[ubuntu-studio-devel] "elementary OS" ... ONE Ubuntustudio user's thoughts ...

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Fri, 4 Sep 2015 15:40:54 +0800, C. F. Howlett wrote:
>I had SO MUCH fun doing all kinds of multimedia things that would
>otherwise have been prohibitively expensive under my other OS, and
>I've happily dualbooted Ubuntustudio since its first release.

That's a good evidence that the Linux public relation works. This is
what many Linux users claim, but actually there's a huge scene for free
as in beer software for Windows too, especially for audio and that's the
reason that so many people wish to get native Windows VSTs to work,
since they miss a lot of high quality free as in beer plugins, let a
lone that much software is multi-platform, e.g. GIMP.

I don't like Apple and Microsoft and excepted of a tablet PC (an iPAD),
I got for free as in beer, I don't use it. There are good reasons to be
against those companies, but costs, available free or inexpensive art
applications, user base aren't those reasons.

Regarding the idea of making a new independent audio distro, I would
prefer an Ubuntu independent distro, assumed the user base would be huge
enough. I'm against small distros with small user bases.

A new independent distro would cause additional issues. Ubuntu has got
a clear-cut course, this is an advantage, because making a policy about
the core architecture of a distro is much work, would come with much
bikeshedding, flame wars, IOW it would waste much time.

Thinking of the averaged user, beginner, it makes sense to stay with
Ubuntu. To get something more powerful does mean to restrict some
things, but this is hard to do for a huge community, regarding the
different thinking of the individuals. OTOH Ubuntu has it's
restrictions too. Anyway, balancing pros and cons is easy.

My multi-boot is Arch Linux and Ubuntu. Arch's clear-cut course is to
be _not_ user-friendly, Arch is user-centric. "[Arch Linux] is what you
make it."

IMO to provide a good OOTB experience it's good to stay with Ubuntu. To
avoid the bad side effects I wished there would public relation for
diversity. There's no need for an oath of allegiance, to stay with one
distro, one WM/DE etc. forever. Unfortunately Linux has got a religious
aura.

IMO Ubuntu/Debian, Suse etc. are good for averaged needs, such as
mailing, browsing, office work, for beginners and power users and for
special needs, such as audio work those distros are good for beginners
and perhaps power users too, but power users also can switch to other
distros that are more DIY based.

My last bikeshedding comment to this thread:

The goal to provide a multimedia distro that automagically works with
everybody's hardware and that ships with an OOTB to use default
environment is easier to provide, when being an Ubuntu flavour, then
when being an independent distro.

Something that should appeal to be independent, tuned, optimised,
requires interest of the individual user and can't be the goal of an
OOTB approach distro.

Regards,
Ralf