not the os but the desktop style

[woodsmoke]

There was an article someplace a few months ago in which the fellow advocated that "Linux" had basically gone beyond the "down in the fourth deck" guts of the distro, such as the merits of BSD or the merits of Debian, or the merits of Ubuntu, or the merits of Slackware or the merits of "apt-get", or the merits of "YUM" because....

All of "that stuff" basically now works.

And that what was going to seperate out "nixs" in the future is the desktop/appearance/feel/interface....whatever one wants to call it.

I fiddle with different distros and one of them is Mint/Cinnamon.

It has as "default" a "few" fancy things like different kinds of collapsing windows, etc.

But "not much" it is basically the old Gnome desktop with a "modicum" of fancy effects .....OUT OF THE BOX.

Now, yes, one can tweak it.

But.... it did occur to me that maybe the guy is correct. Maybe "Linux" really has arrived at the state where, for most folks, if they really want to spend the time to install/uninstall and search through the myriad distros that Linux is now at a state of being able to offer a myriad of "out of the box" distros that really do meet the "needs" of the "average user".

This as opposed to "tweaking" the distro....maybe all the MASSIVE tweakage possibilities that have been developed for Linux are now for the "real gear head"....

any thoughts on this?

woodsmoke

[bsniadajewski]

I pretty much agree here. The merits of YUM vs. APT vs. slackpkg only matters if you use the command-line most of the time. Graphical Software Managers (which pretty much ties in with appearance/interface) will suffice as well for "average users". Having a unique default look is about the only real way for distros to set themselves apart from others, although you can change the look if you so desire.

[rms]

Of course. We all know that bewildered look of windoze users when we start speeding through desktops/activities with a mere scroll of the mouse and they see all kinds of "impossible" screens, like this...

[capt-zero]

It's odd, but the most common concern I hear from people about switching into linux is fear. They are concerned they'll hit the wrong button and something (no one is real specific here) terrible will happen to their computer. I think the truth is most people are terrified of change. My sister, who I live with, is convinced that if I even approach her computer with one of my live cds, all of her data will disappear, Eaten by some unnamed infection linux will give her machine. She caught a virus infection that shut down her computer. She took her machine in for a general disinfection the other day and spent over $200 at the shop. Wouldn't even let me try to git rid of her virus for her with Linux.

The truth is, in this country at least, no one trusts anything that is based on anything but the profit motive. There MUST be a catch if it's free.

[Snowhog]

There MUST be a catch if it's free.

There is. There will be more "$200" units to "spend at the shop" to rid their "Windows PC's" of their viruses.

[Jonas]

It's odd, but the most common concern I hear from people about switching into linux is fear. They are concerned they'll hit the wrong button and something (no one is real specific here) terrible will happen to their computer. I think the truth is most people are terrified of change. My sister, who I live with, is convinced that if I even approach her computer with one of my live cds, all of her data will disappear, Eaten by some unnamed infection linux will give her machine. She caught a virus infection that shut down her computer. She took her machine in for a general disinfection the other day and spent over $200 at the shop. Wouldn't even let me try to git rid of her virus for her with Linux.

The truth is, in this country at least, no one trusts anything that is based on anything but the profit motive. There MUST be a catch if it's free.

I agree, close to no one think that I tell the truth, when I say that I run a system, that's 'gratis' and 'libre'. Somewhere there's something lost as profit (as in monetary gain) is the 'truth' in this capital society. Gain as in equality and sharing(knowledge) is regarded as 'communism'. (btw, which is 'this country'?)

best regards

Jonas

edit; as to woods first post; if I'd challenge your idea, the possibilities of a GNU/linux system gives the possibilities to 'tweak' as one would like (gear head or not) opens up for setting up a system that is made for real production, be it engineering or artistic production.

[capt-zero]

Actually, I don't use my system for anything but my own hedonistic pleasure. I like my games, surfing the web, research, ect. It's more of a toy than anything else. It used to be an expensive toy, but finding 'open-source' made the whole experience less expensive and more pleasurable. I've started using the computer as a learning experience and have broadened my horizons in the process.

p.s. I generally don't like giving ANY personal information online, but's it's a big country and at least one person here figured out who I am from my nickname...U.S.

capt-zero

[woodsmoke]

Hi Jonas

Yes, the Linux experienced person will tweak things you are quite correct.

woodsmoke