News & Views

I recently read an article by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes about Ubuntu application replacements for folks thinking about making the switch from Windows. The title of the article unfortunately used the word "Linux" although the article was specifically about Ubuntu. Of course, this immediately got Linux users upset. In fact, a large number of the article comments centered around why Linux does not equal Ubuntu and why dozens of other distributions are better.

Being somewhat OS-agnostic myself (I dual boot Vista and Ubuntu, but I really like OSX), I see both sides of the "Linux doesn't equal Ubuntu" argument. I don't, however, understand the zealotry and jealousy demonstrated by the Linux users who don't use Ubuntu. True, Ubuntu gets all the press, but that's largely because they have focused a lot of effort on simplifying and smoothing out the entire end user experience for folks considering a move from another OS. Plus, when all is said and done, it is still Linux. In the words of Rodney King, "Why can't we all just get along?"

The truth is, for the majority of people Linux does equal Ubuntu. It is fairly safe to say that Ubuntu is the most heavily-publicized version of Linux in history. Ubuntu is the "media darling" of the Linux world. More non-Linux users know about Ubuntu than any other Linux distribution. They only know about Linux because they know about Ubuntu. In their minds, Linux and Ubuntu are interchangeable terms.

In my opinion, we should just let them think Linux equals Ubuntu. Perhaps we should even encourage it. Before I get any angry comments laced with zealotry, let me explain why I say that.

The masses want simplicity. Distributions add a level of complexity they don't like. The masses don't want to keep track of 100 different distributions to figure out whether a specific program runs on a specific distribution (or specific window manager). Even now, average users don't say, "I use Windows Vista SP1" or "Windows XP SP3." They say, "I use Windows." They want that same level of simplicity when referring to any OS they consider as a replacement for Windows.

To oversimplify, think about it this way. People say they are "Xeroxing" something even when they use other brands of copiers. "Xerox" has become a generic term for photocopying and everyone understands that it doesn't necessarily mean they are using a Xerox copier. When they go to buy accessories for the copier, the salesman may be able to extract more specific details about which brand, but the users really don't care if it is Sharp, Xerox, or Canon. They just call it the "Xerox machine."

Similarly, if the general public uses "Linux" as a generic term when they mean "Ubuntu," we should all just agree to let them do it, because it will benefit us in the long run for one major reason. If we can get lots more folks using Ubuntu, our future chances of getting Linux drivers included in the box with any new hardware purchase will increase dramatically. Getting better drivers quicker is a benefit to all distributions of Linux.

On the other hand, if you push all of those masses away from Linux, the new hardware driver problem will continue forever. If we don't create a much larger installed user base, manufacturers will always develop hardware drivers for Linux as an afterthought (if they develop them at all). I don't think any Linux user wants that to happen, no matter what distribution they prefer.

Let's be honest here. The way the Linux community is currently divided, a seemingly simple statement like "I know a great Linux application" incites a lecture about stating which precise distribution you mean. That lecture is usually followed with a dozen different people arguing about why your distribution isn't as good as the one they use. Another dozen start arguing about why one windowing system is better than another. Eventually no relevant information is being shared at all. It becomes nothing but opinion warfare.

Passionate division like that drives many potential users away. They have too much confrontation in their lives already to use an OS that provokes confrontation from others using a different flavor of the same OS. We should also realize that making fun of people for saying "Linux" when they mean "Ubuntu" drives them away even quicker than bickering amongst ourselves. Who wants to join a group that makes fun of you?

All of which leads me to restate my main point. I believe we should all just agree to let the masses think Linux equals Ubuntu. Call Ubuntu "Linux for the masses" and let them be happy. We should do it for the benefit of all of us. The users get their simplicity. All of us get our quick driver releases. In fact, the only folks who really lose anything will be those who live for anal-retentive semantics.

Labels: Linux, Ubuntu