A recent official post on the Ubuntu Forums asks users to complete a survey with the applications they would like to see in upcoming version of Ubuntu...
Full story »A recent official post on the Ubuntu Forums asks users to complete a survey with the applications they would like to see in upcoming version of Ubuntu...
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Ubuntu87
14 years 14 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago
I think this would be a good thing.
Okay, although I'm against proprietary software, I still think that giving people who need or want to use some proprietary software the ability to run it on Linux would be a very good step in the right direction.
I mean, at least this should help at shutting the mouths that keep yapping about Linux not supporting their favorite software.
This way, we can at least be able to drive more people further away from Windows, and Microsoft, and closer to their Freedom!
For example, wouldn't it sound much better to hear an Engineering student running something like AutoCad or Matlab on Ubuntu Linux, instead of Windows?
stargrave
14 years 14 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago
Re: I think this would be a good thing
I can not agree with you. The main reason is the question: why do you need GNU/Linux or any other free operating system and software? For me, I can see two reasons:
* superior technical power and advancement of most free operating systems (mainly because of their *NIX nature and strong development and/or automatization tools)
* their free software nature. Ethic, social and moral side.
As for free software movement: running proprietary software under GNU/Linux or FreeBSD has nothing good. Why is it better? By what is it better?
From technical point of view: again, there is nothing good in running proprietary software under free OSes. Furthermore -- emulating software like AutoCAD or MatLab is self-sadistic.
I have never understood people running well-known proprietary software under Ubuntu (for example) and shouting that they did something cool, they are progressing and support open source or free software movements.
Moreover, I will give my appreciation to people trying to run exactly free software instead of non-free one. I mean, using QCad instead of AutoCAD, Octave instead of MatLab, Maxima instead of MathCad and so on -- even under Windows, but they, most time, really understand free software value and just can not temporarily install free OS because of hardware or working conditions (company's politics/rules or family that does not understand free software supporter).
OS is not a tool to primarily work with. For most users it is just yet another environment to run their work instruments -- those programs where they spent all time. Of course, programmers/developers have slightly another OS usage, but it is another question.
So, the value of those Wine-emulatable installations and running is zero. It is nothing for free software movement, nothing for gaining good morale and ethics and social relationship between people. And technically it is, in my opinion, silly.
Ubuntu87
14 years 14 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago
I agree with you 100% sir.
Yes, that's 100% true.
In fact, what you said is exactly what I believe.
I personally hate to see people running proprietary software.
It even feels disgusting to me, to be honest with you.
However, in the place where I live, you can easily find people how are (or claim to be) IT students (or worse: IT instructors/professors), whom when asked why they dislike GNU/Linux, you'll simply hear something like: "Well, because it's so damn geeky, complicated, and can't run any damn kind of software!!"
Moreover, most IT students, or even Engineering students, are required to use some certain kinds of software in some courses, not necessarily because it's good software, but simply because this is the software that is being taught to them, and they are not allowed to use anything else.
So, basically, what I'm trying to get to here, is that these kinds of people can't be converted completely into using 100% Free Software in one single step. Let us at least try to help them in making Free Software more able to fulfill their needs, and run the kinds of software that they need.
And then, in the next step, when they are finally convinced that Free Software can actually be counted on, we will try to convince them to try out Free Software alternatives to their current proprietary ones. And by that time, trust me, it would be much easier for us to answer the "Why should I do that?" question.
stargrave
14 years 14 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago
Re: I agree with you 100% sir
However, in the place where I live, you can easily find people how are (or claim to be) IT students (or worse: IT instructors/professors), whom when asked why they dislike GNU/Linux, you'll simply hear something like: "Well, because it's so damn geeky, complicated, and can't run any damn kind of software!!"
Well, it is true -- there are many people like those described above. Maybe they should be listened too to satisfy them, but I think thoughts like that (too geeky and so on) means that people do not know about free software and/or it is not the main aim. I prefer to tell them about free software and it's benefits, instead of trying to satisfy them by allowing any kinds of software to be able to run.
Moreover, most IT students, or even Engineering students, are required to use some certain kinds of software in some courses...
Hm... being student myself too (in aviation institute -- so I have to run really great quantity of different software) I wanted to disagree again :-) at first, as I really have never used any kind of proprietary software there. But after remembering by what price I achieved that, I agree that sometimes temporarily it is better to run non-free software (of course if you can trust it). I had to find free software equivalents to proprietary ones; had to learn them too, as nearly always they differ slightly; had to explain why I will use only that equivalents to teachers; several times had to write own implementation (some modeling as a rule) from scratch... well, I would understand if someone will hate FOSS after everything of that.