Back in Time: Changing Linux
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago at 10:38 am. 5 comments
In the 26th March 2007 (Season 4 Episode 15) episode of LugRadio the question was proposed:
If you could go back in time and change something to make Linux more successful, what would it be?
I think I would like to go back in time and encourage Linus to create a “Linux Code of Conduct” something like the Ubuntu Code of Conduct. I remember trying Slackware in 1994 or 1995, I got it to install fine, but had troubles with my modem. I asked for help on one of the Linux IRC channels, but was told to RTFM and f*** off. While RTFM may be a correct answer, it is not the best answer. I have heard many stories like this about the early days of Linux, instead of getting help, people were flamed and told to leave.
I think if the Linux community had the ideas of collaboration and respect as early core values, we may had many more early adopters of Linux.
Good point, but I think you mean “Code of Conduct”, not “Code of Conduit”.
If I could go back and choose, i would definitely undo the creation of two desktop/widget APIs (Qt/GTK). Having one single, solid widget API would avoid many pains on the linux desktop and speed up the adoption of linux on the desktop enourmously.
It’s just a pain in the arse to start up the GIMP while you’re running KDE and being presented a totally different theme.
I know, there’s QtGTK and metatheme and everything, but IMO, so much of developer’s energy is wasted on all this. All this would not be required if everyone would have sticked to KDE/Qt in the beginning, and we’d have the same world class GUI applications by now, but they’d all be based on the same API. How cool would that be?
: I’m talking about the underlying APIs here, not about the desktop experience. I would totally support two desktop system (the gnome-like with simple administration and a focus on a great default usability, and a kde-like with heaps of great widgets and lots of things to customize … think beryl and compiz, which are about to merge), but these desktop systems should be based on the same underlying basic API(s), so that no application had to be either Gnome- or KDE-specific.
And just to not start a flame war or to give food to the trolls
Oh yes, it would be good fun to travel back in time
When not thinking of hypothetical changes in history, however, I of course support all the freedesktop initiatives and DBUS and QtGTK and everything …
but still, the whole Gnome project should just port to Qt4 and the KDE 4 APIs
It might be something really obvious, but why do you consistently call it the code of conduit instead of conduct?
Just a mental glitch between my brain and fingers:). Too err is human, to proofread divine.
I don’t think that a Code of Conduct would stop people from behaving this way anymore than the law actually stops criminals from committing crime.
I too have faced such issues in the past. So now i make sure that anybody who asks me any question gets a proper and polite answer. Even if i want to tell him that he should read the manual, i tell him so politely and direct him if possible.
People who give “RTFM” as an answer to any question do not belong to the free software world.