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Ubuntu: Linux For Human Beings

Crushdepth

By Crushdepth
in Linux

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Crushdepth Ruby Member

Crushdepth

Posted
Posted

I've been reading about the Ubuntu linux and it seems to be getting some pretty good reviews. I particularly like the 'linux for human beings' tag.

I am completely new to linux, having just installed Mandrake to learn a bit about it. It's ok, but I find the user interface (Gnome) a bit jerky and the browsers seem to render pages in a really ugly way, possibly due to some really unfortunate choice of fonts (anyone got an idea of how to improve that ?). I'm a Windoze guy, so even Mandrake still seems a bit like an OS For Robots to me.

I'm wondering if Ubuntu really is Linux for human beings. Anyone tried it ? Help me escape the Evil Clutches of Mr Gates :o

Edit: Here's something cool: Ubuntu will send you the OS on CD if you ask, for free. You don't even have to pay for postage.

rainman Platinum Member

rainman

Posted
Posted

Ubuntu seems to be a sort-of like Mandrake Linux ...i always found Mandrake the easiest to use for Linux newbies. Being a "hardcore" Linux user myself, i would recommend Mandrake too and personally never heard of Ubuntu. One thing i find a little crazy though is the Linux computer they're selling at all the shopping centers here ...mainly to people with absolutely no Linux knowledge. If there's any issue, how do they fix it?

GoodHeart Advanced Member

GoodHeart

Posted
Posted

^ I'm *way* interested!! :o I was just getting ready to post about how impressed I was with the SuSe 9.2- still am, too. SuSe has their act together! Very easy to try it out on any Windoze box, via the LiveCD install, then, once you're through checking it out all you need do is reboot and remove, with no harm done and Windoze restored. First time I tried the 9.2 liveCD I was at an internet cafe in the states- using a Dell P4 dektop, running XP- and came away stunned when it recognized the network, two printers attached, all the PC's accessories, *and* had me surfing without doing anything besides a reboot. I can only imagine how much better the 9.3 is.... :D

I'm a newb to Linux as well. The one time I have tried Gnome I was not at all impressed. KDE is a far, far better implementation to me. Maybe because I like a spiiffy, highly configurable GUI environment though- and KDE is just that. I've been fooling around with Mandrake 10.1 and that is also very nice. Just about even to my impressions of SuSe 9.2

Anyone a fan of the LinuxFormat mag- out of the UK? Easily the best magazine covering Linux today. Sadly, so far Thailand doesn't seem to be aware of it.

Crushdepth Ruby Member

Crushdepth

Posted
  • Author
Posted

One of the nice things about Ubuntu (so they say - I still haven't installed it just yet) is that it is meant to be really great at recognizing hardware.

Here's a (possibly very) dumb question: Is it possible to boot off a flash drive ? I downloaded Unbutu but I haven't got any blank CDs here. And I'm the impatient type. Argh !

I do have a 1 gig flash card, you see...

Abandon Gold Member

Abandon

Posted
Posted

good info - keep posting; there are more than a few of us who are thinking of taking the linux plunge - but it always seems there are so many linux systems. Then there are the dependency problems....

mypis (or is it mipis) Red hat, Mandrake knoppix etc... and other new ones (sun..) what is good for a linux virgin?

GoodHeart Advanced Member

GoodHeart

Posted
Posted
One of the nice things about Ubuntu (so they say - I still haven't installed it just yet) is that it is meant to be really great at recognizing hardware.

Here's a (possibly very) dumb question: Is it possible to boot off a flash drive ? I downloaded Unbutu but I haven't got any blank CDs here. And I'm the impatient type. Argh !

I do have a 1 gig flash card, you see...

Dumb? I don't think so. Yes it is. One of my to do projects I haven't gotten to just yet.

Been saving these links for when that day does come :o

http://featherlinux.berlios.de/usb-instructions.htm

http://syslinux.zytor.com/faq.php

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/

bino Platinum Member

bino

Posted
Posted
One thing i find a little crazy though is the Linux computer they're selling at all the shopping centers here ...mainly to people with absolutely no Linux knowledge. If there's any issue, how do they fix it?

They buy the Linux laptop with cheaper sticker price and install copy of Windows.

Abandon Gold Member

Abandon

Posted
Posted
One of the nice things about Ubuntu (so they say - I still haven't installed it just yet) is that it is meant to be really great at recognizing hardware.

Here's a (possibly very) dumb question: Is it possible to boot off a flash drive ? I downloaded Unbutu but I haven't got any blank CDs here. And I'm the impatient type. Argh !

I do have a 1 gig flash card, you see...

Dumb? I don't think so. Yes it is. One of my to do projects I haven't gotten to just yet.

Been saving these links for when that day does come :o

http://featherlinux.berlios.de/usb-instructions.htm

http://syslinux.zytor.com/faq.php

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/

just a quick note.

I see those links point to a way to install on a FAT file system, but most users these days have NTFS not FAT.

graemeho Newbie

graemeho

Posted
Posted

Ubunbtu is good - I've been dual-booting with WinXP on an IBM notebook for a few months without any problems. I previously used Mandrake (9.1) but that didn't have a driver for my WiFi - Ubuntu handles this and the rest of the hardware without any problems.

Still uses Gnome (same as Mandrake) but with a much plainer interface, and seems to run faster than Mandrake. Has Firefox as the default browser, so you shouldn't have too many display problems.

I hear they've just released a KDE version (Kubuntu!) but some bugs have been reported.

I would definitely recommend Ubuntu for linux newbies, even if it doesn't have the sometimes overwhelming range of applications as standard that most others including Mandrake choose to ship. There are 1000's of additional app's available for download via the Aptitude module that is the standard method of keeping the system updated.

Insight Ruby Member

Insight

Posted
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One thing I'd love to get into with Linux is downloading the source for open-source projects such as Mozilla (Firefox) and learning how to compile and execute myself. Then understanding the compilation scripts and all the different switches, the directory structure for storing the source and binaries etc.

Unfortunately I've never found a website that can guide me through this process as a complete beginner. Does anybody have any recommendations? I have a basic knowledge of C, but C++ is a bit over my head.

Crushdepth Ruby Member

Crushdepth

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Many thanks. I had a few problems with Ubuntu, basic stuff but really aggravating to a total Linux Idiot - like how do you eject a CD without logging in as root ?!? (When I say 'Linux Idiot', I mean it !) And not having the plugins to play an MP3 ?!? The hardware detection didn't work very well for me - no sound and the multimedia thing in the control panel (sorry about the windows terminology) repeatedly crashed on startup so I couldn't fix it. Anyway, I gave up but it looked quite promising. Maybe next version...

So I went back and tried Mandrake V10.1 with a little more patience this time. It seems more new user friendly to me and the hardware detection went much better. Everything seems to work...so far...

Can anyone recommend a good general Linux reference book (preferably one specific to Mandrake, if such a thing exists).

cathyy Gold Member

cathyy

Posted
Posted
Unfortunately I've never found a website that can guide me through this process as a complete beginner. Does anybody have any recommendations? I have a basic knowledge of C, but C++ is a bit over my head.

WHY??? If you must, though, you must. Try Gentoo. It is a Linux distro where EVERYTHING is compiled for your machine. Gentoo..because you have the time. Be ready for your machine to be tied up for hours while it compiles things.

Alternatively, try a Debian based distro. All packages in the Debian archive are compiled for a specific version of Debian. The RPM world (Mandrake, Suse) has non-standard configurations of libraries (the Linux version of dll files) so a package for Mandrake might not run on a Suse system.

monty Diamond Member

monty

Posted
Posted

Ubunto most definately does not run OK on an old laptop have!

I downloaded the live cd to try it out, but it doesn't seem to be able to detect the hardware in this notebook.

Suse 9.1 and 9.3 have no problems with it so I guess the driver database is still somewhat limited on Ubuntu!

I still think Suse is one of the better distro's, especially with the Yast engine handling pretty much of installation the easy way most Windows users are used to...

chanchao Platinum Member

chanchao

Posted
Posted

I recently (like, yesterday) orderd a bunch of Ubuntu CD's.. absolutely free, not even shipping charges! Though let's wait and see what Thai customs says.. (In fact if they say anything at all then they can shove them somewhere..)

Anyway, I have been trying Linux on average once a year for the last 8 years or so. There's no doubt incredible progress is being made, especially the last couple of years, but still.. I'd recommend it only to my worst enemies, or committed techies with oodles of time. But Ubuntu will be this year's attempt. Last year's attempt was Mepis.. Almost there!! Just sound didn't work, networking required a lengthy foray into text config files, the video driver ran at a snail's pace, the usual.

Compared to this aggro, Windows is cheap. It may not be free, but it sure is cheaper! Way cheaper than Linux.. Windows costs about 5500 baht when ordered with a computer (http://buycheapsoftware.com) and that sure looks cheap compared to me spending a weekend of work just to get sound and networking, a weekend that I could have spent in Pattaya.

Note that I'm not adverse to Unix/Linux.. in fact I write this on a FreeBSD box.. It has it's uses.

Now what many people say is that it's not just the OS, it's also the free software that comes with it... Well sorry but all of those cool, free, open source applications are available for Windows just the same.. Like OpenOffice 2.0 will be with us real soon, and it's awesome.. The ultimate killer-app that's BETTER than MS Office. Most internet related software is available for free (Firefox et al) and of course The GIMP.. All run fine on Windows.

If Windows breaks, anyone can fix it for 500 baht. If Linux breaks (and oh boy does it break!!!) you're up shit's creek.

Cheers,

Chanchao

francois Gold Member

francois

Posted
Posted
If there are Linux lovers I have the newest Suse 9.3 Proffesional (5 CD's).

Anybody interested

hi'

did you try it, how is it? nice ?

anything really new from 9.2?

francois

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