My only question about Ubuntu or Linux in general is: why can you not download and install programs directly from the internet instead of needing a repository? Why not include both ways of installing software in Ubuntu? I believe that the Linux distros that are prepared to do this will take Linux to the next level.

I love Ubuntu on the desktop and I have 3 laptops running it.

Ubuntu, I’ve noticed, is viewed as more of a “Mom and Pop” type Linux; for the not-so-technical user. Why not orientate it towards the S&M Businesses with ease of setting up and maintaining for people who are not overly computer savvy but are also not computer illiterate. There’s a good chance they are already using Ubuntu on the desktops, so this would extend them into the server room.

As they grow, make sure Ubuntu can handle it so they don’t want to move into something bigger like Red Hat or Novell.

I have a friend who does IT work for a number of small companies and I’m trying to get him to explore using Ubuntu for his client’s needs (web, email, database, etc.). I don’t know the details of Canonical support, but for somebody like this being able to get support for all of the servers he manages would have to not break the bank.

From what I have heard Ubuntu has somewhere in the range of 4% desktop market share now. Of course it is extremely hard to accurately measure desktop market share when there are no license fees, etc.

David Gerard:

apt-get dist-upgrade is not a supported method of upgrading between Ubuntu versions and that is the only time that command is really supposed to be used even on Debian. The officially supported way is by using the gui update-manager and is documented on the Ubuntu website. That said I have never personally had a problem using apt-get dist-upgrade except when trying to upgrade during a development release. Also note upgrading and skipping releases is not supported, eg upgrading from Ubuntu 8.04 to 9.04 isn’t support, but 8.04 -> 8.10 -> 9.04 is supported.

When you post a question in a forum about Linux server and GUI, you are very likely to get a bit of flaming. “If you can not do with the CLI, you should not be setting up a server!” Comments like this pushes people to MS and Apple for their server needs.

I think the Ubuntu server needs a proper GUI. And by that, I mean it needs to run KDE or GNOME as the rest of the line. But most important – it needs proper GUI tools to configure the different aspects of the server from the desktop. Not a web interface. Why should it use something else than the tried and tested? This is exactly what MS and Apple do – use the same interface for both desktop and server. Just add some applications for the server.

Some things seems to be kept like a secret and people do not want to say too much so the “club” do not expand too much. I have tried to set up a small caching DNS at home to both learn a bit and to prepare for a much bigger house with a much bigger network. What I have realised is that someone that really knows DNS setup could build a website that spit out the correct text to be pasted into the right files. What information do you need? The IP the server should have, the gateway, the server name, the domain and the DNS’es outside. The rest is just formatting, and this is what we use computers for! Give us the right GUI and my mom could be setting up a DNS (at least with me on the phone ) It is not a shame to admit that you can learn something from MS and Apple. What they have done is lowering the level for people to get into servers. I know this seems like cursing in church to some Linux fans that would rather keep normal users out, but it is not about becoming like MS and Apple, it is about making sure Linux grows into new markets that so far has been reluctant to use it because they think they need to hire more people to manage the Linux servers since it does not come with a GUI.

I know you can install GNOME or KDE on Ubuntu Server, but it does not help when every desktop tool I have tried to manage it makes a mess of all configuration files. A tool is only as good as the stuff it delivers. And if you are unable to manage the config files from the commandline after touching them with the GUI tool, then the GUI tool is useless. So these tools need to be made from scratch and completely tailor made to Ubuntu Server. Here is a short wishlist of desktop tools:

Basic server setup: IP address, server name
File server setup (including SAMBA)
Print Server (CUPS) setup
DNS setup
Apache setup
MySQL setup (admittedly, I am using phpMySQL a lot, but would like to have this on the desktop together with the rest)
Php setup
LDAP setup and management
UPS management

This is just a start. I am sure others have more to add to this list.

Isn’t this what is MS trying to do?