cross-platform virus

[Alexander Jacob Tsykin]

On Wednesday 12 April 2006 06:33, Alan McKinnon wrote:
> On Tuesday 11 April 2006 16:18, Sasha Tsykin wrote:
> > > What measurements and studies have you conducted or consulted to
> > > be in a position to say that 'they just leave it and say "isn't
> > > that a crap distro."' That looks like an awfully big assumption
> > > on your part.
> >
> > taling to them, and personal experience. The first time I used
> > Ubuntu I abandoned it because I couldn't figure out how to gain
> > root privileges.
>
> So you have anecdotal evidence. How many users? Provide an integral
> number please.
>
I do not have numbers. I did not run a research paper. Why not conduct a 
survey?
> > >> Furthermore, many major Linux distributions provide these sorts
> > >> of choices, eg. Fedora.
> > >
> > > What exactly do you mean by this? What would you like Ubuntu to
> > > change? Minimal/Server/Dev/Desktop install choices are
> > > nonsensical in the light of the core Ubuntu philosophy
> >
> > how?
>
> Ubuntu gives you a desktop with what the devs consider to be the best
> apps in each given category. No confusion, no wondering what else to
> install. It's intended to give an average user the apps they are
> liable to need. Opinions differ as to whether the apps supplied
> really are the best choice, but the intent is to provide a desktop
> that is immediately usable by most users.
>
yes, but there are apps which an enterprise user might find incredibly useful, 
like Gnucash which are not installed, and there are apps which many home 
users will never use, like Gimp. Provide categories. A one-size-fits-all is 
rarely the best approach. The Ubuntu devs would do better to offer a number 
of choices, each tailored to a specific situation.
> However, if you need a development box, then it's a cinch you know how
> to apt-get so that's left up to you. If you need a server-type
> install, then you get to apt-get all the stuff you need.
>
IF you are trying to make a server or a development box, chances are you know 
exactly what programs you need and how to get them, so its not really these 
people that need their own category, and putting all the -dev packages on the 
CD might blow out the size too much.
> There's no need to provide several choices of install types, the OS
> wasn;t designed with those goals in mind.
>
It was designed with ease of use in mind. If you can make it easier for people 
to start up without any apps they don't need and with all the ones they do, 
then why not? Seems that not providing choices violates the Ubuntu 
philosophy.

Sasha