Linspire/Freespire will be based on Ubuntu

[Patrick]

This is interesting to say the least:
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7103672739.html
http://digg.com/linux_unix/Linspire_and ... oin_forces


Are we witnessing consolidation/standardization of the main Linux players? I would say yes.

[chuck]

I'd say more that we're seeing the end of LinSpire as a distro and the evolution to a software distribution company.

This is more a testament to the overwhelming number of general purpose distros out there that are doing nothing but confusing the new users.

[snarkout]

This is interesting to say the least:
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7103672739.html
http://digg.com/linux_unix/Linspire_and ... oin_forces


Are we witnessing consolidation/standardization of the main Linux players? I would say yes.

This is just getting absurd, IMO. How long until somone makes a downstream distro based on simply mepis or linspire?

[allix]

its interesting because both distros are aiming for the same audience.

I understand that making a distro is part of the linux learning experience, weather this is the end of a free ubuntu , perhaps there will be freeubuntu, ubuntufree or whatever if its the start of commercializing ubuntu.

[Vogateer]

Ubuntu has always been very vocal about how Ubuntu will Always be free, so I doubt you'll see that happening. I think this is part Linspire looking to become the channel through which commercial applications and codecs are bought, while the rest of the community (those of the DCC) based on Debian are looking to make sure the Linux Standards Base allows ISV's to write software that works on all compliant distros. They, like pretty much everyone else, had trouble working with Debian before, but now they have Ubuntu, basically a polished, less divisive Debian, from which to base their distros. I really can't blame them. We saw what happened with Dunc-Tank, and it should be clear why Shuttleworth had to create something apart from Debian in order to pay developers and create any sort of business based around a linux distribution.

People could continue to base themselves on something that's three levels past Debian, but once you reach a certain point the software gets stale or the improvements become fewer and a less appealing reason to switch. Other than that, where's the problem? I mean, I like that Mepis has taken Ubuntu and made what's basically a better KDE desktop Ubuntu than Kubuntu. Are we concerned that people will piggy back? They know they're reliant on each other, and that they don't want market share from others, but from the massive Windows market.

[allix]

Vogateer, i am mealy pondering on the instance, i have nothing wrong with ubuntu going that direction. I don't even use ubuntu. I have asked the same question in lugradio as there are members of conical who frequent that board, i am interested in what they have to say.

[greggh]

Ubuntu has always been very vocal about how Ubuntu will Always be free, so I doubt you'll see that happening.

I don't care how many times Ubuntu voices the "always be free" mantra. Mark Shuttleworth is first and foremost a businessman and entrepreneur. And Ubuntu is Mark Shuttleworth. Ubuntu will continue it's inevitable evolution into a product that has as it's main reason for being profit. It's one of the reasons I'm switching over to Debian.

[allix]

I don't care how many times Ubuntu voices the "always be free" mantra. Mark Shuttleworth is first and foremost a businessman and entrepreneur. And Ubuntu is Mark Shuttleworth. Ubuntu will continue it's inevitable evolution into a product that has as it's main reason for being profit. It's one of the reasons I'm switching over to Debian.

Thats what i think deep down, mark shuttleworth knows the free software manta so he uses it to his advantage, after all its no secret conical make profit and have not open sourced launchpad.

[Vogateer]

Wanting to make a profit is not a good reason to suspect that Shuttleworth is lying about this. Their profit model has not been one of selling proprietary software, but selling services. Ubuntu would seriously alienate their community, which has been a strength for them, and immediately lose a lot of people to Fedora, OpenSuse, Debian, Slackware, Gentoo and a plethora of distributions who also have no intention of making their software proprietary. Trying to make Ubuntu proprietary would, quite simply, be bad for business.

[chuck]

Ubuntu has always been very vocal about how Ubuntu will Always be free, so I doubt you'll see that happening.

I don't care how many times Ubuntu voices the "always be free" mantra. Mark Shuttleworth is first and foremost a businessman and entrepreneur. And Ubuntu is Mark Shuttleworth. Ubuntu will continue it's inevitable evolution into a product that has as it's main reason for being profit. It's one of the reasons I'm switching over to Debian.

Ubuntu is about building a community. It's about building the best desktop experience for the most people. Mark is the head of Canonical, the major financial supporter and guiding hand of this 'great community built distro'. So as part of the community you bring in Ubuntu to your home and work. Once you get it in the door at work and the bosses want support you say 'Well just go to Canonical as they are the commercial arm of Ubuntu.'

Mark's benefits are that he is seen as a benevolent dictator over this great distro. He has an army of free developers that builds the OS for him. His company is the premier commercial support for the premier Community distro.

It seems to me that I remember Jono saying or writing that there are about 40 Canonical employees. That tells me that the employee overhead is very minimal. That the support that is offered is by a small staff of regulars and contractors on an as needed basis. So Marks overhead is lessened and profits are up even more if that is indeed the case.

Keeping Launchpad closed source is a way to provide a value-add to the Canonical experience and something they can sell customized to larger corporations that no one else can. However as that is a Canonical product and not an Ubuntu branded product, I cannot argue with that decision.

[jsusanka]

wish there were more deals like this than the stupid microsoft-novell deals.

I know the gnu purists will say stuff about binary blobs but if deals like this make each distribution stick around longer than I am all for it. the more the better in my opinion.

[allix]

wish there were more deals like this than the stupid microsoft-novell deals.

I know the gnu purists will say stuff about binary blobs but if deals like this make each distribution stick around longer than I am all for it. the more the better in my opinion.

what medium-large linux distro's are you referring to?

debian,slackware,gentoo,arch,opensuse,Fedora Core,MEPIS,Knoppix,Mandriva,Xandros,Vector,ROCK, DSL,puppy and dynebolic have all been around longer than 3 years and i cannot see what happened to ubuntu is going to change the development of these distros.