What I Don't Like About Ubuntu Linux....
I've finally done it. I've managed to successfully install Ubuntu on a computer that runs at a decent speed. That said, I thought I'd give you my opinion of Ubuntu. Yes, I am a Linux guy, and I may always support Linux, but that doesn't mean I can't criticize it!
First I must say that the install process was pretty simple. I did test both the text-based and graphic-based installer, and the graphic-based installer was much easier to use. I found that the keyboard detection in the text-based installer was not always correct, and more configurations were asked about the host computer in general. The common user may not know the answer to all the questions asked.
Setting up DHCP might not also be easy for the common user. I forgot to plug my ethernet cable in, and Ubuntu obviously gave me an error, along with a few things to check before retrying the DHCP setup. None of them even included checking if the ethernet cable was plugged in. Sure, it may be common sense, but not all users have common sense.
When I first started up Ubuntu, I was pleased. It was very simple and easy to use. However, installing programs was another story. Ubuntu uses Synaptic to manage its programs, but also has an ?Add/Remove Applications? button under the applications menu. I thought this was a direct link to Synaptic, but it turned out I was wrong. ?Add/Remove Applications? does not list all of the software in the selected repositories, only the ones that this Ubuntu program manager can support. Synaptic does the rest. I wish I was told this before I became frantic over looking for wxWidgets in Ubuntu's repositories.
The next thing that I found complicated was setting up screen resolution. I never really got what I wanted, because whenever I tried to change the resolution, my screen would just go black. I don't know if this was just my monitor, but Linux has never had the greatest support for video.
Although I hate to do it, I must give credit to Microsoft for adding a high level of customization to the window manager in Windows. Microsoft allows you to get rid of certain features to speed up your computer, like having shadows under windows, smooth scrolling, and smooth text. Ubuntu does allow you to change the complexity of the window manager, but only offers three levels of customization. I could not find an option to enable or disable specific features.
Ubuntu does satisfy all of my needs, but is not a perfect operating system like some people claim. Windows and Mac clearly dominate over Linux in certain areas, but I personally prefer Linux because of what I do. The world will never see a perfect operating system. Perhaps the closest we will ever get is Singularity. Oh, and it's made by...Microsoft!?!?!
Matthew Mikolay (matt.mik<AT SYMBOL>hotmail.com) is a software developer and student in New Jersey. He has interests in open source software, Linux, and security.
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Solution:
System-appeances-preferences lets you control font smoothing in a default install.
The other settings can be accessed by installing compizconfig-settings-manager.
(Creates "Advanced Desktop Settings" in system-preferences)
Many also find simple-ccsm to be useful.
(Creates "Simple CompizSettings-Manager" menu in system-preferences)
I think you are not being fair to linux. In gnome (or standard Ubuntu) gconf-editor allows you to tweak these settings ad infinitum. It is "hidden" in system tools in the main menu or can be accessed by alt-F2 and running "gconf-editor". It is difficult to learn but is a magical combination of msconfig, powertoys, and registry hacking. Moreover, the features that you mention are also "hidden" in a default xp install. In fact I think some these options are only available by hacking the registry or powertoys.
IMO, linux is far easier to customize
I suggest that this article was written for the purpose of discouraging folks from trying linux. I agree with the poster about the strangeness of having two software installers in Ubuntu. However, why the whole paragraph about how "Setting up DHCP might not also be easy for the common user."? Um, last time I checked, the Ubuntu installer sets up DHCP by default without any questions asked. That's because the average user cannot and does not want to configure it by hand, and 99% of the Ubuntu Desktop setups will "just works" great that way. 99% of your DSL modems and routers will act as a DHCP server. Windows uses DHCP automatically, too. It's a protocol used to negotiate necessary parameters when joining a network, allowing devices to be added with little or no manual configuration. My point is that this is completely a non-issue, in other words, a talking point to make it scary to try Linux. "Ooh, DHCP - sounds pretty technical! I guess I won't try." Matthew Mikolay, yer full of it.
Just noticed the post by krietor, about DHCP.
It does sound pretty technical, but I don't recall noticing anything about it when I installed Ubuntu.
Probably accepted a default setting I suppose, but I had absolutely no problem getting online .
Just as well I didn't read the article before I decided to install Ubuntu, I may have been frightened off with fears of difficulty .
Bruce
You're a linux guy?? But you don't know how to change xorg.conf files? You start of by saying that the article is what you dont like about ubuntu, then go on to talk about linux in general?
Yeah whatever, pull the other one.... Micro$oft shill....
I thought I could use Ubuntu to implement a movie player appliance.... They disabled autologin. I don't want to have to enter a password when I watch TV, this is crazy. Ubuntu is irrelevant for my purposes, and I tend to resist having many flavors of Linux in the house, it's a headache. Ubuntu's out.
I have used Xandros and Kubuntu for more than a year. Kubuntu's KDE desktop is more Windows-like and has many more controls and customization possibilities. I have found it to be a solid, dependable system. Some hints: if you have an AMD64, resist the temptation to download the 64 version of *ubuntu. Some of the software packages, like Flash, Acrobat, and others do not have a 64 support yet, though there are workarounds for Linux geeks. Kubuntu 8.04.1 is just marvelous, and i heartily recommend it to anyone as their first step into Linux. Also, if you need Microsoft Office, I am running 2000 and 2007 on my system using Codeweavers Linux, with no problems. Codeweavers is a paid product, but its core is from the WINE project which can be downloaded for free using "add programs."
A lot of you people don't understand the viewpoint of my article. I was trying to look at Linux not as an advanced user, but as a common, non-tech-savvy user, which Ubuntu bills itself as suitable for. Yes, many of the problems I pinpointed can be solved, but the common user will not go editing the xorg.conf files, just like they would not go editing the Windows registry.
Regarding my use of the word DHCP: I felt I had to mention how Ubuntu could leave out mention of one of the simple causes of an error. And I thought using DHCP sounded more intelligent than "that ethernet thing that helps connect me to the internet". I dunno, maybe that's just me.
I mean, I'm sure Linus Torvalds himself would have used the word DHCP.
And for everyone who thinks that I am trying to discourage people from using Linux, go read all of my posts where I diss Windows in favor of Linux. I will always stick with Linux.
I want to fix something about xorg.conf, it is not used anymore in the most recent versions of ubuntu, not for the video part anyway. There is a graphical interface to change the screen settings now and it's not coupled to xorg.conf.
I could easily bash ubuntu about some features but that article seems weird. Things I would complain about on ubuntu :
- Bad flash/sound support, a newbie will have a hard time to make it work properly. I know that flash is buggy but ubuntu cant deal with it very well (the OS can completely crash).
- Still missing hardware support in some cases, mainly for Laptops and accessories (Webcams etc.).
- Long boot time.
...
I am sure people can add stuff to the list but not likely stuff from this article. Oh well. I want to mention that I am using ubuntu daily (I dont have any microsoft product anymore on my laptop) so my purpose isnt to be mean but objective :)
I want to fix something about xorg.conf, it is not used anymore in the most recent versions of ubuntu, not for the video part anyway. There is a graphical interface to change the screen settings now and it's not coupled to xorg.conf.
I could easily bash ubuntu about some features but that article seems weird. Things I would complain about on ubuntu :
- Bad flash/sound support, a newbie will have a hard time to make it work properly. I know that flash is buggy but ubuntu cant deal with it very well (the OS can completely crash).
- Still missing hardware support in some cases, mainly for Laptops and accessories (Webcams etc.).
- Long boot time.
...
I am sure people can add stuff to the list but not likely stuff from this article. Oh well. I want to mention that I am using ubuntu daily (I dont have any microsoft product anymore on my laptop) so my purpose isnt to be mean but objective :)
If you cannot figure out that you didn't plug in a Ethernet cable when your DHCP set up is not working, you probably shouldn't be trying to install an OS.
As for synaptic and add/remove programs, the latter is meant for the common user and the earlier for slightly more advanced users. Add/Remove makes everything more readable and doesnt overwhelm you with all the things you need to check off. This is better than hunting around for the EXE on the web. You are sure that you are downloading the last version AND its not a malicious installer.
As for customization of windows, you can even change your desktops env. What more customization do you want? A different theme? oh wait Ubuntu has that already
Once Ubuntu is installed, all your important works already. In windows, does the common user hop around the net looking for correct drivers, leaf through device manager, and rebooting 5 times? Most hardware dont work with Ubuntu because the hardware makers don't write the supporting driver
Installed Ubuntu using Wubi on a Compaq Presario 2200 laptop, with no problems. My sweet bride uses it for e-mail and web browsing [Gmail; Firefox], and document creation [OO 2.4]. Occasionally I revert to Win XP. She is unable to tell the difference. "The Innocent Eye Test." http://www.101bananas.com/art/innocent.html
While any criticism is a welcome thing if it is intended to improve a project, this article is not at all constructive. It is misleading in many areas and downright incorrect in others. Then to try to qualify it with the "I am a Linux Guy" phrase...hah! That's like a racist saying, "Hey some of my best friends are...", and then commence to degredate the whole group.
Come on man, sure every distro needs improvement, but let's make it where it really counts and not on silly strawmen like setting up DHCP or screen resolutions. Been there, done that. "CTRL+ALT+KP-" try it. Some people found Synaptic a little daunting, so that's why Adept was put there as a more user friendly ALTERNATIVE.
This is all kind of pointless anyway, all one has to do is compare an install of any modern distro to...say...XP or Vista and Linux wins hands down in ease of use, time and simplicity. This is from a TRUE Linux Guy who actually uses Linux on a regular basis.
Having both vista and ubuntu installed, I just felt I had to say you'd be pretty stupid if you had a hard time with either.
You are a "Linux guy" and you say you had difficulty setting up Ubuntu? I'm just an ordinary computer user and I must say Ubuntu is far easier to set up than Windows XP. I installed it (Hardy Heron) on my Lenovo 3000 laptop and everything worked and I mean everything. No driver issues at all. Even the webcam worked beautifully. No drivers needed. I had problems with Vista Home Basic. The laptop would hang often and otherwise crawled. I've been using Ubuntu 8.04 since the past 3 months for surfing the net, word processing, spreadsheets, multimedia and it's working great. NO VIRUS OR SPYWARE which is constant headache with windows. So I'd say this is the thing for me.
Step up to Vista!!
G-Man
Yea, i must agree... the sentance "I've finally done it. I've managed to successfully install Ubuntu". You've managed? As in you've managed to pop the disk into the CD-ROM drive and restart your computer?
Linux guy?