UBUNTU

coffeeking

Hey everyone,

I just got done installing Ubuntu on my PC, its awesome. It was given to me by one of the co-workers and he asked me to try it out. They interface, looks and the whole feel is so attractive, very simple to use. I found some of the tools that I had been looking for and wasn't really able to find them; like the Note taking thing. I know you could get it as an add on to your Google desktop, but this one is so much better. I am going to work with this a lot I think.

Just wanted to share my new experience with you guys.

Is anyone of you guys using it?

dynamik

I install every new release and tinker with them for a bit. It's not there for me yet. I need my Adobe apps, office, and games. It certainly has come a long way though.

Daniel333

Still a couple of years before it can complete with Vista and MacOS as a clean OS. But it's functional.

xkill is your friend with Ubuntu...

sexion8

coffeeking wrote:

Is anyone of you guys using it?

Not a fan of Ubuntu. I use CentOS, RHEL for production servers and a modified version of Mint. I mainly use BSD when I can but altogether most of the times I could have in excess of 20 ssh sessions going on ranging from a-z. I have a pay for play version of QNX (for VoIP crap) and a variety of OS' I use and play with.

While on the subject of OS', I wonder what others' desktops look like so in return here are what mines are like most of the time

OpenBSD desktop
http://infiltrated.net/currentDesktop.jpg

FreeBSD desktop
http://infiltrated.net/fbsdcurrent.jpg

My own modified distribution based off of Linux Mint
I call it Shogun. Sort of like Backtrack/NUbuntu with
loads more stuff
http://infiltrated.net/shogundistro.jpg

Solaris Desktop
http://infiltrated.net/sunDesk.jpg

Haiku (BeOS) just started playing with
http://infiltrated.net/haiku.jpg

undomiel

Last time I tried, which I believe was the previous release, I didn't like Ubuntu at all. It was rather ugly (yes I know you can change themes) and I did not enjoy working with it. openSUSE is still my favourite. I use it as a server at work as well as my primary desktop at home. I enjoy working with CentOS as well though.

coffeeking

I am starting to realize that it won't support a lot of documents I have to work with. I am still in the early stages of exploring it. I think I will be moving on to the other Linux versions, since this is first time I have taken Windows out and am using this as my primary OS. I do have another windows machine BTW.

I am having to get into Linux mainly cause I might be put into some testing and stuff at my job, and have been suggested to familiarize myself with Windows and Linux both. Plus I plan to get my CEH sometime next year and Linux is definitely one of the prerequisites to work on that stuff.

Will see how it goes.

UnixGuy

I use windows XP SP3 for desktop.

using ubuntu, been there done that, at always i'll get stuck by a tiny compatibility issues that will waste my time, so I opt windows XP for desktops, and UNIX for server

Daniel333

Ubuntu has been ugly as sin. That brown is "love it or hate it". Don't get me wrong, I love Linux.

But the delveloper community remains VERY out of touch with the user and art community.

Here is a good read, sounds like CEO of ubuntu agrees
http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/linux/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210601280

I recommend just running office 2000 on your Linux box with WINE. I understand support for 2007 is coming soon too.

Grynder

Personally I don't like Ubuntu that much either. But I can see it's advantages over other distros as far as ease of use goes. I run FC8 on my laptop and I am happy with it. OpenOffice can handle most Office files I come accross, except for the new Excel format in Office 2007.

I recommend just running office 2000 on your Linux box with WINE. I understand support for 2007 is coming soon too.

I did not know that, but it is good news.

JDMurray

Ubuntu has the most helpful and convenient Linux shell that I've used yet, but I still need to pop out into a command line window way too much to do a lot of system provisioning. And you still need to be a Linux hack to do the necessary software tweaking for a lot of device drivers and security software packages. And don't get me started about the hours I've wasted trying to get some rpm package to convert/install as a deb.

sexion8

JDMurray wrote:

Ubuntu has the most helpful and convenient Linux shell that I've used yet, but I still need to pop out into a command line window way too much to do a lot of system provisioning. And you still need to be a Linux hack to do the necessary software tweaking for a lot of device drivers and security software packages. And don't get me started about the hours I've wasted trying to get some rpm package to convert/install as a deb.

JD, I've spent who knows how long in terminals doing work, its the best As for packages and package management, I stay away from those opting to go the old school route of tarballs. Do you know how many candidates I've interviewed and asked them the question: "How would you install ProgramName WITHOUT a package manager such as YaST, apt-get, rpc, yum, etc" and they look at me blankly.

As for the tweaking it makes for good experience. I remember the days of spending about 1 1/2 days downloading source to recompile kernels. Then once it was downloaded, waiting another full day to recompile it. I think anyone dabbling in the tech field should have experience from the core outside the GUI.

JavonR

I'm a big fan of just plain old Debian. Very stable and easy to work with, some stuff is harder to get going then Ubuntu but that's half the fun.

Talic

Just like any versions of Linux they can be changed to look totally different. Here's my desktop on my Ubuntu machine.



Gnomelook.org has the themes, the only problem you can run into with them is installing, some don't give a good readme.

Tarballs are always fun to install, it mostly comes down to just unzipping them with bzip2 or gzip and untaring them. Ubuntu can do it easier by doing the old fashion drag and drop like windows. After they're out you just follow the readme directions.
As for the packages, the Ubuntu library is so huge everything I've ran into could be installed by packages except for some media codecs, which happen to be a pain to get working.

The great thing about Ubuntu is if there's something you can't get to work their forums usually has great advice when researching it. http://ubuntuforums.org/
If that doesn't work then google can help too.

Also Mint is based off Ubuntu, although it isn't as up-to-date from my experience.

sexion8

Talic wrote:

Also Mint is based off Ubuntu, although it isn't as up-to-date from my experience.

Mint has a Debian spinoff FYI

http://www.linuxmint.com/blog/?p=108

They've also hinted at an FC version as well.

ally_uk

I'm a Debian user myself I usually use the netinstall version to make use of older hardware I usually either run it without a gui or just with XFCE and with evolution for mail client and iceweasel for the internet. Normally I spend alot of my time dabbling with the terminal and editing config files at home for example I have a P2 400 compaq machine which is acting as a Samba Server.

Ubuntu is good I prefer it windows but there are alot of flaws with the O/S which need to be ironed out there are a few compatibility issues, the appearance to me doesn't matter I usually spend half my time in the terminal.

For a free operating system though it is pretty damm good and with promises of more innovative tech and bootup speeds by Shuttleworth then it can only get better.

I always check out the latest version even if I just have it running in Vmware.