Ubuntu: Still Popular?

And probably more useful than "analyst" studies :)

I do get traffic when I blog about OpenBSD. Not so much with Debian. I get a lot of traffic from Puppy Linux posts. But Ubuntu really brings the traffic.

But Ubuntu really brings the traffic.

Want a LOT of Ubuntu traffic?

Criticize it.

Trust me.

Haha, so true :-) The article on my website with the most hits in a single week is this one: http://www.jejik.com/articles/2006/11/is_ubuntu_set_to_becom...

Sander, I just clicked over to your article -- very nice job. All that 3D stuff gives me a headache (literally; I'm prone to motion sickness), so I turn it off.

Unfortunately, all the trouble with Intel video in Xorg right now is doing nothing but hurting all Unix-like operating systems (I've had trouble in OpenBSD, NetBSD and Linux thus far).

I agree that these binary drivers are a big problem, and educating the users and giving them choices is key.

Right now my work requires me to use Java and Flash; I'm "open" to open-source Java solutions, if only I understood them better. ... And I did try Gnash in Debian Lenny yesterday; jury still out on that one; Flash 7- or 8- compatibility is usually enough ... usually.

I did check out GNewSense a while ago, and I'd like to again. I don't know quite how much more "pure" it is than Debian with only the Free repository selected.

More than anything, it's up to the FOSS community to educate users about their choices. I don't advocate making the choice for them, but continuing to educate users about their options and what they mean is extremely important.

Steven, I will always advocate "free by default". Sure, make it as easy as possible to install the non-free bits. Double-click an MP3? Offer to install the non-free MP3 codecs with a non-technical description about what it's going to do and why you may want to say no to it. No politics. No geek speak. Just a plain, simple note.

Same thing for 3D drivers. User checks the "3D desktop effects"? Offer to install closed drivers. User downloads out double-clicks a .Net/Mono app? Offer to install Mono. User rips a CD? Offer to install an MP3 encoder. User visits a website with Flash in it? Offer to install Flash. Etcetera, etcetera.

Offer all you want, but the default should be free. Enabling something non-free should be a conscious action, even if it's a very simple click on "OK".

Quoting:Enabling something non-free should be a conscious action, even if it's a very simple click on "OK".

There's another action that people repetitively click for: privilege elevation on Windows. For some users, it's become quite a mindless habit. Do you think the same might become the case for your scenario?

No, because installing something non-free on Linux is a much less frequent action than privilege escalation in Windows.

Quoting:There's another action that people repetitively click for: privilege elevation on Windows.

I think it's so cute the Windows keeps telling me it needs my permission to perform an action I've asked it to perform, it's so...... Legacy.

Why yes TA, that's a demonstration of Windows' much-vaunted superior usability!

And gus3, that scheme works very well in Mandriva... for codecs they give you the option to either install the "might be illegal in your country" ones, or buy some provided by Fluendo - all provided at the point of need.