UBUNTU: THE IMPERFECT OS ALTERNATIVE TO WINDOWS

[TN] Nathan · ALMIGHTY PWNER! Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Posts: 7406

Please feel free to post your questions here.

Review can be found here:

http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/ubuntu/
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fussnfeathers · Lord of the Tweak Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 2763

OK, I have to ask............what else is there to the OS than wireless support (or lack of it?) Is it easy to install otherwise? What does it include for included software? How stable is it? Do you get a naked girl with each CD?

I mean, I'm interested. I like Linux, for the most part, and I'd like to transition over to a good distro. I don't care about wireless support, since all of my computers are hard-wired.......I do care about ease of use and available software, since I'd be dumping this on my mom's rig as well.

I agree, M$ has pissed off alot of people with the Genuine Advantage thing, but this review didn't give me any info on why I would want to switch.
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[TN] Nathan · ALMIGHTY PWNER! Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Posts: 7406

It isn't really bad installing and using until you hit a problem.

This is the point of the article, some problems are solution-less.

Take a look at it, it isn't that bad at all.
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teejay · Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:09 pm Post subject: I agree with Nathan

Yes, I agree with Nathan; Ubuntu is quite easy to use and the interface is quite intuitive. You can try it out before you actually install it; there's a live CD option on boot-up. When you do this, your system will not be harmed or changed in any way. This will give you a good opportunity to see if your hardware is supported. However, I'd be cautious: I have seen Ubuntu support wireless internet in the trial mode, only to have the function disappear when the OS is actually transfered to the hard drive. This is what I mean about hitting glitches--trying to find the solution can be really confusing.
However, I guess if you're not that interested in wireless support, you shouldn't be that bad off.
One piece of advise: download Automatix. This sweet little program gives you all the codecs and other essential programs needed to have a fully functioning OS. You'll have to play around in the terminal though.

DanceMan · Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 3:14 am Post subject:

I would have expected an attempt on more than one computer before one splashed sweeping opinions on the web.

I'm hardly an expert on Ubuntu, but I've installed it as a dual boot on two laptops and tried the live disk on a business desktop. The live disk and the install, of two versions ago (Badger?) were quite surprising. Everything but the dialup modem (expected and a long running problem in linux) worked right off the bat.
I was online on wireless, downloading Open Office and saving it to a USB flash drive, just running off the live disk, nothing on the hard drive. With proper screen resolution, audio working.
By contrast, both laptops needed a driver disk or downloaded drivers to get the correct screen resolution and to get the ethernet and wireless working in 2K.

Both laptops had Intel chipsets, one a Cel 2.0, the other a Pentium M1.3 with ATI graphics. Wireless was Intel.

I used the Ubuntu for a while until an attempt to upgrade Firefox to 1.5 using Automatix failed. If I'd devoted the time and attention I give to Win to the Ubuntu install, I'd have most of the problems worked out.

DanceMan · Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 3:28 am Post subject:

Forgot to mention the attempt on the business desktop, an IBM. The live disk didn't get the display correct. It was stuck on the 640 x 480, rather surprising that it would not have the correct driver for an integrated graphics chipset.

Linuxer · TweakNOOB Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 1

My guess why Windows drivers is not included in the Ubuntu installation is that it is open source so it does not include non open source applications. However non open source software can be installed later after modifying the sources for Synaptic. I agree that not all harware works right after Ubuntu is installed but it really manages to work with most hardware. Much hardware that does not work on Windows after installation either. Particular newer hardware that requires drivers from the manufacterer to be installed. It is actually not Ubuntus fault if a harware device does not work. The manufacturer should provide an open source driver. I use Ubuntu most of the time and fing it really great.

fussnfeathers · Lord of the Tweak Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 2763

Ok, so it's a standard Linux distro, that's pretty much what I wanted to know. Still has the same issues with drivers that other distros do, and since IBM has its own Linux distro, the desktop graphics problem isn't surprising.

Yeah, if you're putting it on an OEM rig, you'll probably have some issues. If you're putting it on a custom-built setup, you'll probably have less problems, since it's all aftermarket products.
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teejay · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:21 pm Post subject: