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172 Comments
- druciferre, on 01/03/2008, -4/+36I've been contemplating completely migrating to Ubuntu from Windows for a while now. I already have on my laptop. But a few things (like dual-monitor support, and how easy it is to mess up X) have been holding me back from doing so on my desktop. Looks like this release may be the one to get Windows off my desktop.
- rcancro, on 01/03/2008, -4/+31I think the Ubuntu people missed a big opportunity by not calling the next release Hungry Hippo. That alone would have made me switch.
- arbulus, on 01/03/2008, -2/+28The great thing about moving to Linux is that you begin to understand how an operating system works.
You have the base Linux system, command line only. On top of that sits the X Server. This app tells the rest of the system what specifications it should use to draw windows on the screen to create a graphical environment. It's the foundation of a graphical environment. Using those specs to further make an attractive environment, you have a windows manager. The window manager (Nautilus, Kwin, Openbox, Fluxbox) actually draws the windows on the screen and gives you a few more graphical tools, like menus and interaction with your desktop (icons, wallpaper, etc). Then you have the window decorators like Metacity and Emerald which give you the window borders and open/close buttons.
When you have X + a window manager + a window decorator + lots of graphical tools for management + productivity apps you have a Desktop Environment (Gnome, KDE, XFCE). You can use window managers without desktop environments, such as Openbox and Fluxbox if you want a very fast, light system that only gives you just what you need for a graphical environment. Those don't come with all the config tools or management tools and are configured mainly through modifying text files. - theaceoffire, on 01/03/2008, -0/+21I finally swapped over completly, and let me say this:
1. For general stuff, this is more than ok, it excels.
2. For the majority of windows only stuff, it might be a good idea to keep a small partition with a light version of XP on it (I got xp pro essentail, fits on a cd and less than 2gb after complete install, firefox and all.)
Not that this surprises anyone, but if you are not so interested in gaming then Ubuntu is the jewel encrusted goblet on a treasure trove of linux options. - RubberBinder, on 01/03/2008, -1/+18It takes like 30 seconds to download the codecs, I agree that they should be included, but it isn't that big of a deal.
- inactive, on 01/03/2008, -2/+18IE7 renders NOTHING nicely.
- Scyth3, on 01/03/2008, -1/+16X = xOrg = X Server (they all refer to the same thing...just synonyms and short-hand)
Basically, it's a encompassing desktop/windows management platform, used by desktop environments such as Gnome and KDE. - Tyr7BE, on 01/03/2008, -0/+15To boil things down further, it's the part of the system that draws things on the screen. If you're not running X, all you get is a command prompt. Once you're running X, you get things like windows and a mouse.
- RedGreen1, on 01/03/2008, -0/+15The wireless card support was much improved in Gutsy over Feisty. Is there a reason you have not upgraded?
- TomFrost, on 01/03/2008, -1/+16No need to be ***** about it, people. Many people (especially new switchers) have no idea about the legal implications of including DVD support. A simple explanation will suffice, and it will make you look accepting instead of an elitist *****.
- jamesmcm, on 01/03/2008, -4/+18I want something to change the colour of the theme through-out the day, like it seamlessly and slowly moves through the spectrum with time.
- eexlebots, on 01/03/2008, -1/+14WPA2 authentication that works? Pretty Please?
- Onestone, on 01/03/2008, -0/+11Regarding point 2, a virtual machine is sufficient for most tasks which require Windows.
- TehDoctor, on 01/03/2008, -0/+10Update to Gutsy.
- arbulus, on 01/03/2008, -2/+12I keep seeing the name as Hairy Hardon
- laelfrog, on 01/03/2008, -0/+10It is also known as X11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System - SpookyET, on 01/03/2008, -0/+10Ubuntu is released every 6 months.
- andycr512, on 01/03/2008, -0/+9When you said Nautilus, I think you meant Metacity. Nautilus is a file manager.
- KJay, on 01/03/2008, -1/+10Have you used Gusty? Codec install is more streamlined than on any other platform. When you attempt to open an unrecognized media file it automatically searches for the codec and gives you a dialog box to download and install. A few seconds later its playing flawlessly.
- voyvf, on 01/03/2008, -1/+9Get cracking on that Compiz plugin, then. :D
- Mejogid, on 01/03/2008, -0/+8Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu all fit that description. Research them further and try out the live CDs to find out which one's best suited to you.
- voyvf, on 01/03/2008, -0/+8Sounds like you've already hit the heroin a bit hard, already. :D
- inactive, on 01/03/2008, -4/+11I have just installed Gutsy as a dual boot alongside windows. There's still a lot of terminology I dont understand. For example, X, what an earth is that?
Also, what is xOrg? - Boor, on 01/03/2008, -0/+7A Heron is a bird. I think your thinking of heroin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heron
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin - YourDoom123, on 01/03/2008, -0/+7so what your saying is that software should only be released when its perfect? that's retarded, programs improve and mature over time, for as long as the program is under development/maintenence. its never perfect!
- andrewtheart, on 01/03/2008, -2/+8Fortunately for Ubuntu and Linux in general, a combination of free alternative apps and Wine is an effective enough combination to satisfy the vast majority of people's needs (not just average uers, either). No matter what app I've needed, there's almost always been an alternative with comparable features or Wine has improved so much that it could handle the Windows version flawlessly.
Of course there are exceptions, but I've been lucky enough not to need programs with very unique features that are too complex for Wine to handle...
Games are admittedly a bit of an issue, though, and I would recommend a Windows partition and/or virtual machine (lag much?!) for that. That's the only area where I see Linux needing help (although it's not Linux's fault at all, as we all know, it's the vendors).
http://www.linuxappfinder.com/alternatives
Hardy Heron is going to be AMAZING... - marx2k, on 01/03/2008, -0/+6Yeah but we need a Compiz script that will pull the curtains slowly, and throughout the day :D
- joe361, on 01/03/2008, -1/+7All I want is better support for multi-button mice.
- surfous, on 01/03/2008, -0/+6The "Hungry Hungry Hippos" mark is protected by trademark law, not copyright law.
- MeneerR, on 01/03/2008, -0/+5>APT authentication failure: never had any problems with yum failing mysteriously
Try removing the network cable _during_ a download of an update. It won't automatically try again. Rather it will just inform you that things are screwed up. They want to fix that for Ubuntu. Get it now?
>SELinux/AppArmour both been around in Fedora/openSUSE for a long time now, and very well integrated
I can't really compare the quality of integration. But it has been part of Ubuntu as well. The spec reads 'BETTER AppArmour' integration.
>Single-Click Install: Was a big feature in openSUSE this time
Yeah. Something like gdebi, just like Ubuntu already has. (which pioneerd this!)
This is about something else though!
>Firewall configuration: Urm...Fedora's new system-config-firewall in the latest release
Which looks great.
>File Sharing: Couldn't be any easier already on Fedora
It is exactly like that on Ubuntu already as well. (although samba is little messed up on Ubuntu) This is about sharing _public_ files by default using avahi. So you share your music with iTunes, Banshee's and Rhythmboxes on the network and such automatically. WITH NO DIALOG. - diggerpleez, on 01/03/2008, -1/+6All good stuff - Multi-monitor support/frequency detection is a good one!
- voyvf, on 01/03/2008, -0/+5This is true. However, if you already have a partition available with Windows installed, you can manage some neat tricks using WINE.
- roomforpanic, on 01/03/2008, -1/+6ba-dum-dum.
- RedGreen1, on 01/03/2008, -0/+5I use dual monitors on my desktop, if you have an nvidia graphics card the experience is not too difficult at all (at least from what I have found). This is coming from a desktop with Gutsy installed.
- enterneo, on 01/03/2008, -0/+5LTS versions of Ubuntu have birds as second names - Dapper Drake and Hardy Heron
- arbulus, on 01/03/2008, -0/+5That's right, I apologize. Brain fart.
- TehDoctor, on 01/03/2008, -1/+6No, I didn't know that... I got all my codecs the hard way in Edgy so I never learned of that feature.
- celkin, on 01/03/2008, -0/+5If you want a good laugh, take a look at his comment history.
Apparently, he's a "A 16 year-old male from CA (US) who joined Digg on January 3rd, 2008" which is today - spyrochaete, on 01/03/2008, -0/+5That's actually a great idea. My home PC is near a window and it's tough to see darker colours when the sun shines on the monitor. I'd set my colour scheme to be high contrast in the day and low contrast at night.
- TehDoctor, on 01/03/2008, -0/+4What do you think, everyone? /Is/ JohnnyQuesting being offensive?
- GRAVEWiSH, on 01/03/2008, -1/+5im pretty sure Hardy is shipping with the latest firefox build...should have 3.0 when the final goes live in april.
- Mejogid, on 01/03/2008, -2/+6You're a bit off, but you've got the gist of it (sorry to be anal). Icons and wallpaper are typically done by the file manager - konqueror or nautilus, and I believe thunar on XFCE - or a small, custom made application on the lighter desktops. Metacity and Emerald are window managers, and handle (obviously) the drawing and interaction of windows. The toolkit - typically QT or GTK, but other things like Swing for java apps, Tk for Tcl apps and Gecko for Mozilla apps - then handles the actual menus, buttons and other onscreen widgets.
Window decorators are basically a concept unique to Compiz, and allow different ways of drawing title bars on windows managed by compiz (metacity has a single method, but uses a very extensible XML format to do so).
Oh, and the X Server itself is responsible for translating the drawing instructions sent to it (eg. change pixel x to colour y) into actual hardware calls through the use of drivers etc, and in sending actual keyboard, mouse and graphics tablet input to the applications running on top of it. Essentially, rather than telling the applications what specifications to use it is the specification. - directrix13, on 01/03/2008, -0/+4Also, Flash does full screen now.
- mossblaser, on 01/03/2008, -0/+4Linux supports games! If you mean windows games that's like saying "I want to see better support in windows for running all my linux programs!". (And yes, it may supprise you but those of us who use linux usually have more reasons than "its free!! its different!!" for using it, for instance I value the tangeable benefits for me: some unique uses for a graphics tablets, Quanta+, Amarok (or Rhythmbox in my case) and the list goes on...)
- KJay, on 01/03/2008, -0/+4I second that. My wireless card was recognized immediately, but it took me over a half an hour to get the thing connected to my network.
- allyant, on 01/03/2008, -0/+4@TehDoctor: I think he needs you!
- ryodoan, on 01/03/2008, -2/+6There is not a way, and there will never be a way to play DVDs out of the box _legally_ as long as the DVD's are encrypted and / or require paid licensing to play.
As it stands now its fairly easy to install DvD playback, I would rather have them find a way to get the Dual Monitor support perfected and fix hibernations finickyness. - eatbeefjerky, on 01/03/2008, -2/+6All you need to do is install VLC. It's not that hard buddy... and the reason you CAN'T play DVDs out of the box is a bunch of legal complications. Sudo apt-get install vlc is all it takes. Seriously, I'm sure you can learn to deal with that.
- niallabrown, on 01/03/2008, -0/+4I wouldn't be here today without it getting me started. Now I run Ubutnu/Fedora primarily but expeiment with lots of distros. I tried with Mandrake at first but it couldn't get me over the hump for some reason. It just wasn't comfortable.
- directrix13, on 01/03/2008, -0/+4There is no 'I' in Heron.
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