Bundling Bitcoin with Linux distros...

[ineededausername]

What would it take to get the major distros to include Bitcoin in their pre-installed software?  Bitcoin and the FOSS community share many values in common, so I suspect we could get some sympathy for including our open-source, decentralized currency in Linux distros.
Anyone else think this is a good idea?

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[Crypt_Current]

If it weren't for Linuxcoin, I'd know nothing about Linux...  Linuxcoin seems really buggy though.  At first, I couldn't tell if its regular crashings were just my ignorance or the OS being buggy.  The more I use it though, the more I think the latter...

I'm going to try Ubuntu soon.

[RodeoX]

I would like to at least see it in the standard Ubuntu repository, when we reach version 1.

[ineededausername]

I would like to at least see it in the standard Ubuntu repository, when we reach version 1.

Though we haven't reached version 1, the client is already stable and very usable by Linux users.  Remember, we aren't talking about grandmas when we talk about Linux

[ThiagoCMC]

Hi!

 Please, check the following post:
 Point for Bitcoin! Point for Linux! And point for Ubuntu!!

Best!
Thiago

[wareen]

I don't think it's a good approach to try and force Bitcoin upon anybody. Such methods are bound to spur negative reactions and honestly I don't think Bitcoin needs such questionable forms of advertising.

Make nice packages for all the flavors of Linux out there and improve the user experience of the client(s). While you're at it, see that the smartphone wallets get polished and are present in all the (alternative) appstores.

With something like Bitcoin where even tech-people are very quick to dismiss it as a scam, we really should not push it too much - especially given its beta status. Let's keep improving the infrastructure and the usability and Bitcoin's advantages will speak for itself.

[markm]

I do not think it is ready until root can install it system-wide for each user to be able to use it without each having to have their own copy of the blockchain.

The blockchain(s) should go in /var/spool/blockchains or something like that, where all users can access it or each daemon (main net and test net even if not considering alternate blockchain-based applications) can get at it to provide each user an interface that doesn't involve having access to other users' accounts.

-MarkM-

[JeffK]

What would it take to get the major distros to include Bitcoin in their pre-installed software?  Bitcoin and the FOSS community share many values in common, so I suspect we could get some sympathy for including our open-source, decentralized currency in Linux distros.
Anyone else think this is a good idea?

There are extremely large amounts of politics that go into deciding not only what software should be included in the default installations, and I can tell you right now that Bitcoin will never be included in the default installation of CentOS/Debian/Ubuntu/Fedora/etc, and it never should be.

bitcoind is included in the repositories of many distributions by virtue of being open source, but you are vastly overestimating the overlap between Bitcoin and FOSS 'values', and underestimating the amount of work and politics that goes into package set selections.


also basically this:

I don't think it's a good approach to try and force Bitcoin upon anybody. Such methods are bound to spur negative reactions and honestly I don't think Bitcoin needs such questionable forms of advertising.

Make nice packages for all the flavors of Linux out there and improve the user experience of the client(s). While you're at it, see that the smartphone wallets get polished and are present in all the (alternative) appstores.

With something like Bitcoin where even tech-people are very quick to dismiss it as a scam, we really should not push it too much - especially given its beta status. Let's keep improving the infrastructure and the usability and Bitcoin's advantages will speak for itself.

I don't use Ubuntu any more because of some software they force into my system, even if I don't use it and/or disable it (Ubuntu One, Unity, Software Center). I would be livid if someone tried to hamfistedly wedge a bitcoin client into my Linux distribution, doubly so if they forced me to download the blockchain or something.

Distributions should include as few network service packages by default as possible. Anything more is a security risk/more trouble for admins to lock down or disable.

[ineededausername]

What would it take to get the major distros to include Bitcoin in their pre-installed software?  Bitcoin and the FOSS community share many values in common, so I suspect we could get some sympathy for including our open-source, decentralized currency in Linux distros.
Anyone else think this is a good idea?

There are extremely large amounts of politics that go into deciding not only what software should be included in the default installations, and I can tell you right now that Bitcoin will never be included in the default installation of CentOS/Debian/Ubuntu/Fedora/etc, and it never should be.

bitcoind is included in the repositories of many distributions by virtue of being open source, but you are vastly overestimating the overlap between Bitcoin and FOSS 'values', and underestimating the amount of work and politics that goes into package set selections.


also basically this:

I don't think it's a good approach to try and force Bitcoin upon anybody. Such methods are bound to spur negative reactions and honestly I don't think Bitcoin needs such questionable forms of advertising.

Make nice packages for all the flavors of Linux out there and improve the user experience of the client(s). While you're at it, see that the smartphone wallets get polished and are present in all the (alternative) appstores.

With something like Bitcoin where even tech-people are very quick to dismiss it as a scam, we really should not push it too much - especially given its beta status. Let's keep improving the infrastructure and the usability and Bitcoin's advantages will speak for itself.

I don't use Ubuntu any more because of some software they force into my system, even if I don't use it and/or disable it (Ubuntu One, Unity, Software Center). I would be livid if someone tried to hamfistedly wedge a bitcoin client into my Linux distribution, doubly so if they forced me to download the blockchain or something.

Distributions should include as few network service packages by default as possible. Anything more is a security risk/more trouble for admins to lock down or disable.

Yeah, my purpose in asking this question was to get opinions on the following:
1.  Is it a good idea? (Ethical to put Bitcoin in default package lists?)
2.  Is it plausible?

It seems that your answers are no to both.  However, for the first one, I personally think that as long as you aren't forcing people to download the blockchain or use the client, you aren't really "pushing Bitcoin" on them. 

[Gabi]

mh... when i install a OS i expect to install only it and maybe some software to see photo/video, listen to audio and browse internet, nothing more...

[ineededausername]

mh... when i install a OS i expect to install only it and maybe some software to see photo/video, listen to audio and browse internet, nothing more...

But why should audio/video software be distinguished from payment software?  I don't see the fundamental difference... if Bitcoin, one day, were sufficiently useful (broad enough user base) that one could use it as a replacement for Paypal, I would support bundling it into Linux distros.

[btc_artist]

I think a good first step would be to get bitcoin into the ubuntu software repository.

[Gabi]

mh... when i install a OS i expect to install only it and maybe some software to see photo/video, listen to audio and browse internet, nothing more...

But why should audio/video software be distinguished from payment software?  I don't see the fundamental difference... if Bitcoin, one day, were sufficiently useful (broad enough user base) that one could use it as a replacement for Paypal, I would support bundling it into Linux distros.

Because being able to open and use files is a more basic need with an os

[dunand]

Adding the bitcoin client in the Ubuntu repository would be awesome.

Matt Corallo maintain an untrusted PPA for ubuntu https://launchpad.net/~bitcoin. Maybe he is working to add is package to the universe repository for Ubuntu?