On Thu, 28 Apr 2011, Samael wrote: > i didn't read the links, but what you wrote was interesting. Just to be clear -- it is an article by Joe Brockmeier and I had nothing to do with writing it. Mike > On Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 12:18 PM, Mike Miller <mbmiller+l at gmail.com> wrote: > >> >> http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/tale-two-distros-slackware-1337-and-ubuntu-11 >> >> NetworkWorld.com Community >> April 28, 2011 >> >> A tale of two distros: Slackware 13.37 and Ubuntu 11.04 released >> >> By Joe Brockmeier >> >> After months of development, one of the most important Linux >> distributions was released today. Of course I'm talking about Slackware >> 13.37 [1]. Oh, and the Ubuntu Project released 11.04 today [2] too " >> though by reading the press release you'd never know Ubuntu was >> actually a Linux distribution. >> >> I kid a bit about Slackware being more important than Ubuntu " but it >> deserves a shout-out today just as much (if not more) than the Ubuntu >> release. Slackware is the longest-running Linux distribution (beating >> Debian by a few months) and was instrumental in putting Linux on the >> map. Other distributions may have eclipsed it in popularity " but >> without Slackware a lot of people might have missed out on Linux. It >> paved the way, and continues to offer Linux for the fun of it [3]. The >> consumer-facing release from Canonical doesn't even mention Ubuntu's >> heritage " positioning 11.04 as a release of "the Ubuntu operating >> system," rather than a Linux distro or giving props to the Debian base >> it's built on. It's OK, what's a little secret between friends? Android >> changed its name when it left the nest too, and it's doing OK. >> >> If you skim through the release notes for Slackware 13.37 [1] or the >> press release for Ubuntu 11.04 [2], it might be hard to believe we're >> essentially talking about the same operating system. Despite >> differences in user interface, management tools, and default >> applications Slackware and Ubuntu still share most of the software they >> depend on " the Linux kernel, the GNU utilities, X.org, and so on. But >> from there, they diverge quite a bit. >> >> Whereas Ubuntu 11.04 is going out into the world with a revamped >> desktop interface and a lot of features designed to simplify using >> Linux, Slackware offers a very similar installer and management tools >> that it did in 1993 " which is to say, very minimal tools. >> >> This is Linux's weakness and strength. If you could channel all of the >> work that goes into various Linux distributions into one project, it >> would be unstoppable. It would also be unbelievable, because the nature >> of open source means that everybody can (and will) do their own thing. >> Some days, it seems like a shame " but the ability to do your own thing >> means that Linux can satisfy the needs of the many, and the few. >> Slackware Linux may not be for everybody, but neither is Ubuntu [4] " >> and it'd be a damn shame if we only had one or the other. >> >> It's OK if Canonical wants to distance Ubuntu from Linux when it does >> the marketing thing, and try to jazz up the user interface in yet >> another attempt to conquer the desktop (and presumably other consumer >> devices). Maybe they'll succeed where others (many others) have failed. >> Meanwhile, we still have Slackware keeping the faith and providing its >> audience with the no-frills Linux experience that the "leet" still >> love. >> >> >> Links: >> >> [1] http://slackware.com/announce/13.37.php >> >> [2] http://www.canonical.com/content/ubuntu-transforms-your-pc-experience >> >> [3] https://lwn.net/Articles/434815/ >> >> [4] http://www.linuxjournal.com/video/unity-3-rants-and-tip