Penguins form queue to peck INQ hack to bits

[Alpine]

PC Linux OS information quest continues


I NOW HAVE NEARLY one hundred 100 flame-mails about PCLinuxOS, most of them questioning my parentage, one or two of them trying to explain what happened, most of the writers sort of hinting they are part of the distro team.

The emails run the gambit from things I cannot say in print, to personal offers for updates if I need them. Sure. If they have an installed user base of one, providing personal updates seems workable.

Well, there's the rub. This is a big reason for resistance by the masses. With this, and many other distros, there seems to be no "go to guy". All the rabid flamers more or less claim to be speaking for the distro. Come on now, who is the real voice? Who is the leader?

Most of you already know, I do not use Windows. I am strictly a Linux sort. Servers and workstations. This is not my first time at the rodeo, I get paid to do the Linux thang.

One email may have been from the "lead developer". It said that there was a problem with the server hardware at Ibiblio, and that PCLinuxOS had outgrown the free services provided. There is still nothing at pclinuxos.com, and pclinuxos.net only reports the domain name has expired.

I one again find myself dining on crow, which I am starting to enjoy, because I am being forced to agree with my colleagues about the overall poor support and organisation for most distros. The big Linux distros do well, but they have focus and leadership.

Again, let me say this in no uncertain terms: I liked PCLinuxOS. But there seems to be no responsible adult in charge of the operation. It seems to be run by a mob of flaming fanbois.

Oh yeah, one last bit. If all of you that wrote could dig into your trousers and pull out a fiver to plunk down in support of this distro, most of the troubles would be over.



The INQuirer