> So I downloaded some source and can't figure out how to install it
I don't think he's being fair here. Go to the website for a software package that has a version that runs under Linux. You want to install it. What does the website tell you?
Chances are, it says, "Download this tarball ...". Failing that, it generally gives you a list of command-line stuff to type. A big chunk of these are available via the standard GUI under Ubuntu. Why don't the websites mention this? I have no idea.
As a semi-recent (4 years ago) returnee to Linux, it took me some time to learn this: that, when installing software, I almost certainly want to ignorewhatthepackagewebsitetellsme and just use the Ubuntu GUI.
I can't imagine why anyone expects new Linux users to understand that.
Yep, good point. I think it's a consumer expectation problem. We are used to installing desktop software by first downloading a package from the author's website. Linux distros break this expectation.
In mobile we have the opposite expectation. We expect to go to the platform's store and get the application.
Perhaps the introduction of the Mac App Store, Chrome Web Store, and (soon) Windows store will change the expectation a bit, and the Ubuntu way (which has existed as long as it has) won't seem foreign to people.
Good point about mobile! The expectation will surely change in the coming years because of the desktop software app stores. Linux, always ahead of the curve ;)
Comments
> So I downloaded some source and can't figure out how to install it
I don't think he's being fair here. Go to the website for a software package that has a version that runs under Linux. You want to install it. What does the website tell you?
Chances are, it says, "Download this tarball ...". Failing that, it generally gives you a list of command-line stuff to type. A big chunk of these are available via the standard GUI under Ubuntu. Why don't the websites mention this? I have no idea.
As a semi-recent (4 years ago) returnee to Linux, it took me some time to learn this: that, when installing software, I almost certainly want to ignore what the package website tells me and just use the Ubuntu GUI.
I can't imagine why anyone expects new Linux users to understand that.
Yep, good point. I think it's a consumer expectation problem. We are used to installing desktop software by first downloading a package from the author's website. Linux distros break this expectation.
In mobile we have the opposite expectation. We expect to go to the platform's store and get the application.
Perhaps the introduction of the Mac App Store, Chrome Web Store, and (soon) Windows store will change the expectation a bit, and the Ubuntu way (which has existed as long as it has) won't seem foreign to people.
Good point about mobile! The expectation will surely change in the coming years because of the desktop software app stores. Linux, always ahead of the curve ;)
I can agree, I'm rarely fair ;) You nailed it about the Ubuntu GUI, I don't really expect newbies to know that though, that's why I wrote the post.