pinguyOS creator may terminate the project

[GreyGeek]

Just saw a video comment about the posting by the maker of pinguyOS. He is thinking about quitting because of negative comments. The speaker in the video gives some excellent responses to negative criticisms.

[woodsmoke]

I actually did the Pinguything because of ReMastersys, and because I always run older hardware, probably at least a year, but usually more, my hardware is always seen and Pinguy did that.

The whole thing about ReMastersys is well.... a curious road travelled.

The thing worked fine until a few years ago when the developer just stopped updating it. It seemed that there were several things going on with him/the app, Canonical was pushing it's own version of how to make a remaster of your distro and it was all just....unsettling.... The developer did a GREAT SERVICE for Linux and it seems never got the credit that he deserved, considering the massive amount of time that he expended making it.

So, I was glad to see ReMastersys and after removing a bunch of unwanted stuff, a laborious process, it did, indeed make a "good remaster", which is a GOOD thing.

But, back to PinguyOS.

A) it seems from the forum and from the review provided that his situation is that of "not enough money". Well, ok, it isn't that the fellow needs thousands of pounds per year, but he just has "one" acknowledged supporter on the distro site.

The amount needed is not that much, server fees, domain name, etc. In the U.S. that really is a relatively small amount of money but with the, apparently, huge amount of taxation in GB and depending upon the fellow's income, not disclosed, don't know his job, etc, it "could" be a real financial strain.

B) It may also be "familial", I have no clue, but having had a former wife who FIRST looked at my work on Linux with favour and thought it great fun............ALSO I was not expending thousands on rebuilding cars!! , also the money expended on hardware that I was donating, surprisingly, PAINTING and BAKING a case takes quite a bit of money, mainly the baking, but also.....just time and DISRUPTION.... painting booth in the garage, etc....she later began to look askance at my hobby... lol

WE..............as users, SELDOM SEE the amount of disruption that can be caused by having a passion about doing something like producing an OS.

We can easily see a little of what goes on in a artist's life, we have the film of Van Gogh, and the self portrait of him with the cut off ear.

But... getting really INVOLVED with Linux as in producing an OS...

I don't know....

Yeah the money is what he is discussing but I think that also, he probably needs more people to just 'show up" so that he feels like he is "making an difference".

C) The reviews were sometimes not good.

Dedoimedo, which, in my personal opinion, tends to have good reviews had a really scathing review on a couple of points:

i) the plethora of tweaks to Firefox
ii) the problems, and they are not new, of Conky disappearing and reappearing
iii) the plethora of 'stuff" on the desktop
iv) the inclulsion of so many apps that were: new person oriented and also experienced person oriented.
v) inclusion of so many PPAs (this was really marked down by some reviewers, and other reviewers said no biggie).

And.......to a certain extent, I agreed with the review, IN RETROSPECT...

Because I, did, indeed, spend a lot of time removing stuff through Synaptic.

The PLUSES were:

a) almost all reviews said that it is, INDEED a very nice looking desktop.
b) hardware was setup automagically
c) codecs, etc, worked out of the box...

The reviewers did NOT do a remaster, I did, AND IT DOES WORK!!

So.... what's the "point of this commentary"?

a) Firstly, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FELLOW!!
b) But, it is possible that the reviews really DID "hit the nail on the head". It would seem that the fellow's passion is for the "new person", so.... ok, remove a lot of stuff that the experienced person can use, because the experienced person knows what they need and will install it..

and

Here is the big leap:

c) tweak the software center with the OTHER PPA's and have a WHOLE SUBSECTION TO THE WEBSITE, rather like other OS's have done, with a very lengthy discussion of just what the advantage is to the inclusion of this or that.

THE COMMUNITY can get involved with doing this, which would build support, and maybe donations.

AND have a READ ME ON THE DESKTOP discussing the tweaked center, the reviews in the site, and the two browsers..

d) As to the firefox thing.... with the space left over by removing "advanced" stuff, add in another browser which is "plain vanilla", just the browser. And since it would be referenced in the desktop readme the "reviewer" won't have a complaint.

After all, FF CAN be uninstalled.

e) The whole thing about downloading the wallpapers, hmmmm...... I actually did that ....... and one CAN get an "iffy" image once in a while...lol.

changing wallys can be a problem on an older system when one is running FF AND LO AND , and , and... it can cause lockups.

f) But, maybe, as was discussed at the forum, he needs something to "spark interest", Kubu and others do it with a "much heralded" change in the Kernel, or the latest Ubu flavour ....

He really does NOT have "much to spark NEW interest....

And NEW interest is what often is a driver of people to try an OS....

but, what kind of new thing.............. hmmm

Ahhhhhhhhh therein "is the thing".... if he can come up with a "new thing"...maybe with community input.... he really could be the "new thing that sings"....

dunno.... but...again...........hats off to the fellow!

woodthanksforbringingthisupGGhedeservessomehelpsmo ke

[GreyGeek]

Yup. One person supporting en entire distro and doing a good job is the exception, not the rule!