Technology

I hate Ubuntu. I immediately lose respect for anyone who runs it, and especially those who advocate it. Here’s why:

Name 20 features, release-for-release or year-for-year that have not come from Redhat. Redhat basically runs the show when it comes to Linux. This includes things like NetworkManager, Gnome, Xorg, GCC, glibc, LVM, KVM, kernel, file systems et al. Redhat has developers making significant contributions to the entire FOSS software stack upstream.

Ubuntu on the other hand pulls most of the heavy weight packaging from Debian with each release. They then perform minor patching and testing. It generally lags behind Fedora by a release or two in parts of the software stack. I never see @ubuntu or @cannocial email addresses in upstream changelogs.

So tell me again, how exactly does Ubuntu innovate? They even struggle to release a new theme with each release, and artwork is about the only original thing in Ubuntu.

Yes, Ubuntu is stable because they are standing on the shoulders of giants. Most of the hard work is hashed out before they ever import software into their repositories. This is fine, and what FOSS is all about, but I prefer to be in with the leaders rather than the followers.

What really irks me and what has really brewed my hatred are Ubuntu users. They seem to think Ubuntu is responsible for all that is good in the FOSS world. I have just proven how false this is. In my experience, Ubuntu support mechanisms (IRC, mailing lists, forums) are much less helpful than the alternative.

If you want a nice desktop distro, run Fedora or OpenSUSE. If you like control, run Gentoo. If you need stability, run RHEL/CentOS or Debian. But please, don’t feed the idiot magnet that is Ubuntu!