Split from Ubuntu philosophy thread

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As has been pointed out above, Ubuntu is a name for an operating system (which is a collection of programs that makes a computer usable) and a 'philosophy'. I put philosophy in quotes, because it's really just an idea rather than a whole philosophical system.

I'll just point out that the reason for the two sharing the same name is that the goal is to build an operating system that anybody can use to do anything that they want without having to shell out bucks to billy G up in redmond. I'm sure that you can see the application that this would have in third world schools and such. On the whole, it is easier to install than windows and works very well for everything except some complicated flash type stuff. Their are some proprietary music and video formats that require you to use programs of 'questionable' legality to view or listen to them but it's easy enough to find and install them.

I thought ubuntu was a pretty good operating system, and it's easy for linux noobs.

When i first got into linux, i jumped straight into gentoo and Debian GNU/Linux

I had no idea wtf i was doing and got stuck plenty of times just trying to install them. Even got stuck at the command line not knowing how to start the desktop up. Got stuck so many times, and resulted in me going to a windows computer just to look up what i needed to do for my desktop to show, or what i did wrong at installation, ...completely confusing.

That's when i looked into ubuntu..it was way easier.

Installing a linux distribution like gentoo is like trying to fly a complex airplane when your used to driving cars. It made windows installation look like childs play.

But once you learn it, linux is pretty sweet. It looks real nice and you can puta transparent command line that's embedded into the desktop. Bad-ass s**t.

Why is gentoo so different than ubuntu? Why wouldn't the desktop start up by itself like in ubuntu?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fableflame

Why is gentoo so different than ubuntu? Why wouldn't the desktop start up by itself like in ubuntu?

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because with some linux distributions you have to install the desktop items by yourself, like with debian GNU , you have to type in certain commands at the command line to install desktop and to even show it right after installation.

with gentoo, you have to manually install EVERYTHING..including the os kernals and all that..which is really confusing if you don't know what your doing..it's not like it comes with an instruction manual. Like trying to put together a car engine piece by piece, but your used to legos.



by the way that sig picture is hilarious LOL.

lol thanks for the comment about my sig.

But why develop an OS that requires the user to install all that shit manually?
So you can brag that you know how? Or does it make it more customizable?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fableflame

lol thanks for the comment about my sig.

But why develop an OS that requires the user to install all that shit manually?
So you can brag that you know how? Or does it make it more customizable?

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yea It's way more customizable.

Why use linux? Basically, it's a free operating system if you can't afford windows.

# stable - the crash of an application is much less likely to bring down the operating system under Linux
# reliable - Linux servers are often up for hundreds of days compared with the regular reboots required with a Windows system
# extremely powerful

You'll almost never get viruses with linux, plus linux is great for c++, c programmers, it also comes with IDE's. You can actually just complile them in the command prompt really.

Here are some screenshots.

http://www.gentoo.org/main/en/shots.xml

No, I use Linux.
I'm on Ubuntu right now. My computer came with Windows Vista Home Premium, but my hardware wasn't strong enough to support Vista, so I wound up installing Ubuntu with Wubi on the live disc.
In fact, my mom got this cheapo old computer from a friend, and once she gets it running I'm going to look into installing Damn Small Linux on it. It's currently running a pirated Windows XP and is slow as hell.

show me your ubuntu desktop

HOLY FUCKING SHIT TALK ABOUT A FUCKING HIJACK OF A THREAD!!!


GTFO my thread!!!! This thread isn't about Ubuntu!!!!


GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!!!!!!!

Hard_Wired, I'm having a problem uploading my screenshot to photobucket.
Everytime i try to upload my browser goes unresponsive. Happens with both Firefox and Opera.

EDIT: nevermind, i got it.

http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/p...ntudesktop.png

You can think of the different distros like cars

Pre-configured distros are like showroom bought cars
they're designed and built with a couple of use-cases in mind
you choose and use a pre-configured distro based on what you want to do

You wouldn't use Ubuntu on a router
You wouldn't use FreeNAS on a desktop machine
You wouldn't use ClarkConnect on a mobile phone

Base installs (debian, arch, etc.) and source based distros (gentoo, LFS etc.) are used when you want to build up your own, special purpose operating system
(special use cases, or special hardware)
Think of them like kit-cars

There's also the learning experience of being able to install and configure such distros, as well

But Linux is Linux is Linux (well, apart from when it's BSD, but anyhow)

You could (if you so wished) install Slackware, dump the Portage package manager and install Apt, configure slackware to look and act exactly like Ubuntu and point Apt at the Ubuntu sotware repositories - You could do that

The differences between distros boil down to 3 things
- Use-case (desktop, server, embedded, etc.)
- Package management
- Default desktop environment

all 3 of which you can change, if you want

Desktop Environments are only programs. They take the user away from the actual OS. I feel that you should understand what an OS is.

However, I'm not against them. They do make things somewhat prettier...but I have a terminal embedded in my desktop, and I use that mainly. I use elinks/w3m, g++, ee, and do all kinds of stuff from the command line. It's my preffered way of navigation.

But, DEs are pretty sexy...add gDesklets and Compiz, and AWN, and ZOMGOrDZ. Cute.

I don't know enough about the terminal nor Ubuntu itself really to use the Terminal as a preffered way of navigation

When I'm on a linux computer, I end up using the command line almost exclusively. When on a windows machine, however, I avoid the command line as much as possible. Linux is just built for command line use.