Is Ubuntu a fantasy of modern Quixote?

Article Title: Is Ubuntu a fantasy of modern Quixote ?. Linux is a technology channel of the IT lab in China. Includes basic categories such as desktop applications, Linux system management, kernel research, embedded systems, and open source.

On November 11, lunar January, The New York Times published A signed article entitled "A Software Populist Who Doesn't Do Windows" (by Ashlee Vance, 7 pages of A4 paper.

As you know, the New York Times has a large circulation, a strong influence, and a very wide audience of readers. This article is about the story of Ubuntu and its founder, Mr. Mark Shuttleworth, along with a recent photograph of Mr. Mark explaining the problem in his office. The United States is a big country, where people are busy and busy at ordinary times, traveling around for livelihood, no time to consider Linux (what is it), not far from us, it's like a young man on Xidan Road in Beijing who doesn't know Ubuntu. In addition to IBM (silly company), no one is willing to make (public service) Advertisements for Linux. For Linux, it is a bad news (even if it is distorted to report Linux) the news is good. Linux is really pitiful. Linux is always growing in a distorted (commercial) environment.

For us, we don't need to talk much about the stories of Ubuntu and Mark Shuttleworth. However, the author of the article says that Mark Shuttleworth's Venture looks like a modern quixotic. This word is unacceptable to many people. The author said that the Ubuntu model is more like a charity than a great next-generation business story. Such a statement is called cringe by many Ubuntu people ).

In fact, we also want to thank the author for telling the truth (some facts and figures learned by interviewing Mr. Mark ). The article said that Mr. Mark Shuttleworth spent a lot of time and money doing Ubuntu (business) Not trying to "work hard" with Microsoft (head-on ), instead, we want to make Ubuntu a "standard" for the next generation of billions of people using computers. The question now is whether Ubuntu can be more fashionable and elegant ). In fact, the goal of Ubuntu April this year, which is scheduled to be released in 9.04, is this. The article also said that it seems that the development momentum of Ubuntu does not show any signs of weakening or changing its development trajectory. According to the article, in the past year, Ubuntu sponsor Canonical has earned $30 million in revenue with Ubuntu, and more than 10 million of Ubuntu users worldwide. Mark Shuttleworth asserted that $30 million a year (revenue) is a self-sustaining income level that can ensure the fiscal expenditure of Ubuntu regular updates. Mr. Mark believes that the fact that "self-maintenance" can change people's views and uses of everyday software ). Mr. Mark also believes that using free software cannot make a lot of money, but this is not a bad thing.

In the past, someone told me that when the money for Ubuntu (Mark) is burned out, everything will be done. Now it seems that the problem is not that simple. In fact, in contrast to some people's imagination, Ubuntu is booming, regardless of how weak the global economy is. The Ubuntu career Mr. Mark created is a great social experimental project, and the dawn of victory is ahead. To be honest, Ubuntu is no longer a modern (Tang) Quixote, nor a Utopia. It means translating Ubuntu into ubento. (Note: ubento is not a utopia, ).

(Note: The New York Times article makes it difficult for me to write a document .)