I have always been interested in computers, and would find myself hanging out with the Computer Science students instead of the Aviation Management or Business Management students I was a part of. At home and at work I have been largely self-teaching myself using computers starting with Excel and Access with VBA through ASP and SQL at work. Thankfully my current employer values education, and so I have been taking classes and not only learning the technology, but un-learning what I have been doing wrong over the years. At home, though, I have been teaching myself Linux, system administration, networking and the overall method of migrating our system from Windows to Linux. I am involved in the Danbury Area Computer Society (DACS.org) I have the opportunity to take what I've learned the hard way and hopefully help others.. I have been enjoying Open Source for a while now, and I am hoping to get a better understanding of the entire model and application.
Authored Comments
I'm going to have to check out Konquerer again!
When I started my Linux journey in 2003, I gave myself a mission to "do everything I do in Windows, except on Linux" and somewhere between 2008 and 2010 I was able to say I achieved that. Modern distributions make it so easy, but it helps to know what it is you actually do with the system to know how to make it work with Linux.
As for "one version", that misses the point of Linux, the community and the goal.
Does Linux really want to be "mainstream"? Depends on your definition of "mainstream". Does Android count as "mainstream"? Does Linux being sold installed on major OEM hardware (Dell) count as "mainstream"? Is Linux computers being sold in brick-and-mortar stores prominently (not tucked away in the back corner) count as "mainstream"? Does the Internet and cloud computer being dominated by Linux considered "mainstream"? How do you define "mainstream"?
It also misses the point that out of all of the desktop environments (KDE, Gnome, Unity, Xfce, Lxde, Mate, etc.), each one is focused for a reason.
Have you tried running Windows 7 on a Pentium III? Probably not, but I could take Lxde or even a Windows manager alone and try to make it into some sort of kiosk or cheap beat-on computer.
Not to mention, do you remember the massive speed of updates and new features coming out of Windows XP pre-2002? No? Because there wasn't much and it wasn't really the fault of Microsoft completely. There was no competition so why innovate and threaten to destabilize what you have?
With multiple desktops you get a built-in, friendly competition where each can try to improve themselves while at the same time take ideas, points and counter-points from the other environments. Find Gnome or KDE too bloated, then counter it with a lighter, snappier environment. KDE offer too many choices to user, counter with simplicity.
Competition, even friendly competition, is good for the situation and with open source it isn't only "one" that wins... we ALL win!