I received an Email that a bunch ( FSG ) of Linux distributors were collaborating on a Universal Linux OS. Have any LinuxQuestions members heard of such a thing? If so, where can I get more information about it? Thanks!!

Sounds like a distribution that fits everyone's needs. Finally! That was about time, wasn't it?

Note: any sarcasm in this post is purely incidental and not in the intention of the author.

Notenote: this applies to above note as well.

More info here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060421/...inux_standards

I have learned that Xandros will be making a release of LSB, 3.1 on May 1, 2006 with Novell, Red Hat, Debian, and Ubuntu to follow. There is a web site: http://www.freestandards.org Jim Zemlin - Executive Director

Thanks for the link, J.W.

Given how religiously loyal some are to their distributions, I tend to doubt that this will last long.

I see no mention of a "Universal Distro", just a set of desktop standards - which is certainly a good thing.

In the Linux world, I still see no point. One of the large reasons that people create new distributions is because they don't want to use the standards in the first place...

As an ignorant Linux newbie who knows nothing about Linux and knows nothing about how computers function I was massively confused by all of the different distributions available and the discussions of pros and cons of each distribution by their experienced users.

It is just my humble opinion but I believe this collaboration is just what is needed to bring Linux to the desktops of other computer users as ignorant as I am.

Making Linux popular is not the community's goal. Our goal is to make high-quality operating systems. Making everything newbie-friendly would not necesserily make a higher-quality operating system, it would just ultimately mean that we would be copying Windows -- and what is popular is not always right.
*Hey, America Online is the world's most popular ISP! Why don't all of the struggling ISPs in the world rethink their services so they all act more like AOL's? I'm sure they would get a lot more customers if they did!*

i remember these people from a few years ago. They originally set out to standardise the basic setup, ie folders and directories: /tmp, /opt, /usr etc, so that if you install a program on Red Hat, for instance, it will install to the exact same places as on Debian or other distros.

Laudable aims, but until every distro follows their rules, they won't make much of a difference. Fun fact from 2000: PRNewswire: SCO and Industry Leaders Establish Free Standards Group - back when SCO was a nice company

It is very true that Linux users are extremely computer knowledgable independent individuals striving toward perfection. Business enterprises, however, are interested in market share, profit, and an enduring product. From what I understand Linux has taken over the server market because it is the best product. If I were in the business of making computers I would be very pleased to be able to offer the buying public a well built computer with a secure Linux operating system; easy for computer idiots, like me, to adapt to.

I strongly believe that Windows only remains a viable OS because ordinary people do not have any other options. Not only do I appreciate the Linux operating system I now use; I have developed an admiration for the Linux community. I am much too old to become a Linux expert; but I do believe, the future of the Internet will belong to Linux.

If these people have been at this for five years how good can their product be? I'm glad to be using Linux on the Internet and I guess I just wish that others were aware of Linux.

If it really were that good, I think we would have heard something about it by now.

Cousinlucky, a lot of people I know are aware of linux, but they're in awe of it. Know any solutions to that one?
Heck, I figure if I can run it with the amount of spare time I have to invest in it, it can't be THAT hard. Everyone should give it a shot!

i think it is very good for the masses(including those stupid idiots , young or old) to copy , to use and even to imitate the most popular os , it tools and its accompanying culture ... if not there is no reason for the existence(left alone the hard work creation of the free software movement in the first place) of the most popular os at all ... infact there arent any needs for us(i mean most of us) to know and care and learn about what the heck is unix , hp , ibm and such for these are the terrible minority ...


.