Ubuntu Linux

Old Feb 22, 2007, 9:28 am
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by phachak
As with previous versions of linux, the thing that trips me up is drivers. I know that the fault lies with many mainstream hardware makers who have still not caught on with Linux, and don't provide driver support. Anyways, installed Ubuntu on my acer laptop, couldn't get wifi to work.
I think that is part of the problem, and its exacerbated in Ubuntu. They have a very strong commitment to using only Open Source software- which is way cool- but its all they'll bundle on the CDs. Some companies, like nVidia have created great linux drivers, but they aren't open source (but are free), so nVidia doesnt bundle them. The Flash client is the same way...as are the drivers that the ndiswrapper users (thats the funky implementation of an API that allows the use of windows wifi drivers).... In a nutshell, its my sole problem with Ubuntu... its very pretty and highly functional as a desktop OS, but with out some of those proprietary apps/drivers bundled in the install, it can be a pain to get up and running, espically on a laptop with a broadcom chipset (all dells, FWIR).
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 7:04 am
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After reading this thread last month, I went and ordered the Ubuntu 6.10 CD. Got it this week and installed it on my old Dell Laptop. It does work and I can browse with Firefox, but I can't get anything that I download to work. Tried to install Opera and it keeps giving me errors. The help thing is useless. ScottC is right about it not catching on. I'm going to keep at it, but it's a little silly all the work needed to get something installed.
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 7:17 am
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by DeafFlyer
After reading this thread last month, I went and ordered the Ubuntu 6.10 CD. Got it this week and installed it on my old Dell Laptop. It does work and I can browse with Firefox, but I can't get anything that I download to work. Tried to install Opera and it keeps giving me errors. The help thing is useless. ScottC is right about it not catching on. I'm going to keep at it, but it's a little silly all the work needed to get something installed.
I've been playing with ubuntu more and more and I'm become really impressed. There are a few ubuntu-isms (mostly inherited from Debian) but once you get used to them, it seems to work well.

The first trick is to make sure your /etc/apt/source.list is up to date. I'm not sure how to do this in the GUI, but I suspect you can add sources via the synaptic package manager.
Check out http://www.ubuntu-nl.org/source-o-matic/
it will generate a source.list file for you.

With the sources updated, then the easiest way to install most things is via apt-get (to which the Synaptic GUI is a front end)...

That being said, you will run into the other ubuntu-ism with is a total lack of commercial or close-source software in the main repositories. That includes things like Opera. When you use that link above, make sure to check the last check box (commercial software) which will give you access to most of those packages.

Once you do that, you shouldn't have to download most programs via the web, but rather search for and install them via Synaptic.
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 7:20 am
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by SpaceBass
I'm very impressed with OpenSuSE 10.2 as well. I personally prefer it over Ubuntu on many levels... I actually think its pretty close to a "mom and pop" solution. I installed it on an older PC my parents had that they wanted to use for email and web browsing. Neither of them is very computer literate and it works great for them....

Personally, OpenSuSE 10.2 is my server platform of choice. Its what I use for 2 out of 3 of my linux servers at home and I love it.

I've had nothing but problems with Ubutntu- but I think I'm in the minority here...
Since I posted this....
I've moved all my servers to ubuntu server and noticed a huge performance increase. Getting them to play nicely with my ldap/kerberos domain was a lot easier than SuSE too... I've also changed out that old spare PC in my parents house and they have told me they do like it better... although my guess is they use their 2 macs 98% of the time and rarely use that box.

In a month of playing I've become a total convert....
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 7:43 am
  #20  
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Originally Posted by SpaceBass
I've been playing with ubuntu more and more and I'm become really impressed. There are a few ubuntu-isms (mostly inherited from Debian) but once you get used to them, it seems to work well.

The first trick is to make sure your /etc/apt/source.list is up to date. I'm not sure how to do this in the GUI, but I suspect you can add sources via the synaptic package manager.
Check out http://www.ubuntu-nl.org/source-o-matic/
it will generate a source.list file for you.

With the sources updated, then the easiest way to install most things is via apt-get (to which the Synaptic GUI is a front end)...

That being said, you will run into the other ubuntu-ism with is a total lack of commercial or close-source software in the main repositories. That includes things like Opera. When you use that link above, make sure to check the last check box (commercial software) which will give you access to most of those packages.

Once you do that, you shouldn't have to download most programs via the web, but rather search for and install them via Synaptic.
See, it's reasons like this that Linux will NEVER EVER catch on in the consumer market. People get freaked out if you make them go to their control panel in XP, so telling them thinks like they'll have to make sure their sources list in /etc/apt is up to date is gonna ensure nobody in their right mind (short of the geek population) will ever make the full switch.

Linux was meant to take over the world 10 years ago, and today it's still limping along.
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 9:08 am
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Originally Posted by ScottC
See, it's reasons like this that Linux will NEVER EVER catch on in the consumer market. People get freaked out if you make them go to their control panel in XP, so telling them thinks like they'll have to make sure their sources list in /etc/apt is up to date is gonna ensure nobody in their right mind (short of the geek population) will ever make the full switch.

Linux was meant to take over the world 10 years ago, and today it's still limping along.
I have to disagree...
While I'm not sure I was part of a discussion about linux taking over the world 10 years ago, I think it certainly has made a huge dent in the server market (to become the dominate platform).

I agree that there have historically bern problems with the steep learning curve involved with using linux, but I'm not entirely sure that was due to technology. Sure in the early days the paid UI designers were cranking out something more visually appealing than the open source guys (who were probably more concerned with a faster bubble sort). But I'd assert that the real reason the learning curve was so steep had more to do with the users themselves. That is to say that in the 90s computers stopped being the tool of mathematicians and become mainstream. So there was a flood of new and novice users whos first exposure to a desktop was Windows and MS products. Now that we are a generation or two removed from that there is a user base of people who are platform agnostic. So the concept of surfing the web is less tied to that little blue "e" and more synonymous with the website itself.

Distributions like Ubuntu are a little late to the game really, and its not 100% complete or perfect. But given a little time it will be a pretty nice desktop. I agree totally that they have to sort out the issues with closed-source software, but it looks like the new 7.10 release goes a long way towards that compromise. Once thats done, it becomes a web/email/office platform just like OS X and Windows. I'm sure there are lot of proprietary applications that will continue to exist on only one platform, but for the average (and new breed of system agnostic) user it won't matter b/c most things are done online anyway.

Theres the added problem that linux users are a picky lot, which makes it quite hard, as Mark Shuttleworth pointed out...which makes it hard for a major vendors to sell desktops pre-loaded desktops.

I guess my point is this... a lot of XP users don't feel any more comfortable installing opera or flash than ubuntu users...but if you could get a ubuntu desktop pre-loaded the way XP comes pre-loaded (often times) then I think there are a lot of people who would find it every bit as capable and suitable for the desktop.


and in case you are wondering...I had too much caffeine... Im going back to work now
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 11:53 am
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I'll try the suggestions in the earlier post. To the above post, I have been using computers since 1980. I'm not exactly new to this stuff. In time I will figure it out, but it is still alot harder than XP or the Mac.
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 12:01 pm
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by DeafFlyer
I'll try the suggestions in the earlier post. To the above post, I have been using computers since 1980. I'm not exactly new to this stuff. In time I will figure it out, but it is still alot harder than XP or the Mac.
When you get a brand new XP box or Mac is it perfect or do you change a setting or two?
I just checked- as I'm not normally an Opera user, and I was able to install it on two machines. On one I used synaptic and search for Opera, clicked the checkbox and clicked install...done on the other I used the terminal and typed "apt-get install opera" and it downloaded and installed in about 1 minute...done
I'm not saying its the preferable way to install software...but after setting up my sources I was able to install it twice with like one click.

Don't get me wrong...I really am not trying to force anyone to use and/or like Ubunut, but I really had the same frustrations at first and I've really changed my mind. I think if you look at it as "different from" rather than "harder than" XP/OS X it helps. So you dont (typically) go to web sites and download a binary installer, you use a package manager to install a pre-compiled binary...
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 2:59 pm
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Originally Posted by SpaceBass
When you get a brand new XP box or Mac is it perfect or do you change a setting or two?
I just checked- as I'm not normally an Opera user, and I was able to install it on two machines. On one I used synaptic and search for Opera, clicked the checkbox and clicked install...done on the other I used the terminal and typed "apt-get install opera" and it downloaded and installed in about 1 minute...done
I'm not saying its the preferable way to install software...but after setting up my sources I was able to install it twice with like one click.

Don't get me wrong...I really am not trying to force anyone to use and/or like Ubunut, but I really had the same frustrations at first and I've really changed my mind. I think if you look at it as "different from" rather than "harder than" XP/OS X it helps. So you dont (typically) go to web sites and download a binary installer, you use a package manager to install a pre-compiled binary...
I'm trying to like it, I really am. I tried to install via "add/remove"' in the applications menu and kept getting errors.

Here's the error I keep getting.

Originally Posted by UBUNTU
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
I haven't been able to figure out how to manually run this.
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 3:07 pm
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Originally Posted by DeafFlyer
I'm trying to like it, I really am.
Fair enough

Like I said, i had to force myself to take another look... I mean I really HATED ubuntu at first, second and even third glances. Then I heard an interview with Jimmy Waugh and it prompted me to take another look.

Originally Posted by DeafFlyer
E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
I haven't been able to figure out how to manually run this.
Ok...I dont have a ubunut box in front of me, but what you want is a terminal. Click the left most menu, then go down to utilities, I think... you should see terminal or gnometerm or x-term...something similar. Then you should be able to type the command above verbatim.

One of the other Ubuntu-isms, which is familiar to OS X users, is the lack of a root user. If you need to do anything as an administrator, the system should prompt you for a password (usually yours). If you are in the terminal (which is like a dos prompt in windows) you have to preface commands with "sudo" (no quotes) ... so
Code:
sudo dpkg --configure -a
at which point it will ask for your password...

if that really irks you, then you can enable the root user by doing:
Code:
sudo passwd root
or you can temperately become the root user with:
Code:
sudo su -
not that you should have to spend muchl, if any, time at in the terminal, but those can be useful to know...
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Old Mar 15, 2007, 5:09 pm
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I figured it out via ubuntu forums poster who had a site. I did the same thing you posted above. Opera works now! I'm going to be setting things up on it tonight.

One good thing about this OS is that it is harder to crash.
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Old Mar 16, 2007, 3:23 pm
  #27  
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I'm going to try Kubuntu 6.10 (Ubuntu with KDE instead of Gnome) on my XP laptop this weekend. If I can't get it to work I'm going to try OpenSUSE 10.2 which is allegedly easier to get running on laptops.
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Old Mar 17, 2007, 4:16 pm
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Originally Posted by SRQ Guy
I'm going to try Kubuntu 6.10 (Ubuntu with KDE instead of Gnome) on my XP laptop this weekend. If I can't get it to work I'm going to try OpenSUSE 10.2 which is allegedly easier to get running on laptops.
If vyou like OpenSUSE please post here as I might try it. Ubuntu 6.10 and Kubuntu are pretty good, but getting some hardware working is a pain.
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Old Mar 18, 2007, 2:28 am
  #29  
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Originally Posted by DeafFlyer
If vyou like OpenSUSE please post here as I might try it. Ubuntu 6.10 and Kubuntu are pretty good, but getting some hardware working is a pain.
I'm having trouble setting up my laptop's wireless card with kubuntu. If I don't get it working soon I will try OpenSUSE instead.
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Old Mar 18, 2007, 1:13 pm
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Originally Posted by SRQ Guy
I'm having trouble setting up my laptop's wireless card with kubuntu. If I don't get it working soon I will try OpenSUSE instead.
I spent 6 hours saturday trying to get the wireless card working. I gave up. Considering trying OpenSUSE also.
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