I believe the community had expressed a lot of valuable ideas here, so I will keep the post. But I am locking the thread because it’s just not information given in good faith. That’s not to say that the points are all wrong, these can be debated. And we did debate. But the infographic itself is border to being just propaganda against a distro that serves well to a lot of users (this is a fact! even if me or you think those users could be served better.)
why is this infographic AI generated and where are the pixels
I find it rather interesting that the same author wrote a new article about how to install Ubuntu 24.04 LTS the day after writing about Ubuntu’s trust problem, but without mentioning the previous article or any point he previously made…
“author”
I’ve come to learn that it might be AI writing these
100%… I just had a look through the other articles too and they reek of AI.
Im pretty sure these articles are written with AI. He already uses AI for generating images for the articles too. Like this paragraph from one of the articles… Who the fudge writes like this?
Text in image:
This single question filters out script writers from script engineers. Most beginners write scripts that silently fail. Production scripts at companies like Stripe or Palantir use strict error handling from line one.
automatically attaching snaps to apt is pretty much the one reason why I’ll never use Ubuntu. and now I find out here that they put damn ads in the terminal for “Ubuntu Pro”? oh get fucked Canonical.
Friends don’t let Friends install Ubuntu.
My main home server runs Ubuntu - I installed it 15-20 years ago and it’s grown into a monster. I’ve been slowly documenting everything so I can reinstall with Debian. Have to up the priority of that project.
Debian is so nice as a server OS. It’s also a great alternative for WSL if you’re forced to use a Windows computer.
I already run Debian on my desktop and 3 other small servers. I just haven’t moved over my main one yet because of the complexity, and procrastination.
An old PC of mine as been promoted to becoming my first personal server ever and I went for Debian without UI. I’ve dealt with Ubuntu servers at work for a while. For me Debian felt so incredibly lightweight yet so familiar. I heartily recommend the move for a home server.
I’ve been slowly documenting everything so I can reinstall with Debian
This works much better if you document into an Ansible playbook. Although some tasks will probably have to be adjusted between the distros.
Even Microsoft hasn’t put ads in the terminal I think.
Shh, don’t give them ideas 🙏
And they’ve tied the dependency tree together such that you can’t disable them without entirely breaking updates.
I left Ubuntu some years ago because I wanted apt install a package and it got hijacked by snaps without warning.
I left when they dropped Gnome 2 for Unity. I’ve been using Mint (with Cinnamon) ever since.
Compared to what’s going on on Windows these are such non issues, and yet people are so dramatic about it. I installed Kubuntu almost 15 years ago and I’m on the same install still (going through several PCs with the same disk/image). Disabling snap took me 5 minutes many years ago and was never an issue, another 2 minutes for disabling the Ubuntu Pro message.
Would it be better if these didn’t exist? Of course. But when comparing distros, this wouldn’t even be worth putting on a list of pros and cons. Is another distro better for your needs? Great. Is Ubuntu better for your needs? Also great, and surely if it is, then it taking 7 minutes longer to setup is not even a factor worth considering?
If a friend had needs that I know Ubuntu fits best, I wouldn’t “not let them do it” for some ideological reasons, I’d just tell them to disable snap if they are not aware of it.
This is the silly distro infighting that makes people avoid Linux.
“Friends don’t let friends install hyped flavor of the week distros like CachyOS, popOS and Bazzite that will be out of the vogue in 3 years, instead of something that just works” is what I could’ve said just as well, but how about let people use what they want?
Honestly, I use Ubuntu and everything mentioned here are non issues. Except forcing Snaps when using apt.
I’ve never noticed ads for Ubuntu Pro in my terminal so it can’t be that intrusive.
When I install software, I use the KDE software center that let’s me pick which one I want to use between Deb, Snaps or Flatpak.
Firefox snap doesn’t start as slow as mentioned. At least not anymore.
The malware issue can happen with flatpaks as well and even native packages. In fact there have been more security issues introduced in more bleeding edge distros like Arch and Fedora that didn’t affect Ubuntu. So…
Anyway. It’s really not that big a deal except for forcing Snaps when using apt. But that can be disabled too. So again, not really a big deal.
The ads in terminal show when you use ssh or only command line for the system. It happens when you log in so you mainly see it if you use Ubuntu server or use ssh to get into your computer a lot.
Maybe it’s because I’m using Kubuntu and not the pure Ubuntu? I swear I’ve never seen those in my terminals. Even when I ctrl-alt-f3 or ssh.
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If anyone else would rather read text as text: https://www.linuxteck.com/ubuntu-trust-problem-2026/
Thanks :)
Appreciate it as a mobile user!
Company gonna company. Switch back to Debian and realize most of what Ubuntu did was copy Debian and allow for non free drivers.
Ubuntu was always just a broken Debian with marketing. Just like Mandrake and Red Hat. Except it was successful marketing this time.
There were a few good things. LTS and PPA.
Ironically, just read an article recently about this exact issue.
The article from LinuxTeck is AI generated. Not unlikely the itsfoss was used as inspiration or whatever since ot was posted the week before.
No prompt. No warning. No consent.
This was not a bug. It was a deliberate product decision.
Yeah… too many rhetorical devices. A human writer would notice that it’s getting a bit excessive.
The article: https://www.linuxteck.com/ubuntu-trust-problem-2026/
Thanks. I have to wonder if people became allergic to posting text that can be resized to my screen.
Although the site is also shit, on the phone the text column is like twenty characters wide.
the malware one happens in most repos at some point, but the rest is why i dont use ubuntu.
Not this kind of malware specifically. Their snap repo has a policy of allowing fully automatic app submission as long as the app is sandboxed. This led to multiple people submiting modified crypto wallet apps under the branding of the original trusted devs, without any challenge on Ubuntu’s part. You could also put up a Librewolf version that leaks all the passwords you type in, or a Signal without encryption - ✨ endless creativity ✨. This specific attack is harder on Flathub as all apps have to be checked by the moderation team, and they should ask question if your Librewolf package is built from your own repo.
Yes, that is not just OS repos. There have been plenty of cases with PIP and NPM hosting malware.
The best part of Ubuntu was improving Debian. In the beginning, Debian was a bit ugly and difficult. Ubuntu was competition, and perhaps resources (IDK) directly or indirectly. Debian is much easier to use than it was when Ubuntu was new.
Ubuntu is taking the RedHat approach (over complicating so that one must buy the support).
Thanks for this. I started Linux with Ubuntu, just because being the most popular distro, I figured it would most likely to be compatible with everything. I was just about to make a post asking why the Linux community dunks on Ubuntu, but this graphic explains a lot
Strong agree. I use a derivative that blocks snaps instead of direct Kubuntu now, and it wasn’t Just because of the snaps.
I use a derivative
Without Ubuntu Pro subscription the entire Universe repository does not receive any security updates by Canonical:
https://canonical.com/blog/ubuntu-pro-enhanced-security-and-manageability-for-linux-desktop
You should consider switching to an entirely independent distribution that does not lock security updates behind a paywall, perhaps something based directly on Debian or Fedora.
Update: Correction. While you do get five years of security updates for Universe on an Ubuntu LTS, those are updates done by the ubuntu community, not canonical. To get Universe security updates from Canonical, you do have to sign up to Ubuntu pro, which can be done without any payment, but as I describe in my original comment, does require creating an account.
While Canonical deserves the criticisms leveled by op (that I agree with), it’s also incorrect to say that they lock security updated behind a paywall.
Anyone that does use Ubuntu gets security updated until they stop supporting that particular release version, which iirc is for six years (I may be wrong, thus is from memory).
If you want extended security updates for a specific version of the os, you can elect to sign up to Ubuntu pro without paying any money. You do have to make an account, and if you so choose you can populate the account info with garbage info and a disposable email, and you’ll get extended security updates for that release version.
While Canonical deserves the criticisms leveled by op (that I agree with), it’s also incorrect to say that they lock security updated behind a paywall.
Anyone that does use Ubuntu gets security updated until they stop supporting that particular release version, which iirc is for six years (I may be wrong, thus is from memory).
I quoted the relevant part and yet you still don’t understand that Universe is explicitly not covered by security support by Canonical without Ubuntu Pro.
you can elect to sign up to Ubuntu pro without paying any money
you can elect to sign up to Ubuntu pro without paying any money
Yes, home users can sign up for Ubuntu Pro for free which means repository access is tracked on an account level. How isn’t this more shitty than for example plain Debian?
Debian also doesn’t offer security upgrades for contrib and non-free.
Only main is officially supported.Same as Ubuntu, security upgrades for additional repos are handled by the community, not the distro maintainers themselves.
Debian also doesn’t offer security upgrades for contrib and non-free. Only main is officially supported.
So Fedora and openSUSE are most superior. OK.
Ah. Both misunderstood what you were saying and was uninformed. My apologies. Editing my original comment to reflect that.
Drink your verification can to install security updates.
The updates available through Ubuntu Pro wouldn’t have normally been available prior to Pro. It’s an added service, not something that was previously available that is now locked behind a paywall. There are plenty of reasons to not like Canonical but this isn’t one.
It’s an added service, not something that was previously available that is now locked behind a paywall.
I didn’t say anything about it having changed, so your “now” is disingenuous. Fact is, update support by Canonical for Universe is locked behind Ubuntu Pro. Non-Ubuntu distributions such as CachyOS/Fedora/Bazzite/openSUSE/Debian/… don’t have this hostile behaviour.
They also don’t provide those updates. I am a Fedora guy by the way. I’m not defending Canonical, just pointing out that this is a silly reason to dislike them.
They also don’t provide those updates.
Fedora allows all updates that do not break compatibility. To update packages in Universe means adhering to overly zealous version number freeze policy, whereas leaf packages in Fedora can be updates without much fuss. I contributed a small number (only two or three) of updates to Fedora packages years ago. Nothing was a core package, only tiny stand-alone utilities, so the stuff that would be in Universe under Ubuntu, but they had new version numbers. Updates were accepted by the maintainers without much trouble.
I am a Fedora guy by the way.
So you should know that I’m right.
Right, but if you’re after the level of “stability” that Canonical is offering, where are you getting it for free? Maybe there is another place but none that I’m aware of. I think it is perfectly fine for them to charge for that, especially if enterprise customers are the target audience and those who aren’t don’t have to pay for it.
Right, but if you’re after the level of “stability” that Canonical is offering, where are you getting it for free?
Fedora, Alma Linux, openSUSE Leap, LMDE,…
Ubuntu Pro is free for personal use on up to five machines.
Also note that Universe is the community-maintained repository, sort of like the AUR but the community also reviews package creations. The Main repository is maintained by the Ubuntu Project and has always had free security updates.
Ubuntu Pro is free for personal use on up to five machines.
If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.
Debian is free for any use for an unlimited number of machines without corporate tracking which packages you install.
If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.
Debian is free for any use for an unlimited number of machines without corporate tracking which packages you install.
So I guess with Debian, you are the product.
Debian is a community, not a product.
Interesting. I can use a community for my OS? So every time I hear someone say “install debian”, they’re telling me to install a community?
Either way, it’s free, so I’m still the product.
Either way, it’s free, so I’m still the product.
it’s free, because people have decided to come together and volunteer to create something that is beneficial to them, allows them to express themselves, and distribute it for free to better other people’s lives and contribute to human existence. Part of their motivation to create such a thing is to not have the users be the product.
When there is a soup kitchen for homeless people, the homeless people are not a product.
I can use a community for my OS?
Debian is a community.
Debian GNU/Linux is a non-commercial Linux distribution, ergo not a product.
Client-side data collection is opt-in and open-source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/canonicals-ubuntu-telemetry/ If you’re talking server-side collection we don’t know about, I’d call for burden of proof since neither Ubuntu nor Debian have relevant history of collection and that would probably violate the Privacy Policy.
Client-side data collection is opt-in and open-source
You need to log in to use Ubuntu Pro. Obviously.
that doesn’t really change what I’ve said
I thought Debian was a community. How are you installing a community on computers?
What’s a better alternative that uses apt and KDE and has relatively up-to-date packages (other than Debian testing)?
It’s not KDE, but I think Linux Mint Cinnamon is a no-brainer for somebody who really just wants to use ubuntu.
However, as a long time Mint fan I recently had reason to switch to Debian 13 w/ KDE Plasma and it is pretty great.
uses apt
May I ask why you seem to be married to the use of
apt?Just couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to insert this banger.Isn’t apt still better at resolving the dependency tree than other managers? (Idk if it is, but vaguely heard so.)
Linux mint Debian Edition, and just install KDE yourself ig, otherwise MX linux KDE
Debian Sid!
What’s wrong with Debian?
Its objective superiority puts others off.
I already know about it, so there’s no need to tell me.
Fair enough.
There’s also Pop and Mint, though I don’t know if their update model differs from Ubuntu at all.
But if you’re already familiar with Debian, why not use it? It’s widely recommended for a reason, it’s hard to beat.
Pop!_OS uses COSMIC (a modified GNOME), not KDE.
Linux Mint uses Cinnamon (a modified GNOME 3) or MATE (a modified GNOME 2), not KDE.
The answer to “why not Debian” is that I try to install Debian first every time, but if it doesn’t work for whatever reason I grab Kubuntu instead of trying to troubleshoot it. 3 of the 4 desktop computers I’ve tried to install Linux on lately ended up with Kubuntu instead of Debian.
(For my personal desktop that tends to have a bleeding-edge graphics card at the time of building/installing, that’s understandable. For the other computers, for other members of my family who don’t need the latest and greatest, Debian’s failure to support several-year-old hardware – at least in the installation environment, without fiddling – was less forgivable.)
I’m sure you can install KDE on either of those.
I’m surprised Debian doesn’t Just Work for you though. I recently converted my laptop and desktop and had no issues.
Debian should be great on old hardware too. Longevity is part of their mission. The installation environent might be a bit tricky if you have really old or uncommon hardware, but in those cases I just pick the text installer, which has much fewer dependencies.
Fedora offers apt. AFAIK not by default, so it has to be installed via dnf first but then it’s available.
It’s been like that for years.
It’s a really bad idea to have two package managers overlap (this is also why more “cross-system” package managers like nix and brew are okay: they consciously install to separate paths to avoid overlapping)
Fedora does not offer APT repositories, so if you somehow don’t overlap and pretty much exclusively use APT, you’re pretty much just converting your distro to Debian (or whatever’s providing your repos). In the forums we call this a Frankenstein; support is seldom given for raising the dead.
https://www.google.com/search?q=why+shouldn't+you+use+apt+on+fedora&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&safe=active
Is your answer whatever Gemini happens to hallucinate on a given day?
https://www.google.com/search?q=why+shouldn't+you+use+apt+on+fedora+-ai
do yourself a favor and just block the overview: https://www.reddit.com/r/uBlockOrigin/comments/1crc47m/is_it_possible_to_use_ublock_to_remove_googles/
Would MX Linux with KDE fit your needs?
lock security updates behind a paywall
Saying this is like screaming “I don’t know anything about Ubuntu except that I hate it!!!”
Saying this is like screaming “I don’t know anything about Ubuntu except that I hate it!!!”
I posted a screenshot from Ubuntu’s own blog. So they hate themselves and lie to the world?
Novel got Suse pretty stable now too. I’m still a Fedora fan but it’s an option.
It’s maintained by my hardware OEM (Tuxedo) and I’m not even sure it has Universe - most things are flatpaks.
I’m not even sure it has Universe
I strongly suggest looking it up.
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Maybe it was just me, but Kubuntu was also the least stable distro I’ve tried on my gaming laptop. Constant crashes and random reboots.
I’ve had zero issues with Mint.
I started out with Ubuntu a little over a year ago. Then came an update that removed the ability to change the brightness of my desktop’s monitor. Felt like an Apple move, so I gave Mint another go. Have really enjoyed it (though I’m starting to eye CachyOS since Mint has seemingly decided to comply in advance with the CA age-verification law–haven’t added anything yet, but say they will)
i still have a server running ubuntu
i run snaps on it ewwwww!
it has never fucked me over
Why is fedora a tank top?
Is that what that is? I thought it was a grocery bag.
I think? Neither makes sense.
Yea, I dunno either. Would be nice if the image had a few more pixels… I tried zooming in and it didn’t help. My head was like, “it’s an ikea bag… because Fedora is all about Flatpak. And all the furniture at ikea is flat pack.” It’s a long logic trek I had to go to get there to be honest. Most of the others don’t make much sense either. Debian is some little dragon guy? Arch is a bow an arrow? Is is possible this image is an AI generated summary of the original article and it’s just guessing at what the logo should be for these different distros?
I suspect it’s just nonsense from the AI generator.
I don’t understand why go though all the trouble of leaving windows, which let’s be honest is not as friction free as Lemmy likes to claim, and then land on Ubuntu.
I have to thank them for the free DVDs tho, they opened the world of Linux for me as a kid.
I left Windows because I didn’t want to update to 11. I went to Ubuntu simply because I used it once 10 years ago and it seemed ok. So far my experience has been great. I have 0 technical skills but I was able to make everything work, I only had to google about flat-packs. My husband is technical so he set up access to our home system. I am not moving from Ubuntu now as I have everything set up just as i like it and everything I want/need just works. Again, I am not technical so everything I need is just a browser, email, discord, and steam.
Honestly, if someone I know would ask for a Linux recommendation I would recommend Ubuntu. Simply for how simple it is that you never have to touch a command line or terminal and still just use the basic apps you want. I think its an amazing low bar, low effort entry to Linux and there’s nothing wrong with that.
That’s understandable, you expected Ubuntu to be simple and it was, you had a need any it was fulfilled.
The thing is, any other debian would be as simple as Ubuntu. The “simplicity” comes from having all the programs already installed not from being more or less technical.
