Public bug reported:
Binary package hint: ubuntu-standard
The following is a conversation I had with a person who has tried Ubuntu, and
went back to Mac OS X. This is a usability report, from a
smarter-than-Average-Joe, who is a software developer.
If this is not the proper place for it, then please move it to the proper
location.
(08:41:53 PM) Katz: Frankly, Linux is well behind the 8-ball
(08:42:07 PM) Sohum: how so?
(08:42:29 PM) Katz: it's not adequate when I can't get my geeky wife and my
geeky brother to install and use it
(08:42:49 PM) Katz: my geeky brother who flashes his Linksys router with OpenWRT
(08:43:01 PM) Sohum: hey, I know a 8 yr old non-geek who installed ubuntu on
his own
(08:43:02 PM) Katz: it's just not ready for prime time
(08:43:15 PM) Katz: nobody wants to use a system that doesn't "just work"
(08:43:23 PM) Sohum: you'd be surprised
(08:43:41 PM) Sohum: the Ubuntu community has made many strides in that
direction
(08:43:42 PM) Katz: Linux needs to get their shit together around a standard
packaging system
(08:43:44 PM) Katz: then I'll care
(08:43:50 PM) Katz: I don't care about Ubuntu
(08:43:55 PM) Sohum: Debian is basically the standard now anyway
(08:43:57 PM) Katz: I want to know that a "Linux package" works
(08:44:10 PM) Katz: I don't want to ever compile something from source
(08:44:14 PM) Sohum: I want something installed? I grab the deb and
double-click it
(08:44:18 PM) Katz: nor do I want to teach my wife how to compile from source
(08:44:29 PM) Sohum: If I compile anything, it's usually for kicks
(08:44:52 PM) Sohum: (and, it's normally a three-command process anyway)
(08:45:06 PM) Sohum: again, try ubuntu
(08:45:12 PM) Katz: I have
(08:45:17 PM) Sohum: version?
(08:45:17 PM) Katz: I have 50 ubuntu CDs in my desk
(08:45:30 PM) Sohum: version?
(08:45:39 PM) Katz: 6.06 LTS
(08:45:45 PM) Katz: I ordered them from Ubuntu
(08:45:46 PM) Sohum: 6.06 is decent
(08:45:48 PM) Katz: give them to friends
(08:46:01 PM) Sohum: what did you find lacking?
(08:46:04 PM) Katz: I personally own 2 macs and much prefer them
(08:46:09 PM) Katz: software installation
(08:46:17 PM) Sohum: what software?
(08:46:22 PM) Katz: I don't remember
(08:46:23 PM) Sohum: I'm running 6.10 here
(08:46:31 PM) Sohum: 64 bit version?
(08:46:32 PM) Katz: they should offer a drag/drop installation system like OSX
(08:46:33 PM) Katz: nope
(08:46:35 PM) Katz: 32-bit
(08:46:47 PM) Sohum: then I really don't see where you'd have a problem
(08:46:50 PM) Katz: how hard is it to code a system that accepts drops from deb
packages?
(08:46:59 PM) Sohum: you double-click the deb package
(08:47:03 PM) Katz: no
(08:47:08 PM) Katz: I want a central place
(08:47:10 PM) Sohum: then you click a button
(08:47:16 PM) Sohum: or you use synaptic
(08:47:21 PM) Katz: I want the package to look like a single icon once they're
installed
(08:47:28 PM) Katz: I want to be able to drag the icon to the trash
(08:47:30 PM) Katz: and have it removed
(08:47:49 PM) Katz: I'm a hardcore software developer
(08:47:52 PM) Katz: I'm not being a baby
(08:47:59 PM) Katz: my computer is a tool
(08:48:09 PM) Sohum: it not that hard to uncheck a box in synaptic
(08:48:13 PM) Sohum: and click apply
(08:48:23 PM) Katz: dude... it gets complex
(08:48:33 PM) Sohum: the defaults are usually fine
(08:48:40 PM) Katz: usually
(08:48:45 PM) Sohum: when there are issues
(08:48:46 PM) Katz: does Synaptic even open by default when you click on a deb?
(08:48:57 PM) Sohum: no, it runs a separate package installer
(08:49:04 PM) Katz: I don't want to ever see the word "dependency"
(08:49:12 PM) Katz: I don't care what my computer requires to run a package
(08:49:24 PM) Sohum: well, doesn't Mac software have dependencies?
(08:49:32 PM) Katz: I don't want to care that appX requires version 1.0.3 of
appY, but appZ requires version 1.0.4
(08:49:45 PM) Sohum: you don't need to
(08:49:50 PM) Sohum: it'll get them automatically
(08:49:52 PM) Katz: I have yet to have a dependency issue in OSX
(08:49:56 PM) Katz: unless there are conflicts
(08:50:01 PM) Katz: then you get big errors
(08:50:06 PM) Sohum: I have yet to have a dependency issue in 6.10
(08:50:18 PM) Katz: there are things you do automatically
(08:50:21 PM) Katz: because you know
(08:50:23 PM) Katz: that are non-trivial
(08:50:27 PM) Sohum: example?
(08:50:28 PM) Katz: I'm just not interested
(08:50:34 PM) Katz: dude... I don't remember
(08:50:42 PM) Katz: I just know what I feel like after a day of using Ubuntu
(08:50:45 PM) Katz: vs. a day of using OSX
(08:50:51 PM) Katz: it's not the prettiness
(08:51:07 PM) Katz: I don't like the feeling that I have to know things to use
my computer
(08:51:11 PM) Katz: lol
(08:51:13 PM) Katz: sounds weird
(08:51:19 PM) Katz: but I don't have the brainshare for it
** Affects: ubuntu-meta (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: Unconfirmed
--
Usability report on Ubuntu 6.06
https://launchpad.net/bugs/79195
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