- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 1 | |
| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 7:02:55 AM | I'm curious about what Ubuntu users think, easy -or- difficult?
Did everything work after you installed Ubuntu? Does the software that comes installed with Ubuntu meet your needs? What about adding and removing software?
If you've tried it and didn't like it, why? What version were you using? | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 7:38:55 AM | There's no simple answer for your question.
For the most part...Ubuntu is pretty easy. Programs are added by the Synaptic package manager which is easier than the old way of downloading "tarballs" and compiling from source. You just simply search for what you want, click install, and it will download everything needed and run all the installation processes for you.
As far as hardware...that's really a crapshoot. Not all hardware is supported by Linux...but a good majority of it is these days. You've got a pretty good chance of your hardware working, although it may require proprietary drivers you have to activate..or you may have to install a thing or two to get it working. Usually it's wireless networking that puts up the biggest hassle. I know on my laptop while it was supported out of the box, I had to run an additional installation process to make the card actually usable.
Using the OS isn't any more difficult than using Windows...and the software that comes installed will meet almost any internet users requirements....but the repositories (where packages are stored) have a pretty good selection of almost anything you could need to do and instalattion is a click away.
You're likely to be disappointed in some small way...you're likely to be extremely happy. The install CD doubles as a liveCD....an environment that boots off the CD and allows you to try the OS without actually installing anything to your hard drive. You really won't know if it'll work for you untill you try it. | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 10:45:46 AM | Everything I have ever tried to do or install on Ubuntu has been easy. All the important formats are well supported, flashplayer, pdf, mp3, mp4, etc. etc. Openoffice is more versatile than M.S. office, because if you for some reason need files in say .xls format then you can do that on Openoffice, but MS Office can not execute any of the Openoffice formats.
Some proprietary formats (audio/video codecs come to mind) seem tricky to install on Ubuntu but that is because they are proprietary and they are basically unlicensed versions that somebody has hacked. Hacked software is actually harder to implement on Windows than on Linux. Don't forget that you bought a license for Windows, and that covers most of the 3rd party software licenses. Linux gets a lot easier if you are willing to buy licensed software. The vendors invariably do a thorough job of packaging their commercial software, be it for Linux of Windows or whatever OS you happen to use. | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 11:47:14 AM | | When I tried it not too long ago it seemed pretty easy to use. I might post a followup later in the week/month because I'm about to install it on my new system. | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 12:53:19 PM | | Ubuntu is different. I have tried it a little and it reminds me when I was first learning about computers. I think learning anything new is a process not something done overnight. | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 1:54:01 PM | I used Ubuntu for several years but I got tired of the Dist-upgrades always breaking X or something, switched to PC Linux OS about 2 years ago and haven't looked back.
Ubuntu is not bad, and has a millionaire backer but I have been more than pleased with PCLOS. | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 3:16:37 PM | | I like ubuntu and for the majority of things I do with a pc but i still use xp for some things. I think Ubuntu is one of the most popular of the linux distros because it is the most downloaded and easier to use. | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 9 | |
| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 4:55:33 PM | For anyone new to Ubuntu, I listed some potential solutions (below) for the issues listed above.
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For WiFi Cards that don't work after installing:
http://packages.ubuntu.com/hardy/i386/ndisgtk/download
& use with .inf file inside the Windows driver for the WiFi Card
(Ubuntu w/Ndisgtk only needs part of the Windows driver to make it work)
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I used Ubuntu for several years but I got tired of the Dist-upgrades always breaking X or something
.tar.gz (zipped format) works really well for backing up & restoring.
Upgrades are iffy on every OS (including Windows), the good thing about Linux is that older versions are usually supported for a long time after newer versions come out. So, you don't really need to upgrade unless you want to and there are several Back-Up Apps that can also be downloaded with a couple clicks of the mouse through the 'Synaptic Package Manager'(under: System > Administration)
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It was easy enough, however no matter what I tried it would NOT play my dvd movies :(
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats (Restricted Formats/DVDs)
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Some proprietary formats (audio/video codecs come to mind) seem tricky to install on Ubuntu
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-ubuntu.html (for everything else audio/video)
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Anything else? | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 5:21:00 PM | Don, I had asked so many times in the forums & spent many hours googling to find a solution & never found anything that didn't break Ubuntu (I became an expert at reinstalling it >_>) ... I might consider reinstalling Ubuntu on a spare Drive.
New question since I want to install it again... How do I get my computer to boot to a screen that I get to select which OS to load up? XPpro will be on my SATA HDD & Ubuntu will be on an IDE HDD.. Thanks :) | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 5:47:42 PM | X Breaking is GENERALLY related to video drivers. The biggest problem with using a binary-only video driver is when you do something like upgrade your kernel...since that driver was configured for the previous kernel, sometimes it pukes. 9 times out of 10...it's a driver conflict during upgrade...I've run a few dist-upgrades on here and the only thing it's broken is wireless.
As far as dual-booting...If you're installing Ubuntu with an existing XP installation...Grub will handle all that for you. Ubuntu will install it to the MBR so it'll boot before anything else...then you can pick what you want. You think that's fun? I'm triple booting (Ubuntu AMD64, Win7 x64, XP Pro x32)....i had no problems. | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 12 | |
| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/15/2009 7:30:11 PM | The easiest safest way to dual-boot I've found:
http://wubi-installer.org/
Wubi is an officially supported Ubuntu installer for Windows users that can bring you to the Linux world with a single click. Wubi allows you to install and uninstall Ubuntu as any other Windows application, in a simple and safe way. Are you curious about Linux and Ubuntu? Trying them out has never been easier!
Download Now
Wubi is Simple
No need to burn a CD. Just run the installer, enter a password for the new account, and click "Install", go grab a coffee, and when you are back, Ubuntu will be ready for you.
Wubi is Safe
You keep Windows as it is, Wubi only adds an extra option to boot into Ubuntu. Wubi does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application. Wubi is free of spyware and malware, and being open source, anyone can verify that.
Wubi is Discrete
Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.
Wubi is Free
Wubi and Ubuntu cost absolutely nothing (free as in beer), but yet provide a state of the art, fully functional, operating system that does not require any activation and does not impose any restriction on its use (free as in freedom).
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Requirements
Memory 256 MB memory
Harddisk Space 5 GB harddisk space
Operating System Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista
A How-To Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjJl3p0-YMs
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For bringing X back to life:
code:sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/16/2009 4:38:04 PM |
It was easy enough, however no matter what I tried it would NOT play my dvd movies :(
More then likely you need the libcssdvd2 plugin. It is used to decrypt encryption on DVD's. Most distributions don't come with it because they are afraid of legal issues that might come up with coming preinstalled. Google it and go from there. | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/16/2009 8:09:47 PM | Ubuntu is easy to use out-of-the box for general use (word processing, Internet, etc.)
With that said you really should know your Linux/UNIX command-line stuff for the more advanced features or if you run into trouble.
I just don't see Linux as a desktop operating system to replace Windows or Mac OS X. It certainly has it's place in the server world, but why use it on a netbook or desktop hardware? | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 15 | |
| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/16/2009 9:54:03 PM | Restricted Formats, More Info Why:
Most commercial DVDs are encrypted with CSS (the Content Scrambling System), which attempts to restrict the software that can play a DVD.
By installing the libdvdcss2 package you can play encrypted DVDs with:
*Kaffeine, the Kubuntu video player
*MPlayer
*xine
*Totem-xine
*VLC media player
* Ogle
For more info & the download, Visit:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats/PlayingDVDs
>It's not included b/c its a proprietary format
Ubuntu's commitment to only include completely free software by default means that proprietary media formats are not configured 'out of the box'.
Ubuntu can play the most popular non-free media formats, including DVD, MP3, Quicktime, Windows Media, and more by following the instructions below. If this seems like unnecessary work, remember that Ubuntu is a distribution of free software and these packages are (at least arguably) affected by patents and license restrictions in some countries. Avoid formats suppressed by DRM (Digital Rights Management, or Digital Restrictions Management), as they are often unplayable.
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Re: Linux as Desktop Replacement
With that said you really should know your Linux/UNIX command-line stuff for the more advanced features or if you run into trouble.
I just don't see Linux as a desktop operating system to replace Windows or Mac OS X. It certainly has it's place in the server world, but why use it on a netbook or desktop hardware?
Dell makes Netbooks that come with Linux Ubuntu as a Desktop & everyone I've talked to who has one loves it & hasn't even used the command line.
Programmers have made nearly everything a normal user would need available through the Ubuntu GUI same as Windows.
&
If you can click an icon, right-click & paste text into a box I think the majority of people could easily make use of the command line without even typing anything.
& Just so you know, Mac OSX is UNIX based
(Very Similar to Linux And... both Mac & Linux are Very stable because of it)
Personally, I don't see why people would want to use Windows as home computer/desktop,
that's why I asked if people thought it was difficult.
I don't see the point of paying for something that requires so much maintenance
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/17/2009 12:43:12 AM | My mom (now 70) has been running Linux for almost a decade (Internet, email, Open Office). I moved her to Ubuntu L.T.S. a few years back, and she finds Gnome a lot easier to navigate than the Debian/KDE desktop. I installed Ubuntu L.T.S. on my niece's first computer a few years back as well. She's done the vast majority of her school reports, etc. on it with no problems. In both cases, the best part has been that I've needed to perform almost no system administration after initial setup. Linux is a thousands times more secure than Windows for everyday Internet/Office Document use. Once set up properly, spam, viruses, worms, active-X attacks and everything else just bounce off the system with no harm done.
Ubuntu becomes difficult for someone when said someone expects to just walk into Staples, purchase a game or cheap hardware doohickie, and just plug it in without having to engage the brain. If you're that sort of someone, buy a Windows or Mac box. | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/17/2009 12:44:52 PM | | If I ever stop being lazy, and get wine to work, I might get to switching it to my main box's operating system, but for now, it is stuck in vm land. | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 19 | |
| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy
Posted: 7/17/2009 4:55:27 PM | Re: WINE
(Used to run Windows Programs/Applications/Games in Linux/Ubuntu)
Download:
http://www.winehq.org/download/deb
How-To Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZgjgeDQVo4
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Yeah, that's another nice thing about Linux, there is a distribution for every interest.
You can even roll your own Ubuntu with Remastersys:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remastersys
http://www.geekconnection.org/remastersys/remastersystool.html | |
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b00m
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Joined: 6/6/2009
Msg: 20 | |
| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/18/2009 2:55:31 AM | Ubuntu is simple enough that a person working from a fresh slate won't have trouble picking up enough knowledge about the OS to use it as a mainstay OS.
I find it somewhat disorienting to use, but that's only because I have spent quite awhile teaching myself how to tweak my windows setup for maximum possible speed and plenty of hard-won knowledge on fixing problems. | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/21/2009 10:32:00 PM | I personally would never recommend Linux for an inexperienced or even novice user. Microsoft Windows is the most commonly used desktop operating system in the corporate world, so users naturally want what they already learned how to use at work.
Maybe someday operating systems such as Ubuntu and Fedora will have a real shot on the consumer desktop, but for now the most common place that you'll find most Linux products is in the server room. | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/21/2009 10:58:31 PM |
I personally would never recommend Linux for an inexperienced or even novice user. Microsoft Windows is the most commonly used desktop operating system in the corporate world, so users naturally want what they already learned how to use at work.
Maybe someday operating systems such as Ubuntu and Fedora will have a real shot on the consumer desktop, but for now the most common place that you'll find most Linux products is in the server room.
I would never recommend linux to anyone I know personally or on a client level. It takes away from my business of fixing crap when they screw up (cough: download malware :cough) | |
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- don
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Joined: 4/23/2009
Msg: 23 | |
| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/21/2009 11:10:06 PM | LOL...yeah, after I gave it to my clients, they didn't need me anymore... on the follow-up calls, they said they loved it.
So, good for clients...not so good for repeat business | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/26/2009 5:43:19 AM | Thats not strictly true though is it.
If you talking about supporting customers then your having to do it here for free.
All these people with all these problems to do with Linux and you are supporting them.
So you get them into using linux and you support them in using it because they dont know how to use it, they dont know how to solve the problems themselves, that does not make a picture of the idelic OS you are trying to draw | |
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| Ubuntu Linux.....Easy -or- Difficult ?
Posted: 7/26/2009 8:24:50 AM | | I tried Ubuntu. While it was easy on the eyes, it became a little to technical for me. I'm sure one day I'll try to dive into it again. | |
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