Please Google, make a Desktop OS | Hacker News Reader

Please Google, make a Desktop OS

6 pointslawlit12 comments

I just read the article about just saying what you have to say (http://raganwald.posterous.com/youre-probably-going-to-downvote-this-but). And here's what I have to say. Linux is awesome, and it's too sad that there's no good Desktop OS around it (and don't count Gnome, KDE, nor XFCE as desktop environment, they are not, they are a go-buy-a-mac-if-you-love-the-cmd-line-and-want-to-keep-your-hair desktop environments. You'll ask, Why Google ? Well, it can be IBM, or Intel, or anyone with cash willing to rock the Linux on the desktop. Because really, without that, no developer will make the first step, and when a hero does, the project dies within a tiny period of time. So please Google, make this happen, and give back to the community. I'm sure lot of beautiful programs will be made with love on a GLOS - Google Linux OS.

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Linux IS a desktop OS.

I don't understand your point. Are you asking someone to make a Linux distribution with a OSX or Windows like user experience? If so, your best bet is to buy one of those operating systems, get proficient at it and be done. Is it because you want Photoshop or Portal on Linux? Let's face it, that isn't happening soon, even if Google, or any other company, decided to make a distribution. There's still too much perceived sunk technical cost invested in the other platforms to make a port in the next several years IMHO.

On the other hand, you could try out the copious distributions that exist and see which one does it best for you. If none of them fit the bill, make your own. It's a glib response, but that's the way Linux works.

I'm talking about a beautifull user interface and user experience, that would make your life on Linux more enjoyable, be it using a text editor, browsing your file system, watching a movie or even clicking a button. I'm not talking about applications, nor about what you can run or what you can't run on it, and no, I don't use photoshop, nor play Portal. I have a mac, and I have a Gentoo too. Tried Ubuntu, and fell in love with fedora once. If you are happy with your GTK, I am not. I'm sad for the limited options I have. And don't tell me "build it yourself" this is the way open source works, because I've been there, I tried, and it didn't work so well. Projects like this need financial support. Long financial support. And no, Linux is NOT a desktop. And finally, please, stop being against the idea of a beautiful Linux desktop.

To be honest, this sounds like a worse allocation of resources than making pirate hats out of hundred-dollar bills. Why would Google ever want to do this? What's the business case?

Goobuntu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goobuntu

http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/20

Google ARE making/have made an OS called Google Chrome OS.

Its been released on the Chromebook - http://www.google.com/chromebook & more details can be seen - http://www.chromium.org/chromium-os

Thanks for pointing that out but I think that unless you were hiding from the internet or something, everyone in HN knows about Chrome OS. I'm talking here about a desktop OS, not a browser-mode.

I suspect Google is more interested in tying to their services rather than having the user make their own app choices. Additionally, desktop OSes require a higher level of support than Google is willing to provide (they might actually have to provide some support as opposed to now, which is apparently nil).

Okay, I'll bite. I just finished dissecting Chrome OS for end-users; it's a Gentoo derivative which hides behind a browser window.

What would Google do which makes their flavor of Linux better than others?

A better desktop environment. People have said the same thing with the Chrome browser before. "What would Google do which makes their flavor of a browser better than others? Well I guess, a lot.

Go on, I'm listening. What could I do to make your desktop experience better?

Start by building it around a rock solid, beautifull GUI toolkit. :) maybe the rest will come naturally.

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