Comment 3 for bug 134410

Excuse me Murat, but I do feel the need to comment on this one, as this is a major sore spot in the progress of free software.

I have been an avid Linux user now since 1996 and I have watched Linux be transformed from a niche geek toy to what it is today- a very viable solution to the desktop OS monopoly. It pains me to see that wicd still isn't in the Ubuntu repos and I'm regularly checking up to see if its any nearer to getting in. Not only that but it badly needs to become standard part of he Ubuntu base distro install discs.

People keep on harping on about networkmanagers world-saving backend or how it is shortly going to become the greatest net tool ever but I don't see that happening. Far as I'm concerned NM is a poor excuse for a tool compared to wicd and ubuntu can't drop NM fast enough.

Let me make the situation perfectly clear:

Easy wifi internet config and access is of absolute A1 prime importance to most of todays computer users, especially laptop owners. Ubuntu is failing to set the computing world alight as it should be because many newcomers will try it, fail to get on the net because of NMs many shortcomings and then go straight back to their previous proprietary OS of choice, because at least they could connect to the net. They won't be aware of wicd, let alone know how to install it but they can't anyway as they have no net connection!

All is not lost though, thankfully antiX (a lightweight, ubuntu based distro) have had the good sense to include wicd by default and so I am no longer restricted to recommending Mandriva to Linux newbies. Unless NM undergoes some SERIOUS improvement or Ubuntu replaces it with wicd then I can assure you that Monopolysoft have little to loose sleep over.