Is Canonical against Kubuntu (2): the bug tracking disaster

[Eberhard Roloff]

Anton wrote:

> 
> If you go on www.ubuntulinux.org
> 
> And read:
> 
> About Ubuntu 
> Ubuntu is a community developed, Linux-based operating system that is 
> perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications 
> you need - a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, 
> instant messaging and much more. 
> And you read again:
> The Ubuntu promise 
> Ubuntu will always be free of charge, including enterprise releases and 
> security updates. 
> Ubuntu comes with full commercial support from Canonical and hundreds of 
> companies around the world. 
> Ubuntu includes the very best translations and accessibility infrastructure 
> that the free software community has to offer. 
> Ubuntu CDs contain only free software applications; we encourage you to use 
> free and open source software, improve it and pass it on. 
> 
> What does this mean for me and others.
> 
> 1. There is a nice software
> 2. its free (wonderfull)
> 3. You are *invited* (more or less) to use it
> 
> SO... 
> 1. if you propose on a big website well known by many people a software 
> product to download, then the people assume it will work. They do not assume 
> to be invited to *beta test* a product.
> 2. if you provide a bug tracker telling people to file bugs to improve the 
> quality and so on ... then the people think its an active system, they help 
> by sending bugreports hoping to help improve the product, and in return to 
> profite themselves later by getting some day a software with less bugs.
> 
> Its clear (or perhaps not 100%) that (perhaps not all) people working on 
> (K)ubuntu are paid for this, doing it in their free time.
> But there is a limit somewhere: If I get no feedback/fix or whatever ... if I 
> get no answer (even a silly one like "wait some weeks") then I will start 
> think that its worthless to comunicate.
> And if you provide a bugtracker ... it makes only sense if:
> 1. people use it to give feedback/file bugs
> 2. some other people use it to fix
> 
> Otherwise it should be clearly stated that this is a *private club*, where 
> *you can expect nothing*, and that you should be a *developper* in the areas 
> you want to use to fix your bugs yourself.
> But the (K)ubuntu says: I am a nice Linux desktop system for anybody (normal 
> user) and a alternative to MS Windows (if I remember right).
> Anton

okay, again, bug handling surely has a lot of room for improvement.
And the Ubuntu guys are working hard to keep their promises, but imho 
they are not there, yet.

While I fully agree with all of your conclusions, I would think that 
Ubuntu is _not_ the ideal OS for anybody, just like Windows and any 
other OS fopr that matter is not ideal for anybody.

regards
Eberhard