Bringing The PackageKit Interface To Ubuntu

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Bringing The PackageKit Interface To Ubuntu

The PackageKit DBus Interface is coming to Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, but it's not full PackageKit support and integration...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTAxNzU

[zoomblab]

No systemd is a deal breaker for me!

I was really hopping that they would, eventually, adopt this powerful framework that brings linux into the 21 century. Instead they decided to wrap up their existing implementation with systemd interfaces. Upstart's architecture is hugely inferior compared to systemd. I hope they 'll chenge their minds after 12.04 LTS is out.

[DaemonFC]

They're careful not to tell the whole truth, that their software center is all about proprietary software and imposing and enforcing DRM.

[droidhacker]

This is just more of ubuntu's way of doing things;
take everything you can, but give nothing back.

They ABSOLUTELY should work to add features to packagekit, rather than just ripping off the parts of it they like and adding it to their proprietary garbage. Shame on ubuntu.

[timofonic]

They're careful not to tell the whole truth, that their software center is all about proprietary software and imposing and enforcing DRM.

It seems they are promoting paid apps, because it gives more revenues to them than just packaging stuff taken from FOSS (and mostly canibalized from Debian project, remember when Mark was just a Debian developer?). Their Ubuntu Software Center is becoming more like App Store and Android Market, they follow the same path.

People must be VERY careful with projects like a Linux distribution, because those are platforms and they can hide secondary interests (and they do it most of the time).

Ubuntu needs competition, current projects like Debian should support equivalent solutions and also learn from them in the marketing stuff (but please be more cool and less cheesy).

[Hamish Wilson]

Ubuntu needs competition, current projects like Debian should support equivalent solutions and also learn from them in the marketing stuff (but please be more cool and less cheesy).

I do not think that a lack of competition is the problem, there are many options and there always have been, though you may have a point about the marketing in the sense that many Ubuntu users seem ignorant that there are other options.

Strangely enough, Linux Mint may actually help with this, even though it started out as simply Ubuntu repackaged with some minor aesthetic and very marginal functional differences. With it getting more popular, all distributions might benefit because it will help break the Ubuntu hegemony delusion.

I would never have guessed it either, but there it is...

[timofonic]

I do not think that a lack of competition is the problem, there are many options and there always have been, though you may have a point about the marketing in the sense that many Ubuntu users seem ignorant that there are other options.

Strangely enough, Linux Mint may actually help with this, even though it started out as simply Ubuntu repackaged with some minor aesthetic and very marginal functional differences. With it getting more popular, all distributions might benefit because it will help break the Ubuntu hegemony delusion.

I would never have guessed it either, but there it is...

I did made a point being only a secondary comment of my opinion in this news, that's a nice casuality

Did you read yourself? Do you understand the common denominator behind all this Linux Distro Wars? Both Ubuntu and Linux Mint aren't the givers to the community, but they cannibalize other manpower from other projects and show it with their own brand, like having two milkshakes being the same but the only with a ribbon on it sells more.

We live in a world full of stupid consumers, full of shit from the absurd consumerism produced by the modern capitalism . This means products need to be not only better, but also look better. People is lazy and stupid, they aren't able to investigate properly for choosing a product (few people are members of consumerist/users associations or have a strongly developed criteria with at least enough knowledge for it). This is of course a simplification and exageration, of course

Red Hat is a nice example. While they are sometimes a bunch of bastards too (those giant patches to make lifes of RHEL clones worse plus other tactics), they contribute strongly in the Linux ecosystem in different ways (hired developers and helping to make standards). While they can do some stuff too bad occasionally, they contribute proactivelly and follow the true Free Software philosophy (or most of it).

What about Canonical? A former Debian developer that got millonaire from dotcom and son of an astronaut that wants to the the Steve Jobs of Linux? He's even too unoriginal, but he lacks another egocentrically insane ego to compete in the same race. He needs proper competence.

So what we need? An anti-Jo...Shuttleworth? Maybe, but please be properly styled and a nice face! He also needs a proper sense of humour, properly skilled in the technology (a good developer with years of experience but with marketing background, for example), irony, bright personality and eloquence.

I think older Linux distributions need to reinvent themselves. Not by changing their philosophies but improving their marketing and end-user experience. Big projects like Debian could make desktop oriented forks. Smaller projects could stay in their interesting and specialized niches (distros like Archlinux, Gentoo, Exherbo, OpenWRT and tons more) and merging with bigger projects when adecuate (when there are enough common interests and tasks can be shared from the infraestructure).


What about this? Does it benefit the original projects or just take resources without a proper feedback? I would like a proper and detailed opinion about this from some veteran and skilled person from the community:

-Debian
-- Ubuntu
-- Linux Mint
-- aptosid
-- Vyatta


- Gentoo
-- Sabayon Linux
--Tin Hat
--VidaLinux
(Exherbo is a philosophy fork with a framework replacing Portage, so not belongs here)

- Archlinux
-- Chakra

- Fedora
-- Fusion Linux
-- Xange

What do we have? Cool projects, but most of them have bad marketable names. Of course this is more important for desktop (aka end user) oriented distros than specialized ones (security, embedded...).

[DaemonFC]

It seems they are promoting paid apps, because it gives more revenues to them than just packaging stuff taken from FOSS (and mostly canibalized from Debian project, remember when Mark was just a Debian developer?). Their Ubuntu Software Center is becoming more like App Store and Android Market, they follow the same path.

People must be VERY careful with projects like a Linux distribution, because those are platforms and they can hide secondary interests (and they do it most of the time).

Ubuntu needs competition, current projects like Debian should support equivalent solutions and also learn from them in the marketing stuff (but please be more cool and less cheesy).

There's nothing wrong with making money.

I do find the DRM in the Ubuntu store more offensive than the proprietary software though. Can't they compete with Apple without stooping to abusing their users the same way Apple does?

[curaga]

Could you link to something explaining the Ubuntu software center drm? Google claimed it doesn't have any.

[Kivada]

It seems they are promoting paid apps, because it gives more revenues to them than just packaging stuff taken from FOSS (and mostly canibalized from Debian project, remember when Mark was just a Debian developer?). Their Ubuntu Software Center is becoming more like App Store and Android Market, they follow the same path.

People must be VERY careful with projects like a Linux distribution, because those are platforms and they can hide secondary interests (and they do it most of the time).

Ubuntu needs competition, current projects like Debian should support equivalent solutions and also learn from them in the marketing stuff (but please be more cool and less cheesy).

What is this "Software Center"? I only use Synaptics or GDebi to install software.

If you think apt-get is an acceptable method for the masses please go back to eating lead paint chips.

Furthermore, every major desktop distro should have a store for proprietary software, if for nothing more to try and make some revenue for upkeep and advancement. Just look at the Steam clones that have started carrying the dreaded closed source*LE GASP* game for Linux, they stand to make quite a profit hawking closed source games made by usually 1-3 guys that guys that where both creative and skilled, which apparently is a combo that is incompatible with OSS game development judging by the dozens of clones of dirt simple games like Tetris or Breakout or going no further then cloning Quake 3 death match... No, Tremulous is no better since apparently nobody bothered to rip off the obvious Aliens/Aliens VS Predator series style gameplay or style. Hell Alien Arena should extend their cornballing to at least the level of OttoMatic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5Uyx3mzYWA