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I have once again run across a "too many versions!" comment on another site. In this one a person going by the moniker "matt_chsi" states there are too many versions of Linux and that is why adoption of Linux is so poor. Further, this person states that he has "tried 6 or 7 different versions of Linux and there is no (sic) standards common between them except when it finally does install there is alot (sic) of software already there on install." If he truly thinks there are no standards common "between" (I would have said "among", but that's just me.) 6 or 7 "versions" (I would say "distributions".) of GNU/Linux then he did not examine them closely enough.
I will grant that I have only had experience of a handful of GNU/Linux distributions over the roughly 10 to 11 years of my exposure to GNU/Linux. However, they all have had a similar root directory structure to the Mandriva 2009.0 I am using today: bin/? boot/? dev/? etc/? home/? initrd/? lib/? media/? mnt/? opt/? proc/? root/? sbin/? srv/? sys/? tmp/? usr/? var/. I can know that configuration files are in etc/, programs are in usr/ or under opt/, libraries are under lib/ with logs and other run-time "stuff" under var/. That is a logical standard carried forward from long Unix tradition.
All the GNU/Linux desktop systems I have tried have had the desktop environments KDE and/or Gnome as well as alternatives like fluxbox, Enlightenment, and WindowMaker, to name a few. Again, this is "standard", especially among the top GNU/Linux distributions like Mandriva, the *buntus, Fedora, openSuSE and so on. The main menus may be different due to these being different distributions with different goals. But that the menus are not "standard" is not really a problem.
Actually, if all these distributions were truly radically different it would not be a problem for personal adoption of Free Open Source Software (FOSS) GNU/Linux distributions. How can I say such a thing? I can say this due to the simple fact that one can pick through these "free" distributions with impunity. It costs no money to do so. Find a distribution that one likes. Use that distribution. Once one does this why care that other distributions are different? One has the distribution one prefers at this point. All we in the FOSS community need do is adopt our acquaintances, friends, family and business associates that are interested in FOSS and help them along with the decision process.
No, the lack of "standards" for GNU/Linux is not the problem. The natural human resistance to change, corporate inertia and illegal (or at least unethical) business practices by certain large companies [1][2] are the problems. We cannot overcome resistance to change in people. Where we need to concentrate on change is with our children. Especially children locked in public education systems that are locked into proprietary operating systems [3][4]. Teach our children to use GNU/Linux and we change the future of the computing landscape.
Too many "versions" of GNU/Linux? No. Too little education about GNU/Linux? Definitely.
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Edit Sun Aug 2 11:48:22 CDT 2009: Remove the word "older" in regard to resistance to change.
Aside from one little nit, you are right on– the various Linuxes are not all that different; once you know Gnome, KDE, XFCE, whatever, it’s the same on all of them. Same Bash shell, same command line.
And now, the nit. Older people? Dude. I got my first PC when I was 37. It was an Apple. Then I tried Windows. Then I discovered Linux. Then I administered mixed networks and liberated a number of Windows machines to nice stout reliable Linux. Then I wrote some Linux books and a skillion howto articles.
It hasn’t stopped there. I keep an eye on the BSDs and OpenSolaris, and I’m learning some programming. For my 52nd birthday next month I am going to treat myself to some nice O’Reilly and No Starch books.
I’ve taught classes at the senior center on using Linux to manage and print digital photos, and setting up family Web sites. The old folks do just fine.
Emery Fletcher is a 70-ish gentlemen who has discovered Linux and he has written some excellent articles for Datamation and LinuxPlanet.
I daresay that whatever factor or personality trait that determines a person’s open-mindedness to new experiences is not age-related. Some folks are born fossilized.
Honestly every time I read those types of posts I have come to believe that there is some major trolling going on. I think you just got trolled.
Carla (comment #1) thank you for the comment! I see your nit and raise you a personal anecdote point. The only people I have problems convincing about FOSS in general and GNU/Linux in specific are all over the age of 20.
For the record, I will be 50 years of age next year and have made an effort to be flexible and learn new things as I age. But the majority of people I know in my age group are not interested in change when it comes to their computing. In my experience those folks over the age of 20 that are willing to adopt a new operating system are uncommon.
I think this is true mainly in places where people need to get work done. They are familiar with how some proprietary system works and they do not want to “get behind” while learning something new. I think we in the FOSS community need to be willing to assist these people if they are willing to try. But in most cases where I broach the subject I see a strong resistance to even try to change to FOSS. Every one of these people are over 20 years old.
Added: However, I am changing the sentence to remove the word “older”. Just for you.
“The natural human resistance to change”. Yes, Linux fanboy 101, no matter what the problem(s), blame the user. Better yet, tell them they’re stupid, and that if they really want something, they should program it themselves. No wonder Linux on the desktop is a niche OS with only the Kool-aid drinkers tolerating it’s numerous short-commings.
Gene, you were right on the money. Having options is actually one of the greatest strengths of FOSS!
I come from the PCLinuxOS community, and you’d be surprised to know that a good percentage of users there are over 50.
Hi Gene
You’re right to say that ‘poor adoption” of Linux is not related to the various distributions.
But, if we talk only about the Personnal Computers, the adoption can’t comes from the users like many poeple thought. The problem must be taken (imho) from the other end: the PCs manufacturers.
End users buy their computers from large stores and they have no choice except between ?W? and Mac…
End uses have to SEE PCs with Linux in stores to feel confident and decide to choose Linux as their favourite desktop OS.
Have a nice day.
Thanks for the nit, Carla. I was 60 years old before I even tried Linux and since then use nothing else. That’s after using Microsoft from DOS 5.0 through Windows XP. We can adapt.
Heh,thanks Gene:). I would raise you back just for fun, but then I would be derailing way past the main point of your article, which is a very good one. Nice work.
Gene,
I beg to differ. My own personal story. I cut my teeth on an IBM 1401, then migrated to a PDP8, then 11, then VAX. But I cut my teeth on Unix at 27, loved it. Then as the worm turns I was forced to use MSDOS, WFWG, Win3, et.al. Hated it. Then Linux came out and I jumped on it to get back to some ‘home turf’. I am nearing 60 and I develop on Linux by preference.
But I have to tell you. We only have 1 Win Box in the house that I use for compability testing. Everything else is Linux. From the home server to every desktop. My wife who is over 50 was lerry at first about the change over. She was used to Windoze. But I set everything up to a near Windoze like environment for her on her box — Linux Mint/OpenOffice/Thunderbird/Firefox. Then I sat down over an intense 2 weeks to train her how to use it. Especially since English is her second language. By the end of the 4th week, the fear was gone, the questions died down and surprise, surprise the complaints that the machine was getting slow (viruses & worms) ceased. Now when we have somebody over to the house and they ask what this is — “Its Linux, it doesn’t break!”
The real issue for Linux is people that is no doubt. But Linux has the best kept secret weapon ever known — LUGs. I have been asked many times, what if it breaks? My answer is always join a LUG when you adopt Linux. Most have newbie sessions and many have bulletin boards to help as well. Nobody says its easy, but then it was not easy when the user had to learn Windoze.
And yes I think the ‘too many variants’ is hogwash.
Linux’s biggest STRENGTH is also its EVEN BIGGER weakness, “CHOICE”.. while choice is NOT a bad thing, too many choices can be overwhelming.. between the amount of choices of distros and the attitudes, egos , on some IRC channels, chatrooms and forums. Adopting linux can be a frustrating experience for a new user.. specially with comments like “RTFM” “you aren’t ready for the big time yet”, or 2 of my favorites “GO back to ubuntu” & “just go back to windoze”..
and there are no KILLER APPS for linux.. I mean lets take the windows world .. office is the killer app, nero is the killer app, photoshop is the killer app, norton,nod32 are killer apps, malwarebytes is the killer app, and so many others.. in linux, you have so many choices, one does something the other doesnt, good or bad, one has this feature while the other doesnt, etc.. its alot of “WORK” for a new user to do, just to figure out whats’ what. You have newbie’ish distros.. linux mint, pclinuxos, ubuntu ultimate (which has like 3-6 apps for the same thing in almost EVERY category).. its scary. Linux itself (all the distros) need some consolidation, one GREAT app in every category, and I know what you are thinking.. linux is a choice, people that choose to use it, should be “ready” for all these differences from what they are accustomed to.. and that, and all the above mentioned issues, is why it’ll NEVER EVER be (as its been said since 2000) the YEAR of the LINUX DESKTOP.. just my .02, now i’m broke.. (btw, i’m a Linux Mint user, I just want my os to “work”, I don’t want to work hard just to get it to work, flame away at my lack of linux 733tness, lol)