[Bio-linux-dev] Ubuntu Mir Concerns

[Tim Booth]

Hi Jan,

Everyone in the know seems to be saying that the transition away from X
as the core Linux display server is "a good thing", and having dealt
with X configuration details for many years I would agree.  Running all
the X apps via a compatibility mode should not be a problem because it
is the same X display code just connecting to the new Mir system which
is driving the hardware.  Mac users know that this approach works well.

The recent controversy has been the split between Mir and Wayland, and
you can get a flavour of it by looking at some recent Slashdot stories:

http://slashdot.org/index2.pl?fhfilter=wayland

The initial effect of the Mir announcement seems to have been a spurring
on of the Wayland developers to get the system working.  If Mir and
Wayland both become viable solutions then this is no bad thing!

Regarding Ubuntu 14.04, which should form the basis of Bio-Linux 8, I
don't think there is a need for concern.  If Mir with X compatibility
works well then we can use it.  If not, then others in the community
will ensure that X server packages continue to be available because
many, many users want these things, and I will build Bio-Linux with
these packages.

One significant difference between Mir and Wayland is that Wayland aims
for excellent remote desktop/remote application support while Mir
currently does not.  Remote X is essential for many Bio-Linux users so
I'll do whatever is needed to retain this feature.

Regarding dropping APT/Dpkg, there's no way that Ubuntu could do this
for the 14.04 release and I've seen no sign of them reducing support for
things like the Launchpad PPA service.  If Ubuntu did drop Debian
packaging then we'd almost certainly switch Bio-Linux back to Debian,
but I don't think this is any concern right now.  I think you just have
to regard Ubuntu Touch as a separate Ubuntu-branded Canonical product,
very much separate from the Ubuntu OS which is still being positioned as
a server/workstation solution.

Cheers,

TIM

On Mon, 2013-07-01 at 11:57 +0100, jan kim via RT wrote:

>      Subject: Ubuntu Mir Concerns
>        Owner: Nobody

> 
> Dear Tim
> 
> I read that Ubuntu plans to dump X11:
> 
>     http://fridge.ubuntu.com/2013/06/27/mir-plans-in-13-10/
> 
> and I'm concerned that this may result in major disruptions of usability
> of Ubuntu for bioinformatics and scientific computing in general. No xterm,
> no x11 device for R, no recognition of xresources in general, no x11
> forwarding, no fvwm2, ...?
> 
> As far as I understand there is some emulation mode or similar to
> smoothen the transition, but I wonder how well this would work, and
> whether it will be supported in the long term.
> 
> I've seen a demo of "Ubuntu Touch" on a tablet a couple of weeks ago,
> and was very disappointed to learn that that didn't use the "normal"
> Debian package management system, instead Canonical has apparently
> developed something that is like those app markets operated by Apple
> and Google -- so there was no way to install R, LaTeX, emacs etc. on
> a tablet running Touch, as I had hoped, and from this perspective I'm
> concerned that some tension may develop between the direction Canonical
> seems to pursue with Mir and Touch and the use of Linux for scientific
> computing.
> 
> Do you have any thoughts on this, and how Biolinux will be affected?
> 
> Best regards, Jan
> --
> Jan T Kim
> Head of Bioinformatics
> The Pirbright Institute (formerly IAH)
> Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey GU24 0NF, United Kingdom (GB)
> t: +44 1483 231070
> e: jan.kim at pirbright.ac.uk (or jttkim at gmail.com)
> w: http://www.research.pirbright.ac.uk/bioinformatics
>    http://www.pirbright.ac.uk/
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> The information contained in this message may be confidential or legally privileged and is intended solely for the addressee. If you have received this message in error please delete it & notify the originator immediately.
> Unauthorised use, disclosure, copying or alteration of this message is forbidden & may be unlawful.
> The contents of this e-mail are the views of the sender and do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute.
> This email and associated attachments has been checked locally for viruses but we can accept no responsibility once it has left our systems.
> Communications on Institute computers are monitored to secure the effective operation of the systems and for other lawful purposes.
> 
> The Pirbright Institute is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 559784.
> The Institute is also a registered charity.
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Tim Booth <tbooth at ceh.ac.uk>
NERC Environmental Bioinformatics Centre 

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Maclean Bldg, Benson Lane
Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford, England
OX10 8BB 

http://nebc.nerc.ac.uk
+44 1491 69 2705