Ubuntu 7.04

[Rolf N]

Out for a couple of days, and as it has been through an extensive beta phase, it is totally solid. No surprises. This is based on a fairly recent 2.6.20 Kernel and has even more powerful migration tools (the installer recognizes Windows partitions, including NTFS, and you can start your "fresh" installation with all your email, bookmarks etc already imported) and other assorted changes.

Thousands of software packages are available from the vast online repositories and all presented through user-friendly, categorizable, searchable, sortable front-ends. E.g. if you want Openoffice-calc, you don't even have to visit the oo website. All you need to do is locate it in Synaptic (the graphical package management front-end) mark it for installation and hit apply. The package manager pulls all the downloads, including any dependencies your software would require, installs them and puts the short-cuts into your Applications menu.

Many native Windows applications are supported through the frequently updated Wine, including many games. E.g. one of the reasons why I have been a tad inactive the past week was that I am playing Star Wars: Kotor. Without any problems. On Linux. It's a miracle.
If anectodtal OpenGL games don't count you can always browse the list of compatible things yourself.

[Anti-Vista pitch]If you crave for something new, and don't mind if some of your old hardware and Windows software stops working, Ubuntu is the superior choice.[/Anti-Vista pitch]

http://www.ubuntu.com/

I personally very much prefer Xubuntu with strategical injections of KDE apps (Konqueror for archive browsing, web trees and PDF, K3B for burning), as that gives me a much more pleasant interface, but to each their own I guess. As you can add any desktop environment with a quick whirl of the packet manager and switch/mix and match/select at each boot what you want, commitment to one desktop environment is meaningless in Ubuntu anyway.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I liked Ubuntu last time I tried it, but then lost interest.

This one I decided to give a go with, but I've been having some rather serious problems getting it installed.

Anyone got any advice?

 

[Davros]

If you just wish to piss about with linux try a live cd

 

[Rolf N]

I liked Ubuntu last time I tried it, but then lost interest.

This one I decided to give a go with, but I've been having some rather serious problems getting it installed.

Anyone got any advice?

I'm really not sure, despite all the details you supplied

If you get a black blackness, try plugging your monitor into the other output on your card. If you're installing on the Crossfire rig, I'd tentatively recommend ripping out one of the pair for a while.

If you get a real error message telling you that the "X server" cannot start, then there's a real problem, and we should start talking about what machine you're doing this on, and what hardware is inside. Because if it doesn't start x by itself, there's nothing noob-friendly you can do to fix it.
(well you could enter "startx" but that will produce an equal amount of failure, which was the point)

ATI cards aren't optimal choices for Linux, but you should in any case get a fully functional desktop no questions asked. ATI's Linux issues start later (3D acceleration, video decode acceleration). I'm not sure if the x1800 is too new to be supported, but it really shouldn't be, right?

And just to be sure, does the issue crop up after installing, or while booting the install CD?

 

[digitalwanderer]

Either. If I go to install it hangs with a "Can't start X something" type error, same thing if I try booting from the CD.

I get the pretty Ubuntu load screen, then the error message in ugly ASCII coding.

I'm gonna try the older version again and see if that still works.

 

[Skrying]

Try the optional install only disc and see if that works Digi, not sure if there is one on the site yet for 7.04 but its worth the try. I had to do so for the beta, but I have not tried the full release yet.

 

[Rolf N]

For the record, I've done a fresh install on the big PC (keeping my /home partition intact though) and that went through without trouble. A64 3200+, Asus M2V board (VIA K8T890), Geforce 7600GS, S-ATA hard disks). I would not recommend the AMD64 version for noobies, as it makes it somewhat more difficult to integrate closed-source software, and stay on the bleeding edge with stuff that is updated too frequently for the central repositories to keep up (like Wine).

I've upgraded the laptop (Celeron M, ATI Xpress 200) from 6.10, and that went fine as well. There's an update manager (Applications=>System=>Update Manager) that will walk you through it.

If the fail-safe graphics doesn't do the trick, I wouldn't know what to do either, but then I'm only sailing on this ship since December or so.

Installing a more bare-bones system and pulling in the desktop environment later is a nice solution, but might be a tad difficult if you're not fluent with the shell.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I couldn't get any of the Ubuntu versions working on Bubbles, I'm giving Mandrake a try and typing this on the laptop whilst it installs on Bubs.

( Bubbles = 3500+ Venice @ 2.4Ghz, Asus A8R32-MVP, OCZ EL platinum rev 2 1GB (2x512MB) PC3200, 2xATi Radeon X1800GTOs, Audigy2, Altec-Lansing ADA885, DVDR, 80GB, 200GB, 200GB )

 

[hoom]

Hopefully this version doesn't give me the random hardlocks that I've had with other versions
I really really want to be able to run primarily linux but its just not that easy when the PC locks up randomly within 30mins of booting while XP trucks on totally stable.

Also desperately hoping that ATI will work out a nice easy way to get their drivers installed/up & running with Beryl some time soon

 

[zsouthboy]

@hoom:

Restricted Drivers is your friend. It takes care of all the work for you now. Compiz is built in, and you can use beryl instead by just installing it.

@digi:

I replied in the other thread about your issues.


I'm a huge fan of Feisty. Works great OOTB, the Avahi wifi manager is second to none, and I can run tons of windows shit using wine.

 

[Vadi]

Can I configure the font size of the GUI better than in Windows?
Maybe I'll need Windowmaker for that and would you recommend using it?

Regards,
Sladi

 

[digitalwanderer]

I'm sorry to say that I have to recommend against any and all Linux solutions; they're inherently evil and hate me.

 

[Vadi]

I just tried the Livecd and it's really awesome.
I couldn't try the closed source Ati drivers though.
The desktop efffects are neat, unfortunately they seem to disable windows resistance.

 

[Vadi]

Did anyone get Opera plugins to work? I have only Flash.

 

[pascal]

"Dell to use Ubuntu on Linux PCs" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6610901.stm

Computer maker Dell has chosen Ubuntu as the operating system for its range of Linux computers for consumers.
Fans of Linux hope that the move will persuade more mainstream PC users to abandon Microsoft Windows and opt for the open-source operating system.

 

[Skrying]

That'll be interesting and I bet a nightmare in tech support for Dell. "Why doesn't iTunes work?" "Why can't I play Jewel Crazy 97?" "Where is the start menu?" "How do I get my printer to work?" Well... you get the picture. I just find this oh so ironic when apparently the reason behind bringing XP back in the first place was compatibility issues...

 

[nutball]

That'll be interesting and I bet a nightmare in tech support for Dell.

I read somewhere that support would be provided "by the Linux community". Which could be a huge PR disaster.

Dell have to be careful in the way they sell Linux I think. Buyers need to know and understand what they're getting themselves into when they buy, otherwise it could all go very pear-shaped.

 

[Frank]

I read somewhere that support would be provided "by the Linux community". Which could be a huge PR disaster.

Dell have to be careful in the way they sell Linux I think. Buyers need to know and understand what they're getting themselves into when they buy, otherwise it could all go very pear-shaped.

There are many companies that sell Linux tech support. They could hire one of those and bill the amount they ask per customer when you select Linux as the OS. Probably still a lot cheaper than choosing Vista.

 

[nutball]

There are many companies that sell Linux tech support. They could hire one of those and bill the amount they ask per customer when you select Linux as the OS. Probably still a lot cheaper than choosing Vista.

Well maybe, but that only solves some of the problems. It'll keep the average Dell customer away from the average Linux zealot and their unique way of relating to people who haven't read the FAQ or man page.

But it won't solve the problem a Joe Sixpack who's bought a piece of hardware at PC World expecting it to work with his shiny new Dell, only to find out that there aren't a Linux drivers for it (for any one of a number of possible reasons).

What I'm saying is that Dell need to be careful it's only possible to buy a Dell with Linux if you know what Linux is and how the whole Linux scene works, and what it's limitations are. Otherwise they may find themselves making a lot of sales which violate the Principle Of Least Surprise.

 

[DudeMiester]

Perhaps this is an example of Micheal Dell's bias, seeing as he uses Ubuntu himself. In any case, I'm sure he knows what supporting it means, and has some plan of action.