Linux for Muggles
I’ve been impressed with the passion of Mark Shuttleworth as he brings Linux to the masses with Ubuntu. Having just released version 8.04, better known as Hardy Heron, the distro is poised to gain additional ground in the desktop market space.
As it stands now Linux is running on two-percent of all desktops world-wide. That’s a far cry from “total world domination” which has been the battle cry of its adherents since around 1995 when I rolled my first kernel on a Slackware distribution.
Linux, it seems, is perpetually “just a few years” from dethroning Windows on the desktop…
Having switched from Linux to OSX in 2005, I had missed the Ubuntu movement. Last summer curiosity got the better of me and you may recall that I purchased a new Dell system that had Ubuntu pre-loaded. My impression was very favorable. Let me tell you friends, a decade ago when I fancied myself a Unix wizard, just getting the sound card to work on Linux required many sleepless nights and the sweating of great drops of blood.
With Ubuntu, everything just works. Wireless networking, printing, file sharing, multi-media, you name it and it all works with little or no extra effort beyond inserting a CD or DvD and answering a few questions. Much like Windows or OSX — perhaps even easier.
Having heaped all manner of praise and kindness on Ubuntu and its growing community I do have one major complaint. In making a Unix like system easy enough for the unwashed masses, Ubuntu has destroyed the cachet of Linux. Whereas in the early days Linux was the playground of wizards, now it’s become an operating system for muggles.
Any moron can now install Linux and based on much of the drivel found on the Ubuntu-Users mailing list archive, many of them apparently do.
But don’t let that put you off. Ubuntu is an amazing distribution and one that will have you running a full-fledged Linux desktop in just minutes. It can introduce you to an entirely new world of computing fun and adventure and there’s always room in the community for more.
73 de Jeff
May 4th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Interesting post. I have not engaged in the Linux/Ubuntu discussion over time. I’ve known it was out there.
The Linux/Ubuntu OS and it’s proponents have my respect. The Stalinist like world of MS needs compettion. You point out that the Linux backers have been saying it’s only a matter of time. And they’ve got some big time backers. IBM dove in big time (when? 2-3 years ago?).
Anyway……it’ll be interesting to see if they can gain signifcant share…..or will the OS become meaningless say 10 years out as most computing moves to the “utility” cloud?
I’ve been using Google Docs/Apps now for a year as well as other collaborative tools. Though I confess I cannot leave MS Powerpoint for now. I often do multimedia heavy presentations running into the dozens of slides.—So until “Slide Rocket” comes out of Beta, I’m in the Redmond presentation camp.
Nice revision of the site Jeff. And thanks for the link to “Muggles”!! Sounds like a group I’d fit right in!
Cheers,
mike
May 5th, 2008 at 2:56 am
Hi Jeff,
for italian readers: read “Muggles” as “Babbani”, in the translation of Harry Potter, this word has been “italianized”.
Speaking of ubuntu. I installed last year on my intel mac and, the same as you, all worked smoothly. The great innovation of ubuntu, in my opinion, is to have provided all the powerful command line linux tools, with a very attractive and simple interface without annoying devices recognition problems that some distro have.
In few words, if you are a linux guru you can choose ubuntu and continue with your nerd-command-line attitude. If you are a windows switcher you don’t feel the pain while inserting the ubuntu dvd in your drive.
73,
Gabiele
May 5th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Ubuntu’s not just for Muggles! I’ve done the “build-it-all-from-source” thing and, quite frankly, I just don’t have time to be constantly screwing with package dependencies these days. If only Inkscape and GIMP were as good as Illustrator and Photoshop, I’d probably switch back from the Mac!