So your "frustration with Ubuntu" was caused by your suddenly
understanding more about the nature of Linux?
The Linux kernel is a tarball of C code you can compile yourself. It
can't even get itself into a CPU, it needs LILO or GRUB on the MBR of a
hard drive to do that.
Every program that comes with Linux comes in a tarball of C code that can
be compiled in a UNIX environment with ./configure && make && make install.
Every program may or may not compile with your UNIX environment, it's up
to the program writer to make sure it does that, and a systems
administrator to spoon-feed options to ./configure.
Every one of these programs might or might not have hooks or use libraries
from some other program, or have compiler options to turn on these hooks.
Anyone can write a patch for a program, and share it with the world. Then
others can download the program from the main provider, download the
third-party patch, compile, and use it themselves.
Every distribution is a package of kernel with patches, programs with
patches, program configurations, and a manager program to help take care
of it all.
That's it! Ain't no magic, and it's very possible for one person to wrap
their head around it all. Lots of one- or two-man Linux distros out
there. Just takes time.
Currently, Ubuntu seems to take the most time and care making their distro
for Aunt Tillie's desktop, plus they have a marketing effort to make sure
she knows it exists.
Because Ubuntu is Debian Linux, it comes with all the advantages of Debian
Linux, and because Ubuntu is taking so much time and care polishing what
is considered Linux's biggest weakness, Linux desktop for Aunt Tillie, yes
it is a big deal. If catering to Aunt Tillie by way of patch-writing,
careful thought into /etc files, and marketing is what makes Ubuntu the
"Windows of Linux", hey I think that's a compliment.
I think Red Hat tried to become the Windows of Linux but failed. They
stopped halfway into the job, removing advantages of Linux and introducing
new disadvantages. I think Fedora and Suse are playing a serious game of
catch-up because of this (e.g. RPM vs apt-get). Ubuntu, knock on wood, is
not making this mistake. Ubuntu is keeping all the strengths of Debian,
which are huge, and helping with Debian's faults, which are small for
hackers but showstoppers for Aunt Tillie (e.g. cups).
--
Alexander
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