Thank you, Ubuntu Tweak will continue-CSDN博客

First, I would like to thank you all, who left your message here, who forked Ubuntu Tweak at Github. I was really moved!

You made me know that Ubuntu Tweak is still valuable, and as the first software project I made 5 years ago, it is just like my baby, I don’t really want to give up the development.

I will explain something in this post, hope this time everything is clear.

You’re wondering that what the “free” meaning in “If making free software is not free any more”. I’m sorry for this, because English is not my native language, I should give enough information about “free”. Here I mean “freedom”, just like I wrote in my Chinese blog.

Why I don’t feel freedom? These days, I spent a lot of time on this project, I was always thinking about the motivation. Back to 5 years ago, I developed it just because of my practice on Linux programming, I felt freedom when I make things on Linux (Although I didn’t have developing experience on Windows and Mac then). But now I don’t feel any freedom about developing this software any more. The initial motivation is changed, and I’m still looking for new motivation.

This is because the new release of Ubuntu Tweak 0.8.0 makes me feel a lot of pressure, the high network traffic made the server almost out of bandwidth. This project gives me more pressure than happiness, I found there is a lot of work to do:

Optimize the server side
Optimize the client side
Add support and do more tests on Ubuntu 12.10
More work that I wrote in 0.8.0 release
…

I never felt that I have so many work to do, even more than my daily work. As Ubuntu Tweak 0.8 comes, it is not a simple desktop application, it has became a C/S application. In the past, I can release a new version, then take a break for days, and start developing new feature again. But now, when I release a new version, I have to monitor and maintain the server, I’m the only one to do all the work from developing and maintaining the server side to the client side.

I never felt such pressure from development a free software, especially when you have so many users. It’s hard to find a way to balance my current work, my personal project and my life, find which is more important. I don’t really want to have “two jobs”, it’s hard to balance.

With all of this, especially the increasing work from Ubuntu Tweak, I felt the things just became out of control. So I decided to stop and take a break.

I got no pressure from any other ones, I just made this decision by myself. There’s no relation to Ubuntu/Canonical. I do have some thoughts on the amazon search result, but as you see, you can turn it off now. About the donation before downloading Ubuntu, it’s OK, I think I can also try such way to receive donation for Ubuntu Tweak.

I hope you understand what I’m writing, I have a little confused for myself. I do like developing Ubuntu Tweak and receiving the likes from you. I just don’t like the current status that I have spent so much time on it.

Thanks all of you, with your words and support, I have changed my mind, the development of Ubuntu Tweak is not going to stop, although the development will slow down, the “Apps” will come back until I solved the network traffic/bandwidth issue. I will finally find out which is more important to me, and then make some changes, maybe try to make Ubuntu Tweak a donation/paid project so that I have chance to work full time on it. At least, I will never kill Ubuntu Tweak, my first software project, and also the longest project I’ve been working on, Ubuntu Tweak is my baby. It’s clear.

And…Here’s Ubuntu Tweak 0.8.1, actually I have done it before my last announcement.

It just fixed some bugs and works better on Ubuntu 12.10:

First, add the lost of “Apps” shortcuts, although the “Apps” is not working now.

The QuickLists Editor is working under Ubuntu 12.10 now, with the support for ordering Unity specific items.

And one more thing: Love Wallpaper HD, this is made by Kevin and me and added by accident. I plan to add this feature in the future. But when packing for 0.8.1 I forgot to disable it. Anyway it still works, and you can choose the wallpaper you want by double clicking on it.