# Stallman slams Ubuntu



## Drone (Dec 7, 2012)

> Activist and free software guru Richard Stallman on Friday hammered Ubuntu for including what he termed spyware in new versions of the popular open-source operating system and urged GNU and Linuxusers to avoid the distribution.
> 
> In a lengthy article posted to the Free Software Foundation's website, Stallman decries the presence of an advertising search result pane in Ubuntu, which, he says, is a way to collect personal information from users. The Amazon pane, which is enabled by default, provides a separate category of search results, which are provided by the online retail giant, to users making general search queries from the Ubuntu desktop.
> 
> "Canonical says it does not tell Amazon who searched for what. However, it is just as bad for Canonical to collect your personal information as it would have been for Amazon to collect it," Stallman writes.



The man contributed a lot to Free Software Foundation and he has a point.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2019178/stallman-slams-ubuntu-calls-amazon-integration-spyware.html


----------



## Jstn7477 (Dec 7, 2012)

Yeah, I noticed that in Ubuntu 12.10. Sticking with 12.04 for many reasons, since they removed the nice additional drivers menu, deleted a bunch of shortcuts from the settings menu and added Amazon stuff to the taskbar without much reasoning.


----------



## Frick (Dec 8, 2012)

Ubuntu is loosing ground (for some time now actually), and this is just fuel to fire. I can't argue for or against Stallman (because I have no idea how it technically works) but including the Amazon thing be default was a bad idea imo.

I will still praise it for bringing Linux to more people though.


----------



## McSteel (Dec 8, 2012)

Wonder how many tons of copper-nickel Washingtons Amazon unloaded into Ubuntu's wishing well...


----------



## hellrazor (Dec 8, 2012)

I never noticed how much Stallman looks like a prisoner.

Otherwise, I agree with him on this.


----------



## DayKnight (Dec 8, 2012)

Hillybilly, imo.


----------



## Neuromancer (Dec 8, 2012)

Does anyone still use ubuntu? Last time I tried it it was so slow and bloated I spent more time Downloading and installing it then I did running it.


----------



## BbigTree (Dec 8, 2012)

Drone said:


> http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/12/stallman_ubuntu-100016438-orig.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...



He is radical, but he is true to his belives.



Frick said:


> Ubuntu is loosing ground (for some time now actually), and this is just fuel to fire. I can't argue for or against Stallman (because I have no idea how it technically works) but including the Amazon thing be default was a bad idea imo.
> 
> I will still praise it for bringing Linux to more people though.



Follow the links in the Ars Technica article to get the full picture, .


I never got the Ubuntu or Mint-Runs, just use debian testing and be happy,


----------



## Aquinus (Dec 8, 2012)

Then don't install it. Pop in the Ubuntu alternate installer and do a CLI-only install and install just the packages you want. Still not good enough? Use Debian.  Makes you wonder if Stallman really has anything better to do.


----------



## BbigTree (Dec 8, 2012)

Aquinus said:


> Then don't install it. Pop in the Ubuntu alternate installer and do a CLI-only install and install just the packages you want. Still not good enough? Use Debian.  Makes you wonder if Stallman really has anything better to do.




People don't get it - even if Ubuntu is open-source-software, it is not par se "good". The amazon-thing just shows how Shuttleworth *handles his busness with linux.* So simply show that you don't like how he handles his linux-users by *not* installing it!
Sure use Debain! All DEs are at you disposal and your security is save. Even testing is more stable than most of the distros out there. Lots of help in debian-forums if you stuck.


----------



## Naito (Dec 8, 2012)

Use Linux Mint instead of Ubuntu Quantal Quetzal, if you have a problem with this


----------



## Peter1986C (Dec 9, 2012)

Sabayon, Debian and Mint are nice alternatives.


----------

