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Linux distro timeline (image)
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:59 pm
by Isaac
This caught my eye recently. It's just a graph showing the start and end of each linux distro. Of course, since they're all open source, I don't know why these have end dates. And I had no idea there were so many. Enjoy...
[url removed] 327kb
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:06 am
by TechPro
Interesting time line. Thanks.
You'd think that a usually free OS might get adopted like crazy, but no, Linux doesn't manage to make that happen. This time line demonstrates just one of the reasons.
... before anyone accuses me of being in the least anti-linux, be aware that I am a Linux user (I also use Windows and Mac) and I wish Linux was more widely the operating system of choice.
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:21 am
by Sllik
I can relate. I use Linux at home as a jabber server and dev machine, and at work as my workstation of choice for all manner of things, yet I still see many people adopt and prefer other more mainstream operating systems based on comfort level, support from friends or vendors, business requirements, or simple intimidation factor. Ubuntu + Gnome have helped us come a long way, and Compiz has given the Linux community a serious eye candy enticement to lure in new converts (which still smokes Vista's Aero and OSX by a long shot imho), but we still have a ways to go.
And don't get me started on Linux and gaming through Wine instead of native support.
Re:
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:43 pm
by EngDrewman
TechPro wrote:Interesting time line. Thanks.
You'd think that a usually free OS might get adopted like crazy, but no, Linux doesn't manage to make that happen. This time line demonstrates just one of the reasons.
... before anyone accuses me of being in the least anti-linux, be aware that I am a Linux user (I also use Windows and Mac) and I wish Linux was more widely the operating system of choice.
x2
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:03 pm
by TechPro
Today I came across this list of Linux Disto statistics ... interesting.
http://distrowatch.com/stats.php?section=popularity
299 in each column. Even includes info links for each one.
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:19 am
by snoopy
I think the \"end\" dates represent when the distro ceases to be actively maintained.
The problem that Linux has (and open-source software, in general) is that it's stuck in a catch-22. Hardware & Software producers don't make their products for Linux, because there are so few Linux users (and the people that do use it tend to be cheaper and handier than average). As a result, Linux is always playing catch-up with support... because the support effort begins after the product is released- windows has the advantage of being supported (probably quite well) at the time of product release. thus, people get scared off by rumors of support issues. (Which clearly exist, and are solved in varying degrees of speed)
Mac manages to overcome this because they have control over their hardware.
Linux is boned... because it doesn't make business sense to try to support it (small user-base, it will be done for you anyways)... so the average user ends up feeling like they can't trust it. Ubuntu is taking a good whack at this, but it's a big hill to climb because it requires quick response for a long time, until (hopefully) the user base starts to get big enough that companies start to think it's worth it to start supporting it out of the box.
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:23 pm
by AlphaDoG
Thanks for that Link Techy. From there I found this:
http://www.artistx.org/site2/ Looks very useful.
Re:
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 6:19 pm
by Isaac