Why Linux family isn't popular.

[SteveRiley]

Actually lightdm is available in Debian since Wheezy, and it is being encouraged for use in lieu of KDM because of the lack of maintenance and future development of KDM. Although a check in Jessie packages indicates they are keeping KDM available for that release. But it doesn't appear to have much of a future in the longer term.

I've noticed that a fair amount of Canonical stuff ends up in Debian's repositories -- like Upstart and Bzr, for instance. But do Debian users actually use of that stuff?

[dibl]

I've noticed that a fair amount of Canonical stuff ends up in Debian's repositories -- like Upstart and Bzr, for instance. But do Debian users actually use of that stuff?

In the three or four years that I've been running Debian, I have seen a growing acceptance of the possibility that good work can originate at Canonical. I have not seen reference to anyone using upstart or bzr on siduction or Debian stable, but it's there if they want it. Lightdm is standard issue on siduction KDE.

[GreyGeek]

I used to use bzr before I switched to git.

[woodsmoke]

It couldn't be ...........a sitcom that was started by white mice is it?

uh oh...........bricks flying my way! lol

[millusions]

it's pretty obvious why Linux is not popular,

it's because when something doesnt work in Linux people log onto a forum and post:

linux is bad, this doesnt work.

simply because the learning curve is a steep one.

and in Windows, people justify,

oh, it crashes sometimes, but i paid 150$ for this software so lets not make a big deal out of it

[jlittle]

in Windows, people justify,

oh, it crashes sometimes, but i paid 150$ for this software so lets not make a big deal out of it

I appreciate the point you're making, but I find it's far more common for people to blame themselves if something goes wrong. (*everybody* uses windows, they get by ok, I'm not so good with computers, so I must have done something wrong.)

Regards, John Little

[Feathers McGraw]

I find it's far more common for people to blame themselves if something goes wrong.

To be fair, they're often right. Not always, but most of the problems I have with my computing are due to my own errors.

You don't get many people using Linux who don't have an interest in computers, since it's not commonly preinstalled on hardware. I'm sure we all know a non-technical user or two who we support on Linux, but that statement is still generally true.

Windows gets a lot of flack because of the number of people who have to use a computer but don't have any interest in actually learning how to make their lives easier... so they keep on doing stupid things. These people would be just as bad on Linux.

I'm not a windows fan - I've been single booting Kubuntu at home for the past year quite happily - but when I have to use it at work I try to learn to use it well. The number of people who shoot themselves in the foot by avoiding any learning is pretty shocking!

[jlittle]

To be fair, they're often right... so they keep on doing stupid things.

I have a different attitude, I suppose. Computers at the consumer level should "just work"; even Macs don't do that. Large corporate vendors have their own agenda that stops that, one of the reasons MS gets called "evil".

Regards, John Little

[Feathers McGraw]

It would be nice if they did "just work", but everyone's idea of what a computer should actually do is different, which is where some of the problems start.

Not a desktop example, but just look at the whole Google "right to be forgotten" fiasco. To a lot of people, it seems perfectly obvious that Google should "take down" those articles "from the internet" because they think Google IS the internet. I'm not sure you can make computers work the way people might expect them to because all of that is based on misconceptions and contradictions

I agree with you about corporations being the problem a lot of the time... "protecting" content with DRM is one of the reasons why many popular services don't work well on Linux, e.g. the last time I set up 4od (TV catch up for a UK channel) for my girlfriend I had to use adobe's old flash (Google's pepper flash doesn't work) AND install some old hardware abstraction layer. All this to view a public TV channel online!

[millusions]

I appreciate the point you're making, but I find it's far more common for people to blame themselves if something goes wrong. (*everybody* uses windows, they get by ok, I'm not so good with computers, so I must have done something wrong.)

Regards, John Little

you are right!

im just losing patience seeing people post here blaming linux for their lack of skill.. years ago things were different..

probably should stop logging on here lol

[Danum]

I agree with you about corporations being the problem a lot of the time... "protecting" content with DRM is one of the reasons why many popular services don't work well on Linux, e.g. the last time I set up 4od (TV catch up for a UK channel) for my girlfriend I had to use adobe's old flash (Google's pepper flash doesn't work) AND install some old hardware abstraction layer. All this to view a public TV channel online!

(Nottingham LUG), and it works 100% using 14.04
http://nlug.ml1.co.uk/2014/03/4od-on...d-related/4652

[Feathers McGraw]

(Nottingham LUG), and it works 100% using 14.04
http://nlug.ml1.co.uk/2014/03/4od-on...d-related/4652

That link actually uses the exact same method as I described, i.e. use Adobe's Flash (not the Pepper flash maintained by google) and install the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) from a PPA (it's so old it's not in the Ubuntu repos any more). It's still working on my girlfriend's laptop too (I've tested it using Firefox or Chromium), which is also 14.04.