Open Ballot: what would you change about Linux?

One Thing

Xavier Sythe (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 3:39pm

I would force all mainstream Linux distributions to use a GUI.

Stop tribalism and infighting

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 3:48pm

All the craziness about my distro is better than yours and attacking other distros probably makes us weaker than we really are.

the one thing

Anonymous Penguinette (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 3:49pm

Get KDE and Gnome desktops melded into one knome or whatever so the wars can end and we con concentrate on Billy III thanks

I'd make Wine work with

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 3:52pm

I'd make Wine work with Source Games out of the box.

Oh, and if that's too far fetches, my second choice would be to stop the bickering about Mono, so that I can use Banshee without people complaining about licensing issues.

there's no point

Javier (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 3:56pm

there's no point in ending tribalism, maybe just flaming. Part of what makes the ecosystem of Linux as such a good option is the existence of options, the freedom to choose. If Gnome and KDE fuse together, all we are going to get is few options (the same applies to every other confronting options here... emacs/vi, distro1/distro2/.../distroN, myprogrammiglanguage/yourprogramminglanguage/theirprogramminglanguage, etc...)

So, if I could change ONE thing not just about Linux, but about everything in the FLOSS world, it would be to end the flaming...

I am a normal Linux user, so

mikesol (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 4:00pm

I am a normal Linux user, so i don't know much about kernels, compilations, packages, etc (just a little :) ) I just want a system that works out-the-box. I've tried a lot of distributions Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint, Opensuse. But any can give this sensation of stability. For example, Ubuntu with your 6 months cycle give us a feel that the past releases are very old and all the people must to change to the newest, so that implies backup the system, install all the apps, remake all the personal configurations, etc, etc..

Right now i am with opensuse, because it gives me that sensation (release of 8 months) but i always like the simplicity of Ubuntu/Mint.

It's just my two coins, as you all said ;)

Sorry for mi English, i am a Spanish native speaker(from Costa Rica).

3 Things I'd Change

Dan Dart (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 4:08pm

I'd change the kernel so that anyone can easily make modules for better support, perhaps put them in XML so we wouldn't have to compile them all the bloody time!

Secondly, I'd only support a package format everybody is happy with, so I might do something like add the best bits from DEB and RPM, make it importantly backwards compatible with both, and make the extension LINUX or LPKG or something generic. Then we'd all be happy!

Finally, I'd make sure whatever distro people are using that it supports the latest hardware out of the box. For me, freedom is important, but not as important as having my hardware just work!

P.S. Get rid of the sodding menus, they get on my nut!

I hate this question

Michael (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 4:34pm

I hate this kind of question. What would I change about Linux? Nothing.

Linux is the kernel and the core operating environment. Linux is not KDE, LXDE, Gnome or other such. I would change how people refer to Linux as being a distribution of some sort.

When someone says "I don't like this..." and they have communication, programming, or organizational skills (or some combination) you end up with a distribution or a desktop environment or a small application.

KDE is NOT Linux. Amarok is NOT Linux. Linux is NOT the GUI. Linux is NOT the audio player. Linux IS the kernel and the command line utilities to function as an operating system.

KDE IS a GUI. Gnome IS a GUI. Amarok is a GUI. All a GUI is is a graphical way of doing something that could be done via command line, but would be easier if one could point and click.

Stop talking about the Linux world as if everyone's ideas have to meld.

The only thing I would change is to find a method of replacing Linus. Should he get hit by a bus one day, who decides what features go into the kernel.

Silly me... I can already add whatever I want to the kernel without Linus' blessing... I just cannot have it in the "official" version. That is the only thing that scares me... a Linux environment made of wildly different "official" kernels. Right now, you have the kernel binary as it comes from Red Hat, Ubuntu, or some other distribution. But, the source of the binary is from Linus.

one final change

Anonymous Penguinette (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 4:41pm

I'd remove Michael the 4:34 flamer see above. From contact with normal people. sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Standardize under-the-hood components

spiffytech (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 6:18pm

I would standardize all under-the-hood components. Sound system, config file locations, binary locations, user preferences, system preferences, hardware configuration, everything would be stored in consistent locations, in consistent formats, and accessible though system-standard APIs and commands.

This level of standardization is what's making Android and iOS such interesting platforms of development. PCs and laptops had mics, cameras, and buttons long before these smartphone platforms came out, but they weren't used to their full potential because the ways to use them aren't clearly defined. The consistency of Android and iOS development help greatly in getting developers up and running with interesting projects.

Standardize package format.

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 6:30pm

Standardize package format. Many things like Arch's AUR instead of PPA's, which are really stupid. Standardize theming more. Require fewer daemons. Stop having a getty on every terminal. Have a kill switch that works no matter that game you're playing; I mean a hotkey for xkill that works no matter who has keyboard control, just like ctrl-alt-bksp, to restart the entire xserver. Make a good engine to theme gtk apps in kde. Make batteries last longer - mine does half what it did with windows - Half! make more things about programs configurable. Fix the man/info mess. Make more programs use more optional dependencies, instead of forced dependencies. Stop having things like gvfs depend on a bloody keyring. Fix apps that want hal, after it's deprecated. Actually, kill gvfs, too. Ruthlessly kill every mention of xorg.conf; really just update all documentation. Have linux information consolidated into a wiki, instead of spread out on countless blogs, sites, and everything else.
Stop duplicating so much effort in games. Give programmers much easier ways of communicating with their users, to see if they like new changes. Get programmers to admit when the abandon software, and get it marked as so EVERYWHERE! Stop making so many programming languages with poor performance. I'd get Linus to release (form a group to release?) THE LinuxOS, which contained to best of open-source software and aimed to have more functionality then both windows, mac, and all other OSs while tucking most of what wasn't needed away from the casual user. Stop saying automation is bad; it is almost always good - exposing the inner workings of that automation is even better, and make sure there's documentation to let people change what they want in it. Have programmers concentrate more on importing-exporting stuff for interoperability. Stop leaving ancient packages which don't work in repos. Distribute a standard script which tells people if their hardware can use proprietary drivers, what is available as open-source competition, and what sort of performance loss it will give. Force users to learn this and still accept the proprietary software - but don't make the jump through any hoops install it, like adding a repository. Kill 6-month release cycles; make it all rolling release.

I think that's about all I can think of right now...

stop gratuitous diversity

kornelix (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 6:50pm

I don't know how to motivate them, but the gurus behind the many Linux distros need to get their acts together and stop making systems that are "almost" compatible with each-other. The main thing is that apps should be universally installable using a single package format, and should work without extra tweaking. Stopping the proliferation of window managers would also help. The best thing about Ubuntu is that it is becoming a de facto standard. Also, source-level compatibility should imply binary compatibility. At present, you must build binaries for each distro and release (older binaries do generally work on newer distro releases).

gnome sorting

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 7:02pm

I would like to change way that gnome sorts name and directories, I have windows partition with directories like !work !prv etc... (Using such name since Amiga), but gnome instead of sorting those alphabetically, like: !prv,!work,a,b,c,d, will do a,b,c,!p,w,!w, Looks like ! is not existing.
It's the same once you are on the network with Windows users, then can create share folder like ==test==, with is easy to spot, first on the list, but not for me, have go browse through the list, somewhere after letter t.

GRUB

biggles1000 - August 3, 2010 @ 7:14pm

I would remove grub forever, as it seems to be the only thing really holding it back. No one would change from Windows to Linux if they thought it was a gamble each time they turned their computer on. I installed Linux Mint on a portable hard drive, and it has been going 178 days. When I installed it, I was wondering if grub would work, and this is the longest a Linux distro has ever lasted for me without grub messing up. Linux will not break through into the Windows and OS X mainstream world if you need to know how to use a command line to fix everyday problems (including grub) which requires some computing knowledge, which the average parent, office worker, facebooker or pupil knows very little about and will be thinking 'oh dear, my computers messed up, I've lost all my documents'

Pulse Audio/ HDMI

Mel (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 7:54pm

The way Linux handles sound is pure crap. Outputting sound/video through HDMI suck's even more.

Multimedia handling is super important and Linux really suck's at that.

The name is terrible.

Jono (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 8:27pm

When I first heard the name a few years ago I thought: OMG! Sounds Hard, I'm not even going to go near it.
A year later and I got Ubuntu on a PCWorld disc and decided to try it out and I've used Linux or GNU/Linux ever since.
It would really help if some creative person could think up a totally awesome name and it might help people get into it...

What I would change about Linux

Hair of Gold and Lips Like Cherries (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 8:37pm

What I would change is to make it more popular, although how to do this is the million dollar question!

New PC

Angie (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 8:56pm

What I would change about Linux is to have it installed on new PCs. On the last PC I bought, the first thing I did was to wipe Windows off and install Linux. We are told Free Market Capitalism gives choice... it doesn't. Name me one big High Street Retailer where I can buy a desktop PC with Linux rather than Windows on it. I am basically forced to pay for an Operating System that I will never use. The monopolies and mergers commission, if it actually did it's job, would order that people are given a choice of operating system when they buy a new PC. Consumers should also get a reduction if they choose Linux, since it is free.

As the young Bill Gates realised . . .

Weetabix lover (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 9:13pm

As the young Bill Gates realised, it's not so much the OS as the software that runs on it that determines an operating system's popularity. And the thing is that the industry leading software - MS Office and various Adobe products, for instance - don't run on Linux. Change that, or change what the leading software is, by pushing development of OOo, Quanta+, etc so that they become the leading software and Linux would become the leading OS. And that would be a good thing: because it's open source and because all sorts of organisations, governments, etc would be chipping in, we would end up with better, cheaper computing - perhaps even lower taxes (since who knows how much the public sector spends on propriety software?). In short, I'm pretty happy with Linux as it is; I want improvements in the software that runs on it.

Sad but true

Marrea (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 9:56pm

<<quote>> Angie (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 8:56pm
Consumers should also get a reduction if they choose Linux, since it is free.<<quote>>

Ironically, consumers would probably be charged more, not less, because it would be a non-standard install and non-standard items tend to incur an extra charge. The High Street retailers would never get enough customers wanting Linux pre-installed to make it worth their while having machines already set up with that o.s. Why did they stop selling netbooks with Linux? Because there wasn't enough demand. People wanted Windows.

Higher levels of customization and automation

uomosenzanome - August 3, 2010 @ 11:25pm

For example, I've not seen it yet, but I think it would be cool if from the automatic hardware detection, it would build a lean distro based on what exactly your system has. Think of all the kernel modules that you never use for example but are often there on a default install. It would be interesting if there was a huge database of configurations that would automatically select the "best" for a specific setup.

All I want....

Ray Woods (not verified) - August 3, 2010 @ 11:53pm

All I want is a system that just works and that anybody, regardless of their Geek status can use. We just need to run the applications we use in our daily lives without hassle or interference from the operating system.

I've managed to get a lady of over 80 running Linux Mint 9, so therefore this distribution comes close. And so, more of the same please.

It's coming along nicely keep at it.

thiscat, George. (not verified) - August 4, 2010 @ 1:16am

I don't want to change anything just take the same route we always have. Developers will always work on what interests them and not necessarily what interests me.
I do have a couple of pet hate's though.
1. I want to use Linux not Windows Mk2.
2. Silly contrived and largely meaningless names for programs etc.

typical user

David Brown (not verified) - August 4, 2010 @ 3:13am

I'd like a distro with no shared code, with each program completely self contained in its folder and sub-folders. No dependencies. No DLL hell, to use a term from Windows. Drive space is cheap today, and will be cheaper tomorrow.

IDE

Mannemerak (not verified) - August 4, 2010 @ 7:34am

I know there are many good programming environments to choose from but, a fully supported, full featured, drag-n-drop GUI dev, one-button generate DEB RPM etc install file IDE would be really great.
This is basically how MS got Windows used everywhere, make it dirt easy to generate uniformly-looking apps.

@ Grimly Penguin "~ when he

Ram - August 4, 2010 @ 8:59am

@ Grimly Penguin "~ when he could hack an international credit card company running Windows? "

They use Solaris in the data centres.

@ both Grimly Penguin & Tracy Holz,

I disagree, it's one thing that annoys me, go to launch an app / open a file and offers to rename it for you. It much better as it is, F2 or Right click to rename.

Every distro to use .deb as

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 4, 2010 @ 11:26am

Every distro to use .deb as there package format

Nothing

Thameslink (not verified) - August 4, 2010 @ 1:19pm

I've thought about it and there's nothing I'd change about Linux itself.

The freedom to modify Linux in whatever way you see fit is it's strongest asset, making Linux a breeding ground for innovation.

Part of the attraction for me has always been the reward of learning how to do it for yourself. I learned more about computers in 2 years mucking around with Linux, than 14 years of using Windows & MacOS as professional tools.

Having said that package standardization would be a fantastic step, meaning no matter what distro you're messing with, you all have access to the best software available and I presume it would save a lot of time and energy for developers.

The lack of a professional quality video editing program is the one thing that ensures I need to keep commercial operating systems around. But as a Linux user, I find booting my windows box up to be a frustrating and painful experience.

Publicity

Amenditman (not verified) - August 4, 2010 @ 2:30pm

If I had the resources to change anything in the GNU/Linux world, it would be to tell the entire computing world that it exists.

You do have a choice in what operating system you run on any computer you own.
No, it's not illegal to remove the OS that the manufacturer stuck you with.
You do not have to suffer with the constant assualt of malicious code from the Internet.

That's it, simply tell the world GNU/Linux exists and is ready for them.

lack of single file installs

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 4, 2010 @ 5:39pm

there really should be a single file install!! who wants to compile software just to use a simple program?

Edit instructions, HOWTOs, and tutorials, and certify them

Lawrence Barnes (not verified) - August 4, 2010 @ 7:23pm

There should be a group of volunteer editors who read and improve tips and suggestions and instructions available to Linux users. The result could be a kind of certification of rationality attesting that the prose is genuinely helpful -- that the HOWTO or guide meets an editorial standard.

That standard would exclude ambiguity, vague statements, assumptions that the reader has knowledge that is advanced far beyond the understanding of those who will be using the information, and so on. As things stand, sloppy grammar, confusing sentences and just plain poor writing make portions of many instructions puzzling, confusing, or even unintelligible. The reader may be sent chasing irrelevant facts, when he should have been kept on the shortest path to the proper procedure.

Informative texts should be first of all task-oriented; then they should be clear, straightforward, make few assumptions, and avoid all ambiguities.

Asides can deal with interesting details; when the text is written on several levels of importance, the reader's confusion is likely. Complex issues can be made clear if they are dealt with discretely, rather than as an amalgam.

A text written for the relatively inexperienced can be understood by advanced users and experts, while the reverse is not true. That means that "dumbing down" the material by making it accessible to all harms no one. Many guides should include glossaries with references; very few do.

Writing instructions that can be understood only by those who do not need them is silly.

I have to say it: if we had paid attention to good language usage, we would not use the word "parameter" in describing commands, nor would we say things like, "The data is corrupted." Those are examples of ignorant usage. But let that pedantry go. Errors become correct because they are used and become agreed upon.

If writers voluntarily submitted their work for editing and requested that the finished product be granted a certification of comprehensibility, I can't see that anyone should or would be offended. (Don't want your precious text changed? Don't submit it.) If Linux is worth the trouble to learn, it's worth the trouble to write its instructions clearly and rationally. We remove the bugs from our software; why not do the same to our documentation, guides, HOWTOs and yes, even man pages?

Sound

Petux - August 4, 2010 @ 8:57pm

I have myself a home studio, in which I record, mix and edit music. At present I have to use Winblows as I have a specialised soundcard that I can't find any fully functioning drivers for in Linux. I would dearly love to move away from that old OS, but even with drivers that would make my hardware work, I'm not sure I would be able to fathom out Jack.

So for me the most important thing I would change is the sound system. It needs to be a combination of simple (plug in and play) and complicated (in that it will handle what ever inputs and outputs I throw at it!).

I hope in time it will come, but for me that time can't come quick enough!!

Most important for potential new converts

Martin Wildam (not verified) - August 4, 2010 @ 10:50pm

Whenever I get an opportunity to motivate a potential new user I offer the move to Linux. Let me try to focus on a few flaws I continously notice:

1. Scanning
This is continuously an issue.

a) Simple Scan in german environment adds extra space to an A4 page when scanned by multi-page feeder.

b) gscan2pdf scans A4 but with some scanners (HP MFP for instance) continues to scan empty pages when the last page from multipage feeder already scanned.

c) XSane does not support multipage feeder anyway (supports multi-page documents but you must scan page by page - one click per page).

2. Confirmation question on deleting files
The appropriate option in nautilus is ignored since ages.

3. Hardware support
I still face plenty of unsupported or badly supported hardware (notebooks, WLAN cards, sound issues and gadgets people bought somewhere). I try to force people before trying Linux to buy the right hardware but it is not very easy to find hardware where I can be really sure that everything works - just look at Netbooks - in many cases you have to fiddle around with the WIFI drivers. Similar applies for printers. Even, if Samsung for example is usually very good, there is sometimes a little manual work required. Or now on 10.04 I experienced a problem with my docking station (display irritation), ...

4. Many applications for the same task available but most have serious flaws.
E.g. the new Thunderbird 3.0.x is crap.
A lot of changes have been introduced in Thunderbird 3.0.x that make things worse (display only one recipient by default, additional buttons in header area that are continuously moved out of sight for longer addresses, ...).
Bring back the old version! Tried to switch to Evolution, but I noticed major flaws there also (not efficiently notifying about mails in different folders than inbox etc).

OK, this is not really a Linux issue, but it is similar to scanning - it would be better to focus on one or two applications for a single task and make that stable and good.

Note: The most potential new users I face are home(-office) users and very small companies (~3 people).

Audio

Dan W (not verified) - August 5, 2010 @ 12:01am

Fix the overcomplicated mess that is Linux audio. Replace the complexity with some simple straightforward solution that doesn't require a PHD to comprehend.

Of course, being Linux, the complexity should be left as an option for those who actually need it.

First of all we need to

filip007 (not verified) - August 5, 2010 @ 2:54pm

First of all we need to realize there is no Linux, there is only open source community that develop code.

Second, Linux need some female touch to get nicer controls and skins.

Third, KDE must simplify main menu, it's still feels like a driving a train or something when using it.

Fourth, Linux should learn for a lot from first generations of MAC X, so get busy.

Change nothing!

Linuxrich (not verified) - August 6, 2010 @ 9:31am

As far as I'm concerned as a SimplyMepis user, I'd change nothing that I can't already easily change if I want/need to....

I would however change perceptions of GNU/Linux. In fact I already try as best I can to inform colleagues/friends/family etc. of the alternatives to the proprietary cr@p they currently use. Unlike a previous commenter, I don't think increased 'market share' is a bad thing and will result in malware problems. The number of users doesn't result in malware issues, inherent security features (Or lack of...) does. Having said that, ill advised users that try to circumvent sensible security practices (By running as root all the time for example!) would be a problem!

Common knowledge

hrasdt (not verified) - August 7, 2010 @ 8:36am

Not so much about Linux, the kernel, or GNU/Linux, the operating system, but more about the community.
It would be really nice if every Linux user built a LFS system once, so that they had a taste of what really is going on underneath. That would be really nice.
Also, people should learn about *why* there are different distros/package managers, rather than just complaining that it doesn't "just work". It's an ecosystem; there's a niche, so it's filled.

PS - why so much hate for the devs? They're people too, no matter how irritating broken releases are. File a bug report!

Robust Applications

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 8, 2010 @ 3:38am

Programs that do not break when the kernel changes or conversely, kernel changes that do not break applications. I am thinking specifically of Skype video that worked fine under one Ubuntu release and quit under the next. And yes, thank you Linux community for providing a work around.

The changes I'd make to Desktop Linux

Mandroid (not verified) - August 9, 2010 @ 11:59am

Hi.

For me the priorities at the moment are:

Linux Audio
Better Video4Linux
GAMES
GAMES
GAMES
GAMES

If Linux is to truely become a genuine alternative for Windows or MacOS we need commercial games.
Now I know that the choice of the developer but at the moment there is no incentive. Linux Audio is crap, although 3D accelerated drivers are now becoming acceptable.

Steam4Linux may well be the start but say if Ubuntu chose to develop an Android flavour which has games we might see the gap bridged.

Just a thought.

Legislate Linux

munichjohn (not verified) - August 9, 2010 @ 1:39pm

Have the EU legislate that microsoft may not have a monopoly of OS on computers. This would oblige hardware manufacturers to offer alternatives which would make the world a fun place. This would also disolve the contractural stitch-up that MS has with manufacturers. (It could be a double edged sword for Steve Jobs).

dual boot all PCs with linux

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 10, 2010 @ 2:46pm

Make all PC sellers put a Linux distro on the PC alongside Windows (or just Linux) -- Linux should come pre-installed on all PCs so that people really do have a choice of what OS to use. If they do not like it then they do not have to use it, either install a different Linux distro or just use the pre-installed Windows.

Corel

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 10, 2010 @ 2:59pm

Corel used to make a version of Linux, which ended up as Xandros. If Corel were supportive of Linux in the past, maybe they could still be.

Fighting

Anonymous Penguin (not verified) - August 10, 2010 @ 9:35pm

I wish all the distros and factions in the community (KDE vs. GNOME, FOSS/FSF etc.) would stop fighting each other, and focus on nuking MSFT.

And Ubuntu still won't make me a fudgeing sandwhich...

MultiCore Support

goodrench (not verified) - August 11, 2010 @ 12:55am

I would like to see all linux software take advantage of every cpu core on the system. Maybe through a kernel option or a separate application that could detect the number of cpu cores that are available, 2,4,8,24, or even 240 cores of some gpu's and use all of them to run the application at a speed that the system is capable of, instead of seeing one core pegged at 100% and the rest of the cores sitting at 3%.
Multiple cores are not a new thing but no one seems to know how to make use of all of them at the same time.

Multicore seconded

zygmunt (not verified) - August 11, 2010 @ 8:38am

I second goodrench's suggestion. What's the point of multicores when the compiler can only deal with one. Multicores only work with multiple processes coexisting.