Ubuntu's not GNU/Linux?

[Kristian Rink]

Am 19.04.2010 13:36, schrieb Chris Woolfrey:
> Definitely agreed! It seems an odd omission, and i wonder if it has
> anything to do with their fairly 'commercial' approach to spreading
> their OS? They do often seem to be 'fighting' Mac and Windows on the
> other two's terms.

Yes. But then again, as far as I see things, Ubuntu's the only GNU/Linux 
distribution out there to have somethin akin to the "Ubuntu Code Of 
Conduct" or the Ubuntu philosophy outlined on the web site. No "open 
community version" along with an "enterprise version enhanced by 
proprietary add-ons", and yet not a  "free" platform leaving most of the 
users it is aiming at out in the cold because, after doing the first 
boot, they figure out all of a sudden that some (or, in worst cases) 
most of their hardware is not working anymore.

No, it's _not_ good from a software libre supporters point of view. But 
the approach of #1 goal being making a "smoothlessly usable, 
streamlined, well-thought-out" distribution seems sane from a pragmatic 
point of view. Yes, there's an active crowd out there knowing about the 
advantages of software libre. They know about the four freedoms, and 
they know why they would want that. And the rest? As I have to over and 
over again experience within my environment (being surrounded by a lot 
of people who "just work" with their computers), people don't know and, 
at least at their given state of mind, don't _want_ to know/care. They 
go with MS Windows et al simply because "everyone's using it so it can't 
be all that bad".

Give these people an idealistically crafted "libre" GNU/Linux 
distribution which doesn't even allow them to connect to their home WLAN 
because their notebook features some arcane WiFi device and, after that, 
tell them to please buy a piece of hardware which doesn't require 
"proprietary" (you'll have an interesting effect using this term in such 
a conversation) drivers is the surest ever possible way of making them 
stay the **** away from software libre and never ever touch it again.

I mean, after all, shouldn't we face it? While we are fighting whether 
or not Ubuntu is "software libre", people seem to just rush out to get 
an iPad which, talking about its software, it neither "libre" nor just 
"open source". Or they go for that cheap discounter-next-door box coming 
with a bare-bones Windows 7 version because at the very least they know 
this world somehow. Making people who don't care (yet?) about "software 
libre" interested or even enthusiastic about this idea surely won't work 
by providing them with something that "feels better" (to us) but 
actually, eventually works worse (to them). From that point of view, I 
think software libre community indeed should embrace Ubuntu / Canonical 
as someone (maybe the first) GNU/Linux based company so far aiming at 
making a platform with a smooth, straightforward, comfortable and 
convenient end user experience, to (as I have seen quite sometimes here 
on LinuxTag events...) attract people who would have never even touched 
a GNU/Linux system before...

K.

-- 
Kristian Rink * http://pictorial.zimmer428.net # kawazu at jabber.org
"What was once thought can never be unthought."
(Duerrenmatt - 'Die Physiker')