Full Circle Magazine FR

On pages 10 and 11 of FCM#84 (congratulations to Ronnie with the 7th birthday) Arnfried Walbrecht wrote about Linux taking over the desktop and laptop world. I see things a little different. Yes, I know he was talking about Chrome-OS and the Chromebooks, which are a great solution for people who are doing (almost) nothing else with their computer than browsing the net. But seriously, Linux taking over the desktop and laptop? I don't think so. The reason for my negativity is the fact that the Linux world is so divided. A phrase you can read everywhere is: Linux is all about choices. That's great. But I think nobody sees that those choices are what is keeping Linux a small player. There is one Microsoft and there is one Apple, while there are how many Linux distributions? Distrowatch shows the Top 100 in its list. Each distro mentioned there has a couple of different versions to choose from, making the total much more.

Dans le FCM n° 84 (félicitations à Ronnie pour le 7ème anniversaire de la revue !), pages 10-11, Arnfried Walbrecht a écrit que Linux allait conquérir le monde des ordinateurs de bureau et des portables.Je vois les choses un peu différemment.

Oui, je sais qu'il parlait de Chrome-OS et des Chromebooks, qui sont une solution géniale pour des gens qui ne font (presque) rien d'autre avec leur ordinateur que surfer sur le Net.

Mais, sérieusement, Linux en train de conquérir l'ordinateur de bureau et le portable ? Je ne le crois pas.

La raison pour ma négativité est le fait que le monde de Linux soit tellement divisé. Une phrase qui se voit partout est : Linux propose plein de choix. C'est formidable. Mais je pense que personne ne voit que c'est cette pléthore de choix qui fait que Linux reste un acteur mineur.

Il y a un seul Microsoft et un seul Apple, alors qu'il y a combien de distributions Linux ? Distrowatch affiche les Top 100 dans sa liste. Chaque distrib. qui s'y trouve a deux ou trois versions parmi lesquelles choisir, ce qui fait que le nombre total est bien plus élevé.

Does anybody have an idea how many different Linux distributions there are? Everybody who has some degree in programming starts his own distro, based on another, which is based on a third already. A few changes, an extra program added to the base installation, a new theme to make it look good and a new star is born. Why? To make a living? Does it pay that well to make a product which you give away? Can't imagine that. Wouldn't it be better if all these programmers would join into a large group of programmers to not make a different distro but a better one? To focus on what is really needed to make a rock-solid, fast, safe distro. One which you install without any problems, one which detects all of your hardware without the need of having to search for drivers which have to be installed later, one which is rock solid so you can enjoy it for years, one which is fast so it makes it fun to work with, one which is safe. Isn't that more important than having yet another distro which is 99.9% the same as the one it is derived from? The 0.1% being a color green instead of a color purple, some extra codecs installed to make it ready for use out of the box, or in other words: peanuts.

Quelqu'un aurait-il une idée du nombre de distributions Linux existantes ? Chacun qui sait programmer au moins un peu crée sa propre distrib., basée sur une autre, déjà basée sur une troisième. Quelques modifs, un programme supplémentaire ajouté à l'installation de base, un nouveau thème pour une belle apparence et et une nouvelle étoile est née.

Pourquoi ? Pour gagner sa vie ? Est-ce que la création d'un produit que vous proposerez gratuitement paie si bien que cela ? Impossible à imaginer.

Si tous ces programmeurs formaient un grand groupe avec comme objectif de créer, non pas une nouvelle distrib., mais une meilleure distrib ce serait mieux, non ? Se concentrant sur ce qu'il faut pour faire une distrib. rapide, très stable, et très sure.

Une qui s'installe sans aucun problème, qui détecte tout votre matériel sans que vous devez chercher des pilotes à installer ultérieurement, qui soit extrêmement solide, pour que vous puissiez en profiter pendant des années, une qui soit tellement rapide que c'est un plaisir de travailler avec, une qui soit sûre.

Est-ce que ce n'est pas plus important que d'avoir encore une distrib. qui est à 99,9% la même que celle dont elle est dérivée ? Le 0,1 % étant la couleur verte à la place de la couleur pourpre, avec quelques codecs supplémentaires installés pour qu'elle soit prête à l'emploi dès l'installation. En d'autres termes, des modifs négligeables.

I mean look at what a Linux distribution is. You have: • a Linux kernel, which all distros use • a desktop environment, of which I think there are too many already • programs made by 3rd parties, like an office suite, media players, web-browsers, etc • a company theme which many people throw overboard immediately after installing to have their own choice of theme with matching desktop background What can you make different in a distro? Not much. Sure, you can choose another DE with the matching programs like a file manager, a CD/DVD burning program, etc, but since many companies supply different versions, all these DEs are used already. So, no differences there. Why do people keep trying to re-invent the wheel? In case you didn't know it yet, it is there already. Why not join and make fewer different products, but make them faster, more stable and more safe. Make a few different distros so there is still something to choose. Since the beginning there have been rpm-based distros and there have been deb-based distros. Some 3rd party software appears in rpm and not in deb format, others the other way around. Conclusion: you can't get all the software you need without being a computer nerd and change an rpm into a deb (or vice versa).

Winning the world when you still have to do things like this is impossible. The world is bigger than a group of nerds. Having to use the terminal to do things “easier” and “faster” is also something which, I think, should change. When Linux wants to take over the software world things should really change, change big time. I have used different distros since 2008 and I can manage myself pretty well nowadays. Still I need help, so I Google for answers, or I use the forums. Happily I can say that almost all of the time I get the solution I need. I am not a nerd, nor will I ever be, I am a computer user, not a programmer, not an IT specialist. The computer has to do what I want it to do, not more, not less. I would love to see Linux taking over the software world, I really believe in it, but, as long as programmers and the companies behind them are fighting each other instead of working together to get the perfect OS, this will not happen.