Sat Dec 14 15:01:59 2024
EVENTS
 FREE
SOFTWARE
INSTITUTE

POLITICS
JOBS
MEMBERS'
CORNER

MAILING
LIST

NYLXS Mailing Lists and Archives
NYLXS Members have a lot to say and share but we don't keep many secrets. Join the Hangout Mailing List and say your peice.

DATE 2019-05-01

HANGOUT

2024-12-14 | 2024-11-14 | 2024-10-14 | 2024-09-14 | 2024-08-14 | 2024-07-14 | 2024-06-14 | 2024-05-14 | 2024-04-14 | 2024-03-14 | 2024-02-14 | 2024-01-14 | 2023-12-14 | 2023-11-14 | 2023-10-14 | 2023-09-14 | 2023-08-14 | 2023-07-14 | 2023-06-14 | 2023-05-14 | 2023-04-14 | 2023-03-14 | 2023-02-14 | 2023-01-14 | 2022-12-14 | 2022-11-14 | 2022-10-14 | 2022-09-14 | 2022-08-14 | 2022-07-14 | 2022-06-14 | 2022-05-14 | 2022-04-14 | 2022-03-14 | 2022-02-14 | 2022-01-14 | 2021-12-14 | 2021-11-14 | 2021-10-14 | 2021-09-14 | 2021-08-14 | 2021-07-14 | 2021-06-14 | 2021-05-14 | 2021-04-14 | 2021-03-14 | 2021-02-14 | 2021-01-14 | 2020-12-14 | 2020-11-14 | 2020-10-14 | 2020-09-14 | 2020-08-14 | 2020-07-14 | 2020-06-14 | 2020-05-14 | 2020-04-14 | 2020-03-14 | 2020-02-14 | 2020-01-14 | 2019-12-14 | 2019-11-14 | 2019-10-14 | 2019-09-14 | 2019-08-14 | 2019-07-14 | 2019-06-14 | 2019-05-14 | 2019-04-14 | 2019-03-14 | 2019-02-14 | 2019-01-14 | 2018-12-14 | 2018-11-14 | 2018-10-14 | 2018-09-14 | 2018-08-14 | 2018-07-14 | 2018-06-14 | 2018-05-14 | 2018-04-14 | 2018-03-14 | 2018-02-14 | 2018-01-14 | 2017-12-14 | 2017-11-14 | 2017-10-14 | 2017-09-14 | 2017-08-14 | 2017-07-14 | 2017-06-14 | 2017-05-14 | 2017-04-14 | 2017-03-14 | 2017-02-14 | 2017-01-14 | 2016-12-14 | 2016-11-14 | 2016-10-14 | 2016-09-14 | 2016-08-14 | 2016-07-14 | 2016-06-14 | 2016-05-14 | 2016-04-14 | 2016-03-14 | 2016-02-14 | 2016-01-14 | 2015-12-14 | 2015-11-14 | 2015-10-14 | 2015-09-14 | 2015-08-14 | 2015-07-14 | 2015-06-14 | 2015-05-14 | 2015-04-14 | 2015-03-14 | 2015-02-14 | 2015-01-14 | 2014-12-14 | 2014-11-14 | 2014-10-14 | 2014-09-14 | 2014-08-14 | 2014-07-14 | 2014-06-14 | 2014-05-14 | 2014-04-14 | 2014-03-14 | 2014-02-14 | 2014-01-14 | 2013-12-14 | 2013-11-14 | 2013-10-14 | 2013-09-14 | 2013-08-14 | 2013-07-14 | 2013-06-14 | 2013-05-14 | 2013-04-14 | 2013-03-14 | 2013-02-14 | 2013-01-14 | 2012-12-14 | 2012-11-14 | 2012-10-14 | 2012-09-14 | 2012-08-14 | 2012-07-14 | 2012-06-14 | 2012-05-14 | 2012-04-14 | 2012-03-14 | 2012-02-14 | 2012-01-14 | 2011-12-14 | 2011-11-14 | 2011-10-14 | 2011-09-14 | 2011-08-14 | 2011-07-14 | 2011-06-14 | 2011-05-14 | 2011-04-14 | 2011-03-14 | 2011-02-14 | 2011-01-14 | 2010-12-14 | 2010-11-14 | 2010-10-14 | 2010-09-14 | 2010-08-14 | 2010-07-14 | 2010-06-14 | 2010-05-14 | 2010-04-14 | 2010-03-14 | 2010-02-14 | 2010-01-14 | 2009-12-14 | 2009-11-14 | 2009-10-14 | 2009-09-14 | 2009-08-14 | 2009-07-14 | 2009-06-14 | 2009-05-14 | 2009-04-14 | 2009-03-14 | 2009-02-14 | 2009-01-14 | 2008-12-14 | 2008-11-14 | 2008-10-14 | 2008-09-14 | 2008-08-14 | 2008-07-14 | 2008-06-14 | 2008-05-14 | 2008-04-14 | 2008-03-14 | 2008-02-14 | 2008-01-14 | 2007-12-14 | 2007-11-14 | 2007-10-14 | 2007-09-14 | 2007-08-14 | 2007-07-14 | 2007-06-14 | 2007-05-14 | 2007-04-14 | 2007-03-14 | 2007-02-14 | 2007-01-14 | 2006-12-14 | 2006-11-14 | 2006-10-14 | 2006-09-14 | 2006-08-14 | 2006-07-14 | 2006-06-14 | 2006-05-14 | 2006-04-14 | 2006-03-14 | 2006-02-14 | 2006-01-14 | 2005-12-14 | 2005-11-14 | 2005-10-14 | 2005-09-14 | 2005-08-14 | 2005-07-14 | 2005-06-14 | 2005-05-14 | 2005-04-14 | 2005-03-14 | 2005-02-14 | 2005-01-14 | 2004-12-14 | 2004-11-14 | 2004-10-14 | 2004-09-14 | 2004-08-14 | 2004-07-14 | 2004-06-14 | 2004-05-14 | 2004-04-14 | 2004-03-14 | 2004-02-14 | 2004-01-14 | 2003-12-14 | 2003-11-14 | 2003-10-14 | 2003-09-14 | 2003-08-14 | 2003-07-14 | 2003-06-14 | 2003-05-14 | 2003-04-14 | 2003-03-14 | 2003-02-14 | 2003-01-14 | 2002-12-14 | 2002-11-14 | 2002-10-14 | 2002-09-14 | 2002-08-14 | 2002-07-14 | 2002-06-14 | 2002-05-14 | 2002-04-14 | 2002-03-14 | 2002-02-14 | 2002-01-14 | 2001-12-14 | 2001-11-14 | 2001-10-14 | 2001-09-14 | 2001-08-14 | 2001-07-14 | 2001-06-14 | 2001-05-14 | 2001-04-14 | 2001-03-14 | 2001-02-14 | 2001-01-14 | 2000-12-14 | 2000-11-14 | 2000-10-14 | 2000-09-14 | 2000-08-14 | 2000-07-14 | 2000-06-14 | 2000-05-14 | 2000-04-14 | 2000-03-14 | 2000-02-14 | 2000-01-14 | 1999-12-14

Key: Value:

Key: Value:

MESSAGE
DATE 2019-05-31
FROM einker
SUBJECT Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Nice Linux Story to Share
From hangout-bounces-at-nylxs.com Fri May 31 19:22:53 2019
Return-Path:
X-Original-To: archive-at-mrbrklyn.com
Delivered-To: archive-at-mrbrklyn.com
Received: from www2.mrbrklyn.com (www2.mrbrklyn.com [96.57.23.82])
by mrbrklyn.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 31C8816114A;
Fri, 31 May 2019 19:22:52 -0400 (EDT)
X-Original-To: hangout-at-nylxs.com
Delivered-To: hangout-at-nylxs.com
Received: from mailbackend.panix.com (mailbackend.panix.com [166.84.1.89])
by mrbrklyn.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0710F161132
for ; Fri, 31 May 2019 19:22:45 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from panix2.panix.com (panix2.panix.com [166.84.1.2])
by mailbackend.panix.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 45G0q61Hjkz1LMV
for ; Fri, 31 May 2019 19:22:42 -0400 (EDT)
Received: by panix2.panix.com (Postfix, from userid 20529)
id 45G0q6006xz1ZVV; Fri, 31 May 2019 19:22:41 -0400 (EDT)
Resent-From: Ruben Safir
Resent-Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 19:22:41 -0400
Resent-Message-ID: <20190531232241.GA29340-at-panix.com>
Resent-To: NYLXS
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on
mailcrunch1.panix.com
X-Spam-Level:
X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.2 required=3.0 tests=DKIM_SIGNED,DKIM_VALID,
DKIM_VALID_AU,DKIM_VALID_EF,FREEMAIL_FROM,HTML_MESSAGE,
RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE,SPF_HELO_NONE autolearn=no autolearn_force=no
version=3.4.2
X-Original-To: mrbrklyn-at-panix.com
Delivered-To: mrbrklyn-at-panix.com
Received: from mail1.panix.com (mail1.panix.com [166.84.1.72])
by mailbackend.panix.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 45Fs9264vNznyR
for ; Fri, 31 May 2019 13:37:42 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from mail-it1-f174.google.com (mail-it1-f174.google.com
[209.85.166.174])
(using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 (128/128 bits))
(No client certificate requested)
by mail1.panix.com (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 45Fs925NFmzjFk
for ; Fri, 31 May 2019 13:37:42 -0400 (EDT)
Received: by mail-it1-f174.google.com with SMTP id u186so16585299ith.0
for ; Fri, 31 May 2019 10:37:42 -0700 (PDT)
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025;
h=mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to;
bh=HvAI+u9+o56WCWSJWt2bEpfGt6dDgg7mtiGg+uf3WA0=;
b=sdaenPS2q9LH/ypd/1ZB5E4vePa3ew7StEwoPfd2Y6Hu7LT9LEMvt+hKCfIEgdpViF
HHjjjdSlTn16rhkinnJciwj5na+Q1HCyXnzKIC3RHkJSc5fm1b6qvbEnykN9pLPM9Fls
quYeJ6Os6hVkiTKNM3pGz58clF7IGcpndoakY0FmMh0BjU2cc8xlgsy1PzcXDBQlcBqR
QiglpjQD+aHVbqu6LNETchMkcaSoSqt99MVi8fCLHiA3i6h4YSvZnXyS17r2/rV9/x/N
rrS77PUcNAnhfNLkE7F2pSlJUY1qNK1xQPdrqzsNYrGG/3l/D/9f6vHxBYuP21a9jFdr
BNrg==
X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
d=1e100.net; s=20161025;
h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to;
bh=HvAI+u9+o56WCWSJWt2bEpfGt6dDgg7mtiGg+uf3WA0=;
b=P2s/QClqZ3l03Rrz6RPGcDLlrZA55hiPK48eYyDwGwQiY6CpS9AOZ84JrxMcNbiQXe
a87dzGjfNB4YrscEKyTLXQUdjJMlRuHqAAPvsf0v1V0sRmwxMecarI4E9J67f+Y/gkX9
Ubdr93emOXqXIAO/iYc43Fr/74iF5f+x/mxihFFEo5drQ/e7Qc7dsWxJJD4Vy8dCfbFF
xvj7LiKc6CrJW57DOTEHnOb0d7bbsu1aF0iYqefZwwGLcFuETTKIWNLuohvFowxCn97U
st2Y2tLupUONsbzm6D4Y1+0H+RH9oSnHuK8iMtuOfTcqvaXYI0QlFbIFPWks8RTYGu9N
zRtw==
X-Gm-Message-State: APjAAAVdnjHWctvFaA1vPPdE2gABLVPFUUA+ZfbgZBYRix3giNhjQzM8
1DsZYhZvga90xOfT7ObdHAMiCRNc0nE1j33v4rgf5+8a9n6W1Q==
X-Google-Smtp-Source: APXvYqwVZBmJ6MF8J+TIOXKY1UzMcbugNz9AKFRiiYAqM5tFwZgvGO4U4oKal0wq+RF3CScdbzS7/YTsFTMkXun/HS0=
X-Received: by 2002:a24:b041:: with SMTP id b1mr8504524itj.120.1559324261921;
Fri, 31 May 2019 10:37:41 -0700 (PDT)
MIME-Version: 1.0
From: einker
Date: Fri, 31 May 2019 13:37:30 -0400
Message-ID:
To: Ruben Safir , Ruben Safir
Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Nice Linux Story to Share
X-BeenThere: hangout-at-nylxs.com
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.17
Precedence: list
List-Id: NYLXS Tech Talk and Politics
List-Unsubscribe: ,

List-Post:
List-Help:
List-Subscribe: ,

Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="===============0093623860=="
Errors-To: hangout-bounces-at-nylxs.com
Sender: "Hangout"

--===============0093623860==
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000b8bc96058a327868"

--000000000000b8bc96058a327868
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hey Ruben,

Not sure that NYLXS Mail list will get this so sending this to you
personally ...
Hope all is well.


https://www.techrepublic.com/article/scientific-linux-and-antergos-are-shut=
ting-down-its-time-for-linux-mint-to-go/


Scientific Linux and Antergos are shutting down: It's time for Linux Mint
to go

By James Sanders in Software on May 30, 2019, 8:17 AM PST


Cinnamon, the popular open source desktop environment featured in Linux
Mint, makes more sense as a distribution-agnostic package.


Since time immemorial=E2=80=94or, more likely, the late 1990s=E2=80=94the i=
ntractable
problem of "fragmentation of the Linux desktop" has been debated on the
internet. While some contend that the wide variety of competing
distributions offers more choice to users, that choice can also be
overwhelming=E2=80=94making it too difficult for new users to decide on a
distribution, or leading them to choose a distribution that is poorly-built
or unsupported, providing a bad first experience.

While these arguments have merit, they ignore a critical problem: The
infrastructure and developer attention needed to maintain a distribution is
extensive, and difficult to justify. Long-running Linux distributions have
stopped operations due to a lack of resources, and it is time for Linux
Mint to consider doing the same in order to prevent developer burnout,
while transitioning Cinnamon into being a fully distribution-agnostic
desktop environment.

Popular Linux distributions are ceasing operations
Shortly after the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 in May, Fermilab
announced that there would be no new edition of Scientific Linux, ending
Fermilab's 20-plus year history of maintaining their own Linux
distribution. Scientific Linux is little more than a recompiled version of
RHEL sources, with Red Hat's trademarks removed. This strategy made sense
at the time, as RHEL is a paid, commercial distribution. Red Hat's 2014
acquisition of CentOS=E2=80=94a general-purpose free recompile of RHEL sour=
ces=E2=80=94made
Scientific Linux functionally redundant, particularly with the introduction
of CentOS Special Interest Groups (SIGs).


Likewise, the Arch-based Antergos distribution announced plans to shut
down, as the developers "no longer have enough free time to properly
maintain Antergos," and that "continuing to neglect the project would be a
huge disservice to the community." Certainly, community members have
already announced their intent to continue under the name Endeavour, which
will be a significant undertaking=E2=80=94building a user-friendly installe=
r for
Arch is an interesting science experiment, considering that this is more or
less at odds with Arch's goal of reducing abstractions that complicate
system management.


Linux Mint has the unique distinction of being pragmatically correct twice,
relative to the history of Linux on the desktop. When Mint was introduced
in 2006, patent-encumbered codecs were not straightforward to install in
popular distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora; likewise, proprietary software
like Adobe Flash required separate installation, which was itself often a
challenge. In part, this was made possible due to Mint being distributed
from the EU, where software patents are essentially unenforceable.

Circumstances changed shortly thereafter, as Ubuntu added an extra screen
to the installer to install codecs starting with Ubuntu Linux 7.04, and in
2008, various third-party repositories for Fedora merged to form RPM
Fusion, providing a single source for packages not provided by Fedora for
legal reasons. By 2010, Google Chrome 5 was released, providing an embedded
Flash plugin, and support for Linux (and Mac OS), making the process of
using Flash on Linux more straightforward.

Since then, Flash adoption has plummeted, with support ending at the end of
2020. Patents for MPEG-2, MP3, and Dolby AC3 have since expired, allowing
Linux distributions to provide this capability freely, out of the box.
While Mint was the first distribution to effectively solve this problem,
the conceit that Mint is easier to use because it provides codecs installed
by default no longer holds merit, as other distributions have since caught
up. Mint has actually regressed in this position, as codecs are no longer
installed by default as of Linux Mint 18, making this identical to other
Linux distributions.

The desktop environment debacle of the early 2010s
Nearly simultaneously, every major OS made highly polarizing changes to the
user interface. Microsoft introduced the "don't call it Metro" interface
with Windows 8, in 2012, which landed with a thud, and in part, prompted
the exit of Stephen Sinofsky. In 2014, OS X Yosemitie attempted to make
Helvetica Neue the default font, and abandoned the idea a year later.

Linux had their own schism, for desktop environments. Ubuntu Unity,
originally developed for Netbooks, was introduced in 2010 to widespread
derision, though had redeemed itself by the release of 12.04, with
TechRepublic's Jack Wallen migrating back to Ubuntu after jumping ship
following issues with the initial releases.

Likewise, in 2011, the introduction of GNOME 3.0 on Fedora 15 was met with
derision. GNOME 3 was intended for use with touchscreens, upending the
usage patterns that users had become familiar with, prompting Linus
Torvalds to declare it "unacceptable." Dirk Hohndel, then-chief Linux and
open-source technologist at Intel, declared at the time that "Gnome 3 is
just completely unusable as far as I'm concerned."

None of these were nearly ready for primetime when they launched, and this
drove users away. For a time, Linux Mint "just worked" in a way that other
distributions struggled to do, because they pushed too-new software on
users. Out of this chaos was born Cinnamon, the fork of GNOME 3 built for
Linux Mint that uses the classic desktop paradigm introduced in Windows 95.
It's familiar, and that's a good thing.

Cinnamon, the raison d'=C3=AAtre of Linux Mint
Cinnamon's familiarity to millions, and the easy learning curve it provides
by retaining a usage paradigm nearly 25 years old, is necessary, in a way
that proponents of GNOME or KDE may be unwilling to admit. While Cinnamon
is not the only desktop environment shipped by Mint, the distribution has
jettisoned the KDE edition with the release of Mint 19. While Mint did not
start with Cinnamon, for some time the bulk of original code produced by
the Linux Mint team relates to Cinnamon=E2=80=94it is the reason the distri=
bution
has enduring popularity.

That said, the process of developing a Linux distribution and developing a
desktop environment are rather dissimilar. Cl=C3=A9ment Lef=C3=A8bvre, the =
founder
and project leader of Linux Mint, does a fantastic job of guiding
development of Cinnamon, though noted his own frustrations with the project
in the March Mint update. The post is difficult to summarize succinctly,
though he notes that "I personally haven't enjoyed this development cycle
so far," and notes a divide between the concept of "users" and "developers.=
"

The following month, Lef=C3=A8bvre=E2=80=94who simply goes by Clem, in the =
Linux
community=E2=80=94walked back the comments noting that he is not "depressed=
,"
despite some blogs reporting it as such, adding that "I also talked a tiny
bit too much about what was going on within the team. On the one hand it is
part of my role to report on the progress being done, on the other hand
we're dealing with individuals, there are people involved, efforts being
made, feelings which can be hurt and it's part of my role also to protect
that."

Clem doesn't need to carry the world on his shoulders
Linux Mint is actually two distributions=E2=80=94the Ubuntu derivative, for=
which
Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce editions are provided, and the Cinnamon-based
Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE), which exists "for the Linux Mint team to
see how viable our distribution would be and how much work would be
necessary if Ubuntu was ever to disappear." Notably, LMDE previously had
Xfce and MATE editions, though those have been jettisoned as part of an
increased focused on Cinnamon.

Ubuntu is practically in the too-big-to-fail category, as Linux
distributions go. While Canonical has abandoned development of Unity for
Ubuntu=E2=80=94switching back to a modified GNOME 3=E2=80=94the distributio=
n is continuing.
Canonical is, at a minimum, solvent=E2=80=94particularly as expenditures fo=
r
development of Unity stopped as programmers on that project were largely
laid off.

Ubuntu is not going anywhere. But, that only addresses why LMDE is
unnecessary, not Mint overall. Maintaining this parallel plumbing for an
alternative Mint for a doomsday scenario is paranoia, but it surfaces an
interesting point: Cinnamon is, to an extent, developed to be
distribution-agnostic, partially as a consequence of the existence of LMDE.
Most of the original development for Mint is focuses on Cinnamon, though
maintaining the plumbing for the Ubuntu and Debian-based distributions=E2=
=80=94and
other infrastructure, such as the website=E2=80=94is a massive undertaking,=
and a
time sink for a team this small.

Cinnamon has momentum behind it, as the progressive, feature-rich
implementation of the classic desktop paradigm for Linux users. (For
comparison, MATE=E2=80=94while venerable=E2=80=94is essentially in maintena=
nce mode.)
Persisting in maintaining Linux Mint as a platform to showcase Cinnamon
makes no sense, when the labor of maintaining a distribution is
handled=E2=80=94better=E2=80=94by Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE, and Arch, among a s=
elect few others.

Ultimately, the benefit of Cinnamon can be realized as a truly
distribution-agnostic desktop environment. Most of the work is already
done: Fedora already has a Cinnamon spin, and can be installed in Debian,
OpenSuSE, and Arch (among others). Transitioning Linux Mint development
efforts to make Cinnamon an Ubuntu Flavor=E2=80=94adhering more tightly to =
Ubuntu's
infrastructure and release timelines, rather than operating independently
and running the risk causing package conflicts=E2=80=94would deduplicate a =
great
deal of work, providing more time to further improve Cinnamon, and ease the
strained schedules of Clem and other Linux Mint contributors.

For more on Linux, check out "Fedora 30 brings immense quality of life
improvements to Linux on the desktop" and "Half of employees think the
cloud is actually in the sky, according to a third of IT workers" on
TechRepublic.

--=20
Regards,

Evan M. Inker

--000000000000b8bc96058a327868
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hey Ruben,

Not sure that NYLXS Mail lis=
t will get this so sending this to you personally ...
Hope all is=
well.



=C2=A0Scientific Linux and Antergos are shutting =
down: It's time for Linux Mint to go

By James Sanders =C2=
=A0 in Software =C2=A0on May 30, 2019, 8:17 AM PST


Cinnamon, the=
popular open source desktop environment featured in Linux Mint, makes more=
sense as a distribution-agnostic package.


Since time immemorial=
=E2=80=94or, more likely, the late 1990s=E2=80=94the intractable problem of=
"fragmentation of the Linux desktop" has been debated on the int=
ernet. While some contend that the wide variety of competing distributions =
offers more choice to users, that choice can also be overwhelming=E2=80=94m=
aking it too difficult for new users to decide on a distribution, or leadin=
g them to choose a distribution that is poorly-built or unsupported, provid=
ing a bad first experience.

While these arguments have merit, they i=
gnore a critical problem: The infrastructure and developer attention needed=
to maintain a distribution is extensive, and difficult to justify. Long-ru=
nning Linux distributions have stopped operations due to a lack of resource=
s, and it is time for Linux Mint to consider doing the same in order to pre=
vent developer burnout, while transitioning Cinnamon into being a fully dis=
tribution-agnostic desktop environment.

Popular Linux distributions =
are ceasing operations
Shortly after the release of Red Hat Enterprise L=
inux 8 in May, Fermilab announced that there would be no new edition of Sci=
entific Linux, ending Fermilab's 20-plus year history of maintaining th=
eir own Linux distribution. Scientific Linux is little more than a recompil=
ed version of RHEL sources, with Red Hat's trademarks removed. This str=
ategy made sense at the time, as RHEL is a paid, commercial distribution. R=
ed Hat's 2014 acquisition of CentOS=E2=80=94a general-purpose free reco=
mpile of RHEL sources=E2=80=94made Scientific Linux functionally redundant,=
particularly with the introduction of CentOS Special Interest Groups (SIGs=
).


Likewise, the Arch-based Antergos distribution announced plan=
s to shut down, as the developers "no longer have enough free time to =
properly maintain Antergos," and that "continuing to neglect the =
project would be a huge disservice to the community." Certainly, commu=
nity members have already announced their intent to continue under the name=
Endeavour, which will be a significant undertaking=E2=80=94building a user=
-friendly installer for Arch is an interesting science experiment, consider=
ing that this is more or less at odds with Arch's goal of reducing abst=
ractions that complicate system management.


Linux Mint has the u=
nique distinction of being pragmatically correct twice, relative to the his=
tory of Linux on the desktop. When Mint was introduced in 2006, patent-encu=
mbered codecs were not straightforward to install in popular distributions =
like Ubuntu or Fedora; likewise, proprietary software like Adobe Flash requ=
ired separate installation, which was itself often a challenge. In part, th=
is was made possible due to Mint being distributed from the EU, where softw=
are patents are essentially unenforceable.

Circumstances changed sho=
rtly thereafter, as Ubuntu added an extra screen to the installer to instal=
l codecs starting with Ubuntu Linux 7.04, and in 2008, various third-party =
repositories for Fedora merged to form RPM Fusion, providing a single sourc=
e for packages not provided by Fedora for legal reasons. By 2010, Google Ch=
rome 5 was released, providing an embedded Flash plugin, and support for Li=
nux (and Mac OS), making the process of using Flash on Linux more straightf=
orward.

Since then, Flash adoption has plummeted, with support endin=
g at the end of 2020. Patents for MPEG-2, MP3, and Dolby AC3 have since exp=
ired, allowing Linux distributions to provide this capability freely, out o=
f the box. While Mint was the first distribution to effectively solve this =
problem, the conceit that Mint is easier to use because it provides codecs =
installed by default no longer holds merit, as other distributions have sin=
ce caught up. Mint has actually regressed in this position, as codecs are n=
o longer installed by default as of Linux Mint 18, making this identical to=
other Linux distributions.

The desktop environment debacle of the e=
arly 2010s
Nearly simultaneously, every major OS made highly polarizing =
changes to the user interface. Microsoft introduced the "don't cal=
l it Metro" interface with Windows 8, in 2012, which landed with a thu=
d, and in part, prompted the exit of Stephen Sinofsky. In 2014, OS X Yosemi=
tie attempted to make Helvetica Neue the default font, and abandoned the id=
ea a year later.

Linux had their own schism, for desktop environment=
s. Ubuntu Unity, originally developed for Netbooks, was introduced in 2010 =
to widespread derision, though had redeemed itself by the release of 12.04,=
with TechRepublic's Jack Wallen migrating back to Ubuntu after jumping=
ship following issues with the initial releases.

Likewise, in 2011,=
the introduction of GNOME 3.0 on Fedora 15 was met with derision. GNOME 3 =
was intended for use with touchscreens, upending the usage patterns that us=
ers had become familiar with, prompting Linus Torvalds to declare it "=
unacceptable." Dirk Hohndel, then-chief Linux and open-source technolo=
gist at Intel, declared at the time that "Gnome 3 is just completely u=
nusable as far as I'm concerned."

None of these were nearly=
ready for primetime when they launched, and this drove users away. For a t=
ime, Linux Mint "just worked" in a way that other distributions s=
truggled to do, because they pushed too-new software on users. Out of this =
chaos was born Cinnamon, the fork of GNOME 3 built for Linux Mint that uses=
the classic desktop paradigm introduced in Windows 95. It's familiar, =
and that's a good thing.

Cinnamon, the raison d'=C3=AAtre of=
Linux Mint
Cinnamon's familiarity to millions, and the easy learnin=
g curve it provides by retaining a usage paradigm nearly 25 years old, is n=
ecessary, in a way that proponents of GNOME or KDE may be unwilling to admi=
t. While Cinnamon is not the only desktop environment shipped by Mint, the =
distribution has jettisoned the KDE edition with the release of Mint 19. Wh=
ile Mint did not start with Cinnamon, for some time the bulk of original co=
de produced by the Linux Mint team relates to Cinnamon=E2=80=94it is the re=
ason the distribution has enduring popularity.

That said, the proces=
s of developing a Linux distribution and developing a desktop environment a=
re rather dissimilar. Cl=C3=A9ment Lef=C3=A8bvre, the founder and project l=
eader of Linux Mint, does a fantastic job of guiding development of Cinnamo=
n, though noted his own frustrations with the project in the March Mint upd=
ate. The post is difficult to summarize succinctly, though he notes that &q=
uot;I personally haven't enjoyed this development cycle so far," a=
nd notes a divide between the concept of "users" and "develo=
pers."

The following month, Lef=C3=A8bvre=E2=80=94who simply go=
es by Clem, in the Linux community=E2=80=94walked back the comments noting =
that he is not "depressed," despite some blogs reporting it as su=
ch, adding that "I also talked a tiny bit too much about what was goin=
g on within the team. On the one hand it is part of my role to report on th=
e progress being done, on the other hand we're dealing with individuals=
, there are people involved, efforts being made, feelings which can be hurt=
and it's part of my role also to protect that."

Clem doesn=
't need to carry the world on his shoulders
Linux Mint is actually t=
wo distributions=E2=80=94the Ubuntu derivative, for which Cinnamon, MATE, a=
nd Xfce editions are provided, and the Cinnamon-based Linux Mint Debian Edi=
tion (LMDE), which exists "for the Linux Mint team to see how viable o=
ur distribution would be and how much work would be necessary if Ubuntu was=
ever to disappear." Notably, LMDE previously had Xfce and MATE editio=
ns, though those have been jettisoned as part of an increased focused on Ci=
nnamon.

Ubuntu is practically in the too-big-to-fail category, as Li=
nux distributions go. While Canonical has abandoned development of Unity fo=
r Ubuntu=E2=80=94switching back to a modified GNOME 3=E2=80=94the distribut=
ion is continuing. Canonical is, at a minimum, solvent=E2=80=94particularly=
as expenditures for development of Unity stopped as programmers on that pr=
oject were largely laid off.

Ubuntu is not going anywhere. But, that=
only addresses why LMDE is unnecessary, not Mint overall. Maintaining this=
parallel plumbing for an alternative Mint for a doomsday scenario is paran=
oia, but it surfaces an interesting point: Cinnamon is, to an extent, devel=
oped to be distribution-agnostic, partially as a consequence of the existen=
ce of LMDE. Most of the original development for Mint is focuses on Cinnamo=
n, though maintaining the plumbing for the Ubuntu and Debian-based distribu=
tions=E2=80=94and other infrastructure, such as the website=E2=80=94is a ma=
ssive undertaking, and a time sink for a team this small.

Cinnamon h=
as momentum behind it, as the progressive, feature-rich implementation of t=
he classic desktop paradigm for Linux users. (For comparison, MATE=E2=80=94=
while venerable=E2=80=94is essentially in maintenance mode.) Persisting in =
maintaining Linux Mint as a platform to showcase Cinnamon makes no sense, w=
hen the labor of maintaining a distribution is handled=E2=80=94better=E2=80=
=94by Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE, and Arch, among a select few others.

Ult=
imately, the benefit of Cinnamon can be realized as a truly distribution-ag=
nostic desktop environment. Most of the work is already done: Fedora alread=
y has a Cinnamon spin, and can be installed in Debian, OpenSuSE, and Arch (=
among others). Transitioning Linux Mint development efforts to make Cinnamo=
n an Ubuntu Flavor=E2=80=94adhering more tightly to Ubuntu's infrastruc=
ture and release timelines, rather than operating independently and running=
the risk causing package conflicts=E2=80=94would deduplicate a great deal =
of work, providing more time to further improve Cinnamon, and ease the stra=
ined schedules of Clem and other Linux Mint contributors.

For more o=
n Linux, check out "Fedora 30 brings immense quality of life improveme=
nts to Linux on the desktop" and "Half of employees think the clo=
ud is actually in the sky, according to a third of IT workers" on Tech=
Republic.

--=C2=A0
=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature">Regards,

Ev=
an M. Inker


--000000000000b8bc96058a327868--

--===============0093623860==
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline

_______________________________________________
Hangout mailing list
Hangout-at-nylxs.com
http://lists.mrbrklyn.com/mailman/listinfo/hangout

--===============0093623860==--

--===============0093623860==
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000b8bc96058a327868"

--000000000000b8bc96058a327868
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hey Ruben,

Not sure that NYLXS Mail list will get this so sending this to you
personally ...
Hope all is well.


https://www.techrepublic.com/article/scientific-linux-and-antergos-are-shut=
ting-down-its-time-for-linux-mint-to-go/


Scientific Linux and Antergos are shutting down: It's time for Linux Mint
to go

By James Sanders in Software on May 30, 2019, 8:17 AM PST


Cinnamon, the popular open source desktop environment featured in Linux
Mint, makes more sense as a distribution-agnostic package.


Since time immemorial=E2=80=94or, more likely, the late 1990s=E2=80=94the i=
ntractable
problem of "fragmentation of the Linux desktop" has been debated on the
internet. While some contend that the wide variety of competing
distributions offers more choice to users, that choice can also be
overwhelming=E2=80=94making it too difficult for new users to decide on a
distribution, or leading them to choose a distribution that is poorly-built
or unsupported, providing a bad first experience.

While these arguments have merit, they ignore a critical problem: The
infrastructure and developer attention needed to maintain a distribution is
extensive, and difficult to justify. Long-running Linux distributions have
stopped operations due to a lack of resources, and it is time for Linux
Mint to consider doing the same in order to prevent developer burnout,
while transitioning Cinnamon into being a fully distribution-agnostic
desktop environment.

Popular Linux distributions are ceasing operations
Shortly after the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 in May, Fermilab
announced that there would be no new edition of Scientific Linux, ending
Fermilab's 20-plus year history of maintaining their own Linux
distribution. Scientific Linux is little more than a recompiled version of
RHEL sources, with Red Hat's trademarks removed. This strategy made sense
at the time, as RHEL is a paid, commercial distribution. Red Hat's 2014
acquisition of CentOS=E2=80=94a general-purpose free recompile of RHEL sour=
ces=E2=80=94made
Scientific Linux functionally redundant, particularly with the introduction
of CentOS Special Interest Groups (SIGs).


Likewise, the Arch-based Antergos distribution announced plans to shut
down, as the developers "no longer have enough free time to properly
maintain Antergos," and that "continuing to neglect the project would be a
huge disservice to the community." Certainly, community members have
already announced their intent to continue under the name Endeavour, which
will be a significant undertaking=E2=80=94building a user-friendly installe=
r for
Arch is an interesting science experiment, considering that this is more or
less at odds with Arch's goal of reducing abstractions that complicate
system management.


Linux Mint has the unique distinction of being pragmatically correct twice,
relative to the history of Linux on the desktop. When Mint was introduced
in 2006, patent-encumbered codecs were not straightforward to install in
popular distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora; likewise, proprietary software
like Adobe Flash required separate installation, which was itself often a
challenge. In part, this was made possible due to Mint being distributed
from the EU, where software patents are essentially unenforceable.

Circumstances changed shortly thereafter, as Ubuntu added an extra screen
to the installer to install codecs starting with Ubuntu Linux 7.04, and in
2008, various third-party repositories for Fedora merged to form RPM
Fusion, providing a single source for packages not provided by Fedora for
legal reasons. By 2010, Google Chrome 5 was released, providing an embedded
Flash plugin, and support for Linux (and Mac OS), making the process of
using Flash on Linux more straightforward.

Since then, Flash adoption has plummeted, with support ending at the end of
2020. Patents for MPEG-2, MP3, and Dolby AC3 have since expired, allowing
Linux distributions to provide this capability freely, out of the box.
While Mint was the first distribution to effectively solve this problem,
the conceit that Mint is easier to use because it provides codecs installed
by default no longer holds merit, as other distributions have since caught
up. Mint has actually regressed in this position, as codecs are no longer
installed by default as of Linux Mint 18, making this identical to other
Linux distributions.

The desktop environment debacle of the early 2010s
Nearly simultaneously, every major OS made highly polarizing changes to the
user interface. Microsoft introduced the "don't call it Metro" interface
with Windows 8, in 2012, which landed with a thud, and in part, prompted
the exit of Stephen Sinofsky. In 2014, OS X Yosemitie attempted to make
Helvetica Neue the default font, and abandoned the idea a year later.

Linux had their own schism, for desktop environments. Ubuntu Unity,
originally developed for Netbooks, was introduced in 2010 to widespread
derision, though had redeemed itself by the release of 12.04, with
TechRepublic's Jack Wallen migrating back to Ubuntu after jumping ship
following issues with the initial releases.

Likewise, in 2011, the introduction of GNOME 3.0 on Fedora 15 was met with
derision. GNOME 3 was intended for use with touchscreens, upending the
usage patterns that users had become familiar with, prompting Linus
Torvalds to declare it "unacceptable." Dirk Hohndel, then-chief Linux and
open-source technologist at Intel, declared at the time that "Gnome 3 is
just completely unusable as far as I'm concerned."

None of these were nearly ready for primetime when they launched, and this
drove users away. For a time, Linux Mint "just worked" in a way that other
distributions struggled to do, because they pushed too-new software on
users. Out of this chaos was born Cinnamon, the fork of GNOME 3 built for
Linux Mint that uses the classic desktop paradigm introduced in Windows 95.
It's familiar, and that's a good thing.

Cinnamon, the raison d'=C3=AAtre of Linux Mint
Cinnamon's familiarity to millions, and the easy learning curve it provides
by retaining a usage paradigm nearly 25 years old, is necessary, in a way
that proponents of GNOME or KDE may be unwilling to admit. While Cinnamon
is not the only desktop environment shipped by Mint, the distribution has
jettisoned the KDE edition with the release of Mint 19. While Mint did not
start with Cinnamon, for some time the bulk of original code produced by
the Linux Mint team relates to Cinnamon=E2=80=94it is the reason the distri=
bution
has enduring popularity.

That said, the process of developing a Linux distribution and developing a
desktop environment are rather dissimilar. Cl=C3=A9ment Lef=C3=A8bvre, the =
founder
and project leader of Linux Mint, does a fantastic job of guiding
development of Cinnamon, though noted his own frustrations with the project
in the March Mint update. The post is difficult to summarize succinctly,
though he notes that "I personally haven't enjoyed this development cycle
so far," and notes a divide between the concept of "users" and "developers.=
"

The following month, Lef=C3=A8bvre=E2=80=94who simply goes by Clem, in the =
Linux
community=E2=80=94walked back the comments noting that he is not "depressed=
,"
despite some blogs reporting it as such, adding that "I also talked a tiny
bit too much about what was going on within the team. On the one hand it is
part of my role to report on the progress being done, on the other hand
we're dealing with individuals, there are people involved, efforts being
made, feelings which can be hurt and it's part of my role also to protect
that."

Clem doesn't need to carry the world on his shoulders
Linux Mint is actually two distributions=E2=80=94the Ubuntu derivative, for=
which
Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce editions are provided, and the Cinnamon-based
Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE), which exists "for the Linux Mint team to
see how viable our distribution would be and how much work would be
necessary if Ubuntu was ever to disappear." Notably, LMDE previously had
Xfce and MATE editions, though those have been jettisoned as part of an
increased focused on Cinnamon.

Ubuntu is practically in the too-big-to-fail category, as Linux
distributions go. While Canonical has abandoned development of Unity for
Ubuntu=E2=80=94switching back to a modified GNOME 3=E2=80=94the distributio=
n is continuing.
Canonical is, at a minimum, solvent=E2=80=94particularly as expenditures fo=
r
development of Unity stopped as programmers on that project were largely
laid off.

Ubuntu is not going anywhere. But, that only addresses why LMDE is
unnecessary, not Mint overall. Maintaining this parallel plumbing for an
alternative Mint for a doomsday scenario is paranoia, but it surfaces an
interesting point: Cinnamon is, to an extent, developed to be
distribution-agnostic, partially as a consequence of the existence of LMDE.
Most of the original development for Mint is focuses on Cinnamon, though
maintaining the plumbing for the Ubuntu and Debian-based distributions=E2=
=80=94and
other infrastructure, such as the website=E2=80=94is a massive undertaking,=
and a
time sink for a team this small.

Cinnamon has momentum behind it, as the progressive, feature-rich
implementation of the classic desktop paradigm for Linux users. (For
comparison, MATE=E2=80=94while venerable=E2=80=94is essentially in maintena=
nce mode.)
Persisting in maintaining Linux Mint as a platform to showcase Cinnamon
makes no sense, when the labor of maintaining a distribution is
handled=E2=80=94better=E2=80=94by Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE, and Arch, among a s=
elect few others.

Ultimately, the benefit of Cinnamon can be realized as a truly
distribution-agnostic desktop environment. Most of the work is already
done: Fedora already has a Cinnamon spin, and can be installed in Debian,
OpenSuSE, and Arch (among others). Transitioning Linux Mint development
efforts to make Cinnamon an Ubuntu Flavor=E2=80=94adhering more tightly to =
Ubuntu's
infrastructure and release timelines, rather than operating independently
and running the risk causing package conflicts=E2=80=94would deduplicate a =
great
deal of work, providing more time to further improve Cinnamon, and ease the
strained schedules of Clem and other Linux Mint contributors.

For more on Linux, check out "Fedora 30 brings immense quality of life
improvements to Linux on the desktop" and "Half of employees think the
cloud is actually in the sky, according to a third of IT workers" on
TechRepublic.

--=20
Regards,

Evan M. Inker

--000000000000b8bc96058a327868
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hey Ruben,

Not sure that NYLXS Mail lis=
t will get this so sending this to you personally ...
Hope all is=
well.



=C2=A0Scientific Linux and Antergos are shutting =
down: It's time for Linux Mint to go

By James Sanders =C2=
=A0 in Software =C2=A0on May 30, 2019, 8:17 AM PST


Cinnamon, the=
popular open source desktop environment featured in Linux Mint, makes more=
sense as a distribution-agnostic package.


Since time immemorial=
=E2=80=94or, more likely, the late 1990s=E2=80=94the intractable problem of=
"fragmentation of the Linux desktop" has been debated on the int=
ernet. While some contend that the wide variety of competing distributions =
offers more choice to users, that choice can also be overwhelming=E2=80=94m=
aking it too difficult for new users to decide on a distribution, or leadin=
g them to choose a distribution that is poorly-built or unsupported, provid=
ing a bad first experience.

While these arguments have merit, they i=
gnore a critical problem: The infrastructure and developer attention needed=
to maintain a distribution is extensive, and difficult to justify. Long-ru=
nning Linux distributions have stopped operations due to a lack of resource=
s, and it is time for Linux Mint to consider doing the same in order to pre=
vent developer burnout, while transitioning Cinnamon into being a fully dis=
tribution-agnostic desktop environment.

Popular Linux distributions =
are ceasing operations
Shortly after the release of Red Hat Enterprise L=
inux 8 in May, Fermilab announced that there would be no new edition of Sci=
entific Linux, ending Fermilab's 20-plus year history of maintaining th=
eir own Linux distribution. Scientific Linux is little more than a recompil=
ed version of RHEL sources, with Red Hat's trademarks removed. This str=
ategy made sense at the time, as RHEL is a paid, commercial distribution. R=
ed Hat's 2014 acquisition of CentOS=E2=80=94a general-purpose free reco=
mpile of RHEL sources=E2=80=94made Scientific Linux functionally redundant,=
particularly with the introduction of CentOS Special Interest Groups (SIGs=
).


Likewise, the Arch-based Antergos distribution announced plan=
s to shut down, as the developers "no longer have enough free time to =
properly maintain Antergos," and that "continuing to neglect the =
project would be a huge disservice to the community." Certainly, commu=
nity members have already announced their intent to continue under the name=
Endeavour, which will be a significant undertaking=E2=80=94building a user=
-friendly installer for Arch is an interesting science experiment, consider=
ing that this is more or less at odds with Arch's goal of reducing abst=
ractions that complicate system management.


Linux Mint has the u=
nique distinction of being pragmatically correct twice, relative to the his=
tory of Linux on the desktop. When Mint was introduced in 2006, patent-encu=
mbered codecs were not straightforward to install in popular distributions =
like Ubuntu or Fedora; likewise, proprietary software like Adobe Flash requ=
ired separate installation, which was itself often a challenge. In part, th=
is was made possible due to Mint being distributed from the EU, where softw=
are patents are essentially unenforceable.

Circumstances changed sho=
rtly thereafter, as Ubuntu added an extra screen to the installer to instal=
l codecs starting with Ubuntu Linux 7.04, and in 2008, various third-party =
repositories for Fedora merged to form RPM Fusion, providing a single sourc=
e for packages not provided by Fedora for legal reasons. By 2010, Google Ch=
rome 5 was released, providing an embedded Flash plugin, and support for Li=
nux (and Mac OS), making the process of using Flash on Linux more straightf=
orward.

Since then, Flash adoption has plummeted, with support endin=
g at the end of 2020. Patents for MPEG-2, MP3, and Dolby AC3 have since exp=
ired, allowing Linux distributions to provide this capability freely, out o=
f the box. While Mint was the first distribution to effectively solve this =
problem, the conceit that Mint is easier to use because it provides codecs =
installed by default no longer holds merit, as other distributions have sin=
ce caught up. Mint has actually regressed in this position, as codecs are n=
o longer installed by default as of Linux Mint 18, making this identical to=
other Linux distributions.

The desktop environment debacle of the e=
arly 2010s
Nearly simultaneously, every major OS made highly polarizing =
changes to the user interface. Microsoft introduced the "don't cal=
l it Metro" interface with Windows 8, in 2012, which landed with a thu=
d, and in part, prompted the exit of Stephen Sinofsky. In 2014, OS X Yosemi=
tie attempted to make Helvetica Neue the default font, and abandoned the id=
ea a year later.

Linux had their own schism, for desktop environment=
s. Ubuntu Unity, originally developed for Netbooks, was introduced in 2010 =
to widespread derision, though had redeemed itself by the release of 12.04,=
with TechRepublic's Jack Wallen migrating back to Ubuntu after jumping=
ship following issues with the initial releases.

Likewise, in 2011,=
the introduction of GNOME 3.0 on Fedora 15 was met with derision. GNOME 3 =
was intended for use with touchscreens, upending the usage patterns that us=
ers had become familiar with, prompting Linus Torvalds to declare it "=
unacceptable." Dirk Hohndel, then-chief Linux and open-source technolo=
gist at Intel, declared at the time that "Gnome 3 is just completely u=
nusable as far as I'm concerned."

None of these were nearly=
ready for primetime when they launched, and this drove users away. For a t=
ime, Linux Mint "just worked" in a way that other distributions s=
truggled to do, because they pushed too-new software on users. Out of this =
chaos was born Cinnamon, the fork of GNOME 3 built for Linux Mint that uses=
the classic desktop paradigm introduced in Windows 95. It's familiar, =
and that's a good thing.

Cinnamon, the raison d'=C3=AAtre of=
Linux Mint
Cinnamon's familiarity to millions, and the easy learnin=
g curve it provides by retaining a usage paradigm nearly 25 years old, is n=
ecessary, in a way that proponents of GNOME or KDE may be unwilling to admi=
t. While Cinnamon is not the only desktop environment shipped by Mint, the =
distribution has jettisoned the KDE edition with the release of Mint 19. Wh=
ile Mint did not start with Cinnamon, for some time the bulk of original co=
de produced by the Linux Mint team relates to Cinnamon=E2=80=94it is the re=
ason the distribution has enduring popularity.

That said, the proces=
s of developing a Linux distribution and developing a desktop environment a=
re rather dissimilar. Cl=C3=A9ment Lef=C3=A8bvre, the founder and project l=
eader of Linux Mint, does a fantastic job of guiding development of Cinnamo=
n, though noted his own frustrations with the project in the March Mint upd=
ate. The post is difficult to summarize succinctly, though he notes that &q=
uot;I personally haven't enjoyed this development cycle so far," a=
nd notes a divide between the concept of "users" and "develo=
pers."

The following month, Lef=C3=A8bvre=E2=80=94who simply go=
es by Clem, in the Linux community=E2=80=94walked back the comments noting =
that he is not "depressed," despite some blogs reporting it as su=
ch, adding that "I also talked a tiny bit too much about what was goin=
g on within the team. On the one hand it is part of my role to report on th=
e progress being done, on the other hand we're dealing with individuals=
, there are people involved, efforts being made, feelings which can be hurt=
and it's part of my role also to protect that."

Clem doesn=
't need to carry the world on his shoulders
Linux Mint is actually t=
wo distributions=E2=80=94the Ubuntu derivative, for which Cinnamon, MATE, a=
nd Xfce editions are provided, and the Cinnamon-based Linux Mint Debian Edi=
tion (LMDE), which exists "for the Linux Mint team to see how viable o=
ur distribution would be and how much work would be necessary if Ubuntu was=
ever to disappear." Notably, LMDE previously had Xfce and MATE editio=
ns, though those have been jettisoned as part of an increased focused on Ci=
nnamon.

Ubuntu is practically in the too-big-to-fail category, as Li=
nux distributions go. While Canonical has abandoned development of Unity fo=
r Ubuntu=E2=80=94switching back to a modified GNOME 3=E2=80=94the distribut=
ion is continuing. Canonical is, at a minimum, solvent=E2=80=94particularly=
as expenditures for development of Unity stopped as programmers on that pr=
oject were largely laid off.

Ubuntu is not going anywhere. But, that=
only addresses why LMDE is unnecessary, not Mint overall. Maintaining this=
parallel plumbing for an alternative Mint for a doomsday scenario is paran=
oia, but it surfaces an interesting point: Cinnamon is, to an extent, devel=
oped to be distribution-agnostic, partially as a consequence of the existen=
ce of LMDE. Most of the original development for Mint is focuses on Cinnamo=
n, though maintaining the plumbing for the Ubuntu and Debian-based distribu=
tions=E2=80=94and other infrastructure, such as the website=E2=80=94is a ma=
ssive undertaking, and a time sink for a team this small.

Cinnamon h=
as momentum behind it, as the progressive, feature-rich implementation of t=
he classic desktop paradigm for Linux users. (For comparison, MATE=E2=80=94=
while venerable=E2=80=94is essentially in maintenance mode.) Persisting in =
maintaining Linux Mint as a platform to showcase Cinnamon makes no sense, w=
hen the labor of maintaining a distribution is handled=E2=80=94better=E2=80=
=94by Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE, and Arch, among a select few others.

Ult=
imately, the benefit of Cinnamon can be realized as a truly distribution-ag=
nostic desktop environment. Most of the work is already done: Fedora alread=
y has a Cinnamon spin, and can be installed in Debian, OpenSuSE, and Arch (=
among others). Transitioning Linux Mint development efforts to make Cinnamo=
n an Ubuntu Flavor=E2=80=94adhering more tightly to Ubuntu's infrastruc=
ture and release timelines, rather than operating independently and running=
the risk causing package conflicts=E2=80=94would deduplicate a great deal =
of work, providing more time to further improve Cinnamon, and ease the stra=
ined schedules of Clem and other Linux Mint contributors.

For more o=
n Linux, check out "Fedora 30 brings immense quality of life improveme=
nts to Linux on the desktop" and "Half of employees think the clo=
ud is actually in the sky, according to a third of IT workers" on Tech=
Republic.

--=C2=A0
=3D"gmail_signature" data-smartmail=3D"gmail_signature">Regards,

Ev=
an M. Inker


--000000000000b8bc96058a327868--

--===============0093623860==
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline

_______________________________________________
Hangout mailing list
Hangout-at-nylxs.com
http://lists.mrbrklyn.com/mailman/listinfo/hangout

--===============0093623860==--

  1. 2019-05-02 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Obamacare in Court again
  2. 2019-05-02 Ruben Safir <mrbrklyn-at-panix.com> Re: [Hangout - NYLXS] Obamacare in Court again
  3. 2019-05-01 From: "Free Software Foundation" <info-at-fsf.org> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Free Software Supporter Issue 133, May 2019
  4. 2019-05-03 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] NYC before it was picked apart
  5. 2019-05-06 Gabor Szabo <gabor-at-szabgab.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] [Perlweekly] #406 - Perl Toolchain Summit - 2019
  6. 2019-05-06 NCPA eCommunications <ncpa.ecommunications-at-ncpanet.org> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] One day with Gabe can improve your front-end
  7. 2019-05-08 Ruben Safir <mrbrklyn-at-panix.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Fwd: Ascend NYC on May 22,
  8. 2019-05-09 IEEE Spectrum <deliver-at-ieee.org> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Tech Alert
  9. 2019-05-12 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Animal Farm
  10. 2019-05-12 mrbrklyn <mrbrklyn-at-panix.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] =?utf-8?q?Fwd=3A_Hiring_Senior_Tech_Talent=3F_?=
  11. 2019-05-13 Gabor Szabo <gabor-at-szabgab.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] [Perlweekly] #407 - What do you do when you can't
  12. 2019-05-13 Ascend NYC <jesse-at-joinascend.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Get introduced to the Top Tech Stars who will be
  13. 2019-05-14 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Your Cellphone OS wants to have a word with you
  14. 2019-05-13 From: =?utf-8?Q?Zo=C3=AB_Kooyman=2C_FSF?= <info-at-fsf.org> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] LibrePlanet 2019 videos now live!
  15. 2019-05-20 Gabor Szabo <gabor-at-szabgab.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] [Perlweekly] #408 - Are Perl Developers being
  16. 2019-05-22 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] NYLUG Hacking Meeting
  17. 2019-05-22 Ruben Safir <mrbrklyn-at-panix.com> Re: [Hangout - NYLXS] NYLUG Hacking Meeting
  18. 2019-05-22 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] seeing is believing
  19. 2019-05-23 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] mta solves overtime problem ... hires consultant
  20. 2019-05-23 IEEE Spectrum <deliver-at-ieee.org> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Tech Alert
  21. 2019-05-16 IEEE Spectrum <deliver-at-ieee.org> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Tech Alert
  22. 2019-05-14 IEEE Spectrum <deliver-at-ieee.org> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] The Institute Alert
  23. 2019-05-23 From: "SUSE" <news-at-suse.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] =?utf-8?q?Demystifying_Containers_=E2=80=93_Ker?=
  24. 2019-05-27 Ruben Safir <ruben.safir-at-my.liu.edu> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Fwd: Tomorrow: Join us at "NYLUG Open Hacker
  25. 2019-05-28 From: "S." <sman356-at-yahoo.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Fwd: Tomorrow: Join us... MARKED AS CANCELLED
  26. 2019-05-28 Ruben Safir <mrbrklyn-at-panix.com> Re: [Hangout - NYLXS] Fwd: Tomorrow: Join us... MARKED AS CANCELLED
  27. 2019-05-28 Ruben Safir <ruben.safir-at-my.liu.edu> Re: [Hangout - NYLXS] Interesting that you ask if going,
  28. 2019-05-28 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Technite
  29. 2019-05-26 Gabor Szabo <gabor-at-szabgab.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] [Perlweekly] #409 - Fun with Python (programmers)
  30. 2019-05-28 IEEE Spectrum <deliver-at-ieee.org> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] The Institute Alert
  31. 2019-05-30 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] The Reaper ...
  32. 2019-05-31 Ruben Safir <ruben-at-mrbrklyn.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] copyright insanity
  33. 2019-05-31 From: "American Museum of Natural History" <learn-at-amnh.org> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Sail into Summer with an Online Course for
  34. 2019-05-31 einker <eminker-at-gmail.com> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Nice Linux Story to Share
  35. 2019-05-30 Rutgers University and HT Hosts <jesse-at-gohiretalent.net> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Rutgers University Hosts HireNewJersey 2019
  36. 2019-05-28 Ruben Safir <ruben.safir-at-my.liu.edu> Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] FYI - VC + Tech Summit

NYLXS are Do'ers and the first step of Doing is Joining! Join NYLXS and make a difference in your community today!