Comments on: Fedora, Still Pushing The Envelope http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/ Open Source, Open Standards Fri, 10 May 2013 08:56:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: gustavod http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7450 gustavod Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7450 <p>Very nice article, Christopher! Did you know that \"Fedora + linux-libre = Freed-ora\"? </p> <p>http://www.fsfla.org/svnwiki/selibre/linux-libre/</p> <p>\"Linux, the kernel developed and distributed by Linus Torvalds et al, contains non-Free Software, i.e., software that does not respect your essential freedoms, and it induces you to install additional non-Free Software that it doesn\'t contain.\"</p> <p>\"Linux-libre is a project to maintain and publish 100% Free distributions of Linux, suitable for use in Free System Distributions, removing software that is included without source code, with obfuscated or obscured source code, under non-Free Software licenses, that do not permit you to change the software so that it does what you wish, and that induces or requires you to install additional pieces of non-Free Software.\"</p> <p>They publish patches to deblob linux vanilla kernel. </p> Very nice article, Christopher! Did you know that \”Fedora + linux-libre = Freed-ora\”?

http://www.fsfla.org/svnwiki/selibre/linux-libre/

\”Linux, the kernel developed and distributed by Linus Torvalds et al, contains non-Free Software, i.e., software that does not respect your essential freedoms, and it induces you to install additional non-Free Software that it doesn\’t contain.\”

\”Linux-libre is a project to maintain and publish 100% Free distributions of Linux, suitable for use in Free System Distributions, removing software that is included without source code, with obfuscated or obscured source code, under non-Free Software licenses, that do not permit you to change the software so that it does what you wish, and that induces or requires you to install additional pieces of non-Free Software.\”

They publish patches to deblob linux vanilla kernel.

]]> By: ballpointpenguin http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7451 ballpointpenguin Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7451 <p>Excellent. I decided to scrap Ubuntu for Fedora just yesterday. It seems like good timing. I am excited to give it a run and see how well it mediates my high demond on old hardware situation. </p> Excellent. I decided to scrap Ubuntu for Fedora just yesterday. It seems like good timing. I am excited to give it a run and see how well it mediates my high demond on old hardware situation.

]]> By: jonjermey http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7452 jonjermey Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7452 <p>\"Constantine\"? \"Leonidas\"? \"Thusnelda\"? Sorry, you Linux geeks will have to drop this fancy-pants stuff and start calling your features \"Brad\" and \"Kylie\" if you <em>really</em> want to take over the world. Get serious! </p> \”Constantine\”? \”Leonidas\”? \”Thusnelda\”? Sorry, you Linux geeks will have to drop this fancy-pants stuff and start calling your features \”Brad\” and \”Kylie\” if you really want to take over the world. Get serious!

]]> By: 1fastbullet http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7453 1fastbullet Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7453 <p>I\'m thinking your statement \"...it’s great for users who don’t need proprietary software\" should read, it’s great for all six users who don’t need proprietary software. </p> I\’m thinking your statement \”…it’s great for users who don’t need proprietary software\” should read, it’s great for all six users who don’t need proprietary software.

]]> By: mizquierdo http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7454 mizquierdo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7454 <p>I just installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix on my netbook and 9.1 on my laptop. I\'d like to hear comparison\'s between Ubuntu and the latest Fedora release. What am I missing by sticking with Ubuntu? What are the main differences? </p> I just installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix on my netbook and 9.1 on my laptop. I\’d like to hear comparison\’s between Ubuntu and the latest Fedora release. What am I missing by sticking with Ubuntu? What are the main differences?

]]> By: csmart http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7455 csmart Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7455 <p>@gustavod, thanks for the comments. I\'m unsure which components of Fedora aren\'t free, but it\'s something interesting to look into down the track. FEdora essentially follows Red Hat\'s promises and perspectives.</p> <p>@ballpointpenguin, let us know how it goes! I\'d be particularly interested in your findings, having come from Ubuntu.</p> <p>@jonjeremy, :-) They sure aren\'t as catchy as something like \"Lusty Lama\"</p> <p>@1fastbullet, Maybe so, but someone\'s gotta do it!</p> <p>@mizquierdo, Ubuntu has a custom interface in the netbook remix editions, whereas Fedora only provides the Moblin interface as an alternative (AFAIK). Essentially, most Linux distributions are the same these days, they contain the same software, but do things differently internally. With Fedora you\'d lose your proprietary driver manager for example.. </p> @gustavod, thanks for the comments. I\’m unsure which components of Fedora aren\’t free, but it\’s something interesting to look into down the track. FEdora essentially follows Red Hat\’s promises and perspectives.

@ballpointpenguin, let us know how it goes! I\’d be particularly interested in your findings, having come from Ubuntu.

@jonjeremy, :-) They sure aren\’t as catchy as something like \”Lusty Lama\”

@1fastbullet, Maybe so, but someone\’s gotta do it!

@mizquierdo, Ubuntu has a custom interface in the netbook remix editions, whereas Fedora only provides the Moblin interface as an alternative (AFAIK). Essentially, most Linux distributions are the same these days, they contain the same software, but do things differently internally. With Fedora you\’d lose your proprietary driver manager for example..

]]> By: eshneto http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7456 eshneto Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7456 <p>This is a nice article, but what about the bugs? Fedora was the first Linux distro I have ever installed in my machine, starting from fc4, then switching to fc7, fc9 and fc11. From fc11 I had to swicth to Ubuntu because of nasty bugs related to the intel video driver.</p> <p>While I am grateful for being introduced to the free software world by Fedora it also tought me a hard lesson: expect lots of bugs in the current versions of FOSS.</p> <p>I agree with the article backlashing Ubuntu because it is indeed buggy, and I am sure most (if not everything) said about that distro can be said about Fedora. Even a power user as me was unable to live with incurable random lockups caused by the video driver in Fedora 11. Nothing could bring my vga back after those incidents. Of course Linux, the kernel itself, was rock-solid, as I could confirm by ssh-ing the machine. Now how an average desktop user would see this bug?</p> <p>There is more: if Leonidas (yes the names are ridiculous, also, as Lenny knows, aptitude has no supercow powers - this makes me sick!) simply could not remeber my previous session, what an amazing piece of top level software will it look like to an average user? If you can\'t configure it, simply leave selinux turned off by default! There are tons of other bugs related to selinux in every single version of Fedora since this feature was brought to the system. There is even a tool to teach you how to fix the bugs. Selinux cannot be that good if even the experts at Red Hat are unable to properly configure it to work with some rather simple and essential packages.</p> <p>I repeat that I am an free software entusiast and that I exclusively use FOSS. I am however, aware that it is not yet possible to the average desktop user to follow my lead. And no, Fedora does not change this landscape. I do not feel good when two bad distros (is there any really good Linux distro for the average user?) are treated so differently. Even more when, though I like Fedora best for my personal, scientific oriented needs, it is obvious that Ubuntu is far better suited for the desktop. </p> This is a nice article, but what about the bugs? Fedora was the first Linux distro I have ever installed in my machine, starting from fc4, then switching to fc7, fc9 and fc11. From fc11 I had to swicth to Ubuntu because of nasty bugs related to the intel video driver.

While I am grateful for being introduced to the free software world by Fedora it also tought me a hard lesson: expect lots of bugs in the current versions of FOSS.

I agree with the article backlashing Ubuntu because it is indeed buggy, and I am sure most (if not everything) said about that distro can be said about Fedora. Even a power user as me was unable to live with incurable random lockups caused by the video driver in Fedora 11. Nothing could bring my vga back after those incidents. Of course Linux, the kernel itself, was rock-solid, as I could confirm by ssh-ing the machine. Now how an average desktop user would see this bug?

There is more: if Leonidas (yes the names are ridiculous, also, as Lenny knows, aptitude has no supercow powers – this makes me sick!) simply could not remeber my previous session, what an amazing piece of top level software will it look like to an average user? If you can\’t configure it, simply leave selinux turned off by default! There are tons of other bugs related to selinux in every single version of Fedora since this feature was brought to the system. There is even a tool to teach you how to fix the bugs. Selinux cannot be that good if even the experts at Red Hat are unable to properly configure it to work with some rather simple and essential packages.

I repeat that I am an free software entusiast and that I exclusively use FOSS. I am however, aware that it is not yet possible to the average desktop user to follow my lead. And no, Fedora does not change this landscape. I do not feel good when two bad distros (is there any really good Linux distro for the average user?) are treated so differently. Even more when, though I like Fedora best for my personal, scientific oriented needs, it is obvious that Ubuntu is far better suited for the desktop.

]]> By: csmart http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7457 csmart Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7457 <p>@eshneto, thanks for your thoughts. Yes, it\'s not just Ubuntu that has these problems (as I pointed out in my Ubuntu article). Probably the main difference is that Fedora and Ubuntu have very different markets. Fedora is probably aimed at more technical users, whereas Ubuntu tries to be the most user friendly Linux distro. When your goal is for everything to \"just work\" that\'s a pretty hard target to hit.</p> <p>-c </p> @eshneto, thanks for your thoughts. Yes, it\’s not just Ubuntu that has these problems (as I pointed out in my Ubuntu article). Probably the main difference is that Fedora and Ubuntu have very different markets. Fedora is probably aimed at more technical users, whereas Ubuntu tries to be the most user friendly Linux distro. When your goal is for everything to \”just work\” that\’s a pretty hard target to hit.

-c

]]> By: grabur http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7458 grabur Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7618/#comment-7458 <p>Hooray, an innovative feature that let\'s you download differentials in updates. That\'s more like it.</p> <p>Yes, please compare Ubuntu and Fedora. And don\'t be afraid to did into the technicalities. I\'ve been looking for a technical breakdown of Ubuntu 9.10 to no avail. I\'m interested in Kernel developments, file systems and distro specific configuration tools. </p> Hooray, an innovative feature that let\’s you download differentials in updates. That\’s more like it.

Yes, please compare Ubuntu and Fedora. And don\’t be afraid to did into the technicalities. I\’ve been looking for a technical breakdown of Ubuntu 9.10 to no avail. I\’m interested in Kernel developments, file systems and distro specific configuration tools.

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