Ubuntu, where are you going?
My laptop got a new harddrive, so I took the opportunity to do a clean Linux install. After an uneventful installation, Ubuntu 10.10 greeted me with a password dialog for my "default" keychain when I wanted to connect to my WPA2-protected WLAN. Unfortunately, my login password an an empty password didn't work. It took me some time to figure out where this keychain is coming from and how to deal with the problem.
This was the last straw for me. I used to love Ubuntu because many things "just work". But I am getting the feeling that Ubuntu is focusing more and more on fancy user interface gimmicks instead of stability and functionality. Mark Shuttleworth even announced that Ubuntu should move away from the traditional X server towards wayland, a software in an early stage of development that I never heard of before. Reason: "super-smooth graphics and effects (Mark Shuttleworth)". WTF?
Now it seems to me that Ubuntu is on the way of losing all three kinds of Linux users:
- Newbies, who just want to try things out or found a pre-installed Linux on their device. They will be deterred by strange bugs like the default keychain one.
- Linux enthusiasts who like to play with their system. They would probably prefer a distribution with more real choices. And Ubuntu is really focusing hard on their "default" flavor, leaving Kubuntu and Xubuntu (and in the future "Gubuntu" with an original Gnome desktop instead of Unity) more and more behind.
- Professional Linux users who do their daily work on Linux. They just want to have a working, efficient desktop 24/7, 365 days a year. And they certainly don't want to be guinea pigs for new technology that doesn't deliver advantages to them.
Well, I got rid of Ubuntu 10.10 and I'm giving Debian a try. Works like a charm so far...
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