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| Ubuntu Stealing Linux Thunder? |
| 摘自: www.osweekly.com 被阅读次数: 297 |
由 yangyi 于 2008-05-16 22:31:52 提供 |
(Column) - There is a growing identity crisis in the Linux community. In simplest terms, is Ubuntu taking the spotlight away from other deserving Linux distributions? This has been charged over and again. While I can certainly see how some people might feel that Linux is being seen as a single distribution, I would also point out that the Ubuntu developers and the companies that support Ubuntu are not doing anything that cannot be duplicated. Similar Distributions: Without High Adoption Rate. I don't care if the group running your distro is a non-profit or if the project is directly sponsored by a for-profit entity. Without dedicated individuals addressing more than mere development, you will see what has happened to other distributions continue in Ubuntu's wake. OpenSuSE, Fedora, Debian, Mandriva. All of these distributions are perfectly usable for people switching to Linux for the first time, yet many of them are heading off to PCLinuxOS or Ubuntu instead. Why? Simple, they are being given a clear reason why they want to head in that direction. PR sweet talk and plenty of marketing via happy users. Debian, a key distribution, will always be just fine as there will be no more Ubuntu without it. However, the other distros mentioned above have done next to nothing to present a compelling case to try them. Sure, Mandriva has same very slick features. Too bad I would never know this outside of limited circles talking about it. Fedora, on the other hand, has received some solid press lately, due to its latest release. Yet some people still do not agree with their desire to make users pay for restricted codecs. I agree with Fedora doing this, it is tough love in my opinion. But many users will completely disagree. They will use Ubuntu as it only gives an empty warning about potentially violating laws in some regions of the world. Getting back to my original point, if other distributions would like to regain the thunder that some of their developers may have felt like was taken away from then, why not appeal to the larger market of users? Rather than working so hard to make their distributions a "religious movement" about free software, consider blending in a less fanatical approach. If they decide not to, they will remain a class favorite amongst the same people that are already using these distributions. In other words, do not expect the mainstream press to seriously care about anything other than Ubuntu for this day forward. Finding a Balance. Fully realizing that I have irked a few readers with my previous comments, please understand that I would largely agree that the Ubuntu-fever has become a little much, even for my taste. But I meant what I said, there must be balance. If your distribution's mission is about staying true to the free software movement, fantastic. Just don't become upset when others are not as ecstatic about it as you might be. Success with popular distributions in 2008 will about one thing - growth. And growth will come from the distro that attracts the most disgruntled Vista users or simply identifies best with the needs of most migrating users leaving the Windows desktop. Some will do it slowly with devices like the ASUS Eee, while others still will be doing so by installing the distribution themselves on their existing hardware. Either way, whoever provides the path of least resistance will emerge the victor in this race for Linux dominance. Original link: http://www.osweekly.com/index.ph... |
