Ubuntu linux distro [Archive]

Kaervek

07-10-2006, 07:04 PM

Proceri

07-10-2006, 07:23 PM

I've had Fedora Core 4 and Ubuntu.
Fedora I came with more stuff(although much bigger dl).

Ubuntu wasn't bad. Overall what they can do is similar and there both stable. Although I couldn't get my wireless drivers to work with either. Once I got the beta of Vista I overwote my Ubuntu. Also your going to have to find a Mp3 codec online because those don't come with Ubuntu or Fedora Core 4(Patent laws I believe). I also couldn't get multi-monitor support to work on Ubuntu(didn't try Fedora Core 4) even after downloading Nvidia drivers(kind of a pain to install but once you do it once it's much easier).

idk I didn't see any advantages. My computer stays clean of viruses so they arn't a problem. Although I never wanted to dismiss Linux without trying it first and getting use to it. I'd use it if Xp became a bitch to me but that hasn't happened.

I'd suggest save some bandwidth and check out Ubuntu.

evolipel

07-11-2006, 12:57 AM

I was actually on my way over to Fedora.Redhat.com to download Fedora Core, but I stumbled across Ubuntu (www.ubuntu.com). Does anybody have any experience with Ubuntu, or any feedback that they can provide? It looks very user-friendly, which is what I want so that I can familiarize myself with linux.
Good things: Has the possibility of detecting everything you have and having it work "automagically".

Bad things: If that doesn't happen, it's a pain in the ass. Case in point: if your wireless chipset is only half-supported (I can see it in Networking, but no config saves and "it doesn't support IP addresses", wtf?), you need to blacklist the little driver it gives you (it was an older Broadcom whereas what I had was newer) and use ndiswrapper. I had it once keep telling me that my password for administrative tasks (via gnome su) was wrong even though it wasn't. Another time, the mouse was all jumpy, but I have a feeling I could have fixed it with reconfiguring X or something like that.

Probably the most common example is: if it doesn't autodetect your monitor size/hsync/vrefresh, it will default to a low resolution and/or refresh rate. Fix it by entering the aforementioned via "sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg", then ctrl-alt-backspace to restart X.

It has its quirks: usually using sudo for everything you need root access for (at least it was a quirk for me). It comes with gnome, so if you're a KDE guy, get Kubuntu (which I've heard is less stable, but I've never tried it myself).

It also doesn't come with any proprietary codecs; I've already got the installation for all that crap down to automation :p :
1. Set up Synaptic to use all of the available repositories (multiverse, etc).
2. Install gstreamer plugins: bad set, ugly set, ugly-multiverse set (you'll need liblame for this one which you won't find; get it via Googling for it).
3. Install the xine totem backend (it will uninstall the gstreamer one and install the xine package), and the xine extra plugins package.
4. Find w32codecs and libdvdcss on a repository like the PLF.
5. Get the nvidia driver (I think it was called xorg-nvidia-glx or something like that), start it (it says how in the little Synaptic blurb).

Also, in the Computer thing in Nautilus, it shows all your partitions but you can't mount any of them. That's a bug: all that it's supposed to show there are the removable drives. Updating will get rid of that.

Overall, I liked it. I have it installed currently and used it quite a bit; in fact, I'd be using it right now if GRUB hadn't fucked up after a mobo upgrade (still trying to sort that out). Definitely a solid gnome distro.

praetor_alpha

07-11-2006, 11:27 AM

im using it right now. smooth sailing. the only issue so far is my ATI drivers. then again, its most likely them and not ubuntu.

there was this one thing where the clock was several hours behind real time, but a quick search in the official ubuntu forums fixed that. THE OFFICIAL FORUMS ARE YOUR FRIEND!

Kaervek

07-11-2006, 10:24 PM

Well, I got it installed and dual-booting via GRUB with XP Media Center Edition. I'm really liking it so far, even though getting some things setup is a headache. Afterall, the reason I'm wanting to learn Linux is so that such tasks aren't a headache anymore. No better way than diving in head-first!

Probably the most common example is: if it doesn't autodetect your monitor size/hsync/vrefresh, it will default to a low resolution and/or refresh rate. Fix it by entering the aforementioned via "sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg", then ctrl-alt-backspace to restart X.
I had a problem with it not supporting my 7800GTX, but after an hour of scouring the forums, I found a great guide that got me setup. While I'm appreciative for the guide and that my 7800 is now working, I don't like copying-and-pasting the commands that allowed me to do it. I didn't know what my commands were actually doing. That will come with time and practice, I'm sure.

It has its quirks: usually using sudo for everything you need root access for (at least it was a quirk for me). It comes with gnome, so if you're a KDE guy, get Kubuntu (which I've heard is less stable, but I've never tried it myself).
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

Enabling the root account:

To enable the root account (i.e. set a password) use:

sudo passwd root

Enter your existing password
Enter password for root
Confirm password for root

One thing I'm still finding confusing is the fact that I don't seem to have this "Synaptec" utility that everyone is talking about. I setup Automatix, though, which seems to do the same thing based upon the descriptions I've read about Synaptec. *shrugs*

I'm actually pretty excited to start getting deep into it...

thenrz

07-11-2006, 11:45 PM

I'm not a big fan of ubuntu, the x86_64 distro is bad news, at least for me. Of the 8 i've tried, ubuntu is one of my least favorite...

Kaervek

07-12-2006, 12:23 AM

AMD_64 distro is working like a charm for me. *shrugs*

Now to try out Wine...

im2short2die

07-14-2006, 10:52 PM

I sugest SLAX Linux, I did try ubutu (or what ever it is called), but I just liked SLAX better.

evolipel

07-14-2006, 11:06 PM

I sugest SLAX Linux, I did try ubutu (or what ever it is called), but I just liked SLAX better.
Um, you're comparing apples to oranges.

SLAX is only a live CD (think Knoppix); Ubuntu, while it has the same live CD functionality (if you get the usual image), is generally meant to be installed.

Meghan

07-15-2006, 10:49 PM

Neo

07-16-2006, 12:27 AM

Aye. We use Ubuntu on our laptop at home. I love it. It's clean, easy to use, and works, unlike Windows. I've never had it freeze up on me or not do what I wanted it to, unlike Windows.

It is extremely user friendly, and is one of the better version of Linux, I think. If I didn't need to have Windows on my desktop, I'd have Ubuntu on it.

The only problem I've had with Ubuntu is a lack of ability to watch DVD's with it. Other than that, it works 10x better than Windows.

I give it 4.75 out of 5 stars! :)
http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/news.html

My windows doesn't freeze or crash, maybe its your own habits that cause it to fuck up eh?

VLC has a linux version to, which is what I would suggest personally.

-Neo

Meghan

07-16-2006, 12:30 PM

http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/news.html

My windows doesn't freeze or crash, maybe its your own habits that cause it to fuck up eh?

VLC has a linux version to, which is what I would suggest personally.

-Neo

Hah! Aren't we just so fucking smart! "My name is Neo and I dont watch porn on the internet because I'm a eunich!"

:spit:

P.S. Yes, we know how to fix this problem. We are just too lazy to do it. :p

Modred

07-16-2006, 01:45 PM

SLAX is only a live CD (think Knoppix); Ubuntu, while it has the same live CD functionality (if you get the usual image), is generally meant to be installed.
SLAX can be installed to HD. =p

Anyway, I used Ubuntu back during 5.04 (was that Warty Warthog?). It was nice for most common things, like just browsing the internet, but for some reason I didn't really like it. I changed my personal computer over to Debian Sarge, which may not have software as current as Ubuntu, but was much more customizable. But so far my favorite distro has been Slackware 10.2. Contrary to internet rumor, I didn't find it difficult to install...just read the directions as they come on the screen. =p

Neo

07-16-2006, 06:49 PM

Hah! Aren't we just so fucking smart! "My name is Neo and I dont watch porn on the internet because I'm a eunich!"

Says who? I just know where to get it that doesn't involve crashing my system ;)

-Neo

Proceri

07-16-2006, 06:56 PM

I'm with ya their Neo!!!

Once you find a good place stick with it.

some.guy.

07-16-2006, 08:19 PM

Kaervek,

I've been using ubuntu for a few months now, and would definitly reccomend it.

As far as synaptic goes:
I'm using kde right now so its under system-synaptic package manager
in gnome i believe it is under system-administration-synaptic but im not positive

if you really don't have it installed, which you should, you can install it with
> sudo apt-get install synaptic

if you can't find it in the menus you can try to run it from the terminal with:
> sudo synaptic

its not at all like automatix,though. automatix installs some commonly used software and codecs, synaptic is a gui frontend for apt, and allows you to install any of thousands of programs.

NaAani

07-19-2006, 03:58 PM

I would say that ubuntu is the best of the easy dists.
I don't see any advatages with the other easy dists, eather they're less easy or slower so if you want an easy dist go for ubuntu.
As someone said earlier the 64bit version seems kind of messy though, I haven't tested it all that much but it caused me some trouble when I did. Also, I recently installed 6.06 cause I needed ubuntu for work (it just takes to fucking long to get stuff runing in gentoo which I usualy run), I had some weird problems with it, 5.10 ran much smoother for me so it might be a better idea to use 6.06.