Today is Ubuntu's 20th Anniversary

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall sentiment

  • Strong nostalgia and gratitude: many credit Ubuntu with starting their Linux journey and even their tech careers.
  • Simultaneous frustration: some now avoid it due to snaps, ads, or Canonical’s decisions, but still concede it was a net positive.

Gateway to Linux & early days

  • Ubuntu’s “Linux for human beings” vision and polished installer made Linux approachable vs. Slackware, Mandrake, etc.
  • The ShipIt program (free CDs) was crucial in the dial‑up era and in countries with poor connectivity, often providing users’ first real Linux experience.
  • Live CDs impressed people by running a full OS non‑destructively and reviving broken or locked‑down Windows machines.

Usability and current desktop experience

  • Some say Ubuntu is still the easiest “path of least resistance” to install and use, with strong hardware support and good defaults; they recommend it to beginners and family.
  • Others feel it has “lost the plot” on desktop, no longer clearly focused on everyday users, and prefer Mint, Debian, Fedora, Arch/Manjaro, or NixOS.
  • Mixed reports on post‑install smoothness: for some it “just works,” for others there are persistent glitches (display, Wi‑Fi, sleep).

Snaps, Ubuntu Pro, and user control

  • Snaps are the central technical controversy:
    • Defenders claim they’re fine and removable, and appreciate the packaging model.
    • Critics report poor UX, missing features due to sandboxing, slow starts, and dislike that apt install silently redirects to snaps for key apps (e.g., Firefox).
    • Workarounds via PPAs or pinning are seen as too much hassle; some switch distros over this.
  • Ubuntu Pro prompts and CLI “ads” (e.g., in apt output) are widely disliked and compared to Windows‑style nagging.
  • Broader annoyance with command‑line tools printing license nags or political messages; considered an anti‑pattern and script‑breaking.

Desktop environments and UX consistency

  • Disagreement over GNOME vs KDE:
    • Some praise KDE (and Kubuntu/Mint) as straightforward and Windows‑like with a cohesive app ecosystem.
    • Others find KDE inconsistent and see GNOME as more uniform, albeit rigid and “my way or the highway.”
  • Wayland is viewed as a mixed bag; some DE churn and GNOME extension reliance frustrate users.

Servers, ecosystem, and alternatives

  • Ubuntu remains a default for servers and cloud: most third‑party docs target it first; it underpins popular containers, WSL, Codespaces, and various derivatives.
  • Some argue Ubuntu should become rolling to stay relevant for gaming and new hardware; others are satisfied with LTS stability.
  • Several users have migrated to Debian, Fedora, Arch‑based distros, or NixOS, citing better control, packaging, or modernity.

Canonical as a company

  • Opinions on Canonical are split:
    • Some praise its role as a community steward and its support of ecosystem players.
    • Others heavily criticize its hiring process and see recent product choices (snaps, Pro) as increasingly user‑hostile.