Interesting Links for 31-08-2012

[andrewducker]

• What Killed the Linux Desktop
  (tags: linux software operatingsystems )
• Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes. Huzzah for censorship!
  (tags: apple censorship usa military )
• Antarctic may host hundreds of billions of tons of methane.
  (tags: antarctic methane globalwarming )
• Why Johnny can’t stream: How video copyright went

Comments

[steer]

So we agree that there are many drivers not in the mainline tree, and that this is an issue for those drivers.

We agree that there are many drivers not in the mainline tree. It potentially could be an issue for those drivers but I've never encountered such a situation to my knowledge. The non mainline tree drivers I've used have not been hurt by the situation. While the number of drivers outside the mainline tree will only increase (because nobody's going to reincorporate some 12 year old bit of hardware) the proportion of users affected will decrease because things are swiftly put into the mainline tree -- so the issues I had with drivers outside the mainline tree were only issues because it takes time for Ubuntu to get the latest kernel -- that is the lag from new hardware->hardware drivers written and incorporated in kernel->your OS uses that kernel.

I have never to my knowledge come across a driver problem which I honestly think would be helped by a binary stable kernel interface. I accept that there probably are some out there but at that point we're into the realms of the obscure. It's fixing the wrong problem IMHO.

except as a core part of Android, where all of that is taken care of for me

You might find more examples than you think. :-) I was surprised to find that my TV is running linux (a lot of LG models are). Your satnav probably is, perhaps your router. One great thing to come out of the TV discovery was that I managed to hack extra features on my TV (unlocked the "play movie from USB" feature that was supposed to be only on the next model up but was software disabled).

[andrewducker]

Both my routers almost certainly are, my Synology NAS definitely is. I don't have a satnav, lacking a car (or license).

Anyway, getting back to the article, Miguel isn't actually (now I go and re-read the article) saying that the problem _is_ the constant breaking changes in the kernel API - he's saying that this set the tone, and that everyone else then does the same - including changes to things like the sound infrastructure. And, one assumes that he'd know, being the founder of GNOME.

[steer]

Ooops -- *blush* you are correct. I picked up the wrong thing from the article. I think we've been barking up the wrong tree quite loudly with this discussion. :-)

Hmm... it's a very tricky one. The changes in sound architecture were a real pain... a real gigantic pain... for about two years I reckon from OSS->ALSA and about one until pulseaudio was good. But that was quite some time ago now.

He's right -- it's a big problem or has been in the past and probably will be again. At the moment you can pretty much rely I think on openGL graphics and pulseaudio sound (95% or more of userbase). As an application developer that's OK I think.

Likely Ubuntu will move from x.org to wayland -- and there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Not sure if that will affect devs.

The issues he gets at in his article "working audio, PDF viewers, working video drivers, codecs for watching movies" well... the audio was a nightmare and it was as he points out a library stability issue. No idea what he's getting at with PDF viewers. Acrobat is crap but it's crap on windows too and it's not the default on most linux. Video drivers and movie codecs are legal issues not stability issues. (They work but you need to click on the "I really want to do this" button.)

[andrewducker]

I'm equally as guilty. I posted something, only half-remembered it the next day, and rather than going back to first principles decided to pick holes in what you were saying. Not a _great_ argument technique!

[steer]

I did read the whole article but sort of speed read the step from "kernel programmers" to library/userspace stuff so I thought he was advocating the idea that a stable kernel API would fix things... his other points are not so bad.