Should Linux keep growing?

[hard candy]

After reading this article, The Numbers Game (http://eddie.cis.uoguelph.ca/~tburgess/local/linux.html)
and some of the threads at some forums, I have to ask-
"Should linux keep growing? If it keeps growing, is that good? Will making linux too easy to install be a bad thing in the long run? IBM, HP, and others are commercializing linux, will that help or hurt open source?"
Should linux stay as a RTFM OS or become an automatic OS with minimal user input during installation?

[Gertrude]

There will be distros that are candy coated, and full of nice buttons to push. There will also be other distos that will stay with a more classic linux feel without the GUI taking things over, and I'm sure there will be distros in the middle of those two. You can use what you want, so can IBM.

[carbon-12]

easier to use= even more complex = vulnerablities = TROUBLE!


Heck look at windows, they sacrifced security for ease of use.

[Sepero]

I don't care if every computer in the world has linux running on it!

I just want to be able to walk into a store, pick up a nice new video card, and see on the box, "Designed for GNU/Linux".

[psi42]

I just want to be able to walk into a store, pick up a nice new video card, and see on the box, "Designed for GNU/Linux".

:)
With a nice tux sticker on the front. :)



If linux is to grow, there has to be a "friendly" version. Most people aren't going to react favorably to "yeah, linux isn't hard, as long as you RTFM and STFW you'll be fine."

But the power distros will still be around. :)

What would be great would be if we had a distro that was both user-friendly AND simple. :)

~psi42

[je_fro]

I don't care if another person starts using Linux tomorrow. In my (simplistic) experience, the larger a group of people gets, the more messed up things become.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by je_fro
I don't care if another person starts using Linux tomorrow. In my (simplistic) experience, the larger a group of people gets, the more messed up things become.

I would agree to a point je_fro, but we need better OEM hardware support via native drivers. and the same goes for big time software applications also. I I think the only way for this to happen is to get more users. And the good thing about Linux is there can be a distro that suits everyone's needs. I wouldn't care if there was a windows like version of Linux (at least in terms of GUI noob friendliness) as long as there are distro's for the power user also. like I said IMHO more user's = better native support from OEM & application vendors and this is better for the community as a whole

just my .02 :D

[Alex Cavnar, aka alc6379]

Oddly enough, I agree with both je_fro and bosox79. I like it that any old joe sixpack can't pick up a Linux CD and install it on their box. Call me a snob... being an idealist, I'd like Linux to stay in the hands of people who know what they're doing with it. Ah... but I can dream...

But, I too, do realize that for vendors to recognize the economic viability of supporting Linux, or releasing Linux drivers for their hardware, joe sixpack has to either be able to pick up a Linux CD and install it, or it has to be offered by major PC companies (not microtel, or walmart, mind you-- I mean BIG companies like Dell, HP, and the ilk) to the general, web surfing, word processing, instant messaging, email forwarding, public.

I'm in an odd place-- I'd like to feel really 1337 for using an Open Source OS, but I'd also like to feel like part of the gang so I can buy any random piece of hardware at CompUSSR and know that it works...

[CMonster]

Why is the question usually either/or -the flexibility and power of GNU/Linux and open source is that we can have both... and everything inbetween.