≡ Ubuntu, what is it? Some different viewpoints
On October 27, 2007, the Dutch Ubuntu community had it’s Gutsy Release Party. I was privileged to give a presentation about Ubuntu there. This article is a reflection of that presentation. I have translated both the talk and the slides into English. The slides are available for download here. Enjoy the read, but beware, it’s a lengthy piece.
Introduction
The organizing committee for the Dutch Gutsy Release Party indicated that the theme of the presentation should be “Ubuntu, what is it?”. The initial response was to create a presentation that describes all current and new features of Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon. But with an audience of people that is already working and playing with Ubuntu it becomes something different. We in the evangelizing business call it ‘preaching the gospel to the believers’. I decided to take the liberty to have a more liberal approach to the question: “Ubuntu, what is it?”. It led to five different angles that each provide a piece of the answer and that’s what I want to discuss this afternoon.
The first angle: Understanding the historical roots
Well, as someone who spend some time as a history major, it is almost second nature to look back in time and we have to make sure that Ubuntu understands and recognizes it’s heritage. That heritage can be tracked back to Unix, a multi-user and mult-tasking operating system. One of Unix’s characteristics is the use of small, specific programs to take care of separate tasks (slide 3).
In the early 1990s the family was extended along two different branches. The BSD family sprang from the effort to free the operating system by ‘reprogramming’ those elements in Unix that were encumbered by any form of restrictive license. This makes BSD a truly Unix-like operating system. We can put the birth of Linux in the same time frame. Linux was a new operating system, albeit heavily inspired by it’s Unix past (slide 4).
These new developments coincided with the release of Windows 3.0 (slide 6). Because of this it is still strange to see articles that describe Linux as a system developed to ‘attack’ the monopoly of Windows on the desktop. Linux, BSD and Windows have co-existed for almost their entire lives.
The historical record leading up to Ubuntu is also a record of people, of individuals with a clear vision on the development of software and the society at large. Richard Stallman deserves it’s place in the history of the free sofware movement. Through the Free Software Foundation he emphatically promotes the four freedoms of software use, which form the foundation of the GPL license:
- the freedom to use the software for any purpose
- the freedom to study the software and adapt it to your needs
- the freedom to distribute the software
- the freedom to improve the software and pass these improvements on to others
For Stallman the choice for free software isn’t as much a technological choice, but a moral decision. If a certain function can not be taken care of by free software, the decision should be made not to have access to that function and not - not even temporarily - make use of non-free software to take care of the problem. (slide 6)
Linus Torvalds (slide 7) developed the kernel of a new operating system that would be called Linux. He decided to release the kernel under the GPL license. Strange enough this - together with the concurrent rise of the largescale use of the internet - gave rise to revolutionary movement in the field of software development and use. The key principle became ‘release quick, release often’: to release developed software as soon as possible, including the source code, as to allow other developers and users to review, test, comment and improve it. The internet allowed for the rise and growth of virtual developers communities. (slide 8 )
When it comes to this kind of heritage overviews, Ian Murdock is often left out. Unjustly so. He initiated the Debian project. This project aims at developing and maintaining a completely free operating system. The Debian Social Contract enhances the four software freedoms by providing specific definitions and guidelines for practical use. When the Mozilla Foundation restricted the rights on the use of the name and logo of Firefox and Thunderbird, the Debian developers - guided by the DSC- decided that these programs could no longer be considered free. This resulted in two alternative programs: IceWeazel and IceDove.
Whatever we may think of this, one fact remains: the Debian project is the largest single independent softwareproject with almost 19.000 packages in the software repositories. The project has a strong focus on stability. The major criticism is that the development of Debian is glacial, extremely slow. (slide 9)
Our tour in history finally brings us to Mark Shuttleworth (slide 10). He was the founder of Thawte, a company focused on the security of the still your internet. The company was sold for a nice sum. What would you do when you have a serious amount of cash? Of course, you start pursuing your dreams. For Mark Shuttleworth that meant a trip to space.
More important in this context was the decision to found Canonical and use it to create and promote a new Linux distribution, Ubuntu. The notion of Ubunu stems from Africa and has a wide application. According to Desmond Tute, archbishop of the Anglican Church in South-Africa and one of the major opponents in the era of Apartheid, Ubuntu means the following:
“A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”
Ubuntu the Linux distribution sees the light in October 2004 (slide 11). Every six months after that a new release appeared.
When we consider history, the roots of Ubuntu, we see more than just a technological revolution. Ubuntu is the result of a moral philosophy with powerful elements that aim at improving the society around us. In essence, the keyword of Linux is not ‘gratis’ (free), but freedom. (slide 12)
The second angle: What do you get?
Even though the Ubuntu desktop is familiar territory for most, we will still have a brief look (slide 13). Ubuntu is a Linux distribution with a balanced default set of application. OpenOffice.org, Totem Mediaplayer, Evolution, Firefox and Pidgin should be enough for most to get started. Besides that Ubuntu made it possible to install new programs via a simple graphical tool. Whatever the end user might want to do - video, photo or audio editing, programming, communication, design, anything - it is only a few mouse clicks away.
The third angle: The heart of it’s own ecosystem
The third angle takes back into time again (slide 14). The world of Unix was less structured than many would have wanted. There was not one main Unix version, but various concurrent versions, each with it’s own requirements and peculiarities. You couldn’t just take software from one version and install it on the other. At least, if you were an average, common user.
The BSD family got off to a better start and limited the family to three members: FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD. You can see some later projects derived from FreeBSD, but these projects kept and keep on using the FreeBSD repositories.
Linux on the other hand isn’t doing much better than Unix. The world of Linux is littered with distributions and you can’t just take a piece of software from one distribution and install it on the other. The principle: “If you have an itch, you scratch it”, can be blamed for this. It is both the strength and the weakness of Linux. (slide 15)
Ubuntu appears to overcome this weakness. To describe Ubuntu’s strength in this I borrowed a motto from the realm of Star Trek: “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations”. Meaning, sometimes it is sufficient to re-arrange various components to get the result you want, instead of creating something new.
Do you like Ubuntu, but prefer to work with a different graphical work environment? No problem (slide 16). The derivatives Kubuntu (KDE) en Xubuntu (Xfce) are waiting to serve you, along with Fluxbuntu (Fluxbox) and Geubuntu (Enlightenment). Do you wish a more specifically tailored distribution, for instances for christians or muslims? Already there (slide 17). Everyone who wants to can build an Ubuntu derivative with specific qualities without breaking compatibility with the Ubuntu software repositories. In my opinion Ubuntu is breaking a trend in the Linux tradition (slide 18) with this. This practice - developing an ecosystem of various, more niche oriented derivatives around a single set of software repositories - brings it very close to the practice in the world of BSD.
The fourth angle: More than just another Linux distribution
Ubuntu is a user friendly Linux distribution, that much will most people agree upon. However, this fact in itself is insufficient in explaining the popularity of Ubuntu. It is not the only user friendly Linux distribution (slide 19). Still, Ubuntu rises above them all. Let’s compare Ubuntu to some other distributions using Google Trends (slide 20).
The picture is clear enough. In the worldwide playground that is the internet the attention for Ubuntu continues to climb. The attention for the other distribution is kind of constant, even declining somewhat. Of course, this doesn’t say anything about actual use, but the trend is telling us something.
Anyhow. The world of Linux is small, very small and compared to some major social issues Ubuntu must pale, don’t you think? Well, you be the judge. I checked Google Trends for various major issues in the Netherlands over the last few years, in this case politicians that have shaped and are still shaping the political debate and landscape. Like Ayaan Hirsi Ali (slide 22), Rita Verdonk (slide 23), Balkenende (slide 24) en Geert Wilders (slide 25). Even though these people make headlines in the traditional media, online they have to bow for Ubuntu.
Let’s get back into the safer world of ICT. How does Ubuntu compare to Apple, for instance? The next slide (27) gives an indication. Okay, I admit. Had I used iPod as a comparative term the picture would have been much different. What is striking in this picture is the trend for Linux. You sometimes hear the complaint that Ubuntu has become the synonym for Linux. A magazine like Linux Format almost exclusively uses Ubuntu screenshots to support it’s articles. Google Trends shows that attention for Linux in general is declining, where Ubuntu keeps on attracting more attention. So, yes, there is a basis for the complaint, but should we blame Ubuntu for it?
In all fairness, Windows XP is the operating system that rules the desktop and compared to that Ubuntu is but a small, very small fish. Maybe. It is true the online attention for Windows XP has been bigger than for Ubuntu (slide 29). Untill recently. Just take a good look at the right end of the trend line. You will notice that attention for Ubuntu surpasses that for XP now.
The most beautiful picture is the next one (slide 30): Ubuntu versus Windows Vista. According to Google Trends Ubuntu has been a more important phenomenon than Windows Vista. When taking a closer look at the Netherlands we see something interesting as well (slide 31). The major metropolitan areas are not trend setting as regards Ubuntu, with the exception of Delft which has a poly-technical univerisity within it’s borders.
On a side note: Ubuntu versus PCLinuxOS
One issue that kept part of the Linux world busy in the last six months is the rising popularity of PCLinuxOS on Distrowatch and the loud noise that PCLinuxOS is really the most user friendly disitribution. Well, Google Trends seems to disagree (slide 33). What explains the difference between the Distrowatch ranking and this?
I will just give my opinion. Distrowatch is a great website, but maybe not the first stop-over for novice Linux users or interested ones. Most visitors are probably either working with Linux or have a more than casual interest in it. Google on the other is a more familiar portal for real novices.
Anyway, looking at the overall perspective it appears that the shifts in the use of the various Linux distributions are actually shifts between the distributions. A rise in one distribution takes place at the expense of others. Ubuntu appears to be the only distribution that can attract new groups of users on a larger and consistently growing scale (or at least able to draw their attention) (slide 35).
The fifth angle: It’s contribution to W2L migration
Now this is more my area of interest, W2L migration. Or, the promotion of the use of open source desktops instead of Windows. What is needed to help Windows users to make the decision to move to an open source desktop? Before answering that question I will provide three statements (slide 37):
Statement 1
Achieving W2L migration is no longer dependent on necessary innovations and improvements in the operating system and the software. The current level of Linux is more than sufficient for the majority of current Windows users and their use of the computer.
Statement 2
Achieving W2L migration is not stimulated by adding new features, bleeding edge developments and gimmicks.
Statement 3
Most current Linux distributions are not or only to a certain degree suitable in their contribution to achieving W2L migration.
I am truly convinced that most functions that end users need and use on a day to day base can be taken care of by open source software today. Waiting for another round of improvements and innovations is senseless from the perspective of W2L migration promotion. I know and I can hear some people clamoring already, pointing to specific examples where the open source desktop is not an option. But truly, most of those examples apply to a limited group of users anyway.
The second statement has been proven by Microsoft itself. Windows Vista is nothing more than a package of gimmicks for most users. Even with it’s virtual monopolistic powers Microsoft isn’t able to force feed it to end users. In my opinion it shows of how limited the value is of all the innovations in eye candy on the operating systems in 2007.
The third statement requires somewhat more explanation. Why can we say that Linux as a whole has reached a sufficient level of maturity for an open source desktop, but are most Linux distribution not suitable for W2L migration?
I use seven criteria to determine whether a Linux distribution can be used within a W2L migration strategy (slides 38 en 39):
(1) the open source desktop needs to have a recognizable and easily understandable graphical work environment;
(2) the open source desktop should have a complete set of graphical tools for systems- and software management that can be used intuitively;
(3) the open source desktop should support multimedia activities and peripheral devices without too much hassle, even if this can only be achieved by a pragmatic approach towards non-free software components;
(4) the users of the open source desktop should have access to business-grade professional support if that is desired;
(5) maintaining and developing the open source desktop should not be dependent on a single person or a relatively small group of developers and maintainers;
(6) migration to the open source desktop will require re-training of end users and some level of real time support during the process. This means that good and accessible documentation should be at hand as well as easy access to end user support;
(7) the open source desktop should have a solid track record for quality, stability and solid progress over the last few years.
Feel free to debate this criteria, but on the basis of these I can select max three Linux distributions that can be used in W2L migration:
- Ubuntu
- Novell/Suse/OpenSuse
- Red Hat/ Fedora
I am inclined to the add the cluster FreeBSD/PC-BSD/DesktopBSD as a fourth candidate to the list. There are some very interesting things going on in the world of BSD that can make FreeBSD an accessible and easy to use desktop for end users. It might take another year, but once it matures you have an extremely solid open source desktop.
In summary
The question: “Ubuntu, what is it?” can be answered from different perspectives. Ubuntu is a:
- a user friendly open source desktop, that
- combines the notion of software freedom with the realization that we hae a personal responsibility to improve the lives of the people around us.
It is also
- a set of developer and end user communities that cooperate to help novice users with their new operating system.
- an example of a successful Linux distribution that combines the strength of Linux developer traditions with those of the BSD world.
In the end, Ubuntu is to most of us a great toy that continuously stimulates the growth of new knowledge and skills. I wish you a lot of fun with that.
Dowload the Ubuntu GRP presentation here
