Linux, Windows emulation an Developer Direction. Good thing or Bad?

[Kharn]

Re: What turned you to Linux and what distro?

Sadly a bunch of developers decided that to get more users to make the switch it must look like windows or try to emulate it to a large extent. There is even a distro dedicated to emulating windows.

I have split this topic from another thread as it was off the subject of the other but could prove for a interesting debit, This is not a thread for talking about WINE it is a thread to talk about the decision by some devlopers to try an turn Linux into somthing it's not.

 

[Nitestick]

Re: What turned you to Linux and what distro?

agreed, it's a sad, sad thing to see distros emulate windows. when that happens they destroy most of the best things about linux.

 

[Kharn]

Re: What turned you to Linux and what distro?

Very true, linux shouldn't have to emulate windows it's a different OS with a different way of doing things if people wake up to that we can start seeing a way forward with new development's in user accessibility.

 

[horndude]

Re: What turned you to Linux and what distro?

it discourages trouble shooting skills, one of the biggest strengths of linux is it is well suited to troubleshooting problems, it has multiple logs that give you a printout of exactly what is going on

this is one of the reasons I really don't hang around here much, people just aren't interested in fixing anything or really contributing to linux, they'd rather just download another distro and give that a try, 9 times out of 10 whatever issue they are having can easily be fixed with a few simple steps and some basic troubleshooting skills, and although I know ubuntu is like super popular right now, when it comes to fixing bugs, the ubuntu maintainers suck balls----that's what happens when you work with a massive committee and base all your work off someone else's distro, ubuntu used to be debian based, don't know what you'd call it now, loosely debian based I guess, debian hasn't been all that great in the maintenance dept either

linux has some serious issues to deal with at the moment, trolltech got bought, and QT is about to become an issue, this makes KDE's future a question mark

gnome's developers are so bad slackware's Patrick Volkerding abandoned gnome

python 3.x is rumored to be not backwards compatible !! bet google is gonna be ****ed about that

I swear sometimes its like trying to herd cats getting people to wake up and smell the coffee, some standards have to happen or we all get screwed.

 

[MrCoffee]

Re: What turned you to Linux and what distro?

I'm running ubuntu 7.10 on my laptop which i'm posting from now, I installed it a couple of weeks ago for many reasons:
1) I'm fed up with the direction Microsoft is taking with its new OS's, Microsoft seems to stand for dumbing down and abusing the rights of people who buy their software.
2) I've always been fascinated by the command line and I love scripting.
3) Linux looks better and runs better than windows.
4) Linux acts like an OS where as windows acts like a nurse maid. Thats fine if you need nursing but for a technical professional its just frustrating.
5) Linux is powerful, and there is a plethora of open source software at your finger tips - all free .
6) Linux is much more secure, half the applications I ran under windows were security apps where as in linux I run no security apps and feel safer.
7) Linux is 100% customizable, where as in windows you have to put up with bloat and integrated apps that Microsoft force on you.
8) It has a certain geek chic

I could go on but I think thats the bulk of the reason.

I chose ubuntu because of the three live CD's I tried it looked the best and supported my laptop hardware the best - Plus ubuntu is very popular and has strong backing and development.

 

[Kharn]

Re: What turned you to Linux and what distro?

One thing that puts new users off is command line, I am not saying dumbing down is the way to go but command line is intimidating for some people.

I always like to give back to a community that has helped me (One of the reasons i become a mod here) It is annoying that some people don't accept that you should share, be it code, advice, support or thoughts you should share them it is what helps people understand a situation or idea. I am learning to program at the moment an I will be releasing my code under the GPL to give back to the community rather than being a leach.

Linux is growing day by day hour by hour, in the userbase an code but some of the ways some essential parts of the system are hedding towards the windows way of doing things makes the future of the GPL/ Linux combination look a little bleak.

What is needed is more software developers an hardware vendors to start offering better linux based products an support, richard stallman who founded the gnu project said freedom not free beer, just because you open source something dosn't make it imposable to make money from it.

Just a few comments i had knocking around in my head.

I might split this topic in to a new one if it proves interesting.

 

[MrCoffee]

I don't think its such a bad idea that some linux distros work toward looking and superficially working like windows.
After all by its (linux') very nature there will always be the more hardcore purist distros so nothing is really being lost, but much is being gained i.e. many more people are trying Linux or even switching to it, people who would never use a more traditional Linux OS because it is simply too much work to learn. After all, the average joe is not a computer geek whos prepared to spend countless hours learning about Linux and bash, and countless more hours setting up and customizing the OS.

 

[Greg]

Solution: Raise your kids on Linux!

 

[Kharn]

True that windows emulation has brought new users to the fold, but we don't want total emulation. MS is the easy way into computing an the most common, but Linux isn't windows an needs to be treated as such. What needs to be done to make it more new user friendly is a intresting subject an could spark ideas for some one. There are people out there who have known nothing but windows.

 

[KSoD]

Very true, linux shouldn't have to emulate windows it's a different OS with a different way of doing things if people wake up to that we can start seeing a way forward with new development's in user accessibility.

I dont think it has anything to do with Emulating Windows. I dont think this is at all the factor why Linux is trying to emulate Windows.

Lets step back and look at the facts. Windows is the Widely used OS in the world. Everybody at 1 point or another has touched and used Windows while others have only used windows.

Now turn to Linux. It is different. It doesnt operate the way the users expect cause of their previous work with Windows. They abandon Linux and go back to Windwos cause it is familiar and easy to use.

To me the ONLY reason why Linux is going this route is so that when a users switches from Windows they dont get put off by linux within 5 minutes and go back to Windows. that is why Distros like Unbntu exist. So that someone can come off Windows and learn Linux easily and make the trasnition easier.

You guys have focused on so many other aspects tat you forgot the most basic one. Simplicity. People use widows cause it is simple. Just download, double click and install. I have used 4 different distros and trying to find which installer that distro uses is a pain. It is so much easier in Windows to jsut double click the exe file for XP or Vista. Instead of havign to find out if this is a RPM, Debian, Fedora, or any other kind of distro.

People can say all they want about Windows but at least Windows allows you to isntall on ANY machine. I still dont see that out of Apple...