Yet another Linux Distro?
When are there going to be too many Linux distributions?
Not yet, apparently. According to this article on Wired News, Bruce Perens, an open-source “guru”, is backing a new Linux distro, called, UserLinux. Apparently, with Red Hat getting out of the user desktop business, Mr. Perens thinks there’s a real need for a good desktop distro. He, along with a number of Linux zealots, have been saying that Linux is making in-roads on the desktop for quite some time. But, so far, they have a dismally small percentage of the market.
Personally, I don’t think Linux will get anywhere with the general public until someone starts making real, consumer-grade applications for Linux. I thought we were getting somewhere when Corel released WordPerfect for Linux, but that was a dismal failure. Of course, it seems like just about everything Corel has done turns into a dismal failure. Except for, maybe, their drawing programs. In any case, until people can run Quicken and TurboTax and Print Shop and other programs like them on Linux, and get support for all of it, Linux will stay a server and geek tool. Now, I like Linux, but even I don’t run it as a desktop at home. I’m one of those people that need Quicken and TurboTax, though I can do with out PrintShop. And, I have other applications that only seem to be developed for Windows. So, I play with Linux and use it at work, but not for a desktop. Still I wish them luck. I’d sure like to see something compete with Windows!
