Non-free drivers (Re: Invitation to ubuntu developers)

[Bjorn Paulson]

One of the major selling points of Ubuntu is its (oft-cited) "ease of
installation"[1]--in order to install, the Linux newbie only needs one
CD, which boots into a GUI.  While having multiple CDs would greatly
assist those in regions where Internet access is not available (urban
China is heavily networked, btw), the user who is _completely_ new to
Linux (and who likely found Ubuntu on Distrowatch) does not want to
have to work to get a system running.  Research is a pain, and burning
a bunch of CDs, as opposed to one, takes a lot of time.

One of the major reasons why Ubuntu is popular is that it is so easy
to just burn and boot (aside from "bling," apparently).  Moving to a
more than 1-CD install would slow progress towards bug #1, IMHO.  (One
exception: An alternate "offline" install set, available exclusively
through ShipIt.)

--Bjorn Paulson

[1] www.ubuntu.com/desktop


On 12/1/06, Kevin Perros <kevin.perros at free.fr> wrote:
> > What do you do for those how are, um, network challenged? I know many of
> > those who would like to install Ubuntu on their systems but do not have
> > reliable internet access. How do you ensure that they are not disadvantaged?
> >
> > Doug.
> >
>
> It is the Third I post the following on that list, but on the contrary
> to many posts, I believe this is signal and not noise :)
>
> Given the absence of feedback about that idea, I understand that that
> may annoy some, because it has been the subject of much Ubunutu
> marketing : the "one CD does all" idea.
>
> A one CD only is a bad idea : it often crash (50% of time in our offices
> on Dell Optiplex 270, a very very widespread system) if the system have
> 256 Mo of memory, because of the race : free memory to read packages, oh
> Gnome is scheduled, we must reload all gnome pages because they have
> been discarded from memory to be able to read data, eventually free
> memory where packets where read, oh re-read the same packages data...
> it's a mess. Many people say as an answer that 256 Mo boxes aren't that
> used nowadays and at the same time that we must not distribute DVDs
> because some have no CD's  ... quite funny contradiction :)
>
> More over, to go further than what is said in the quoted post : a one CD
> distribution is crap for people who have no internet access. Ubuntu is
> said to be destined to Africa : how many have an internet access in
> Africa, and other not-in-the-G6 countries (I removed Russia and China).
> On a DVD or a 6 CDs set, you can package software not only for an
> enterprise oriented use, but also for home usecases : music recording,
> composition by example.
>
> And overall, this is the solution to our problems : package a Free
> non-live DVD, a Free non-live CD set a non-Free non live DVD, a non-Free
> non-live CD set, and a non Free live CD. End users want simple install
> setup, and they have different needs. That's why Mandriva has roughly 20
> CDs/DVDs sets.
>
> If only non-free CDs are packaged for the next release, be ready to
> suffer a huge amount of critics.
>
> Ubuntu has been widespread because of Debian's reputation. People wanted
> an easy-to use rock solid, free distribution. I know a lot of free
> software activists, former Debian users, that have switch to Ubuntu.
> Many LUGs now install Ubuntu whereas they used to install Mandriva,
> Fedora. Those *ARE* the network that have made Ubunutu what it is, and
> be sure that many with revert to their former habits if Ubuntu follow
> the non-free direction. Remember how Suse was treated before the
> free-release of QT. See how Novell is being treated.
>
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