View Poll Results: What do you think about a unified Linux distro?

Voters
604. You may not vote on this poll
  • Sounds nice, but it can't be done

    153 25.33%
  • Sounds terrible and can't be done

    253 41.89%
  • Sounds nice, and it can be done. I'm posting my practical suggestions here.

    50 8.28%
  • I don't care either way

    44 7.28%
  • Sounds terrible but can be done.

    70 11.59%
  • Other (please explain)

    34 5.63%
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Thread: Unified Linux Thread

  1. #821
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    Oct 2004
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    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by dragos240 View Post
    I like distro hopping. Having just one distro would defeat the purpous of Linux itself. Awful Idea IMHO.
    Why?

    Why do you Distro hop?

    And why drastically reducing the number of Distro is a bad thing ?
    This account is not active.

  2. #822
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    Ubuntu Development Release

    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    last week at the ubuntu open week (Mark is sabdfl):

    [16:19] <akgraner> <rrnwexec> randall in Vancouver asks: What are your thoughts on the "Linux" brand and the effect it has on the Ubuntu brand. Is it useful to try to bind the two?
    [16:19] <sabdfl> linux is an awesome brand - it says powerful, freedom, evolving, energised, capable, cross-platform
    [16:20] <sabdfl> for anybody who needs to hear those messages, it's the best
    [16:20] <sabdfl> ubuntu says freedom, precision, reliability, collaboration
    [16:20] <sabdfl> we don't say "ubuntu linux" because that would scope the message to the subset of both groups
    [16:20] <sabdfl> but linux is at the heart of what we do, i don't think anybody is under any illusions about that
    [16:21] <sabdfl> it grates a little when people say "ubuntu is linux", because of course the linux ecosystem is much bigger than just ubuntu
    [16:21] <sabdfl> and everybody should try more of 'em: fedora, gentoo, arch, go wild
    [16:21] <sabdfl> there's something for everyone
    more of the chat here
    https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MeetingLogs/...kLucid/AskMark


    also am not sure if you watched this vid:
    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1464622

    the best presentation i've watched
    Last edited by madjr; May 12th, 2010 at 08:54 PM.
    When close to achieving you quit! If you don't try you failed. Real Winners are not afraid of losing.
    ubuntu newsletter ; Report Papercuts (small annoyances/bugs) ; beginners guide and video http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z0tNpt5RZYI

  3. #823
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    Ubuntu

    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Wayfinder Wishbringer View Post
    How does unifying the Linux community and creating a centralized core package in any way eliminate the freedom of the end user to change it, modify it, redistribute it or do what they want with it? Unified marketing has nothing to do with versatility or end users modifying the package for their purposes or altering the system to appeal to specific vertical markets.
    This makes no sense. Why centralise something then let it be modified and redistributed?

    Quote Originally Posted by Wayfinder Wishbringer View Post
    You state you're not elitist super-geek, and I'll accept that statement without judgment, especially since we don't know each other. And yet, your signature states, "Linux assumes that you know exactly what you're doing"... which concept is exactly what we're talking about.
    My sig is intended to warn new users that linux will do what you say, weather you understand it or not. The way it was designed.
    Quote Originally Posted by Wayfinder Wishbringer View Post
    Why should that be the case? Why shouldn't Linux be widely marketed in a form that is easily-recognizable, carries "brand" (logo/name) reputation, and is easy to install and use-- for the everyday Joe who knows absolutely nothing about what he's doing?
    It is. It`s called Ubuntu

    Quote Originally Posted by Wayfinder Wishbringer View Post
    Back in the early days of DOS, there were the "geeks" who used command-line structure and coded in hexadecimal. Then there were us consultants who realized that for the everyday user to make use of their computers, that would need to be simplified. So we created key-activated user menus which allowed them to access their programs at the touch of a single key. That evolved into GUI, where they could access such at the click of a mouse. The trick to appealing to end users is to simplify. Two dozen distros is not simplifying.
    Like I said, I`m no geek. I have never used windows, dos or a mac. I started with linux, after the gui was fully developed and happen to find the CLI more usefull than the gui.

    Quote Originally Posted by Wayfinder Wishbringer View Post
    The key, as Madjr pointed out, could very well be in marketing more than trying to change the collective mind of the Linux community. It could involve nothing more than someone with some real drive creating a hundred thousand Ubuntu discs, labeling them LINUX: GLOBE and marketing them to every bookstore and computer store in the nation. Perhaps all it takes will be a marketing guru going to the game companies and saying, "Look, ignore what the distro geeks are doing-- here's what we're doing to bring Linux prime time-- here's the version of Linux that is going to have market recognition for the next decade"... and getting the game companies on board.
    Why do you want linux to be a brand? Use a Mac. As I have said, this defeats the point.

    Quote Originally Posted by Wayfinder Wishbringer View Post
    So Madjr may be quite right. Perhaps rather than trying to convince a very tech-oriented Linux community of the needs of the mainstream community... the simpler solution is to simply employ good marketing and general market education. Seems like a lot of this is flogging a dead horse and trying to convince a community that is often unsympathetic to needs outside their zone.
    This is my zone. I like it just the way it is, thankyou very much. I didn`t have a computer until my early 30`s. I know nothing of Windows. It doesn`t bother me weather windows exists, dominates the market etc/etc/etc or not. Linux does just fine regardless. Check the Guayadeque links in my sig.

    Quote Originally Posted by Wayfinder Wishbringer View Post
    Myself, I think Linux has much, much greater potential than it is being currently afforded by numerous confusing distros. My opinion: the multiple distro concept is counter-intuitive and is hurting mainstream acceptance of the product. No, that's more than my opinion, that's pretty much established fact. The "distro" concept and subsequent fragmentation of the market IS harming the general acceptance of Linux by the public in general. And while some individuals may not care about that or care whether Linux ever becomes widely accepted or not-- I think there are many of us who do, and who would like to see Linux gain far greater recognition than the current "this distro / that distro" method of marketing allows.
    Absolutely no. The fact that there are multiple distributions, and fragmentations, etc, makes linux what it is.

    With respect.

    NS
    Last edited by nothingspecial; May 12th, 2010 at 08:58 PM.

  4. #824
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    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    It is impossible for there to be a unified Linux.

    So talking about the pro's & con's of such is a waste of time.

    Whilst ever there exists FOSS & the GNU & other licenses that it is based on there will be people who enjoy creating different ways for software & systems to work, out of which wonderful things occasionally happen that for the benefit of many people, that otherwise would not.

    I think that a far more valid topic is the discussion on the amalgamation of .deb & .rpm package formats.

    That would have many positive ramifications due to the immense amount of time saved for those that maintain packages one way or another.

    Freed of this task to some degree such people could be involved in far more creative pursuits, which would very likely improve GNU/Linux one way or another if those newly freed are developers.

  5. #825
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    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by handy View Post
    I think that a far more valid topic is the discussion on the amalgamation of .deb & .rpm package formats.
    I agree, but I also think the most practical way to get to that standard is through healthy competition, as you will never get people to just willingly agree to a standard without market forces in play.

    If Linux does get netbook-desktop-laptop consumer penetration the way Apple has, whatever that distro is will then set the standard. If that distro is Ubuntu or Ubuntu-based, .deb will be the de facto standard. Any third-party commercial software will have to come in .deb if it wants to support consumer Linux.

    If that distro is Fedora-based or Mandriva-based, then .rpm will be the de facto standard.

  6. #826
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    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    Well,
    A distribution is like an opinion...
    Everyone has a different one...
    I think we should just let it be...

  7. #827
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    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    well, it has been unified already.

    see the distrowatch.com, all the same.

  8. #828
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    Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal

    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    Some degree of diversity is good. It helps the community grow because you there's no way to have improvement without competition. However, I do believe that heavy levels of fragmentation can hinder development. Take for example Linux Mint. What if instead of making a new distro separate from Ubuntu, they joined the Ubuntu team and helped improve Ubuntu itself. I think if the number of distributions was lowered then a beginner to Linux or maybe even an OEM wouldn't feel overwhelmed with the options they have. I think if people want to make their own distro that is made from another, and that if ther are only making intermediate to minor changes, then they should just try to help Ubuntu with what they want instead of further fragmenting the community. If however you would like to make vast changes to a distro and call it your own you should be able to do so.

    We can all argue about what are views are but the fact of the matter is, is that people can do whatever they want. You can't force someone to not make their own distro if they want to, it's their choice and right.
    - Stay Gold

  9. #829
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    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Hman242 View Post
    Take for example Linux Mint. What if instead of making a new distro separate from Ubuntu, they joined the Ubuntu team and helped improve Ubuntu itself.
    If Ubuntu wants to implement any of the changes Linux Mint has made, they're welcome to. They tend not to, though. So what would be the point of Linux Mint saying "Hey, we have all these improvements to Ubuntu" if Ubuntu is just going to say "Nah, we're not going to take those improvements"?

    This is what the GPL kind of open source is about (as opposed to the BSD kind of open source). If you don't agree with the direction a project is heading, you can fork it and make your own project without starting from ground zero and, more importantly, if the source project likes what you're doing, they can incorporate your changes into the source project.

    This is a healthy balance between competition and cooperation. You don't have to waste a lot of time and energy trying to agree on something, but you also don't waste development effort doing everything from scratch. You can use other people's work, and they can use your work.

  10. #830
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    Re: Unified Linux Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by aysiu View Post
    This is a healthy balance between competition and cooperation. You don't have to waste a lot of time and energy trying to agree on something, but you also don't waste development effort doing everything from scratch. You can use other people's work, and they can use your work.
    There is a thin line that divides this area and it's hard to tell where it is. You have a very good point, and it's hard to muster an answer. Nothing is perfect because nobody is the same. Everyone has different views on how things should be done. I guess I'm trying to say that you shouldn't give up on something for being imperfect, but you should try to make it as close as perfect as you can. You have to make compromises. If you don't feel that you can make those compromises then you should go and do your own thing.
    - Stay Gold

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