Open letter to the Linux scene
Since some times I’m thinking about a couple of things I’d like to tell to the whole Linux World. I chose to tell them from my blog: I hope that my english will not penalize too much the readability of my ideas.
“Dear Linux“,
I esteem you very much: since several years, you’re the only and real alternative to Microsoft Windows (and to Apple OS). A free alternative, the result of an intensive collaboration between thousands of international open source developers.
You’re already famous to be a wonderful server platform: Linux and Apache are spread and worldwide appreciated; the launch of the most recent distro’s (like Ubuntu, of course) demonstrated that Linux is ready to be a plausible desktop system.
BUT.
But after all those efforts, after every try to transform Linux to make it look like a “normal” operating system, for home use… there’s always something wrong.
Everytime I read debates on web forums between Windows and Linux users I ask to myself the reason why Linux developers don’t do that final step. Why don’t you want to change those (not many) details that prevent final users to approach this great operating system?
I made a list of 3 things to do… to make Linux become an easy desktop system. I’m sorry, I’m not a developer (I’m just able to code scripts for web pages).
Please do them for me. Please do them for us 
1. Software installation
Linux OS installation is usually easy, at least like Windows (sometimes Linux is quicker!). How can it be possible that, if I want to install a new application that isn’t included by default (in Synaptic, etc…) I still have to type hard-to-remember commands?
Same discourse about editing repositories lists (do you call this “intuitive”?); I deliberately omit the hypothesis about self-compiling from sources.
I saw that (recently) there was some efforts in this way (Autopackage). It’s imperative to make this (or a similar one) the default installation platform for Linux desktop systems.
Stop waiting users to learn how to install Linux binaries, they will not do it. They’re only waiting to do double-click on an icon and to see a wizard.
2. System Setup
Yesterday I was playing with a new install of Kubuntu: in the control panel there is a lot of options: I can customize every small corner of my desktop, from the look of the windows to the number of virtual desktops.
Unfortunately, I can’t change resolution of the screen to 1440×900 (my monitor is a 16:10) because the res selector show me only 640×480, 800×600 and 1024×768. I had to change manually the config file of the Window manager to add this resolution… after a reboot it was perfect. Why it didn’t appear in the control panel?
Do you expect that a person without good general experience with computers will understand that he has to open a terminal window, type sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf, scroll to “Screen” section of the text file, add its custom resolution, save and reboot?
I remember that, when I had a CRT monitor, I spent about 45 minutes to search informations on the Internet about how to raise screen refresh from 60Hz to 85Hz. THIS is an important part of a good control panel, people need this: icons, colours and windows transparency can wait.
Any ordinary setting that an average user would want to change must be accessible by windows/buttons/sliders, using the mouse. Microsoft Windows does it, why Linux can’t?
3. Drivers
… see point 1. Newest Linux distributions are very good with hardware recognition: I installed Kubuntu on my home PC and it dectected more peripherals than Windows. But if a single device is not automatically recognized during first install, it’s the end.
Driver installation must be easy as installing an application in Windows: download a file from the web, double click on it and follow instructions.
In addiction: we know that Linux is penalized by hardware manufacturers, and often single developers release home-made drivers for devices that aren’t officially supported. It’s important to create a global repository of drivers on the Web, to let users save time and find the most part of their drivers in a single place.
You can say that I’m polemic. You can say also that I’m rude and ungrateful, but this isn’t the sense of my post. I wrote this open letter because I find ironic to have a so good and FREE operating system like Linux is, and to see it incomplete.
The features I talked about above are so easy to implement (for skiled persons like Linux developers are). Add them to Linux and I promise you that it will start its hyke to Windows monopoly.
February 6th, 2007
OK, these three points have simple answers for why things are the way they are.
1. Software Installation:
OK, so you want software to be installed from an easy to manage interface. Makes sense, but no single system can have every package in the world available. So the best thing you can do is take the existing systems you mention and package a few more items for it. There is no need to create a new system, the only need is more packagers. And packaging isn’t hard. If you can write web scripts, you can make packages for most applications.
2. System Setup:
OK, this is even easier than the first item. If you want your devices to be correctly detected you need to make sure that for any device that is incorrectly detected, you submit the correct configuration items and hardware identification to the appropriate projects (such as kudzu or libdiscover). They will add as much as they can, but they can’t own every possible combination of hardware so it takes help from users.
In your case, its a matter of recognizing the video card and the monitor to make the appropriate resolutions are available. So there are two items but still something that can be done by someone of your skills.
3. Drivers:
OK, at first this seems the most complicated. Very few of us are able to write drivers. Yet, there is something we can all do. We can start by buying hardware from companies that already produce Linux drivers to reward them for their efforts. Or if you do have an unsupported device, send a letter to the company saying that you will not purchase from them again until Linux is supported. If enough customers complain, the businesses will respond.
Three problems and three solutions that anyone can do. Even a web monkey.
So get off your ass and contribute.
February 6th, 2007
1. Software installation. Ubuntu has gdebi (for double-click installation), add/remove (for easy installation from repos) and synaptic (if you’ve forgotten how to use apt). Of course having one standard for all distros would be nice, but it won’t happen (you can make something like autopackage, but all distributions will not include it by default).
2. System Setup. Windows also doesn’t make all modes available by default. Solution would be to add “Manual” button when you could select from list of many possible modes or even enter data manually.
3. Drivers. Having open source drivers is really big advantage. They can be adapted to whatever you want and you don’t have to wait for hardware vendors to release new driver for your new os. Why not to make easy drivers installation? This question has been answered numerous times: if you have open source driver, send it to kernel dev’s, they will add it to kernel.