A few months ago my colleague Pablinux was wondering if Ubuntu had too many flavors. I responded by explaining why the distribution I used made sense to me. However, a few days ago I reconsidered whether it still makes sense to use Ubuntu Studio if all the content I generate is done with tools in the cloud.
Of course, this is my personal experience and I do not intend to represent anyone or become an arbiter of which distribution each person should use.
Does it still make sense to use Ubuntu Studio?
A Linux distribution It is a set of components, mostly open source or free software, that, based on the Linux kernel, adds the tools to start and run an operating system.. Most also include utility programs such as video players. or office suites.
Many distributions are general purpose, but some are aimed at specific purposes such as computer security or education. In the case of Ubuntu Studio it is optimized for multimedia production.
One of the advantages of Linux is that any distribution can be used for anything. In fact, both BlackArch Linux and Kali Linux allow you to install their specific computer security tools in their base distributions. The same Ubuntu Studio with its multimedia applications. The plus point of specific distributions is that they are already optimized for the job. Ubuntu Studio comes, for example, with a low-latency core that gives multimedia tools priority access to hardware resources.
There is an easy way to check the difference between a low latency core and a normal one, listening to over-the-air and Internet radio at the same time. In the normal version of Ubuntu the air transmission arrives first, in Ubuntu Studio it is the Internet transmission that arrives first.
To this we must add that it has the most important free software titles in audio editing, video production and graphic design.
For a content creator, having all the tools ready to use makes all the sense in the world. Or not?
Clouds in the future
As I said in a previous article, I am using Canva for video and image creation. Not only are its collection of templates and artificial intelligence tools ideal for a person without the slightest talent for graphic design, but they save time by allowing you to create images that are just the right size.
One of the main advantages of cloud services is that it doesn't matter what hardware you have, you just need an updated browser and a good Internet connection. That brings us to the question at the beginning: Does it still make sense to use Ubuntu Studio?
The software will make us free
A while ago I told the story of College Humor, one of the most popular humorous video sites on the Internet. Seduced by the potential number of visits and cost reduction, those responsible migrated their content from their own server to Facebook. Everything was going well until Facebook changed the algorithm and College Humor lost most of its views, most of the staff were laid off, and the company was sold.
The moral of this is that you should not depend on external services, or at least not exclusively. Free software will always be there, and if it disappears, there will always be a project with which the files can be opened. Another point to keep in mind is that the useful versions of this type of services are usually paid and, when they have a captive market, costs increase or benefits decrease.
It is almost obvious to insist on the privacy problem that these types of services usually have.. I've had to change passwords because years ago someone at Adobe thought it was a good idea to save Creative Cloud user passwords in a plain text file.
Answering my question, not only does it make sense to have Ubuntu Studio installed, I also intend to learn to use Blender and Krita and depend less and less on automated tools. In these times of artificial intelligence, having your own style is going to be a competitive advantage.
The "meaning" is created.
I think the best thing would be to eliminate the flavors and let you choose the desktop you want.
Perhaps the only flavor that should stay is Edubuntu (due to its very specific use).
At the moment, I am still using a "general purpose" distribution, that is, the 20.04 lts (with custom kernel). I tried Ubuntu Studio, and it is very good, especially for music, guitar effects, recording and replay in real time (multitrack like in a recording studio, with even microphone recording), midi keyboard, music editing and effects. electric guitar live, and I can tell you that it works wonderfully. If this is what it is for, yes, Ubuntu Studio and its low latency core are essential for this type of work. Also, I have been working with custom cores for years, and you can achieve the same low latency result as with a core. "normal". The best thing is to know how to customize the cores to optimize the material, because for example, in industrial automation piloting, one must be precise and serious (no "Ubuntu studio" for musicians), and there can be no errors in timing or in sensors, nor in PLC or CNC (if a tool collides with a chuck during high speed, or if the cooling liquid sensor does not transmit the failure data of the solenoid valve), this can lead to serious accidents or losses.