Why the Ubuntu hype?

I wanted to learn a bit more Linux, so I stuck EasyPeasy on my Asus Eee. It's a naff name but apparently is configured for my netbook. I previously had XP but it took up too much space (only 8GB HDD), even after tweaking.

Everyone raves about Ubuntu but my user experience isn't so flash:

Mouse is way too slow, even on highest speed.
Can't get the desired screen resolution (like on XP).
Downloaded apps were very unfriendly and had no documentation (one invited me to write it for them).
w/l NIC was difficult to configure. I'd punch in the fields, hit Apply and the gateway would blank out everytime.

Battery life indicator is inaccurate.
HDD footprint not that much smaller than XP.
Hibernation doesn't power off the system.
w/l connectivity seemed a bit buggy, ie, if lost it won't come back on.

I get that Linux has a different way of doing things from Windows. But I was really expecting things to just work considering the hype Ubuntu has around it.

So what gives? Why choose open source over MS? I'm not concerned about hosting services, etc. Just an easy to use platform for media.

But that damn cursor speed...

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Comments

ElvisG

How much did you pay for your OS? Exactly. What do you expect from a free OS Windows 7 or MAC OS environment?

RobertKaucher

ElvisG wrote: »

How much did you pay for your OS? Exactly. What do you expect from a free OS Windows 7 or MAC OS environment?

Well, I disagree with this statement... Just because something is free does not mean it is trash.

The point is more to this: the netbook was more than likely designed for Windows and the hardware may not have been tested with Linux at all. When you take untested HW and place an OS on it you just cannot be sure that the built in drivers will work properly.

As far as the software documentation goes, that has nothing to do with Ubuntu at all. This is like complaining about Windows because some 3rd party software is crashing your system.

Bottom line, if it aint on the compatability list.... you can't be sure it will work well.

NightShade03

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Well, I disagree with this statement... Just because something is free does not mean it is trash.

The point is more to this: the netbook was more than likely designed for Windows and the hardware may not have been tested with Linux at all. When you take untested HW and place an OS on it you just cannot be sure that the built in drivers will work properly.

As far as the software documentation goes, that has nothing to do with Ubuntu at all. This is like complaining about Windows because some 3rd party software is crashing your system.

Bottom line, if it aint on the compatability list.... you can't be sure it will work well.

+1 Many of those netbooks are designed to work with the O/S that comes installed with them. There are some netbooks that come with linux that run much better than what you describe. The other alternative is to get really good with linux and work on your own drivers

Try Ubuntu on a desktop and see if you get the same results. Use the LiveCD this way you don't have to worry about wiping any desktop that you want to try it on (make sure you remember there is always a little lag when running from a CD however vs a real install).

dynamik

Which version of Ubuntu is EasyPeasy based on?

There is a netbook edition from Ubuntu themselves: Netbook | Ubuntu

And if you really want to learn Linux, do something like CentOS with no GUI

stuh84

To the original post, how long have you been using Windows, and how long have you been using Linux? A lot of what you are saying sounds like initial niggles. Once you get used to it, you may have a much better experience.

Also, Ubuntu isn't the only distro out there. It works well on some platforms, not others, just like any OS. I personally have found better experience with some distros on different platforms (I like Fedora and Arch Linux as much as Ubuntu, and Slackware).

In terms of why open source over MS? I personally couldn't care less if its open source or not, its the entire structure and approach to the OS that appeals to me. It helps that I'd rather do something in the CLI rather than a GUI, and being able to control pretty much ANYTHING from the CLI (which definitely helps for remote management) just seems perfect to me.

mikedisd2

dynamik wrote: »

Which version of Ubuntu is EasyPeasy based on?

8.10 I think.

RobertKaucher wrote: »

The point is more to this: the netbook was more than likely designed for Windows and the hardware may not have been tested with Linux at all. When you take untested HW and place an OS on it you just cannot be sure that the built in drivers will work properly.

My reason for choosing Easypeasy is because it was designed to run on my netbook, hence my disappointment.

But forget the gripes; why are you guys running Linux at home?

And does anyone know a hack to speed up the damn mouse?

earweed

The only reason I'm running Linux at all is to learn it. It's used in a lot of shops and it is something you may eventually need to be familiar with. I'm not one of those Linux enthusiasts who use it almost exclusively. I have a few distros set up on VM and have Fedora set up as a dual boot on one machine just to learn it.

networker050184

earweed wrote: »

The only reason I'm running Linux at all is to learn it.

Same here. I suck with Linux so I decided to start using it about a year ago or so. I still suck with it but at least I know my way around a bit.

exampasser

Have any of you people learning linux installed graphics drivers for hardware acceleration so that you can get all the neat desktop effects? I did on my dual-boot machine. Unfortunately I don't think it works under VMware though.

phantasm

I've always maintained that if learning Linux is your goal and you don't mind a little bit of pain along the way, then install Gentoo from the CLI. I use Gentoo primarily on my desktops and laptops and CentOS on my Server. By far the first Gentoo install I did was a hair raising experience.

I've never gotten on the Ubuntu band wagon, I can understand the premise behind it but to me it's not all it's cracked up to be.

earweed

I'm trying to learn relatively painless. I may eventually be comfortable enough to try Centoo but that may be a while.

NightShade03

phantasm wrote: »

I've always maintained that if learning Linux is your goal and you don't mind a little bit of pain along the way, then install Gentoo from the CLI. I use Gentoo primarily on my desktops and laptops and CentOS on my Server. By far the first Gentoo install I did was a hair raising experience.

I've never gotten on the Ubuntu band wagon, I can understand the premise behind it but to me it's not all it's cracked up to be.

I agree that the Ubuntu hype is a bit much. Personally I spend all day on Centos/Redhat as I use it for work. The gentoo install will def make you better @ linux as would a linux from scratch install.

I will say though that Ubuntu is pretty good with drivers, and having a huge repository helps as well (something Redhat sucks at).

@exampasser - You can't do the desktop effects in VMware/VirtualBox as those graphics drivers are just for basic use. If you did manage to get it going in a virtual environment I can't imagine that it would be very good.

exampasser

@NightShade03, thanks for confirming that, I didn't think it was possible but was not sure. Maybe it will work sometime in the future if some type of virtualization capabilities are given to gpu's.

NightShade03

If you really just want to try it out use a Ubuntu LiveCD and boot the system. Make the changes using your real hardware graphics card and see what it looks like. Then you can reboot and nothing will have been changed.

demonfurbie

i like ubuntu netbook remix as well as reg desktop type stuff ... how ever i got started with suse linux and there is also redhat both of those have nice backing in the biz world ubuntu is more of a home type linux if you ask me

SephStorm

phantasm wrote: »

I've always maintained that if learning Linux is your goal and you don't mind a little bit of pain along the way, then install Gentoo from the CLI. I use Gentoo primarily on my desktops and laptops and CentOS on my Server. By far the first Gentoo install I did was a hair raising experience.

I've never gotten on the Ubuntu band wagon, I can understand the premise behind it but to me it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Isn't that kind of like jumping on a moving train? trying to install from the command line when you don't even know how to navigate the file structure? Sure you might learn some commands, but you wont understand it.

phantasm

SephStorm wrote: »

Isn't that kind of like jumping on a moving train? trying to install from the command line when you don't even know how to navigate the file structure? Sure you might learn some commands, but you wont understand it.

On the contrary. The Gentoo Handbook explains it all to you, so you learn the commands and why you're executing them. A Gentoo install is no small feat nor undertaking. But the information you learn in the process is invaluable.

But hey, to each their own.

earweed

phantasm wrote: »

On the contrary. The Gentoo Handbook explains it all to you, so you learn the commands and why you're executing them. A Gentoo install is no small feat nor undertaking. But the information you learn in the process is invaluable.

But hey, to each their own.

Where do I get this Gentoo handbook?

phantasm

Gentoo Linux Documentation -- Gentoo Handbook

Choose the appropriate link for system architecture and voila!

SephStorm

I'll take a look, but I am skeptical...

dynamik

SephStorm wrote: »

I'll take a look, but I am skeptical...

Of what?

[Deleted User]

dynamik wrote: »

Of what?

I would imagine he is skeptical the he will understand what he is doing if he goes through the handbook. That's the only thing that makes sense to me.

Bl8ckr0uter

phantasm wrote: »

Gentoo Linux Documentation -- Gentoo Handbook

Choose the appropriate link for system architecture and voila!

Looks like a good project. I've been meaning to do this and a Linux from Scratch install. Looks like something good for an LPIC student to do.

tpatt100

We use Redhat here at work so I was forced to learn it. I tried teaching myself but when I got a project to support some redhat servers my motivation to learn it really kicked in.

NightShade03

tpatt100 wrote: »

We use Redhat here at work so I was forced to learn it. I tried teaching myself but when I got a project to support some redhat servers my motivation to learn it really kicked in.

Similar for me. I think that having to support some random issue thrown at you is a whole different animal then breaking something yourself and fixing (or doing labs for that matter).

Hyper-Me

I'll probably get complained at for this but; I find the majority of FOSS to be seriously lacking in stability, speed, and feature sets.

It seems everytime I try one, even the most coveted of them, i'm left sorely disappointed.

Thats not a knock on linux, as there as many linux based things that work well (RHEL, vSphere, etc)

NightShade03

Hyper-Me wrote: »

I'll probably get complained at for this but; I find the majority of FOSS to be seriously lacking in stability, speed, and feature sets.

It seems everytime I try one, even the most coveted of them, i'm left sorely disappointed.

Have any examples that come to mind?

Daniel333

I don't want to start any sort of linux vs or anything like. But I really feel Linux makes great appliances but has a lot of room for growth before it is really ready to be a general purpose desktop operating system.

But honestly, the age of the traditional desktop operating system is ending. So who really cares? I personally try to use Linux as much as I can, the experience there helps me when I am server/appliance side.

That said I really do like it for Cisco stuff. It's pretty frustrating to be working with a USB to Serial adaptor on a Windows machine and then needs a driver. I also found GNS3 works great under Linux.

So, all in all. I know what you mean, not impressed by any means with Ubuntu as a desktop operating system.

msteinhilber

Linux is one of those things you learn to love or hate IMO. I lately try to utilize Linux or BSD to implement new servers within our organization as I find they are more reliable, easier for me to maintain and administer, and I am more easily able to customize them to do precisely what I need them to do and nothing more which leads to better security. Of course, a savvy Windows administrator could to the same but it comes down to preference IMO. For a desktop based system it isn't my first choice for most tasks which is mostly because I'm familiar with the Windows based applications I use day to day for routine computing tasks and it's just not time best spent in my opinion to live in a gui based Linux OS for my desktop or notebook when I have the Windows based resources already available and I stand little to gain professionally (IMO) from working with and learning more about a Linux desktop with a GUI.

A lot of the flack Linux or *nix based systems in general receive often comes from the fact that a lot of administrators who have been gui-centric for years try to crossover into Linux either for their own purposes or because a work related task requires it. The command line isn't typically the first choice they go to when trying to configure a particular server for their needs and I think a lot try to do it all or as much as possible via a GUI. Most of all of the how-to's are CLI focused which makes it harder for them to figure out how to do it in a GUI. In the end they may or may not get the solution in place, but I bet either way a lot of them have the opinion that Linux isn't a good choice.

As others have said, to learn Linux one should pick a distro and jump in the command line and try a bunch of different things. Setup a Samba server, try your hands at setting up a NFS server and exporting a share. Setup Apache and configure it with all the modules needed to run a basic LAMP setup, play around with creating a couple virtual hosts, mess around with DNS. Just get yourself into it and play around, break things and fix them.

You may very well be frustrated when things don't go as planned the first few attempts but that's a good thing - frustration is synonymous with learning IMO, at least it is with me as the more frustrated I get with a problem the more I learn and the more that knowledge sticks in my head.

Bl8ckr0uter

Just curious: What do you guys expect out of a desktop os? What makes is usable?