Ubuntu is under attack (longish)

[Eric Dunbar]

On 12/18/05, Peter Garrett <peter.garrett at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 23:43:34 -0800
> Mike Bird <mgb-ubuntu at yosemite.net> wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 2005-12-17 at 22:04, Eric Dunbar wrote:
> > > This discussion is more appropriate on sounder (hint).
> >
> > No.  This is important.
>
> I agree that this is important, entirely on-topic for the users list,
> and should not be shunted off to sounder merely because it elicits strong
> opinions.

I still don't see the point of this thread on the main list, but, hey
to each her own.

> 1. Perhaps people are discussing different things: -  thus
>
>     A) One group of opinions might be (rather crudely) summarised as
>
>    "My machine and desktop work just fine without mailx and postfix, so
> it's a non-issue for me"  (valid for that user)
>
>     B) Another group might be (equally crudely) summarised as
>
>    "This functionality is part of of what makes Linux/Unix what it is, and
> should be kept"   (very debatable - which is not to say unimportant,
> right or wrong - just capable of much debate on different sides)
>
>     C) A third group might be summarised as something like
>
>    "By removing this functionality we are removing a crucial
> diagnostic/security/administrative tool which should be there by default"

I would like to add D:

D) "Ubuntu needs to accomodate the needs of its users within the
stated goal of providing the simplicity of a one CD installation. If
the plurality of its users use package X and the plurality of users do
not use package Y, then package Y can safely be removed from the
distro to make room for package X. Package Y will still be available
to the main repository for installation, if desired."

This point of view eliminates the sticky business of value judgements,
and, I suspect that that is precisely what we'll be seeing more and
more of as Linux, and, especially Ubuntu matures.

Ubuntu has shown that less is more.

In a year this distro has gone from nothing to being one of the
top-ranked versions of Linux, while eschewing the kitchen sink
philosophy inherent in the likes of RedHat/Fedora Core. It provides
what is needed to get most people's job done. Nothing more. Nothing
less.

As for the complaints of dumbing down... am not going to comment on
that because I really feel that is more appropriate to the sounder
list (it's straying pretty far from the notion of "helping" other
Ubuntu users... yes, philosophical discussion are a good thing, but
they have their own place, and, that place is not always in the same
sphere as in the practical realm... I want my MD to be up on her
ethical issues... I just don't want those issues to be discussed when
they're operating on me).

Eric.