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from: David Smith
subject: Ubuntu 9.10 and REvolution R
I think you're looking at an old version of r-base-core. In a fresh 9.10 install, installing r-base-core and then running R shows only two lines added by REvolution:
david@ubuntu:~$ R
R version 2.9.2 (2009-08-24)
Copyright (C) 2009 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
ISBN 3-900051-07-0
R is free software and comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
You are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions.
Type 'license()' or 'licence()' for distribution details.
R is a collaborative project with many contributors.
Type 'contributors()' for more information and
'citation()' on how to cite R or R packages in publications.
REvolution R enhancements not installed. For improved
performance and other extensions: apt-get install revolution-r
>
We changed the text during the beta in response to comments (from you and others). That's why we do betas, after all. There are only two added lines, which were cleared by the R Core Group:
REvolution R enhancements not installed. For improved
performance and other extensions: apt-get install revolution-r
We announced the changes (and the reasons why it was done the way it was) before 9.10 was released on our blog:
The new Application Center option is an interesting one, thanks for bringing it up. It just wasn't an option that was on our radar at the time.
Hope this clears things up a bit,
# David Smith
My first reaction - It does.
I had not noticed this change, in part because I have had the REvolution Computing extension installed on one of my primary development machines so I could assess company's product. I'll write about that in a separate post in a week or two, but first I removed all of the REvolution Computing packages, so I could see the updated greeting for myself. A screen-shot seems appropriate.
I agree with David, the new language is an improvement and I was thrilled to learn that these changes were made because of the feedback received from the Ubuntu community. While I know there are some in the community who are uncomfortable with anything that smells like ad-ware, I think it is very important to highlight the fact that input from the community did affect the final product. This is one of the things that makes Free Software so incredible, users can have an important role in shaping the product.
This discussion further highlights the importance of developing some way for independent vendors, such as REvolution Computing to distribute software via Ubuntu in a manner that is acceptable to everyone. Everyone includes the independent vendor, Canonical AND the broader Ubuntu community. Clearly, this is going to be a delicate balancing act. Vendors like REvolution Computing want their products to be seen and used but many end-users of open-source software have a very low tolerance for anything that even resembles the ad-ware found on Windows. I think an intelligent App Center is the best way to balance the interests of both parties and I will watch to see how things develop during the Lucid Lynx cycle. Unfortunately, an intelligent App Center is easier said than done and will require substantial effort from Canonical to make it a reality (hopefully it can be a reality on Ubuntu AND Kubuntu).
I hope this discussion adds to the development of this collaboration in a meaningful way.
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