Ubuntu fanboys on Linux Today arise for wireless input rant

Stan Beer
Friday, 13 April 2007 11:58

Opinion and Analysis

My last article on the experiences of moving from Windows to Kubuntu Linux brought out the best and the worst of the Linux community judging by some of the responses it received. While many Linux users were eager to jump in with helpful advice, unfortunately there were too many what I would call abusive Ubuntu fanboys who in my opinion are actually hindering rather than helping the progress of Ubuntu and Linux in general.

To recap, the article pointed out that the Kubuntu installation disc didn't recognize my USB wireless keyboard and mouse. So in order to install Kubuntu I was required to obtain wired input devices, a situation I believe should be corrected since an increasing number of users are going wireless.

First let's get the typical helpful responses out of the way. Generally, these came from mature people actually working in the Linux industry. An example is a response posted to Digg: "Usually, it's just a matter of the install disk bootloader and/or minimalist kernel doesn't see USB HID devices. KNOPPIX has the same problem, I have to put a standard wired keyboard in place just to type "knoppix nodma". Once the full kernel is running, the USB HID module loads and USB connected keyboards and mice, wired or wireless, work just fine."

That response, as well as others similar to it, was actually quite helpful even though I have determined that this is not a USB issue because a wired USB mouse and keyboard work just fine with the installation disc. If however the wireless devices work once the full kernel is running that still doesn't resolve the issue because a user should not have to buy additional peripherals just to install software.

Now let's get down to the bad stuff. I picked the Linux Today website because it was a site where every single response from the readers was negative and, more often than not, abusive.

Take this one for example: "I hate articles like this, by these pin-head authors. All they do is whine and cry about Linux not supporting their preferred hardware/software. Never a mention to how they've helped get that support into the kernel. Personally, I really do wish they'd just go back to Windows. We (the Linux community) really don't need them."

Really? Let me get this straight. This abusive self-appointed advocate for the Linux community wishes Windows users that raise issues that concern their planned migration to Linux would just stick with Windows because....the Linux community doesn't need them! I wonder if Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth and the stewards of the other major Linux distros agree with that view? Somehow I doubt it. If Linux is going to grow its desktop market share from the currently less than 2%, its new users are going to come from us pinheads in the Microsoft community.