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The Case of Ultumix or How NOT to Remaster PCLinuxOS

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PCLOS

One of the core principles of open source development is “freedom”. As such, there are few limitations for developers and end users to take the work of others and move it into a direction they deem better. This has led to a proliferation of Linux distributions, remasters and scores of applications that sometimes are hard to distinguish from other distributions, remasters or applications. It’s not an ideal situation but somehow quality material always seems to stick around, while the rest sinks back into oblivion.

Another core principle is perhaps “respect”. Freedom is never an absolute. You can fork a distribution or an application, but you don’t have the freedom to remove or change the underlying licenses. You respect that. Why this introduction?

The case of Ultumix

In preparation for the series about PCLinuxOS I ran into Ultumix, a remaster of PCLinuxOS. I have nothing against remasters. In fact, I created a customized version of Ubuntu for the book about Linux. Hence, I know it is not easy to do, though far easier than to create a new distribution of your own. I wouldn’t dream of rebranding it with another name. It’s Ubuntu and it stays Ubuntu. However, bread crumbs of Ultumix do give an insight into why it’s website says the following:

MOre Here




re: Ultumix

Oh boo hoo. Since you're a Wikipedia buff, check out "Sour Grapes".

If you can't stand negative reviews, either make a better product, or get off the net.

//and work on that SEO, if a news site linking to review site comes up tops when you enter your own product, that's just sad.

Jan is not a troll. You far

Jan is not a troll. You far better fit the description.

One thing, I hate when someone goes around correcting spelling, so I'll just do some myself.... You have this little slogan thing you put everywhere, try "you're" instead. The rest of your posting, who cares, but I'd think if you have a slogan, that should at least be spelled right.

Ultumix, racism and trolling

Ultumix wrote:
The only trollers I see are newmikey and coomjohn or johncoom. They are clearly trying to get everyone to hate "me" in particular. They call me a racist bigot and claim they have proof.

I (not "they") did call you exactly that and the proof is right there in the same thread several responses above where you state (and I quote literally):

Justin Breithaupt Says:
December 29th, 2007 at 3:44 am
"“All though I am not racist I don’t feel comfortable around certain races because I just don’t.
I also am not racist against Gays or Lesbians but I will not stand for them imposing their beliefs on me or my person. As with any race or religion that goes against my morality.”

Again, I repeat: That is exactly what a racist IS Justin: someone who does not feel comfortable “around certain races”. You therefore ARE a racist by your own admission.

Quote:
When I tried to reply asking for an English translation I was censored. They won't even let me retaliate without censoring me.

I'm quite sure an English translation is not all you asked for Wink and I am not sure why I was "protected" against your "retaliation" but, so be it.

As to your little endeavour with Linux: it is painfully clear by now that you know next to nothing about computer programming in general and OS-101 in particular. It is quite evident to everybody that reads the stuff you are putting up that you do not have the experience, you do not have thousands of customers (your forum has about 6 people posting), you do not have the alleged "X person from Microsoft" helping you (talk about English: I translated that into "an ex-Microsoft employee", hope that's what you meant).

You are not what you claim to be Justin, you are a 22-year old who has only finished college, has no advanced education whatsoever, no regular job, has never been out of town, let alone in another state or even country, and thinks the world is waiting to knock at your door.

You are attacking people who speak 3, 4 languages and have loads and loads of experience and results to show for it, and commenting on what you perceive as mistaken use of the English language while admitting yourself that those college-years were wasted on you insofar as English (your only language) spelling is concerned. Those are not the actions of a smart person, Justin, you cannot successfully hide behind ignorance forever.

Just by watching the video on your website, anyone would know more than enough. We see a young man who tries to run a few applications and tries to explain what they do on what looks like a churchyard burial site desktop background. I would advise everybody, seriously, to watch that video and let it speak for itself. Nothing I could say would damage your credibility more than your own words, your own video, again and again, ad nauseum. (for your benefit Justin, "ad nauseum" is the equivalent of "zum kotzen", I'm sure you appreciate the explanation)

As to my credibility:
Admin/initiator of the officially sanctioned home of PCLinuxOS in the Low Countries for the last year and a half
Author of the PCLOS NL localization script and remasters for the last 3 versions running (0.93, 2007 and MiniME08)
Author of the "UFRaw-Assist" Kommander-script for the last 2 years
Contributor to several Linux localization projects for the last 6 years
Contributor on the dpreview forums on testing digital imaging applications and raw image conversion in Linux

Justin and racism

Ultumix wrote:

You have never ever felt uncomfortable around anyone before?

Never on the simple basis of their race, religion or sexual preference as you do. Try harder Justin, you have to try harder than that to discredit me.

alright

alright boys, don't me have to stop this car and come back there...

Ouch

You should hit them with a TuxWand. Flamewars erupt...

Foaming now, are we?

Ultumix wrote:

If your not part of the solution then your part of the problem.

You know what really gets me Justin? Not the threats, not the foaming at the mouth behaviour that you are displaying. No, it is the fact that you are still abusing the English language. You have been told a couple of times, by different people, to lay off the possessive "your" and start using "you're" as in

If you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem.

It seems you are absolutely incapable of learning, why is that so? As to the other part of your message: whooohahahahahaha!

Why me? :-)

Why reply to me?

An official response to Ultumix accusation

I am really glad the Ultumix team, no doubt Justin Breithaupt himself, decided to post their criticism here as well. Apart from not being able to handle criticism well and still not refuting any of the facts that were mentioned in the original article, apparently it is time for them to try a form of character assassination. My my, I don't use Linux... Well, let the evidence speak for itself.

For one, the people of Tuxmachines have been so kind to link to a small collection of articles ranging from PCLinuxOS, PC-BSD, DesktopBSD and some other topics.

Secondly, I have written a book on migrating from Windows to Linux which was published by the Dutch publisher Academic Service. This has been the number two seller for them in 2007.
http://www.academicservice.nl/catalogus/Management/9789012117753.jsp

Thirdly, on Distrowatch you will find a score of reviews for various known and lesser known distributions that have been tried and tested by me.

Fourthly, just to prove I have some experience with the intricacies of creating a remaster. I build a version of Ubuntu for the readers of the book mentioned above.
http://linuxtracker.org/torrents-details.php?id=4902

And then, just one final piece of evidence, I started writing for a Dutch open source news site this month (http://www.livre.nl), though I have been writing about Linux and open source for five plus years now.

As for the remark about censoring I can only repeat what has been said a couple a times. There are limits as to how far I will allow a discussion to go on my weblog. Two participants in the discussion had comments moderated out since their contributions were completely off-topic, highly inflammatory and -in the case of Justin Breithaupt- full of religious and nationalistic propaganda that had nothing to do with either the article or the discussion at hand. The fact that he uses the word "retaliate" here should be evidence enough for that.

Apparently the Ultumix team takes my criticism personally and decides that all critics are enemies of Linux. At the same they criticize existing Linux distributions for not serving the needs of computer users. Strange enough all Ultumix versions so far have proven to be nothing but simple remasters with a Windows-like theme slapped on them and then released with errors that could have been avoided. When you use 100% of a solid distribution, don't add a single original tool that even hints at making things easier for migrating Windows user and still claim that you have created something new and better, I -as as a writer and user- feel compelled to expose this, if only to honor the original developers and builders that shape the Linux and open source world.

With regards and signing under my own name without hesitation,

Jan Stedehouder
OpenSourceLearning
Ruminations on the Digital Realm

From XP user to Linux "big cheese"?

From an accused XP user to a Linux "big cheese" in such a short timespan. This must have been the most extreme make-over in history. But I thank you for providing another support for the arguments in the article:

Quote:
I figured I didn't need to double check my advisers (critics of your work that don't go around flaming you) who told me that you use XP.

In the spirit of sharing for free, I'll give you a free lesson of life: there are always a few people that like you, there are plenty more that don't and the majority of mankind doesn't have a clue you exist. Of course there are critics of my work.

Jan

P.S. I apologize to the team at Tuxmachines for this heated exchange and would like to request the other participants to let it go. The arguments have been made and I don't believe it is beneficial for this site and ourselves to repeat what has been written at the original website.

There is only one troll here, and it isn't newmikey.

'nuff said.

Ultumix Nonesense

Are you guys 13 years old?

Take your bullshit elsewhere - this isn't your personal blog - no one wants to hear you bitch back and forth like a bunch of spoiled brats.

As to the distro Ultumix - you might as well pack your bags now.

Your worst enemy couldn't have painted you in a more juvenile light then you have here all by yourself. I can't imagine there's anyone on the planet dumb enough to trust you or your distro after this public diatribe.

I apologize again to Tuxmachines

I agree with you completely vonskippy. I have closed the discussion on my weblog in order to prevent further escalation and have requested the other participants to do so as well. The only thing I can do is to repeat my request and not feed the discussion in any way. I have kept the personal letter as brief and neutral as possible and am sorry that it has been posted here as if part of the discussion.

I regret that Tuxmachines has to endure this heated debate. I value the site and the team too much for that.

With the kindest regards and with apologies,

Jan Stedehouder

Weather?

Ultumix wrote:
Weather or not

As far as I noticed on TV this morning: yes

"...but after all of the

"...but after all of the slandar I have faced online..."

Could you point out where you were slandered? I've been following your exploits pretty much everywhere, and I never saw any slander. Slander is when something is stated that is NOT true. People question(ed) your ability to do things, your credentials, the way you attacked almost everyone for saying anything about what you actually did, your mental health status, etc. Stating the truth, criticizing your "work" for the reckless errors you actually made, questioning you and what you do, or guessing as to what actual mental problems you possibly have (based on direct observation of what you were doing online), is not slander. The fact that you have in your possession "credentials", does not change who you are or what you've done.

"...I will not continue to defend myself or feed this blog topic any longer."
Looks like you lied..., again....

First time I've seen anybody

First time I've seen anybody wave a Boy Scout card as a credential for OS design, I almost choked when I saw it. As to your degree, which is authentic (I looked up the signatures), it seems to be somewhat akin to the last 2 years of a vocational highschool in most parts of the world, despite the fancy name, again not really the advanced computer degree you seem to have suggested. Nevertheless, as you said, the documentation is there and for doubting that I apologise.

Walla Walla Colege describes it as follows:
"Mission

To develop employable students, while encouraging life-long learning program and industry skill standards for high demand computer science careers.
# Goals: Graduates should be employable in their degree area, at a living wage job with benefits.
# Encourage completers to pursue bachelor level programs in computer science.
# Maintain advanced certificate, degree and endorsements that stay current with latest industry standards.

Degree Options

Students may earn an Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences Degree in each of three key areas of computer science: Informatics in Digital Design, Informatics in Software Design, or Informatics in Networking.

Certification

This curriculum is developed with respect to the requirements of nationally recognized certification boards, is reviewed by an advisory board composed of local and regional industry members, and results in a fully accredited program. Informatics in Digital Design, Software Design, and Networking prepare the student to take industry certification tests such as Cisco (CCNP, CCNA), Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), and A+. Elective courses allow students to pursue aspects of the computer industry that are of personal and professional interest."

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