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Open Source and Free Software

jeff47

(26,549 posts)

4. There's good and bad from it

Reply to ballreward (Original post)

Tue Dec 13, 2011, 11:40 PM

Dec 2011

Back in the dark old days of 2.0 kernels, it was way too hard to get applications and get them to work on your system. Because invariably the people maintaining the software you wanted used a different flavor, and you'd have to tweak scripts or code to make it work on your flavor.

The standardization around debian packages or RPMs has made that much, much easier and I don't think there's many people who would want to go back to the old, "greater choice" way.

At the same time, the steaming pile of fetid garbage that is Unity demonstrates there needs to be _some_ choice. But you can make choices within a standard. Xfce, KDE, Gnome and Unity are all implementing XWindows.

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Highlight:

What I like about Open Source Freedom of choice! Standardized Linux????? [View all] ballreward Dec 2011 OP

It would stifle the innovation, creativity and forward direction of Linux. Nothing RKP5637 Dec 2011 #1

The various flavors are a good thing. Some have builds for small machines, HopeHoops Dec 2011 #2

How I learned to stop worrying and love the fragmented Linux community TroglodyteScholar Dec 2011 #3

There's good and bad from it jeff47 Dec 2011 #4