Ubuntu Linux 7

[Maxxarcade]

Has anyone tried the new beta of Ubuntu yet? I use 6.10 on a couple of my spare systems, but the new features in 7 make it come even closer to being worthy of replacing my main desktop WinXP, mainly the Codec installer.

From what it seems, finding codecs for different media files will no longer be an issue. Multimedia problems were one big issue for me everytime I tried Linux on my desktop system. Since I was able to get everything working so well using 6.10 on a test system, I'm eager to test the new release.

I've been through tons of Linux distros, but Ubuntu has been the easiest to work with by far. It was the first one I was able to get Firefox, Sun Java, Flash, and other really common things installed and working by using just the regular repositories.

One issue I still have though, is the limited number of resolutions/refresh rates I can choose from without modifying the config file manually. And today the auto updater wouldn't work, just kept locking up. Getting better though, I remember what a nightmare some other distros were.

Oh, and does anyone know how I can install the Windows (truetype) fonts? I forgot to check if they were in the repositories or if I would need to do a manual install. If so, how do I go about doing that? I'd like web pages to appear the same as they do in Windows. Linux always has fonts so small that you need a magnifying glass if using a monitor smaller than 21". And if I increase the size, the page layout gets messed up.

[stretch0069]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

I finally saw Ubuntu at work the other day. Not sure of the version. Didn't get to do much with it. my first intro to Linux was Redhat........9 I think it was. Loved the games.

I will slowly but surely be getting Linux back on the boxes. Might have a couple different ones. Ubuntu will one, after Mandrake and Redhat.

[WNG]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

I'm still running Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, is there that big a difference to 6.10?

The installation bug in 6.06 was a PITA.

PCLinuxOS is another very easy to use distro.

[Topcat]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

When linux becomes as easy to use and as supported as windows, it will be a viable substitution for those who despise microsoft. with M$'s latest blunder known as Vista, linux looks better every day. I couldn't use it as a daily use machine simply because the simplicity and support isn't there. I need my daily use PC functional and problem-free, as its for business. If it has a problem, I don't make money, and that's definitely not an option!!

Fedora Core is my distro of choice tho...

[tazwegion]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

I still regularly use Ubuntu 5.04 and have found it more stable & reliable than any of the MS variant OS's I horde, the secret is it's simplistic GUI & repository system... however (having said that) as it lacks ease of use/support for my growing collection of PC games, I can't make the switch entirely

[willawake]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

i prefer centos, fedora. i have tried most of the others.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

Fedora is pretty good, but I could never find what I needed in the repositories without adding some 3rd party ones. Centos I have never been able to get working. For some reason, every system I try it on, it boots up, then the monitor says out of range, and I can't see anything. But it was a Live CD and I couldn't edit the config. I may try a standard install of Centos sometime. But Fedora and Centos both seem to be tailored mainly towards servers and office computers, not multimedia desktops.

Really what does it for me in Ubuntu is the fact that almost everything I need is available in the repos. I hate doing manual program installs. Also a lot of configuration tools are right in the GUI. I barely ever need the command line.

If I could just get my damn Plextor PX-M402U video encoder to work in ANY Linux, I'd be able to use it on my main desktop.

Basically what I still need to fix for my desktop to be usable w/Linux-

Full Quicktime 7 stream support w/H264. Quicktime 6 is dead, people...
Full Realmedia streaming support.
DVD Playback, without a lot of hacking and "illegal codecs".
Playback of all the Mpegs and other files that are made with codecs that Linux will probably never have
Support for my odd hardware
And maybe a bit tighter integration between Kernel and GUI. This is getting better though.

When I use Windows, I do a lot through Windows Explorer. Browse Pictures, open MP3's or video files etc. I like being able to double click any common type of file, and having the right program open and just work.

And for some reason, even on my fast main desktop with 1GB ram, Linux takes alot longer to do some things than WinXP does. Such as opening the web browser, or any program for that matter. I can count several seconds waiting for Firefox to open. In WinXP, it opens in milliseconds.

[linuxguru]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

Been on Linux since 1994, started with Yggdrasil, followed by Slackware. Switched to RedHat 6.2 in 1999(?) and stayed with RedHat ever since. Presently running a mix of Fedora 4 and 5 - the later being one of the stablest distros I've seen. However, Ubuntu has gained a lot of traction over the last 2 years, and I'll evaluate it in due course.

[pentium]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

I hope it has better floppy support.
6.10 can see a floppy drive but tries to mount it like a standard disk drive and you need to unmount it to stop the disk from spinning.

[shadow]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

And for some reason, even on my fast main desktop with 1GB ram, Linux takes alot longer to do some things than WinXP does. Such as opening the web browser, or any program for that matter. I can count several seconds waiting for Firefox to open. In WinXP, it opens in milliseconds.

There is a very good reason with Firefox. The default installation of Firefox on Windows adds a program that runs when a user logs in. This program pre-loads most of Firefox's stuff into memory before you even use the application. Therefore start-up time is very fast. I can only imagine that they did this to compete with Internet Explorer which uses a similar 'trick' to make it execute relatively fast. Main difference is that like half of Internet Explorer is required for Windows Explorer. My current PC only has 512mb of RAM, I hate having unnecessary programs and services running (they all use memory ). Therefore I disabled all unnecessary services and programs that run at start-up. Of course I disabled the Firefox application and Firefox now has a relatively long loading time. (Around the same amount of time as under Linux). Well that was for sure in the Firefox 1.5 series, I can not remember on the 2.0 series whether I disabled an application or not (I am very sure I did an update to it). It still starts up slow thou.

EDIT: Checked a relatively clean installation of Windows that I have within Microsoft Virtual PC. There does not seem to be any application running at start-up for Firefox 2.0. I do not know now, Firefox seems to start up at around the same speed as on Linux for me.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

I hope it has better floppy support.
6.10 can see a floppy drive but tries to mount it like a standard disk drive and you need to unmount it to stop the disk from spinning.

That's an odd one... I didn't notice because the system I was testing it on didn't have a floppy drive.

Seems like there's always something that doesn't work. And it happens more often with Linux than Windows, at least for me.

I think that a lot of Linux freaks that bash Windows are comparing it with Win98 or an early version of XP. I've managed to crash Linux to the point it was unbootable. I kind of wish I would have grown up on Linux so I would be able to fix any problem I ever had

But I do have something that both Windows and Linux hate- my Logitech Quickcam Pro 4000. The Windows driver for it is a total joke, and Linux just doesn't see it most of the time. Same goes for my Plextor video encoder... You have to use the program that came with it, nothing else supports it

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

When linux becomes as easy to use and as supported as windows, it will be a viable substitution for those who despise microsoft. with M$'s latest blunder known as Vista, linux looks better every day. I couldn't use it as a daily use machine simply because the simplicity and support isn't there. I need my daily use PC functional and problem-free, as its for business. If it has a problem, I don't make money, and that's definitely not an option!!

Fedora Core is my distro of choice tho...

I would absolutely LOVE to convert my PC at work to Linux, but the showstopper is the lack of support for my ROM programmer, an EETools Chipmax. Without that, I can't get much done

[toastygoodness]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

My favorite distro is Arch. I haven't really liked GNOME, so I use Kubuntu or Xubuntu. Xubuntu seems to have a slightly slower release schedule compared to the other two big 'buntus. But I won't switch over until Cubase is released for Linux.

[kc8adu]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

I would absolutely LOVE to convert my PC at work to Linux, but the showstopper is the lack of support for my ROM programmer, an EETools Chipmax. Without that, I can't get much done

thats the only reason i have a win98 box in the shop.
to support a xeltec.

[Paul S]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

Fedora is pretty good, but I could never find what I needed in the repositories without adding some 3rd party ones.

Most Linux distros do not have out-of the-box support for things that require a copyright/license fee (mp3 etc). This is because the distros are "free".

Setting up a third party repository is really no big deal. I use ATRPMS for Fedora, and Packman for SuSE. I use the Smart Package Manager on both distros. I use apt to install it on Fedora, and YAST to install it on SuSE. I then add the third party repos to Smart.

As for easy to use distros, I like SuSE. It is very good at harware detection. Twin view monitors are also easy to configure. There are a lot of programs for it from the SuSE and Packman repositories. I am a member of my local Linux Users Group (LUG), and SuSE is the most popular with the older users, Ubuntu is popular with the youngsters.

[grss1982]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

I'm still running Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, is there that big a difference to 6.10?

The installation bug in 6.06 was a PITA.

PCLinuxOS is another very easy to use distro.

Amen to that. I really like for its "out of the box" qaulities. I'm using PCLinuxOS2007, BTW.

I mean I've been able to play my animes files (*.avi & *.mkv) without going to the repositories. Also it has flash and Java installed by default. WOW!!!

Also Ubuntu wise, I've been trying 6.06.1 LTS and Ultimate UBUNTU 1.4 CD Version (Ubuntu 7.04 Derivative). I like them, but the exclusion of Flash and Java, and Codecs for media playback of my fave animes is a real deal breaker. :-(

IF I was really interested in UBUNTU, I'd rather go with the Simply Mepis 6.5 (based on 6.06.1) or the Ubuntu Ultimate DVD's.

SM 6.5 almost mirrors the out of the box qualities of PCLinuxOS2007. :-) (Flash, Java, Codecs).

Another distro that I've tried is Vector Linux 5.8 SOHO it similar to PCLinuxOS2007 or SM 6.5 when it comes to out of the box qualities, but it has the added ability to play DVD's and Win32 media as well.

Its not a combo live CD?Installer though. :-( Also heard that its a Canadian distro thus it's brave enough to have DVD and Win32 playback included upon installation, which both PCLinuxOS2007 and SM 6.5 and even UBUNTUS shy away from.

[grss1982]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

Hope I did'nt start some kind of distro wars here. :-)

[linuxguru]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

Nah, most people here are willing to live and learn from other people's experiences, as well as share their own. No dogma to be seen here, just a willingness to experiment and adapt. An example is the rapid acceptance of Samxon caps after testing them in the real world.

[bgavin]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

At a client site yesterday, I noticed a striking similarity between their new Mac with 10.4, and the Linux GUI. Both are much more attractive and certainly easier to navigate than Vista on the client's laptop.

As noted above, Vista is indeed a blunder. State of California is buying new machines, wiping off Vista and installing WinXP. My private clients are paying me to do the same.

I'm a Linux newbie; Fedora Core 3 running my DNS machine is my very limited experience. I do have FC6 running under VMWare, and have just downloaded FC7. I need to do basic stuff, i.e. QMail and DNS. As a Linux newb, the Fedora installer helps me out a lot.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Ubuntu Linux 7

I'm still using Ubuntu 7 on my dedicated MIDI system, and installing Sun Java and Flash was easy because they are right in the default repositories. Same goes for the "restricted" nVidia drivers.

Now if I could just get Quicktime 7 streams to play in Linux...