Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

greggh · 2005-04-12 01:13:25

Intersting article I saw on Slashdot...

Is Ubuntu a Compatibility Nightmare for Debian?

http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/05/04/1 … 90&tid=106

An anonymous reader submits "Following Friday's release of Ubuntu Linux 5.04, Ian Murdock, founder of the Debian project, told internetnews.com: 'Ubuntu's popularity is a net negative for Debian.' He explained: 'It's diverged so far from Sarge that packages built for Ubuntu often don't work on Sarge. And given the momentum behind Ubuntu, more and more packages are being built like this. The result is a potential compatibility nightmare.' Ian suggests a method for averting crisis on his blog."

http://internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3496541

http://ianmurdock.com/archives/000244.html

johnisevil · 2005-04-12 04:05:10

It's not Ubuntu's fault that they can put out a new version of their distro more than once every 5 years.

cactus · 2005-04-12 04:53:31

johnisevil wrote:

It's not Ubuntu's fault that they can put out a new version of their distro more than once every 5 years.

LOL!
I fell out of my chair laughing when I read that..
heh..thanks. I needed a good laugh today. 8)

d3c3it · 2005-04-12 12:22:24

*wears flame suit* im going to wish i hadnt said this..but i really dont like ubuntu...and if ive got the right thinking here if there using a snapshot of sid in theory there is no security updates as sid isnt controlled by the security team...

phrakture · 2005-04-12 15:00:02

I don't like ubuntu either - it's too cookie-cutter for me

woodstock · 2005-04-12 17:43:16

I don't like Ubuntu either. I can't stand having "defaults" installed for me... I don't like having anything but a base system install to start with. It's easier to add on than it is to remove. At least that was my experience with Slackware for instance.

All of the "let me do that for you" has it's time and place, and I feel that Ubuntu wont really give you that choice as simply as Arch for instance.

Also the development process isn't as transparent as I would like. Something about the way Debian and Debian-based distro's work with their packages. You can't simply find the .slackbuild or PKGBUILD or even the Ebuild to the binaries, download and edit them simply. It's a much more involved process, which I find cumbersome to say the least. Why go through all that hassle when you can get the same result with a much simpler system.

But then again, Ubuntu has it's own niche and whatever that may be (desktop market apparently) it's doing it's job.

I dunno, just my 2 cents, take it as you want.

ozar · 2005-04-12 18:09:56

I've installed Ubuntu 4 or 5 different times (including the very latest 5.04) but always find that I don't care for it, either. Sometimes, I'll install vanilla Debian too, but always fall back to my default distro, Arch Linux.

It's just easier to use, in my opinion... 8)

Kern · 2005-04-12 20:06:38

i think Ubuntu is great. It did me a big favour.

This new, easy, all singing & dancing, "top of the pile at Distrowatch" package, quite simply failed to install, some incompatibility or i was sat on the chair wrong or something else.

So onward to try Number 13 on the list at that time ..... Arch Linux.

This was the final hop. Lucky 13.

Not the slightest urge to retry Ubuntu, even just to check it works.

It now sits in "Distro Graveyard" with the rest of the 'coffee coasters' .

8)

johnisevil · 2005-04-12 22:24:09

LOL!
I fell out of my chair laughing when I read that..
heh..thanks. I needed a good laugh today.

Not only can the truth hurt, but it can be funny as well.

aCoder · 2005-04-12 22:34:26

This topic has rekindled my unending hate of Debian's package management system and debian-installer. Every other installer I've used just works, and debian-installer just doesn't. Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Burn in hell debconf! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

...

mctavish · 2005-04-12 23:11:14

I think Ubuntu is exciting and promising. I like the idea that linux may be brought to the masses.

With this in mind I switched over to it for a few months. I found it far too constricting and dumbed down, with few opportunities for tweaking, problem solving etc. So it wasn't for me and here I am back with Arch. I'm in control again. 8)

Quite apart from my personal aversion, I felt that Ubuntu is just not there yet in terms of usability. It's not nearly at the point where I would recommend it to my parents. I am beginning to suspect that macs are a far better option for this market.

d3c3it · 2005-04-13 11:21:55

I have to agree with everyones posts that a newbie install is good for linux as a whole it just feels abit of a flash in the pan.
When i got my new laptop i decided to try ubuntu worty. Well it crashed before even getting to the installer, hory(sp) was no better. Turned acpi on/off, same stuff. Decided to go back to my roots and install debian, worked without question and im still using it now.
The only reason ive not swapped this laptop over to arch is ive just recently reinstalled due to an nvidia problem (turns out it was the usbstack causing the issues) and ive not the time, its a shame theres no arch port for ppc id install it in a heartbeat, when i get my ibook that is

but lets not turn this into a ubunut hating thread, everyone is free to use what they like, personally im a control freak and i want to install each package myself and not have anything pushed on me, but i do use the ubuntu livecd to get data off dead windows laptops

filoktetes · 2005-04-13 12:19:47

I'm so glad I found ArchLinux. Since then I haven't installed one other distribution, and I don't care whether Ubunto or Fedora or Mandrinoxious is the best, because I have exactly what I want

cactus · 2005-04-13 18:35:42

Actually, Ubuntu is quite nice, if it fulfills your needs. It is a shame the debian folks have such a slow release cycle. Really. I don't understand why they have lasted this long. Having people forced to constantly using testing or unstable seems silly.
If debian doesn't get their act together and start releasing things in a more timely fashion, I think their days will start to be numbered.

Arch Linux

#1 2005-04-12 01:13:25

Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#2 2005-04-12 04:05:10

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#3 2005-04-12 04:53:31

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#4 2005-04-12 12:22:24

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#5 2005-04-12 15:00:02

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#6 2005-04-12 17:43:16

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#7 2005-04-12 18:09:56

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#8 2005-04-12 20:06:38

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#9 2005-04-12 22:24:09

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#10 2005-04-12 22:34:26

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#11 2005-04-12 23:11:14

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#12 2005-04-13 11:21:55

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#13 2005-04-13 12:19:47

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

#14 2005-04-13 18:35:42

Re: Interesting problem that Debian is facing because of Ubuntu

Board footer