? Anyone who has ever used a Mac knows that the sudo command does exist. If Linux can be attacked in this way then so can OS X. Linux a Unix like system after all.

[Bruce M.]

My point is, don't be embarrassed to tell people what you run, unless you are running vista :-D

PRICELESS! :lolflag:

[bruce89]

First of all whats stupid about that? Anyone who has ever used a Mac knows that the sudo command does exist. If Linux can be attacked in this way then so can OS X. Linux a Unix like system after all.

I was meaning there's no point in sudo if people will put their password in.

Please edit your posts instead of posting multiple times.

[khurrum1990]

I was meaning there's no point in sudo if people will put their password in.

Please edit your posts instead of posting multiple times.
Yeah u r right. What about the command sudo -k, that removes password from cache. If we remove the password immediately after we r done using the command the problem should be over right?

[Eddie Wilson]

When I get time I would love to move to a more advanced distro than Ubuntu -- thinking of gentoo (may be too big of jump), sabayon, or arch. Slackware has been recommended, but one of my biggest beefs with Ubuntu/Debian (and probably Slackware from what I have read) is that I really like cutting edge software. Software stored in Ubuntu repositories (at least for me) is usually really old. I try to do a lot of compiling of programs that I commonly use from svn. It usually works, however not in all cases. I dont have enough knowledge to debug why in some cases the compilation fails. Anyone who is seriously interested more about Ubuntu/Linux in general should at least compile their own kernel once. Ive done it a few times -- I'm no expert -- but its given me a lot of insight into what's in the generic vanilla version, versus modules that the Ubuntu developers have rolled into their kernel.

Ok sorry about the blabbing.

There we go again. Saying that when something doesn't have to be put together its not advanced. If a person wants to build their own system per say thats ok. But it doesn't mean that its more advance. It just means that its incomplete and needs building, and thats ok too.
Eddie

[bruce89]

Yeah u r right. What about the command sudo -k, that removes password from cache. If we remove the password immediately after we r done using the command the problem should be over right?

I can't understand the endless 'u' and 'r's.

I was saying that if people will put their password in anything, then what's the point of sudo.

[evil316]

"I'm embarrassed to say this to a fellow linux user ... but i use Ubuntu"

This is what some guy said to my girl friend (shes a linux user) in response to the question of 'What distro do you use'?

In this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=613537, i think its is clearly established that Ubuntu is a gateway to the linux world.

For me Ubuntu was the first steps into a larger world and i must say (this may sound sad) that linux has changed my life.

But this said, is Ubuntu getting too mainstream for the hardcore alternative linux peeps?

Has anyone else come across this attitude towards Ubuntu? Does anyone else feel the shame? Does anyone actually look down on Ubuntu users as lowly n00bs?

I have tried many distros but still use Ubuntu on my thinkpad (although modified) as i find it the most simple to get along with and know it will always do the job.

so anyone else come across this?

matt

That's like saying a rock band sucks because they got popular. Ubuntu is for desktop users doing desktop type stuff. If you want linux just to tinker with or program or use as a server then get a distro for that. As for what linux distro is best for home desktop computing a very strong argument can be made for Ubuntu. There really is not a best Linux distro, it all depends on the applications and platform you are using.

[pmgr33r]

I have yet to personally meet another Linux user so I have not had to deal with this problem.

[Presto123]

LOL...almost the same here. I know a few people who were Ex-Linux, but I'm slowly converting over a few people. **Muah ha ha.**

Ha...I managed to convert my dad over to dual booting it. After about two weeks, he's actually to the point where he scoffs at Windows...lmao.

[fredbird67]

I don't think one should be embarrassed at all about using Ubuntu. As for me, I made the switch from Windows to Linux in January of 2005, about 3 months after Ubuntu debuted, and at that time, I hadn't even HEARD of Ubuntu. In fact, I think it was about another six months or so before I'd heard of Ubuntu. So obviously, you can tell that Ubuntu was not my first distro.

In my case, my introduction to Linux world was Mandrake, a few months before they merged with Conectiva to become Mandriva. I instantly fell in love with it and with the KDE desktop. I had tried Gnome a time or two on Redhat, and at the time, I HATED Gnome! Therefore, I actually shied away bit from Ubuntu, because I liked KDE and thought Gnome looked ugly and had, in fact, tried Kubuntu at one time but didn't care for it.

Last fall, I was running PCLinuxOS until I heard about a problem some PCLinuxOS users were having, plus KDE4 was right around the corner, too. I took a look at KDE4 and absolutely did NOT like what I saw! I did not like how they changed the main menu because it reminded me way too much of Vista. From my observations on other people's computers, Vista sucks so bad I do NOT want my desktop to even LOOK like Vista! That ticked me off so much, not to mention the KDE team moved a lot of things around to where I couldn't find 'em. In short, I felt like KDE had done pulled a Microsoft on me, and to me, that was inexcusable.

As soon as I discovered the atrocity known as KDE4, I IMMEDIATELY began shopping around for a distro that uses either Gnome or Xfce, and after trying a few, I ultimately went with Ubuntu. And on my computer, Ubuntu works absolutely flawlessly, and that's what I'm after, something that works flawlessly. Therefore, I'm a Ubuntu user now, even though I've been using Linux for the past three years now.

If a fellow Linux user has a problem with me using Ubuntu, lemme tell ya, that's THEIR problem, not mine. I for one WANT to see Linux go mainstream, because I got fed up with Micro$haft's business practices, among other things, and personally, I'd love to see Micro$haft fall or at least become a mere shadow of its current self.

In fact, I'm working at an area college right now putting my wife through school tuition-free, and if she gets her first job at a place where we have to move away from here, I've been thinking about possibly starting my own computer store where I do repair and sell used (or possibly new) computers pre-installed with Ubuntu or whatever happens to be the hottest distro at the moment. That should give you an idea of how much I would LOVE to see Linux absolutely take off among the general population, and SHAME on anyone who wants to continue to restrict Linux to being little more than a hacker's toy!

[jarvis13]

Ubuntu is getting rather bloated for my tastes.
Since I'm getting more and more advanced at linux, I'm also encouraged to switch to another distro where i have more choice in what I install at default.

I'm planning on switching completely to Arch. Pacman is just as good as apt if not better.

Nothing against ubuntu at all, but it comes with way more by default than what I use and need. When installing linux for someone, or introducing linux to someone who's interested, i give them an ubuntu or linux mint disc.

[clanky]

OK, not sure how to put this without it sounding like I'm bitching about the ubuntu community, which I am not doing in anyway, but, is this not just a different version of the views which are expressed on here about windows users?

I have seen lots of posts which basically say that windows is only for people who can't think for themselves and by implication we are all much smarter than that because w use ubuntu. Now, like I said I am not having a dig at anyone, or at the community in general, I have to admit that I have had a tiny little feeling of superiority myself and I think in some ways it is only natural, my point is that should anyone really be that surprised that people who use a different linux distro have exactly the same feeling about ubuntu as many people here do about windows?

*runs and hides* :D

[SomeGuyDude]

"Geek cred" is big for a lot of Linux users. If dealing with one of them, watch out if you're using Ubuntu, Mandriva, Mint, or PCLinuxOS.

[tuebinger]

It took me ten years to make the switch from Windows to Mac...

Then five years to make the switch from Mac to Ubuntu Linux...

Now I'm supposed to feel embarrassed I'm not using a 'real' Linux distro?

Ha! I'm laughing out loud. All my friends think I've gone off the deep end by switching to Ubuntu. (well, not really, they've been more or less supportive... more less than more, though)

At the rate I've been going, I guess it will be two and 1/2 years before I switch to a 'real' distro. BTW, what's considered a 'real' Linux distro??

[hkgonra]

BTW, what's considered a 'real' Linux distro??

I think it is only "real" if you take the raw kernel and write code for everything else around it. :rolleyes:

So basiclly until you have tuebinger linux you are just a poser. :lolflag:

[tuebinger]

I think it is only "real" if you take the raw kernel and write code for everything else around it. :rolleyes:

So basiclly until you have tuebinger linux you are just a poser. :lolflag:

LOL! Now that's funny -- I can't ever see myself doing that!!

[sujoy]

well for me any distro using the linux kernel is a "real" linux. so ya ubuntu is real, and i am proud to be using it :)

[Sporkman]

What you're running into here are masters-of-the-universe-types that do what they do merely to be different. It doesn't matter if it's from Goth kids, Everquest players or supposed hardcore *nixheads, when something that makes them feel like an individual and superior to others gets popular, they feel like society has stolen a piece of their soul. The real reason for this is they're pretty much losers without something they can badge themselves with to give the illusion of being better/smarter/more hardcore/non-conformist and they take to losing that like armpits to acetone.

Yes. For example, I've more than once heard some snob say "<rock band name> used to be really good, but they really went down the tubes when they released <insert name of first album/single you've ever heard of from the band>..."...

[Batatolol]

well for me any distro using the linux kernel is a "real" linux. so ya ubuntu is real, and i am proud to be using it :)


'real' linux distro?


same opinion as sujoy. Slackware, Ubuntu, Suse, Mandriva, using gnome or KDE, it's all linux, different flavours, but all the same inside :D

[Yoshokatana]

I agree with the general sentiment. I started out on linux not too long ago (fedora core 4), but I've learned a lot since then. Ubuntu 5.04 really got me hooked, and I used it up until 7.10. After that, I decided I wanted to learn about linux faster than I had before, so I decided to run gentoo.

That's an experience, and it has taught me a lot about how the kernel actually works, and what my hardware actually does. With that experience, I switched to Ubuntu 8.10, and now I know exactly what I'm doing. Until this point linux had been more of a hobby, but now I'm spending all of my time in Ubuntu. Sure, I still game in Windows, but Wine and Cedega are diminishing that more and more.

[Swagman]

After starting out on Debian Woody PPC on an AmigaOne G4.. Going Debian 64 on x86 (whilst still using the AmigaOne)

Ubuntu is a God send.

You can keep yer geekiness. I'm Human (I think)

[billgoldberg]

"I'm embarrassed to say this to a fellow linux user ... but i use Ubuntu"

This is what some guy said to my girl friend (shes a linux user) in response to the question of 'What distro do you use'?

In this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=613537, i think its is clearly established that Ubuntu is a gateway to the linux world.

For me Ubuntu was the first steps into a larger world and i must say (this may sound sad) that linux has changed my life.

But this said, is Ubuntu getting too mainstream for the hardcore alternative linux peeps?

matt

It's always been like this.

Ubuntu has always been looked at by some as the "noob distro".

I don't care what other people say.

[aysiu]

It's always been like this.

Ubuntu has always been looked at by some as the "noob distro".

I don't care what other people say.
What's wrong with being a "noob distro" anyway?

Frankly, I don't think Ubuntu is, since almost all "noobs" want proprietary codecs and Ubuntu doesn't come with those preinstalled (Java, Flash, MP3 playback, etc.).

I'd call Linux Mint or Mepis more of a new-user-friendly distro.

[Keyper7]

Meh, this is hardly a Linux-only problem.

Have you never heard the classic "I don't care about this Lord Of The Rings crap, I am too intelligent and literate for them. I prefer Nieztche and greek philosophers."

Or perhaps the well-known "What, beer? This is for poor, vulgar people. I am a sophisticated wine specialist and can identify any one by smelling it from three feet away."

Or maybe the also very common "Someday, when you study music like I did, you'll leave this electricity-dependent crap and start appreciating the beauty of Gluck and Handl".

Physically, elitists are everywhere. Mentally, their place should always be the same: ignore-land.

[sirdilznik]

This is partly what drove me away from some other boards of former distros I've used. The ironic thing is that for years people have been pleading to make a distro exactly like Ubuntu and have cited one of the major roadblocks to mainstream acceptance of Linux being the lack of a "noob-friendly" distro. So then Ubuntu comes along and allows even the most noobish of noobs to use Linux and suddenly a (sadly) significant portion of people are turned off by it because "it just works" and you don't have to tweak it (though you can if you want to). "ZOMG Ubuntu has allowed noobs into our special club where we can pretend to be better than everyone else. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

I'll take noobs over loathsome elitists any day.

[brunovecchi]

Linus Torvalds himself said that the whole point of a distribution was to be as simple as possible for the end user, so that he would have time to do *actual* work on his computer. He uses Fedora out of habit, but said he'd also use Debian, Ubuntu, etc. over (quote) "wacky" distros such as Slack, Arch, etc.
Eric Raymond switched to Ubuntu not long ago. Mark Shuttleworth probably uses Ubuntu also.

I wouldn't call them noobs.

[cardinals_fan]

Linus Torvalds himself said that the whole point of a distribution was to be as simple as possible for the end user, so that he would have time to do *actual* work on his computer. He uses Fedora out of habit, but said he'd also use Debian, Ubuntu, etc. over (quote) "wacky" distros such as Slack, Arch, etc.
Torvalds criticized Debian in that interview, propping up Ubuntu instead. I believe he still uses Fedora.


Mark Shuttleworth probably uses Ubuntu also.

I would hope so... :)

[brokenreality]

n00b ditro or not I have no problem telling people I use Ubuntu now.

[FiremothPilot]

"I'm embarrassed to say this to a fellow linux user ... but i use Ubuntu"

This is what some guy said to my girl friend (shes a linux user) in response to the question of 'What distro do you use'?

In this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=613537, i think its is clearly established that Ubuntu is a gateway to the linux world.

For me Ubuntu was the first steps into a larger world and i must say (this may sound sad) that linux has changed my life.

But this said, is Ubuntu getting too mainstream for the hardcore alternative linux peeps?

Has anyone else come across this attitude towards Ubuntu? Does anyone else feel the shame? Does anyone actually look down on Ubuntu users as lowly n00bs?

I have tried many distros but still use Ubuntu on my thinkpad (although modified) as i find it the most simple to get along with and know it will always do the job.

so anyone else come across this?

matt

I've run into this a number of times, including a minor spout from the guy who introduced me to Linux and helped me learn Ubuntu. He's not some kind of distro-supremacist (he uses Gentoo), but his main point was the sudo command enabling root access for an extended period of time. Also, Ubuntu's root filesystem is a little wacky when compared to more traditional distros (e.g., keeping services in a directory other than /etc/init.d).

[brunovecchi]

Torvalds criticized Debian in that interview, propping up Ubuntu instead. I believe he still uses Fedora.


Ok. His point came through I suppose, ie., he deliberately chooses distros that do most of the hard work for him, so that he can get actual work done.

I draw the line roughly at the same place.

[Rokurosv]

After I realized I had to spend 1 whole day making my system functional I came to Ubuntu, I used to use Mandriva but some of the applications were buggy, my OpenOffice didn't worked right, the official repositories aren't that updated, etc.

I wouldn't be embarrassed to say that I'm using Ubuntu, I've already told my 'Linux friends' that I'm using it, and at first they gave me that 'Seriously?' look, but they're cool cause know that Linux is Linux no matter what flavor you're running.

[Coreo]

After I realized I had to spend 1 whole day making my system functional I came to Ubuntu, I used to use Mandriva but some of the applications were buggy, my OpenOffice didn't worked right, the official repositories aren't that updated, etc.

I wouldn't be embarrassed to say that I'm using Ubuntu, I've already told my 'Linux friends' that I'm using it, and at first they gave me that 'Seriously?' look, but they're cool cause know that Linux is Linux no matter what flavor you're running.

Amen to that.
I've been using Ubuntu for a while now, all my linux friends know about it, and they're generally fine with it. Lol.
Who cares if I'm using an "easy" linux? Isn't that half the point?
Stability + Consistency = Easy = Productivity.

Lately I've been downloading a whole bunch of liveCD's, just to try them out. I've installed a few of the on my test-box at home, but I've always kept Ubuntu on my laptop.

I'm not embarassed to say that I use Ubuntu. I like easy!
:)

[jimi_hendrix]

the only shame i feel is in the name...oh what OS is that thats not windows....its ubuntu...oh....*thinks im a geek*

[Coreo]

the only shame i feel is in the name...oh what OS is that thats not windows....its ubuntu...oh....*thinks im a geek*


Haha.... I agree.

We could start calling it "Super HardxCore Mega Ultimate OS", or something a little more...impressive. ;)

But I do suppose the name Ubuntu is representative of the whole idea behind it... So it's not that bad of a name, if you know what it means.

[anonymous_user]

My point is, don't be embarrassed to tell people what you run, unless you are running vista :-D
But dont some people call Ubuntu the "Vista" of linux distros? :-\"

[Coreo]

But dont some people call Ubuntu the "Vista" of linux distros? :-\"

:o
....atrocity. Lol.

I'd never mention the two in the same sentence, unless Ubuntu > Vista.

And besides that, I've never heard this before. I've heard it called "softy" or "baby" linux, but never identified as the "Vista of linux".

I, personally, don't think it's anything close to that. :)

[Erik Trybom]

As a former Ubuntu user who now uses Debian, I can assure you all that the differences are so small that anyone with a reasonable experience of one can easily learn the other within a few minutes. And as far as I know, Debian is a "real" distro in the eyes of the elitists.

I suspect the same is true for most other distros. Do you have what it takes to use Gentoo? Well, if you learn to write "emerge emacs" instead of "apt-get install emacs", then you probably have!

If anyone ever picks at you for using Ubuntu, try to talk them out of it. This behaviour is embarrassing for the broader Linux community.

[namegame]

If anyone ever picks at you for using Ubuntu, try to talk them out of it. This behaviour is embarrassing for the broader Linux community.


I agree. It can be very discouraging for a new, but determined, linux user to hear this. It can even lead them down the wrong path.

When I first started my linux experience. I decided to use the distribution that my college supports. (Yes, my college supports Ubuntu as an official and accepted OS.) This happened to be Ubuntu.

Then I started attending my Computer Science classes, majority of the people there were Windows users. However, there was one guy that used Linux. He was a Gentoo-elitist. He said something to the degree of "Real programmers use Gentoo."

This guy was a very competent programmer so I had no reason to doubt him. From experience, installing Gentoo as a new user is challenging, especially manually partioning a hardrive.

I returned to Ubuntu and the rest is history. Although I'm notorious for distro-hopping. EVERY distro has something I admire/love and something I hate.

[eternalnewbee]

Embarassed to say I'm an Ubuntu user...
Actually proud. And I don't care about what other Linux users think of me using Ubuntu.
As for telling windows users that I use Ubuntu...
That's my pleasure;)

[snaga]

A guy at work is a hardcore Fedora user. He sometimes makes disparaging remarks about Ubuntu, to the effect that its a noobie distro. I then remind him that I started using Linux in 1994. I've been through a large number of distros, including redhat years ago.

I then laugh at him the 50% of the time that he seems to need to go hunting rpms all over the Internet for his fedora installation. He often ends up needing to compile something. I compile something maybe once a year. And believe me, I install a lot of stuff.

I use Ubuntu because it works. I grew tired of compiling from source or hunting down binary installs. The upgrades work, the install work. I see no reason to change. Thank you, Mr Shuttleworth.

In reality its the Debian base of Ubuntu that I like. If Ubuntu were to fall off the face of the Earth tomorrow, I'd find another Debian derivative to use. Though oddly enough, I didn't like using Debian itself as much.

Don't be ashamed of Ubuntu.

[Woormy]

Anyone who uses Ubuntu is a noob!

I personally use a special secret distro created by Linus himself that only uses punchcards made from poptarts. It's very high security because when you're done with your data, you eat it.

[linuxguymarshall]

I started using Linux with Ubuntu 3 years ago and still use it today. I think that most other people are Red Hat and people who roll their own distro who think that they are superior because of their OS. We are kinda the hippies of the Linux world. But all Linux users really are hippies so we are the "hippiest"

[linuxguymarshall]

Anyone who uses Ubuntu is a noob!

I personally use a special secret distro created by Linus himself that only uses punchcards made from poptarts. It's very high security because when you're done with your data, you eat it.


:lolflag:

[Mason Whitaker]

Eh, I only know one other person at my school who runs on Gentoo, but he hasn't made a remark about my Ubuntu Ogio bag yet :3

[ugm6hr]

Don't be ashamed of Ubuntu.

Or any other OS.

I will say that a meeting of Linux users often turns into a "Who's the biggest geek?" contest.

Hence the "shame" of using an easy distro like Ubuntu.

I don't care. I've been using it for 2 years now. I was using Windows for many more years than that, and I never felt the need to find a "geekier" version. Whatever works for you, eh?

Funny that many Mac users are proud of their ease of use, and the fact that they don't have to be geeks to use it. I figure most experienced Ubuntu users feel the same.

[Kain000]

Yes I have talked to people who have this mindset, but my answer is that I use linux and inpitucular Ubuntu because it works, I'm learning it and with it's learning curve I can keep my head above water while geting work done.

[Toadmund]

I wonder how many of those who poo poo Ubuntu have actually used Ubuntu?

I have only tried debian once before, but my motherboard didn't like it at the time, so I went back to windows.
Then I decided to try again with Ubuntu, I didn't want to have to buy vista eventually.
OK, back on topic then, I am sure Debian would work fine for me now, but I tried Ubuntu instead and havent went back to windows since then.
OK, my point is...
I can't really judge any other distros, because I really haven't much experience (I have also tried the Knoppix live CD.) I think the critics must not have much experience with Ubuntu either. They are just afraid of something actually catching on, or are the ones who are hardcore geeks, or are just fiercely brand loyal types who feel threatened by another brand.

If Ubuntu gets more people on board it's good for Linux all around and makes it better for everybody anyway. There's no need to keep this to ourselves.

[bruce89]

I would rather like a Debian based distro which was like Fedora (new stuff wise).

Anyway, I don't know anyone to say anything to.

[EdThaSlayer]

Well, ain't I glad I use Kubuntu. :guitar:
I feel cool, and different than you Ubuntuans!

Just ignore that fact, Ubuntu is a great distribution though and unlike the other distros it's well, more stable than it looks! Making things easy to install is another plus of this distro(other Linux users are just jealous they couldn't start with a nice automated distro where the pc does the gruesome work, not you :) ).

[EmilyRose]

I started off in linux around 1997-98 with Linux Mandrake. I distinctly remember telling my brother (twas around 13-4 or so, he was 15-6) that I wanted to delete windows and install linus, so I could learn to code MUDs :D That didn't go over very well, and eventually I figured out how to partition our hard drive. I played around with various distros for the next, oh 8 years or so before stumbilng on Ubuntu. Various vs of Mandrake, Redhat, Slackware, College Linux (I was a big fan of slackware for a while)... but none of them 'just worked' and so they were always just my 'mess about with' - mostly I still worked in Windows.

And then I installed Ubuntu on my computer after moving back from spain in late 06/early 07'. And it worked. It just, bloody worked! And I've never looked back. Oh sure, I consider giving slackware a try again every few months... and then I slap myself upside the head and ask myself just exactly WHY I want to go through that??? Whats the point? Ubuntu just bloody works! And I LOVE it for that!!

[kk0sse54]

phew it's a good thing I don't use Ubuntu but Gentoo instead :), but in all honesty it's an operating system we are talking about here and using Ubuntu instead of Slackware doesn't make you any less of a linux user. Quite frankly I don't care if you use Windows it doesn't make you less of a person. Ubuntu is a fantastic distro that you should never be ashamed of using.

[eternalnewbee]

phew it's a good thing I don't use Ubuntu but Gentoo instead , but in all honesty it's an operating system we are talking about here and using Ubuntu instead of Slackware doesn't make you any less of a linux user. Quite frankly I don't care if you use Windows it doesn't make you less of a person. Ubuntu is a fantastic distro that you should never be ashamed of using.
Nicely said.

[cmay]

i think it is a matter of the attitude towards the linux distro one has. not the distro it self. besides that ubuntu can be just as hard to configure as one would like it to be.

[wrtpeeps]

A lot of Ubuntu users let themselves down big time when talking to users of other distributions. The problems occur when they are talking about how to do something, 9/10 times the ubuntu user has no idea (probably because ubuntu has some automated GUI that does it for you) how to do it.

That, and if you ever take a step back and look through some of the threads in this forum, it's an eye opener.

[Kingsley]

I was too embarrassed to keep an Ubuntu sticker on my laptop. A slogan like "Linux for human beings" is kinda creepy, so I removed the sticker a month ago.