Red Hat to Enter the Desktop Market 250
head_dunce writes "It looks like Red Hat is going to release their Global Desktop Linux in September and give Ubuntu a challenge for the Linux desktop market. Red Hat Global Desktop 'would be sold with a one-year subscription to security updates.'" It looks like another choice for the proverbial Aunt Tillie. The release is being delayed in order to provide greater media compatibility, "to permit users to view a wide range of video formats on their computers."
Re:Beyond the average user (Score:5, Informative)
1) Attempt to play file
2) codec-buddy pops up and tells you what you need to install
3) Press OK, read applicable legal crap
4) Type in your password to install the software
5) Go!
Re:More choice (Score:5, Informative)
Well, that's true, but I also think that part of the problem is people who create packages that don't understand how to use RPM. I can't tell you how many times I've seen installation instructions that include things like "use --force to bypass the version checking..."
Of course, then we get into how complicated RPM is for normal software developers to use. I mean, just because I write awesome nifty C++ code doesn't mean I'm an expert in RPM. (Nor should it, really.)
What we need is a way for installation configuration to be simplified both for end users and developers. I can't tell you how many times I've churned out some widget to do something and ended up spending more time tweaking installation packages than I did on writing the thing it was installing.
Er.. Red Hat Enterprise Desktop with multimedia? (Score:3, Informative)
What is the news here? Red Hat is in the desktop market already, thought their offering is more geared or at least branded for the enterprise use: Red Hat Enteprise Linux 5 Desktop [redhat.com]. It seems that they are just going to brand their Enterprise Desktop, add some multimedia and maybe a new colorful GNOME theme and call it Global Desktop Linux. Whoah!
The real news in here I would say is that Red Hat is gearing towards other than corporate customers. The question is, is this a defensive maneuver against Canonical or does Red Hat see that the consumer desktop linux market could be opening up? Or is it both? Could be both.
The second question, if they are not doing this purely for playing defense, is how serious they are? Are they so serious that they will maybe make a new multimedia player for Linux, or will they bundle in example iTunes or Real with it, or are they just going to hack up the usual suspects. I really would hope that they have something new to offer, as basically the situation is that multimedia support works but is not plea sent. Peasent here means the same as user experience with iTunes and in less extend Windows Media is.
"LTS" is Long Term Support. (Score:4, Informative)
You can pay for per-incident support from Canonical. Or you can purchase a support contract from them.
Either way, it's as good as what Red Hat is offering
"LTS" is Linux Terminal Server (Score:2, Informative)
Hope This Helps.
Re:"LTS" is Linux Terminal Server (Score:3, Informative)
Re:All I want in a linux distro is... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:A day late and a dollar short. (Score:2, Informative)
Are you telling me that businesspeople are not reading that and are operating under the false assumption that there is accountability with microsoft products?
there is MORE accountability with Ubuntu than there is with windows XP or Vista. Just because most It support companies (Like Next IT, Geek Squad, Geeks on site) have incredibly under trained staff does not mean that they are the only source for support. Before I left comcast we were actively looking for Linux trained and experience, and we were getting lots of people with linux abilities applying. Most of the mpeg2 digital equipment in the head ends runs linux. from the combiners to the routers to the encoders for local off the air. All of it runs linux, which upset the heads of IT quite a bit.
Linux skilled techs exist out there for support, yes they are more expensive than the barely capable larger IT support companies that can install virus scan and spend 2 hours fixing a simple networking issue. but you get what you pay for.
Re:"LTS" is Linux Terminal Server (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.ltsp.org/ [ltsp.org] the core project.
http://www.k12ltsp.org/ [k12ltsp.org] a turnkey setup for schools just add crappy old throw away PC's and you have instant terminals for that one fast server.
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/linu
Implimenting a Linux terminal server environment is 90000% easier than citrix or windows, and is far FAR more stable. Many schools and business use such a setup. Autozone uses Linux terminal server in every store.
Re:Wake Us Up When... (Score:1, Informative)
Ever hear of static linkage? you can compile a binary *without* needing the libraries!!
Ever hear of dynamic linker paths?
you can have *different shared libraries* installed that work
together via some kind of start scripting
which is *not* beyond the capability of commercial vendors
because that is *actually* how mac apps work -
the
with all the required shared libraries built in, not the dependancy on other system resources
as the author states.. usually mac os upgrades are a result of requiring a newer version of
system interfaces not provided in the previous version, not a result of third party dependancy
problems as you state..
sheesh.. FUD city!
Re:Deja Vu (Score:3, Informative)
First, they pionneered three keys Linux distributions improvements: single ISO installer, clean desktop and LiveCD.
People seem to have forgotten that, but back when Ubuntu 4.10 came out, you needed to download *5* ISO to install Fedora (I think you could have gotten away with three if you did the minimal install, but whatever). This was an absolutely horrible experience for Linux first-timer and an important barrier to adoption.
You also have to remember that the Linux desktop in 2004 was quite busy and not very sleek. And quite frankly, Fedora default theme back then was quite ugly (the Gnome/KDE unified theme, cannot remember the name). In contrast, Ubuntu was quite slick, as long as you liked brown. The Gnome-only policy also made it look very well-integrated, and the menus where clear and concise. It was the most Mac-like distro back then.
As for LiveCD, it was really pionneered by Gentoo (credit where due), but I think combined with the two advantages above, significantly contributed to lower the bar for Ubuntu newcomers.
There are other non-obvious reasons why Ubuntu came to dominate the Linux desktop. First and foremost was (and still is) community advocacy. This can be explained by three reasons: a genuinely open development community, a charismatic leader and ShipIt.
The Ubuntu community is, as far as I know, the only Open-Source community that actively try to recruit non-developers and give them the same status as core devs. This made a lot of advocates flock to Ubuntu, as they felt respected and welcomed, where their contribution are considered minor at best (and often seen as distracting or annoying) in other distro's community. These advocate started Local Community Team, got peoples involved in translation and documentation, etc. Democratic and civil community governance mechanisms (the Community Council and the Code of Conduct, among others) kept them under the fold of the community. AFAIK, Ubuntu have been the best and most successful community-building experience in Open-Source.
Leadership is also an important facet of Ubuntu success. Who is the leader of Fedora, or OpenSuse, or Gentoo ? Nobody know outside of their community. A charismatic spokeperson who can make headlines is very useful in spreading the word. And, in Open-Source, a clear leadership is vastly better than a purely democratic and collegial form of governance, which tend to lose focus or spend too much time in unproductive flamewars (witness: Debian). Ubuntu stuck just the right balance of benevolent dictatorship and community governance.
The importance of ShipIt in Ubuntu is fairly obvious. It got Ubuntu in the hands of people who could not have it otherwise. Plus, it's easier to have someone give a spin to Linux if you hand them a nice, professionally made CD with a cool jacket than if you hand them a CD-R with "Fedora CD 1 of 5" scribbled to it. It must have costed Shuttleworth is metric truckload of money to support ShipIt so far, but it bought him the dominant poistion in the market.
There are more reasons why Ubuntu kicked the ass of others Linux distros in the market, but this post is already long enough.
Re:A day late and a dollar short. (Score:2, Informative)
Re:A day late and a dollar short. (Score:4, Informative)
Luckily, Jonathan Corbet did two excellent pieces on this matter on LWN:http://lwn.net/Articles/222773/ [lwn.net] and http://lwn.net/Articles/224244/ [lwn.net]. These show that Red Hat is there in the top with Intel, IBM, Novell and the Linux Foundation. FYI