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Ubuntu teams up with Yahoo
OPEN SOURCE OUTFIT Canonical has posted an announcement on its mailing list that its Ubuntu Linux default search engine will shift to Yahoo as part of a revenue sharing deal.
Rick Spencer, leader of Canonical's desktop team, announced the Yahooo deal yesterday. The deal is scheduled to take effect in April and means that the FireFox web browser will default to using Yahoo's search engine under Ubuntu.
"I am pursuing this change because Canonical has negotiated a revenue sharing deal with Yahoo and this revenue will help Canonical to provide developers and resources to continue the open development of Ubuntu and the Ubuntu Platform. This change will help provide these resources as well as continuing to respect our user's default search across Firefox," he wrote.
Spencer continued, "This won't in any way effect the ability of a user to choose and use the search provider of their choice. It's literally two easily discoverable clicks to change this setting, a simple matter of switching to that search provider in the chrome by clicking on the icon and choosing the desired provider."
While the agreement was reached with Yahoo to help Canonical increase revenue it might not be welcomed by the majority of Ubuntu users, many of whom might end up switching to alternate search engines, negating the benefits of the deal. µ
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Just recently, I stopped getting the "your os is not supported" on yahoo. So on one hand, I'm glad that we're finally being supported but on the other hand, I feel insulted that such an easy fix would take this long and suspiciously only days after the ubuntu deal. It's like they think we're garbage and they'll only acknowledge us if they get paid. Something you'd expect from Microsoft....
@aussiebear - Thanks for the tip, I'll check Arch Linux out. A rolling release should cure a lot of my woes.
dogpile is the best search engine
From the very start, Canonical had the intention of using Linux as a platform to build a business on. (It gets more obvious as they start introducting commercial apps onto it in the future...Why do you think they're playing with the user interface of the package manager?)
The whole point of "making it easier" is to eventually profit from those who become dependent on Ubuntu and its variants.
To be independent and flexible of any distro; one would have to endure the learning curve and pick up a distro like Arch, Debian, etc. This is to build one's confidence on them. These distros are the ones who actually follow the spirit and intention of the open source idea. (They exist because the people behind it love to do it.)
I've already moved off Ubuntu. I'm using Arch Linux. Its hard at first, but offers a different set of benefits over Ubuntu. Its a rolling release distro. As long as you run the package manager to update your system; you don't have to wait every 6 months! Its always the latest and greatest versions of apps and components!
As I have suspected for a while Shuttleworth is poising Ubuntu to become the Micro$oft of Linux , the truth is coming to light , why I never used Ubuntu . You can't trust Astronauts .
And how is that different than having your searches logged by Google?
The solution is to use Scroogle in your address bar.
I agree, nooooooo but I understand they need cash. I agree in if it was forced upon me and I could not change it I would drop Ubuntu and use another linux such as Mandriva.
It will be the first thing I change with Firefox when I install Ubuntu 10.04 on my Linux laptop this spring. MS and their bitch Yahoo can kiss my ass.
If Yahoo ("Bing under the hood") is the default search engine, the all your web search data is being logged by Microsoft. Wonderful...not.
But the good news: Ubuntu/Kubuntu users tend to be "just a little more computer savy" than your average Windows user. They are more than capable of changing the default home page and search provider.
Unfortunately, I think that Canonical made a mistake here, as they will then NOT be getting any income from those people (most users, I would suspect) who immediately stop using Yahoo.
Canonical: please fire your new CEO, and get back on the Google cash wagon.
Did everyone miss the "revenue sharing" bit? No? Well then you can always offer Ubuntu to share your revenue with them and thus support the devs.
Before teaming up with Yahoo, I think that Ubuntu should check how Linux friendly Yahoo really is. Firs of all, when you go to check your yahoo email in Linux, there is this horrible warning saying that their platform was not tested on your operating system. Then, they don't even try to support their messenger for Linux too, so Ubuntu, why bother with them?
I use a different distribution anyway.
Can't Yahoo and Google and ms Just leave Linux alone.
If they ruin Linux all my computer will be up for sale on ebay. If they ruin Ubuntu I hope other Linux flavors don't follow.
Blasphemy and DAMN depression.
Yahoo can put it's money where the sun don;t shine
(1) Changing your OS or web browser on one machine is more effort than changing the default search provider.
(2) It's a change to Fire Fox bundled with Ubuntu, not a change to 'Ubuntu' itself. Why not just use a different browser.
(3) Maybe they ynderstand the customer, and you are atypical.
(4) regarding 'front man, see: Bing.
Its actually 1 click if you drag click :) Just click the search box, hold the mouse button, release over your search provider of choice. Phew that was hard.
Change it than. 2 clicks.
If they force the change on me I will find another distro. I use Linux as my primary OS on many machines. If they don't understand that I don't like Microsoft and that Yahoo is just a front man for Microsoft in the search arena, then they won't understand their customer, which is crucial to a successful business.
If they give me the choice and/or don't offer the choice, yet keep my current provider, during the upgrade I'll look past it.