Summary: More signs that Ubuntu is deemphasising the desktop and treating users like a product/commodity, not entities whose interests should drive development

The next release of Ubuntu is 4 (or more) months away, but some wonder what will be in Ubuntu 14.04 [1,2]. Based on one source [3], Ubuntu will include torrent search in Dash search but won't be removing the Amazon spyware that comes in Dash (enabled by default), so mistakes are not being addressed, not even after Snowden's NSA leaks.

The LTS of Ubuntu gets a new major Linux update [4], but is that enough to secure users from spying? Is this what "humanity" [5] is about? Selling us users to Amazon (close CIA partner) like we are products? Ubuntu will also deviate from developers' core efforts [6], leaning towards Canonical copyrights again. To Ubuntu, it seems [7,8], desktop is no longer much of a priority; Canonical just tries to improve the brand using the desktop and also extract some money by selling users' privacy away.

Ubuntu may have become somewhat of a standard for performance tests [9,10] (reluctantly), but given the distribution's lack of interest in upstream (kernel patches/development, X server, etc.) perhaps it's time to rethink this. ⬆

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. What to Expect in Ubuntu 14.04 LTS





2. What will be in Ubuntu 14.04?





3. Ubuntu to include torrent search in Dash search





4. Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Receives Major Kernel Update





5. How Ubuntu translates hi-tech into humanity





6. Canonical to Debut New Mir Display Server for Ubuntu Linux in 2014





7. Canonical: Ubuntu TV Lives, But Linux Smartphones Come First





8. Ubuntu Used to Design and Control the Atlas Humanoid Robot for a DARPA Challenge





9. Six-Way Ubuntu Linux Laptop Benchmarks

   The latest open-source Linux benchmarks out of Phoronix is a six-way Linux laptop performance comparison featuring laptops/ultrabooks from Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, ASUS, and Apple.





10. Oibaf Keeps Making Ubuntu GPU Driver Upgrades Easy

    For those that may have some time this holiday weekend and are looking to better enhance the performance of Ubuntu's open-source graphics drivers, one of the easiest ways to do so is by enabling the Oibaf repository for easily downloading and installing newer versions of the Mesa/Gallium3D drivers and other X.Org related components. Here are some more details and current benchmarks of enabling the Oibaf PPA over Ubuntu 13.10.